hotair--2020-09-02--Portland Mayor after rioters targeted his high-rise: Fear not neighbors, I'm moving out

Mayor Ted Wheeler is moving .
He has apparently told his neighbors that for their safety and his own , he needs to leave the condo he owns in a 16-story high rise : In an email Tuesday from Wheeler to other residents of the 16-floor high-rise tower , the mayor said it would be “ best for me and for everyone else ’ s safety and peace ” that he finds a new home .
He assured people that police are taking their safety concerns seriously and invited them to a Thursday evening meeting that will include himself and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want to express my sincere apologies for the damage to our home and the fear that you are experiencing due to my position , ” according to a screenshot of the email sent to The Oregonian/OregonLive .
“ It ’ s unfair to all of you who have no role in politics or in my administration.
” The building has 114 units and retail space on the bottom floor .
Wheeler bought his two-bedroom condo for $ 840,000 in 2017 , according to Multnomah County property records .
There have been two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that prompted this .
Last Friday a group locked themselves together inside the lobby of the building demanding that Wheeler resign .
Meanwhile , the group held a loud concert on the street outside .
Police were called but after a few hours the occupiers gave up and went home .
Things got more serious Monday night .
The usual mob of Antifa goons showed up and set of commercial fireworks immediately adjacent to the building .
The explosions were happening maybe 20 feet from people ’ s windows on the higher floors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office on the ground floor and looted the furniture so it could be set on fire in the street .
The actual moment the police declared the riot Monday night was when one of the revolutionaries threw a ball of flaming newspaper into the vandalized office .
Fortunately , it didn ’ t set anything else on fire and police were able to quickly put it out but it ’ s not hard to see how literally playing with fire on the ground floor of a high rise full of people creates an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside his building the mayor wrote this statement to the public on Facebook [ emphasis added ] : Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community .
Arson and terrorizing families with children does nothing except steal , and distract from , the important message of the racial justice movement .
Organizations in the community who encouraged or condoned these actions are complicit .
Elected leaders – or those seeking office – who remain silent in the midst of these acts of violence and criminal destruction are equally complicit .
The community must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough ” and hold all of us accountable .
We can not truly move on together and make the positive changes we want to see until this violence is stopped .
All violence .
The line about terrorizing children probably has more of a story behind it that we aren ’ t hearing in full .
I suspect this connects with the line in Wheeler ’ s letter to his neighbors about residents not having to live with the fear and damage caused by his position .
All of this should be mortifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person responsible for putting a stop to this before it got to the point of terrorizing families and children .
And really that applies to the whole city for the past several months .
It ’ s not just this one building that is living with that fear and damage .
Rioters have set fires at multiple buildings and vandalized numerous sites including the country court house and City Hall , two of the most prominent public buildings in the city .
There have also been a string of arsons around the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rioters : Arson investigators are asking the public to help identify those responsible for nearly 100 arson fires in Portland over the past two weeks .
According to the list released by the Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire & Rescue , most of the fires were set in and near downtown .
Suspected causes include fireworks and Molotov cocktails .
Targets range from offices to vehicles to portable toilets , piles of debris and dumpsters .
The fires being investigated started on May 29… Here ’ s a map of where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you wave off the damage from the nightly riots ( which you shouldn ’ t ) the fact remains that this is taking a toll on a much larger portion of the city than a few buildings .
Police have indicated that they are unable to respond to anything but high priority calls while dealing with the riots .
Unless someone is physically being attacked , police probably can ’ t respond to your 911 call in Portland .
So Ted Wheeler really should be apologizing , but not just to his immediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to Occupy an ICE facility in his city ?
That was back in 2018 .
It was basically the same group of Antifa flying a different banner .
Instead of BLM and defunding police their cause then was defunding ICE .
They became so hostile that some people called 911 for help and…police never showed up .
An ICE union later alleged that Ted Wheeler had ordered the police not to respond , essentially giving the group a free hand .
That ’ s the tone that Wheeler set regarding Antifa and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now that the violence and destruction has come to his door , he ’ s going to run away .
Could there be any more clear indication that Wheeler is not up to the job ?
Final thought on this : What good is moving going to do ?
Does Wheeler think the mob won ’ t find his new address in a matter of weeks ?
Will his new neighbors be any safer than the old ones ?
Of course not .
Running away from this problem isn ’ t going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change the location of riots and ensure that a new segment of people are terrorized in their homes .

Mayor Ted Wheeler is moving. He has apparently told his neighbors that for their safety and his own, he needs to leave the condo he owns in a 16-story high rise:
In an email Tuesday from Wheeler to other residents of the 16-floor high-rise tower, the mayor said it would be “best for me and for everyone else’s safety and peace” that he finds a new home. He assured people that police are taking their safety concerns seriously and invited them to a Thursday evening meeting that will include himself and officers to voice their concerns. “I want to express my sincere apologies for the damage to our home and the fear that you are experiencing due to my position,” according to a screenshot of the email sent to The Oregonian/OregonLive. “It’s unfair to all of you who have no role in politics or in my administration.” The building has 114 units and retail space on the bottom floor. Wheeler bought his two-bedroom condo for $840,000 in 2017, according to Multnomah County property records.
There have been two recent protests at Wheeler’s high-rise that prompted this. Last Friday a group locked themselves together inside the lobby of the building demanding that Wheeler resign. Meanwhile, the group held a loud concert on the street outside. Police were called but after a few hours the occupiers gave up and went home.
Things got more serious Monday night. The usual mob of Antifa goons showed up and set of commercial fireworks immediately adjacent to the building. The explosions were happening maybe 20 feet from people’s windows on the higher floors.
https://twitter.com/TheScoopUSA/status/1300663082168057856
Then some vandals broke into an office on the ground floor and looted the furniture so it could be set on fire in the street. The actual moment the police declared the riot Monday night was when one of the revolutionaries threw a ball of flaming newspaper into the vandalized office. Fortunately, it didn’t set anything else on fire and police were able to quickly put it out but it’s not hard to see how literally playing with fire on the ground floor of a high rise full of people creates an extremely dangerous situation. After the riot outside his building the mayor wrote this statement to the public on Facebook [emphasis added]:
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. Arson and terrorizing families with children does nothing except steal, and distract from, the important message of the racial justice movement. Organizations in the community who encouraged or condoned these actions are complicit. Elected leaders – or those seeking office – who remain silent in the midst of these acts of violence and criminal destruction are equally complicit. The community must rise up and say “enough is enough” and hold all of us accountable. We cannot truly move on together and make the positive changes we want to see until this violence is stopped. All violence.
The line about terrorizing children probably has more of a story behind it that we aren’t hearing in full. I suspect this connects with the line in Wheeler’s letter to his neighbors about residents not having to live with the fear and damage caused by his position.
All of this should be mortifying to Wheeler because he’s the person responsible for putting a stop to this before it got to the point of terrorizing families and children. And really that applies to the whole city for the past several months. It’s not just this one building that is living with that fear and damage. Rioters have set fires at multiple buildings and vandalized numerous sites including the country court house and City Hall, two of the most prominent public buildings in the city. There have also been a string of arsons around the city which which appear to be connected to the rioters:
Arson investigators are asking the public to help identify those responsible for nearly 100 arson fires in Portland over the past two weeks. According to the list released by the Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire & Rescue, most of the fires were set in and near downtown. Suspected causes include fireworks and Molotov cocktails. Targets range from offices to vehicles to portable toilets, piles of debris and dumpsters. The fires being investigated started on May 29…
Here’s a map of where the fires were set:
Even if you wave off the damage from the nightly riots (which you shouldn’t) the fact remains that this is taking a toll on a much larger portion of the city than a few buildings. Police have indicated that they are unable to respond to anything but high priority calls while dealing with the riots. Unless someone is physically being attacked, police probably can’t respond to your 911 call in Portland. So Ted Wheeler really should be apologizing, but not just to his immediate neighbors.
Remember when this same group tried to Occupy an ICE facility in his city? That was back in 2018. It was basically the same group of Antifa flying a different banner. Instead of BLM and defunding police their cause then was defunding ICE. They became so hostile that some people called 911 for help and…police never showed up. An ICE union later alleged that Ted Wheeler had ordered the police not to respond, essentially giving the group a free hand. That’s the tone that Wheeler set regarding Antifa and they obviously haven’t forgotten. Now that the violence and destruction has come to his door, he’s going to run away. Could there be any more clear indication that Wheeler is not up to the job?
Final thought on this: What good is moving going to do? Does Wheeler think the mob won’t find his new address in a matter of weeks? Will his new neighbors be any safer than the old ones? Of course not. Running away from this problem isn’t going to help it’s only going to change the location of riots and ensure that a new segment of people are terrorized in their homes.


hotair--2020-09-02--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Wheeler bails, Biden flails, BLM ails, economy sails, Antifa wails, and

Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Wheeler bails, Biden flails, BLM ails, economy sails, Antifa wails, and more!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Duane “ Generalissimo ” Patterson brings us up to date on the week ’ s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow ’ s Hugh Hewitt show .
Duane and I will recap the conventions , take a look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portland , Joe Biden ’ s flip-flop on Kenosha , and much more !
• At 8 pm ET , I ’ ll return the favor by joining Duane on the Aftershow in the Hughniverse — so be sure to join us then , too .
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be sure to join us , and don ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page , too !
How can Republicans and conservatives keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
Duane “Generalissimo” Patterson brings us up to date on the week’s top stories and gives us a preview of tomorrow’s Hugh Hewitt show. Duane and I will recap the conventions, take a look at Ted Wheeler’s retreat in Portland, Joe Biden’s flip-flop on Kenosha, and much more!
At 8 pm ET, I’ll return the favor by joining Duane on the Aftershow in the Hughniverse — so be sure to join us then, too.
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!


hotair--2020-09-02--Texas A.G. files lawsuit to stop massive mail ballot application plan

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins to halt the county clerk ’ s plan to send a mail-in ballot application to every registered voter in Harris County .
Harris County has 2.4 million registered voters .
Paxton ’ s claim is that Hollins is exceeding his authority by sending out the applications which would confuse voters and open the door to fraud .
As the lawsuit was being filed on Monday , the Texas Democratic Party argued before the 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals that the age requirement to qualify for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age or older – discriminates against the majority of voters .
Texas is one of seven states in which all voters are not eligible to vote by mail-in ballot .
Time is growing short , as early voting is only six weeks away in Texas .
Hollins and the Harris County Attorney ’ s Office maintain there is no law against a mass mailing of ballot applications .
This is Hollins ’ first major election in his position .
He has only been in office since June .
Hollins plans to include a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots with the applications .
He blames the secretary of state for jumping the gun and filing a lawsuit instead of talking with him .
“ If the secretary of state would take the time to meet with us instead of jumping into court , they would see that the information we plan to share with voters provides clarity about voters ’ rights and eligibility to vote by mail , ” Hollins said in a statement .
Texans who are younger than 65 can apply for mail ballots if they will be out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voting period , or are disabled .
The question of if a voter qualifies for the disability requirement if that voter does not have immunity from COVID-19 has been bantered about for months since Democrats decided it would be a great idea for universal mail-in voting to be put into place .
Republicans recognize it for what it is – a scheme to hand the election to Democrats because of the likelihood of voter fraud and ballot harvesting .
In May the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a lack of immunity does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by mail .
Like everything else today , mail-in voting is politicized .
Democrats want it to be available to each and every registered voter .
Republicans see the increased potential for fraud .
Texas Secretary of State ’ s Elections Director Keith Ingram sent a letter to Hollins saying he would seek Paxton ’ s help if Harris County did not abandon its plan by noon last Monday .
Hollins did not so the lawsuit filed by Paxton was not unexpected .
It argues that the Texas Election Code permits county clerks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applications to any voter who requests one , but does not provide explicit permission to send applications to those who made no such request .
Most voters are ineligible for mail ballots , the attorney general asserts , therefore Hollins ’ s plan to send applications to millions of voters is irresponsible .
These unnecessary applications will be unused at best , the suit states , or will become “ ripe material for voter fraud.
” He also warned the clerk ’ s office could be overwhelmed by the volume of returned applications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voting period begins .
Democrats who are described as election law experts are lining up to support Hollins , also a Democrat .
Myrna Pérez , director of the voting rights and elections program at the left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University Law School , said last week that nothing in the Texas Election Code prohibits Harris County from mailing applications to whomever the clerk chooses .
Harris County Assistant County Attorney Douglas Ray said the same .
Paxton ’ s lawsuit suit offers no evidence to bolster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilitates fraud , said Rick Hasen , a professor specializing in election law at the UC Irvine School of Law .
“ Given that these are only applications , not ballots , there is ample opportunity for the county to protect against sending any fraudulent submissions , ” Hasen said .
“ If that were a means of fraud , then people could send in fraudulent applications even if the county never asked them to do so.
” He added that states that use mail ballots for most or all of their voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very low ” rates of fraud .
Harris County Republicans have joined Paxton ’ s lawsuit , arguing that Hollins is ignoring the court ’ s June ruling on mail ballots and misreading the Texas Election Code .
“ Harris County has a rogue clerk who is abusing the application to vote by mail process and compromising the integrity of elections in Harris County , ” the suit states .
The other plaintiffs are conservative activist Dr. Steven Hotze , and Sharon Hemphill , a Republican running for judge in the 80th Judicial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Election Code states residents must request a mail ballot application , and that absentee voting in Texas is reserved for a small group of voters .
Since the code does not specifically permit a county clerk or elections administrator to send mail ballot applications to residents who do not request them , the suit claims this practice is illegal .
Paxton compares mail-in voter fraud to credit card skimmers .
Credit card skimmers steal financial information , while “ vote harvesters can easily collect ‘ authentic ’ signatures under false pretenses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right around the corner in Texas , I assume the court will make a ruling quickly .

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins to halt the county clerk’s plan to send a mail-in ballot application to every registered voter in Harris County. Harris County has 2.4 million registered voters. Paxton’s claim is that Hollins is exceeding his authority by sending out the applications which would confuse voters and open the door to fraud.
“Election officials have a duty to reject mail-in ballot applications from voters who are not eligible to vote by mail,” Paxton said in a statement. “Unfortunately, instead of protecting the integrity of our democratic process, the Harris County clerk decided to knowingly violate election laws by preparing to send over two million ballot applications to many Texans who do not qualify and have not requested to vote by mail.”
As the lawsuit was being filed on Monday, the Texas Democratic Party argued before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the age requirement to qualify for a mail-in ballot – voters 65 years of age or older – discriminates against the majority of voters. Texas is one of seven states in which all voters are not eligible to vote by mail-in ballot.
Time is growing short, as early voting is only six weeks away in Texas. Hollins and the Harris County Attorney’s Office maintain there is no law against a mass mailing of ballot applications. This is Hollins’ first major election in his position. He has only been in office since June. Hollins plans to include a document explaining which voters qualify for mail ballots with the applications. He blames the secretary of state for jumping the gun and filing a lawsuit instead of talking with him.
“If the secretary of state would take the time to meet with us instead of jumping into court, they would see that the information we plan to share with voters provides clarity about voters’ rights and eligibility to vote by mail,” Hollins said in a statement. Texans who are younger than 65 can apply for mail ballots if they will be out of their home county or incarcerated during the voting period, or are disabled.
The question of if a voter qualifies for the disability requirement if that voter does not have immunity from COVID-19 has been bantered about for months since Democrats decided it would be a great idea for universal mail-in voting to be put into place. Republicans recognize it for what it is – a scheme to hand the election to Democrats because of the likelihood of voter fraud and ballot harvesting. In May the Texas Supreme Court ruled that a lack of immunity does not qualify as a reason to vote by mail.
Like everything else today, mail-in voting is politicized. Democrats want it to be available to each and every registered voter. Republicans see the increased potential for fraud. Texas Secretary of State’s Elections Director Keith Ingram sent a letter to Hollins saying he would seek Paxton’s help if Harris County did not abandon its plan by noon last Monday. Hollins did not so the lawsuit filed by Paxton was not unexpected.
It argues that the Texas Election Code permits county clerks and election administrators to send mail ballot applications to any voter who requests one, but does not provide explicit permission to send applications to those who made no such request. Most voters are ineligible for mail ballots, the attorney general asserts, therefore Hollins’s plan to send applications to millions of voters is irresponsible. These unnecessary applications will be unused at best, the suit states, or will become “ripe material for voter fraud.” He also warned the clerk’s office could be overwhelmed by the volume of returned applications and be unable to process them before the voting period begins.
Democrats who are described as election law experts are lining up to support Hollins, also a Democrat.
Myrna Pérez, director of the voting rights and elections program at the left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University Law School, said last week that nothing in the Texas Election Code prohibits Harris County from mailing applications to whomever the clerk chooses. Harris County Assistant County Attorney Douglas Ray said the same. Paxton’s lawsuit suit offers no evidence to bolster the assertion that sending mail ballot applications facilitates fraud, said Rick Hasen, a professor specializing in election law at the UC Irvine School of Law. “Given that these are only applications, not ballots, there is ample opportunity for the county to protect against sending any fraudulent submissions,” Hasen said. “If that were a means of fraud, then people could send in fraudulent applications even if the county never asked them to do so.” He added that states that use mail ballots for most or all of their voting, including Republican-controlled Utah, report “very low” rates of fraud.
Harris County Republicans have joined Paxton’s lawsuit, arguing that Hollins is ignoring the court’s June ruling on mail ballots and misreading the Texas Election Code.
“Harris County has a rogue clerk who is abusing the application to vote by mail process and compromising the integrity of elections in Harris County,” the suit states. The other plaintiffs are conservative activist Dr. Steven Hotze, and Sharon Hemphill, a Republican running for judge in the 80th Judicial District Court. The suit argues that the Election Code states residents must request a mail ballot application, and that absentee voting in Texas is reserved for a small group of voters. Since the code does not specifically permit a county clerk or elections administrator to send mail ballot applications to residents who do not request them, the suit claims this practice is illegal.
Paxton compares mail-in voter fraud to credit card skimmers. Credit card skimmers steal financial information, while “vote harvesters can easily collect ‘authentic’ signatures under false pretenses and steal your vote.” With early voting right around the corner in Texas, I assume the court will make a ruling quickly.


hotair--2020-09-02--Biden: On second thought, let's go to Kenosha

Translation : The polling on riots must be getting brutal .
Just days after criticizing Donald Trump for making a campaign stop in Kenosha after a controversial police shooting , Joe Biden ’ s campaign suddenly added a visit by their nominee .
He ’ s going o “ heal ” the community , the campaign claims , but it certainly looks like Biden is playing follow the leader : Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife , Jill Biden , will visit Kenosha on Thursday as tensions simmer in the city following the shooting of a Black man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths of two people protesting his shooting by an armed teenager .
Biden ’ s visit to Wisconsin comes just two days after President Donald Trump toured the destructive aftermath of the shooting of Jacob Blake , who was shot seven times in the back by a police officer as he was trying to get into a vehicle .
… “ Vice President Biden will hold a community meeting in Kenosha to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face , ” his campaign said in a release .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden will make a local stop.
” What makes this particularly transparent as a political cover-your-a** operation is that Biden had first apparently decided against a Kenosha visit .
And after Trump decided to pay the city a visit , Biden ’ s senior campaign adviser went on CNN yesterday morning to claim that Biden was taking the high road by staying away : When asked on CNN on Tuesday if Biden was planning on visiting Kenosha , Wis. , this week , Sanders did not confirm if plans were in the works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaign decided against doing so .
She said Tuesday that “ he doesn ’ t want to do anything that would create a tussle on the ground.
” … “ We have heard the president over the last couple of days , throughout the Republican National Convention , talk about violence , ” Sanders said .
“ His tweets have stoked and incited this violence .
So he ’ s not going to be a calming voice in Kenosha , Wis. , today .
He ’ s going to do nothing but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what is already a very tense situation.
” “ [ Biden ] is doing right now , frankly , what a president should be doing , ” she continued .
So what changed ?
Apparently , Biden took a look at Trump getting ahead of events by showing up in Kenosha , and belatedly decided that commenting from the basement was a bad look , let ’ s say .
Now , suddenly , Biden ’ s doing the same thing that his campaign criticized Trump for doing — making Kenosha and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already is , quite obviously , despite the Democrats ’ hard work to avoid the issue during the entirety of their convention .
Biden tried addressing the issue yesterday , but his statement was hardly sufficient .
What Biden needed was a Sister Souljah moment — calling out the radicals on his own side to stop rioting .
Instead , Biden called out militias and other betes noires on the other side , when it ’ s patently obvious to most Americans that it ’ s radical leftists destroying public order and demanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ booted his first chance to seize the center on this issue , and now he ’ s going to Kenosha because he needs a do-over .
Unless he changes the messaging , however , Biden ’ s likelier to make matters worse for himself rather than better , and that assumes he can even address the issues coherently .
He already looks foolish for flip-flopping on an appearance .
Good luck just explaining that change .

Translation: The polling on riots must be getting brutal. Just days after criticizing Donald Trump for making a campaign stop in Kenosha after a controversial police shooting, Joe Biden’s campaign suddenly added a visit by their nominee. He’s going o “heal” the community, the campaign claims, but it certainly looks like Biden is playing follow the leader:
Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, will visit Kenosha on Thursday as tensions simmer in the city following the shooting of a Black man by a white police officer and the deaths of two people protesting his shooting by an armed teenager. Biden’s visit to Wisconsin comes just two days after President Donald Trump toured the destructive aftermath of the shooting of Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by a police officer as he was trying to get into a vehicle. … “Vice President Biden will hold a community meeting in Kenosha to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face,” his campaign said in a release. “After, Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden will make a local stop.”
What makes this particularly transparent as a political cover-your-a** operation is that Biden had first apparently decided against a Kenosha visit. And after Trump decided to pay the city a visit, Biden’s senior campaign adviser went on CNN yesterday morning to claim that Biden was taking the high road by staying away:
President Trump’s trip to Kenosha will “pour gasoline on what is already a very tense situation,” Biden campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders says to @jimsciutto. Sanders says Biden is “doing right now, frankly, what a president should be doing.” https://t.co/anx3opJA9x pic.twitter.com/yO4zIZw4xu — CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) September 1, 2020
When asked on CNN on Tuesday if Biden was planning on visiting Kenosha, Wis., this week, Sanders did not confirm if plans were in the works, though reports have emerged recently that the campaign decided against doing so. She said Tuesday that “he doesn’t want to do anything that would create a tussle on the ground.” … “We have heard the president over the last couple of days, throughout the Republican National Convention, talk about violence,” Sanders said. “His tweets have stoked and incited this violence. So he’s not going to be a calming voice in Kenosha, Wis., today. He’s going to do nothing but fan the flames and pour gasoline on what is already a very tense situation.” “[Biden] is doing right now, frankly, what a president should be doing,” she continued.
So what changed? Apparently, Biden took a look at Trump getting ahead of events by showing up in Kenosha, and belatedly decided that commenting from the basement was a bad look, let’s say. Now, suddenly, Biden’s doing the same thing that his campaign criticized Trump for doing — making Kenosha and the rioting a campaign issue. Which it already is, quite obviously, despite the Democrats’ hard work to avoid the issue during the entirety of their convention.
Biden tried addressing the issue yesterday, but his statement was hardly sufficient. What Biden needed was a Sister Souljah moment — calling out the radicals on his own side to stop rioting. Instead, Biden called out militias and other betes noires on the other side, when it’s patently obvious to most Americans that it’s radical leftists destroying public order and demanding the retreat of police departments. Biden booted his first chance to seize the center on this issue, and now he’s going to Kenosha because he needs a do-over.
Unless he changes the messaging, however, Biden’s likelier to make matters worse for himself rather than better, and that assumes he can even address the issues coherently. He already looks foolish for flip-flopping on an appearance. Good luck just explaining that change.


hotair--2020-09-02--Monmouth Poll: Biden's lead in Pennsylvania narrows to 1-3 points

Monmouth University published a poll today showing that the post-convention race is getting tight in Pennsylvania .
This is a substantial change from where the race was polling just six weeks ago : Among all registered voters in Pennsylvania , the race for president stands at 49 % for Biden and 45 % for Trump .
Another 2 % support Libertarian Jo Jorgensen , less than 1 % back the Green Party ’ s Howie Hawkins , and 4 % are undecided .
Voter intent includes 43 % who say they are certain to vote for Biden ( versus 44 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all likely to support the Democrat ) and 40 % who are certain to support Trump ( versus 47 % who are not at all likely ) .
The contest tightens when different likely voter models are applied .
A model based on a somewhat higher level of turnout than 2016 puts the race at 49 % for Biden and 46 % for Trump , while one reflecting lower turnout has it at 48 % for Biden and 47 % for Trump .
So depending on what type of turnout you have this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 1 point race .
Just six weeks ago , Biden held a 13 point lead among registered voters which worked out to a 10 or 7 point lead among likely voters depending which turnout model you use .
In other words this looks like a 6 point drop for Biden in 6 weeks .
The margin of error on this poll is 4.9 percent .
The shift in the numbers has come mostly from men who were pretty even split in the prior poll and now favor Trump heavily : There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the level of enthusiasm in each party : Republican voters ( 51 % now ; 42 % in July ) continue to be much more likely than Democrats ( 26 % now ; 18 % in July ) to say they are very optimistic about the 2020 presidential election .
They have also caught up on the metric of feeling more enthusiastic about this contest compared to past elections ( 52 % Republicans and 49 % Democrats now ; 42 % Republicans and 53 % Democrats in July ) .
Finally , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Democratic prospects is still overwhelmingly behind Biden , but their support appears to be softening .
Monmouth puts that down to successful outreach during the RNC : Voters of color have become somewhat less certain of their choice .
Biden maintains a sizable lead with this group ( 72 % to 15 % versus 76 % to 16 % in July ) , but a larger number are now undecided ( 9 % now versus 3 % in July ) .
“ The Republican convention attempted to sow some seeds of doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and urban voters .
It looks like they may have had a small amount of success with that , at least for now , ” said Murray .
Interviewing for the poll started on Friday after the RNC , with most being completed before Biden ’ s speech in Pittsburgh on Monday .
All of this helps explain why Biden made that trip to Pittsburgh Monday .
What was looking like a solid win in July is now a neck and neck race .
Having watched the speech , complete with technical glitches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m not sure it helped him that much .
There is some good news for Biden in this poll though .
He ’ s leading Trump on the issue of handling race relations ( obviously a big one at this moment ) by about 11 points .
The poll also shows that President Trump is underwater on his handling of the coronavirus , which explains why Biden pivots to this issue every time he ’ s asked about rioting and looting .
To close this out , here ’ s Nate Silver @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Monmouth University published a poll today showing that the post-convention race is getting tight in Pennsylvania. This is a substantial change from where the race was polling just six weeks ago:
Among all registered voters in Pennsylvania, the race for president stands at 49% for Biden and 45% for Trump. Another 2% support Libertarian Jo Jorgensen, less than 1% back the Green Party’s Howie Hawkins, and 4% are undecided. Voter intent includes 43% who say they are certain to vote for Biden (versus 44% who say they are not at all likely to support the Democrat) and 40% who are certain to support Trump (versus 47% who are not at all likely). The contest tightens when different likely voter models are applied. A model based on a somewhat higher level of turnout than 2016 puts the race at 49% for Biden and 46% for Trump, while one reflecting lower turnout has it at 48% for Biden and 47% for Trump.
So depending on what type of turnout you have this is either a 3 point race or a 1 point race. Just six weeks ago, Biden held a 13 point lead among registered voters which worked out to a 10 or 7 point lead among likely voters depending which turnout model you use. In other words this looks like a 6 point drop for Biden in 6 weeks. The margin of error on this poll is 4.9 percent. The shift in the numbers has come mostly from men who were pretty even split in the prior poll and now favor Trump heavily:
Biden maintains a solid 59% to 35% lead among women (similar to 60% to 34% in July), but he has lost ground among men. They prefer Trump by 56% to 37%, compared with a much closer 47% to 45% margin in July.
There’s also a pretty big difference in the level of enthusiasm in each party:
Republican voters (51% now; 42% in July) continue to be much more likely than Democrats (26% now; 18% in July) to say they are very optimistic about the 2020 presidential election. They have also caught up on the metric of feeling more enthusiastic about this contest compared to past elections (52% Republicans and 49% Democrats now; 42% Republicans and 53% Democrats in July).
Finally, the coalition of minority voters that is key to Democratic prospects is still overwhelmingly behind Biden, but their support appears to be softening. Monmouth puts that down to successful outreach during the RNC:
Voters of color have become somewhat less certain of their choice. Biden maintains a sizable lead with this group (72% to 15% versus 76% to 16% in July), but a larger number are now undecided (9% now versus 3% in July). “The Republican convention attempted to sow some seeds of doubt among core Democratic blocs, especially young and urban voters. It looks like they may have had a small amount of success with that, at least for now,” said Murray. Interviewing for the poll started on Friday after the RNC, with most being completed before Biden’s speech in Pittsburgh on Monday.
All of this helps explain why Biden made that trip to Pittsburgh Monday. What was looking like a solid win in July is now a neck and neck race. Having watched the speech, complete with technical glitches and sentences that went nowhere, I’m not sure it helped him that much.
There is some good news for Biden in this poll though. He’s leading Trump on the issue of handling race relations (obviously a big one at this moment) by about 11 points. The poll also shows that President Trump is underwater on his handling of the coronavirus, which explains why Biden pivots to this issue every time he’s asked about rioting and looting.
To close this out, here’s Nate Silver’s take on this poll:
Not so hot for Biden here, whose Pennsylvania numbers have been worse than you might have expected all year (WI and MI have often been better for him, by comparison). Monmouth's July numbers were an exception to that, but this poll isn't. https://t.co/L3fk9fGHoC — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) September 2, 2020
Biden now +4.2 in our Pennsylvania polling average, which is now the same as in Florida (+4.2). These are the most common tipping-point states. By comparison, he's at +7.1 in our national average, so we see the same 3-point gap as in 2016. https://t.co/wKbW02AGO5 pic.twitter.com/pGUrl77ncQ — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) September 2, 2020


hotair--2020-09-02--Breaking: Navalny definitely poisoned according to German doctors

As of last week , Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was still in a coma in a German hospital , with doctors there saying that they were pretty sure he ’ d been poisoned .
At the time , their initial tests indicated that he ’ d been subjected to some form of unspecified cholinesterase inhibitors , commonly found in weed killers and similar chemical compounds .
Today , however , the diagnosis has changed .
Further testing reportedly indicates that Navalny was actually poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group .
If that name sounds familiar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it before , and it also involved some enemies of Vladimir Putin who “ mysteriously ” fell ill while in a foreign country .
( CNN ) Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group , the German government said Wednesday .
Navalny , who fell ill on a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow last month , is being treated at a Berlin hospital .
In a statement , German government spokesman Steffen Siebert said it was “ startling ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an attack with a chemical nerve agent in Russia.
” “ The federal government condemns this attack in the strongest possible terms.
” “ We hope for a full recovery of Alexei Navalny , ” the statement added .
That sounds pretty definitive , but you would need the correct specialists to make that sort of diagnosis .
( Clearly , the Germans have access to the correct sources . )
This would seem to point the finger even more squarely at the Russians because they have a well-documented history in this area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are these poisons from the Novichok group ?
You can read a pretty good rundown from the BBC here but it ’ s material that was developed well before the current episode under discussion .
Novichok means “ newcomer ” in Russian .
It ’ s used to describe a group of advanced nerve agents the Soviet Union cooked up in the 70s and 80s .
Described as a “ fourth-generation chemical weapon , ” intelligence officials learned that the toxic cocktails were developed under a program codenamed Foliant .
And the Russians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , either .
It was the same deadly mixture that nearly killed former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia in Salisbury , England in 2018 .
If the Russians could reach that far from their home turf and target someone on British soil , how hard do you think it would be to manage the same feat in Siberia ?
If the family hadn ’ t managed to bring international pressure on the Russians and get Navalny transferred to Germany from that Siberian hospital , the noted Putin critic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
Even as things stand today , Navalny ’ s survival isn ’ t a 100 % sure thing .
And even if he does live , the doctors have warned his family that he may have permanent nervous system injury .
So will these revelations change anything ?
will Putin and his KBG pals be held accountable for this ?
Don ’ t get your hopes up .
The Russians will continue to deny any involvement and claim it was all some sort of big misunderstanding .
John just reported the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already closed the books on this one and said that there was no need for any further investigation .
At most , as I have predicted from the beginning of this saga , if enough sustained pressure is applied to the Kremlin , they ’ ll come up with some patsy who is already on Putin ’ s enemies list , blame him for the deed and get rid of him .
It ’ s just how Vladimir Putin rolls , and expecting that leopard to change his spots at this stage in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ errand .

As of last week, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was still in a coma in a German hospital, with doctors there saying that they were pretty sure he’d been poisoned. At the time, their initial tests indicated that he’d been subjected to some form of unspecified cholinesterase inhibitors, commonly found in weed killers and similar chemical compounds. Today, however, the diagnosis has changed. Further testing reportedly indicates that Navalny was actually poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group. If that name sounds familiar, it should. We’ve seen it before, and it also involved some enemies of Vladimir Putin who “mysteriously” fell ill while in a foreign country. (CNN)
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was poisoned with a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group, the German government said Wednesday. Navalny, who fell ill on a flight from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow last month, is being treated at a Berlin hospital. In a statement, German government spokesman Steffen Siebert said it was “startling” that “Alexei Navalny was the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve agent in Russia.” “The federal government condemns this attack in the strongest possible terms.” “We hope for a full recovery of Alexei Navalny,” the statement added.
That sounds pretty definitive, but you would need the correct specialists to make that sort of diagnosis. (Clearly, the Germans have access to the correct sources.) This would seem to point the finger even more squarely at the Russians because they have a well-documented history in this area. So first of all, what are these poisons from the Novichok group? You can read a pretty good rundown from the BBC here but it’s material that was developed well before the current episode under discussion.
Novichok means “newcomer” in Russian. It’s used to describe a group of advanced nerve agents the Soviet Union cooked up in the 70s and 80s. Described as a “fourth-generation chemical weapon,” intelligence officials learned that the toxic cocktails were developed under a program codenamed Foliant.
And the Russians haven’t been shy about using them, either. It was the same deadly mixture that nearly killed former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England in 2018. If the Russians could reach that far from their home turf and target someone on British soil, how hard do you think it would be to manage the same feat in Siberia?
If the family hadn’t managed to bring international pressure on the Russians and get Navalny transferred to Germany from that Siberian hospital, the noted Putin critic would in all likelihood be dead by now. Even as things stand today, Navalny’s survival isn’t a 100% sure thing. And even if he does live, the doctors have warned his family that he may have permanent nervous system injury.
So will these revelations change anything? will Putin and his KBG pals be held accountable for this? Don’t get your hopes up. The Russians will continue to deny any involvement and claim it was all some sort of big misunderstanding. John just reported the other day about how Russian prosecutors have already closed the books on this one and said that there was no need for any further investigation. At most, as I have predicted from the beginning of this saga, if enough sustained pressure is applied to the Kremlin, they’ll come up with some patsy who is already on Putin’s enemies list, blame him for the deed and get rid of him. It’s just how Vladimir Putin rolls, and expecting that leopard to change his spots at this stage in his life is a fool’s errand.


hotair--2020-09-02--Chris Cuomo to Michael Cohen: ABC's asked about sexual harassment allegations from earlier in my car

Chris Cuomo to Michael Cohen: ABC's asked about sexual harassment allegations from earlier in my career

“ There ’ s a lot to unpack here , ” Tucker Carlson says after playing a minute-long recording of this conversation between CNN ’ s Chris Cuomo and Michael Cohen .
Indeed there is , but the biggest part of the baggage doesn ’ t come up in the segment .
The CNN anchor tells Cohen that ABC , his former employer , has begun to ask about “ stories ” that Cuomo sexually harassed women during his tenure at the network , which Cuomo strenuously denies .
“ Do I look like the kind of f—ing guy who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ You know , I ’ m always careful when I talk to media .
Do you know how many f—ing phone calls I ’ ve gotten from people at ABC who say that reporters are calling and lying about things they ’ ve heard about me , to try to get stories about me when I was at ABC ?
Guys calling and saying , ‘ I heard he was the Charlie Rose of ABC .
He used to invite women to a hotel and open his bathrobe.
’ Do I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ s got ta do that ?
” Cuomo said .
Cuomo goes on impersonating somebody asking him about the rumors , saying , “ ‘ I have a good source that says he forced one woman to have sex .
I just want to know if you ’ ve ever heard anything like that ? '
” “ There is no woman !
” Cuomo exclaimed .
“ Women who do work there saying , ‘ oh yeah , you know , some of these men , ’ naming me with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we bumped into each other once in the elevator , and he put his hand on my shoulder , and he made me really uncomfortable , ' ” Cuomo said , describing internal allegations against him .
“ I mean what the f— !
It ’ s a problem .
And now … I ’ m careful with the media , always .
I ’ ve always told you : The media is not your friend.
” As Carlson points out , that sounds suspiciously like Cuomo believes that women sometimes lie about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cuomo is arguing for the benefit of the doubt and the necessity of having accusers carry the burden of proof .
Did Cuomo have those same principles when it came to , say , Brett Kavanaugh ?
Not exactly .
However , Carlson never quite addresses the most obvious questions , which are : where did he get this audio tape ?
And just how did it end up in the hands of a Fox News anchor ?
As it happens , Cohen himself asked those same questions , while simultaneously authenticating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment the chutzpah necessary to complain about Trump revealing secrets in conjunction with Cohen ’ s latest commercial project to reveal secrets about his former legal client .
Still , Cohen has a point , assuming we can trust his assurance that only those entities had the tape .
Actually , it may have been floating around for a couple of years , and perhaps more are left to emerge : There ’ s also a legal issue about the recordings , one Cuomo raised in 2018 when word of them emerged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cohen that he said waa intended to be “ off the record , ” and that he had no idea that Cohen recorded it .
Perhaps Cuomo should have revealed the content of that conversation at the time , embarrassing as it might have been ; at least he could have contextualized it first that way .
Unfortunately , Cuomo may have no legal recourse , as New York is a “ one party consent ” state when it comes to recording conversations .
( Also , this sounds like an in-person conversation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wiretap issue would be moot anyway . )
Cohen likely doesn ’ t have any legal recourse either , under the circumstances .
Having secretly taped conversations with his friends and clients , it ’ s going to be tough to stand on principle over the exposure of those recordings now .
One man in particular is passing the popcorn and wondering what CNN does now : They might have to fire him just for saying , “ The media is not your friend.
” That ’ s gon na stick to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At some point , CNN has to start asking whether Cuomo and his clown act with his brother is worth the headache .

“There’s a lot to unpack here,” Tucker Carlson says after playing a minute-long recording of this conversation between CNN’s Chris Cuomo and Michael Cohen. Indeed there is, but the biggest part of the baggage doesn’t come up in the segment. The CNN anchor tells Cohen that ABC, his former employer, has begun to ask about “stories” that Cuomo sexually harassed women during his tenure at the network, which Cuomo strenuously denies. “Do I look like the kind of f—ing guy who’s gotta do that?”
“Sure,” Cohen says dryly, “why not?”
“You know, I’m always careful when I talk to media. Do you know how many f—ing phone calls I’ve gotten from people at ABC who say that reporters are calling and lying about things they’ve heard about me, to try to get stories about me when I was at ABC? Guys calling and saying, ‘I heard he was the Charlie Rose of ABC. He used to invite women to a hotel and open his bathrobe.’ Do I look like the kind of f—ing guy who’s gotta do that?” Cuomo said. “Sure, why not?” Cohen responds. Cuomo goes on impersonating somebody asking him about the rumors, saying, “‘I have a good source that says he forced one woman to have sex. I just want to know if you’ve ever heard anything like that?'” “There is no woman!” Cuomo exclaimed. “Women who do work there saying, ‘oh yeah, you know, some of these men,’ naming me with other guys, ‘you know, we bumped into each other once in the elevator, and he put his hand on my shoulder, and he made me really uncomfortable,'” Cuomo said, describing internal allegations against him. “I mean what the f—! It’s a problem. And now … I’m careful with the media, always. I’ve always told you: The media is not your friend.”
As Carlson points out, that sounds suspiciously like Cuomo believes that women sometimes lie about sexual harassment. At the very least, Cuomo is arguing for the benefit of the doubt and the necessity of having accusers carry the burden of proof. Did Cuomo have those same principles when it came to, say, Brett Kavanaugh? Not exactly.
However, Carlson never quite addresses the most obvious questions, which are: where did he get this audio tape? And just how did it end up in the hands of a Fox News anchor? As it happens, Cohen himself asked those same questions, while simultaneously authenticating the recording:
The only people in possession of these recordings are me, @DOJ, @POTUS & Trump Org. I did not give this recording or authorization for its use to @FoxNews or anyone. @POTUS and cronies violated my First amendment rights and now this; all to discredit me and my book. What’s next? pic.twitter.com/ajgmpE9ZoF — Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) September 2, 2020
Please note for a moment the chutzpah necessary to complain about Trump revealing secrets in conjunction with Cohen’s latest commercial project to reveal secrets about his former legal client. Still, Cohen has a point, assuming we can trust his assurance that only those entities had the tape. Actually, it may have been floating around for a couple of years, and perhaps more are left to emerge:
But the wild recording between President Donald Trump and his former attorney is just one of many. The Washington Post reported investigators have more than 100 of Cohen’s recordings, a number Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani seemingly confirmed while appearing on CNN Thursday. The tapes include a host of characters, including journalists, and cover a variety of topics, including some revolved around the president’s business.
There’s also a legal issue about the recordings, one Cuomo raised in 2018 when word of them emerged. Cuomo alluded to a longer conversation with Cohen that he said waa intended to be “off the record,” and that he had no idea that Cohen recorded it. Perhaps Cuomo should have revealed the content of that conversation at the time, embarrassing as it might have been; at least he could have contextualized it first that way.
Unfortunately, Cuomo may have no legal recourse, as New York is a “one party consent” state when it comes to recording conversations. (Also, this sounds like an in-person conversation rather than a phone call, so the wiretap issue would be moot anyway.) Cohen likely doesn’t have any legal recourse either, under the circumstances. Having secretly taped conversations with his friends and clients, it’s going to be tough to stand on principle over the exposure of those recordings now.
One man in particular is passing the popcorn and wondering what CNN does now:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1301090370508464129
They might have to fire him just for saying, “The media is not your friend.” That’s gonna stick to CNN’s flesh for a while. At some point, CNN has to start asking whether Cuomo and his clown act with his brother is worth the headache.


hotair--2020-09-02--Nancy Pelosi's trip to the hair salon did not end well

Nancy Pelosi had a Marie Antoinette moment this week in San Francisco .
Despite the fact that hair salons are shuttered due to California ’ s lockdown on businesses , Madame Speaker ventured out for a shampoo and blowout at a local salon .
It must have come as quite a surprise to find herself on a video shown by a cable news network as she walked from one area of the establishment to another with wet hair and wearing a non-descript salon smock .
A security camera caught it and Fox News obtained the video .
Tuesday the cable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is no doubt that the fact that Fox ran it was salt to the wound since we know that Democrats like Pelosi usually boycott FNC .
Talk about blatant hypocrisy – not only is she being serviced in a business that has been closed since March to the public but Pelosi isn ’ t even wearing a face mask .
The stylist is wearing a face mask .
Salons were allowed to reopen on September 1 but only for outdoor styling services .
So , even with a limited reopening , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for her appointment .
The little people must follow the rules , you see , but not the Speaker of the House .
The salon owner , Erica Kious , was irritated about the whole situation and decided to share the story .
Like a lot of other salons , hair stylists in her salon are independent stylists who rent chairs .
On Sunday night she received a text from a stylist who wanted to take a customer on Monday afternoon .
This is where it gets a little odd , to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t sure what to do , how to handle the request .
She sounds as though the stylists have final say over her , which doesn ’ t make sense .
Kious is the owner of the business .
She could have nipped it in the bud by declining to approve the appointment .
Remember Monday was August 31 and the salon was still shuttered for any business services .
It wasn ’ t allowed to open for outside services until Tuesday , September 1 .
Unless I ’ m completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointment was a day early for even outside service .
Needless to say , when Kious saw the footage of Pelosi traipsing about inside the salon , she was not pleased .
“ I was like , are you kidding me right now ?
Do I let this happen ?
What do I do ?
” Kious told Fox News while noting that she “ can ’ t control ” what her stylists do if they rent chairs from her , as “ they ’ re not paying ” at this time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ face that she went in , you know , that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in , and I can ’ t work , ” Kious told Fox News , adding that she “ can ’ t believe ” the speaker didn ’ t have a mask on .
( From the footage , it appears Pelosi had some kind of covering around her neck . )
“ We ’ re supposed to look up to this woman , right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just disturbing.
” No , we don ’ t have to “ look up to this woman ” and many of us don ’ t , precisely because of this kind of hypocrisy coming out of elected officials .
She works for Kious if Kious lives in Pelosi ’ s district .
Public servants are not supposed to be royalty .
Pelosi ’ s spokesman denied special treatment , as you would expect .
His statement is different than the story from Pelosi ’ s stylist .
Did the stylist just randomly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do her hair or did Pelosi ’ s assistant text the stylist to make arrangements ?
Kious said Pelosi received a shampoo and a blow-dry .
That , too , violates the coronavirus mitigation guidelines .
Hair salons are not supposed to use hair dryers .
Kious says the whole thing is a “ slap in the face.
” She ’ s a single mom with two children , trying to reopen her business for the past six months .
Like other business owners , she feels deflated and beaten down by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in July and made the adjustments inside the salon , like installing plexiglass partitions and spacing salon chairs six feet apart .
Monday , by the way , Pelosi appeared on MSNBC on the Chris Hayes show .
She complained that Trump “ slapped science right in the face ” by not wearing a mask or social distancing during the GOP convention .
Perhaps Pelosi needed to get her hair done before that television appearance .
She said what a “ bad example ” Trump ’ s behavior was .
This is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago ’ s mayor , Lori Lightfoot , who also had her hair done because she said she had to for professional reasons .
I ’ m sure thousands of Chicago women thought the same thing as they continued to do their hair at home and tried to look presentable for Zoom calls for their jobs .
This latest example from Pelosi is a reminder that Democrats accuse everyone else of the behavior they are doing themselves .
The women in the press are big Pelosi fangirls and this Politico reporter questioned if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the business “ without consent ” .
The camera was a security camera .
Good heavens .
Pelosi broke the rules and the security camera is questioned ?
You can ’ t make this stuff up .

Nancy Pelosi had a Marie Antoinette moment this week in San Francisco. Despite the fact that hair salons are shuttered due to California’s lockdown on businesses, Madame Speaker ventured out for a shampoo and blowout at a local salon. It must have come as quite a surprise to find herself on a video shown by a cable news network as she walked from one area of the establishment to another with wet hair and wearing a non-descript salon smock.
A security camera caught it and Fox News obtained the video. Tuesday the cable network ran it as an exclusive story. There is no doubt that the fact that Fox ran it was salt to the wound since we know that Democrats like Pelosi usually boycott FNC.
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
Talk about blatant hypocrisy – not only is she being serviced in a business that has been closed since March to the public but Pelosi isn’t even wearing a face mask. The stylist is wearing a face mask.
Salons were allowed to reopen on September 1 but only for outdoor styling services. So, even with a limited reopening, Pelosi violated the rules by going inside for her appointment. The little people must follow the rules, you see, but not the Speaker of the House. The salon owner, Erica Kious, was irritated about the whole situation and decided to share the story.
Like a lot of other salons, hair stylists in her salon are independent stylists who rent chairs. On Sunday night she received a text from a stylist who wanted to take a customer on Monday afternoon.
“One of the stylists who rents a chair from me contacted me Sunday night,” Kious said. A screengrab of the text message she received from one of her stylists and obtained by Fox News, said: “I’ll be there at 2:45 tomorrow. Pelosi assistant just messaged me to do her hair.” Kious replied: “Pelosi?”
This is where it gets a little odd, to me anyway. The salon owner said she wasn’t sure what to do, how to handle the request. She sounds as though the stylists have final say over her, which doesn’t make sense. Kious is the owner of the business. She could have nipped it in the bud by declining to approve the appointment. Remember Monday was August 31 and the salon was still shuttered for any business services. It wasn’t allowed to open for outside services until Tuesday, September 1. Unless I’m completely mixed up here, Pelosi’s appointment was a day early for even outside service. Needless to say, when Kious saw the footage of Pelosi traipsing about inside the salon, she was not pleased.
“I was like, are you kidding me right now? Do I let this happen? What do I do?” Kious told Fox News while noting that she “can’t control” what her stylists do if they rent chairs from her, as “they’re not paying” at this time. Kious cast Pelosi’s visit as a double standard. “It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can’t work,” Kious told Fox News, adding that she “can’t believe” the speaker didn’t have a mask on. (From the footage, it appears Pelosi had some kind of covering around her neck.) “We’re supposed to look up to this woman, right?” Kious said. “It is just disturbing.”
No, we don’t have to “look up to this woman” and many of us don’t, precisely because of this kind of hypocrisy coming out of elected officials. She works for Kious if Kious lives in Pelosi’s district. Public servants are not supposed to be royalty.
Pelosi’s spokesman denied special treatment, as you would expect. His statement is different than the story from Pelosi’s stylist. Did the stylist just randomly call up the speaker and offer to do her hair or did Pelosi’s assistant text the stylist to make arrangements?
“The Speaker always wears a mask and complies with local COVID requirements. This business offered for the Speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business. The Speaker complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment,” he said.
Kious said Pelosi received a shampoo and a blow-dry. That, too, violates the coronavirus mitigation guidelines. Hair salons are not supposed to use hair dryers. Kious says the whole thing is a “slap in the face.” She’s a single mom with two children, trying to reopen her business for the past six months. Like other business owners, she feels deflated and beaten down by the struggle. She had expected to reopen in July and made the adjustments inside the salon, like installing plexiglass partitions and spacing salon chairs six feet apart.
Monday, by the way, Pelosi appeared on MSNBC on the Chris Hayes show. She complained that Trump “slapped science right in the face” by not wearing a mask or social distancing during the GOP convention. Perhaps Pelosi needed to get her hair done before that television appearance. She said what a “bad example” Trump’s behavior was.
This is the same hypocrisy that we saw coming from Chicago’s mayor, Lori Lightfoot, who also had her hair done because she said she had to for professional reasons. I’m sure thousands of Chicago women thought the same thing as they continued to do their hair at home and tried to look presentable for Zoom calls for their jobs. This latest example from Pelosi is a reminder that Democrats accuse everyone else of the behavior they are doing themselves.
The women in the press are big Pelosi fangirls and this Politico reporter questioned if it was legal to tape someone in the business “without consent”. The camera was a security camera. Good heavens. Pelosi broke the rules and the security camera is questioned? You can’t make this stuff up.


hotair--2020-09-02--Old and busted - Bird watching. New hotness - UFO spotting

Don ’ t tell that guy who ran into the Central Park Karen , but birdwatching is taking a back seat to a different sort of hobby these days , at least according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal .
People are still scanning the skies and looking for things that are flying around , but they don ’ t have feathers .
There ’ s been a huge surge in UFO sightings around the country and more people are actively out there looking for Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon than in the past .
The other factor involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do manage to see something inexplicable in the skies , they ’ re not keeping it to themselves .
They ’ re reporting the sightings more frequently , sometimes to local law enforcement authorities , but increasingly to the major UFO reporting networks in the United States and Canada .
( Yes , there are such things and they ’ ve been around for a long time . )
Reports of such sightings have surged more than 50 % over the same period last year and the numbers are continuing to increase .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus , sports stadiums have fallen silent , shopping malls have been turned into ghost towns , and bars have emptied .
But the skies—depending who you ask—have gotten a lot busier .
Hannah Levine was outside with her dog around midnight in April when she saw a curious yellow light glide across the sky and vanish , one that didn ’ t resemble a plane .
Puzzled , she pulled up a night sky app on her phone to check whether it might be a satellite or the International Space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I was like , ‘ Oh my God , I saw a UFO , ’ ” says Ms. Levine , 26 , a nanny in the Detroit area .
“ I mean , it was definitely unidentified.
” With more people at home , this is shaping up to be a banner year for extraterrestrial encounters , according to data from the nonprofit National UFO Reporting Center , which reports sightings this year are up 51 % so far over the same period in 2019 .
Among 5,000 incidents recorded this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of the nation remained in lockdown .
Speaking as someone who has been doing this for many years ( without success , I might add ) , I ’ ll just say that I ’ m not surprised .
There are a number of factors that are probably contributing to all of the UFO reports that are coming in , but they are all keeping the folks at the National UFO Reporting Center ( NUFORC ) and the Mutual UFO Network ( MUFON ) busy .
If you happen to be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and logs sightings .
The Canadians have similarly reported an increase in sightings of more than 50 % .
So are there really more UFOs in our skies now than in the past ?
Well… maybe .
But probably not .
A more likely cause is the fact that so many more people are out of work due to the pandemic with more time on their hands than usual .
Many are taking walks just to get out of the house , leading to more occasions for them to be looking up at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an old survey done by MUFON some years ago that showed two of the demographic groups most likely to spot a UFO were people who own dogs and cigarette smokes .
That may sound odd , but people with dogs tend to take them out walking on a daily basis when the weather allows .
And with smoking being banned in so many buildings , smokers tend to congregate outside to get their fix , also giving them plenty of time to gaze upwards .
( Editor ’ s note : We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up smoking just to improve your chances of seeing aliens .
Smoking is still bad for you . )
We should also keep in mind that more than 90 % of reported UFO sightings wind up being explainable by conventional phenomena .
NUFORC has reported a huge spike in sightings of strange lights traveling in a straight line across the nighttime skies like a caravan over the past year .
Virtually all of them turn out to be cases of people seeing Elon Musk ’ s Starlink satellite clusters making their rounds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I ’ m sorry to report that it ’ s not ET getting ready to phone home .
So what is it you should be looking for if you want to get into this hobby ?
The most common sightings by far are simply points of light in the sky either where they shouldn ’ t be or doing unexpected things .
Stationary lights can almost always be explained by stars or planets .
Points of light that move in a straight line at a constant velocity are generally satellites , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But if you see one or more that are “ dancing ” in any fashion , doing loops and changing direction , then you ’ re either seeing a plane that ’ s extremely high up , a drone , or you ’ ve got yourself a UFO .
Try to get some video and call NUFORC immediately .
But what about the more exotic sightings of actual craft ?
Those are far rarer , but most of them fall into four general categories .
There are the old-fashioned , traditional “ flying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movies , but you hardly ever hear about them anymore .
Then there are the infamous Black Triangles .
The most common are probably orbs… glowing spheres of light capable of non-ballistic motion and incredible speed .
And finally , of course , the Tic Tacs .
They just look like huge versions of that type of candy .
If you see any of these things and manage to get a picture , again… report it .
And be sure to send a copy to me .
I ’ ve been looking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see a darned thing .

Don’t tell that guy who ran into the Central Park Karen, but birdwatching is taking a back seat to a different sort of hobby these days, at least according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. People are still scanning the skies and looking for things that are flying around, but they don’t have feathers. There’s been a huge surge in UFO sightings around the country and more people are actively out there looking for Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon than in the past.
The other factor involved in this trend is that when people do manage to see something inexplicable in the skies, they’re not keeping it to themselves. They’re reporting the sightings more frequently, sometimes to local law enforcement authorities, but increasingly to the major UFO reporting networks in the United States and Canada. (Yes, there are such things and they’ve been around for a long time.) Reports of such sightings have surged more than 50% over the same period last year and the numbers are continuing to increase. (Subscription required)
In the wake of the coronavirus, sports stadiums have fallen silent, shopping malls have been turned into ghost towns, and bars have emptied. But the skies—depending who you ask—have gotten a lot busier. Hannah Levine was outside with her dog around midnight in April when she saw a curious yellow light glide across the sky and vanish, one that didn’t resemble a plane. Puzzled, she pulled up a night sky app on her phone to check whether it might be a satellite or the International Space Station, but nothing came up. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I saw a UFO,’ ” says Ms. Levine, 26, a nanny in the Detroit area. “I mean, it was definitely unidentified.” With more people at home, this is shaping up to be a banner year for extraterrestrial encounters, according to data from the nonprofit National UFO Reporting Center, which reports sightings this year are up 51% so far over the same period in 2019. Among 5,000 incidents recorded this year, 20% occurred in April as much of the nation remained in lockdown.
Speaking as someone who has been doing this for many years (without success, I might add), I’ll just say that I’m not surprised. There are a number of factors that are probably contributing to all of the UFO reports that are coming in, but they are all keeping the folks at the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) and the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) busy. If you happen to be in Canada, their government accepts, tracks and logs sightings. The Canadians have similarly reported an increase in sightings of more than 50%.
So are there really more UFOs in our skies now than in the past? Well… maybe. But probably not. A more likely cause is the fact that so many more people are out of work due to the pandemic with more time on their hands than usual. Many are taking walks just to get out of the house, leading to more occasions for them to be looking up at the sky. This is in keeping with an old survey done by MUFON some years ago that showed two of the demographic groups most likely to spot a UFO were people who own dogs and cigarette smokes. That may sound odd, but people with dogs tend to take them out walking on a daily basis when the weather allows. And with smoking being banned in so many buildings, smokers tend to congregate outside to get their fix, also giving them plenty of time to gaze upwards. (Editor’s note: We are not endorsing the idea of taking up smoking just to improve your chances of seeing aliens. Smoking is still bad for you.)
We should also keep in mind that more than 90% of reported UFO sightings wind up being explainable by conventional phenomena. NUFORC has reported a huge spike in sightings of strange lights traveling in a straight line across the nighttime skies like a caravan over the past year. Virtually all of them turn out to be cases of people seeing Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite clusters making their rounds. It’s a very cool sight, but I’m sorry to report that it’s not ET getting ready to phone home.
So what is it you should be looking for if you want to get into this hobby? The most common sightings by far are simply points of light in the sky either where they shouldn’t be or doing unexpected things. Stationary lights can almost always be explained by stars or planets. Points of light that move in a straight line at a constant velocity are generally satellites, the ISS or other man-made craft. But if you see one or more that are “dancing” in any fashion, doing loops and changing direction, then you’re either seeing a plane that’s extremely high up, a drone, or you’ve got yourself a UFO. Try to get some video and call NUFORC immediately.
But what about the more exotic sightings of actual craft? Those are far rarer, but most of them fall into four general categories. There are the old-fashioned, traditional “flying saucers” that were popular in old movies, but you hardly ever hear about them anymore. Then there are the infamous Black Triangles. The most common are probably orbs… glowing spheres of light capable of non-ballistic motion and incredible speed. And finally, of course, the Tic Tacs. They just look like huge versions of that type of candy. If you see any of these things and manage to get a picture, again… report it. And be sure to send a copy to me. I’ve been looking for years and I’ve yet to see a darned thing.


hotair--2020-09-02--When will we finish counting the votes in November?

By this point , I ’ m fairly sure that most of us aren ’ t expecting to go to bed on November 3rd knowing who the next president will be .
Absent some major shift in the polls over the next eight weeks or so , some of the key states are already looking like the race could be very tight and remain too close to call even if this were a “ normal ” election year .
( Yeah , we ’ re looking at you , North Carolina . )
But this isn ’ t going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the word , mostly because of the massive amount of mail-in voting that will be taking place .
Aside from the obvious and proven issues with voter fraud taking place using stolen or discarded ballots , there ’ s the question of counting them all .
I know what you ’ re thinking .
It ’ s just counting , right ?
We ’ ve been doing that since the beginning of recorded history so we should really have addition down pat by now .
But state laws in a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mail-in ballots to begin until election day , with a few of them not allowing the ballots to be touched until the polls have closed .
On top of that , there ’ s the issue of validating the ballots .
The names and signatures on the envelopes have to be checked against the voter rolls and that takes time .
( NBC News ) A mail-in ballot can not be counted until election officials verify that it was returned by a registered voter .
The ballot is in an unmarked envelope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outer envelope with a place for the voter ’ s name and signature .
The name and often the signature must be checked against a voter registration database to verify the ballot ’ s authenticity .
If the ballot isn ’ t signed or the signature doesn ’ t match what ’ s on file , the voter can be contacted to resolve the discrepancy .
All of that takes time .
Once verified , the ballot itself , inside the unmarked envelope , is set aside until the counting begins .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was set up after the chaotic 2000 presidential election , notes that states with long experience in handling large volumes of mailed ballots begin to verify them about 20 days before Election Day .
What we ’ re seeing here is yet another example of how the small number of states with extensive experience in doing mass mail-in voting have learned their lessons the hard way and worked things out .
States like Washington work diligently to vigorously clean up their voter rolls while the states who are late to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands .
But states like Washington also allow their Boards of Elections to begin validating and counting the ballots as much as 25 days before the election .
That way , they can come up with a fairly close number by the end of the evening on election day .
But as the linked report points out , there are eleven states where officials can ’ t even begin validating the ballots until the morning of election day .
Those include Michigan and Pennsylvania , by the way .
In three other states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touched until after the polls close .
Normally , in the states that don ’ t use mail-in ballots for everyone , that ’ s not much of an issue .
The number of absentee ballots they need to count is a tiny fraction of the total and it ’ s rarely enough to swing the race unless the in-person voting comes down to an incredibly tight margin .
That ’ s not to say it never happens , but for the most part , the absentee ballots are generally just a technicality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totals after the fact .
This won ’ t matter in some of the massive states like New York and California .
We ’ ll already know that Biden carried those before the counting even begins .
But what about Pennsylvania ?
More than 6,100,000 people voted in the Keystone State in 2016 .
If even half of them vote by mail this year it ’ s going to be a Herculean task to validate , open , and count all of those ballots .
And if it ’ s as close as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily be days , if not a week later before we know the results .
And a significant percentage of absentee ballots are typically rejected because of errors made by the voter when filling them out .
With all of that in mind , we may not only be waiting until the following week to know who won , but the loser is likely to be very unhappy with the results if a lot of ballots are kicked out .
It could even lead to court challenges of the results .
Does that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Not at all .
Keep in mind how long we waited to find out who won in 2000 .
We were into December before the dust finally settled and somehow the republic continued to stagger ahead .
But people really aren ’ t going to be happy about it because we live in an era of instant gratification thanks to the wonders of technology .
Some of you might want to take up meditation between now and then just to keep your blood pressure under control .

By this point, I’m fairly sure that most of us aren’t expecting to go to bed on November 3rd knowing who the next president will be. Absent some major shift in the polls over the next eight weeks or so, some of the key states are already looking like the race could be very tight and remain too close to call even if this were a “normal” election year. (Yeah, we’re looking at you, North Carolina.) But this isn’t going to be a normal election in any sense of the word, mostly because of the massive amount of mail-in voting that will be taking place. Aside from the obvious and proven issues with voter fraud taking place using stolen or discarded ballots, there’s the question of counting them all.
I know what you’re thinking. It’s just counting, right? We’ve been doing that since the beginning of recorded history so we should really have addition down pat by now. But state laws in a number of locations don’t allow the counting of mail-in ballots to begin until election day, with a few of them not allowing the ballots to be touched until the polls have closed. On top of that, there’s the issue of validating the ballots. The names and signatures on the envelopes have to be checked against the voter rolls and that takes time. (NBC News)
A mail-in ballot cannot be counted until election officials verify that it was returned by a registered voter. The ballot is in an unmarked envelope, which is mailed inside a larger outer envelope with a place for the voter’s name and signature. The name and often the signature must be checked against a voter registration database to verify the ballot’s authenticity. If the ballot isn’t signed or the signature doesn’t match what’s on file, the voter can be contacted to resolve the discrepancy. All of that takes time. Once verified, the ballot itself, inside the unmarked envelope, is set aside until the counting begins. A timeline from the federal Election Assistance Commission, which was set up after the chaotic 2000 presidential election, notes that states with long experience in handling large volumes of mailed ballots begin to verify them about 20 days before Election Day.
What we’re seeing here is yet another example of how the small number of states with extensive experience in doing mass mail-in voting have learned their lessons the hard way and worked things out. States like Washington work diligently to vigorously clean up their voter rolls while the states who are late to the game have a hot mess on their hands. But states like Washington also allow their Boards of Elections to begin validating and counting the ballots as much as 25 days before the election. That way, they can come up with a fairly close number by the end of the evening on election day.
But as the linked report points out, there are eleven states where officials can’t even begin validating the ballots until the morning of election day. Those include Michigan and Pennsylvania, by the way. In three other states, the ballots can’t be touched until after the polls close.
Normally, in the states that don’t use mail-in ballots for everyone, that’s not much of an issue. The number of absentee ballots they need to count is a tiny fraction of the total and it’s rarely enough to swing the race unless the in-person voting comes down to an incredibly tight margin. That’s not to say it never happens, but for the most part, the absentee ballots are generally just a technicality that gets added on to the official totals after the fact.
This won’t matter in some of the massive states like New York and California. We’ll already know that Biden carried those before the counting even begins. But what about Pennsylvania? More than 6,100,000 people voted in the Keystone State in 2016. If even half of them vote by mail this year it’s going to be a Herculean task to validate, open, and count all of those ballots. And if it’s as close as it was last time, it could easily be days, if not a week later before we know the results. And a significant percentage of absentee ballots are typically rejected because of errors made by the voter when filling them out.
With all of that in mind, we may not only be waiting until the following week to know who won, but the loser is likely to be very unhappy with the results if a lot of ballots are kicked out. It could even lead to court challenges of the results.
Does that mean that the election will be invalid? Not at all. Keep in mind how long we waited to find out who won in 2000. We were into December before the dust finally settled and somehow the republic continued to stagger ahead. But people really aren’t going to be happy about it because we live in an era of instant gratification thanks to the wonders of technology. Some of you might want to take up meditation between now and then just to keep your blood pressure under control.


hotair--2020-09-02--End of an era: A Kennedy goes down to defeat in Massachusetts -- for the first time ever

How did Ed Markey defeat a Kennedy in Massachusetts ?
Easily , as it turns out .
Joe Kennedy called to concede a double-digit defeat in the Senate primary after starting out looking like the vanguard of the next dynastic generation .
Instead , he became the first Kennedy to lose in Massachusetts : Sen. Edward J. Markey triumphed in the toughest fight of his near 45-year Capitol Hill career Tuesday , making Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III the first member of the Kennedy dynasty to lose a Massachusetts election .
Markey , 74 , won the Democratic Senate primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and contrasting his own working-class roots with those of an opponent whose namesake and great-grandfather , Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. , groomed his son John F. Kennedy to be president and sons Edward M. and Robert F. — the 39-year-old candidate ’ s grandfather — to be senators .
Markey , who trailed by double digits in early polls , was leading Kennedy 55 percent to 45 percent when The Associated Press called the race at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time .
How bad did Kennedy blow this ?
He lost Boston , much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kornacki .
Markey managed to make the Kennedy legacy an albatross by tackling it directly , Kornacki also notes , almost scornfully reflecting on JFK ’ s most famous quote in a campaign ad : This may be one of the most humiliating political defeats seen since Richard Nixon lost his gubernatorial run in 1962 .
Don ’ t forget that the national party had tried to leverage the Kennedy name and lift Kennedy to national status just two years ago , which no doubt encouraged the congressman to seek Markey ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role of official response to the State of the Union address in 2018 , which didn ’ t exactly wow observers but definitely make Kennedy look like their choice for rising star .
So what happened ?
Kennedy started out with polling that showed him nearly twenty points out in front of Markey , The Hill notes , but Markey simply out-hustled and out-progressived his young challenger : The incumbent senator ’ s victory comes nearly a year after Kennedy , 39 , entered the race with a double-digit lead over the 74-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts and beyond .
A Change Research survey conducted in August 2019 before Kennedy announced his candidacy showed the congressman with a whopping 17-point lead over Markey .
… Markey benefited from widespread support from major progressive groups ranging from the Sunrise Movement to MoveOn to Our Revolution .
He also garnered the backing of progressive leaders such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) , fellow Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D ) and activist Ady Barkan .
Progressives celebrated Markey ’ s win on Tuesday , adding it to the list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Before tonight , a Kennedy had never lost an election in Massachusetts .
But even a 100 year dynasty can not overcome the Green New Deal , ” the Sunrise Movement tweeted .
More like a 70-year dynasty , but whatevs .
Kennedy seemed determined to blow this chance almost from the beginning , having nearly no policy differences with Markey but trying to cast himself as an anti-establishment candidate .
As I wrote at the time , even Kennedy-besotted Massachusetts voters couldn ’ t swallow that whopper : The Kennedys are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts .
His grand-uncles held the state ’ s other Senate seat for most of 50 years , and his family members have held seats in the House for longer than that .
( JFK won the dynasty ’ s first House seat in 1946 . )
If the system has been “ letting people down for a long time , ” then Kennedys have been part of the problem rather than the solution .
That brings up another point .
If Kennedy has “ ideas ” on how to fix the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he done anything with them ?
He ’ s been in the House for four terms , and has the advantage of being in the majority in this session .
If he can ’ t advance those ideas in the House , what makes the Senate so special , especially since it ’ s controlled by the Republicans ?
Kennedy hasn ’ t been waiting for his turn , he ’ s gotten it four times already .
Now that Kennedy has done the unthinkable for a Kennedy in Massachusetts — lose — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait for Markey to retire , which is what Kennedy should have done in the first place , but now he looks like an ambitious fool .
Nixon came back from a humiliating defeat too , but Nixon had actual accomplishments for a springboard .
Kennedy has been a dilettante for four terms in the House , doing nothing with his time except apparently looking for the earliest opportunity to make the family ’ s claim on a Senate seat .
Democrats will likely still try to leverage the Kennedy name and get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ III is still probably their best bet when Markey does retire , but … he ’ s not going anywhere on his own steam or on his family ’ s name for a while .
And that truly is something new in Massachusetts for a Kennedy .

How did Ed Markey defeat a Kennedy in Massachusetts? Easily, as it turns out. Joe Kennedy called to concede a double-digit defeat in the Senate primary after starting out looking like the vanguard of the next dynastic generation. Instead, he became the first Kennedy to lose in Massachusetts:
Sen. Edward J. Markey triumphed in the toughest fight of his near 45-year Capitol Hill career Tuesday, making Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III the first member of the Kennedy dynasty to lose a Massachusetts election. Markey, 74, won the Democratic Senate primary by rallying progressive Democrats to his cause and contrasting his own working-class roots with those of an opponent whose namesake and great-grandfather, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., groomed his son John F. Kennedy to be president and sons Edward M. and Robert F. — the 39-year-old candidate’s grandfather — to be senators. Markey, who trailed by double digits in early polls, was leading Kennedy 55 percent to 45 percent when The Associated Press called the race at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.
How bad did Kennedy blow this? He lost Boston, much to the amazement of MSNBC analyst Steve Kornacki. Markey managed to make the Kennedy legacy an albatross by tackling it directly, Kornacki also notes, almost scornfully reflecting on JFK’s most famous quote in a campaign ad:
This may be one of the most humiliating political defeats seen since Richard Nixon lost his gubernatorial run in 1962. Don’t forget that the national party had tried to leverage the Kennedy name and lift Kennedy to national status just two years ago, which no doubt encouraged the congressman to seek Markey’s Senate seat. Democrats assigned Kennedy the role of official response to the State of the Union address in 2018, which didn’t exactly wow observers but definitely make Kennedy look like their choice for rising star.
So what happened? Kennedy started out with polling that showed him nearly twenty points out in front of Markey, The Hill notes, but Markey simply out-hustled and out-progressived his young challenger:
The incumbent senator’s victory comes nearly a year after Kennedy, 39, entered the race with a double-digit lead over the 74-year-old incumbent senator, drawing media attention from Massachusetts and beyond. A Change Research survey conducted in August 2019 before Kennedy announced his candidacy showed the congressman with a whopping 17-point lead over Markey. … Markey benefited from widespread support from major progressive groups ranging from the Sunrise Movement to MoveOn to Our Revolution. He also garnered the backing of progressive leaders such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), fellow Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) and activist Ady Barkan. Progressives celebrated Markey’s win on Tuesday, adding it to the list of primary wins this summer. “Before tonight, a Kennedy had never lost an election in Massachusetts. But even a 100 year dynasty can not overcome the Green New Deal,” the Sunrise Movement tweeted.
More like a 70-year dynasty, but whatevs. Kennedy seemed determined to blow this chance almost from the beginning, having nearly no policy differences with Markey but trying to cast himself as an anti-establishment candidate. As I wrote at the time, even Kennedy-besotted Massachusetts voters couldn’t swallow that whopper:
The Kennedys are the system and the establishment, especially in Massachusetts. His grand-uncles held the state’s other Senate seat for most of 50 years, and his family members have held seats in the House for longer than that. (JFK won the dynasty’s first House seat in 1946.) If the system has been “letting people down for a long time,” then Kennedys have been part of the problem rather than the solution. That brings up another point. If Kennedy has “ideas” on how to fix the “system,” why hasn’t he done anything with them? He’s been in the House for four terms, and has the advantage of being in the majority in this session. If he can’t advance those ideas in the House, what makes the Senate so special, especially since it’s controlled by the Republicans? Kennedy hasn’t been waiting for his turn, he’s gotten it four times already.
Now that Kennedy has done the unthinkable for a Kennedy in Massachusetts — lose — what’s next? He could wait for Markey to retire, which is what Kennedy should have done in the first place, but now he looks like an ambitious fool. Nixon came back from a humiliating defeat too, but Nixon had actual accomplishments for a springboard. Kennedy has been a dilettante for four terms in the House, doing nothing with his time except apparently looking for the earliest opportunity to make the family’s claim on a Senate seat.
Democrats will likely still try to leverage the Kennedy name and get him elected to something soon. Joe III is still probably their best bet when Markey does retire, but … he’s not going anywhere on his own steam or on his family’s name for a while. And that truly is something new in Massachusetts for a Kennedy.