hotair--2020-11-30--Surgeon General, Fauci read from the same page: The pandemic "is going to get worse"

There was a concerted effort in play by some members of the White House coronavirus task force Sunday to warn Americans to be vigilant in efforts to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus .
Their messages sounded familiar – expect a surge in coronavirus cases due to the Thanksgiving holiday .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams was interviewed on Fox News Sunday .
He noted that cases had begun to plateau before Thanksgiving in some areas where states “ aggressively mitigated ” the virus .
“ I want to be straight with the American people , it ’ s going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the actions that we take in the next several days will determine how bad it is or whether or not we continue to flatten our curve , ” Adams told guest host Bret Baier on “ Fox News Sunday.
” “ Right before Thanksgiving , we actually saw cases start to plateau in many states that had been aggressively mitigating , ” he added .
The good news is that a couple of vaccines will soon be available .
Pfizer is set to submit its emergency use authorization to the Food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moderna is following suit on Dec. 18 .
The bad news is that the process of everyone receiving a vaccine will take months .
The vaccines will first go to the most vulnerable – the elderly and health care workers .
Everyone should continue to wear a face mask , hand washing , and social distancing in order to protect themselves and those around them until everyone is vaccinated .
Adams expressed optimism about the new vaccines but voiced regrets that the pandemic happened on top of a presidential campaign .
The politicization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the message out now that people will be able to be vaccinated .
Democrats like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have sounded more like anti-vaxxers than responsible leaders , claiming that the vaccine process was too rushed to be safe .
Instead of giving credit to the Trump administration ’ s work through Operation Warp Speed , they accused him of trying to score political points before the election .
Their personal dislike of Trump overshadowed common sense .
Now a big public service announcement campaign will need to be put together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the vaccines and encourage everyone to get the vaccine .
Dr. Fauci was interviewed on ABC ’ s This Week .
He said there will “ almost certainly ” be a surge in new cases due to holiday travel and gatherings .
He said that what ’ s done is done and now people should get tested when they return home .
“ Having said that , we have to be careful now because there almost certainly is going to be an uptick because of what has happened with the travel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the importance of families getting together .
And it ’ s just something that we have to deal with that we likely will have an increase in cases , as we get into the colder weeks of the winter , and as we approach the Christmas season.
” Dr. Fauci urged travelers to be safe when returning home from holiday travels , encouraging them to quarantine if possible and to get tested .
As the Surgeon General , he is optimistic about the vaccines and their effectiveness .
He , too , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be a top priority .
Addressing the anti-vax messages from many in the Democrat Party , he gave assurances that they are scientifically sound .
Shouldn ’ t the people who always scold others about following the science do the same with the vaccines ?
That ’ s a rhetorical question .
Yes , the task force members are determined to be Christmas grinches , too .
Fauci said he doesn ’ t see any relaxation of the CDC ’ s restrictions any time soon .
He told guest host Martha Raddatz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge ” because of the holiday season .
Dr. Birx was interviewed by Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation .
She is “ very worried ” about a post-Thanksgiving surge .
“ If you look at the second wave going into the Memorial Day weekend , we had less than 25,000 cases a day .
We had only 30,000 inpatients in the hospital , and we had way less mortality , way under 1,000 , ” Birx said on Sunday .
“ We ’ re entering this post-Thanksgiving surge with three , four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country .
And so that ’ s what worries us the most .
We saw what happened post-Memorial Day.
” “ Now , we are deeply worried about what could happen post-Thanksgiving because the number of cases , 25,000 versus 180,000 a day — that ’ s why we are deeply concerned , ” Birx said .
“ And as you described , it looked like things were starting to improve in our Northern Plains states .
And now , with Thanksgiving , we ’ re worried that all of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ czar Adm. Brett Giroir ’ s message on CNN ’ s State of the Union was that testing alone isn ’ t enough .
He reminded everyone that the same mitigation measures we ’ ve been doing since we were first trying to flatten the curb almost nine months ago still apply today , even with vaccines on the way .
“ Unless we can control the viral spread , by doing the things like wearing a mask , avoiding indoor crowded spaces , you can not test your way out of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s got ta be the smart policies and universal mask wearing , … avoidance of those spaces with testing is how we get out of the pandemic , ” Giroir said .
“ Testing alone will never solve this issue .
You got to have both.
” President Trump ’ s testing czar expressed confidence in vaccine development efforts , saying the U.S. should be able to administer the vaccine to 20 million Americans by the end of this year .
The pandemic will eventually end with the wide distribution of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the message is that social distancing and protecting ourselves and others as best as we can until then is how we get through the surges that will likely come during the holiday season .

There was a concerted effort in play by some members of the White House coronavirus task force Sunday to warn Americans to be vigilant in efforts to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Their messages sounded familiar – expect a surge in coronavirus cases due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams was interviewed on Fox News Sunday. He noted that cases had begun to plateau before Thanksgiving in some areas where states “aggressively mitigated” the virus.
“I want to be straight with the American people, it’s going to get worse over the next several weeks, but the actions that we take in the next several days will determine how bad it is or whether or not we continue to flatten our curve,” Adams told guest host Bret Baier on “Fox News Sunday.” “Right before Thanksgiving, we actually saw cases start to plateau in many states that had been aggressively mitigating,” he added.
The good news is that a couple of vaccines will soon be available. Pfizer is set to submit its emergency use authorization to the Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 10. Moderna is following suit on Dec. 18. The bad news is that the process of everyone receiving a vaccine will take months. The vaccines will first go to the most vulnerable – the elderly and health care workers. Everyone should continue to wear a face mask, hand washing, and social distancing in order to protect themselves and those around them until everyone is vaccinated.
Adams expressed optimism about the new vaccines but voiced regrets that the pandemic happened on top of a presidential campaign. The politicization of the pandemic doesn’t help get the message out now that people will be able to be vaccinated. Democrats like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have sounded more like anti-vaxxers than responsible leaders, claiming that the vaccine process was too rushed to be safe. Instead of giving credit to the Trump administration’s work through Operation Warp Speed, they accused him of trying to score political points before the election. Their personal dislike of Trump overshadowed common sense. Now a big public service announcement campaign will need to be put together to reverse unnecessary suspicions about the safety of the vaccines and encourage everyone to get the vaccine.
Dr. Fauci was interviewed on ABC’s This Week. He said there will “almost certainly” be a surge in new cases due to holiday travel and gatherings. He said that what’s done is done and now people should get tested when they return home.
“Having said that, we have to be careful now because there almost certainly is going to be an uptick because of what has happened with the travel,” Fauci said. “We understand the importance of families getting together. And it’s just something that we have to deal with that we likely will have an increase in cases, as we get into the colder weeks of the winter, and as we approach the Christmas season.” Dr. Fauci urged travelers to be safe when returning home from holiday travels, encouraging them to quarantine if possible and to get tested.
As the Surgeon General, he is optimistic about the vaccines and their effectiveness. He, too, said the most vulnerable population and health professionals will be a top priority. Addressing the anti-vax messages from many in the Democrat Party, he gave assurances that they are scientifically sound. Shouldn’t the people who always scold others about following the science do the same with the vaccines? That’s a rhetorical question.
“The process of the development of this vaccine has been one that has been scientifically sound. safety has not been compromised, scientific integrity has not been compromised and the process of determining whether it works, whether it’s safe and effective has been independent by independent bodies and transparent,” said Fauci. “We’ve got to get the community, the broad community of the United States to see that and appreciate that.”
Yes, the task force members are determined to be Christmas grinches, too. Fauci said he doesn’t see any relaxation of the CDC’s restrictions any time soon. He told guest host Martha Raddatz that he expects “surge upon a surge” because of the holiday season.
“I can’t see how we’re not gonna have the same thing because when you have the kind of infection that we have, it doesn’t all of a sudden turn around like that,” said Fauci. “So clearly in the next few weeks, we’re gonna have the same sort of thing and perhaps even two or three weeks down the line. Martha we may see a surge upon a surge.”
Dr. Birx was interviewed by Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation. She is “very worried” about a post-Thanksgiving surge.
“If you look at the second wave going into the Memorial Day weekend, we had less than 25,000 cases a day. We had only 30,000 inpatients in the hospital, and we had way less mortality, way under 1,000,” Birx said on Sunday. “We’re entering this post-Thanksgiving surge with three, four, and 10 times as much disease across the country. And so that’s what worries us the most. We saw what happened post-Memorial Day.” “Now, we are deeply worried about what could happen post-Thanksgiving because the number of cases, 25,000 versus 180,000 a day — that’s why we are deeply concerned,” Birx said. “And as you described, it looked like things were starting to improve in our Northern Plains states. And now, with Thanksgiving, we’re worried that all of that will be reversed.”
White House testing czar Adm. Brett Giroir’s message on CNN’s State of the Union was that testing alone isn’t enough. He reminded everyone that the same mitigation measures we’ve been doing since we were first trying to flatten the curb almost nine months ago still apply today, even with vaccines on the way.
“Unless we can control the viral spread, by doing the things like wearing a mask, avoiding indoor crowded spaces, you cannot test your way out of this,” he said. “It’s gotta be the smart policies and universal mask wearing, … avoidance of those spaces with testing is how we get out of the pandemic,” Giroir said. “Testing alone will never solve this issue. You got to have both.” President Trump’s testing czar expressed confidence in vaccine development efforts, saying the U.S. should be able to administer the vaccine to 20 million Americans by the end of this year.
“We should have enough vaccine by the end of the year to immunize 20 million Americans and we have to immunize for impact,” says Adm. Brett Giroir, WH testing czar. "But the American people have to do the right things until we get that vaccine widely distributed" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/StNFeP28Pj — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) November 29, 2020
The pandemic will eventually end with the wide distribution of the vaccines. Until everyone is vaccinated, the message is that social distancing and protecting ourselves and others as best as we can until then is how we get through the surges that will likely come during the holiday season.


hotair--2020-11-30--Canceling Katy: Dad's 'Nothing but American' t-shirt brings the heat from her fans

Singer Katy Perry finds herself under attack from the left for being a good daughter .
Her father and brother have started a line of t-shirts and Katy made the mistake of promoting one on her social media accounts .
The response was swift and surly .
Katy is a liberal activist and her father is a conservative evangelical Christian pastor who is reported to be a Trump voter .
So , you see the problem .
She gave a plug to her father ’ s t-shirt venture and left it as a straight sales pitch , no political commentary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Katy didn ’ t at least virtue signal about unity and kumbaya now that a Democrat has been elected president .
Perry ’ s leftist political cred is established .
She was a big Hillary Clinton supporter and even did campaign rallies with her to bring in crowds .
She performed at the 2016 Democrat National Convention .
In the 2020 race , she endorsed Joe Biden .
She did a little video when she went to cast her mail-in ballot , as many celebrities did this year .
She participates in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No one thinks she is suddenly a Republican voter .
Yet , that isn ’ t enough for the perpetually outraged on social media , their appetite for angry tweets is insatiable .
It wasn ’ t enough that she clearly began her tweet by saying that she and her father don ’ t see eye to eye on politics .
The t-shirt has a message – we are Americans first before members of political parties .
Somehow that is perceived as a hostile message to the victim class .
Mr. Hudson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shirt was created because he is “ sick of the division ” in America and thinks others are , too .
He notes that politics create divisions in families .
You may remember that immediately following the 2020 election Katy Perry created a stir by announcing that she texted family members that she knew voted differently than she did and offered an olive branch in hopes of moving past the election .
On Friday , November 27 , she posted a video from her father , Keith Hudson , talking about his new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted the video with the message , “ We haven ’ t always seen [ eye ] to [ eye ] but I ’ m proud of my dad n bro for coming up with this !
Head to @ NothingButUSA store for the vibes.
” In the video , Mr. Hudson asks the viewer ( rhetorically ) if they are “ sick of the division ” in our country and “ losing family ” because of disagreements over political views .
He says that no matter another person ’ s religion or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend and fellow American , and designed the t-shirt he is wearing to send that message .
In the video , he wears a shirt where boxes for donkey ( Democrat ) and elephant ( Republican ) are left blank , but the box for the American flag is ticked .
The other design available on the website reads “ Not A Republican , Not A Democrat , I Am An American.
” As you can see , this isn ’ t any kind of professional promotion .
Mr. Hudson is standing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a camera .
Katy doesn ’ t appear in the video with him .
I can ’ t help but think this is a favor she did for her dad and brother in the spirit of that olive branch .
Katy Perry has 109M followers on Twitter .
She has 108M followers on Instagram .
That ’ s more followers than President Trump has and everyone always talks about his reach on social media .
So , it wouldn ’ t be unusual for Mr. Hudson to want to tap into his daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
The t-shirt isn ’ t particularly attractive or noteworthy in design .
It ’ s pretty basic .
The message is good for those wanting to work on the divided American public but for people who follow politics , there is little appetite for unity right now .
It doesn ’ t seem like non-political people would be interested in this kind of t-shirt .
In 2020 , a t-shirt with a check next to the American flag produces anger .
She shouldn ’ t even love her conservative parents , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in general .
Democrats are morally superior , or something .
Katy Perry recently had her first baby .
She performed at the American Music Awards on November 22 and dedicated the performance to her father .
A jewelry designer didn ’ t just express his disapproval of her post on Instagram , he demanded that she take the video down .
Not quite a delete your account message but one of deleting her post .
But fans see this latest post as more than just a daughter reaching out to her dad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking Perry to delete the video , jewelry designer Markus Molinary wrote a statement summarizing why Perry ’ s message of love and tolerance is inconsistent with a video about making nice with the Republican party .
“ I ’ m sorry , I LOVE YOU but this is a HUGE NO for me !
It ’ s not a political issue .
It ’ s “ straight ” up a human rights issue , ” Molinary wrote .
“ The Trump Administration ’ s decision to reverse the Obama-era rule that encompasses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Affordable Care Act is an act of discrimination and purposeful inequality .
This is about human respect , and right now we need to take a good look at ourselves and ask who we are becoming if we are justifying or advocating against the barest rights imaginable…It ’ s NOT right to just cover it up with a T-Shirt.
” So much for a simple message of unity these days .
And , as usual , the left demands that messages they don ’ t like to be removed .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the woke .

Singer Katy Perry finds herself under attack from the left for being a good daughter. Her father and brother have started a line of t-shirts and Katy made the mistake of promoting one on her social media accounts. The response was swift and surly.
Katy is a liberal activist and her father is a conservative evangelical Christian pastor who is reported to be a Trump voter. So, you see the problem. She gave a plug to her father’s t-shirt venture and left it as a straight sales pitch, no political commentary. The woke crowd was left disappointed that Katy didn’t at least virtue signal about unity and kumbaya now that a Democrat has been elected president.
Perry’s leftist political cred is established. She was a big Hillary Clinton supporter and even did campaign rallies with her to bring in crowds. She performed at the 2016 Democrat National Convention. In the 2020 race, she endorsed Joe Biden. She did a little video when she went to cast her mail-in ballot, as many celebrities did this year. She participates in Planned Parenthood ad campaigns, too. No one thinks she is suddenly a Republican voter. Yet, that isn’t enough for the perpetually outraged on social media, their appetite for angry tweets is insatiable. It wasn’t enough that she clearly began her tweet by saying that she and her father don’t see eye to eye on politics.
The t-shirt has a message – we are Americans first before members of political parties. Somehow that is perceived as a hostile message to the victim class. Mr. Hudson, Katy’s father, says the shirt was created because he is “sick of the division” in America and thinks others are, too. He notes that politics create divisions in families. You may remember that immediately following the 2020 election Katy Perry created a stir by announcing that she texted family members that she knew voted differently than she did and offered an olive branch in hopes of moving past the election.
the first thing I did when the presidency was called is text and call my family members who do not agree and tell them I love them and am here for them. #FamilyFirst. Call your family today. Happy Sunday. ♥ — KATY PERRY (@katyperry) November 8, 2020
On Friday, November 27, she posted a video from her father, Keith Hudson, talking about his new company to Twitter and Instagram. Perry posted the video with the message, “We haven’t always seen [eye] to [eye] but I’m proud of my dad n bro for coming up with this! Head to @NothingButUSA store for the vibes.” In the video, Mr. Hudson asks the viewer (rhetorically) if they are “sick of the division” in our country and “losing family” because of disagreements over political views. He says that no matter another person’s religion or beliefs, he will consider them his friend and fellow American, and designed the t-shirt he is wearing to send that message. In the video, he wears a shirt where boxes for donkey (Democrat) and elephant (Republican) are left blank, but the box for the American flag is ticked. The other design available on the website reads “Not A Republican, Not A Democrat, I Am An American.”
We haven’t always seen 👁 to 👁but I’m proud of my dad n bro for coming up with this! Head to @NothingButUSA store for the vibes ♥🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/qAQbY7F0pl — KATY PERRY (@katyperry) November 27, 2020
As you can see, this isn’t any kind of professional promotion. Mr. Hudson is standing in his own t-shirt and speaking directly to a camera. Katy doesn’t appear in the video with him. I can’t help but think this is a favor she did for her dad and brother in the spirit of that olive branch. Katy Perry has 109M followers on Twitter. She has 108M followers on Instagram. That’s more followers than President Trump has and everyone always talks about his reach on social media. So, it wouldn’t be unusual for Mr. Hudson to want to tap into his daughter’s very big platform, right?
The t-shirt isn’t particularly attractive or noteworthy in design. It’s pretty basic. The message is good for those wanting to work on the divided American public but for people who follow politics, there is little appetite for unity right now. It doesn’t seem like non-political people would be interested in this kind of t-shirt. In 2020, a t-shirt with a check next to the American flag produces anger.
When people don't think you should exist because you're LGBTQ+, Black, Muslim… it isn't a difference of opinion, Katy. When they vote for the white supremacists they be white supremacists. It's really not that hard, Katy. — D Colin York❌ (@DColinYork) November 28, 2020
She shouldn’t even love her conservative parents, you see.
you need to realize it is YOUR PRIVILEGE being able to speak to your family even if they are republicans or conservatives. most of us feel threatened by those people so thats why you need to stop to spread the "love your conservative parents" propaganda. — portal 0,29% brasil 🇵🇸 (@teenagedrearn) November 27, 2020
Republicans are just bad, in general. Democrats are morally superior, or something.
https://twitter.com/riotwomennn/status/1332443793044475904
Katy Perry recently had her first baby. She performed at the American Music Awards on November 22 and dedicated the performance to her father.
A jewelry designer didn’t just express his disapproval of her post on Instagram, he demanded that she take the video down. Not quite a delete your account message but one of deleting her post.
But fans see this latest post as more than just a daughter reaching out to her dad. Amid the many comments on Instagram asking Perry to delete the video, jewelry designer Markus Molinary wrote a statement summarizing why Perry’s message of love and tolerance is inconsistent with a video about making nice with the Republican party. “I’m sorry, I LOVE YOU but this is a HUGE NO for me! It’s not a political issue. It’s “straight” up a human rights issue,” Molinary wrote. “The Trump Administration’s decision to reverse the Obama-era rule that encompasses gender identity in the sex definition of the Affordable Care Act is an act of discrimination and purposeful inequality. This is about human respect, and right now we need to take a good look at ourselves and ask who we are becoming if we are justifying or advocating against the barest rights imaginable…It’s NOT right to just cover it up with a T-Shirt.”
So much for a simple message of unity these days. And, as usual, the left demands that messages they don’t like to be removed. There is room for only one way of thinking among the woke.


hotair--2020-11-30--California's Governor Newsom warns of 'drastic action' as state's hospitals near capacity

Two weeks ago Gov .
Newsom abruptly announced that nearly everyone in the state of California was living in a “ purple tier ” county , meaning the virus was spreading quickly and additional restrictions would resume on “ non-essential ” businesses .
Then a few days later the Governor put in place a 10 pm curfew for all of the counties in the purple tier , which again means nearly all of them at this point .
Today the news got worse as Newsom warned “ drastic action ” could be coming within days in the form of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavin Newsom said in a Monday press conference the state is considering a new stay-at-home order in purple-tier counties if cases continue to surge .
The state is experiencing the highest rate of increase in COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic , and in one to two weeks , new cases resulting from Thanksgiving gatherings are expected to pop up and accelerate the surge .
“ If these trends continue , we ’ re going to have to take much more dramatic , arguably drastic action , ” Newsom said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 58 counties in the most restrictive tier , 99 % of the population could fall under a lockdown .
The reason for this potential action is the surge in COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations throughout the state .
Recent projections suggest hospitals could be overwhelmed by Christmas unless the trend changes quickly : The state saw a new daily high for coronavirus cases , reaching 14,034 and an overall total of 1,212,968 .
An additional 20 deaths were reported for a total of 14,141 .
As of Monday , 8,578 people are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75 % of intensive care unit beds are occupied — and without intervention could reach 112 % by Dec. 24 , according to projections shared by Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Monday… Current case numbers are likely delayed because some health offices were closed on Thanksgiving .
The number of reported cases could rise in the next few days , and the impact of holiday gatherings on infections may not be seen for weeks .
Newsom tweeted out a chart showing a breakdown of projections for different regions of the state .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to exceed local ICU capacity in a matter of weeks .
This gets us back to the real justification for the initial shutdowns back in the spring , i.e .
we had to bend the curve to avoid overwhelming the health system .
We did that once and now we ’ re probably going to have to do it again .
The good news is that a lot more of the people who are hospitalized are going to survive because treatment is better now than it was in the spring .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If we wind up at 134 % of capacity and people are stuck in isolation wards without proper equipment some of them may not make it .
And that ’ s not to mention that the health providers trying to deal with the overflow will be exhausted by the effort .
Here ’ s a bit of Newsom ’ s speech about the “ red flags ” the state was seeing : Newsom also announced some new money and a tax deferral for small businesses that are taking a hit because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a sample of what he said about that today :

Two weeks ago Gov. Newsom abruptly announced that nearly everyone in the state of California was living in a “purple tier” county, meaning the virus was spreading quickly and additional restrictions would resume on “non-essential” businesses. Then a few days later the Governor put in place a 10 pm curfew for all of the counties in the purple tier, which again means nearly all of them at this point. Today the news got worse as Newsom warned “drastic action” could be coming within days in the form of a new stay-at-home order.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Monday press conference the state is considering a new stay-at-home order in purple-tier counties if cases continue to surge. The state is experiencing the highest rate of increase in COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, and in one to two weeks, new cases resulting from Thanksgiving gatherings are expected to pop up and accelerate the surge. “If these trends continue, we’re going to have to take much more dramatic, arguably drastic action,” Newsom said. With 51 of the state’s 58 counties in the most restrictive tier, 99% of the population could fall under a lockdown.
The reason for this potential action is the surge in COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations throughout the state. Recent projections suggest hospitals could be overwhelmed by Christmas unless the trend changes quickly:
The state saw a new daily high for coronavirus cases, reaching 14,034 and an overall total of 1,212,968. An additional 20 deaths were reported for a total of 14,141. As of Monday, 8,578 people are in California hospitals with COVID-19. Overall, 75% of intensive care unit beds are occupied — and without intervention could reach 112% by Dec. 24, according to projections shared by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday… Current case numbers are likely delayed because some health offices were closed on Thanksgiving. The number of reported cases could rise in the next few days, and the impact of holiday gatherings on infections may not be seen for weeks.
Newsom tweeted out a chart showing a breakdown of projections for different regions of the state. As you can see, most areas are expected to exceed local ICU capacity in a matter of weeks.
This is the tipping point. CA has worked hard to prepare for a surge—but we can’t sustain the record high cases we’re seeing. Current projections show CA will run out of current ICU beds before Christmas Eve. Please stay safe & stay home as much as you can for next few weeks. pic.twitter.com/5NJYzHokhE — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 30, 2020
This gets us back to the real justification for the initial shutdowns back in the spring, i.e. we had to bend the curve to avoid overwhelming the health system. We did that once and now we’re probably going to have to do it again.
The good news is that a lot more of the people who are hospitalized are going to survive because treatment is better now than it was in the spring. But that still depends on people getting treatment. If we wind up at 134% of capacity and people are stuck in isolation wards without proper equipment some of them may not make it. And that’s not to mention that the health providers trying to deal with the overflow will be exhausted by the effort.
Here’s a bit of Newsom’s speech about the “red flags” the state was seeing:
Newsom also announced some new money and a tax deferral for small businesses that are taking a hit because of the curfew and restrictions. Here’s a sample of what he said about that today:


hotair--2020-11-30--NYT: Dems shocked, shocked to find out that Americans aren't enamored of progressivism

Actually , the headline should read “ Dems should be shocked , shocked , ” as all evidence points to the contrary .
How did Democrats blow so many golden opportunities in the 2020 election ?
The analysis from the New York Times ’ Trip Gabriel points out their problem .
Democrats mistook Trump exhaustion with an embrace of progressivism .
Bad mistake , especially in the suburbs where Biden won his victory : Across the country , suburban voters ’ disgust with Mr. Trump — the key to Mr. Biden ’ s election — did not translate into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats had expected after the party made significant gains in suburban areas in the 2018 midterm elections .
From the top of the party down to the state level , Democratic officials are awakening to the reality that voters may have delivered a one-time verdict on Mr. Trump that does not equal ongoing support for center-left policies .
“ There ’ s a significant difference between a referendum on a clown show , which is what we had at the top of the ticket , and embracing the values of the Democratic ticket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Skopov ’ s campaign manager .
“ People bought into Joe Biden to stop the insanity in the White House .
They did not suddenly become Democrats.
” That dawning truth is evident in the narrower majority that House Democrats will hold in Congress next year , and especially in the blood bath that the party suffered in legislative races in key states around the country , despite directing hundreds of millions of dollars and deploying top party figures like former President Barack Obama to obscure down-ballot elections .
This year , Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans held tenuous majorities , including in Pennsylvania , Texas , Arizona , North Carolina and Minnesota .
Their goal was to check the power of Republicans to redraw congressional and legislative districts in 2021 , and to curb the rightward drift of policies from abortion to gun safety to voting rights .
But in all cases , Democrats came up short .
None of their targeted legislative chambers flipped , even though Mr. Biden carried many of the districts that down-ballot Democrats did not .
It could make it harder for Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s not the only reason Democrats ’ House majority is at higher risk in 2022 .
A first-term president almost always loses seats in the midterm , and Nancy Pelosi is down to a single-digit majority .
Without Donald Trump on the ticket in those suburban districts Democrats did manage to hold , the writing may already be on the wall .
And it could get worse .
The more Pelosi acts as though the election gave her a mandate for a progressive agenda , the more the disconnect will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim might be bad enough for those same voters to start off the next session frustrated that Democrats insist on living in a progressive-elite fantasy rather than actually talking with voters to find out where they ’ re at .
Ironically , the party of identity politics now has to find a new identity to compete .
The Hill reports that Democrats want to come back to the working class , worrying that they have become too focused on the “ monied elite ” : Democrats say they ’ re in need of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future elections , warning the party may no longer be able to rely on anger at President Trump to drive voters to the polls .
Top liberals interviewed by The Hill expressed concern that the party would drift back to old established ways after using Trump as a boogeyman to raise money and juice turnout for the past two cycles .
Democrats are alarmed after this month ’ s elections revealed soft spots among non-college-educated and Latino voters and are skeptical that they ’ ll consistently be able to rely on turnout from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With Trump out of office , some Democrats say the party should fill the void of economic populism he ’ ll be leaving behind by aiming their policies and rhetoric at lifting working-class Americans who have felt ignored by Washington .
That sounds less like introspection and more like “ America looks like us ” rather than “ we need to look like America.
” Democrats have embraced the politics of left-wing populism and progressivism for several years now , and the only thing that ’ s won them an election is Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden ’ s singular 2020 victory was a rebuke to those politics , at least on the surface .
And yet , as the Washington Post reports , progressives still want to define the incoming administration along the lines of what keeps losing elections : During a recent private call with Biden ’ s team , [ Jamaal ] Bowman urged the president-elect to consider specific Cabinet appointments .
Bush has had conversations with House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn ( D-S.C. ) — a top Biden ally on the Hill — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rallying cry that he has called alienating but [ Cori ] Bush has embraced .
These efforts illustrate the challenge liberals face as they attempt to shape the party ’ s direction in the months ahead .
After an election in which the country opted for a reset , not a revolution , moderate Democrats hold the power in the party .
And many blame the polarizing themes championed by the left for the party ’ s shrunken House majority and Senate losses .
This recrimination from party leaders , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limit liberals ’ influence .
But liberals offer a starkly different take , arguing that their base won Biden the White House — and now , they must deliver on promises to pass climate change legislation and fight economic inequality .
The shifting dynamics in the party have thrust the movement to a crossroad on the eve of the Biden presidency .
“ I don ’ t know how , the day after the election , people can start pointing fingers at progressives for somehow ruining things when in fact we never would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hadn ’ t turned out people , ” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal ( D-Wash. ) , co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus .
Did the progressives turn out people , though ?
It certainly doesn ’ t look that way from the overall results .
If they had , Democrats would have won Senate seats in North and South Carolina , Kentucky , Iowa , and in Georgia with their progressive challengers to Republican incumbents .
Democrats wouldn ’ t have lost House seats to the GOP , either , and they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Senate seats they did win — in Arizona and Colorado only — were won by candidates who downplayed progressivism and adopted the Biden model .
Jon Ossoff wants to take up Jayapal ’ s strategy , and if not for GOP bungling on messaging in Georgia , would likely be risking a runoff beating for it .
There ’ s a huuuuuuuge difference between “ we had a high-turnout election ” and “ we caused a high-turnout election.
” Until Democrats figure out why so many people turned out in 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-turnout election in decades ( except for Trump ) , Democrats will continue to make the same mistakes .
Their Reince Priebus-style autopsy will be coming eventually … but probably not before 2023 .

Actually, the headline should read “Dems should be shocked, shocked,” as all evidence points to the contrary. How did Democrats blow so many golden opportunities in the 2020 election? The analysis from the New York Times’ Trip Gabriel points out their problem. Democrats mistook Trump exhaustion with an embrace of progressivism. Bad mistake, especially in the suburbs where Biden won his victory:
Across the country, suburban voters’ disgust with Mr. Trump — the key to Mr. Biden’s election — did not translate into a wide rebuke of other Republicans, as Democrats had expected after the party made significant gains in suburban areas in the 2018 midterm elections. From the top of the party down to the state level, Democratic officials are awakening to the reality that voters may have delivered a one-time verdict on Mr. Trump that does not equal ongoing support for center-left policies. “There’s a significant difference between a referendum on a clown show, which is what we had at the top of the ticket, and embracing the values of the Democratic ticket,” said Nichole Remmert, Ms. Skopov’s campaign manager. “People bought into Joe Biden to stop the insanity in the White House. They did not suddenly become Democrats.” That dawning truth is evident in the narrower majority that House Democrats will hold in Congress next year, and especially in the blood bath that the party suffered in legislative races in key states around the country, despite directing hundreds of millions of dollars and deploying top party figures like former President Barack Obama to obscure down-ballot elections. This year, Democrats targeted a dozen state legislative chambers where Republicans held tenuous majorities, including in Pennsylvania, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina and Minnesota. Their goal was to check the power of Republicans to redraw congressional and legislative districts in 2021, and to curb the rightward drift of policies from abortion to gun safety to voting rights. But in all cases, Democrats came up short. None of their targeted legislative chambers flipped, even though Mr. Biden carried many of the districts that down-ballot Democrats did not. It could make it harder for Democrats to retain a House majority in 2022.
That’s not the only reason Democrats’ House majority is at higher risk in 2022. A first-term president almost always loses seats in the midterm, and Nancy Pelosi is down to a single-digit majority. Without Donald Trump on the ticket in those suburban districts Democrats did manage to hold, the writing may already be on the wall.
And it could get worse. The more Pelosi acts as though the election gave her a mandate for a progressive agenda, the more the disconnect will grow. Even making that as a claim might be bad enough for those same voters to start off the next session frustrated that Democrats insist on living in a progressive-elite fantasy rather than actually talking with voters to find out where they’re at.
Ironically, the party of identity politics now has to find a new identity to compete. The Hill reports that Democrats want to come back to the working class, worrying that they have become too focused on the “monied elite”:
Democrats say they’re in need of serious course corrections to stay competitive in future elections, warning the party may no longer be able to rely on anger at President Trump to drive voters to the polls. Top liberals interviewed by The Hill expressed concern that the party would drift back to old established ways after using Trump as a boogeyman to raise money and juice turnout for the past two cycles. Democrats are alarmed after this month’s elections revealed soft spots among non-college-educated and Latino voters and are skeptical that they’ll consistently be able to rely on turnout from affluent white suburbanites who rejected Trump. With Trump out of office, some Democrats say the party should fill the void of economic populism he’ll be leaving behind by aiming their policies and rhetoric at lifting working-class Americans who have felt ignored by Washington.
That sounds less like introspection and more like “America looks like us” rather than “we need to look like America.” Democrats have embraced the politics of left-wing populism and progressivism for several years now, and the only thing that’s won them an election is Donald Trump rather than their own agenda. Joe Biden’s singular 2020 victory was a rebuke to those politics, at least on the surface. And yet, as the Washington Post reports, progressives still want to define the incoming administration along the lines of what keeps losing elections:
During a recent private call with Biden’s team, [Jamaal] Bowman urged the president-elect to consider specific Cabinet appointments. Bush has had conversations with House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) — a top Biden ally on the Hill — about “defund the police,” a rallying cry that he has called alienating but [Cori] Bush has embraced. These efforts illustrate the challenge liberals face as they attempt to shape the party’s direction in the months ahead. After an election in which the country opted for a reset, not a revolution, moderate Democrats hold the power in the party. And many blame the polarizing themes championed by the left for the party’s shrunken House majority and Senate losses. This recrimination from party leaders, along with skepticism from some Biden allies, could limit liberals’ influence. But liberals offer a starkly different take, arguing that their base won Biden the White House — and now, they must deliver on promises to pass climate change legislation and fight economic inequality. The shifting dynamics in the party have thrust the movement to a crossroad on the eve of the Biden presidency. “I don’t know how, the day after the election, people can start pointing fingers at progressives for somehow ruining things when in fact we never would have won the presidential election if we hadn’t turned out people,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Did the progressives turn out people, though? It certainly doesn’t look that way from the overall results. If they had, Democrats would have won Senate seats in North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Iowa, and in Georgia with their progressive challengers to Republican incumbents. Democrats wouldn’t have lost House seats to the GOP, either, and they would have won those targeted state legislative races. The Senate seats they did win — in Arizona and Colorado only — were won by candidates who downplayed progressivism and adopted the Biden model. Jon Ossoff wants to take up Jayapal’s strategy, and if not for GOP bungling on messaging in Georgia, would likely be risking a runoff beating for it.
There’s a huuuuuuuge difference between “we had a high-turnout election” and “we caused a high-turnout election.” Until Democrats figure out why so many people turned out in 2020 and why Republicans won their first national high-turnout election in decades (except for Trump), Democrats will continue to make the same mistakes. Their Reince Priebus-style autopsy will be coming eventually … but probably not before 2023.


hotair--2020-11-30--Hannity: Trump should pardon his whole family -- and himself

He said this to Sidney Powell , who sounded appropriately hesitant about whether the president can pardon himself .
Think about that .
Hannity ’ s guest was the lawyer who just accused Hugo Chavez of having played an indirect role in rigging America ’ s election and he floated a legal scenario so dubious that even she was like , “ Yeah , not sure about that one , buddy.
” I hope Trump does it .
I ’ m dying , dying , dying to see how SCOTUS would handle the question of whether the president can hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one hand , no man can be a judge in his own case .
( Although a pardon isn ’ t a “ judgment.
” ) On the other hand , only a fool would bet against the executive in front of a conservative Court when a core Article II power is at issue .
Mainly , though , I want Trump to do it because I want to see what sort of tortured moral arguments are fashioned to support the idea that the president has the authority to render himself above the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maybe it ’ ll become a presidential rite of passage .
Instead of the now-traditional personal note written on Inauguration Day to welcome one ’ s successor ( a tradition that ’ ll surely be skipped this year ) , the outgoing chief executive could write himself a pardon for any crimes he might have committed before — or during — his presidency .
A Trump self-pardon is obviously the big one that everyone ’ s watching for before January 20 but I have my eye on this one too .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do it apart from the media sensation it would cause , which is why he ’ ll almost certainly end up doing it : Others seeking creative ways to forge ties to the president include Joseph Maldonado-Passage , the former Oklahoma zoo owner who is better known as Joe Exotic .
His representatives have been running a carefully orchestrated campaign to try to persuade Mr. Trump to pardon Mr. Maldonado-Passage , who is one year into a 22-year sentence for trying to hire a hit man to kill an animal-rights activist .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s attention through appeals to Donald Trump Jr. and Mr. Kushner , appearances on Fox News and a visit to the Trump International Hotel in Washington where , one organizer said , they ran up a tab of about $ 10,000 to try to get Mr. Trump ’ s attention .
Nothing would say “ law and order ” like springing a guy doing 20+ years on a murder-for-hire rap after a bribe was laundered through a real estate property to grease the wheels .
Although … why didn ’ t they just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead ?
He could have pardoned them and himself afterward to avoid bribery charges , at least according to Hannity ’ s logic .
Read this not terribly persuasive piece published last week at the Atlantic claiming that the “ original ” understanding of the pardon power wouldn ’ t allow the president to pardon himself .
Why not ?
Because the Constitution says the president has the power to grant pardons and , according to legal dictionaries and such around the time of the Founding , a “ grant ” of something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — two people , not one .
That ’ s the sort of thing that might end up in a majority SCOTUS opinion as part of the case for why Trump can ’ t pardon himself but it won ’ t be the crux of the argument .
Think of it as originalist window dressing , potentially , for the moral argument that of course it ’ s insane to think a constitutional officer like the president could absolve himself of crimes , including constitutional crimes , via a vestige of royal prerogative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law of the land then self-pardons are a nonstarter .
We ’ ll see what Gorsuch , Kavanaugh , and Barrett have to say .
Update : In case it wasn ’ t clear from the clip , this interview was conducted on Hannity ’ s radio show , not on Fox News .

He said this to Sidney Powell, who sounded appropriately hesitant about whether the president can pardon himself.
Think about that. Hannity’s guest was the lawyer who just accused Hugo Chavez of having played an indirect role in rigging America’s election and he floated a legal scenario so dubious that even she was like, “Yeah, not sure about that one, buddy.”
I hope Trump does it. I’m dying, dying, dying to see how SCOTUS would handle the question of whether the president can hand himself a get-out-of-jail-free card. On the one hand, no man can be a judge in his own case. (Although a pardon isn’t a “judgment.”) On the other hand, only a fool would bet against the executive in front of a conservative Court when a core Article II power is at issue.
Mainly, though, I want Trump to do it because I want to see what sort of tortured moral arguments are fashioned to support the idea that the president has the authority to render himself above the law. Listen, then read on.
Sean Hannity: "The president out the door needs to pardon his whole family and himself, because they want this witch hunt to go on in perpetuity … he should be able to pardon anybody that he wants to" pic.twitter.com/DkbApzxb6d — Brendan Karet 🚮 (@bad_takes) November 30, 2020
Maybe it’ll become a presidential rite of passage. Instead of the now-traditional personal note written on Inauguration Day to welcome one’s successor (a tradition that’ll surely be skipped this year), the outgoing chief executive could write himself a pardon for any crimes he might have committed before — or during — his presidency.
Wouldn’t the Founders be proud.
A Trump self-pardon is obviously the big one that everyone’s watching for before January 20 but I have my eye on this one too. There’s no reason for him to do it apart from the media sensation it would cause, which is why he’ll almost certainly end up doing it:
Others seeking creative ways to forge ties to the president include Joseph Maldonado-Passage, the former Oklahoma zoo owner who is better known as Joe Exotic. His representatives have been running a carefully orchestrated campaign to try to persuade Mr. Trump to pardon Mr. Maldonado-Passage, who is one year into a 22-year sentence for trying to hire a hit man to kill an animal-rights activist. They have focused on getting Mr. Trump’s attention through appeals to Donald Trump Jr. and Mr. Kushner, appearances on Fox News and a visit to the Trump International Hotel in Washington where, one organizer said, they ran up a tab of about $10,000 to try to get Mr. Trump’s attention.
Nothing would say “law and order” like springing a guy doing 20+ years on a murder-for-hire rap after a bribe was laundered through a real estate property to grease the wheels.
Although … why didn’t they just hand Trump a check for $10,000 instead? He could have pardoned them and himself afterward to avoid bribery charges, at least according to Hannity’s logic.
Read this not terribly persuasive piece published last week at the Atlantic claiming that the “original” understanding of the pardon power wouldn’t allow the president to pardon himself. Why not? Because the Constitution says the president has the power to grant pardons and, according to legal dictionaries and such around the time of the Founding, a “grant” of something always involved a grantor and a grantee — two people, not one. That’s the sort of thing that might end up in a majority SCOTUS opinion as part of the case for why Trump can’t pardon himself but it won’t be the crux of the argument. Think of it as originalist window dressing, potentially, for the moral argument that of course it’s insane to think a constitutional officer like the president could absolve himself of crimes, including constitutional crimes, via a vestige of royal prerogative. If the Constitution is the supreme law of the land then self-pardons are a nonstarter. We’ll see what Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett have to say.
Update: In case it wasn’t clear from the clip, this interview was conducted on Hannity’s radio show, not on Fox News.


hotair--2020-11-30--Press Secretary responds to media swooning over Biden's all-female communications team

Kayleigh McEnany isn ’ t impressed with the news that Joe Biden has chosen an all-female communications team .
When the news spread Sunday that Biden ’ s communication department will be led by an all-women team , the press was giddy with delight .
Once again Team Biden has put forward a historic first and , let ’ s face it , identity politics takes precedence over any other consideration with the incoming administration .
The current press secretary offered her thoughts as she spoke up for the Trump team .
Jen Psaki , a former White House communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden has named seven women to top communications roles .
Psaki is a former Obama administration appointee so she ’ ll fit right in with the rest of the Obama-Biden re-treads .
It is getting hard for Biden to insist that he is his own man and his administration will not be a third term for Barack Obama when he continues to surround himself with Obama people .
Psaki is so entrenched in Swamp life that she served in several top roles in the Obama administration and was the spokesperson for John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addition to Ms. Psaki , Mr. Biden said that his White House communications director will be Kate Bedingfield , who served in the same role for his campaign .
Pili Tobar will be deputy communications director , and Karine Jean-Pierre will serve as principal deputy press secretary .
Ms. Tobar worked as the communications director for coalitions for Mr. Biden ’ s campaign , and Ms. Jean-Pierre served as chief of staff to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris during the campaign .
Symone Sanders will serve as senior adviser and chief spokesperson for Ms. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her communications director .
Elizabeth Alexander will be communications director for first lady Jill Biden .
All three served as senior advisers during the campaign .
“ I am proud to announce today the first senior White House communications team comprised entirely of women , ” Mr. Biden said .
“ These qualified , experienced communicators bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better.
” Psaki is thrilled that Biden is back and bringing all the feels back to the presidency , you know .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the face of the communications department .
Bedingfield is also white and is a familiar face because she ran the Biden campaign , such as it was .
Karine Jean-Pierre and Pili Tobar are making headlines because they tick the box for the LGBTQ community .
They are both women of color and far-left Democrats .
Jean-Pierre served as senior adviser to President-elect Joe Biden and chief of staff to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential campaign .
Previously , Jean-Pierre was chief public affairs officer for MoveOn.org and an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Obama administration , Jean-Pierre was regional political director for the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Obama administration and served in various roles in the 2008 and 2012 Obama presidential campaign .
Born in Martinique and raised in New York , Jean-Pierre is a graduate of Columbia University .
Tobar , on the other hand , was communications director for coalitions for the Biden campaign .
Previously , Tobar was deputy director for America ’ s Voice , where she advocated on behalf of immigrants .
Additionally , Tobar has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer ; national director of Hispanic Media and Western regional press secretary for the Democratic National Committee ; communications director for Congressman Ruben Gallego ; and communications director for the Latino Victory Project .
Originally from Florida and raised in Guatemala , Tobar is a graduate of the University of Miami and now lives in D.C. with her wife and daughter .
Karine Jean-Pierre has a history of anti-Semitism .
She praised Democrats for boycotting a pro-Israel conference last year .
Does she sound like a moderate unifier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be staffed with ?
Jean-Pierre , then a national spokesperson and senior adviser for the George Soros-funded left-wing group MoveOn.org , lauded the 2020 presidential candidates for boycotting AIPAC , the annual bipartisan pro-Israel gathering , in 2019 .
( AIPAC stands for American-Israel Public Affairs Committee ) .
Writing in Newsweek , Jean-Pierre maintained that the Democratic candidates “ made the right call , ” and that AIPAC ’ s policies and values “ are not progressive.
” “ You can not call yourself a progressive while continuing to associate yourself with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the antithesis of what it means to be progressive , ” she wrote .
She blasted AIPAC ’ s opposition to the Iran nuclear deal , as well as its decision to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak ( as it does with every Israeli prime minister ) , saying that “ under his leadership of Israel , according to the United Nations , Israel may have committed war crimes in its attacks on Gazan protesters.
” Welp .
I suppose we can be thankful that she didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as she was considered to be a top contender for that job .
She would have been touted as the first black press secretary .
Kayleigh McEnany spoke out on social media .
She noted the top communication positions in the Trump administration are occupied by females .
While Kayleigh accurately says that the top positions are filled by women , not all of the communications team in the Trump administration are female .
This produced plenty of snarky pushback from Kayleigh ’ s critics .
Here ’ s the thing – Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diversity hires .
The same people applauding Biden ’ s choices virtually ignored groundbreaking Republican women like Sarah Huckabee-Sanders , the first White House press secretary who was a working mom .
Her children are very young .
Trump hired Kellyanne Conway as his campaign manager in 2016 , who became the first woman to lead a winning presidential campaign .
Trump ’ s administration has not lacked ‘ firsts ’ or diversity , as much as the left would like you to think .
Republican women , as they advance in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of attention and glowing coverage that the women on the left receive .
We know why – the left protects and promotes their own , especially in press coverage .

Kayleigh McEnany isn’t impressed with the news that Joe Biden has chosen an all-female communications team. When the news spread Sunday that Biden’s communication department will be led by an all-women team, the press was giddy with delight. Once again Team Biden has put forward a historic first and, let’s face it, identity politics takes precedence over any other consideration with the incoming administration. The current press secretary offered her thoughts as she spoke up for the Trump team.
Jen Psaki, a former White House communications director, will be his press secretary. Biden has named seven women to top communications roles. Psaki is a former Obama administration appointee so she’ll fit right in with the rest of the Obama-Biden re-treads. It is getting hard for Biden to insist that he is his own man and his administration will not be a third term for Barack Obama when he continues to surround himself with Obama people. Psaki is so entrenched in Swamp life that she served in several top roles in the Obama administration and was the spokesperson for John Kerry at the State Department.
In addition to Ms. Psaki, Mr. Biden said that his White House communications director will be Kate Bedingfield, who served in the same role for his campaign. Pili Tobar will be deputy communications director, and Karine Jean-Pierre will serve as principal deputy press secretary. Ms. Tobar worked as the communications director for coalitions for Mr. Biden’s campaign, and Ms. Jean-Pierre served as chief of staff to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris during the campaign. Symone Sanders will serve as senior adviser and chief spokesperson for Ms. Harris, and Ashley Etienne was named her communications director. Elizabeth Alexander will be communications director for first lady Jill Biden. All three served as senior advisers during the campaign. “I am proud to announce today the first senior White House communications team comprised entirely of women,” Mr. Biden said. “These qualified, experienced communicators bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better.”
Psaki is thrilled that Biden is back and bringing all the feels back to the presidency, you know.
Honored to work again for @JoeBiden, a man I worked on behalf of during the Obama-Biden Admin as he helped lead economic recovery, rebuilt our relationships with partners (turns out good practice) and injected empathy and humanity into nearly every meeting I sat in. — Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) November 29, 2020
Psaki is a white woman who will be the face of the communications department. Bedingfield is also white and is a familiar face because she ran the Biden campaign, such as it was. Karine Jean-Pierre and Pili Tobar are making headlines because they tick the box for the LGBTQ community. They are both women of color and far-left Democrats.
Jean-Pierre served as senior adviser to President-elect Joe Biden and chief of staff to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential campaign. Previously, Jean-Pierre was chief public affairs officer for MoveOn.org and an NBC and MSNBC Political Analyst. During the Obama administration, Jean-Pierre was regional political director for the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Obama administration and served in various roles in the 2008 and 2012 Obama presidential campaign. Born in Martinique and raised in New York, Jean-Pierre is a graduate of Columbia University. Tobar, on the other hand, was communications director for coalitions for the Biden campaign. Previously, Tobar was deputy director for America’s Voice, where she advocated on behalf of immigrants. Additionally, Tobar has also worked as the Hispanic media director for Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer; national director of Hispanic Media and Western regional press secretary for the Democratic National Committee; communications director for Congressman Ruben Gallego; and communications director for the Latino Victory Project. Originally from Florida and raised in Guatemala, Tobar is a graduate of the University of Miami and now lives in D.C. with her wife and daughter.
Karine Jean-Pierre has a history of anti-Semitism. She praised Democrats for boycotting a pro-Israel conference last year. Does she sound like a moderate unifier as Biden keeps saying his administration will be staffed with?
Jean-Pierre, then a national spokesperson and senior adviser for the George Soros-funded left-wing group MoveOn.org, lauded the 2020 presidential candidates for boycotting AIPAC, the annual bipartisan pro-Israel gathering, in 2019. (AIPAC stands for American-Israel Public Affairs Committee). Writing in Newsweek, Jean-Pierre maintained that the Democratic candidates “made the right call,” and that AIPAC’s policies and values “are not progressive.” “You cannot call yourself a progressive while continuing to associate yourself with an organization like AIPAC that has often been the antithesis of what it means to be progressive,” she wrote. She blasted AIPAC’s opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, as well as its decision to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak (as it does with every Israeli prime minister), saying that “under his leadership of Israel, according to the United Nations, Israel may have committed war crimes in its attacks on Gazan protesters.”
Welp. I suppose we can be thankful that she didn’t make the cut as press secretary, as she was considered to be a top contender for that job. She would have been touted as the first black press secretary.
I am profoundly honored to be the Principal Deputy Press Secretary for @JoeBiden. I am especially thrilled to work alongside @jrpsaki whose leadership and stellar instincts will ensure we are positioned to effectively communicate the Biden-Harris agenda to all Americans. — Karine Jean-Pierre (@K_JeanPierre) November 29, 2020
Kayleigh McEnany spoke out on social media. She noted the top communication positions in the Trump administration are occupied by females.
President @realDonaldTrump already has an ALL FEMALE Senior White House Press Team. So does @VP… So does @FLOTUS… So does @SecondLady… The completely DISCREDITED @washingtonpost once again reveals their blinding propagandist Fake News proclivities ⬇ pic.twitter.com/HpP0KL8kgD — Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) November 30, 2020
While Kayleigh accurately says that the top positions are filled by women, not all of the communications team in the Trump administration are female. This produced plenty of snarky pushback from Kayleigh’s critics.
Here’s the thing – Biden is intent on one-upping previous administrations with diversity hires. The same people applauding Biden’s choices virtually ignored groundbreaking Republican women like Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, the first White House press secretary who was a working mom. Her children are very young. Trump hired Kellyanne Conway as his campaign manager in 2016, who became the first woman to lead a winning presidential campaign. Trump’s administration has not lacked ‘firsts’ or diversity, as much as the left would like you to think. Republican women, as they advance in their political careers, never receive the kind of attention and glowing coverage that the women on the left receive. We know why – the left protects and promotes their own, especially in press coverage.


hotair--2020-11-30--Georgia secretary of state: I really wish people would stop misleading the president and his fans ab

Georgia secretary of state: I really wish people would stop misleading the president and his fans about our election here

Via the IJR , this is an exceedingly polite admonition coming from a guy who ’ s been dubbed “ an enemy of the people ” by Trump and whose wife has received graphic sexual threats from certain thuggish Trump fans who really don ’ t like the outcome of Georgia ’ s election .
Let me gently suggest to Brad Raffensperger that a great many people who ’ ve supposedly been “ misled , ” starting with the president himself , haven ’ t been misled .
They ’ re knowingly engaged in a pressure campaign based on false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results of the state ’ s election .
It sounds hyperbolic but it isn ’ t to say that they would undo democracy in this country if they could in the name of giving Trump another term in office to rule over the ashes .
And they ’ d do it even if you could prove to their satisfaction , beyond all the evidence already adduced , that the election in Georgia really was fair .
What this guy has to lose at this point by simply admitting that , I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been demagogued to the point of unelectability already .
Humoring Trump and his legal team by treating them as victims of a con rather than as the perpetrators affords them far more grace than they deserve .
What is with pols in this party going easy on people who insult their wives ?
Bad enough that Ted Cruz would become a Trump toady after Trump mocked his wife ’ s looks during the 2016 primary .
Now here ’ s Raffensperger , whose wife is being harassed , bending over backwards to treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Another state voting official also blamed an “ Internet cabal ” and unnamed lawsuits rather than Trump for the chaos in Georgia : Somehow Raffensperger and Sterling arrived at the same point as the president himself did a few weeks ago , scapegoating Sidney Powell for a national outburst of crankishness that actually goes far beyond her .
Trump dumped her from his legal team for pushing conspiracy theories about massive fraud even though he seems perfectly open to those theories .
Now these two are pointing fingers at unnamed ringleaders “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Powell doesn ’ t have 1/1,000th the cultural influence over the right that Trump does .
Damian Penny asks a good question .
What did Raffensperger expect would happen after Trump narrowly lost his state ?
Raffensperger has said many times since Election Day that he ’ s a proud Republican and a Trump supporter .
Why did he support Trump when it was perfectly , eminently foreseeable that Trump would behave this way after being defeated ?
Donald Trump got into politics by spreading racist “ birther ” conspiracy theories about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primaries he didn ’ t win were rigged , personally insulted and belittled any Republican who didn ’ t promptly bend the knee , kept personally insulting and belittling even Republicans who did bend the knee , went through unprecedent staff turnover and leaking in his White House , insisted that everyone he had hired and subsequently fired was always terrible , and throughout it all , assumed absolutely no responsibility for anything – explicitly , in the case of a rapidly spreading pandemic .
Donald Trump can never be wrong , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for the Face-Eating Leopards Party , don ’ t be surprised when the Leopard starts eating your face .
Raffensperger ’ s so surprised at having his face eaten that he ’ s looking around for someone to blame for having “ exploited ” the leopard .
You know , maybe a guy like that deserves to have his face eaten , no matter how admirable his integrity in defending Georgia ’ s results has been .
He tried to make amends to Georgia Republicans today for having done his job dutifully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press conference that he ’ s looking into claims that outside groups are trying to send mail-in ballots to people outside the state for the upcoming Senate runoffs .
It ’ s illegal for a non-resident to vote in Georgia ’ s elections , of course , so that ’ s a proper subject for investigation .
I hope for his sake that Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue win because another defeat for the GOP will be treated as “ confirmation ” by the leopard-in-chief and his supporters that the fix was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia ’ s elections .
Kemp and Raffensperger are almost certainly one-termers no matter what , but that would cinch it .
*Someone* has to pay for Democrats winning close races in GA and it ’ s certainly not going to be the guy who spent four years gradually alienating the suburban voters who ended up putting Biden over the top .

Via the IJR, this is an exceedingly polite admonition coming from a guy who’s been dubbed “an enemy of the people” by Trump and whose wife has received graphic sexual threats from certain thuggish Trump fans who really don’t like the outcome of Georgia’s election.
Too polite, frankly.
Let me gently suggest to Brad Raffensperger that a great many people who’ve supposedly been “misled,” starting with the president himself, haven’t been misled. They’re knowingly engaged in a pressure campaign based on false pretenses of fraud to try to overturn the results of the state’s election. It sounds hyperbolic but it isn’t to say that they would undo democracy in this country if they could in the name of giving Trump another term in office to rule over the ashes. And they’d do it even if you could prove to their satisfaction, beyond all the evidence already adduced, that the election in Georgia really was fair.
What this guy has to lose at this point by simply admitting that, I don’t know. He’s been demagogued to the point of unelectability already. Humoring Trump and his legal team by treating them as victims of a con rather than as the perpetrators affords them far more grace than they deserve.
GA Sec. of State Brad Raffensperger (R): “There are those who are exploiting the emotions of many Trump supporters with fantastic claims, half truths, misinformation. And frankly, they are misleading the president as well, apparently." pic.twitter.com/M1IS53N74W — The Recount (@therecount) November 30, 2020
What is with pols in this party going easy on people who insult their wives? Bad enough that Ted Cruz would become a Trump toady after Trump mocked his wife’s looks during the 2016 primary. Now here’s Raffensperger, whose wife is being harassed, bending over backwards to treat the harassers as having been “exploited.”
Another state voting official also blamed an “Internet cabal” and unnamed lawsuits rather than Trump for the chaos in Georgia:
Georgia election official @GabrielSterling: "The ridiculous things claimed in some of these lawsuits are just that — they're insanity, it's fever dream, made-up, internet cabal." pic.twitter.com/oB1TjHcodx — The Recount (@therecount) November 30, 2020
Somehow Raffensperger and Sterling arrived at the same point as the president himself did a few weeks ago, scapegoating Sidney Powell for a national outburst of crankishness that actually goes far beyond her. Trump dumped her from his legal team for pushing conspiracy theories about massive fraud even though he seems perfectly open to those theories. Now these two are pointing fingers at unnamed ringleaders “exploiting” Trump and his voters even though Powell doesn’t have 1/1,000th the cultural influence over the right that Trump does.
Damian Penny asks a good question. What did Raffensperger expect would happen after Trump narrowly lost his state? Raffensperger has said many times since Election Day that he’s a proud Republican and a Trump supporter. Why did he support Trump when it was perfectly, eminently foreseeable that Trump would behave this way after being defeated?
Donald Trump got into politics by spreading racist “birther” conspiracy theories about President Obama, shrieked that any 2016 primaries he didn’t win were rigged, personally insulted and belittled any Republican who didn’t promptly bend the knee, kept personally insulting and belittling even Republicans who did bend the knee, went through unprecedent staff turnover and leaking in his White House, insisted that everyone he had hired and subsequently fired was always terrible, and throughout it all, assumed absolutely no responsibility for anything – explicitly, in the case of a rapidly spreading pandemic. Donald Trump can never be wrong, he can only be wronged. When you vote for the Face-Eating Leopards Party, don’t be surprised when the Leopard starts eating your face.
Raffensperger’s so surprised at having his face eaten that he’s looking around for someone to blame for having “exploited” the leopard.
You know, maybe a guy like that deserves to have his face eaten, no matter how admirable his integrity in defending Georgia’s results has been.
He tried to make amends to Georgia Republicans today for having done his job dutifully and well, promising at this same press conference that he’s looking into claims that outside groups are trying to send mail-in ballots to people outside the state for the upcoming Senate runoffs. It’s illegal for a non-resident to vote in Georgia’s elections, of course, so that’s a proper subject for investigation. I hope for his sake that Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue win because another defeat for the GOP will be treated as “confirmation” by the leopard-in-chief and his supporters that the fix was in not once but twice this year in Georgia’s elections. Kemp and Raffensperger are almost certainly one-termers no matter what, but that would cinch it. *Someone* has to pay for Democrats winning close races in GA and it’s certainly not going to be the guy who spent four years gradually alienating the suburban voters who ended up putting Biden over the top.


hotair--2020-11-30--PA GOP legislature leaders stiff Team Trump: We're gone for holidays, you know

At first blush , this statement from over the weekend looks like a generic adjournment announcement .
On closer inspection , however , consider this the final assessment of Rudy Giuliani ’ s presentation to Pennsylvania Republicans .
The two GOP leaders of the state legislature quietly announced on Saturday that they wouldn ’ t come back for any more business until January 5th .
The Washington Examiner noted the implications this morning : The Republican leaders of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives announced late Saturday that they will not be returning to session this year , a move that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers interceding in the 2020 election .
House Speaker Bryan Cutler , R-Quarryville , and Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff , R-Bellefonte , released a joint statement saying that they would not be calling their chamber to Harrisburg on Monday , the final possible day for the 2019-20 session of the Legislature to meet .
“ We are physically unable to consider any new legislation before the end of session , ” they wrote in the statement .
“ A simple resolution takes three legislative days for consideration and a concurrent resolution takes five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which means we do not have the time needed to address any new resolutions in our current session.
” … Given that the House won ’ t meet before the Electoral College gathers to pick the next president Dec. 14 , President Donald Trump ’ s hopes that state lawmakers in Pennsylvania would step in and choose electors appear to be dashed .
That came just three days after Giuliani held a “ hearing ” for GOP state lawmakers in Gettysburg … and one of those days was Thanksgiving .
It didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Keystone State to assess that there was no there there .
Had they found Giuliani at all convincing , they would have at least opened for business today to discuss the possibility of extending the session .
That may not have succeeded , but it doesn ’ t appear that Giuliani convinced the two party leaders it was necessary in the first place .
This de facto adjournment leaves no option at all for the Trump campaign to win in the Electoral College , precluding even the most optimistic scenario .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ election without dealing with Pennsylvania ’ s 20 electors .
If they ’ re cast for Joe Biden , Trump would need some combination of three other states to blow their Safe Harbor date — and certifications in Arizona , Georgia , and Wisconsin are either done or just about to be finalized .
That also cuts the legs out from under state Sen. Doug Mastriano , who planned to introduce a motion to replace the electors .
This series of tweets came just hours before the two leaders announced the adjournment : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t buying the argument for fraud nor Mastriano ’ s legal analysis on jurisdiction .
Even before Justice Wecht noted the problem in both state and federal law , this idea was clearly a non-starter with Mastriano ’ s leadership : Congress has declared that each State ’ s method “ for its final determination of any controversy or contest concerning the appointment of all or any of the electors of such State ” must have been established “ by laws enacted prior to the day fixed for the appointment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 3 , 2020 .
See 3 U.S.C .
§ 5 ( emphasis added ) .
Accordingly , to persist in seeking to overturn the result of any election by legislative putsch is a fool ’ s errand—and an arguably unconstitutional one at that .
See PA. CONST .
art .
I , § 5 ( “ Elections shall be free and equal ; and no power , civil or military , shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage.
” ) .
Indeed .
Rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mastriano , which might have turned into a spectacle of its own , Cutler and Benninghof simply opted not to provide the circus with yet another forum .
It may not be brave , but it is effective — far more so than Giuliani ’ s circus on Wednesday .
Will that convince Trump and his allies that this is over ?
Will Doug Ducey ’ s declaration that Arizona “ do [ es ] elections well ” get people across the goal line of Trump ’ s loss ?
Probably not entirely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer to the end zone .

At first blush, this statement from over the weekend looks like a generic adjournment announcement. On closer inspection, however, consider this the final assessment of Rudy Giuliani’s presentation to Pennsylvania Republicans. The two GOP leaders of the state legislature quietly announced on Saturday that they wouldn’t come back for any more business until January 5th.
The Washington Examiner noted the implications this morning:
The Republican leaders of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives announced late Saturday that they will not be returning to session this year, a move that would appear to preclude any possibility of lawmakers interceding in the 2020 election. House Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Quarryville, and Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, released a joint statement saying that they would not be calling their chamber to Harrisburg on Monday, the final possible day for the 2019-20 session of the Legislature to meet. “We are physically unable to consider any new legislation before the end of session,” they wrote in the statement. “A simple resolution takes three legislative days for consideration and a concurrent resolution takes five legislative days to move through both chambers, which means we do not have the time needed to address any new resolutions in our current session.” … Given that the House won’t meet before the Electoral College gathers to pick the next president Dec. 14, President Donald Trump’s hopes that state lawmakers in Pennsylvania would step in and choose electors appear to be dashed.
That came just three days after Giuliani held a “hearing” for GOP state lawmakers in Gettysburg … and one of those days was Thanksgiving. It didn’t take long for Republican leadership in the Keystone State to assess that there was no there there. Had they found Giuliani at all convincing, they would have at least opened for business today to discuss the possibility of extending the session. That may not have succeeded, but it doesn’t appear that Giuliani convinced the two party leaders it was necessary in the first place.
This de facto adjournment leaves no option at all for the Trump campaign to win in the Electoral College, precluding even the most optimistic scenario. There is no path to winning the election without dealing with Pennsylvania’s 20 electors. If they’re cast for Joe Biden, Trump would need some combination of three other states to blow their Safe Harbor date — and certifications in Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin are either done or just about to be finalized.
That also cuts the legs out from under state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who planned to introduce a motion to replace the electors. This series of tweets came just hours before the two leaders announced the adjournment:
There is mounting evidence that the PA presidential election was compromised. If this is the case, under Article II, Section 1.2 of the US Constitution, the state legislature has the sole authority to direct the manner of selecting delegates to the Electoral College. (1) — Senator Doug Mastriano (@SenMastriano) November 28, 2020
Therefore, we are introducing a Resolution to exercise our obligation and authority to appoint delegates to the Electoral College. (3) — Senator Doug Mastriano (@SenMastriano) November 28, 2020
It seems pretty clear that Republican leadership isn’t buying the argument for fraud nor Mastriano’s legal analysis on jurisdiction. Even before Justice Wecht noted the problem in both state and federal law, this idea was clearly a non-starter with Mastriano’s leadership:
Congress has declared that each State’s method “for its final determination of any controversy or contest concerning the appointment of all or any of the electors of such State” must have been established “by laws enacted prior to the day fixed for the appointment of the electors”— i.e., before November 3, 2020. See 3 U.S.C. § 5 (emphasis added). Accordingly, to persist in seeking to overturn the result of any election by legislative putsch is a fool’s errand—and an arguably unconstitutional one at that. See PA. CONST. art. I, § 5 (“Elections shall be free and equal; and no power, civil or military, shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage.”).
Indeed. Rather than get into a floor fight with Mastriano, which might have turned into a spectacle of its own, Cutler and Benninghof simply opted not to provide the circus with yet another forum. It may not be brave, but it is effective — far more so than Giuliani’s circus on Wednesday.
Will that convince Trump and his allies that this is over? Will Doug Ducey’s declaration that Arizona “do[es] elections well” get people across the goal line of Trump’s loss? Probably not entirely, but it might get the ball closer to the end zone.


hotair--2020-11-30--Minneapolis City Council members have a new proposal to defund the police

Three members of the Minneapolis City Council who were behind the previous efforts to defund and replace the police department have put forward a new proposal .
Their new plan is called “ Safety for All ” and seeks to cut another $ 8 million from the MPD budget for next year .
The new proposal would lock in the lower number of officers the city is seeing in the wake of a wave of retirements and resignations since the summer .
Mayor Frey has already reacted negatively to the plan : Minneapolis City Council Member Phillipe Cunningham saw the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death in late May as an imperative for something new… He and council colleagues Lisa Bender and Steve Fletcher have co-written a budget plan that proposes moving about $ 8 million out of the police department .
For context , the current budget allocated nearly $ 200 million to MPD… The number of officers would be reduced to 770 , the same as Mayor Jacob Frey ’ s budget proposal .
Frey ’ s plan , however , allows for more officers to be added in future years , while the council members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decrease the amount of officers .
Frey ’ s spokesperson said in a statement , “ The mayor would have significant concerns if his council colleagues attempted to make such large , permanent cuts without sound data or community input to support such a decision.
” Mayor Frey ’ s budget plan included a one-time budget cut of about $ 12 million but that cut was tied to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic .
The proposal from the group of Councilmembers would be on top of those cuts , bringing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition , Frey anticipated having around 770 officers on the force next year because of all the resignations and retirements , but his plan still had 888 officers as the long term goal .
The new plan put forward by the City Council would aim to trim the force to around 750 officers permanently .
“ In doing so , we save up to tens of millions of dollars over the next five years , ” Cunningham , the author of the plan , said .
Saving money sounds great but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city is currently experiencing a spike in violent crime .
As Ed pointed out a couple of weeks ago , the Police Chief is already begging the council for additional resources to try to get the wave of violence under control .
The City Council did approve $ 500,000 to hire outside officers for the remainder of the year .
But locking in a lower number of officers when the decline has coincided with a spike in violent crime seems like a pretty bad idea .
A community group pushing for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Bill Rodriguez , a member of the community group MPLS Voices that is running the “ Safety Now Minneapolis ” campaign , said that ’ s the wrong approach at a time when crime is on the rise across the city… With only a few days to digest the proposal ahead of this week ’ s meeting and a December vote on the budget , Rodriguez worries that the general public won ’ t have an opportunity to review all of the details .
“ They ’ re throwing this out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I think it ’ s done more as an appeasement , to a certain segment of the community that has been saying defund , defund , defund … and so they ’ re saying , ‘ we know , we ’ ll put this together and we ’ ll throw it out there now , even though we know it ’ s not ready for primetime.
’ ” So far there are only three Councilmembers on board with this plan .
They ’ ll need a total of seven in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal , like their plan to replace the entire police force , will go down in defeat .
Here ’ s a local news report on the plan from KARE 11 :

Three members of the Minneapolis City Council who were behind the previous efforts to defund and replace the police department have put forward a new proposal. Their new plan is called “Safety for All” and seeks to cut another $8 million from the MPD budget for next year. The new proposal would lock in the lower number of officers the city is seeing in the wake of a wave of retirements and resignations since the summer. Mayor Frey has already reacted negatively to the plan:
Minneapolis City Council Member Phillipe Cunningham saw the mass protests following George Floyd’s death in late May as an imperative for something new… He and council colleagues Lisa Bender and Steve Fletcher have co-written a budget plan that proposes moving about $8 million out of the police department. For context, the current budget allocated nearly $200 million to MPD… The number of officers would be reduced to 770, the same as Mayor Jacob Frey’s budget proposal. Frey’s plan, however, allows for more officers to be added in future years, while the council members’ proposal would look to continue to decrease the amount of officers. Frey’s spokesperson said in a statement, “The mayor would have significant concerns if his council colleagues attempted to make such large, permanent cuts without sound data or community input to support such a decision.”
Mayor Frey’s budget plan included a one-time budget cut of about $12 million but that cut was tied to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. The proposal from the group of Councilmembers would be on top of those cuts, bringing the total cut close to $20 million.
In addition, Frey anticipated having around 770 officers on the force next year because of all the resignations and retirements, but his plan still had 888 officers as the long term goal. The new plan put forward by the City Council would aim to trim the force to around 750 officers permanently. “In doing so, we save up to tens of millions of dollars over the next five years,” Cunningham, the author of the plan, said.
Saving money sounds great but doesn’t make much sense when the city is currently experiencing a spike in violent crime. As Ed pointed out a couple of weeks ago, the Police Chief is already begging the council for additional resources to try to get the wave of violence under control. The City Council did approve $500,000 to hire outside officers for the remainder of the year. But locking in a lower number of officers when the decline has coincided with a spike in violent crime seems like a pretty bad idea. A community group pushing for more police was critical of the new proposal:
Bill Rodriguez, a member of the community group MPLS Voices that is running the “Safety Now Minneapolis” campaign, said that’s the wrong approach at a time when crime is on the rise across the city… With only a few days to digest the proposal ahead of this week’s meeting and a December vote on the budget, Rodriguez worries that the general public won’t have an opportunity to review all of the details. “They’re throwing this out there at the eleventh hour,” Rodriguez said. “I think it’s done more as an appeasement, to a certain segment of the community that has been saying defund, defund, defund … and so they’re saying, ‘we know, we’ll put this together and we’ll throw it out there now, even though we know it’s not ready for primetime.’”
So far there are only three Councilmembers on board with this plan. They’ll need a total of seven in order to pass it. Hopefully this proposal, like their plan to replace the entire police force, will go down in defeat. Here’s a local news report on the plan from KARE 11: