hotair--2020-09-28--CDC chief overheard saying of new Trump COVID advisor Scott Atlas, "Everything he says is false"

How can we know that CDC chief Robert Redfield was in fact referring to Atlas if his conversation was merely overheard by a reporter ?
Simple .
Redfield confirmed it when the reporter asked him about it .
That ’ s how toxic the relationship is right now between the most influential member of the president ’ s coronavirus task force and the head of America ’ s top federal agency on infectious diseases — in the middle of a global pandemic , while the population ’ s anxiously wondering if it can trust the forthcoming vaccine .
Redfield was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had in mind .
“ Dysfunctional ” doesn ’ t scratch the surface of how abysmally this operation runs .
In a traditional election year we ’ d have already arrived at the point of debating what sort of “ October surprises ” might reasonably await us next month .
In 2020 that seems foolish .
Anything can happen .
There might be a different October surprise every day for 31 days .
But one potential surprise that ’ s easily foreseeable is that some prominent member of the federal health bureaucracy might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump hasn ’ t suffered any major defections from those ranks yet for understandable reasons .
These people are all doctors , they ’ re up against the medical challenge of their lifetimes , they don ’ t want to quit on the public before the virus is subdued .
And they certainly don ’ t want to create vacancies in prominent positions which Trump might fill with other Scott Atlases , the sort of people who ’ ll tell him what he wants to hear on things like masks and lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ valid or not .
Atlas has no background in infectious diseases , remember .
He ’ s a radiologist who got picked up by the White House because he was a regular on Fox News and offered a Trump-friendly perspective .
It ’ d be like Obama appointing a well-known podiatrist to lead the Ebola response because he really enjoyed that guy ’ s MSNBC segments .
Birx is reportedly “ distressed ” by Atlas ’ s influence but is hanging on for now .
Redfield sounds distressed too .
Are either one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Imagine the head of the CDC quitting in frustration in mid-October and then sitting for a round of interviews in which he explains why he no longer has confidence in the administration ’ s Atlas-led task force .
What would that do for public trust in the vaccine , let alone for Trump ’ s electoral chances ?
Dr. Robert Redfield , who leads the CDC , suggested in a conversation with a colleague Friday that Dr. Scott Atlas is arming Trump with misleading data about a range of issues , including questioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are susceptible to the virus and the potential benefits of herd immunity .
“ Everything he says is false , ” Redfield said during a phone call made in public on a commercial airline and overheard by NBC News .
Redfield acknowledged after the flight from Atlanta to Washington that he was speaking about Atlas , a neuroradiologist with no background in infectious diseases or public health .
Atlas was brought on to the White House task force in August… There is a concern among Redfield and others that Atlas continually briefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts have said in sworn testimony , according to a member of the task force .
One reason why Redfield might be annoyed at Atlas is that Atlas recently humiliated him publicly by accusing him of having “ misstated ” the CDC ’ s own data on immunity among the population : NBC notes that the data Redfield cited in testifying about immunity wasn ’ t “ old ” according to Redfield himself .
It included numbers from July and August .
And although Atlas is right that immunity among the population can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of people have antibodies — T-cell immunity matters too — it doesn ’ t necessarily follow from the fact that there ’ s so much immunity out there that we should go ahead and get back to something resembling normal .
The idea of extensive “ cross-immunity ” has been circulating lately among lockdown skeptics like Atlas and Rand Paul , who brought it up when grilling Fauci during testimony last week .
But Fauci pointed out that a study that was published recently suggests that cross-immunity is overstated — that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from exposure to more benign coronaviruses like the common cold doesn ’ t make you immune to SARS-CoV-2 .
The possibility of widespread cross-immunity fits the “ reopen everything ” narrative , though , which is why Trump brought Atlas into the White House to begin with .
He wants a patina of scientific expertise in reassuring voters before Election Day that we ’ ve almost turned the corner on COVID and will return to normalcy soon .
Fauci won ’ t give it to him .
Birx won ’ t give it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointee , won ’ t give it to him .
So he hired Atlas .
Now that Redfield has embarrassed the White House by badmouthing Atlas on the record , might Trump fire him ?
Maybe — CNN reported a few days ago that the president has “ lost patience ” with his CDC chief .
Not for valid reasons , like the CDC ’ s catastrophic failure on testing in February or the agency ’ s latest humiliating screw-up in its guidance on COVID .
For bad reasons , namely that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign .
President Donald Trump has lost patience with the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Dr. Robert Redfield , as well as with the other public health experts on his coronavirus team because their sober messaging on the future of the pandemic clashes with his rosy assessments .
Trump believes that breakthroughs are not coming swiftly enough , according to people familiar with the President ’ s thinking .
Trump ’ s frustrations have caused some to question whether Redfield is on the chopping block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not expect the President to make major staffing changes before the election .
The ever-looming threat , Trump ’ s public undermining of the CDC chief and Redfield ’ s tendency to fold to the White House are taking a toll on CDC staff , from top to bottom , employees say .
Some have questioned whether their work is making a difference and others have even considered resigning — and whether the sagging spirits may be hampering pandemic response… “ Why spend a lot of time trying to do something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listen to or pay attention to , ” this official said .
I don ’ t think he ’ ll fire Redfield before the election .
Not so much because it would further shake public confidence in his handling of the pandemic , although it would .
It ’ s because it would free an aggrieved Redfield to tell the world what he knows about political pressure being brought to bear on the CDC and the FDA by the White House .
Better to keep him inside the tent for now , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants voters to know what it ’ s like behind the scenes , he ’ ll have to take the initiative himself by quitting .
By the way , speaking of immunity across the population , the hardest-hit state in the United States is finally experiencing a bit of growth in cases after months of having a positivity rate below one percent : New York ’ s experience with COVID this fall will give us a better sense of whether a brutal first wave ensures a small second wave because of broad immunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many New Yorkers are safe from the virus because of NYC ’ s terrible spring .
Bear in mind , though : There are already documented cases around the world of reinfection .
They ’ re not common at the moment , but it may be that immunity from COVID has a relatively short shelf life .
And it may be that New Yorkers will be the first large population here in the U.S. to find that out the hard way .

How can we know that CDC chief Robert Redfield was in fact referring to Atlas if his conversation was merely overheard by a reporter?
Simple. Redfield confirmed it when the reporter asked him about it. That’s how toxic the relationship is right now between the most influential member of the president’s coronavirus task force and the head of America’s top federal agency on infectious diseases — in the middle of a global pandemic, while the population’s anxiously wondering if it can trust the forthcoming vaccine. Redfield was happy to tell the reporter whom he had in mind. “Dysfunctional” doesn’t scratch the surface of how abysmally this operation runs.
In a traditional election year we’d have already arrived at the point of debating what sort of “October surprises” might reasonably await us next month. In 2020 that seems foolish. Anything can happen. There might be a different October surprise every day for 31 days. But one potential surprise that’s easily foreseeable is that some prominent member of the federal health bureaucracy might finally throw in the towel in frustration. Trump hasn’t suffered any major defections from those ranks yet for understandable reasons. These people are all doctors, they’re up against the medical challenge of their lifetimes, they don’t want to quit on the public before the virus is subdued. And they certainly don’t want to create vacancies in prominent positions which Trump might fill with other Scott Atlases, the sort of people who’ll tell him what he wants to hear on things like masks and lockdowns and herd immunity whether it’s valid or not.
Atlas has no background in infectious diseases, remember. He’s a radiologist who got picked up by the White House because he was a regular on Fox News and offered a Trump-friendly perspective. It’d be like Obama appointing a well-known podiatrist to lead the Ebola response because he really enjoyed that guy’s MSNBC segments.
Birx is reportedly “distressed” by Atlas’s influence but is hanging on for now. Redfield sounds distressed too. Are either one of them long for this administration? Imagine the head of the CDC quitting in frustration in mid-October and then sitting for a round of interviews in which he explains why he no longer has confidence in the administration’s Atlas-led task force. What would that do for public trust in the vaccine, let alone for Trump’s electoral chances?
Dr. Robert Redfield, who leads the CDC, suggested in a conversation with a colleague Friday that Dr. Scott Atlas is arming Trump with misleading data about a range of issues, including questioning the efficacy of masks, whether young people are susceptible to the virus and the potential benefits of herd immunity. “Everything he says is false,” Redfield said during a phone call made in public on a commercial airline and overheard by NBC News. Redfield acknowledged after the flight from Atlanta to Washington that he was speaking about Atlas, a neuroradiologist with no background in infectious diseases or public health. Atlas was brought on to the White House task force in August… There is a concern among Redfield and others that Atlas continually briefs the president and misrepresents what other health experts have said in sworn testimony, according to a member of the task force.
One reason why Redfield might be annoyed at Atlas is that Atlas recently humiliated him publicly by accusing him of having “misstated” the CDC’s own data on immunity among the population:
"I think that Dr. Redfield misstated something there. The immunity to the infection is not solely determined by the percent of people who have antibodies." Scott Atlas smacks down @CDCDirector's testimony saying 90% of the country is still "susceptible" to the coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/LGgtDW1VLm — Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 23, 2020
NBC notes that the data Redfield cited in testifying about immunity wasn’t “old” according to Redfield himself. It included numbers from July and August. And although Atlas is right that immunity among the population can’t be measured exclusively by the number of people have antibodies — T-cell immunity matters too — it doesn’t necessarily follow from the fact that there’s so much immunity out there that we should go ahead and get back to something resembling normal. The idea of extensive “cross-immunity” has been circulating lately among lockdown skeptics like Atlas and Rand Paul, who brought it up when grilling Fauci during testimony last week. But Fauci pointed out that a study that was published recently suggests that cross-immunity is overstated — that is, the immunity you’ve acquired from exposure to more benign coronaviruses like the common cold doesn’t make you immune to SARS-CoV-2.
The possibility of widespread cross-immunity fits the “reopen everything” narrative, though, which is why Trump brought Atlas into the White House to begin with. He wants a patina of scientific expertise in reassuring voters before Election Day that we’ve almost turned the corner on COVID and will return to normalcy soon. Fauci won’t give it to him. Birx won’t give it to him. Redfield, his own appointee, won’t give it to him. So he hired Atlas.
Now that Redfield has embarrassed the White House by badmouthing Atlas on the record, might Trump fire him? Maybe — CNN reported a few days ago that the president has “lost patience” with his CDC chief. Not for valid reasons, like the CDC’s catastrophic failure on testing in February or the agency’s latest humiliating screw-up in its guidance on COVID. For bad reasons, namely that he won’t get on-message with Trump’s campaign.
President Donald Trump has lost patience with the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, as well as with the other public health experts on his coronavirus team because their sober messaging on the future of the pandemic clashes with his rosy assessments. Trump believes that breakthroughs are not coming swiftly enough, according to people familiar with the President’s thinking. Trump’s frustrations have caused some to question whether Redfield is on the chopping block, but a Trump adviser said they did not expect the President to make major staffing changes before the election. The ever-looming threat, Trump’s public undermining of the CDC chief and Redfield’s tendency to fold to the White House are taking a toll on CDC staff, from top to bottom, employees say. Some have questioned whether their work is making a difference and others have even considered resigning — and whether the sagging spirits may be hampering pandemic response… “Why spend a lot of time trying to do something that the government isn’t going to listen to or pay attention to,” this official said.
I don’t think he’ll fire Redfield before the election. Not so much because it would further shake public confidence in his handling of the pandemic, although it would. It’s because it would free an aggrieved Redfield to tell the world what he knows about political pressure being brought to bear on the CDC and the FDA by the White House. Better to keep him inside the tent for now, where he can be gagged. If Redfield wants voters to know what it’s like behind the scenes, he’ll have to take the initiative himself by quitting.
By the way, speaking of immunity across the population, the hardest-hit state in the United States is finally experiencing a bit of growth in cases after months of having a positivity rate below one percent:
Today's update on the numbers: Of the 52,936 tests reported yesterday, 834 were positive (1.5% of total). Total hospitalizations are at 543. Sadly, there were 11 COVID fatalities yesterday. pic.twitter.com/eDS5d8kAfA — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) September 28, 2020
We are seeing elevated positive test rates in Brooklyn, Orange County and Rockland County. Every New Yorker must: Wear a mask. Get tested. Social distance. Wash your hands often. Avoid large gatherings. Take this seriously, especially if you live in these areas. — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) September 28, 2020
New York’s experience with COVID this fall will give us a better sense of whether a brutal first wave ensures a small second wave because of broad immunity or whether we’ve been overestimating how many New Yorkers are safe from the virus because of NYC’s terrible spring. Bear in mind, though: There are already documented cases around the world of reinfection. They’re not common at the moment, but it may be that immunity from COVID has a relatively short shelf life. And it may be that New Yorkers will be the first large population here in the U.S. to find that out the hard way.


hotair--2020-09-28--Laura Wolk, the first blind woman to serve as a Supreme Court clerk, credits Amy Coney Barrett with

Laura Wolk, the first blind woman to serve as a Supreme Court clerk, credits Amy Coney Barrett with being her 'champion' in law school

Amy Coney Barrett is a nightmare for Democrats .
There doesn ’ t seem to be any real disagreement about Judge Amy Coney Barrett ’ s qualifications for the Supreme Court .
There has been a bit of a push to frame her as too religious or too extreme but even there most Democrats seem hesitant to engage in the kind of demonization which they know would likely backfire on them .
Some elected Democrats have simply decided the only choice they have is to boycott meeting with her , essentially refusing to engage with her as a human being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmation .
It ’ s not going to work and the reason why can be summed up in a name : Laura Wolk .
Laura Wolk is the first blind woman to serve as a Supreme Court clerk .
Wolk attended Notre Dame law school and had Amy Coney Barrett as a professor .
According to Wolk , Barrett wasn ’ t just a teacher , she was a mentor and a champion .
When Wolk first arrived at Notre Dame she discovered that the special software the school had purchased that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take notes wasn ’ t ready .
And then at the beginning of the semester her laptop died .
Not sure what to do next , she turned to professor Barrett who she had only known for 2 weeks at the time : Although I had known her for only two weeks , I felt confident that this poised , articulate woman would not dismiss my concerns and would counsel me on how to get the university to procure the needed assistive technology as quickly as possible .
But she did not merely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my own shoulders ; she took it from me and carried it herself .
I will never forget the moment when she looked at me from across her desk and said , coolly and matter-of-factly , “ Laura , this is not your problem anymore .
It ’ s mine.
” To many , this might seem like an insignificant gesture .
After all , how hard could it be for a law professor to send a few follow-up emails and make a few phone calls ?
But as a person with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the oftentimes solo and always thankless task of self-advocacy , I was caught off guard .
Her unsolicited words were balm to my soul .
The rarity of the offer was enough to impress me , but the sincerity and conviction with which she spoke indicated that she would not let me down .
She proved , as I knew she would , to be a woman of her word .
In her final semester , Wolk had a a health scare which meant she would need surgery and would potentially be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again she turned to Professor Barrett : Thanks in part to Barrett ’ s support , Wolk graduated 2nd in her class and eventually went on to clerk for two different appeals court judges and eventually for Justice Clarence Thomas .
In a recent CBS News interview , Wolk said , “ In professor Barrett I found a complete champion.
” So , good luck demonizing her , Democrats .
Not only is she ’ s often described by people around her as the smartest person in the room , she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a personal interest in her students and their success .
Of course it ’ s still possible that Democrats will invent something to attack her with , as they did with Judge Kavanaugh .
I don ’ t think it ’ s going to work .
As with Kavanaugh , there ’ s just too much evidence out there that in addition to being fully qualified Judge Barrett is a supremely decent person , one who would be a credit to the Court .

Amy Coney Barrett is a nightmare for Democrats. There doesn’t seem to be any real disagreement about Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s qualifications for the Supreme Court. There has been a bit of a push to frame her as too religious or too extreme but even there most Democrats seem hesitant to engage in the kind of demonization which they know would likely backfire on them.
Some elected Democrats have simply decided the only choice they have is to boycott meeting with her, essentially refusing to engage with her as a human being in a desperate attempt to delegitimize her confirmation. It’s not going to work and the reason why can be summed up in a name: Laura Wolk.
Laura Wolk is the first blind woman to serve as a Supreme Court clerk. Wolk attended Notre Dame law school and had Amy Coney Barrett as a professor. According to Wolk, Barrett wasn’t just a teacher, she was a mentor and a champion.
When Wolk first arrived at Notre Dame she discovered that the special software the school had purchased that would allow her to listen to lectures and take notes wasn’t ready. And then at the beginning of the semester her laptop died. Not sure what to do next, she turned to professor Barrett who she had only known for 2 weeks at the time:
Although I had known her for only two weeks, I felt confident that this poised, articulate woman would not dismiss my concerns and would counsel me on how to get the university to procure the needed assistive technology as quickly as possible. But she did not merely help me to readjust the burden on my own shoulders; she took it from me and carried it herself. I will never forget the moment when she looked at me from across her desk and said, coolly and matter-of-factly, “Laura, this is not your problem anymore. It’s mine.” To many, this might seem like an insignificant gesture. After all, how hard could it be for a law professor to send a few follow-up emails and make a few phone calls? But as a person with a disability, as someone who is accustomed to the oftentimes solo and always thankless task of self-advocacy, I was caught off guard. Her unsolicited words were balm to my soul. The rarity of the offer was enough to impress me, but the sincerity and conviction with which she spoke indicated that she would not let me down. She proved, as I knew she would, to be a woman of her word.
In her final semester, Wolk had a a health scare which meant she would need surgery and would potentially be unable to maintain her grades. Once again she turned to Professor Barrett:
It also raised deeper—and far more important—questions about one’s place in the world, the meaning of suffering, and how to face the unknown. Professor Barrett wanted to hear it all. She gave me the space to cry my tears and run through all the “what ifs,” allowing me to stay until I once again felt ready to face the challenges ahead.
Thanks in part to Barrett’s support, Wolk graduated 2nd in her class and eventually went on to clerk for two different appeals court judges and eventually for Justice Clarence Thomas. In a recent CBS News interview, Wolk said, “In professor Barrett I found a complete champion.”
So, good luck demonizing her, Democrats. Not only is she’s often described by people around her as the smartest person in the room, she’s also one of the kindest, taking a personal interest in her students and their success.
Of course it’s still possible that Democrats will invent something to attack her with, as they did with Judge Kavanaugh. I don’t think it’s going to work. As with Kavanaugh, there’s just too much evidence out there that in addition to being fully qualified Judge Barrett is a supremely decent person, one who would be a credit to the Court.
Here’s the CBS News interview with Wolk:


hotair--2020-09-28--Bob Kraft's prostitution soliciting charges dropped

Hey , do any of you remember that story from last year about the owner of the New England Patriots allegedly being caught with some prostitutes at a spa in Florida ?
I know it probably seems like a million years ago now , back in the good old days before the plague arrived and everything went to absolute crap .
Back then the economy was roaring , unemployment was at historic lows and we could have fun with the occasional story like the saga that Robert Kraft found himself embroiled in .
Well , strap in , nostalgia fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news and our long national nightmare may finally be at an end .
This story actually started heating back up a couple of weeks ago and then came to a head ( sorry ) last week while I was out on vacation celebrating my birthday .
( It was great .
Thanks for asking . )
In a final bid for total exoneration , Kraft ’ s attorneys had asked to have all of the video evidence collected against him at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter , Florida destroyed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the evidence police collected by stopping cars in the vicinity .
Perhaps unsurprisingly , the court agreed and the evidence was deemed inadmissible .
After that , the prosecutors appeared to throw in the towel and call it a day .
Last week , the charges were dropped .
( NBC News ) Florida prosecutors are dropping charges of soliciting prostitution against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft , according to court papers filed Thursday .
Kraft was accused of paying for sex acts at the Orchids of Asia Day spa in Jupiter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January 2019 .
Kraft pleaded not guilty but issued a public apology for his actions .
Palm Beach County prosecutors lost a key court decision this week that led to the court tossing video and audio surveillance of Kraft allegedly soliciting a woman at the Orchids of Asia Day spa .
In a statement issued last Thursday , Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg admitted that he now lacked all of the evidence required to prove his case and move forward .
He also lamented the “ economic inequalities in the justice system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigators and lawyers to poke holes in criminal cases.
” That ’ s probably more of a reality that some of us would like to admit , but it certainly played out in Bob Kraft ’ s favor here .
Numerous other men caught up in the same sweep simply pleaded guilty to low-level offenses , paid a fine , and went on their way .
Kraft ’ s legal team has now essentially blown all of those cases out of the water as well .
As I ’ ve said from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a half ago now ) , beating Bob Kraft seemed to be some sort of holy grail for the Palm Beach prosecutors .
They were enraged when Kraft , a wealthy and famous snowbird invading their home state , refused to simply cop a plea , pay his fine and slink out of town in shame .
It became something of a vendetta for them to find a way to bring him down .
At one point , the prosecutors were threatening to combine several misdemeanor charges together into a low-level felony charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much as three years .
That seemed like little more than an intimidation tactic to see if Kraft ’ s legal team would fold .
They didn ’ t and the plan was quickly abandoned .
So , did Bob Kraft do what the police alleged in the beginning ?
There seems little doubt about it .
But the cops mishandled the case badly from the way they obtained a warrant for video surveillance to their interrogation methods employed with motorists in the vicinity that they probably doomed the case themselves before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could afford the big legal guns to challenge them each step of the way and convince the courts to rule in his favor .
And now , nearly two years and tens of millions of dollars in legal and court fees later , he ’ s managed to avoid… having to pay a $ 1,500 fine on a misdemeanor charge .
God bless America , eh ?
What a country .

Hey, do any of you remember that story from last year about the owner of the New England Patriots allegedly being caught with some prostitutes at a spa in Florida? I know it probably seems like a million years ago now, back in the good old days before the plague arrived and everything went to absolute crap. Back then the economy was roaring, unemployment was at historic lows and we could have fun with the occasional story like the saga that Robert Kraft found himself embroiled in. Well, strap in, nostalgia fans, because Bob is back in the news and our long national nightmare may finally be at an end.
This story actually started heating back up a couple of weeks ago and then came to a head (sorry) last week while I was out on vacation celebrating my birthday. (It was great. Thanks for asking.) In a final bid for total exoneration, Kraft’s attorneys had asked to have all of the video evidence collected against him at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida destroyed, along with much of the rest of the evidence police collected by stopping cars in the vicinity. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the court agreed and the evidence was deemed inadmissible. After that, the prosecutors appeared to throw in the towel and call it a day. Last week, the charges were dropped. (NBC News)
Florida prosecutors are dropping charges of soliciting prostitution against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, according to court papers filed Thursday. Kraft was accused of paying for sex acts at the Orchids of Asia Day spa in Jupiter, Fla., on consecutive days in January 2019. Kraft pleaded not guilty but issued a public apology for his actions. Palm Beach County prosecutors lost a key court decision this week that led to the court tossing video and audio surveillance of Kraft allegedly soliciting a woman at the Orchids of Asia Day spa.
In a statement issued last Thursday, Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg admitted that he now lacked all of the evidence required to prove his case and move forward. He also lamented the “economic inequalities in the justice system that allow wealthy defendants to hire top-class investigators and lawyers to poke holes in criminal cases.” That’s probably more of a reality that some of us would like to admit, but it certainly played out in Bob Kraft’s favor here. Numerous other men caught up in the same sweep simply pleaded guilty to low-level offenses, paid a fine, and went on their way. Kraft’s legal team has now essentially blown all of those cases out of the water as well.
As I’ve said from the beginning (more than a year and a half ago now), beating Bob Kraft seemed to be some sort of holy grail for the Palm Beach prosecutors. They were enraged when Kraft, a wealthy and famous snowbird invading their home state, refused to simply cop a plea, pay his fine and slink out of town in shame. It became something of a vendetta for them to find a way to bring him down.
At one point, the prosecutors were threatening to combine several misdemeanor charges together into a low-level felony charge that could send Kraft to prison for as much as three years. That seemed like little more than an intimidation tactic to see if Kraft’s legal team would fold. They didn’t and the plan was quickly abandoned.
So, did Bob Kraft do what the police alleged in the beginning? There seems little doubt about it. But the cops mishandled the case badly from the way they obtained a warrant for video surveillance to their interrogation methods employed with motorists in the vicinity that they probably doomed the case themselves before it ever reached a judge. Kraft could afford the big legal guns to challenge them each step of the way and convince the courts to rule in his favor. And now, nearly two years and tens of millions of dollars in legal and court fees later, he’s managed to avoid… having to pay a $1,500 fine on a misdemeanor charge. God bless America, eh? What a country.


hotair--2020-09-28--Politico scoop: Barrett's involvement with People of Praise shows she's ... Catholic

Democrats might be smart enough to avoid this trap .
National media outlets , on the other hand , seem bound and determined to treat fifty million Catholic voters as weirdos — despite not having actually changed their tenets for two millennia .
Today it ’ s Politico ’ s turn to warn America about Amy Coney Barrett ’ s participation in People of Praise , a charismatic ecumenical group , and endorsed views that “ appears to have been at odds with American law.
” That ’ s utter nonsense , but so is the entire People of Praise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote about the Barretts ’ commitment to the group and its private education : The Barretts ’ five oldest children attended Trinity School , founded in 1981 .
Trinity operates two other private schools , in Eagan , Minn. , and in Falls Church , Va. ( Though the institution was founded by People of Praise , now Trinity Schools , Inc. and the People of Praise are separate 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) corporations . )
Group membership isn ’ t required to work there ; faculty members , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in good faith to the tenets of the Nicene Creed , “ according to the Trinity cultural statement .
The school publishes a “ cultural statement ” laying out its views on social issues .
It articulates a clear , conservative Christian set of values , including discouraging sex before marriage and cautioning students who experience same-sex attraction from “ prematurely interpret [ ing ] any particular emotional experience as identity-defining.
” Discouraging sex before marriage isn ’ t exactly a conservative Christian value .
Rather , it ’ s a basic Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support .
Much of that comes from Paul ’ s epistles , to be sure , but Deuteronomy 22:28 makes the proscription on premarital sex plain as well .
For that matter , the Nicene Creed is basic Christian doctrine too , which makes it hardly remarkable for a Christian church to require a good-faith effort to embrace it .
Catholics , Orthodox churches , and most Protestant denominations profess the Nicene Creed , and private Christian schools would certainly want to hire people who believe in the Nicene Creed ’ s tenets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unanimous Supreme Court ruled that Christian schools have the right to that expectation in Hosanna Tabor .
What about contradicting American law ?
Here ’ s the argument : There is no conflict between this belief and American law .
Americans are still free to believe , as most Christian denominations teach , that marriage is intended for one man and one woman .
Churches are free to restrict its recognition of marriage to that specific form , too .
The Catholic Church teaches that this is the only model for sacramental marriage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all extra-marital sexual acts ) are “ at odds with Scripture.
” Reporters like Adam Wren and media outlets such as Politico seem confused that Obergefell didn ’ t revise Christian or Catholic dogma .
The Supreme Court itself never took the absurd position that this teaching would be “ at odds with American law , ” in fact .
In his controlling opinion on Obergefell , Justice Anthony Kennedy explicitly defended religions and their institutions in teaching their own definition of marriage : As for being “ extreme , ” there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differs in either substance or emphasis from the Catholic Church ’ s catechism or from the tenets of other Christian denominations .
“ Under no circumstances can [ homosexual acts ] be approved , ” states paragraph 2333 of the Catechism .
Sex outside of marriage is called “ fornication ” ( pp 2353 ) and “ gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality.
” Even those who are engaged to marry are called to “ chastity in continence ” ( pp 2350 ) .
And , needless to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to both the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed , and in fact is patterned on both ( pp 194-196 ) .
So … what exactly is the complaint here ?
If People of Praise are extremists for adhering to and teaching these tenets , then so is the Catholic Church and nearly all of Christendom — not to mention other religions .
If Democrats and media outlets want to make that argument , they should feel free to do so — but realize that they are dismissing tens of millions of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans , as weirdos and freaks .
At that point , it might become obvious to everyone else who the extremists actually are .
Addendum : This part of Adam Wren ’ s analysis had me laughing out loud : What ’ s difficult to understand outside South Bend , however , is just how deeply integrated this group is into the local community .
Though the group has only a few thousand local members , and keeps a low profile as an organization , its influence and footprint in the city are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resistance to liberal changes in the wider culture , are likely to arise as issues in her Supreme Court nomination hearings , expected to begin Oct. 12 .
People of Praise includes several prominent local families , including real estate agents and local financial advisers , who act as a sort of professional network for families in the group and provide considerable social capital to its members .
In South Bend mayoral elections , campaigns have been known to strategize about winning over People of Praise as a constituency , given the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhoods .
Say , who was South Bend ’ s most famous mayor anyway ?
Pete Buttigieg , who made headlines as a gay progressive candidate in the Democratic presidential primary last year .
Buttigieg won two terms as mayor , the second after coming out as gay .
His successor , James Mueller , worked in Buttigieg ’ s administration .
The most recent Republican mayor of South Bend was Lloyd Allen , who last served in … 1972 .
It seems any influence People of Praise has in South Bend doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics .
There may be a religious organization in South Bend with significant political influence , but isn ’ t it much more likely to be the one with a golden dome and the greatest college football team ever ?
No disrespect intended toward the Trinity Titans ’ soccer teams , but … .
Update : One more point .
Wren wrote this about Barrett ’ s position on abortion : Wren doesn ’ t mention anything about People of Praise ’ s position on abortion , but the Catholic Church ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( pp 2270-72 ) : 2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception .
From the first moment of his existence , a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.72 ( 1703 , 357 ) Before I formed you in the womb I knew you , and before you were born I consecrated you.73 My frame was not hidden from you , when I was being made in secret , intricately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion .
This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable .
Direct abortion , that is to say , abortion willed either as an end or a means , is gravely contrary to the moral law : You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.75 God , the Lord of life , has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life , and men must carry it out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception : abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.76 2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense .
The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life .
“ A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae , ” 77 “ by the very commission of the offense , ” 78 and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.79 The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the crime committed , the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death , as well as to the parents and the whole of society .
( 1463 ) So yes , abortion is “ always immoral ” in the Catholic Church and not just People of Praise .
In fact , that ’ s so well known that it ’ s curious that it even comes up in a discussion about supposed extremism regarding People of Praise .

Democrats might be smart enough to avoid this trap. National media outlets, on the other hand, seem bound and determined to treat fifty million Catholic voters as weirdos — despite not having actually changed their tenets for two millennia. Today it’s Politico’s turn to warn America about Amy Coney Barrett’s participation in People of Praise, a charismatic ecumenical group, and endorsed views that “appears to have been at odds with American law.”
That’s utter nonsense, but so is the entire People of Praise thread. Politico’s Adam Wren wrote about the Barretts’ commitment to the group and its private education:
The Barretts’ five oldest children attended Trinity School, founded in 1981. Trinity operates two other private schools, in Eagan, Minn., and in Falls Church, Va. (Though the institution was founded by People of Praise, now Trinity Schools, Inc. and the People of Praise are separate 501 (c)(3) corporations.) Group membership isn’t required to work there; faculty members, however, must be Christian and “assent in good faith to the tenets of the Nicene Creed,“ according to the Trinity cultural statement. The school publishes a “cultural statement” laying out its views on social issues. It articulates a clear, conservative Christian set of values, including discouraging sex before marriage and cautioning students who experience same-sex attraction from “prematurely interpret[ing] any particular emotional experience as identity-defining.”
Discouraging sex before marriage isn’t exactly a conservative Christian value. Rather, it’s a basic Christian value, one that has explicit scriptural support. Much of that comes from Paul’s epistles, to be sure, but Deuteronomy 22:28 makes the proscription on premarital sex plain as well. For that matter, the Nicene Creed is basic Christian doctrine too, which makes it hardly remarkable for a Christian church to require a good-faith effort to embrace it. Catholics, Orthodox churches, and most Protestant denominations profess the Nicene Creed, and private Christian schools would certainly want to hire people who believe in the Nicene Creed’s tenets. More to the point, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled that Christian schools have the right to that expectation in Hosanna Tabor.
What about contradicting American law? Here’s the argument:
It also appears to have been at odds with American law while Barrett served on the board: A version of the statement from the 2018-19 school year, provided to POLITICO by the parent of an alum, says: “the only proper place for human sexual activity is marriage, where marriage is a legal and committed relationship between one man and one woman.” “Homosexual acts” are said to be “at odds with Scripture.” A spokesperson for the school said the language changed around the 2018-19 school year, meaning it would have been in place during Barrett’s tenure as a board member from 2015-17—and well after the Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges, which in 2015 legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
There is no conflict between this belief and American law. Americans are still free to believe, as most Christian denominations teach, that marriage is intended for one man and one woman. Churches are free to restrict its recognition of marriage to that specific form, too. The Catholic Church teaches that this is the only model for sacramental marriage, and that homosexual acts (like all extra-marital sexual acts) are “at odds with Scripture.”
Reporters like Adam Wren and media outlets such as Politico seem confused that Obergefell didn’t revise Christian or Catholic dogma. The Supreme Court itself never took the absurd position that this teaching would be “at odds with American law,” in fact. In his controlling opinion on Obergefell, Justice Anthony Kennedy explicitly defended religions and their institutions in teaching their own definition of marriage:
Finally, it must be emphasized that religions, and those who adhere to religious doctrines, may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere conviction that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage should not be condoned. The First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths, and to their own deep aspirations to continue the family structure they have long revered. The same is true of those who oppose same-sex marriage for other reasons.
As for being “extreme,” there is nothing in that statement of beliefs that differs in either substance or emphasis from the Catholic Church’s catechism or from the tenets of other Christian denominations. “Under no circumstances can [homosexual acts] be approved,” states paragraph 2333 of the Catechism. Sex outside of marriage is called “fornication” (pp 2353) and “gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality.” Even those who are engaged to marry are called to “chastity in continence” (pp 2350). And, needless to say, the Catechism emphasizes its fidelity to both the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed, and in fact is patterned on both (pp 194-196).
So … what exactly is the complaint here? If People of Praise are extremists for adhering to and teaching these tenets, then so is the Catholic Church and nearly all of Christendom — not to mention other religions. If Democrats and media outlets want to make that argument, they should feel free to do so — but realize that they are dismissing tens of millions of Americans, and perhaps hundreds of millions of Americans, as weirdos and freaks. At that point, it might become obvious to everyone else who the extremists actually are.
Addendum: This part of Adam Wren’s analysis had me laughing out loud:
What’s difficult to understand outside South Bend, however, is just how deeply integrated this group is into the local community. Though the group has only a few thousand local members, and keeps a low profile as an organization, its influence and footprint in the city are significant. That influence, and its resistance to liberal changes in the wider culture, are likely to arise as issues in her Supreme Court nomination hearings, expected to begin Oct. 12. People of Praise includes several prominent local families, including real estate agents and local financial advisers, who act as a sort of professional network for families in the group and provide considerable social capital to its members. In South Bend mayoral elections, campaigns have been known to strategize about winning over People of Praise as a constituency, given the fact that they live close together in several neighborhoods.
Say, who was South Bend’s most famous mayor anyway? Pete Buttigieg, who made headlines as a gay progressive candidate in the Democratic presidential primary last year. Buttigieg won two terms as mayor, the second after coming out as gay. His successor, James Mueller, worked in Buttigieg’s administration. The most recent Republican mayor of South Bend was Lloyd Allen, who last served in … 1972. It seems any influence People of Praise has in South Bend doesn’t have much to do with politics.
There may be a religious organization in South Bend with significant political influence, but isn’t it much more likely to be the one with a golden dome and the greatest college football team ever? No disrespect intended toward the Trinity Titans’ soccer teams, but ….
Update: One more point. Wren wrote this about Barrett’s position on abortion:
A White House spokesperson said Barrett had no involvement in crafting the statement, but it aligns with her public views on the subject:sheco-signed a letter to Catholic bishops, dated three months after the Obergefell decision, affirming that marriage is the “indissoluble commitment of a man and a woman.” In a 1998 article “Catholic Judges in Capital Cases,” she referred to abortion as “always immoral.”Barrett has also said these views would not impact her jurisprudence. “It’s never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge’s personal convictions—whether they derive from faith or anywhere else—on the law,” she said during her 2017 confirmation.
Wren doesn’t mention anything about People of Praise’s position on abortion, but the Catholic Church’s position is both well known and explicit (pp 2270-72):
2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.72 (1703, 357) Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.73 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.74 2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.75 God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.76 2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. “A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,”77 “by the very commission of the offense,”78 and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.79 The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society. (1463)
So yes, abortion is “always immoral” in the Catholic Church and not just People of Praise. In fact, that’s so well known that it’s curious that it even comes up in a discussion about supposed extremism regarding People of Praise.


hotair--2020-09-28--Fauci: Florida's decision to reopen bars and restaurants is "very concerning"

I noted in Friday ’ s post about Ron DeSantis lifting statewide restrictions on bars and restaurants that Fauci had identified those two businesses as special risks recently .
It was inevitable that he ’ d be asked about Florida directly in his next round of interviews .
And it was inevitable what he ’ d say when he was .
Even so , I ’ m surprised that he ’ d be this blunt .
Trump desperately needs to win Florida and DeSantis ’ s “ reopen everything ” policy is clearly designed to hand him a talking point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day .
Now here ’ s Fauci all but telling Florida ’ s voters on national television that it ’ s a terrible idea .
( Nor is this the first term he ’ s singled out Florida for being too fast on reopening . )
If Florida ’ s case counts start ticking upward in October , it ’ s a cinch that this clip will appear in Democratic ads .
At the start of August , Fauci told the country we ’ d have a good chance of containing the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases daily as we head into fall , a point he was reminded of in this interview .
In reality , on Friday the country recorded 55,000 new cases .
In the past two weeks , cases have risen from an average of 35,000 per day to 45,000 per day and positivity rates in some midwestern states now exceed 25 percent ( although case counts remain low , by and large ) .
Hospitalizations seem to be rising too : It ’ ll be a tough winter .
But there is some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open but case counts aren ’ t rising among children : A USA TODAY analysis shows the state ’ s positive case count among kids ages 5 to 17 declined through late September after a peak in July .
Among the counties seeing surges in overall cases , it ’ s college-age adults – not schoolchildren – driving the trend , the analysis found… Despite the bright spots in the data showing school-age cases declining from their summertime peak , there was one troubling trend : The rate of decline slowed in many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean cases have plateaued and schools have not fueled new , large outbreaks .
Or it might mean those counties are at the bottom of a U and could soon turn upward again .
Why would cases continue to drop among kids despite the close quarters of being in school ?
Scientists increasingly believe that it has to do with “ innate immunity.
” Children ’ s immune systems functions differently from adults ’ , this NYT story explains .
Because they ’ re so young and have encountered so few pathogens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invading germs .
The adult immune system is slower , more specialized and adaptive because it ’ s learned to recognize most germs after years of exposure to them .
Introduce a novel unrecognized pathogen like SARS-CoV-2 , though , and it spreads in an adult ’ s system before the immune response kicks in .
Introduce it into a kid ’ s system and it ’ s squashed .
Anyway , Florida ’ s overall number of daily cases declined by 15 percent last week , another encouraging trend .
If there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s apt to be severely affected by a new outbreak before Election Day , it probably won ’ t be Florida .
It ’ ll be Wisconsin , where the average number of daily cases has tripled since the start of September while the number of hospitalizations has more than doubled over the same period .
And it ’ s not all the fault of college kids , it seems : The outbreak started about a month ago .
It seemed , at first , like a product of students returning to college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madison brought back tens of thousands of students to campus in August .
Within a week of classes starting , more than 1,000 of them tested positive , and the university shut down all in-person instruction .
Other states in the Midwest saw similar spikes after colleges and universities restarted for the fall .
But those states are not seeing what Wisconsin is now .
Cases are popping up in too many places , and among too many different age groups , to be blamed on college kids .
In fact , every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise this week , according to official data .
“ There ’ s a surge happening in cases across the state , for the most part , ” Ajay Sethi , an epidemiology professor at the University of Wisconsin , told me .
Any coronavirus outbreak is bad news , but a surge in Wisconsin , at this moment , would be particularly awful .
The problem is one of both political geography and poor timing .
Wisconsin could determine the outcome of the presidential election : The state went for President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and both Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have campaigned there this month .
The election is little more than a month away , and if the threat of infection scares Wisconsinites away from polling places , the outbreak could play a role in who wins the state .
Wisconsin is the obvious candidate at the moment to be the swing state most directly affected by COVID-19 on Election Day .
But don ’ t overlook Texas , where cases dropped by more than half between mid-July and mid-September but then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few weeks ago the state ’ s positivity rate stood at 6.6 percent .
Today it ’ s 11 percent .
A nasty new wave of infections next month could hurt Trump there in two ways , starting by depressing turnout in a state that leans red .
My strong suspicion is that Democrats will turn there no matter what after nearly sweeping Beto O ’ Rourke to an upset win two years ago , fueled this time by fear and rage over the Ginsburg vacancy .
Whether Republicans who are lukewarm about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his behalf by lining up at a polling place is less clear .
But there ’ s another problem for Trump , namely that a local outbreak will refocus voters ’ attention away from issues that are stronger for him ( e.g.
, the economy ) and back to his handling of the pandemic .
If Americans go to the polls on November 3 with anxiety about COVID at the forefront of their minds , I think he loses for sure .
That ’ s the real risk in Florida , Wisconsin @ @ @ @

I noted in Friday’s post about Ron DeSantis lifting statewide restrictions on bars and restaurants that Fauci had identified those two businesses as special risks recently. It was inevitable that he’d be asked about Florida directly in his next round of interviews.
And it was inevitable what he’d say when he was.
Even so, I’m surprised that he’d be this blunt. Trump desperately needs to win Florida and DeSantis’s “reopen everything” policy is clearly designed to hand him a talking point about economic revival there ahead of Election Day. Now here’s Fauci all but telling Florida’s voters on national television that it’s a terrible idea. (Nor is this the first term he’s singled out Florida for being too fast on reopening.) If Florida’s case counts start ticking upward in October, it’s a cinch that this clip will appear in Democratic ads.
“That is very concerning to me.” Dr. Anthony Fauci says now the time is to double down, not ease restrictions, in regards to Florida’s decision to open up bars and restaurants. https://t.co/MijCNMRWTN pic.twitter.com/kZ2WbZsObk — Good Morning America (@GMA) September 28, 2020
At the start of August, Fauci told the country we’d have a good chance of containing the virus if we were seeing 10,000 or fewer confirmed cases daily as we head into fall, a point he was reminded of in this interview. In reality, on Friday the country recorded 55,000 new cases. In the past two weeks, cases have risen from an average of 35,000 per day to 45,000 per day and positivity rates in some midwestern states now exceed 25 percent (although case counts remain low, by and large). Hospitalizations seem to be rising too:
As reported Covid cases continue to rise around the U.S., the number of Covid hospitalizations – which is an important, objective measure of total disease burden – have stopped their decline, and may be starting to increase again. pic.twitter.com/TxSkIR3rh3 — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) September 27, 2020
It’ll be a tough winter. But there is some good news from Florida. Schools are open but case counts aren’t rising among children:
A USA TODAY analysis shows the state’s positive case count among kids ages 5 to 17 declined through late September after a peak in July. Among the counties seeing surges in overall cases, it’s college-age adults – not schoolchildren – driving the trend, the analysis found… Despite the bright spots in the data showing school-age cases declining from their summertime peak, there was one troubling trend: The rate of decline slowed in many places after schools reopened. That might mean cases have plateaued and schools have not fueled new, large outbreaks. Or it might mean those counties are at the bottom of a U and could soon turn upward again.
Why would cases continue to drop among kids despite the close quarters of being in school? Scientists increasingly believe that it has to do with “innate immunity.” Children’s immune systems functions differently from adults’, this NYT story explains. Because they’re so young and have encountered so few pathogens, their immune systems act quickly to nuke invading germs. The adult immune system is slower, more specialized and adaptive because it’s learned to recognize most germs after years of exposure to them. Introduce a novel unrecognized pathogen like SARS-CoV-2, though, and it spreads in an adult’s system before the immune response kicks in. Introduce it into a kid’s system and it’s squashed.
Anyway, Florida’s overall number of daily cases declined by 15 percent last week, another encouraging trend. If there’s a swing state that’s apt to be severely affected by a new outbreak before Election Day, it probably won’t be Florida. It’ll be Wisconsin, where the average number of daily cases has tripled since the start of September while the number of hospitalizations has more than doubled over the same period. And it’s not all the fault of college kids, it seems:
The outbreak started about a month ago. It seemed, at first, like a product of students returning to college campuses. The University of Wisconsin at Madison brought back tens of thousands of students to campus in August. Within a week of classes starting, more than 1,000 of them tested positive, and the university shut down all in-person instruction. Other states in the Midwest saw similar spikes after colleges and universities restarted for the fall. But those states are not seeing what Wisconsin is now. Cases are popping up in too many places, and among too many different age groups, to be blamed on college kids. In fact, every age group except 18-to-24-year-olds has seen cases rise this week, according to official data. “There’s a surge happening in cases across the state, for the most part,” Ajay Sethi, an epidemiology professor at the University of Wisconsin, told me. Any coronavirus outbreak is bad news, but a surge in Wisconsin, at this moment, would be particularly awful. The problem is one of both political geography and poor timing. Wisconsin could determine the outcome of the presidential election: The state went for President Donald Trump in 2016 by only 22,748 votes, and both Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have campaigned there this month. The election is little more than a month away, and if the threat of infection scares Wisconsinites away from polling places, the outbreak could play a role in who wins the state.
Wisconsin is the obvious candidate at the moment to be the swing state most directly affected by COVID-19 on Election Day. But don’t overlook Texas, where cases dropped by more than half between mid-July and mid-September but then began to rise again lately. A few weeks ago the state’s positivity rate stood at 6.6 percent. Today it’s 11 percent. A nasty new wave of infections next month could hurt Trump there in two ways, starting by depressing turnout in a state that leans red. My strong suspicion is that Democrats will turn there no matter what after nearly sweeping Beto O’Rourke to an upset win two years ago, fueled this time by fear and rage over the Ginsburg vacancy. Whether Republicans who are lukewarm about the president decide to take a risk on his behalf by lining up at a polling place is less clear. But there’s another problem for Trump, namely that a local outbreak will refocus voters’ attention away from issues that are stronger for him (e.g., the economy) and back to his handling of the pandemic. If Americans go to the polls on November 3 with anxiety about COVID at the forefront of their minds, I think he loses for sure. That’s the real risk in Florida, Wisconsin, and Texas.


hotair--2020-09-28--As first debate approaches, Democrats worry about Biden's temper

The first debate takes place tomorrow night and Joe Biden has been devoting his days to preparing for it .
All of those days this month when his campaign has announced an “ early lid ” have allegedly been days when Biden is practicing for the debate and reading through his briefing books to make sure he ’ s got all the details in mind .
But reading through a few pieces about his preparation it ’ s clear that Democrats are mostly concerned about something that could trip Biden up tomorrow night : His temper .
Biden has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people when challenged .
Remember this moment from last December ?
Clearly , those reading the tea leaves on the left are concerned that angry Biden could made an appearance tomorrow night .
Here ’ s E.J .
Dionne : The former vice president also has to keep a lid on his tetchiness .
Biden sometimes gets impatient and defensive when he is challenged about past positions or actions .
He shouldn ’ t take the bait .
His job is not to win a lawyer ’ s debate about the past , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about who he is , and who he will be as president .
Occasionally , it ’ s good to push back against a moderator ’ s question if it ’ s genuinely unfair .
Voters like strength in their presidents and can thus appreciate politicians who stand up for themselves .
But Biden shouldn ’ t litigate questions that are unpleasant but reasonable .
Let Trump look like the jerk .
The NY Times also published a piece on Biden ’ s debate prep today which also mentions Biden ’ s temper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faces tomorrow night : The risks for Mr. Biden are manifold .
Allies and people who have coached him for past debates fret about his temper and tendency toward defensiveness when it comes to his own lengthy record .
His debate showings during the 2020 primary — ultimately sufficient to win — were often marked by meandering digressions and antiquated references and were rarely , if ever , hailed as command performances… Mr. Biden ’ s advisers do not hope to muzzle his indignation entirely , campaign officials said — but want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a productive direction : anger about the loss of life during the pandemic , Mr. Trump ’ s sometimes indifference to public health guidelines and perhaps especially the president ’ s comments , as reported by The Atlantic , that American soldiers who died in war were “ suckers ” and “ losers.
” Last week the Washington Post published a similar piece saying Biden advisers were nervous he could lose it during the debate : The prospect of a cage match between a president for whom no subject is off-limits and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is making some Biden advisers nervous .
They see a fine line between Biden ’ s passion and empathy , which can appeal to voters , and the raw anger that sometimes gets him in trouble and could undercut his pitch as a calming alternative to a president who thrives on chaos .
“ When you go at his family , he becomes hotter than hell , which is part of the thing I worry about , ” said John Morgan , a Florida trial lawyer and major Biden donor .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about is not letting his Irish temper blow when that happens.
” Biden ’ s emotion , especially when it comes to his family , has often been a strong suit .
But he has also shown a tendency to lose his composure when his record , and especially his decency , are questioned — such as when he declared in an interview with “ The Breakfast Club ” that African Americans considering voting for Trump “ ain ’ t black , ” or when he snapped , “ Why , why , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a reporter who asked during the primary why he had attacked a rival .
Speaking of Biden ’ s debate prep , one unnamed Democratic congressional aide told the Post , “ It ’ s like training for a knife fight and somebody is getting an Uzi.
” Once Biden gets angry a lot of that careful debate prep goes out the window .
So we ’ ll have to see if he ’ s able to shrug if off and keep control or if he loses it and starts shouting at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past .
And make no mistake , Biden has been doing this for a lot of years at this point .
This clip is from 1988 in which he flipped out when challenged and then concluded that knowing more than the other guy matters in a debate but that the country was ultimately looking for was a leader not a gutless technocrat :

The first debate takes place tomorrow night and Joe Biden has been devoting his days to preparing for it. All of those days this month when his campaign has announced an “early lid” have allegedly been days when Biden is practicing for the debate and reading through his briefing books to make sure he’s got all the details in mind. But reading through a few pieces about his preparation it’s clear that Democrats are mostly concerned about something that could trip Biden up tomorrow night: His temper.
Biden has a well known tendency to flip out at people when challenged. Remember this moment from last December?
Remember this from March:
Clearly, those reading the tea leaves on the left are concerned that angry Biden could made an appearance tomorrow night. Here’s E.J. Dionne:
The former vice president also has to keep a lid on his tetchiness. Biden sometimes gets impatient and defensive when he is challenged about past positions or actions. He shouldn’t take the bait. His job is not to win a lawyer’s debate about the past, but to make the audience feel good about who he is, and who he will be as president. Occasionally, it’s good to push back against a moderator’s question if it’s genuinely unfair. Voters like strength in their presidents and can thus appreciate politicians who stand up for themselves. But Biden shouldn’t litigate questions that are unpleasant but reasonable. Let Trump look like the jerk.
The NY Times also published a piece on Biden’s debate prep today which also mentions Biden’s temper as one of the biggest risks he faces tomorrow night:
The risks for Mr. Biden are manifold. Allies and people who have coached him for past debates fret about his temper and tendency toward defensiveness when it comes to his own lengthy record. His debate showings during the 2020 primary — ultimately sufficient to win — were often marked by meandering digressions and antiquated references and were rarely, if ever, hailed as command performances… Mr. Biden’s advisers do not hope to muzzle his indignation entirely, campaign officials said — but want to ensure that any temper-flashing moments are channeled in a productive direction: anger about the loss of life during the pandemic, Mr. Trump’s sometimes indifference to public health guidelines and perhaps especially the president’s comments, as reported by The Atlantic, that American soldiers who died in war were “suckers” and “losers.”
Last week the Washington Post published a similar piece saying Biden advisers were nervous he could lose it during the debate:
The prospect of a cage match between a president for whom no subject is off-limits and a challenger who can be openly emotional is making some Biden advisers nervous. They see a fine line between Biden’s passion and empathy, which can appeal to voters, and the raw anger that sometimes gets him in trouble and could undercut his pitch as a calming alternative to a president who thrives on chaos. “When you go at his family, he becomes hotter than hell, which is part of the thing I worry about,” said John Morgan, a Florida trial lawyer and major Biden donor. “I think what Biden has to be careful about is not letting his Irish temper blow when that happens.” Biden’s emotion, especially when it comes to his family, has often been a strong suit. But he has also shown a tendency to lose his composure when his record, and especially his decency, are questioned — such as when he declared in an interview with “The Breakfast Club” that African Americans considering voting for Trump “ain’t black,” or when he snapped, “Why, why, why, why, why?” at a reporter who asked during the primary why he had attacked a rival.
Speaking of Biden’s debate prep, one unnamed Democratic congressional aide told the Post, “It’s like training for a knife fight and somebody is getting an Uzi.”
Once Biden gets angry a lot of that careful debate prep goes out the window. So we’ll have to see if he’s able to shrug if off and keep control or if he loses it and starts shouting at Trump the way he has at voters in the past. And make no mistake, Biden has been doing this for a lot of years at this point. This clip is from 1988 in which he flipped out when challenged and then concluded that knowing more than the other guy matters in a debate but that the country was ultimately looking for was a leader not a gutless technocrat:


hotair--2020-09-28--Strongly worded letter issued to adult brothers who impregnated 12-year-old sister

Before you begin tossing rotten fruit at the stage because this is a “ local news story ” out of Missouri , bear with me .
I should also warn you that the “ ick factor ” in this story is pretty much off the charts .
But I believe it speaks to some remnant aspects of our legal system that have somehow hung around for literally centuries but are badly in need of being purged from the nation ’ s innards .
This report comes to us from the Show-Me state ( a nickname that becomes very inappropriate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post .
Webster County Prosecutor Ben Berkstresser had a tough case on his hands earlier this year involving the repeated sexual assault and resultant impregnation of a 12-year-old girl .
Two of the suspects were adult brothers , Aaron and “ Petie ” Schwartz , ages 22 and 18 respectively .
Two other suspects were their unnamed , underage brothers .
Making the case all the more awful was that the victim was their sister .
The sister gave birth after turning 13 .
But then we learned that none of her brothers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in prison .
The brothers were initially both charged with six counts of statutory rape and one count of incest .
But those charges were reduced to third-degree child molestation , a Class C felony , the paper said .
They then reached a plea deal last week for 15 years in prison — but suspended to keep them out of jail , the paper said .
The prosecutor insisted it was a “ different relationship ” than if a “ parent in a position of authority sexually abused or exploited their child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ very immature.
” “ These two young men would ’ ve been eaten alive in the state prison system , ” Berkstresser told the paper in defending his decision .
I ” m honestly left scratching my head as to how this prosecutor arrived at the final decision .
The two younger brothers are juveniles so they probably need to be dealt with through a different court .
But the two elder brothers named in the arrests are adults .
They repeatedly had sex with a 12-year-old girl .
Even if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factor the familial relationship brings into the picture , that ’ s still a situation where rape was repeatedly perpetrated .
Being in the same family is not a “ mitigating ” factor .
The prosecutor is simultaneously claiming that this situation was somehow not as serious and “ different ” from a case where a parent was doing it .
How is that different ?
The victimization of the child by an adult authority figure is indistinguishable .
Further , the prosecutor is concerned that the defendants would have “ been eaten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And ?
Plenty of young men have a very hard time of it when they go to prison after committing brutal crimes , yet we send them anyway .
What we appear to be seeing here is a holdover from the same dangerous attitudes the criminal justice system used to display toward domestic violence cases back in the day .
If a man walked out on the street and just randomly punched a woman in the face he could wind up in jail .
But if he went home and beat up his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a family matter ” and the courts probably shouldn ’ t go poking into their private lives .
Besides , she probably did something to deserve it .
Thankfully much ( though certainly not all ) of that sort of nonsense has been flushed out of the court system these days .
But for some reason , incest seems to be one of those areas where the courts still have a hard time wrapping their heads around it .
This prosecutor is acting as if the repeated rape of this barely pubescent girl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d been abducted and abused by a stranger because it was her four brothers sexually abusing her .
So the oldest sons won ’ t be going to jail , provided they complete some sort of rehab program , do 100 hours of community service and write a letter to the prosecutor explaining their actions and how they will be behaving differently in the future .
Seriously ?
Here ’ s the biggest question we should all be asking right now .
Where is the little girl ?
Have they gotten her out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a responsible guardian ?
What about the parents ’ responsibility in allowing this to happen under their own roof for the better part of a year ?
And who will be caring for that baby who must now be raised by someone who is still essentially a baby herself ?
This entire story is a sickening disaster and it sounds like justice is far from being served .
Surely someone at the state level can override this prosecutor ’ s decisions and investigate further .

Before you begin tossing rotten fruit at the stage because this is a “local news story” out of Missouri, bear with me. I should also warn you that the “ick factor” in this story is pretty much off the charts. But I believe it speaks to some remnant aspects of our legal system that have somehow hung around for literally centuries but are badly in need of being purged from the nation’s innards.
This report comes to us from the Show-Me state (a nickname that becomes very inappropriate in this context) via the New York Post. Webster County Prosecutor Ben Berkstresser had a tough case on his hands earlier this year involving the repeated sexual assault and resultant impregnation of a 12-year-old girl. Two of the suspects were adult brothers, Aaron and “Petie” Schwartz, ages 22 and 18 respectively. Two other suspects were their unnamed, underage brothers. Making the case all the more awful was that the victim was their sister. The sister gave birth after turning 13. But then we learned that none of her brothers are likely to do a single day in prison.
The brothers were initially both charged with six counts of statutory rape and one count of incest. But those charges were reduced to third-degree child molestation, a Class C felony, the paper said. They then reached a plea deal last week for 15 years in prison — but suspended to keep them out of jail, the paper said. The prosecutor insisted it was a “different relationship” than if a “parent in a position of authority sexually abused or exploited their child,” and said the convicts were “very immature.” “These two young men would’ve been eaten alive in the state prison system,” Berkstresser told the paper in defending his decision.
I”m honestly left scratching my head as to how this prosecutor arrived at the final decision. The two younger brothers are juveniles so they probably need to be dealt with through a different court. But the two elder brothers named in the arrests are adults. They repeatedly had sex with a 12-year-old girl. Even if we were to leave aside the overall creepiness factor the familial relationship brings into the picture, that’s still a situation where rape was repeatedly perpetrated. Being in the same family is not a “mitigating” factor.
The prosecutor is simultaneously claiming that this situation was somehow not as serious and “different” from a case where a parent was doing it. How is that different? The victimization of the child by an adult authority figure is indistinguishable. Further, the prosecutor is concerned that the defendants would have “been eaten alive in the state prison system.” And? Plenty of young men have a very hard time of it when they go to prison after committing brutal crimes, yet we send them anyway.
What we appear to be seeing here is a holdover from the same dangerous attitudes the criminal justice system used to display toward domestic violence cases back in the day. If a man walked out on the street and just randomly punched a woman in the face he could wind up in jail. But if he went home and beat up his wife, well… “that’s a family matter” and the courts probably shouldn’t go poking into their private lives. Besides, she probably did something to deserve it.
Thankfully much (though certainly not all) of that sort of nonsense has been flushed out of the court system these days. But for some reason, incest seems to be one of those areas where the courts still have a hard time wrapping their heads around it. This prosecutor is acting as if the repeated rape of this barely pubescent girl is somehow different than if she’d been abducted and abused by a stranger because it was her four brothers sexually abusing her.
So the oldest sons won’t be going to jail, provided they complete some sort of rehab program, do 100 hours of community service and write a letter to the prosecutor explaining their actions and how they will be behaving differently in the future. Seriously? Here’s the biggest question we should all be asking right now. Where is the little girl? Have they gotten her out of that home and placed her with a responsible guardian? What about the parents’ responsibility in allowing this to happen under their own roof for the better part of a year? And who will be caring for that baby who must now be raised by someone who is still essentially a baby herself?
This entire story is a sickening disaster and it sounds like justice is far from being served. Surely someone at the state level can override this prosecutor’s decisions and investigate further.


hotair--2020-09-28--Man raised nearly half-a-million for Black Lives Matter but spent the money on himself

He called himself Sir Maejor Page but his real name was Tyree Conyers-Page .
He started to make a name for himself as an Atlanta-area activists in 2015 and founded an organization called Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta .
For most of the past several years his efforts to promote the organization weren ’ t terribly successful , but that all changed after the killing of George Floyd and the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks .
This summer BLM of Greater Atlanta benefited from a huge influx of donations totaling nearly half-a-million dollars .
Page ran a Facebook page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and solicited money through a GoFundMe account , the FBI said in a news release .
Between April 2018 and May 2020 , the the group ’ s balance never exceeded $ 5,000 , but donations started pouring in earlier this year after George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of Minneapolis police , officials said .
Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta raised nearly $ 470,000 between June and August , and the funds were transferred to an account that was owned and operated by Page .
What Page apparently didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tipped of the FBI about him more than a year before .
That same person then went back to the FBI once the money started pouring in this summer : According to the complaint , back in April 2019 , a witness tipped off the FBI that Conyers-Page may have been using the Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta ( BLMGA ) non-profit organization to make money .
More than a year later in June 2020 , that same witness went back to the FBI showing that the BLMGA organization Conyers-Page founded – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a representative of the official Atlanta Black Lives Matter organization – was receiving donations from it ’ s official Facebook page .
The page , which was registered with the social media company as a non-profit , was cleared to receive donations because of that , even though Conyers-Page ’ s organization had lost its tax-exempt status in 2019 .
While all of this was happening , Page was boasting about his newfound success on livestream videos .
According to the complaint he had no job and no other source of income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BLM organization ’ s bank account is what he used to pay for things : Numerous videos and livestream videos were posted to Page ’ s personal social media pages showing himself in what appeared to be newly purchased clothing , hotel rooms , and office space in Atlanta .
Several audio statements are made by Page in the videos boasting about the money he has , his tailored suits , his nice cufflinks and “ $ 150 dollar ties , ” and boasting about “ my room way up at the top…at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on these floors….
” In summary , Page has spent over $ 200,000 on personal items generated from donations received from the BLMGA social media page with no identifiable purchase or expenditure for social or racial justice .
According to the complaint , none of the money Page ’ s group raised was spent on any social justice cause .
The big-ticket item from Page ’ s $ 200,000 spending spree was a house which he bought in Toledo .
A friend claimed that Page had bought the house on behalf of another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make it into a shelter for victims of domestic abuse .
But he was apparently living there at least some of the time .
Last Friday , Page was arrested by the FBI at the house and then FBI agents were seen pulling boxes of items and a flat screen TV out of the house .
Here ’ s a local news report showing video of the raid .
Below that is one of the videos Page uploaded to his YouTube channel in 2018 .

He called himself Sir Maejor Page but his real name was Tyree Conyers-Page. He started to make a name for himself as an Atlanta-area activists in 2015 and founded an organization called Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta. For most of the past several years his efforts to promote the organization weren’t terribly successful, but that all changed after the killing of George Floyd and the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks. This summer BLM of Greater Atlanta benefited from a huge influx of donations totaling nearly half-a-million dollars.
Page ran a Facebook page called Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta and solicited money through a GoFundMe account, the FBI said in a news release. Between April 2018 and May 2020, the the group’s balance never exceeded $5,000, but donations started pouring in earlier this year after George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, officials said. Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta raised nearly $470,000 between June and August, and the funds were transferred to an account that was owned and operated by Page.
What Page apparently didn’t know is that someone had tipped of the FBI about him more than a year before. That same person then went back to the FBI once the money started pouring in this summer:
According to the complaint, back in April 2019, a witness tipped off the FBI that Conyers-Page may have been using the Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta (BLMGA) non-profit organization to make money. More than a year later in June 2020, that same witness went back to the FBI showing that the BLMGA organization Conyers-Page founded – a splinter group that was never recognized as a representative of the official Atlanta Black Lives Matter organization – was receiving donations from it’s official Facebook page. The page, which was registered with the social media company as a non-profit, was cleared to receive donations because of that, even though Conyers-Page’s organization had lost its tax-exempt status in 2019.
While all of this was happening, Page was boasting about his newfound success on livestream videos. According to the complaint he had no job and no other source of income. An ATM card linked to his BLM organization’s bank account is what he used to pay for things:
Numerous videos and livestream videos were posted to Page’s personal social media pages showing himself in what appeared to be newly purchased clothing, hotel rooms, and office space in Atlanta. Several audio statements are made by Page in the videos boasting about the money he has, his tailored suits, his nice cufflinks and “$150 dollar ties,” and boasting about “my room way up at the top…at the top top…they put the bottom feeders on these floors….” In summary, Page has spent over $200,000 on personal items generated from donations received from the BLMGA social media page with no identifiable purchase or expenditure for social or racial justice.
According to the complaint, none of the money Page’s group raised was spent on any social justice cause. The big-ticket item from Page’s $200,000 spending spree was a house which he bought in Toledo. A friend claimed that Page had bought the house on behalf of another group he was part of and intended to make it into a shelter for victims of domestic abuse. But he was apparently living there at least some of the time.
Last Friday, Page was arrested by the FBI at the house and then FBI agents were seen pulling boxes of items and a flat screen TV out of the house. Here’s a local news report showing video of the raid. Below that is one of the videos Page uploaded to his YouTube channel in 2018.


hotair--2020-09-28--Team Biden to Trump on debate drug test: Urine kidding us, right?

Well , let ’ s not get pissy about this .
In fact , Joe Biden seemed to enjoy Donald Trump ’ s drug-test challenge a lot more than Trump figured he would .
At a press avail yesterday , Biden chuckled and almost responded .
Almost , which Team Trump seemed to think was meme-worthy for some reason : Why the Trump War Room passed this around on social media is unclear .
Laughing this off with a “ no comment ” might be the smartest thing Biden ’ s done with a Trump attack so far this cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s better to let your campaign and surrogates go on the attack on mudslinging while the candidate remains above it , a strategy Trump has never liked or adopted .
Team Biden didn ’ t take long to follow up on it , using it to take a fairly easy shot at Trump on health care and COVID-19 : “ I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to , or after , the Debate on Tuesday night .
Naturally , I will agree to take one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN , to put it mildly .
Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy ?
?
?
” Even Biden had to chuckle at Trump ’ s latest taunts , although the Democratic nominee opted against saying anything when a reporter asked him later Sunday about the president ’ s demand .
“ He ’ s almost … , ” Biden said before interrupting himself .
“ No .
I have no comment.
” Later , the Biden campaign reconsidered .
“ Vice President Biden intends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If the president thinks his best case is made in urine he can have at it , ” said Kate Bedingfield , Biden ’ s deputy campaign manager .
“ We ’ d expect nothing less from Donald Trump , who pissed away the chance to protect the lives of 200K Americans when he didn ’ t make a plan to stop COVID-19.
” Oof .
Does Team Trump really think this is a good time for Trump to bring up drug testing , of all issues ?
That ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s COVID-19 strategy all along , and it ’ s still a problem , especially for accurate rapid-response testing .
All this does is give more weight to health-care issues in the election cycle , an issue that gives Democrats a big advantage .
Apparently no one on the Trump campaign learned that lesson from the 2018 midterms .
This drug-testing thread wasn ’ t just a one-0ff tweet , either .
Trump has been beating this drum for at least two weeks , maybe more , by claiming that Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uses them for televised debates .
It ’ s not at all clear what drugs would enhance debate performances , but whatever they might be , they only seem to work for an hour or so ; Biden routinely faded from view in the second half of those debates .
Simple caffeine might be in order on stage , or perhaps vitamin shots as an overall health booster , but there ’ s no evidence at all that anything stronger was ever in play , especially during the debates .
This looks like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that for some reason he and his campaign feel duty-bound to maintain without any rational benefit whatsoever .
Besides , the idea that “ Biden ’ s on drugs ” to enhance his performance cuts against a more legitimate criticism from Team Trump .
If Biden really is on drugs to pep himself up , then why is the Biden campaign calling lids before 10 am most days for the past week , and before noon for half of September ?
Why not stick to the actual performance issue rather than make one @ @

Well, let’s not get pissy about this. In fact, Joe Biden seemed to enjoy Donald Trump’s drug-test challenge a lot more than Trump figured he would. At a press avail yesterday, Biden chuckled and almost responded. Almost, which Team Trump seemed to think was meme-worthy for some reason:
Joe Biden was asked whether he will take a drug test before the debate. "No, I have no comment," he said. pic.twitter.com/jHX5qfESR2 — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 27, 2020
Why the Trump War Room passed this around on social media is unclear. Laughing this off with a “no comment” might be the smartest thing Biden’s done with a Trump attack so far this cycle, especially one this dumb. It’s better to let your campaign and surrogates go on the attack on mudslinging while the candidate remains above it, a strategy Trump has never liked or adopted.
Team Biden didn’t take long to follow up on it, using it to take a fairly easy shot at Trump on health care and COVID-19:
“I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night. Naturally, I will agree to take one also,” Trump wrote. “His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???” Even Biden had to chuckle at Trump’s latest taunts, although the Democratic nominee opted against saying anything when a reporter asked him later Sunday about the president’s demand. “He’s almost …,” Biden said before interrupting himself. “No. I have no comment.” Later, the Biden campaign reconsidered. “Vice President Biden intends to deliver his debate answers in words. If the president thinks his best case is made in urine he can have at it,” said Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager. “We’d expect nothing less from Donald Trump, who pissed away the chance to protect the lives of 200K Americans when he didn’t make a plan to stop COVID-19.”
Oof. Does Team Trump really think this is a good time for Trump to bring up drug testing, of all issues? That’s been the Achilles heel of the administration’s COVID-19 strategy all along, and it’s still a problem, especially for accurate rapid-response testing. All this does is give more weight to health-care issues in the election cycle, an issue that gives Democrats a big advantage. Apparently no one on the Trump campaign learned that lesson from the 2018 midterms.
This drug-testing thread wasn’t just a one-0ff tweet, either. Trump has been beating this drum for at least two weeks, maybe more, by claiming that Biden’s on performance-enhancing drugs, or at least uses them for televised debates. It’s not at all clear what drugs would enhance debate performances, but whatever they might be, they only seem to work for an hour or so; Biden routinely faded from view in the second half of those debates. Simple caffeine might be in order on stage, or perhaps vitamin shots as an overall health booster, but there’s no evidence at all that anything stronger was ever in play, especially during the debates. This looks like one of Trump’s wild claims that for some reason he and his campaign feel duty-bound to maintain without any rational benefit whatsoever.
Besides, the idea that “Biden’s on drugs” to enhance his performance cuts against a more legitimate criticism from Team Trump. If Biden really is on drugs to pep himself up, then why is the Biden campaign calling lids before 10 am most days for the past week, and before noon for half of September? Why not stick to the actual performance issue rather than make one up?