hotair--2020-04-27--Tara Reade lashes out at Democratic politicians, women's groups and the media

Tara Reade gave an interview to Fox News over the weekend in which she lashed out at the Democratic politicians , women ’ s groups and the media , all of whom she believes are ignoring or downplaying her allegations against Joe Biden .
Reade even compared the coverage of her story to that of Christine Blasey Ford , noting that the fact Kavanaugh was a conservative seemed to make all the difference in the world to the media .
“ I ’ d like my history with Biden to be examined in a dignified way that ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ d like a deeper conversation about the fact that sexual harassment and sexual assault do not have a political party , agenda , ” Tara Reade told Fox News in an interview Saturday .
“ It ’ s an equal opportunity offender .
There are Democratic offenders as well as Republican offenders and I ’ m sure Independent and Green Party .
I mean , it doesn ’ t matter what your party affiliation is , and it shouldn ’ t as far as the media coverage regarding claims.
” … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conservative candidate they were going to put in the Supreme Court , was treated with much more deference by most of the media outlets , although her experience was difficult as well .
And she received threats and received her own pain , ” Reade said .
“ I ’ ve basically had no substantive support from women ’ s groups that are considered liberal or Democratic .
I ’ ve had no support from any Democratic candidate , although I ’ ve reached out .
And I ’ ve received either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points for Biden ’ s campaign or silence from the mainstream media .
So that ’ s my contention and my concern.
” … “ What I ’ d like to say to the slanted reporting where they are omitting details , where they are not investigating corroborating [ testimony ] , what I would like to say to them at this point and some of the silence from some the candidates Kamala Harris , Amy Klobuchar , Elizabeth Warren that at this point , if you continue to silence me , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerful man without giving my case a closer look , you are complicit in rape , ” Reade declared .
Reade is absolutely correct about the media ’ s handling of her claims .
She gave this interview on Saturday before the Sunday shows once again confirmed it .
As Jazz mentioned earlier , there wasn ’ t a single mention of Reade ’ s allegations on any of the Sunday shows despite the news hook of a newly uncovered video tape in which her mother called the Larry King live show back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ published a different account of Reade ’ s interview in which she was specifically critical of CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper : “ I think it ’ s shocking that this much time has passed and that he is an actual nominee for president and they ’ re not asking the questions , ” Reade told Fox News .
“ He ’ s been on ‘ Anderson Cooper ’ at least twice where he was not asked.
” “ I guess my question is , if this were Donald Trump , would they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this were Brett Kavanaugh , did they treat it the same way ?
” Reade said .
“ In other words , it ’ s politics and political agenda playing a role in objective reporting and asking the question.
” CNN did run a story Saturday about the Larry King segment and had the reporter on air to discuss it .
So they are beginning to cover this but not to the point of asking Joe Biden about it .
As for the support from women ’ s groups .
Reade went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they could help her secure a lawyer to handle her claim against Biden .
TimesUp did provide Reade with a list of options but told her it couldn ’ t help her beyond that because they are a 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) organization and taking on a presidential nominee would put their tax-exempt status in jeopardy .
But Times Up isn ’ t the only group that has stayed on the sidelines .
Last week Mother Jones reported , “ Eight national organizations that advocate for sexual violence survivors did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment or interview.
” As much as I agree with everything Reade is saying about the media and the obvious hypocrisy of women ’ s groups on this , her interview with Fox may make it less likely that other outlets will cover her story .
Reade is a life-long Democrat who worked for Democrats until she left her job with Biden in 1993 .
But that won ’ t matter now that she has gone to Fox News .
We saw this same dynamic play out with Bret Weinstein .
On some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bernie Sanders , but the moment he went on the Tucker Carlson ’ s show to complain about what was happening at Evergreen State College , he was deemed to have committed an unpardonable sin , i.e .
he went outside the progressive bubble and collaborated with the enemy .
The same will likely happen with Reade .
Reporters at mainstream organizations who routinely attack Fox News are now going to see her as tainted .
In fact , many at these outlets will be far more bothered by Reade ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assault allegations against Biden .

Tara Reade gave an interview to Fox News over the weekend in which she lashed out at the Democratic politicians, women’s groups and the media, all of whom she believes are ignoring or downplaying her allegations against Joe Biden. Reade even compared the coverage of her story to that of Christine Blasey Ford, noting that the fact Kavanaugh was a conservative seemed to make all the difference in the world to the media.
“I’d like my history with Biden to be examined in a dignified way that’s not slanted by political bias or sensationalized. I’d like a deeper conversation about the fact that sexual harassment and sexual assault do not have a political party, agenda,” Tara Reade told Fox News in an interview Saturday. “It’s an equal opportunity offender. There are Democratic offenders as well as Republican offenders and I’m sure Independent and Green Party. I mean, it doesn’t matter what your party affiliation is, and it shouldn’t as far as the media coverage regarding claims.”… “Blasey Ford, because it was a conservative candidate they were going to put in the Supreme Court, was treated with much more deference by most of the media outlets, although her experience was difficult as well. And she received threats and received her own pain,” Reade said. “I’ve basically had no substantive support from women’s groups that are considered liberal or Democratic. I’ve had no support from any Democratic candidate, although I’ve reached out. And I’ve received either slanted reporting that ended up being talking points for Biden’s campaign or silence from the mainstream media. So that’s my contention and my concern.”… “What I’d like to say to the slanted reporting where they are omitting details, where they are not investigating corroborating [testimony], what I would like to say to them at this point and some of the silence from some the candidates Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren that at this point, if you continue to silence me, if you continue to engage in protecting a powerful man without giving my case a closer look, you are complicit in rape,” Reade declared.
Reade is absolutely correct about the media’s handling of her claims. She gave this interview on Saturday before the Sunday shows once again confirmed it. As Jazz mentioned earlier, there wasn’t a single mention of Reade’s allegations on any of the Sunday shows despite the news hook of a newly uncovered video tape in which her mother called the Larry King live show back in 1993. Yesterday, Fox News published a different account of Reade’s interview in which she was specifically critical of CNN’s Anderson Cooper:
“I think it’s shocking that this much time has passed and that he is an actual nominee for president and they’re not asking the questions,” Reade told Fox News. “He’s been on ‘Anderson Cooper’ at least twice where he was not asked.” “I guess my question is, if this were Donald Trump, would they treat it the same way? If this were Brett Kavanaugh, did they treat it the same way?” Reade said. “In other words, it’s politics and political agenda playing a role in objective reporting and asking the question.”
CNN did run a story Saturday about the Larry King segment and had the reporter on air to discuss it. So they are beginning to cover this but not to the point of asking Joe Biden about it.
As for the support from women’s groups. Reade went to TimesUp back in January to see if they could help her secure a lawyer to handle her claim against Biden. TimesUp did provide Reade with a list of options but told her it couldn’t help her beyond that because they are a 501(c)(3) organization and taking on a presidential nominee would put their tax-exempt status in jeopardy.
But Times Up isn’t the only group that has stayed on the sidelines. Last week Mother Jones reported, “Eight national organizations that advocate for sexual violence survivors did not respond to a request for a comment or interview.”
As much as I agree with everything Reade is saying about the media and the obvious hypocrisy of women’s groups on this, her interview with Fox may make it less likely that other outlets will cover her story. Reade is a life-long Democrat who worked for Democrats until she left her job with Biden in 1993. But that won’t matter now that she has gone to Fox News.
We saw this same dynamic play out with Bret Weinstein. On some issues his politics are to the left of Bernie Sanders, but the moment he went on the Tucker Carlson’s show to complain about what was happening at Evergreen State College, he was deemed to have committed an unpardonable sin, i.e. he went outside the progressive bubble and collaborated with the enemy.
The same will likely happen with Reade. Reporters at mainstream organizations who routinely attack Fox News are now going to see her as tainted. In fact, many at these outlets will be far more bothered by Reade’s media bias allegations than by her sexual assault allegations against Biden.


hotair--2020-04-27--Absentee Congress worries: Voters might pin COVID-19 relief failures on us!

Well , why wouldn ’ t voters blame Congress for bad legislation drafted without transparency that has gotten exploited by people with the least to lose ?
As Congress continues to take a powder in the pandemic , the bills they have passed continue to generate more complaints than economic activity , Politico reports .
Constituents have gotten irate over a lack of promised assistance , and now congresscritters worry that this might impact their phony-baloney jobs , or something .
Give the president a harrumph !
Or blame it on the bureaucrats , I suppose : The sprawling CARES @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills , has fueled rising angst for lawmakers .
They ’ ve been bombarded with complaints about breakdowns in the small business lending program , loopholes that have allowed large companies to snatch cash meant for smaller operations and administrative failures that have delayed stimulus checks to struggling American households .
… “ Our constituents have a lot of questions about where the hell this $ 3 trillion is going and why it isn ’ t coming into their pockets , ” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon ( D-Pa. ) said during a Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now begging for fixes to a litany of legislative shortcomings .
Several brought up issues with the small business program on a call with the head of Small Business Administration , Jovita Carranza , on Wednesday .
But the very next day , Congress passed another roughly massive relief bill with little done to address the early problems that have emerged .
The phrase “ lawmakers are now begging for fixes ” should raise eyebrows all over , especially when they ’ re pleading with the executive branch to supply them .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is Congress ’ responsibility to fix them .
For a Congress that just gave us all a shrieking warning about a supposedly out-of-control executive , they certainly haven ’ t minded passing the buck to Trump in this instance and essentially surrendering all lawmaking responsibilities in a national emergency .
Politico offers a lengthy discourse on all of the failures thus far in getting relief where it was intended to go .
This is yet another example of the wisdom of the axiom Legislate in haste , repent at leisure .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since the Brave Sir Robin Congress has abdicated its responsibilities to contribute to governing in this crisis , it ’ s also failing in its duties to provide oversight over the execution of the legislation it has passed : Every snag in the CARES Act and its multi-billion-dollar brethren is fodder for potential audit or investigation by a slew of entities tasked with ensuring taxpayer dollars aren ’ t wasted or bilked from the coronavirus relief effort .
But a month into the implementation of the massive new law , most oversight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have still yet to agree on a bipartisan choice to lead a five-member congressional panel charged with monitoring the most sprawling aspect of the CARES Act .
That ’ s the $ 500 billion fund entrusted to the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve meant to shore up distressed industries , companies and local governments .
A special inspector general nominated by Trump to oversee the same fund has yet to get a confirmation hearing in the Republican-run Senate , as lawmakers weigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their currently scheduled May 4 session .
Why ?
Because except for two brief appearances to pass these bills , Congress hasn ’ t shown up for work in a month .
They could have anticipated some of these problems and taken enough time to correct the bills before they passed .
Even if that wasn ’ t possible , Congress could have passed amending legislation to fix the issues when they first arose .
Instead , Congress has appropriated trillions of dollars without any oversight at all , and now want the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after they shouted to the rafters for greater congressional oversight over the relief packages .
We ’ ll have more on the Brave Sir Robin Congress later today , but in the meantime , here ’ s a look at governance on Capitol Hill today .
Nothing but harrumphs all around , and not a legislator to be seen .
Utterly shameful , and let ’ s hope that voters do hold them accountable for this failure in November .

Well, why wouldn’t voters blame Congress for bad legislation drafted without transparency that has gotten exploited by people with the least to lose? As Congress continues to take a powder in the pandemic, the bills they have passed continue to generate more complaints than economic activity, Politico reports. Constituents have gotten irate over a lack of promised assistance, and now congresscritters worry that this might impact their phony-baloney jobs, or something.
Give the president a harrumph! Or blame it on the bureaucrats, I suppose:
The sprawling CARES Act, and its similarly rushed companion bills, has fueled rising angst for lawmakers. They’ve been bombarded with complaints about breakdowns in the small business lending program, loopholes that have allowed large companies to snatch cash meant for smaller operations and administrative failures that have delayed stimulus checks to struggling American households. … “Our constituents have a lot of questions about where the hell this $3 trillion is going and why it isn’t coming into their pockets,” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) said during a Thursday meeting at the Capitol. Lawmakers are now begging for fixes to a litany of legislative shortcomings. Several brought up issues with the small business program on a call with the head of Small Business Administration, Jovita Carranza, on Wednesday. But the very next day, Congress passed another roughly massive relief bill with little done to address the early problems that have emerged.
The phrase “lawmakers are now begging for fixes” should raise eyebrows all over, especially when they’re pleading with the executive branch to supply them. If there are defects in a statute, it is Congress’ responsibility to fix them. For a Congress that just gave us all a shrieking warning about a supposedly out-of-control executive, they certainly haven’t minded passing the buck to Trump in this instance and essentially surrendering all lawmaking responsibilities in a national emergency.
Politico offers a lengthy discourse on all of the failures thus far in getting relief where it was intended to go. This is yet another example of the wisdom of the axiom Legislate in haste, repent at leisure. This failing goes well beyond that, however. Since the Brave Sir Robin Congress has abdicated its responsibilities to contribute to governing in this crisis, it’s also failing in its duties to provide oversight over the execution of the legislation it has passed:
Every snag in the CARES Act and its multi-billion-dollar brethren is fodder for potential audit or investigation by a slew of entities tasked with ensuring taxpayer dollars aren’t wasted or bilked from the coronavirus relief effort. But a month into the implementation of the massive new law, most oversight efforts are either nonexistent or just getting started. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have still yet to agree on a bipartisan choice to lead a five-member congressional panel charged with monitoring the most sprawling aspect of the CARES Act. That’s the $500 billion fund entrusted to the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve meant to shore up distressed industries, companies and local governments. A special inspector general nominated by Trump to oversee the same fund has yet to get a confirmation hearing in the Republican-run Senate, as lawmakers weigh whether to return to Capitol Hill for their currently scheduled May 4 session.
Why? Because except for two brief appearances to pass these bills, Congress hasn’t shown up for work in a month. They could have anticipated some of these problems and taken enough time to correct the bills before they passed. Even if that wasn’t possible, Congress could have passed amending legislation to fix the issues when they first arose. Instead, Congress has appropriated trillions of dollars without any oversight at all, and now want the Trump administration to cover for them — after they shouted to the rafters for greater congressional oversight over the relief packages.
We’ll have more on the Brave Sir Robin Congress later today, but in the meantime, here’s a look at governance on Capitol Hill today. Nothing but harrumphs all around, and not a legislator to be seen. Utterly shameful, and let’s hope that voters do hold them accountable for this failure in November.


hotair--2020-04-27--Birx: It bothers me that Trump's disinfectant comments are still in the news cycle

A tactful response from a pragmatic official , who clearly understands that influence with the president depends on his sense of one ’ s loyalty .
On the merits , though , I don ’ t understand Birx ’ s reasoning .
She says that the focus on Trump ’ s ad-libbing about “ cleaning ” the body internally are distracting the public from more important information about COVID-19 .
What information , though ?
When was the last time a daily coronavirus briefing produced vital information from anyone at the podium ?
Watch , then read on .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riffing on national television about potential treatment applications of disinfectant , that ’ s capital-N News .
The things he says have real-world consequences , after all : But if the claim is that the media is drowning out the signal from the briefings by boosting the volume on the noise , then I ask again : What ’ s the signal , supposedly ?
What practical advice are Americans getting at 5 p.m. every day ?
Trump has been criticized endlessly for exploiting the briefings to grandstand about his grievance du jour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci , Birx , and the rest of the daily speakers seldom have much of importance to say beyond updating the country that the general trend lately is good or bad .
Even when Birx is given an opportunity to comment on a pressing policy development , like Georgia ’ s decision to reopen early , she tends to duck .
In the clip above she cites the DHS data on how sunlight affects the virus as important , but the average person already understands that being outdoors is safer than being indoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which I ’ m aware deems going for walks to get some exercise an “ essential activity ” provided that social distancing is maintained .
All of that is a long way of saying that not only have Trump ’ s appearances at the briefings outlived their usefulness , the briefings themselves have — at least as a daily matter .
They should be held once a week , occasionally more often if there ’ s something truly newsy to report , to announce new treatments or discuss evidence of how people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe case through lifestyle choices .
But there ’ s no need to have Fauci and Birx trudge out there every day to do their eight-thousandth iteration of “ Testing is getting better but we ’ re not where we need to be.
” They can do that in cable-news interviews , which are and doubtless will remain plentiful .
Coincidentally , the White House is thinking along the same lines : Maybe they ’ ve also come to the conclusion that the briefings aren ’ t useful anymore , but given how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d bet it ’ s more about spite .
If the 5 p.m. show is no longer a show about Trump then the show mustn ’ t go on at all .
Per Axios , it may be replaced by a different show , one about the economic recovery : The Coronavirus Task Force — and the doctors who ’ ve become household names , Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci — “ will continue but take a back seat to the forward-looking , ‘ what ’ s next ’ message , ” a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re hearing : “ Expect to see a pivot from the White House in the days ahead , focusing on the economy and a more hopeful , forward-looking message , ” one of these officials said .
Trump will host businesses who ’ ve been harmed by the coronavirus , and he ’ ll highlight the governors who are reopening their economies in line with the Trump administration ’ s guidelines .
There won ’ t be a lot of useful information at these either unless they turn into a discussion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on how to remain operational while observing social distancing rules .
What they ’ ll probably be is just a series of de facto campaign commercials with business owners talking about how their customers are excited to be back , and so on .
At least that ’ s good politics for the White House , which the daily virus briefings have not been .
One last point .
Birx is right that the media likes to chase shiny objects like Trump ’ s disinfectant comments , especially when they involve the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remind her that that ’ s as much of a supply problem as it is a demand problem .
Her boss can ’ t get out of his own way .
If he doesn ’ t derail the daily coronavirus message on live TV at 5 p.m. , he ’ ll do it on Twitter : Exit question : If I ’ m wrong that the daily briefings aren ’ t useful , what sort of utility are people getting out of them ?
Would it be useful for Birx or Fauci to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call out states that have reopened sooner than the federal guidelines would indicate ?
That would place each of them in a more political role , with which neither seems comfortable .

A tactful response from a pragmatic official, who clearly understands that influence with the president depends on his sense of one’s loyalty. On the merits, though, I don’t understand Birx’s reasoning. She says that the focus on Trump’s ad-libbing about “cleaning” the body internally are distracting the public from more important information about COVID-19. What information, though? When was the last time a daily coronavirus briefing produced vital information from anyone at the podium? Watch, then read on.
“It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle,” Dr. Deborah Birx says about Pres. Trump’s disinfectant remarks. “I worry that we don’t get the information to the American people that they need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/eu9n1jCVkO — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) April 26, 2020
When the leader of the free world starts riffing on national television about potential treatment applications of disinfectant, that’s capital-N News. The things he says have real-world consequences, after all:
But if the claim is that the media is drowning out the signal from the briefings by boosting the volume on the noise, then I ask again: What’s the signal, supposedly? What practical advice are Americans getting at 5 p.m. every day? Trump has been criticized endlessly for exploiting the briefings to grandstand about his grievance du jour but it’s rarely mentioned that Fauci, Birx, and the rest of the daily speakers seldom have much of importance to say beyond updating the country that the general trend lately is good or bad. Even when Birx is given an opportunity to comment on a pressing policy development, like Georgia’s decision to reopen early, she tends to duck. In the clip above she cites the DHS data on how sunlight affects the virus as important, but the average person already understands that being outdoors is safer than being indoors. Every stay-at-home order in the country of which I’m aware deems going for walks to get some exercise an “essential activity” provided that social distancing is maintained.
All of that is a long way of saying that not only have Trump’s appearances at the briefings outlived their usefulness, the briefings themselves have — at least as a daily matter. They should be held once a week, occasionally more often if there’s something truly newsy to report, to announce new treatments or discuss evidence of how people can reduce their chances of developing a severe case through lifestyle choices. But there’s no need to have Fauci and Birx trudge out there every day to do their eight-thousandth iteration of “Testing is getting better but we’re not where we need to be.” They can do that in cable-news interviews, which are and doubtless will remain plentiful.
Coincidentally, the White House is thinking along the same lines:
NEW: @PressSec Kayleigh McEnany says there will be no briefing today, despite WH guidance released last night. 4p event w/ retail execs will open to pool. There will be some briefings later in the week, she said, but they "might have a new look to them, a new focus to them." — Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) April 27, 2020
Maybe they’ve also come to the conclusion that the briefings aren’t useful anymore, but given how this White House operates, I’d bet it’s more about spite. If the 5 p.m. show is no longer a show about Trump then the show mustn’t go on at all.
Per Axios, it may be replaced by a different show, one about the economic recovery:
The Coronavirus Task Force — and the doctors who’ve become household names, Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci — “will continue but take a back seat to the forward-looking, ‘what’s next’ message,” a White House official told Axios… What we’re hearing: “Expect to see a pivot from the White House in the days ahead, focusing on the economy and a more hopeful, forward-looking message,” one of these officials said. Trump will host businesses who’ve been harmed by the coronavirus, and he’ll highlight the governors who are reopening their economies in line with the Trump administration’s guidelines.
There won’t be a lot of useful information at these either unless they turn into a discussion of “best practices” by participants brainstorming on how to remain operational while observing social distancing rules. What they’ll probably be is just a series of de facto campaign commercials with business owners talking about how their customers are excited to be back, and so on. At least that’s good politics for the White House, which the daily virus briefings have not been.
One last point. Birx is right that the media likes to chase shiny objects like Trump’s disinfectant comments, especially when they involve the president embarrassing himself, but let me gently remind her that that’s as much of a supply problem as it is a demand problem. Her boss can’t get out of his own way. If he doesn’t derail the daily coronavirus message on live TV at 5 p.m., he’ll do it on Twitter:
I’m assuming the president means Pulitzer Prize and not the Nobel Prize…not to mention the misspelling. Do any Trump supporters want to defend errors like this? I just know if Biden did the same thing they’d be attacking him for it, and they’d be right to! pic.twitter.com/OvrxsavRTe — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) April 26, 2020
Exit question: If I’m wrong that the daily briefings aren’t useful, what sort of utility are people getting out of them? Would it be useful for Birx or Fauci to use them as a way to publicly call out states that have reopened sooner than the federal guidelines would indicate? That would place each of them in a more political role, with which neither seems comfortable.


hotair--2020-04-27--Rep. Vernon Jones rescinds his resignation, Ted Cruz praises decision

Last week I wrote about a Georgia state lawmaker , a Democrat , who made the decision to resign after he endorsed President Trump ’ s re-election .
Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones is the first elected Democratic official in that state to make such a bold move .
Rep. Jones quickly found himself on the receiving end of some major blowback from state Democrats after he announced his support of Trump .
Jones remained defiant and the fact that he is African-American further complicated the matter .
The bad Orange Man is a racist white supremacist , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse from his fellow Georgia Democrats , Jones decided to resign .
In other words , Jones let the bullies win .
Instead of truly taking a principled stand and continue to take the heat from his party , he caved .
He announced on social media that his formal resignation would take place a few days later .
Jones has a mixed history in politics .
He is the former chief executive of DeKalb County , Georgia ’ s biggest Democratic stronghold , and before that , a state representative .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few years and then was elected to the state legislature again in 2017 .
He sometimes makes headlines for unconventional behavior .
In 2004 , for example , he supported and voted for George W. Bush for president .
So , he is no stranger to controversy .
Then , after he announced his resignation , he says that support poured in for his endorsement of President Trump .
He called it bi-partisan support .
He claims he received so much support that he has changed his mind and decided to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did a 180-degree turn and will stay put .
At first , he spoke about the bullies in the Georgia Democrat Party .
He said he wouldn ’ t be silent about them and their attacks on him .
Then he announced his decision to not resign after all .
He came to the realization that Democrats win if he ’ s gone .
What I don ’ t understand is why he resigned in the first place .
If he wants to take a principled stand and put country before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a no-brainer to stay in his elected office and stand up for his decision .
He can be a role model for other African-Americans while he is in office , encouraging more independence from the firm grip that the party has on African-American voters .
If he isn ’ t in office , he loses a lot of his megaphone .
A former state representative isn ’ t going to garner as much press coverage as someone in office will .
Senator Ted Cruz tweeted out his support of Jones ’ turnabout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this was all just a publicity stunt after all .
He very well may intend to vote for President Trump in November but with such a quick change of heart over his resignation , how firm in his convictions is he ?
Was he looking for a position on Trump ’ s campaign in minority outreach ?
Maybe he is looking for a spot in Trump ’ s second term administration .
Who knows at this point ?
He looks indecisive and easily swayed by the magnitude of who does and doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t sound as though the Democrat Party of Georgia is changing its opinion of Jones .
“ Vernon Jones is an embarrassment to the Democratic Party and does not stand for our values , ” said Georgia Democrats Chair Nikema Williams after Jones endorsed Trump , in a statement obtained by Newsweek .
“ Never has that been clearer than this moment , when he chose to stand with the racist president who has made an all-out assault on Black Americans , who has tried to rip away American health care , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greatest time of need during the most important election in our lifetimes.
” “ Vernon Jones doesn ’ t speak for Georgians , and neither does Donald Trump — which is why Georgians will send him home in November 2020 , ” added Williams .
We ’ ll see if Rep. Jones sticks with his latest decision and remains in office to provide a role model for voters who may be thinking about voting outside of their usual political party affiliation .
I don ’ t foresee Georgia turning blue in 2020 no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .

Last week I wrote about a Georgia state lawmaker, a Democrat, who made the decision to resign after he endorsed President Trump’s re-election. Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones is the first elected Democratic official in that state to make such a bold move.
Rep. Jones quickly found himself on the receiving end of some major blowback from state Democrats after he announced his support of Trump. Jones remained defiant and the fact that he is African-American further complicated the matter. The bad Orange Man is a racist white supremacist, you know. So, after an outpouring of abuse from his fellow Georgia Democrats, Jones decided to resign.
In other words, Jones let the bullies win. Instead of truly taking a principled stand and continue to take the heat from his party, he caved. He announced on social media that his formal resignation would take place a few days later.
Jones has a mixed history in politics. He is the former chief executive of DeKalb County, Georgia’s biggest Democratic stronghold, and before that, a state representative. He was out of an elected office for a few years and then was elected to the state legislature again in 2017. He sometimes makes headlines for unconventional behavior. In 2004, for example, he supported and voted for George W. Bush for president. So, he is no stranger to controversy.
Then, after he announced his resignation, he says that support poured in for his endorsement of President Trump. He called it bi-partisan support. He claims he received so much support that he has changed his mind and decided to remain in office. Just like that, he did a 180-degree turn and will stay put.
At first, he spoke about the bullies in the Georgia Democrat Party. He said he wouldn’t be silent about them and their attacks on him.
The way the Democrat Party has treated me this past week has made one thing clear: they are the bigots they claim to hate and I won’t be silent about it. pic.twitter.com/9kE9kcfWKS — Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) April 23, 2020
Then he announced his decision to not resign after all.
Yesterday, I announced my intentions to resign from my office. But shortly thereafter, the outpour of support I received was too great for me to ignore. I will not allow the Democrats to bully me into submission. I will not let them win. I will NOT resign. #MAGA pic.twitter.com/gR2MsU5Rb3 — Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) April 23, 2020
He came to the realization that Democrats win if he’s gone. What I don’t understand is why he resigned in the first place. If he wants to take a principled stand and put country before the party as he claims, it would be a no-brainer to stay in his elected office and stand up for his decision. He can be a role model for other African-Americans while he is in office, encouraging more independence from the firm grip that the party has on African-American voters. If he isn’t in office, he loses a lot of his megaphone. A former state representative isn’t going to garner as much press coverage as someone in office will.
Senator Ted Cruz tweeted out his support of Jones’ turnabout.
Thank you for demonstrating the courage of your convictions. https://t.co/XmLc9uAP4m — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 23, 2020
The cynical side of me thinks this was all just a publicity stunt after all. He very well may intend to vote for President Trump in November but with such a quick change of heart over his resignation, how firm in his convictions is he? Was he looking for a position on Trump’s campaign in minority outreach? Maybe he is looking for a spot in Trump’s second term administration. Who knows at this point? He looks indecisive and easily swayed by the magnitude of who does and doesn’t support him.
It doesn’t sound as though the Democrat Party of Georgia is changing its opinion of Jones.
“Vernon Jones is an embarrassment to the Democratic Party and does not stand for our values,” said Georgia Democrats Chair Nikema Williams after Jones endorsed Trump, in a statement obtained by Newsweek. “Never has that been clearer than this moment, when he chose to stand with the racist president who has made an all-out assault on Black Americans, who has tried to rip away American health care, and who has failed our country in its greatest time of need during the most important election in our lifetimes.” “Vernon Jones doesn’t speak for Georgians, and neither does Donald Trump — which is why Georgians will send him home in November 2020,” added Williams.
We’ll see if Rep. Jones sticks with his latest decision and remains in office to provide a role model for voters who may be thinking about voting outside of their usual political party affiliation. I don’t foresee Georgia turning blue in 2020 no matter how strongly the state Democrats predict that.


hotair--2020-04-27--The *unexpected* result of releasing a convicted rapist early

Citing claims that New York City ’ s jails are too dangerous for both inmates and guards during the coronavirus pandemic , Gotham has been cutting thousands of criminals loose as part of its “ empty the jails ” campaign .
This group of lucky reprobates included Robert Pondexter who was put back out on the streets on April 15th .
Pondexter had previously been convicted of rape , along with a variety of other drug-related charges , and was not yet supposed to be done with his sentence .
You ’ ll never in a million years be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stop me if you ’ ve heard this one before . )
Only ten days later , on Saturday , Pondexter was back in court after sexually assaulting and attempting to rape another woman .
He was also working a crack pipe when the cops caught up to him .
His victim was taken to a local hospital but is expected to recover… physically , a least .
( NY Post ) An East Flatbush man who ’ d been jailed on a rape charge attacked and almost raped another woman just 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Island over coronavirus fears , police sources said .
Police responding to a 911 call found Robert Pondexter , 57 — and his crackpipe — at around 5:45 a.m. Saturday on East New York Avenue , between Schenectady and Troy avenues , the sources allege .
Pondexter had allegedly been walking across the street from the Concern Heights Apartments building , a supportive housing development on the block , when he grabbed the woman by the collar and pulled her into a school parking lot .
The article linked above provides some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s assault on the woman .
It was obviously an incredibly traumatizing experience and a nightmare that she will carry with her for the rest of her life .
And it was completely preventable .
If the rapist was still in his jail cell where he belonged , his victim would almost certainly have made it safely back to her apartment as usual .
Sadly , as we ’ ve discussed here previously , this is far from the first tragic case of recidivism we ’ ve seen from this early release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a convicted murderer was put back out on the streets and was almost immediately arrested for attempting an armed robbery at a bank .
At this point , more than fifty benefactors of the program have been arrested again .
And that ’ s just the ones that the police have managed to catch .
None of this is new for New York City or the rest of the state .
Long before the pandemic hit , Governor Andrew Cuomo , State District Attorney Letitia James and Mayor Bill de Blasio have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed to “ empty the jails.
” The COVID-19 outbreak has simply served as an excuse to accelerate the process .
And the results speak for themselves .
I ’ m not saying that a contagious disease isn ’ t a concern in a crowded environment like a prison or jail .
It obviously is .
But the solution to that problem is to do a better job of keeping the jails sanitized and enforcing physical separation between the prisoners and their jailers .
Those people are behind bars for a reason .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ murder , rape , or other violent crimes , they shouldn ’ t be near the top of the list for any sort of early release program .
Hell , they shouldn ’ t even be on the list .
At what point will the Mayor and the Governor address this issue publicly ?
What are they going to say to the woman who was sexually assaulted on Friday night by a man who should have still been in his jail cell ?
Would they even be able to look her in the @ @

Citing claims that New York City’s jails are too dangerous for both inmates and guards during the coronavirus pandemic, Gotham has been cutting thousands of criminals loose as part of its “empty the jails” campaign. This group of lucky reprobates included Robert Pondexter who was put back out on the streets on April 15th. Pondexter had previously been convicted of rape, along with a variety of other drug-related charges, and was not yet supposed to be done with his sentence. You’ll never in a million years be able to guess what happened next. (Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.)
Only ten days later, on Saturday, Pondexter was back in court after sexually assaulting and attempting to rape another woman. He was also working a crack pipe when the cops caught up to him. His victim was taken to a local hospital but is expected to recover… physically, a least. (NY Post)
An East Flatbush man who’d been jailed on a rape charge attacked and almost raped another woman just 10 days after he was released from Rikers Island over coronavirus fears, police sources said. Police responding to a 911 call found Robert Pondexter, 57 — and his crackpipe — at around 5:45 a.m. Saturday on East New York Avenue, between Schenectady and Troy avenues, the sources allege. Pondexter had allegedly been walking across the street from the Concern Heights Apartments building, a supportive housing development on the block, when he grabbed the woman by the collar and pulled her into a school parking lot.
The article linked above provides some of the graphic and gruesome details of Pondexter’s assault on the woman. It was obviously an incredibly traumatizing experience and a nightmare that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. And it was completely preventable. If the rapist was still in his jail cell where he belonged, his victim would almost certainly have made it safely back to her apartment as usual.
Sadly, as we’ve discussed here previously, this is far from the first tragic case of recidivism we’ve seen from this early release program. At the beginning of April a convicted murderer was put back out on the streets and was almost immediately arrested for attempting an armed robbery at a bank.
At this point, more than fifty benefactors of the program have been arrested again. And that’s just the ones that the police have managed to catch.
None of this is new for New York City or the rest of the state. Long before the pandemic hit, Governor Andrew Cuomo, State District Attorney Letitia James and Mayor Bill de Blasio have been pushing various so-called criminal justice reform measures designed to “empty the jails.” The COVID-19 outbreak has simply served as an excuse to accelerate the process. And the results speak for themselves.
I’m not saying that a contagious disease isn’t a concern in a crowded environment like a prison or jail. It obviously is. But the solution to that problem is to do a better job of keeping the jails sanitized and enforcing physical separation between the prisoners and their jailers. Those people are behind bars for a reason. When someone has already been convicted of murder, rape, or other violent crimes, they shouldn’t be near the top of the list for any sort of early release program. Hell, they shouldn’t even be on the list.
At what point will the Mayor and the Governor address this issue publicly? What are they going to say to the woman who was sexually assaulted on Friday night by a man who should have still been in his jail cell? Would they even be able to look her in the eye?


hotair--2020-04-27--Pelosi: Trump should have locked Americans out in China travel ban too

This nonsense revisionism drew no response at all from CNN ’ s Jake Tapper on yesterday ’ s State of the Union , but that doesn ’ t mean it ’ s not noteworthy .
Nancy Pelosi , who ripped Donald Trump at the time for his January 31 restriction on travel between China and the US , now wants to argue that Trump didn ’ t go far enough .
What he should have done , Pelosi declared , was refuse to allow American citizens and legal residents to re-enter the US from China .
Give Tapper some credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and letting her run with this ridiculous answer .
It deserved a follow-up , though : TAPPER : So — well , there ’ s one thing , one point of clarification I was I was wondering .
Vice President Joe Biden ’ s campaign told me earlier this month that he supported President Trump ’ s partial travel restrictions on January 31 blocking foreign nationals from China from coming to the United States .
Do you agree that it was the right move by President Trump at the time ?
PELOSI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the future , OK ?
The — actually , tens of thousands of people were still allowed in from China , so it wasn ’ t , as it is described , as this great moment .
There were Americans coming back or green card holders coming back .
But there were tens of thousands .
So , if you ’ re going to shut the door because you have an evaluation of an epidemic , then shut the door .
Had Trump ordered a bar on allowing returning American citizens to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress would have erupted in outrage .
And they would have been right to do so , too .
Citizenship and legal permanent residency confer certain constitutional privileges , including access to the country itself .
We have no legal structure for exile .
To order American citizens to be locked out of the country would have been a grave constitutional offense .
( It also would have been unnecessary , of course , as Trump could have required a 14-day quarantine — as he did with some Americans caught up in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Presidents do have the authority to bar entry of non-citizens/permanent residents in emergencies , which Trump exercised properly — and as it turns out , wisely .
It also turned out to be popular , with approval ratings in the mid-90s in a March Pew poll among Republicans and Democrats .
This is nothing more than Pelosi trying to glom onto Trump ’ s success with a ridiculous assertion that she would have been even tougher than Trump at the time , which no one who remembers the howling from Democrats in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban could possibly believe .
For instance , recall when Joe Biden called it “ hysterical xenophobia “ ?
Guess who Pelosi just endorsed today ?
Hint : It ain ’ t Trump .
But that wasn ’ t the worst of this revisionism .
Exactly two months earlier , nearly a full month after Trump announced the travel restrictions , Pelosi called the restrictions a “ scare tactic ” from Trump ( via Twitchy ) : Trump never did use “ scare tactics ” about US citizens and legal residents “ coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did , though .
Isn ’ t that worth a follow-up ?

This nonsense revisionism drew no response at all from CNN’s Jake Tapper on yesterday’s State of the Union, but that doesn’t mean it’s not noteworthy. Nancy Pelosi, who ripped Donald Trump at the time for his January 31 restriction on travel between China and the US, now wants to argue that Trump didn’t go far enough. What he should have done, Pelosi declared, was refuse to allow American citizens and legal residents to re-enter the US from China.
Er … what?
After Democrats criticized China travel ban, Nancy Pelosi now says it should've "shut the door" on the re-entry of Americans. pic.twitter.com/kADsqbQ48Y — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) April 26, 2020
Give Tapper some credit for bringing the question up at all, and letting her run with this ridiculous answer. It deserved a follow-up, though:
TAPPER: So — well, there’s one thing, one point of clarification I was I was wondering. Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign told me earlier this month that he supported President Trump’s partial travel restrictions on January 31 blocking foreign nationals from China from coming to the United States. Do you agree that it was the right move by President Trump at the time? PELOSI: Well, let’s go into the future, OK? The — actually, tens of thousands of people were still allowed in from China, so it wasn’t, as it is described, as this great moment. There were Americans coming back or green card holders coming back. But there were tens of thousands. So, if you’re going to shut the door because you have an evaluation of an epidemic, then shut the door.
Had Trump ordered a bar on allowing returning American citizens to come into the country, Pelosi and Congress would have erupted in outrage. And they would have been right to do so, too. Citizenship and legal permanent residency confer certain constitutional privileges, including access to the country itself. We have no legal structure for exile. To order American citizens to be locked out of the country would have been a grave constitutional offense. (It also would have been unnecessary, of course, as Trump could have required a 14-day quarantine — as he did with some Americans caught up in the coronavirus spread on cruise ships.)
Presidents do have the authority to bar entry of non-citizens/permanent residents in emergencies, which Trump exercised properly — and as it turns out, wisely. It also turned out to be popular, with approval ratings in the mid-90s in a March Pew poll among Republicans and Democrats. This is nothing more than Pelosi trying to glom onto Trump’s success with a ridiculous assertion that she would have been even tougher than Trump at the time, which no one who remembers the howling from Democrats in late January and early February over the travel ban could possibly believe.
For instance, recall when Joe Biden called it “hysterical xenophobia“? Guess who Pelosi just endorsed today? Hint: It ain’t Trump.
But that wasn’t the worst of this revisionism. Exactly two months earlier, nearly a full month after Trump announced the travel restrictions, Pelosi called the restrictions a “scare tactic” from Trump (via Twitchy):
Here's Nancy Pelosi on February 26th saying the President shouldn't use "scare tactics about people coming back to our country." Starts around the 45 second mark. pic.twitter.com/NZYTCfsxjr — Augustus Caesar (@Caesar63BC) April 26, 2020
Trump never did use “scare tactics” about US citizens and legal residents “coming back to our country.” Pelosi just did, though. Isn’t that worth a follow-up?


hotair--2020-04-27--The CNN, Larry King Live story on Tara Reade takes another strange turn

Yesterday I attempted to explore the curious story of how Google Play failed to list the August 11 , 1993 episode of Larry King Live where Tara Reade ’ s mother almost certainly called in to complain about the “ problems ” her daughter encountered while working for a “ prominent senator.
” The fact that it ’ s missing , combined with the knowledge that CNN was literally the last major news outlet to touch on Reade ’ s allegations against Joe Biden , certainly raised a lot of legitimate questions .
Later in the day , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Strategic Communications , Matt Dornic , that CNN has no distribution deal with Google Play and doesn ’ t control the episode descriptions listed there .
As far as I ’ m concerned , that pretty much settles the matter , at least in terms of the Google Play issue .
It would be absolutely insane to put out a public statement like that if it were untrue when such a distribution deal could easily be confirmed if it existed .
Also , the total blackout on the Tara Reade story at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A search of CNN ’ s website now ( finally ) reveals a few entries about her allegations against Joe Biden .
On Saturday , they even played the video clip .
But when it came to the Sunday shows… crickets .
Multiple potential Biden running mates and campaign surrogates were interviewed yesterday morning and not once was the name Tara Reade uttered .
I would also note that CNN ’ s coverage in the clip I linked above is still dodgy .
They fail to mention that it ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the location King announces on the call , providing tremendous credibility to the claim that it was really Jeanette Altimus ( Reade ’ s mother ) on the phone .
I suppose we ’ ll need to settle for progress in baby steps .
But let ’ s get back to the original , curious question about that Google Play feed .
So it doesn ’ t look like CNN could have deleted the entry from the index .
That brings us back to the other possibilities I was mulling over yesterday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bizarre technical glitch or somebody deleted it .
The “ glitch ” theory still seems like total gibberish .
The rest of the entire 1993 season is displayed in chronological order .
Also , as noted yesterday , the August 10 and 12 shows are listed with sequential episode numbers rather than showing a gap in the sequence .
That smacks of an intentional choice to disappear the episode down the memory hole .
So if this was done intentionally and CNN couldn ’ t have edited the index , who did ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google Play allegedly mines episode information from Wikipedia .
Perhaps that ’ s true , but if you visit the Wikipedia page for the show there is no list of episodes included nor any link to such a list that I was able to find .
If the omission of the episode in question didn ’ t come from an external source like Wikipedia , the only remaining answer would seem to be that Google removed it themselves .
But if so , why ?
Was the existence of the episode buried away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his team to seek such a change ?
Perhaps even more to the point than why it was done… when was it done ?
If the entry was deleted after the story broke on Friday then you ’ ve got a clear smoking gun .
But we don ’ t know when this happened .
At this point , for all we know , it may have never been on the list .
As of last night , neither Google nor Wikipedia had returned requests for comment from multiple outlets .
Between them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this question pretty quickly .
And they might be more willing to cough up an answer if it was CNN asking the question rather than conservative news outlets .

Yesterday I attempted to explore the curious story of how Google Play failed to list the August 11, 1993 episode of Larry King Live where Tara Reade’s mother almost certainly called in to complain about the “problems” her daughter encountered while working for a “prominent senator.” The fact that it’s missing, combined with the knowledge that CNN was literally the last major news outlet to touch on Reade’s allegations against Joe Biden, certainly raised a lot of legitimate questions. Later in the day, however, we learned from CNN’s Head of Strategic Communications, Matt Dornic, that CNN has no distribution deal with Google Play and doesn’t control the episode descriptions listed there.
As far as I’m concerned, that pretty much settles the matter, at least in terms of the Google Play issue. It would be absolutely insane to put out a public statement like that if it were untrue when such a distribution deal could easily be confirmed if it existed. Also, the total blackout on the Tara Reade story at CNN has finally come to an end. A search of CNN’s website now (finally) reveals a few entries about her allegations against Joe Biden. On Saturday, they even played the video clip.
But when it came to the Sunday shows… crickets. Multiple potential Biden running mates and campaign surrogates were interviewed yesterday morning and not once was the name Tara Reade uttered. I would also note that CNN’s coverage in the clip I linked above is still dodgy. They fail to mention that it’s been confirmed that Reade’s mother lived in the location King announces on the call, providing tremendous credibility to the claim that it was really Jeanette Altimus (Reade’s mother) on the phone. I suppose we’ll need to settle for progress in baby steps.
But let’s get back to the original, curious question about that Google Play feed. So it doesn’t look like CNN could have deleted the entry from the index. That brings us back to the other possibilities I was mulling over yesterday. It either had to be some bizarre technical glitch or somebody deleted it. The “glitch” theory still seems like total gibberish. The rest of the entire 1993 season is displayed in chronological order. Also, as noted yesterday, the August 10 and 12 shows are listed with sequential episode numbers rather than showing a gap in the sequence. That smacks of an intentional choice to disappear the episode down the memory hole.
So if this was done intentionally and CNN couldn’t have edited the index, who did? There are only two logical answers. Google Play allegedly mines episode information from Wikipedia. Perhaps that’s true, but if you visit the Wikipedia page for the show there is no list of episodes included nor any link to such a list that I was able to find.
If the omission of the episode in question didn’t come from an external source like Wikipedia, the only remaining answer would seem to be that Google removed it themselves. But if so, why? Was the existence of the episode buried away in a Biden oppo folder, leading his team to seek such a change? Perhaps even more to the point than why it was done… when was it done? If the entry was deleted after the story broke on Friday then you’ve got a clear smoking gun. But we don’t know when this happened. At this point, for all we know, it may have never been on the list.
As of last night, neither Google nor Wikipedia had returned requests for comment from multiple outlets. Between them, they should be able to settle this question pretty quickly. And they might be more willing to cough up an answer if it was CNN asking the question rather than conservative news outlets.


hotair--2020-04-27--Turley: Say, why isn't the media talking about Biden's paranoid-conspiracy mongering?

Probably for the same reason the media won ’ t cover Tara Reade ’ s accusations against Joe Biden .
To cover either story would potentially help Donald Trump , and that is something media outlets will go far out of their way to avoid .
CBS legal analyst and center-left attorney Jonathan Turley raised the issue I covered on Friday , which is the former VP ’ s serial public allegations that Trump would somehow try to postpone or cancel the election in November .
If any Republican of Biden ’ s stature started spreading such an easily debunked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the media would be all over him .
The silence on this subject speaks volumes about the status of our media , Turley argues : If there are two words that have been the mantra in the media during the last three years with President Trump , they would be “ conspiracy theory.
” That label is a wonderful device to attack political opponents .
It not only suggests something is objectively untrue but that the person responsible for it is unhinged and unreliable .
When Republican members of Congress had suggested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a research lab in Wuhan , for instance , it was widely denounced as a conspiracy theory , even though some intelligence officials believe the theory is credible .
It is a term that is almost exclusively reserved in the media for Trump and his supporters .
That was evident this week when the ultimate conspiracy theory was declared by the presumptive Democratic nominee , Joe Biden , who warned that he was certain Trump plans to delay the election this fall .
It is a conspiracy theory utterly without factual or constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ prediction ” by Politico in a recent article .
It has been peddled by various Democratic officials and commentators for months and is all the rage on the internet , even though it should be sold as a set including a tin foil hat and an electromagnetic ghost detector .
Biden left little doubt of such a plan by Trump .
He said , “ Mark my words , I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow , and come up with some rationale why it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just the type of thing that a crazed guy in a tightly buttoned raincoat whispers to you on the subway .
But Biden was not finished .
If you attended a recent online fundraiser , you saw Biden grow uncomfortably close and go on to explain that it was the Postal Service which actually revealed the conspiracy theory to him .
For more on that , check out the rest of Turley ’ s column , where he explains just how far down the rabbit hole Biden has fallen .
To sum up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with voting , and wouldn ’ t have any insight into Trump ’ s thinking on electoral strategy either .
That ’ s especially true with this particular paranoid conspiracy theory , because it would be impossible for Trump to accomplish .
The idea that a president can delay an election on his own has been repeatedly debunked , both here and at Snopes and even by Hillary Clinton earlier this month .
Elections are scheduled by statute and would require Congress to pass a law delaying the election — and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take place soon after , because Trump ’ s term expires on January 20 regardless .
A long enough delay would make the Speaker of the House acting president , and it seems very doubtful that Trump would want to put Nancy Pelosi in the White House .
In other words , this is Art Bell territory , but the media seems intently looking in every direction but at Biden ’ s jump into nuttiness .
The same national media outlets that have a decided disinterest in Biden ’ s paranoia wasted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggesting the possibility that the COVID-19 virus might have leaked out of the Wuhan Institute of Virology a few weeks ago for supposed paranoia and racism , only to get veeeeerrrrrryyyy quiet when the Washington Post ’ s Josh Rogin published a 2018 State Department memo citing WIV ’ s safety issues and predicting that it would trigger a pandemic similar to what we ’ re seeing now , specifically related to their work with bat-originated coronaviruses .
That ’ s precisely the double standard that Turley highlights .
Cotton got ridiculed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accident even though the media had no evidence that would have contradicted it .
Biden spouts off an easily debunked allegation against Trump , and … *crickets* .
That ’ s not the only case of crickets either .
On Saturday , more contemporaneous ( albeit indirect ) evidence supporting Tara Reade ’ s allegations that Biden committed sexual assault against her emerged .
How many minutes did the five major Sunday shows use in discussing the former Biden aide ’ s accusation ?
Three guesses , and the GOP ’ s rapid-response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well : • The day the Julie Swetnick story surfaced , CNN alone gave disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti 35 minutes across 3 primetime shows to attack Kavanaugh .
• The Sunday following the Swetnick allegation dropping , she was mentioned 16 times on the shows .
“ Predictable ” pretty much covers it , though .

Probably for the same reason the media won’t cover Tara Reade’s accusations against Joe Biden. To cover either story would potentially help Donald Trump, and that is something media outlets will go far out of their way to avoid. CBS legal analyst and center-left attorney Jonathan Turley raised the issue I covered on Friday, which is the former VP’s serial public allegations that Trump would somehow try to postpone or cancel the election in November.
If any Republican of Biden’s stature started spreading such an easily debunked conspiracy theory, Turley wrote on Saturday, the media would be all over him. The silence on this subject speaks volumes about the status of our media, Turley argues:
If there are two words that have been the mantra in the media during the last three years with President Trump, they would be “conspiracy theory.” That label is a wonderful device to attack political opponents. It not only suggests something is objectively untrue but that the person responsible for it is unhinged and unreliable. When Republican members of Congress had suggested that the coronavirus might have come from a research lab in Wuhan, for instance, it was widely denounced as a conspiracy theory, even though some intelligence officials believe the theory is credible. It is a term that is almost exclusively reserved in the media for Trump and his supporters. That was evident this week when the ultimate conspiracy theory was declared by the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, who warned that he was certain Trump plans to delay the election this fall. It is a conspiracy theory utterly without factual or constitutional support, yet his warning was deemed a “prediction” by Politico in a recent article. It has been peddled by various Democratic officials and commentators for months and is all the rage on the internet, even though it should be sold as a set including a tin foil hat and an electromagnetic ghost detector. Biden left little doubt of such a plan by Trump. He said, “Mark my words, I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow, and come up with some rationale why it cannot be held.” It is just the type of thing that a crazed guy in a tightly buttoned raincoat whispers to you on the subway. But Biden was not finished. If you attended a recent online fundraiser, you saw Biden grow uncomfortably close and go on to explain that it was the Postal Service which actually revealed the conspiracy theory to him.
For more on that, check out the rest of Turley’s column, where he explains just how far down the rabbit hole Biden has fallen. To sum up, the Post Office has nothing to do with voting, and wouldn’t have any insight into Trump’s thinking on electoral strategy either. That’s especially true with this particular paranoid conspiracy theory, because it would be impossible for Trump to accomplish. The idea that a president can delay an election on his own has been repeatedly debunked, both here and at Snopes and even by Hillary Clinton earlier this month. Elections are scheduled by statute and would require Congress to pass a law delaying the election — and even if they did, it would have to take place soon after, because Trump’s term expires on January 20 regardless. A long enough delay would make the Speaker of the House acting president, and it seems very doubtful that Trump would want to put Nancy Pelosi in the White House.
In other words, this is Art Bell territory, but the media seems intently looking in every direction but at Biden’s jump into nuttiness. The same national media outlets that have a decided disinterest in Biden’s paranoia wasted no time shredding Senator Tom Cotton for suggesting the possibility that the COVID-19 virus might have leaked out of the Wuhan Institute of Virology a few weeks ago for supposed paranoia and racism, only to get veeeeerrrrrryyyy quiet when the Washington Post’s Josh Rogin published a 2018 State Department memo citing WIV’s safety issues and predicting that it would trigger a pandemic similar to what we’re seeing now, specifically related to their work with bat-originated coronaviruses.
That’s precisely the double standard that Turley highlights. Cotton got ridiculed for merely suggesting the possibility of a lab accident even though the media had no evidence that would have contradicted it. Biden spouts off an easily debunked allegation against Trump, and … *crickets*.
That’s not the only case of crickets either. On Saturday, more contemporaneous (albeit indirect) evidence supporting Tara Reade’s allegations that Biden committed sexual assault against her emerged. How many minutes did the five major Sunday shows use in discussing the former Biden aide’s accusation? Three guesses, and the GOP’s rapid-response team points out this double standard as well:
A stark pattern has emerged regarding the Reade allegations compared to how Democrats and the media weaponized some of the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh despite ZERO corroborating evidence. Take the Julie Swetnick allegations for instance:
The day the Julie Swetnick story surfaced, CNN alone gave disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti 35 minutes across 3 primetime shows to attack Kavanaugh.
The Sunday following the Swetnick allegation dropping, she was mentioned 16 times on the shows.
Bottom Line: The mainstream media’s coverage of the Reade allegations has made it very clear: sexual assault allegations will be given wall to wall coverage if they are made against a prominent Republican, whether corroborating evidence exists or not. But allegations against Democrats will be swept aside, even if corroborating evidence to support the allegation exists. The word “shameful” doesn’t even begin to describe this incredible pattern by our media.
“Predictable” pretty much covers it, though.


hotair--2020-04-27--Katie Hill's alleged lover says he's suicidal

This is really kind of a sad story , involving more of the fallout from former congresswoman and famous “ throuple ” participant Katie Hill .
As you may recall , her congressional office was thrown into turmoil when reports emerged of her being involved in sexual relationships with a female campaign staffer and , allegedly , a male congressional staffer .
The latter would have been a violation of House ethics rules and an investigation into the matter was announced .
Shortly thereafter , Hill resigned .
The affair with her estranged husband and the campaign staffer , Morgan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but she always denied having been romantically involved with Graham Kelly , her legislative director .
For his part , Kelly also continues to insist that their relationship was strictly professional and that he ’ s actually the real victim in all of this .
In a recent interview , he explains how he was left behind in the media circus , effectively being thrown under the bus and forgotten .
Now his career is in ruins and he says he ’ s frequently contemplated taking his own life .
( NY Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hill ’ s lover , his promising political career is over , and he frequently thinks of suicide , he told The Post in his first in-depth interview since the sex scandal exploded in October .
“ There were countless times I was standing on the metro station where I was like , ‘ Hey , what if I jumped in front of the train right now , ” Kelly confessed .
“ My apartment is on the third floor and I walk on the balcony and I just like stare out off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I should jump .
I have those thoughts all the damn time.
” Listening to Kelly tell his side of the story , I find myself having a considerable amount of sympathy for him .
And his explanation of how things happened is actually quite plausible .
He knew that Hill was in an intimate relationship with Desjardins , but says that the “ other man ” she was involved with was Playboy reporter Alex Thomas , who Hill began a relationship with last summer .
It ’ s Kelly ’ s belief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive she was seeing another man ( in addition to the female staffer ) and simply assumed it was him because he was constantly in the office and traveling with Hill .
If that ’ s the case , Kelly truly may be the collateral damage from this story .
He describes how he was stuck hanging out in the congressional office that Hill vacated , “ spinning around in my chair ” and browsing social media .
The Clerk of the House had taken over the office after Hill ’ s departure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an employee of the office , he had no duties .
He also claims that nobody from Hill ’ s team offered him any legal help or even advice on what to say or do .
Kelly spent most of his time doing job searches but says that none of his former political contacts were returning his calls or answering his emails or texts .
He felt like “ a ghost ” and was completely on his own .
After a while , it became too much to bear and he resigned , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait out the pandemic .
He remains unemployed to this day .
Nearly every element of this story has the ring of truth .
The fact that Hill was dating the Playboy reporter was later confirmed .
And the one aspect of the story as told by both Hill and Kelly that they ’ ve never wavered from is that the two of them were never in a relationship .
If so , it sounds like Hill really did leave her dedicated staffer twisting in the wind , allowing his career to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exits .
Whether you believe Kelly ’ s version of events or not , we should all hope that he gets some help soon .
It sounds like he ’ s in a very dark place .

This is really kind of a sad story, involving more of the fallout from former congresswoman and famous “throuple” participant Katie Hill. As you may recall, her congressional office was thrown into turmoil when reports emerged of her being involved in sexual relationships with a female campaign staffer and, allegedly, a male congressional staffer. The latter would have been a violation of House ethics rules and an investigation into the matter was announced. Shortly thereafter, Hill resigned.
The affair with her estranged husband and the campaign staffer, Morgan Desjardins, was eventually confirmed by Hill but she always denied having been romantically involved with Graham Kelly, her legislative director. For his part, Kelly also continues to insist that their relationship was strictly professional and that he’s actually the real victim in all of this. In a recent interview, he explains how he was left behind in the media circus, effectively being thrown under the bus and forgotten. Now his career is in ruins and he says he’s frequently contemplated taking his own life. (NY Post)
He’s been slandered as Hill’s lover, his promising political career is over, and he frequently thinks of suicide, he told The Post in his first in-depth interview since the sex scandal exploded in October. “There were countless times I was standing on the metro station where I was like, ‘Hey, what if I jumped in front of the train right now,” Kelly confessed. “My apartment is on the third floor and I walk on the balcony and I just like stare out off the deck [and think] maybe I should jump. I have those thoughts all the damn time.”
Listening to Kelly tell his side of the story, I find myself having a considerable amount of sympathy for him. And his explanation of how things happened is actually quite plausible. He knew that Hill was in an intimate relationship with Desjardins, but says that the “other man” she was involved with was Playboy reporter Alex Thomas, who Hill began a relationship with last summer. It’s Kelly’s belief that Hill’s estranged husband was positive she was seeing another man (in addition to the female staffer) and simply assumed it was him because he was constantly in the office and traveling with Hill.
If that’s the case, Kelly truly may be the collateral damage from this story. He describes how he was stuck hanging out in the congressional office that Hill vacated, “spinning around in my chair” and browsing social media. The Clerk of the House had taken over the office after Hill’s departure, and while Kelly was still technically an employee of the office, he had no duties. He also claims that nobody from Hill’s team offered him any legal help or even advice on what to say or do.
Kelly spent most of his time doing job searches but says that none of his former political contacts were returning his calls or answering his emails or texts. He felt like “a ghost” and was completely on his own. After a while, it became too much to bear and he resigned, moving back home to South Carolina to wait out the pandemic. He remains unemployed to this day.
Nearly every element of this story has the ring of truth. The fact that Hill was dating the Playboy reporter was later confirmed. And the one aspect of the story as told by both Hill and Kelly that they’ve never wavered from is that the two of them were never in a relationship. If so, it sounds like Hill really did leave her dedicated staffer twisting in the wind, allowing his career to go up in flames as she headed for the exits. Whether you believe Kelly’s version of events or not, we should all hope that he gets some help soon. It sounds like he’s in a very dark place.


hotair--2020-04-27--Is it time to worry about a broken food supply chain?

Yes , it may well be time to be worried , or at least concerned , about the U.S. food supply chain .
But , don ’ t take my word for it — look at what Tyson Foods ’ Chairman of the Board said Sunday .
He said the food supply chain is breaking due to the coronavirus pandemic .
He sounded the alarm in a full-page advertisement in three newspapers .
“ The food supply chain is breaking , ” wrote board chairman John Tyson in a full-page advertisement published Sunday in The New York Times , Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have anywhere to sell their livestock , he said , adding that “ millions of animals — chickens , pigs and cattle — will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities.
” “ There will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed , ” Tyson wrote .
Tyson Foods employs about 100,000 people .
Last week two pork processing plants were closed , one in Waterloo , Iowa and the other in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees could be tested for the coronavirus .
The Waterloo plant employs 2,800 workers , many of whom were calling out sick .
Public pressure was felt by Tyson Foods to close the plant , including from the city ’ s mayor .
The Black Hawk County health department linked the Tyson plant to 182 of the county ’ s 374 cases of the virus .
The company has indefinitely stopped production but is continuing to pay the employees .
The plant ’ s re-opening will depend on testing results , among other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant closure “ has significant ramifications beyond our company.
” The supply chain includes independent farmers , truckers , distributors , and grocers .
The mayor of Logansport , Indiana was in favor of Tyson closing its pork processing plant there .
He said the action would save lives .
The Logansport plant alone produces 3 million pounds of pork per day , and works with 250 independent farmers , the company said .
Mayor Hart of Waterloo worries that the closure may have been too late for some workers , many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a humanitarian effort , not a political one .
The Cass County Health Department is working with Tyson to test more than 2200 employees of the plant .
The processing center closed for a day for deep cleaning but a county health official expressed concern that employees were not as cautious about spreading the virus at work as they may be at home .
Earlier this month , Tyson closed its Columbus Junction , Iowa , pork plant after more than 24 workers there became infected with Covid-19 .
Livestock is being diverted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimize a negative impact on production .
Smithfield has shut down pork processing plants , too .
John Tyson warns that millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the food supply chain with the closures and grocery stores will experience shortages of products .
It isn ’ t just pork processing .
Also affected by the coronavirus pandemic are chicken and beef production .
Two million chickens on farms in Delaware and Maryland will be “ de-populated ” due to a lack of employees at chicken processing plants .
Delmarva Poultry Industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another beef processing plant announced its closure , this time in Green Bay , Wisconsin .
JBS USA announced Sunday that the JBS Packerland plant would be closed temporarily .
As of Monday , 255 employees at the plant tested positive for COVID-19 , said Brown County Health Department spokeswoman Claire Paprocki .
There were also 130 confirmed cases among workers at meatpacker American Foods Group in Green Bay and another 17 employees at sausage maker Salm Partners in Denmark , about 20 miles away , Paprocki said .
The JBS Packerland plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 3.2 million people per day , the company said .
Employees will be paid during the closure , the Green Bay Press Gazette reported .
JBS earlier closed plants in Souderton , Pennsylvania ; Greeley , Colorado ; and Worthington , Minnesota .
The first two plants have since reopened .
So far , pork processing plants appear to be the hardest hit .
JBS pork processing in Worthington , Minnesota , one of the three largest pork processing plants in the country , is offline indefinitely .
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be concerned about shortages of meat at this point , especially as the virus spreads across the country and more testing becomes available .
Companies won ’ t want to take the risks of liability to keep processing plants open if employees are testing positive for the coronavirus .
Consumers don ’ t want sick workers processing their food , either .
If there aren ’ t enough of healthy workers to process the meat , empty grocery store shelves aren ’ t far behind .
Let ’ s hope there isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like with toilet paper .

Yes, it may well be time to be worried, or at least concerned, about the U.S. food supply chain. But, don’t take my word for it — look at what Tyson Foods’ Chairman of the Board said Sunday. He said the food supply chain is breaking due to the coronavirus pandemic. He sounded the alarm in a full-page advertisement in three newspapers.
“The food supply chain is breaking,” wrote board chairman John Tyson in a full-page advertisement published Sunday in The New York Times, Washington Post and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. US farmers don’t have anywhere to sell their livestock, he said, adding that “millions of animals — chickens, pigs and cattle — will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities.” “There will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed,” Tyson wrote.
Tyson Foods employs about 100,000 people. Last week two pork processing plants were closed, one in Waterloo, Iowa and the other in Logansport, Indiana, so that the employees could be tested for the coronavirus. The Waterloo plant employs 2,800 workers, many of whom were calling out sick. Public pressure was felt by Tyson Foods to close the plant, including from the city’s mayor. The Black Hawk County health department linked the Tyson plant to 182 of the county’s 374 cases of the virus. The company has indefinitely stopped production but is continuing to pay the employees. The plant’s re-opening will depend on testing results, among other factors.
“Despite our continued efforts to keep our people safe while fulfilling our critical role of feeding American families, the combination of worker absenteeism, Covid-19 cases and community concerns has resulted in our decision to stop production,” Tyson Fresh Meats group president Steve Stouffer said in a statement on the Waterloo facility.
Mr. Stouffer said that the plant closure “has significant ramifications beyond our company.” The supply chain includes independent farmers, truckers, distributors, and grocers.
The mayor of Logansport, Indiana was in favor of Tyson closing its pork processing plant there. He said the action would save lives. The Logansport plant alone produces 3 million pounds of pork per day, and works with 250 independent farmers, the company said.
Mayor Hart of Waterloo worries that the closure may have been too late for some workers, many of whom are minorities. He calls it a humanitarian effort, not a political one. The Cass County Health Department is working with Tyson to test more than 2200 employees of the plant. The processing center closed for a day for deep cleaning but a county health official expressed concern that employees were not as cautious about spreading the virus at work as they may be at home.
“This is the action we have been waiting for,” Hart said in a statement emailed to CNN Business. “Tyson’s closing their plant will prove to be a positive step forward in preparing our community for the flattening the curve.”
Earlier this month, Tyson closed its Columbus Junction, Iowa, pork plant after more than 24 workers there became infected with Covid-19. Livestock is being diverted to other plants in the region to minimize a negative impact on production.
Smithfield has shut down pork processing plants, too. John Tyson warns that millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the food supply chain with the closures and grocery stores will experience shortages of products.
It isn’t just pork processing. Also affected by the coronavirus pandemic are chicken and beef production. Two million chickens on farms in Delaware and Maryland will be “de-populated” due to a lack of employees at chicken processing plants. Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. released a statement.
The reduced employee attendance at the company’s plants is a result of “additional community cases of COVID-19, additional testing, and people practicing the ‘stay home if you’re sick’ social distancing guidance from public health officials,” the statement reads. The chickens will be depopulated “using approved, humane methods” that are accepted by the American Veterinary Medical Association and all state and local guidelines, the company said.
Yesterday, another beef processing plant announced its closure, this time in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
JBS USA announced Sunday that the JBS Packerland plant would be closed temporarily. As of Monday, 255 employees at the plant tested positive for COVID-19, said Brown County Health Department spokeswoman Claire Paprocki. There were also 130 confirmed cases among workers at meatpacker American Foods Group in Green Bay and another 17 employees at sausage maker Salm Partners in Denmark, about 20 miles away, Paprocki said. The JBS Packerland plant employs more than 1,200 people and feeds nearly 3.2 million people per day, the company said. Employees will be paid during the closure, the Green Bay Press Gazette reported. JBS earlier closed plants in Souderton, Pennsylvania; Greeley, Colorado; and Worthington, Minnesota. The first two plants have since reopened.
So far, pork processing plants appear to be the hardest hit. JBS pork processing in Worthington, Minnesota, one of the three largest pork processing plants in the country, is offline indefinitely.
I don’t think it is alarmist to at least be concerned about shortages of meat at this point, especially as the virus spreads across the country and more testing becomes available. Companies won’t want to take the risks of liability to keep processing plants open if employees are testing positive for the coronavirus. Consumers don’t want sick workers processing their food, either. If there aren’t enough of healthy workers to process the meat, empty grocery store shelves aren’t far behind. Let’s hope there isn’t panic buying that will exacerbate shortages, like with toilet paper.


hotair--2020-04-28--Stacey Abrams defends Biden on Tara Reade's accusation: "He will make women proud as the next presid

Stacey Abrams defends Biden on Tara Reade's accusation: "He will make women proud as the next president"

She really wants that VP slot .
I mean , we knew that she really wants it .
But we didn ’ t know that she really wants it .
HuffPost contacted nine different candidates on Biden ’ s VP shortlist , all of them women , seeking comment on Reade ’ s accusation .
Only one replied .
The thirstiest candidate of ’ em all .
HuffPost contacted nine people on Biden ’ s rumored shortlist : Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
, Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) , Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-Minn. ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , Sen. Tammy Duckworth ( D-Ill. ) , Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto ( D-NV ) , Sen. Tammy Baldwin ( D-WI ) , Rep. Val Demings ( D-Fl . )
and Stacey Abrams , the Democratic nominee in the 2018 Georgia governor ’ s race .
In response to questions about Reade ’ s allegations in general and the Business Insider report Monday with contemporaneous corroboration from Reade ’ s neighbor , only Abrams responded .
“ I believe women deserve to be heard , and I believe that has happened here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email .
“ The allegations have been heard and looked into , and for too many women , often , that is not the case .
The New York Times conducted a thorough investigation , and nothing in the Times review or any other later reports suggests anything other than what I already know about Joe Biden : That he will make women proud as the next President of the United States.
” The Times ’ s story was published on April 12 and included this passage : “ A friend said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assault at the time , in 1993 .
A second friend recalled Ms. Reade telling her in 2008 that Mr. Biden had touched her inappropriately and that she ’ d had a traumatic experience while working in his office.
” Since then , two women ( possibly the same two mentioned in the Times piece , possibly different ) told Business Insider that Reade had shared a story decades ago about her former boss in the Senate harassing her .
One specifically corroborated the most lurid details of the assault described by Reade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother calling into Larry King ’ s show in 1993 and complaining about her daughter ’ s trouble with a “ prominent senator ” has also surfaced since then .
Abrams ’ s response doesn ’ t reckon with any of it .
From what she says about Biden having done nothing to contradict her opinion that he ’ ll make women proud as president , one can only assume that she flatly doesn ’ t believe Reade and the women who ’ ve corroborated parts of her story .
Per the Federalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blasey Ford ’ s testimony , “ I believe women , and I believe survivors of violence always deserve to be supported and to have their voices heard.
” Oh ?
All of our progressive heroes aren ’ t as progressive about # MeToo as they ’ d like us to believe .
Especially ones who really want to be VP .
Abrams isn ’ t the most prominent Democratic woman to disappoint Reade today , though : Tara Reade slammed Hillary Clinton for offering her endorsement to former Vice President Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came forward last month with an allegation of sexual assault against the presumptive Democratic nominee .
“ I voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
I voted for her in the primary .
I ’ m a lifelong Democrat .
But yet , what I see now is someone enabling a sexual predator and it was my former boss , Joe Biden , who raped me , ” Reade told Fox News .
“ Hillary Clinton has a history of enabling powerful men to cover up their sexual predatory behaviors and their inappropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need that for this country .
We don ’ t need that for our new generation coming up that wants institutional rape culture to change.
” She added : “ I will not be smeared , dismissed or ignored .
I stand in truth and I will keep speaking out.
” Enabling powerful sexual predators ?
That doesn ’ t sound like the Hillary Clinton I know .
Am I right , by the way , that Biden ’ s socially-distanced endorsement photo op with Hillary today drew not a single question from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ d seem like a natural topic to broach with the reigning Democratic nominee , who also happens to be the first woman major-party nominee in U.S. history , who also happens to be married to a guy who ’ s been credibly accused of rape .
Doesn ’ t look like it came up , though .
Fancy that .
As for Abrams , it ’ s deeply cynical but also clever for her to signal her willingness to defend Biden on this very uncomfortable subject .
That ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : This could become a recurring storyline of the general election , with Democrats forced to play awkward defense by Trump on # MeToo issues ( never mind the numerous allegations against him ) .
Having not just a woman but a progressive woman of color vouching for his credibility against Reade would be a valuable political asset for Biden .
Just because Abrams is waaay underqualified for the job and is shameless enough to publicly campaign for it anyway doesn ’ t mean she doesn ’ t have qualifications to commend her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Lacy Clay , who ’ s unimpressed with Abrams ’ s VP PR effort : “ You know , at the race track , you can not show up at the winner ’ s window with loser ’ s tickets .
You haven ’ t won anything .
You can ’ t show up at the winner ’ s window with loser ’ s tickets and demand anything .
”

She really wants that VP slot.
I mean, we knew that she really wants it. But we didn’t know that she really wants it.
HuffPost contacted nine different candidates on Biden’s VP shortlist, all of them women, seeking comment on Reade’s accusation. Only one replied. The thirstiest candidate of ’em all.
HuffPost contacted nine people on Biden’s rumored shortlist: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Rep. Val Demings (D-Fl.) and Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee in the 2018 Georgia governor’s race. In response to questions about Reade’s allegations in general and the Business Insider report Monday with contemporaneous corroboration from Reade’s neighbor, only Abrams responded. “I believe women deserve to be heard, and I believe that has happened here,” Abrams told HuffPost in an email. “The allegations have been heard and looked into, and for too many women, often, that is not the case. The New York Times conducted a thorough investigation, and nothing in the Times review or any other later reports suggests anything other than what I already know about Joe Biden: That he will make women proud as the next President of the United States.”
The Times’s story was published on April 12 and included this passage: “A friend said that Ms. Reade told her about the alleged assault at the time, in 1993. A second friend recalled Ms. Reade telling her in 2008 that Mr. Biden had touched her inappropriately and that she’d had a traumatic experience while working in his office.” Since then, two women (possibly the same two mentioned in the Times piece, possibly different) told Business Insider that Reade had shared a story decades ago about her former boss in the Senate harassing her. One specifically corroborated the most lurid details of the assault described by Reade. The video of Reade’s mother calling into Larry King’s show in 1993 and complaining about her daughter’s trouble with a “prominent senator” has also surfaced since then.
Abrams’s response doesn’t reckon with any of it. From what she says about Biden having done nothing to contradict her opinion that he’ll make women proud as president, one can only assume that she flatly doesn’t believe Reade and the women who’ve corroborated parts of her story. Per the Federalist, in 2018 Abrams said of Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony, “I believe women, and I believe survivors of violence always deserve to be supported and to have their voices heard.” Oh?
All of our progressive heroes aren’t as progressive about #MeToo as they’d like us to believe. Especially ones who really want to be VP.
Abrams isn’t the most prominent Democratic woman to disappoint Reade today, though:
Tara Reade slammed Hillary Clinton for offering her endorsement to former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday after the former Senate staffer came forward last month with an allegation of sexual assault against the presumptive Democratic nominee. “I voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. I voted for her in the primary. I’m a lifelong Democrat. But yet, what I see now is someone enabling a sexual predator and it was my former boss, Joe Biden, who raped me,” Reade told Fox News. “Hillary Clinton has a history of enabling powerful men to cover up their sexual predatory behaviors and their inappropriate sexual misconduct. We don’t need that for this country. We don’t need that for our new generation coming up that wants institutional rape culture to change.” She added: “I will not be smeared, dismissed or ignored. I stand in truth and I will keep speaking out.”
Enabling powerful sexual predators? That doesn’t sound like the Hillary Clinton I know.
Am I right, by the way, that Biden’s socially-distanced endorsement photo op with Hillary today drew not a single question from the media about the Reade allegations? It’d seem like a natural topic to broach with the reigning Democratic nominee, who also happens to be the first woman major-party nominee in U.S. history, who also happens to be married to a guy who’s been credibly accused of rape. Doesn’t look like it came up, though. Fancy that.
As for Abrams, it’s deeply cynical but also clever for her to signal her willingness to defend Biden on this very uncomfortable subject. That’s a point in her favor in the veepstakes: This could become a recurring storyline of the general election, with Democrats forced to play awkward defense by Trump on #MeToo issues (never mind the numerous allegations against him). Having not just a woman but a progressive woman of color vouching for his credibility against Reade would be a valuable political asset for Biden. Just because Abrams is waaay underqualified for the job and is shameless enough to publicly campaign for it anyway doesn’t mean she doesn’t have qualifications to commend her for it. Exit quotation from Dem Rep. Lacy Clay, who’s unimpressed with Abrams’s VP PR effort: “You know, at the race track, you cannot show up at the winner’s window with loser’s tickets. You haven’t won anything. You can’t show up at the winner’s window with loser’s tickets and demand anything.”