hotair--2020-04-30--Florida judge: Trump can be first on the ballot

There was never much of a question about President Trump being on the ballot in Florida this November ( obviously ) .
But owing to a peculiarity in the Sunshine State ’ s election laws , there was a question as to where on the ballot his name would appear .
That may sound like a trivial matter , or at least it did to me , but some people were taking it very seriously .
A group of Democrats didn ’ t want Donald Trump ’ s name to be automatically placed at the top of the list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a federal judge , it appears that Trump will retain the top spot .
( Politico ) A federal appeals court on Wednesday dealt a major blow to Democrats in the battleground state of Florida , throwing out a lawsuit that sought to roll back a law that puts President Donald Trump ’ s name first on the 2020 ballot .
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said the group suing Florida over the nearly 70-year-old rule lacked legal standing to challenge the law and failed to prove any injury .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep Republican candidates listed first on the ballot .
This case definitely dives into the obscure end of the election law pool .
Back in the 1950s , when Democrats controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the governor ’ s mansion , they passed a law saying that presidential candidate of the same party as the Governor would automatically appear first on the presidential election ballot .
That clearly worked out well for the Democrats back in the day , but in the modern era , the Republicans have won every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That means that the GOP candidate has been at the top of the ballot no matter which party held the White House .
That was a rather silly law for Democrats to pass in the first place , and now it ’ s come back to bite them on their collective backsides .
But is the law constitutional ?
We still don ’ t know because the judge never got around to ruling on that question .
He simply determined that the plaintiffs didn ’ t have standing to bring the case because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would suffer from leaving the law in place .
( A lower court judge previously ruled the law unconstitutional . )
The basis for the complaint seems to be testimony provided by “ experts ” claiming that having the top position on the ballot gives a candidate “ as much as a 5 percent advantage in elections.
” Does that sound right to you ?
It would seem to imply that a significant number of voters are too stupid to read their own ballot and are just picking the first name they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the candidate who won last time has the power of incumbency working for them and they therefore have better odds of winning .
It ’ s not as if Florida is unique in using this system .
It ’ s actually quite common .
New York ’ s election laws provide that “ the candidate or candidates of the party which polled for its candidate for the office of governor at the last preceding election for such office the highest number of votes ” will be on the top line .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that if you won the last governor ’ s election , your party goes first on the ballot .
Even if you believe that being on the top of the ballot offers an advantage , somebody has to be on the top .
How do you propose to make the decision… with a coin flip every two years ?
And if you start doing that , then you ’ ll have to invite the Libertarians , the Green Party and everyone else to participate .
All things considered , this sounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having and tying up the court ’ s time .
Just stick with the current rules and may the best man/woman/extraterrestrial win .

There was never much of a question about President Trump being on the ballot in Florida this November (obviously). But owing to a peculiarity in the Sunshine State’s election laws, there was a question as to where on the ballot his name would appear. That may sound like a trivial matter, or at least it did to me, but some people were taking it very seriously. A group of Democrats didn’t want Donald Trump’s name to be automatically placed at the top of the list of candidates. But now, thanks to a federal judge, it appears that Trump will retain the top spot. (Politico)
A federal appeals court on Wednesday dealt a major blow to Democrats in the battleground state of Florida, throwing out a lawsuit that sought to roll back a law that puts President Donald Trump’s name first on the 2020 ballot. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said the group suing Florida over the nearly 70-year-old rule lacked legal standing to challenge the law and failed to prove any injury. The decision means Florida election officials can keep Republican candidates listed first on the ballot.
This case definitely dives into the obscure end of the election law pool. Back in the 1950s, when Democrats controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the governor’s mansion, they passed a law saying that presidential candidate of the same party as the Governor would automatically appear first on the presidential election ballot. That clearly worked out well for the Democrats back in the day, but in the modern era, the Republicans have won every governor’s race since 1998. That means that the GOP candidate has been at the top of the ballot no matter which party held the White House.
That was a rather silly law for Democrats to pass in the first place, and now it’s come back to bite them on their collective backsides. But is the law constitutional? We still don’t know because the judge never got around to ruling on that question. He simply determined that the plaintiffs didn’t have standing to bring the case because they couldn’t demonstrate any harm they would suffer from leaving the law in place. (A lower court judge previously ruled the law unconstitutional.)
The basis for the complaint seems to be testimony provided by “experts” claiming that having the top position on the ballot gives a candidate “as much as a 5 percent advantage in elections.” Does that sound right to you? It would seem to imply that a significant number of voters are too stupid to read their own ballot and are just picking the first name they see. Perhaps a better explanation is that the candidate who won last time has the power of incumbency working for them and they therefore have better odds of winning.
It’s not as if Florida is unique in using this system. It’s actually quite common. New York’s election laws provide that “the candidate or candidates of the party which polled for its candidate for the office of governor at the last preceding election for such office the highest number of votes” will be on the top line. That’s just a very wordy way to say that if you won the last governor’s election, your party goes first on the ballot.
Even if you believe that being on the top of the ballot offers an advantage, somebody has to be on the top. How do you propose to make the decision… with a coin flip every two years? And if you start doing that, then you’ll have to invite the Libertarians, the Green Party and everyone else to participate. All things considered, this sounds like a rather pointless argument to be having and tying up the court’s time. Just stick with the current rules and may the best man/woman/extraterrestrial win.


hotair--2020-04-30--YGBKM: Biden taps Chris "waitress sandwich" Dodd to vet women running-mate candidates

Unbelievable .
I bet all those women ’ s groups that held off criticizing Joe Biden over Tara Reade ’ s allegations are happy they held off going public now , eh ?
Biden has spent the past year pandering to women by promising to pick a female running mate .
Today , his campaign announced that those candidates will have to pass through the vetting of former senator Chris Dodd , co-author of one of the most notorious stories of sexual harassment and assault from Capitol Hill .
Can ’ t anybody on Team Biden do a Google search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign formally announced the committee that will vet potential running mates on Thursday , beginning a search that will culminate in one of the campaign ’ s key moments ahead of the Democrat ’ s general election battle with President Donald Trump .
Former U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd ; Delaware Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester ; Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Cynthia C. Hogan , former White House and Senate counsel to Biden , will serve as the four co-chairs of the candidate ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign announced Thursday morning .
“ Selecting a vice presidential candidate is one of the most important decisions in a presidential campaign and no one knows this more than Joe Biden , ” Jen O ’ Malley Dillon , Biden ’ s campaign manager , said in a statement announcing the committee .
Why pick Dodd at all ?
He ’ s been out of Congress for nearly a decade , and presently works as a Hollywood lobbyist .
Dodd is a Beltway barnacle , having inherited the Senate seat from Connecticut from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insider that populists loathe .
Even without the # MeToo hangover , Biden ’ s pick of Dodd puts his campaign into nostalgia mode , perhaps even for a pre-Barack Obama Democratic Party — where the Clintons and the Kennedys rode herd .
That pales in comparison to Dodd ’ s history with Ted Kennedy , however .
Thirty years ago , the late Michael Kelly wrote a lengthy profile of Kennedy at GQ that included this shocking 1985 incident with Dodd at a restaurant .
Allahpundit noted it nine years ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anecdote involving Carrie Fisher , also from 1985 .
Penthouse reported the “ waitress sandwich ” incident a year before Kelly , and Kelly got confirmation of it from the waitress involved : It is after midnight and Kennedy and Dodd are just finishing up a long dinner in a private room on the first floor of the restaurant ’ s annex .
They are drunk .
Their dates , two very young blondes , leave the table to go to the bathroom .
( The dates are drunk too .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , very drunk , ” says a former Brasserie waitress . )
Betty Loh , who served the foursome , also leaves the room .
Raymond Campet , the co-owner of La Brasserie , tells Gaviglio the senators want to see her .
As Gaviglio enters the room , the six-foot-two , 225-plus-pound Kennedy grabs the five-foot-three , 103-pound waitress and throws her on the table .
She lands on her back , scattering crystal , plates and cutlery and the lit candles .
Several glasses and a crystal candlestick are broken .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ table and throws her on Dodd , who is sprawled in a chair .
With Gaviglio on Dodd ’ s lap , Kennedy jumps on top and begins rubbing his genital area against hers , supporting his weight on the arms of the chair .
As he is doing this , Loh enters the room .
She and Gaviglio both scream , drawing one or two dishwashers .
Startled , Kennedy leaps up .
He laughs .
Bruised , shaken and angry over what she considered a sexual assault , Gaviglio runs from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their dates leave shortly thereafter , following a friendly argument between the senators over the check .
It ’ s not that the waitress “ considered ” it a sexual assault .
It was a sexual assault .
At the time , Roll Call ’ s Bill Thomas referred to both men as “ two guys in a fraternity who have been loosed upon the world.
” The story gained even more traction a few years later when the Monica Lewinsky story exploded .
In February 1998 , in a piece with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Awakening , ” New York Magazine ’ s Eric Konigsberg presented the Dodd-Kennedy “ waitress sandwich ” as part of a male-predator culture that was slowly ebbing away .
Replacing it , Konigsberg argued , was a Washington culture where women were comfortable as predators — and cited Lewinsky as evidence of it .
Clearly , Konigsberg was no prophet .
Biden might not have been as blatant about it as Kennedy and Dodd , but he ’ s been doing the creepy-uncle thing for decades , as several of his female former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even when it ’ s caught on camera , the media has looked away from it until now .
Biden has every reason to think it ’ s still business as usual , which is why he felt comfortable naming one half of the “ waitress sandwich ” to vet the women that Biden might appoint to serve under him on the ticket .
And Biden might have be right , because right up until yesterday , the media made it clear that they saw it as business as usual .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations , they put it in the “ Republicans pounce !
” genre of reporting .
Biden felt no real pressure to address the concerns , and so they just didn ’ t exist within his bubble .
With that in mind , Biden must have thought “ why not ?
” to the idea of appointing Dodd to the vetting committee .
Will the media raise these questions now ?
Better yet , will the women lining up to be Biden ’ s running mate make an issue of it ?

Unbelievable. I bet all those women’s groups that held off criticizing Joe Biden over Tara Reade’s allegations are happy they held off going public now, eh? Biden has spent the past year pandering to women by promising to pick a female running mate. Today, his campaign announced that those candidates will have to pass through the vetting of former senator Chris Dodd, co-author of one of the most notorious stories of sexual harassment and assault from Capitol Hill.
Can’t anybody on Team Biden do a Google search, for Pete’s sake?
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign formally announced the committee that will vet potential running mates on Thursday, beginning a search that will culminate in one of the campaign’s key moments ahead of the Democrat’s general election battle with President Donald Trump. Former U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd; Delaware Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester; Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Cynthia C. Hogan, former White House and Senate counsel to Biden, will serve as the four co-chairs of the candidate’s vice presidential selection committee, the campaign announced Thursday morning. “Selecting a vice presidential candidate is one of the most important decisions in a presidential campaign and no one knows this more than Joe Biden,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, Biden’s campaign manager, said in a statement announcing the committee.
Why pick Dodd at all? He’s been out of Congress for nearly a decade, and presently works as a Hollywood lobbyist. Dodd is a Beltway barnacle, having inherited the Senate seat from Connecticut from his father, the kind of establishment insider that populists loathe. Even without the #MeToo hangover, Biden’s pick of Dodd puts his campaign into nostalgia mode, perhaps even for a pre-Barack Obama Democratic Party — where the Clintons and the Kennedys rode herd.
That pales in comparison to Dodd’s history with Ted Kennedy, however. Thirty years ago, the late Michael Kelly wrote a lengthy profile of Kennedy at GQ that included this shocking 1985 incident with Dodd at a restaurant. Allahpundit noted it nine years ago, in connection to another Dodd-Kennedy sexual harassment anecdote involving Carrie Fisher, also from 1985. Penthouse reported the “waitress sandwich” incident a year before Kelly, and Kelly got confirmation of it from the waitress involved:
It is after midnight and Kennedy and Dodd are just finishing up a long dinner in a private room on the first floor of the restaurant’s annex. They are drunk. Their dates, two very young blondes, leave the table to go to the bathroom. (The dates are drunk too. “They’d always get their girls very, very drunk,” says a former Brasserie waitress.) Betty Loh, who served the foursome, also leaves the room. Raymond Campet, the co-owner of La Brasserie, tells Gaviglio the senators want to see her. As Gaviglio enters the room, the six-foot-two, 225-plus-pound Kennedy grabs the five-foot-three, 103-pound waitress and throws her on the table. She lands on her back, scattering crystal, plates and cutlery and the lit candles. Several glasses and a crystal candlestick are broken. Kennedy then picks her up from the table and throws her on Dodd, who is sprawled in a chair. With Gaviglio on Dodd’s lap, Kennedy jumps on top and begins rubbing his genital area against hers, supporting his weight on the arms of the chair. As he is doing this, Loh enters the room. She and Gaviglio both scream, drawing one or two dishwashers. Startled, Kennedy leaps up. He laughs. Bruised, shaken and angry over what she considered a sexual assault, Gaviglio runs from the room. Kennedy, Dodd and their dates leave shortly thereafter, following a friendly argument between the senators over the check.
It’s not that the waitress “considered” it a sexual assault. It was a sexual assault.
At the time, Roll Call’s Bill Thomas referred to both men as “two guys in a fraternity who have been loosed upon the world.” The story gained even more traction a few years later when the Monica Lewinsky story exploded. In February 1998, in a piece with a now-laughable headline “Washington’s Sexual Awakening,” New York Magazine’s Eric Konigsberg presented the Dodd-Kennedy “waitress sandwich” as part of a male-predator culture that was slowly ebbing away. Replacing it, Konigsberg argued, was a Washington culture where women were comfortable as predators — and cited Lewinsky as evidence of it.
Clearly, Konigsberg was no prophet. Biden might not have been as blatant about it as Kennedy and Dodd, but he’s been doing the creepy-uncle thing for decades, as several of his female former staffers alleged last year, including Reade. Even when it’s caught on camera, the media has looked away from it until now. Biden has every reason to think it’s still business as usual, which is why he felt comfortable naming one half of the “waitress sandwich” to vet the women that Biden might appoint to serve under him on the ticket.
And Biden might have be right, because right up until yesterday, the media made it clear that they saw it as business as usual. To the extent they covered Reade’s allegations, they put it in the “Republicans pounce!” genre of reporting. Biden felt no real pressure to address the concerns, and so they just didn’t exist within his bubble. With that in mind, Biden must have thought “why not?” to the idea of appointing Dodd to the vetting committee.
Will the media raise these questions now? Better yet, will the women lining up to be Biden’s running mate make an issue of it?


hotair--2020-04-30--Finally. The solution to the coronavirus is coming from...

You can all relax and go about your business .
At long last , we ’ re clearly going to have this pandemic thing under control presently because none of than Time Person of the Year Greta Thunberg is on the case .
And she ’ s putting her money where her mouth is this time… sort of .
In all seriousness , this is a rare occasion when I can highlight the activities of the pretentious teen without mocking her .
Or at least without mocking her too much .
For once , she is using the international platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s definitely positive .
She ’ s making a significant donation to UNICEF to help them support children during the novel coronavirus pandemic and attempting to encourage others to do the same .
( Washington Times ) Climate activist Greta Thunberg is launching a campaign with a Danish foundation to help finance the U.N. childrens ’ agency ’ s emergency program to fight the coronavirus pandemic .
Thunberg said in a statement that “ like the climate crisis , the coronavirus pandemic is a child-rights crisis ” that will affect youngsters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most vulnerable .
She urged people everywhere “ to step up and join me in support of UNICEF ’ s vital work to save children ’ s lives , to protect health and continue education.
” The details of this effort don ’ t look too bad , at least on the surface .
Thunberg is making a $ 100,000 dollar donation to the children ’ s agency , and that ’ s not chump change .
Of course , when you look further into the details , it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of her own pocket or those of her parents .
The cash came from a humanitarian award she received from a Danish foundation called Human Act .
The group is also making a matching $ 100K donation to UNICEF .
But to be fair , there was nothing stopping her from just keeping the money , so that was generous of her .
Her focus on the needs of children during this pandemic isn ’ t really misguided either .
It ’ s true that young , relatively healthy children are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience the most brutal symptoms if they contract COVID-19 , but the effect on their families can certainly be extreme .
This is particularly true among minorities and everyone in developing nations .
So there ’ s definitely a need for more help for children around the world .
Is UNICEF the best charitable outfit to tackle the job ?
Surprisingly , they receive the highest possible rating from Charity Navigator in terms of transparency and accountability .
Of course , they aren ’ t without their own problems at times , specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but there really aren ’ t any portions of the United Nations that don ’ t generate those sorts of awful headlines .
Still , UNICEF is probably one of the least scandal-prone arms of the UN and it ’ s impossible to argue the good work they have done in the past .
Keeping all of that in mind , I ’ ll give a thumbs up to Thunberg ’ s push to help children around the world during this pandemic .
But if she really wants to play with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ ll be turning 18 next January , after all ) , perhaps she could throw her social media weight around by tackling the real source of this catastrophe .
I look forward to her next speech where she bellows “ How Dare You ” at… China .

You can all relax and go about your business. At long last, we’re clearly going to have this pandemic thing under control presently because none of than Time Person of the Year Greta Thunberg is on the case. And she’s putting her money where her mouth is this time… sort of.
In all seriousness, this is a rare occasion when I can highlight the activities of the pretentious teen without mocking her. Or at least without mocking her too much. For once, she is using the international platform she has somehow established to do something that’s definitely positive. She’s making a significant donation to UNICEF to help them support children during the novel coronavirus pandemic and attempting to encourage others to do the same. (Washington Times)
Climate activist Greta Thunberg is launching a campaign with a Danish foundation to help finance the U.N. childrens’ agency’s emergency program to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Thunberg said in a statement that “like the climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic is a child-rights crisis” that will affect youngsters now and in the long-term, especially the most vulnerable. She urged people everywhere “to step up and join me in support of UNICEF’s vital work to save children’s lives, to protect health and continue education.”
The details of this effort don’t look too bad, at least on the surface. Thunberg is making a $100,000 dollar donation to the children’s agency, and that’s not chump change. Of course, when you look further into the details, it’s not as if she’s taking it out of her own pocket or those of her parents. The cash came from a humanitarian award she received from a Danish foundation called Human Act. The group is also making a matching $100K donation to UNICEF. But to be fair, there was nothing stopping her from just keeping the money, so that was generous of her.
Her focus on the needs of children during this pandemic isn’t really misguided either. It’s true that young, relatively healthy children are still deemed the least likely to die or experience the most brutal symptoms if they contract COVID-19, but the effect on their families can certainly be extreme. This is particularly true among minorities and everyone in developing nations. So there’s definitely a need for more help for children around the world.
Is UNICEF the best charitable outfit to tackle the job? Surprisingly, they receive the highest possible rating from Charity Navigator in terms of transparency and accountability. Of course, they aren’t without their own problems at times, specifically when it comes to child sexual abuse, but there really aren’t any portions of the United Nations that don’t generate those sorts of awful headlines. Still, UNICEF is probably one of the least scandal-prone arms of the UN and it’s impossible to argue the good work they have done in the past.
Keeping all of that in mind, I’ll give a thumbs up to Thunberg’s push to help children around the world during this pandemic. But if she really wants to play with the adults in the global influence game (she’ll be turning 18 next January, after all), perhaps she could throw her social media weight around by tackling the real source of this catastrophe. I look forward to her next speech where she bellows “How Dare You” at… China.


hotair--2020-04-30--Alyssa Milano is still Ridin' with Biden - her advice to the campaign

Actress and activist Alyssa Milano was afforded the opportunity to write a guest column at Deadline.com .
The topic is the allegations by Tara Reade against Joe Biden .
The title is Living in the Gray as a Woman .
As the title implies , her opinion is that supporting Biden falls within a gray area for women like her .
John wrote about this earlier .
Here ’ s my take on Alyssa ’ s cowardly hypocrisy .
As this election year ’ s alleged sexual assault story has unfolded , women ( mostly conservative ) who supported Brett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court have been gobsmacked by the sheer hypocrisy playing out on the left .
The hypocrisy isn ’ t anything new , of course , there ’ s always been a double standard when it comes to the behavior of conservatives versus liberals but it usually doesn ’ t play out so prominently .
That is if the Reade story is even covered .
Mostly it is being ignored .
The word hypocrisy can ’ t be said enough .
Alyssa Milano endorsed her pal Joe Biden for president .
When the allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some support for the woman but kept her endorsement intact .
Even after more people came out with their recollections of Tara ’ s story , she remains in Biden ’ s camp .
“ I ’ m aware of the new developments in Tara Reade ’ s accusation against Joe Biden , ” Milano tweeted on Tuesday .
“ I want Tara , like every other survivor , to have the space to be heard and seen without being used as fodder .
I hear and see you , Tara.
” She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s with Joe .
It ’ s a gray area , you see .
She runs through a laundry list of men who have behaved badly toward women and includes Brett Kavanaugh among them .
As an activist , it can be very easy to develop a black and white view of the world : things are clearly wrong or clearly right .
Harvey Weinstein ’ s decades of rape were clearly wrong .
Donald Trump ’ s alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong .
Brett Kavanaugh ’ s actions , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and supported by her polygraph results ) , were clearly wrong .
So were Matt Lauer ’ s , Bill Cosby ’ s and so many others .
As we started holding politicians and business leaders and celebrities around the world accountable for their actions , it was easy to sort things into their respective buckets : this is wrong , this is right .
Holding people accountable for their actions was not only right , it was just .
Let ’ s break this down – Harvey Weinstein raped and assaulted women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the allegations against Trump , only E. Jean Carroll calls the interaction with him as rape , as far as I have read , and she decided not to press charges , Matt Lauer is reported to have had a rape door enabled by a button he pressed in his office to lock the door , and Bill Cosby drugged and raped women .
Brett Kavanaugh was a high school party boy and a party-going frat boy in college .
None of his alleged victims proved to be believable , including Christine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Milano equates Kavanaugh to the others .
There is no gray area here .
The other men were trading on their celebrity , power , and business success while Brett Kavanaugh has zero such accusations as an adult in the real world .
Milano writes about complicity .
She says women shouldn ’ t be regarded as complicit “ when we don ’ t denounce them , ” meaning men in general .
Excuse me ?
How many times have I seen Melania Trump or Ivanka Trump or any other woman in Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever the grievance of the day is that day from his administration ?
Stating the obvious , Kamala Harris , Stacey Abrams , Elizabeth Warren , and Amy Klobuchar all see themselves as Biden ’ s vice-president .
Hillary probably sees herself as a viable alternative should Biden not last through the convention .
Pelosi wants whoever the Democrat candidate is to win and help Democrats down-ballot keep the House in Democrat control .
Then she offers up her advice to the candidate , acknowledging it is unsolicited advice .
I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but what does it look like for him to “ be an example ” ?
He ’ s already failed that test .
He ’ s doing what every male politician has done since the beginning of time – he ’ s ignoring the charge and will only end up addressing it if he absolutely has to due to pressure from the media .
So far the New York Times and Washington Post are making such rumblings but not enough for a new course of action from Team Biden .
They still deny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as other Biden surrogates .
It ’ s the old nuts and sluts defense from the days of Bill and Hillary Clinton .
Alyssa Milano and other leftist women should just admit that the # MeToo movement has always been about liberal women and their scorn of powerful men .
Reade is a Democrat , a former Biden staffer .
Milano and other Democrat women will support Joe Biden no matter what happens , as long as he ’ s the candidate .
The important thing is to oust President Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she says “ It ’ s okay to be confused by the complexities progressive women face at every choice .
It ’ s okay to feel like there is no right way out , just the best way available .
It ’ s okay to look at the evidence and come to your own conclusion.
” I ’ ll let the “ complexities ” of progressive women go but coming to our own conclusions is exactly what women who supported Brett Kavanaugh or Donald Trump did .
We weren ’ t looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for approval .
Believe all women was always a ridiculous position to take .
Victims deserve to be heard and those who abused them should be brought to justice .
To assume all women are telling the truth is just as absurd as it is to assume all men tell the truth .
Some people lie for whatever reason .
And , when push comes to shove , Alyssa Milano fails miserably to stand up and walk the walk .
Third-wave feminism is dead , killed off by overzealous quasi-feminists just like first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tara Reade isn ’ t a conservative woman making claims against Joe Biden .
Think of the canceling she ’ d be receiving at this point .
It ’ s pretty easy to believe Tara , given Creepy Joe ’ s handy behavior with both children and women .
Alyssa Milano should just take a seat now and stop pretending to be the leader of the # MeToo movement .
It ’ s dead .

Actress and activist Alyssa Milano was afforded the opportunity to write a guest column at Deadline.com. The topic is the allegations by Tara Reade against Joe Biden. The title is Living in the Gray as a Woman. As the title implies, her opinion is that supporting Biden falls within a gray area for women like her. John wrote about this earlier. Here’s my take on Alyssa’s cowardly hypocrisy.
As this election year’s alleged sexual assault story has unfolded, women (mostly conservative) who supported Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court have been gobsmacked by the sheer hypocrisy playing out on the left. The hypocrisy isn’t anything new, of course, there’s always been a double standard when it comes to the behavior of conservatives versus liberals but it usually doesn’t play out so prominently. That is if the Reade story is even covered. Mostly it is being ignored. The word hypocrisy can’t be said enough.
Alyssa Milano endorsed her pal Joe Biden for president. When the allegations from Tara Reade surfaced, Milano feigned some support for the woman but kept her endorsement intact. Even after more people came out with their recollections of Tara’s story, she remains in Biden’s camp.
“I’m aware of the new developments in Tara Reade’s accusation against Joe Biden,” Milano tweeted on Tuesday. “I want Tara, like every other survivor, to have the space to be heard and seen without being used as fodder. I hear and see you, Tara.”
She hears you, Tara, but she’s with Joe. It’s a gray area, you see. She runs through a laundry list of men who have behaved badly toward women and includes Brett Kavanaugh among them.
As an activist, it can be very easy to develop a black and white view of the world: things are clearly wrong or clearly right. Harvey Weinstein’s decades of rape were clearly wrong. Donald Trump’s alleged sexual assaults were clearly wrong. Brett Kavanaugh’s actions, told consistently over decades by his victim (and supported by her polygraph results), were clearly wrong. So were Matt Lauer’s, Bill Cosby’s and so many others. As we started holding politicians and business leaders and celebrities around the world accountable for their actions, it was easy to sort things into their respective buckets: this is wrong, this is right. Holding people accountable for their actions was not only right, it was just.
Let’s break this down – Harvey Weinstein raped and assaulted women in exchange for their jobs, of all the allegations against Trump, only E. Jean Carroll calls the interaction with him as rape, as far as I have read, and she decided not to press charges, Matt Lauer is reported to have had a rape door enabled by a button he pressed in his office to lock the door, and Bill Cosby drugged and raped women. Brett Kavanaugh was a high school party boy and a party-going frat boy in college. None of his alleged victims proved to be believable, including Christine Blasey-Ford. It is laughable that Alyssa Milano equates Kavanaugh to the others. There is no gray area here. The other men were trading on their celebrity, power, and business success while Brett Kavanaugh has zero such accusations as an adult in the real world.
Milano writes about complicity. She says women shouldn’t be regarded as complicit “when we don’t denounce them,” meaning men in general. Excuse me? How many times have I seen Melania Trump or Ivanka Trump or any other woman in Donald Trump’s orbit called complicit to whatever the grievance of the day is that day from his administration?
It’s not up to women to admonish or absolve perpetrators, or be regarded as complicit when we don’t denounce them. Nothing makes this clearer than the women who are still supporting Joe Biden even with these accusations. Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Amy Klobuchar, Nancy Pelosi, and Elizabeth Warren have all endorsed Biden and like me, continue to support him. Because it’s an impossible choice.
Stating the obvious, Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Elizabeth Warren, and Amy Klobuchar all see themselves as Biden’s vice-president. Hillary probably sees herself as a viable alternative should Biden not last through the convention. Pelosi wants whoever the Democrat candidate is to win and help Democrats down-ballot keep the House in Democrat control.
Then she offers up her advice to the candidate, acknowledging it is unsolicited advice.
The Biden campaign’s only statement said that he believes every woman should have the right to tell their story, and that the media is obligated to rigorously vet those claims. And of course, I agree. Now, nobody’s asked me, but if he did, I’d advise him to face the allegation head-on, answer every question, and admit any wrongdoing, and to be the example for all men who face these kinds of accusations whether founded or not.
I’m ok with answering questions and admitting wrongdoing but what does it look like for him to “be an example”? He’s already failed that test. He’s doing what every male politician has done since the beginning of time – he’s ignoring the charge and will only end up addressing it if he absolutely has to due to pressure from the media. So far the New York Times and Washington Post are making such rumblings but not enough for a new course of action from Team Biden. They still deny wrongdoing, painting Reade as a liar, as other Biden surrogates. It’s the old nuts and sluts defense from the days of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Alyssa Milano and other leftist women should just admit that the #MeToo movement has always been about liberal women and their scorn of powerful men. Reade is a Democrat, a former Biden staffer. Milano and other Democrat women will support Joe Biden no matter what happens, as long as he’s the candidate. The important thing is to oust President Trump.
Almost at the end of the piece, she says “It’s okay to be confused by the complexities progressive women face at every choice. It’s okay to feel like there is no right way out, just the best way available. It’s okay to look at the evidence and come to your own conclusion.” I’ll let the “complexities” of progressive women go but coming to our own conclusions is exactly what women who supported Brett Kavanaugh or Donald Trump did. We weren’t looking to a celebrity activist to advise us for approval.
Believe all women was always a ridiculous position to take. Victims deserve to be heard and those who abused them should be brought to justice. To assume all women are telling the truth is just as absurd as it is to assume all men tell the truth. Some people lie for whatever reason. And, when push comes to shove, Alyssa Milano fails miserably to stand up and walk the walk. Third-wave feminism is dead, killed off by overzealous quasi-feminists just like first wave and second-wave feminism. Good thing Tara Reade isn’t a conservative woman making claims against Joe Biden. Think of the canceling she’d be receiving at this point. It’s pretty easy to believe Tara, given Creepy Joe’s handy behavior with both children and women. Alyssa Milano should just take a seat now and stop pretending to be the leader of the #MeToo movement. It’s dead.


hotair--2020-04-30--Model: 100,000 American coronavirus deaths possible by this summer. Or sooner?

Treat this as a follow-up to last night ’ s post noting that we ’ re not yet on our way down the proverbial curve in terms of daily deaths .
When does that happen , exactly ?
The increasingly implausible IHME model with which we ’ re all familiar imagines deaths in the U.S. dropping below 1,000 per day just three days from now .
Yesterday we registered 2,700 .
Today , according to the latest data , we ’ re slightly north of 2,000 , which is worse than the 1,700-1,800 we were registering on weekdays last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should see daily deaths nationwide sink below 500 on May 10 , then below 100 on May 25 , and then reach single digits on June 13 before dipping to zero on June 30 .
That seems wildly unlikely .
The modelers would probably answer that their numbers assume aggressive social distancing whereas some states , like Georgia , have already begun to relax social distancing .
Right , but ( a ) Georgia ’ s reopening is limited and ( b ) we ’ re ahead of IHME ’ s projections right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave ” has had time to materialize in states that have reopened .
IHME was simply too conservative in projecting deaths , it seems .
( And too liberal in projecting hospitalizations initially . )
We ’ re obviously going to top their estimate of 73,000 before August 4 .
By a lot .
Another model projects somewhere close to 100,000 deaths by the end of summer .
By the end of the coronavirus ’ s “ first wave ” this summer , America will likely have buried close to 100,000 victims of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 million people having become infected , according to Alessandro Vespignani , the director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University .
The elite research lab , which has gained international notice for its pandemic modeling , also concluded that at least 80,000 to 90,000 Americans will be dead of coronavirus complications by mid-May… He said the aggressive social distancing measures most Americans have undertaken doubtless saved several hundred thousand lives .
New cases of COVID-19 , the disease that results from exposure to the coronavirus , have plateaued as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that reopening public spaces too soon or without adequate testing and contact tracing infrastructure in place could lead to a dramatic resurgence in infections and deaths .
Vespignani estimates 500,000 Americans would be dead by now if we had carried on with business as usual , without social distancing .
How long will it take us to reach 100,000 as-is , though ?
At a rate of , say , 1,500 deaths per day we ’ d reach that total by … the end of the coming month .
With the official start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flagged this data from a survey of experts at UMass asking how soon it ’ d be before the U.S. saw a week with fewer than 5,000 deaths .
The last time that happened was at the start of the outbreak , during the last week of March .
We ’ ve already recorded 8,000 deaths nationally this week , with two days still to go .
Results of the survey : A plurality of experts believe we have a bare minimum of 35,000 deaths to go in this first wave ( there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 ) , and likely many more .
After all , even if we drop below 5,000 per week after June 20 , we ’ re not dropping immediately to zero .
There ’ ll be weeks of deaths in the low thousands to come after that .
Trevor Bedford , the Seattle researcher who was among the first to detect silent community spread of the virus in Washington state , thinks maybe it ’ s time to stop thinking in “ waves.
” There may not be waves .
Our current levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the new normal .
Because different states will be on different timetables and trying different policies to reopen , says Bedford , we might expect the cumulative national effect on deaths and cases to be a “ plateau ” more so than a decline .
For instance , as Georgia opens up but New York remains locked down , cases may rise in the former and shrink in the latter .
Georgia will add deaths this summer as deaths in New York continue to drop .
Then the trends may reverse — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fatalities as New Yorkers are finally getting ready to reemerge from hibernation .
( The differing size of the two states ’ populations will obviously have different effects on the national numbers . )
The point is , there may be no “ down ” side of the epidemic curve .
There may just be stasis or something like it , with Americans in different regions simultaneously increasing and decreasing new cases and deaths by reacting in opposite ways to their respective local conditions .
E.g .
: As word circulates in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment when things are supposed to be getting “ safer , ” Texans may compensate by delaying plans to restart consumer activity , limiting any new spike .
New cases and new deaths may never fall below a certain daily level if Bedford is right ; the daily numbers may reflect a “ comfort level ” indicating Americans ’ aggregate tolerance for risk in the name of pursuing semi-normal social and commercial activities .
If , hypothetically , it turns out that we plateau at around 1,000 deaths per day then we should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the summer months of June , July , and August alone — not counting the 60,000 that have already been recorded .
Think on that .
One more number for you , this time from Gallup .
The share of parents who say they ’ re able to carry on with social distancing as long as necessary before experiencing financial hardship is getting larger , not smaller , over time .
Across the population , the share of Americans who say they can carry on social distancing as long as necessary without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent two weeks ago to 59 percent now .
Presumably that ’ s a result of the beefier unemployment benefits Congress passed in the coronavirus rescue package and of households learning to manage better in the new normal .
If you still have an income ( from unemployment or otherwise ) and your spending is way down — because , well , what ’ s left to spend on ?
— your day-to-day cash flow may have improved enough to make sustained social distancing feasible .
Which was the point of the rescue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthy by making it viable to keep them at home .
I ’ ll leave you with this .
Trump is right that things could have been much worse but selling a six-figure death toll as a major achievement is not a great talking point for the election .

Treat this as a follow-up to last night’s post noting that we’re not yet on our way down the proverbial curve in terms of daily deaths. When does that happen, exactly?
The increasingly implausible IHME model with which we’re all familiar imagines deaths in the U.S. dropping below 1,000 per day just three days from now. Yesterday we registered 2,700. Today, according to the latest data, we’re slightly north of 2,000, which is worse than the 1,700-1,800 we were registering on weekdays last week. If you believe IHME, we should see daily deaths nationwide sink below 500 on May 10, then below 100 on May 25, and then reach single digits on June 13 before dipping to zero on June 30. That seems wildly unlikely.
The modelers would probably answer that their numbers assume aggressive social distancing whereas some states, like Georgia, have already begun to relax social distancing. Right, but (a) Georgia’s reopening is limited and (b) we’re ahead of IHME’s projections right now, even before any “second wave” has had time to materialize in states that have reopened. IHME was simply too conservative in projecting deaths, it seems. (And too liberal in projecting hospitalizations initially.) We’re obviously going to top their estimate of 73,000 before August 4. By a lot.
Another model projects somewhere close to 100,000 deaths by the end of summer.
By the end of the coronavirus’s “first wave” this summer, America will likely have buried close to 100,000 victims of the disease, with as many as 9 million people having become infected, according to Alessandro Vespignani, the director of the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University. The elite research lab, which has gained international notice for its pandemic modeling, also concluded that at least 80,000 to 90,000 Americans will be dead of coronavirus complications by mid-May… He said the aggressive social distancing measures most Americans have undertaken doubtless saved several hundred thousand lives. New cases of COVID-19, the disease that results from exposure to the coronavirus, have plateaued as a result, Vespignani said. But he warned that reopening public spaces too soon or without adequate testing and contact tracing infrastructure in place could lead to a dramatic resurgence in infections and deaths.
Vespignani estimates 500,000 Americans would be dead by now if we had carried on with business as usual, without social distancing. How long will it take us to reach 100,000 as-is, though? At a rate of, say, 1,500 deaths per day we’d reach that total by … the end of the coming month. With the official start of summer still weeks away.
FiveThirtyEight flagged this data from a survey of experts at UMass asking how soon it’d be before the U.S. saw a week with fewer than 5,000 deaths. The last time that happened was at the start of the outbreak, during the last week of March. We’ve already recorded 8,000 deaths nationally this week, with two days still to go. Results of the survey:
A plurality of experts believe we have a bare minimum of 35,000 deaths to go in this first wave (there are seven weeks between now and June 20), and likely many more. After all, even if we drop below 5,000 per week after June 20, we’re not dropping immediately to zero. There’ll be weeks of deaths in the low thousands to come after that.
Trevor Bedford, the Seattle researcher who was among the first to detect silent community spread of the virus in Washington state, thinks maybe it’s time to stop thinking in “waves.” There may not be waves. Our current levels of daily deaths and new infections may be the new normal.
As stated before, it's clear that social distancing has had a large impact on transmission (https://t.co/Po4VuHx3VS). However, this effect has been shy of suppression nationally and hence the plateau in cases rather than a consistent decrease. 3/10 — Trevor Bedford (@trvrb) April 30, 2020
This plateau at a national level is the result of some states with rising case counts (and Rt greater than 1) and other states with falling case counts (and Rt less than 1). 4/10 pic.twitter.com/Fd1iWA7Z3s — Trevor Bedford (@trvrb) April 30, 2020
However, given that Rt nationally is at the moment ~1, I don’t see why we expect large declines in daily case counts over the next month, given that behavior has been pretty static, or perhaps rising. Figure from https://t.co/4zoa39mm9l. 7/10 pic.twitter.com/zKnqXOOzjH — Trevor Bedford (@trvrb) April 30, 2020
Because different states will be on different timetables and trying different policies to reopen, says Bedford, we might expect the cumulative national effect on deaths and cases to be a “plateau” more so than a decline. For instance, as Georgia opens up but New York remains locked down, cases may rise in the former and shrink in the latter. Georgia will add deaths this summer as deaths in New York continue to drop. Then the trends may reverse — Georgians might be spooked by the rise in fatalities as New Yorkers are finally getting ready to reemerge from hibernation. (The differing size of the two states’ populations will obviously have different effects on the national numbers.) The point is, there may be no “down” side of the epidemic curve. There may just be stasis or something like it, with Americans in different regions simultaneously increasing and decreasing new cases and deaths by reacting in opposite ways to their respective local conditions. E.g.:
Texas reports 1,033 new cases of COVID-19 today — the day before we are set to start reopening. The last time the state broke 1,000 was on April 10. https://t.co/aQ1lTZJxEd — Allie Morris 🌟 (@MorrisReports) April 30, 2020
As word circulates in Texas that cases are climbing at a moment when things are supposed to be getting “safer,” Texans may compensate by delaying plans to restart consumer activity, limiting any new spike. New cases and new deaths may never fall below a certain daily level if Bedford is right; the daily numbers may reflect a “comfort level” indicating Americans’ aggregate tolerance for risk in the name of pursuing semi-normal social and commercial activities. If, hypothetically, it turns out that we plateau at around 1,000 deaths per day then we should expect to see close to 100,000 deaths in the summer months of June, July, and August alone — not counting the 60,000 that have already been recorded. Think on that.
One more number for you, this time from Gallup.
The share of parents who say they’re able to carry on with social distancing as long as necessary before experiencing financial hardship is getting larger, not smaller, over time. Across the population, the share of Americans who say they can carry on social distancing as long as necessary without hardship has also increased, from 55 percent two weeks ago to 59 percent now. Presumably that’s a result of the beefier unemployment benefits Congress passed in the coronavirus rescue package and of households learning to manage better in the new normal. If you still have an income (from unemployment or otherwise) and your spending is way down — because, well, what’s left to spend on? — your day-to-day cash flow may have improved enough to make sustained social distancing feasible. Which was the point of the rescue package, of course. Keep people healthy by making it viable to keep them at home.
I’ll leave you with this. Trump is right that things could have been much worse but selling a six-figure death toll as a major achievement is not a great talking point for the election.


hotair--2020-05-01--VOA bureau chief's tweet brings the heat from Pence's office

Just when we thought the tsk-tsking toward Vice-President Mike Pence was dying down after he took a pass on wearing a face mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic Tuesday , a new front has opened up .
Mrs. Pence did an interview on Fox & Friends Thursday and when asked about the criticism her husband received , she did what any wife would do – she spoke up for him .
“ As our medical experts have told us wearing a mask prevents you from spreading the disease and knowing that he doesn ’ t have COVID -19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Karen Pence said on “ Fox & Friends , ” referencing to the fact that her husband had tested negative for the novel coronavirus .
“ It was actually after he left Mayo Clinic that he found out that they had a policy of asking everyone to wear a mask , ” Karen Pence said .
“ Someone who has worked on this whole task force for over two months is not someone who would have done anything to offend anyone or hurt anyone or scare anyone , ” Karen Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that would be a pretty standard kind of answer for a politician ’ s wife to give to counter criticism , right ?
These aren ’ t normal circumstances , though , and not only is there a coronavirus pandemic spreading throughout the world but there is a presidential election coming up in November .
Anything less than what is perceived as perfect behavior from the vice-president – the person tasked with coordinating the coronavirus task force – will be fodder for his critics .
It should be noted that the Mayo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made aware of the masking policy before he arrived .
That tweet was soon deleted , though .
So , perhaps that little pushback from the Mayo Clinic spurred on the question to Karen Pence .
And just like that , the controversy grew new legs .
Steve Herman , the White House bureau chief for Voice of America ( VOA ) , tweeted out that everyone traveling in the Pence entourage knew about the mask policy in advance , including him .
Vice-President Pence ’ s staff was not amused .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a planning memo sent out to him and other reporters before they left on the trip .
Apparently there is some retaliation under consideration .
Herman says it has already happened , but Pence ’ s office says the matter is still under discussion .
Steve Herman is not in agreement with Pence ’ s office ’ s take on this .
The Washington Post obtained a copy of the instructions from the White House .
While it states that masks must be worn , per the Mayo Clinic policy , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the record , for planning purposes only .
A copy of the document obtained by The Washington Post explicitly stated that masks are required for the visit and instructed reporters to wear them .
“ Please note , the Mayo Clinic is requiring all individuals traveling with the VP wear masks , ” the document said .
“ Please bring one to wear while on the trip.
” The directive confirms that Pence ’ s staff was well aware of the need for masks , raising the possibility that none of his aides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence had intentionally flouted it , perhaps to avoid being photographed in a mask .
( Pence himself told reporters after the visit that because he doesn ’ t have the coronavirus — he is tested frequently — he decided he could “ speak to these researchers , these incredible health-care personnel , and look them in the eye and say thank you.
” ) However , the planning document is marked , “ OFF THE RECORD AND FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY.
” The off-the-record designation is standard for such logistical memos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or report the information .
The White House typically keeps planning information confidential to maintain security for official trips .
It seems pretty clear to me .
If something is marked off the record in all caps , the reader should probably pay attention to that .
Capitalization implies importance .
Since Steve Herman ’ s tweet was posted 48 hours after the trip , his opinion is that there was no risk to security , and the time limit on the instructions were expired .
He isn ’ t inclined to offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Is this just a personal beef with Voice of America ?
Perhaps .
Another reporter posted a similar tweet and isn ’ t sideways with Pence ’ s staff .
Recently the White House has criticized the federally-funded but independent news service as one that promotes Chinese government propaganda in its reporting on the coronavirus pandemic .
The critique was found on the official White House website , flagging its brief statement with a provocative headline : “ Amid a Pandemic , Voice of America Spends Your Money to Promote Foreign Propaganda.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ part : “ Journalists should report the facts , but VOA has instead amplified Beijing ’ s propaganda .
This week , VOA called China ’ s Wuhan lockdown a successful ‘ model ’ copied by much of the world—and then tweeted out video of the Communist government ’ s celebratory light show marking the quarantine ’ s alleged end.
” It added , “ Even worse , while much of the U.S. media takes its lead from China , VOA went one step further : It created graphics with Communist government statistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll to America ’ s .
As intelligence experts point out , there is simply no way to verify the accuracy of China ’ s numbers.
” Trump is said to want to have more power over VOA , something that became apparent early on in his term in office .
He didn ’ t appreciate reporting contradicting the administration ’ s description of a huge crowd in attendance for Trump ’ s inauguration , for example .
VOA is funded by Congress but is screened from political influence by an independent board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Media .

Just when we thought the tsk-tsking toward Vice-President Mike Pence was dying down after he took a pass on wearing a face mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic Tuesday, a new front has opened up. Mrs. Pence did an interview on Fox & Friends Thursday and when asked about the criticism her husband received, she did what any wife would do – she spoke up for him.
“As our medical experts have told us wearing a mask prevents you from spreading the disease and knowing that he doesn’t have COVID -19, he didn’t wear one,” Karen Pence said on “Fox & Friends,” referencing to the fact that her husband had tested negative for the novel coronavirus. “It was actually after he left Mayo Clinic that he found out that they had a policy of asking everyone to wear a mask,” Karen Pence said. “Someone who has worked on this whole task force for over two months is not someone who would have done anything to offend anyone or hurt anyone or scare anyone,” Karen Pence said on Thursday.
Under normal circumstances, that would be a pretty standard kind of answer for a politician’s wife to give to counter criticism, right? These aren’t normal circumstances, though, and not only is there a coronavirus pandemic spreading throughout the world but there is a presidential election coming up in November. Anything less than what is perceived as perfect behavior from the vice-president – the person tasked with coordinating the coronavirus task force – will be fodder for his critics.
It should be noted that the Mayo Clinic tweeted out that the vice-president was made aware of the masking policy before he arrived. That tweet was soon deleted, though. So, perhaps that little pushback from the Mayo Clinic spurred on the question to Karen Pence.
And just like that, the controversy grew new legs. Steve Herman, the White House bureau chief for Voice of America (VOA), tweeted out that everyone traveling in the Pence entourage knew about the mask policy in advance, including him.
“All of us who traveled with [Pence] were notified by the office of @VP the day before the trip that wearing of masks was required by the @MayoClinic and to prepare accordingly,” tweeted Herman, who covered the trip as part of his rotation as one of the pool reporters, who share information with other reporters in limited-space situations.
All of us who traveled with him were notified by the office of @VP the day before the trip that wearing of masks was required by the @MayoClinic and to prepare accordingly. https://t.co/LFqh27LusD — Steve Herman (@W7VOA) April 30, 2020
Vice-President Pence’s staff was not amused. They say that Herman violated the off-the-record terms of a planning memo sent out to him and other reporters before they left on the trip. Apparently there is some retaliation under consideration. Herman says it has already happened, but Pence’s office says the matter is still under discussion.
Herman said he was notified by the White House Correspondents’ Association that Pence’s office had banned him from further travel on Air Force Two, although a spokesperson in Pence’s office later told VOA managers than any punishment was still under discussion, pending an apology from Herman or VOA.
Steve Herman is not in agreement with Pence’s office’s take on this. The Washington Post obtained a copy of the instructions from the White House. While it states that masks must be worn, per the Mayo Clinic policy, it also specifically states the document is off the record, for planning purposes only.
A copy of the document obtained by The Washington Post explicitly stated that masks are required for the visit and instructed reporters to wear them. “Please note, the Mayo Clinic is requiring all individuals traveling with the VP wear masks,” the document said. “Please bring one to wear while on the trip.” The directive confirms that Pence’s staff was well aware of the need for masks, raising the possibility that none of his aides alerted him to the requirement or that Pence had intentionally flouted it, perhaps to avoid being photographed in a mask. (Pence himself told reporters after the visit that because he doesn’t have the coronavirus — he is tested frequently — he decided he could “speak to these researchers, these incredible health-care personnel, and look them in the eye and say thank you.”) However, the planning document is marked, “OFF THE RECORD AND FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY.” The off-the-record designation is standard for such logistical memos, indicating reporters are obligated not to publish or report the information. The White House typically keeps planning information confidential to maintain security for official trips.
It seems pretty clear to me. If something is marked off the record in all caps, the reader should probably pay attention to that. Capitalization implies importance. Since Steve Herman’s tweet was posted 48 hours after the trip, his opinion is that there was no risk to security, and the time limit on the instructions were expired. He isn’t inclined to offer up the apology that Mike Pence wants.
“My tweet speaks for itself,” Herman said in a statement. “We always have and will strictly adhere to keeping off the record any White House communications to reporters for planning purposes involving logistics that have security implications prior to events. . . . All White House pool reporters, including myself and my VOA colleagues, take this very seriously.”
Is this just a personal beef with Voice of America? Perhaps. Another reporter posted a similar tweet and isn’t sideways with Pence’s staff.
also, everyone in the entire Mayo Clinic had a mask on, everyone, and we were all told the day before we had to wear a mask if we entered the clinic https://t.co/cNW4fJ87Q4 — Gordon Lubold (@glubold) April 30, 2020
Recently the White House has criticized the federally-funded but independent news service as one that promotes Chinese government propaganda in its reporting on the coronavirus pandemic.
The critique was found on the official White House website, flagging its brief statement with a provocative headline: “Amid a Pandemic, Voice of America Spends Your Money to Promote Foreign Propaganda.” The unsigned statement said, in part: “Journalists should report the facts, but VOA has instead amplified Beijing’s propaganda. This week, VOA called China’s Wuhan lockdown a successful ‘model’ copied by much of the world—and then tweeted out video of the Communist government’s celebratory light show marking the quarantine’s alleged end.” It added, “Even worse, while much of the U.S. media takes its lead from China, VOA went one step further: It created graphics with Communist government statistics to compare China’s Coronavirus death toll to America’s. As intelligence experts point out, there is simply no way to verify the accuracy of China’s numbers.”
Dan Scavino, President Trump’s social media director posted a tweet about VOA Thursday.
American taxpayers—paying for China’s very own propaganda, via the U.S. Government funded Voice of America! DISGRACE!! https://t.co/mng8oYwz4l — Dan Scavino Jr. Archived (@Scavino45) April 9, 2020
Trump is said to want to have more power over VOA, something that became apparent early on in his term in office. He didn’t appreciate reporting contradicting the administration’s description of a huge crowd in attendance for Trump’s inauguration, for example. VOA is funded by Congress but is screened from political influence by an independent board, called the U.S. Agency for Global Media.


hotair--2020-05-01--MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace: 'The right running a smear campaign against Joe Biden'

One day after the hashtag # FireChrisHayes was trending online because the MSNBC host dared to give any time to Tara Reade ’ s story , guest host Nicolle Wallace is telling the network ’ s viewers that “ the right ” doesn ’ t care about the truth .
In fact , she said the “ right is running a smear campaign against Joe Biden.
” I hope that somewhere Justice Kavanaugh is laughing heartily at the idea Joe Biden is having a tough time of it .
Here ’ s the short version : The set up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Biden and his response this morning .
Al Sharpton was quick to suggest that if Republicans try to politicize this , it would wind up looking bad for President Trump .
Andrea Mitchell chimed with an excuse for the media coverage thus far , saying the allegation hasn ’ t gotten much coverage because the Biden campaign isn ’ t out campaigning .
She conveniently overlooked the dozen or so interviews Joe Biden has done in the last few weeks , including one on Morning Joe which took place several days after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stories about the Reade allegations .
Mitchell went on to point out that Biden was very out front when it came to championing allegations by Christine Blasey Ford .
“ And now the Trump campaign is going after him , Don Jr. and the campaign and Kellyanne Conway , saying ‘ this is , you know , a double standard , you ’ re a hypocrite.
’ She then rambled on about credible allegations against Trump , pushing aside the point about the obvious double-standards exhibited by numerous Democrats and women ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s when Nicolle Wallace got worked up with her claim that the right doesn ’ t care about the truth of Tara Reade ’ s allegations .
Again , her network hasn ’ t touched this until a few days ago and even then it was met with open hostility .
But it ’ s the right that doesn ’ t care about the truth ?
But that ’ s not even the dumbest part of what she said .
The dumbest part is her calling this a “ smear campaign ” when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside the MSNBC bubble that Joe Biden has thus far been treated with the softest of kid gloves compared to what Brett Kavanaugh experienced 18 months ago at the hands of Democrats who demanded that a woman ’ s allegation take precedence over his political ambitions .
If what we ’ re seeing now is a smear campaign with no regard for the truth , what the hell was that in 2018 ?
According to Wallace , Democrats are trying “ to have some consistency around statements that I think just about every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the context of the MeToo movement.
” They may be trying , but they definitely aren ’ t succeeding .
And that ’ s really the point here .
We ’ ve been told since Kavanaugh how these allegations are supposed to be handled and that ’ s not at all how the Democrats and the media have been handling this .
There have been several stories about women struggling with that fact .
It ’ s not even really a secret that what we ’ re seeing now is a very different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of media silence , endorsements of Biden by top Democrats and studied silence from women ’ s groups aligned with the Democratic party , Nicolle Wallace thinks the banner headline is that Republicans are naked partisans with no regard for the truth .
It ’ s really just stunning .
I think John Ekdahl summed up my feelings watching some of this play out over the last few days .
The full segment doesn ’ t appear to be on YouTube but Mediatie published it here , so you can click over to @ @ @ @ @

One day after the hashtag #FireChrisHayes was trending online because the MSNBC host dared to give any time to Tara Reade’s story, guest host Nicolle Wallace is telling the network’s viewers that “the right” doesn’t care about the truth. In fact, she said the “right is running a smear campaign against Joe Biden.” I hope that somewhere Justice Kavanaugh is laughing heartily at the idea Joe Biden is having a tough time of it. Here’s the short version:
MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace: "The right isn't running an intellectually honest operation to get to the bottom of whether Tara Reade was victimized. The right is running a smear campaign against Joe Biden." pic.twitter.com/G0QUf9iryN — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 1, 2020
The set up for this is 9-minute-long segment discussing the allegations against Biden and his response this morning. Al Sharpton was quick to suggest that if Republicans try to politicize this, it would wind up looking bad for President Trump. Andrea Mitchell chimed with an excuse for the media coverage thus far, saying the allegation hasn’t gotten much coverage because the Biden campaign isn’t out campaigning. She conveniently overlooked the dozen or so interviews Joe Biden has done in the last few weeks, including one on Morning Joe which took place several days after the NY Times and Washington Post published stories about the Reade allegations.
Mitchell went on to point out that Biden was very out front when it came to championing allegations by Christine Blasey Ford. “And now the Trump campaign is going after him, Don Jr. and the campaign and Kellyanne Conway, saying ‘this is, you know, a double standard, you’re a hypocrite.’ She then rambled on about credible allegations against Trump, pushing aside the point about the obvious double-standards exhibited by numerous Democrats and women’s groups in this case.
That’s when Nicolle Wallace got worked up with her claim that the right doesn’t care about the truth of Tara Reade’s allegations. Again, her network hasn’t touched this until a few days ago and even then it was met with open hostility. But it’s the right that doesn’t care about the truth?
But that’s not even the dumbest part of what she said. The dumbest part is her calling this a “smear campaign” when it’s obvious to almost everyone outside the MSNBC bubble that Joe Biden has thus far been treated with the softest of kid gloves compared to what Brett Kavanaugh experienced 18 months ago at the hands of Democrats who demanded that a woman’s allegation take precedence over his political ambitions. If what we’re seeing now is a smear campaign with no regard for the truth, what the hell was that in 2018?
According to Wallace, Democrats are trying “to have some consistency around statements that I think just about every elected Democrat has made about women in the context of the MeToo movement.”
They may be trying, but they definitely aren’t succeeding. And that’s really the point here. We’ve been told since Kavanaugh how these allegations are supposed to be handled and that’s not at all how the Democrats and the media have been handling this. There have been several stories about women struggling with that fact. It’s not even really a secret that what we’re seeing now is a very different script.
And yet, after weeks of media silence, endorsements of Biden by top Democrats and studied silence from women’s groups aligned with the Democratic party, Nicolle Wallace thinks the banner headline is that Republicans are naked partisans with no regard for the truth.
It’s really just stunning. I think John Ekdahl summed up my feelings watching some of this play out over the last few days.
I can’t even muster any anger over this stuff. I am just frozen jaw-on-the-floor in shock watching this whiplash play out in front of me like this. Do they think the internet wiped its entire history last year? https://t.co/Imf6FnJNiJ — American Journalists Publish Chinese Propaganda (@JohnEkdahl) May 1, 2020
The full segment doesn’t appear to be on YouTube but Mediatie published it here, so you can click over to get the full context.


hotair--2020-05-01--And now a message from the Grim Reaper: Keep the beaches closed and observe social distancing

I don ’ t know , buddy .
To my eye , everyone seems reasonably well-distanced in the backdrop of this clip .
And if we ’ re rating the safest places in America right now , a hot , humid outdoor space bathed in UV radiation with plenty of ocean breezes has to be near the very top .
If he wants to do some reaping , I have a much more fruitful spot for him to target .
But then , judging by the death toll in NYC , he ’ s already well acquainted with it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York has been , the data there lately is some of the most encouraging in the country .
I wrote at length last night about how the daily number of deaths and new cases across the U.S. has plateaued ; we ’ re no longer seeing the death toll accelerate but we ’ re not seeing it shrink either .
The story in NYC is different .
This really does look like the curve we ’ re all familiar with : The current number of deaths per day is now far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak .
Nate Silver asks an intriguing question : Does NYC resemble a more traditional epidemic curve because it ’ s closer to herd immunity than other parts of the country ?
The plateauing we ’ re seeing in the national numbers suggests that the infection rate is now around 1 ; the decline we ’ re seeing in New York suggests that it ’ s below 1 , which is also what happens once herd immunity is achieved .
It could just be good old-fashioned social distancing that ’ s limiting transmission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more diligently than people in other cities because of the extreme threat there .
But if it ’ s true that prevalence in NYC is much higher than it is anywhere else then there may be some sort of limited herd-immunity effect on the numbers too .
That is , by moving too slowly to lock down initially , New York may have blundered into an outcome not unlike Sweden ’ s .
Lots of death up front and then — hopefully — a tailing off that never truly spikes again , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a strong enough possibility that I endorse this idea , even though it ’ s now been ruled out by Andrew Cuomo : I suggested summer school in a post a few days ago .
Schools need to squeeze in whatever opportunities for education are available given the likelihood of a second wave this fall .
Kids will have ended up missing more than three months by the time summer arrives .
Another bad wave of COVID-19 starting in October could cause them to miss the better part of an entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to undo the gains New York has made towards stamping out the epidemic by reopening a major vector of infection , but precautions could be taken .
Outdoor classes only , all kids in masks , regular hand-sanitizer breaks .
Even half-days would be of some use in delivering partial education and giving parents a break for a few hours from having to manage small children at home .
Oh well .

I don’t know, buddy. To my eye, everyone seems reasonably well-distanced in the backdrop of this clip. And if we’re rating the safest places in America right now, a hot, humid outdoor space bathed in UV radiation with plenty of ocean breezes has to be near the very top.
If he wants to do some reaping, I have a much more fruitful spot for him to target.
But then, judging by the death toll in NYC, he’s already well acquainted with it.
As horrendous as the number of deaths in New York has been, the data there lately is some of the most encouraging in the country. I wrote at length last night about how the daily number of deaths and new cases across the U.S. has plateaued; we’re no longer seeing the death toll accelerate but we’re not seeing it shrink either. The story in NYC is different. This really does look like the curve we’re all familiar with:
#COVID19 Hopeful chart of the day New York State reports 289 new deaths today, below 300 for the first time in a month 🙏 pic.twitter.com/KawthKo42N — Andy Biotech (@AndyBiotech) May 1, 2020
The current number of deaths per day is now far less than half what it was at peak. Nate Silver asks an intriguing question: Does NYC resemble a more traditional epidemic curve because it’s closer to herd immunity than other parts of the country? The plateauing we’re seeing in the national numbers suggests that the infection rate is now around 1; the decline we’re seeing in New York suggests that it’s below 1, which is also what happens once herd immunity is achieved. It could just be good old-fashioned social distancing that’s limiting transmission instead, with New Yorkers hunkered down more diligently than people in other cities because of the extreme threat there. But if it’s true that prevalence in NYC is much higher than it is anywhere else then there may be some sort of limited herd-immunity effect on the numbers too.
That is, by moving too slowly to lock down initially, New York may have blundered into an outcome not unlike Sweden’s. Lots of death up front and then — hopefully — a tailing off that never truly spikes again, even if it occasionally creeps upward.
It’s a strong enough possibility that I endorse this idea, even though it’s now been ruled out by Andrew Cuomo:
New York is on a trajectory where reopening K-6 just for June would be a really valuable time-limited experiment, so this is unsurprising but disappointing:https://t.co/S7ChX9VY10 — Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) May 1, 2020
I suggested summer school in a post a few days ago. Schools need to squeeze in whatever opportunities for education are available given the likelihood of a second wave this fall. Kids will have ended up missing more than three months by the time summer arrives. Another bad wave of COVID-19 starting in October could cause them to miss the better part of an entire school year. Cuomo understandably doesn’t want to undo the gains New York has made towards stamping out the epidemic by reopening a major vector of infection, but precautions could be taken. Outdoor classes only, all kids in masks, regular hand-sanitizer breaks. Even half-days would be of some use in delivering partial education and giving parents a break for a few hours from having to manage small children at home. Oh well.


hotair--2020-05-01--Tough new Trump ad: The Democratic double standard on believing women

Whether Biden did what he ’ s been accused of is unclear .
Whether Democratic politicians are gross hypocrites about allegations of sexual assault is not .
The bill for the Kavanaugh fiasco has come due .
Truth be told , that ’ s half the reason Republicans have taken such an interest in the Tara Reade allegation .
It ’ s not just that what she alleges is awful , although it is .
It ’ s that Biden and his party are now being forced to eat every last bit of the expedient # BelieveAllWomen cynicism they dished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Says Brooke Rogers : This hasn ’ t been lost on Reade herself : “ It was really devastating when [ Kirsten ] Gillibrand and Stacey Abrams and Hillary Clinton , all on the same day , just basically implied my story wasn ’ t true and they believe Joe Biden .
I can ’ t describe to you what that felt like , ” Reade said on Thursday , describing herself as a “ lifelong Democrat ” and in particular a fan of Abrams ’ , the former Georgia House minority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ticket with Biden as his vice presidential nominee .
“ I just— I ’ m stunned , ” Reade said .
“ They didn ’ t just say , ‘ Oh , we ’ re standing with Joe Biden until we hear more.
’ They just discounted me .
They marginalized me .
They said they didn ’ t believe me .
I can ’ t tell you , ” Reade said , trailing off .
“ I cried for a while because they ’ re important in my life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ looked up to.
” She thought they took this seriously .
Little did she know .
This isn ’ t just about Kavanaugh , though .
Andrew Sullivan notes that Biden is guilty as charged according to his own standards , specifically the Star Chamber standards he and Obama set for how claims of sexual assault were to be handled on campus under Title IX .
“ You can listen to Biden ’ s strident speeches and rhetoric on this question and find not a single smidgen of concern with the rights of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Men in college were to be regarded as guilty before being proven innocent , and stripped of basic rights in their self-defense.
” The bill has come due .
Team Trump had better tread lightly , though .
Ads like this one are effective because the president and his team are invisible in it .
The focus is on Biden and Biden alone .
Ranting about the Reade accusation in interviews by White House aides , as Kellyanne Conway did earlier today , is foolish because it inevitably reintroduces Trump into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden is accused of and what Trump is accused of .
( She also insisted that Biden unseal his records as a condition of running for president even though you-know-who continues to fight to keep his tax returns secret . )
As a matter of raw politics , the Reade allegation will benefit Trump by deterring Biden from making an issue of alleged sexual misconduct by the president .
The more Team Trump flaunts its hypocrisy by targeting Biden over Reade , though , the more Democrats will want to hit back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the ad — it doesn ’ t go so far as to claim that Biden is actually guilty , merely that he should be judged guilty by his party ’ s own dumb standards .
That ’ s safer ground .

Whether Biden did what he’s been accused of is unclear. Whether Democratic politicians are gross hypocrites about allegations of sexual assault is not.
The bill for the Kavanaugh fiasco has come due. Truth be told, that’s half the reason Republicans have taken such an interest in the Tara Reade allegation. It’s not just that what she alleges is awful, although it is.
It’s that Biden and his party are now being forced to eat every last bit of the expedient #BelieveAllWomen cynicism they dished out during Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing. Says Brooke Rogers:
Something we’re learning right now is how many people actually had a come-to-Jesus moment about Bill Clinton’s history of sexual misconduct and how many were just willing to acknowledge it because he wasn’t politically useful anymore. — Brooke Rogers 🌻 (@bkerogers) May 1, 2020
This hasn’t been lost on Reade herself:
“It was really devastating when [Kirsten] Gillibrand and Stacey Abrams and Hillary Clinton, all on the same day, just basically implied my story wasn’t true and they believe Joe Biden. I can’t describe to you what that felt like,” Reade said on Thursday, describing herself as a “lifelong Democrat” and in particular a fan of Abrams’, the former Georgia House minority leader who has been campaigning to serve on the ticket with Biden as his vice presidential nominee. “I just— I’m stunned,” Reade said. “They didn’t just say, ‘Oh, we’re standing with Joe Biden until we hear more.’ They just discounted me. They marginalized me. They said they didn’t believe me. I can’t tell you,” Reade said, trailing off. “I cried for a while because they’re important in my life. They’ve been figures that I looked up to.”
She thought they took this seriously. Little did she know.
This isn’t just about Kavanaugh, though. Andrew Sullivan notes that Biden is guilty as charged according to his own standards, specifically the Star Chamber standards he and Obama set for how claims of sexual assault were to be handled on campus under Title IX. “You can listen to Biden’s strident speeches and rhetoric on this question and find not a single smidgen of concern with the rights of the accused,” Sullivan writes. “Men in college were to be regarded as guilty before being proven innocent, and stripped of basic rights in their self-defense.”
The bill has come due.
Team Trump had better tread lightly, though. Ads like this one are effective because the president and his team are invisible in it. The focus is on Biden and Biden alone. Ranting about the Reade accusation in interviews by White House aides, as Kellyanne Conway did earlier today, is foolish because it inevitably reintroduces Trump into the equation and invites a comparison between what Biden is accused of and what Trump is accused of. (She also insisted that Biden unseal his records as a condition of running for president even though you-know-who continues to fight to keep his tax returns secret.) As a matter of raw politics, the Reade allegation will benefit Trump by deterring Biden from making an issue of alleged sexual misconduct by the president. The more Team Trump flaunts its hypocrisy by targeting Biden over Reade, though, the more Democrats will want to hit back. That’s what’s clever about the ad — it doesn’t go so far as to claim that Biden is actually guilty, merely that he should be judged guilty by his party’s own dumb standards. That’s safer ground.


hotair--2020-05-01--Woman says Biden sexually harassed her when she was 14

Law & Crime reports that a woman named Eva Murry is claiming Joe Biden sexually harassed her when she was 14-years-old , complimenting the size of her breasts back in 2008 at an annual dinner held in Delaware .
“ I remember walking into the lobby and being in awe of all the people in such fancy clothes , ” Murry said in an interview .
“ Our two parties of people gravitated towards each other and everyone started saying their hellos .
When it was Biden and my aunt ’ s turn to say hello he quickly turned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I replied with my age and he replied with the comment ‘ Fourteen ?
You ’ re very well endowed for 14 !
’ I was confused but it was definitely weird , he looked me up and down and hovered his eyes on my chest so I had some clue [ about ] the notion of his comment but didn ’ t fully understand at the time .
We quickly separated from his area after the encounter.
” … “ I feel his comments were verbal sexual harassment , ” Murry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think I was too naive to realize exactly what it meant at the time but I vividly remember the uncomfortable feeling I had in the pit of my stomach during the whole encounter .
It wasn ’ t Biden ’ s words alone that made me so uncomfortable , it was the look , the tone , the whole general vibe was off.
” It ’ s bad enough that Biden said this to a girl but the fact that he knew she was 14 before he said it is really creepy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ teenage girl ?
Joe Biden would have been 65 at the time .
Murry told her sister and another friend about what happened almost immediately .
She told four other friends about the incident a few years later .
Law & Crime spoke to the sister and the other friends and all of them told the same story with the same details .
“ She was telling me about the event and explained what happened , ” Murry ’ s friend Victoria Anstey told Law & Crime .
“ I remember being so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who Biden was or anything .
Just [ that ] she said he was an ‘ older man ’ was enough for me to not like the situation.
” … Eva Murry ’ s older sister , Jenna Murry , also says she was told about the alleged incident “ within a week or so of the dinner.
” “ I remember my mom mentioning at some point soon after that that Eva had met Biden and he ’ d made a weird comment , ” Murry told Law & Crime .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TCNJ Eva told me about the comment in detail from her perspective , specifically that he looked her up and down and stared right at her chest and made her feel really uncomfortable .
I remember being really pissed off on her behalf and thinking that she was probably more upset than she was letting on and trying to be light hearted by that point , but seemed shook .
I told basically all my friends about it at the time.
” Another friend who heard the story in 2010 told L & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Biden was a pervy old man , and was like laughing but looking down when she told us.
” There is one random political element to this story .
Murry is the niece of Christine O ’ Donnell .
Yes , the “ I ’ m not a witch ” lady .
That helps explain why 14-year-old Murry was at this private political event .
Still , I guess someone will argue there ’ s a political motive behind it .
As for why she came forward now , Murry says that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everywhere and some of her friends said they were planning to vote for him .
That led her to tell various current friends about the incident .
Eventually she just decided she should tell everyone .
There ’ s a creepy postscript to the story .
Murry claims she encountered Biden perhaps three times after the initial incident .
Speaking of those subsequent encounters she told L & C , “ his eyes never were on my face .
”

Law & Crime reports that a woman named Eva Murry is claiming Joe Biden sexually harassed her when she was 14-years-old, complimenting the size of her breasts back in 2008 at an annual dinner held in Delaware.
“I remember walking into the lobby and being in awe of all the people in such fancy clothes,” Murry said in an interview. “Our two parties of people gravitated towards each other and everyone started saying their hellos. When it was Biden and my aunt’s turn to say hello he quickly turned to me and asked how old I was. I replied with my age and he replied with the comment ‘Fourteen? You’re very well endowed for 14!’ I was confused but it was definitely weird, he looked me up and down and hovered his eyes on my chest so I had some clue [about] the notion of his comment but didn’t fully understand at the time. We quickly separated from his area after the encounter.”… “I feel his comments were verbal sexual harassment,” Murry told Law&Crime. “I think I was too naive to realize exactly what it meant at the time but I vividly remember the uncomfortable feeling I had in the pit of my stomach during the whole encounter. It wasn’t Biden’s words alone that made me so uncomfortable, it was the look, the tone, the whole general vibe was off.”
It’s bad enough that Biden said this to a girl but the fact that he knew she was 14 before he said it is really creepy. Who says something like that to a teenage girl? Joe Biden would have been 65 at the time.
Murry told her sister and another friend about what happened almost immediately. She told four other friends about the incident a few years later. Law & Crime spoke to the sister and the other friends and all of them told the same story with the same details.
“She was telling me about the event and explained what happened,” Murry’s friend Victoria Anstey told Law&Crime. “I remember being so shocked. I didn’t know who Biden was or anything. Just [that] she said he was an ‘older man’ was enough for me to not like the situation.”… Eva Murry’s older sister, Jenna Murry, also says she was told about the alleged incident “within a week or so of the dinner.” “I remember my mom mentioning at some point soon after that that Eva had met Biden and he’d made a weird comment,” Murry told Law&Crime. “The next time I was home from TCNJ Eva told me about the comment in detail from her perspective, specifically that he looked her up and down and stared right at her chest and made her feel really uncomfortable. I remember being really pissed off on her behalf and thinking that she was probably more upset than she was letting on and trying to be light hearted by that point, but seemed shook. I told basically all my friends about it at the time.”
Another friend who heard the story in 2010 told L&C, “I remember she said that Biden was a pervy old man, and was like laughing but looking down when she told us.”
There is one random political element to this story. Murry is the niece of Christine O’Donnell. Yes, the “I’m not a witch” lady. That helps explain why 14-year-old Murry was at this private political event. Still, I guess someone will argue there’s a political motive behind it. As for why she came forward now, Murry says that she started seeing Biden’s name everywhere and some of her friends said they were planning to vote for him. That led her to tell various current friends about the incident. Eventually she just decided she should tell everyone.
There’s a creepy postscript to the story. Murry claims she encountered Biden perhaps three times after the initial incident. Speaking of those subsequent encounters she told L&C, “his eyes never were on my face.”