hotair--2020-04-24--Oh my: Michigan legislature calls special session-- to strip Whitmer of emergency powers

Couldn ’ t happen to a nicer petty martinet , nor at a better time .
Winston Churchill once wrote that bad kings make for good law , and Michigan ’ s legislature might put that into action in a special session starting today .
After Whitmer ’ s arbitrary and capricious COVID-19 shutdown order put the state ’ s unemployment at the highest in the nation , the legislature wants immediate oversight over Whitmer ’ s handling of the crisis .
And they want to start reviewing bills to restrict the powers that she may have abused : In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus in Michigan , the Michigan Legislature has scheduled a special session for Friday to create an oversight committee to examine how Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer has responded to the crisis as well as consider bills that would strip the governor of some of her powers .
The extraordinary move , at a time when Whitmer is looking to extend her stay-at-home order past its May 1 expiration and encouraging all Michiganders to confine themselves to their homes as a way to stop the spread of the coronavirus , is a sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Legislature , who are eager to have her reopen the state ’ s economy .
… The Senate also will consider a pair of bills that would repeal the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act , which gives wide power to the governor to declare a state of emergency in times of “ great public crisis.
” Another bill would amend the Emergency Management Act of 1976 , which allows the governor to declare a state of emergency for up to 28 days , to reduce the number of allowable days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noting that the legislature will end up putting these tasks on itself in the future if they pass these bills .
That ’ s probably as it should be , but at least at the moment , Michigan ’ s laws make it pretty easy for the legislature to avoid hard votes and time pressures in real emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic .
In such a situation , the legislature would need to immediately come into session to issue statutory restrictions , and they ’ d still have to negotiate those with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being Whitmer or not — would be able to argue that the legislature is tying his/her hands .
Be careful what you wish for is another pretty good piece of advice , even if Winston Churchill never wrote it .
Whitmer might still miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity , however .
She threatened to veto any bill that limits her authority , which is certainly a governor ’ s prerogative — but is likely to enhance her imperial rep while essentially sticking her with all of the political blame going forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes any authority away from me , ” eh ?
L ’ etat , c ’ est Gretchen ?
Anyway , at least this is how laws and regulations should get put into place .
That structure prevents the kind of nonsensical diktats that Whitmer has issued over the past few weeks , such as prohibiting people from gardening or planting on their own property and moving back and forth between their own houses .
After promising some changes yesterday , Whitmer rolled out an extension to her order last night to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got rid of a couple nonsensical restrictions : Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Friday extended her stay-at-home order through May 15 as the Midwestern state battles to control the coronavirus pandemic , but lifted restrictions so some businesses can open and the public can participate in outdoor activities such as golfing .
The measure , which also allows use of motor boats and traveling between residences in the state , immediately replaces one that was scheduled to expire next week , according to the governor ’ s executive order .
“ Social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemy , ” Whitmer said in a statement .
“ With new COVID-19 cases leveling off , however , we are lifting some of the restrictions put in place in the previous order .
I want to be crystal clear : the overarching message today is still the same .
We must all do our part by staying home and staying safe as much as possible.
” Let ’ s also be “ crystal clear ” that the bar on moving between homes and operating one ’ s own boat had nothing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those , nor the restrictions on gardening and planting , had any rational relation to preventing the spread of COVID-19 .
Whitmer banned those activities because banning them suited her own tastes , and then sneered when people objected to the overreach .
To underscore that point , Whitmer refused to include abortions in a bar on elective surgeries , even though the point of that bar was to preserve masks and gowns , which abortion clinics use up in those elective surgeries .
This just proves the wisdom of distributed power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it also might prove the folly of considering Whitmer as a viable running mate for Joe Biden .
It ’ s going to look a bit odd for Biden to pick her just as the legislature strips her authority for abusing it , especially if the idea is to improve Democrats ’ chances of winning Michigan in November .
Once the masks get stripped from petty martinets , it ’ s tough to put them back on again .

Couldn’t happen to a nicer petty martinet, nor at a better time. Winston Churchill once wrote that bad kings make for good law, and Michigan’s legislature might put that into action in a special session starting today. After Whitmer’s arbitrary and capricious COVID-19 shutdown order put the state’s unemployment at the highest in the nation, the legislature wants immediate oversight over Whitmer’s handling of the crisis. And they want to start reviewing bills to restrict the powers that she may have abused:
In the midst of the continuing spread of the coronavirus in Michigan, the Michigan Legislature has scheduled a special session for Friday to create an oversight committee to examine how Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has responded to the crisis as well as consider bills that would strip the governor of some of her powers. The extraordinary move, at a time when Whitmer is looking to extend her stay-at-home order past its May 1 expiration and encouraging all Michiganders to confine themselves to their homes as a way to stop the spread of the coronavirus, is a sign of an escalating rift with Republicans in the Legislature, who are eager to have her reopen the state’s economy. … The Senate also will consider a pair of bills that would repeal the 1945 Emergency Powers of the Governor Act, which gives wide power to the governor to declare a state of emergency in times of “great public crisis.” Another bill would amend the Emergency Management Act of 1976, which allows the governor to declare a state of emergency for up to 28 days, to reduce the number of allowable days to 14.
It’s worth noting that the legislature will end up putting these tasks on itself in the future if they pass these bills. That’s probably as it should be, but at least at the moment, Michigan’s laws make it pretty easy for the legislature to avoid hard votes and time pressures in real emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. In such a situation, the legislature would need to immediately come into session to issue statutory restrictions, and they’d still have to negotiate those with the governor, who — regardless of it being Whitmer or not — would be able to argue that the legislature is tying his/her hands. Be careful what you wish for is another pretty good piece of advice, even if Winston Churchill never wrote it.
Whitmer might still miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity, however. She threatened to veto any bill that limits her authority, which is certainly a governor’s prerogative — but is likely to enhance her imperial rep while essentially sticking her with all of the political blame going forward, too:
JUST NOW: @GovWhitmer doubles down on tyranny as citizens protest her insane overreach: "I'm not going to sign any bill that takes authority away from me…" pic.twitter.com/5IuwqWuU6O — Young Americans for Liberty (@YALiberty) April 24, 2020
“…. that takes any authority away from me,” eh? L’etat, c’est Gretchen?
Anyway, at least this is how laws and regulations should get put into place. That structure prevents the kind of nonsensical diktats that Whitmer has issued over the past few weeks, such as prohibiting people from gardening or planting on their own property and moving back and forth between their own houses. After promising some changes yesterday, Whitmer rolled out an extension to her order last night to push it out to May 15, but got rid of a couple nonsensical restrictions:
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Friday extended her stay-at-home order through May 15 as the Midwestern state battles to control the coronavirus pandemic, but lifted restrictions so some businesses can open and the public can participate in outdoor activities such as golfing. The measure, which also allows use of motor boats and traveling between residences in the state, immediately replaces one that was scheduled to expire next week, according to the governor’s executive order. “Social distancing is our best weapon to defeat this enemy,” Whitmer said in a statement. “With new COVID-19 cases leveling off, however, we are lifting some of the restrictions put in place in the previous order. I want to be crystal clear: the overarching message today is still the same. We must all do our part by staying home and staying safe as much as possible.”
Let’s also be “crystal clear” that the bar on moving between homes and operating one’s own boat had nothing to do with “social distancing.” Neither of those, nor the restrictions on gardening and planting, had any rational relation to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Whitmer banned those activities because banning them suited her own tastes, and then sneered when people objected to the overreach. To underscore that point, Whitmer refused to include abortions in a bar on elective surgeries, even though the point of that bar was to preserve masks and gowns, which abortion clinics use up in those elective surgeries.
This just proves the wisdom of distributed power between elected branches of government, but it also might prove the folly of considering Whitmer as a viable running mate for Joe Biden. It’s going to look a bit odd for Biden to pick her just as the legislature strips her authority for abusing it, especially if the idea is to improve Democrats’ chances of winning Michigan in November. Once the masks get stripped from petty martinets, it’s tough to put them back on again.


hotair--2020-04-24--Report: Trump and Pence repeatedly encouraged Georgia governor to reopen early before reversing cour

Report: Trump and Pence repeatedly encouraged Georgia governor to reopen early before reversing course the next day

This AP story is teeing up readers to bash Trump ( and Pence ) as fickle , which is fair enough .
E.g .
: Don ’ t forget the switch from “ total authority ” to “ you ’ re going to call your own shots ” in the span of three days .
But , but , but , but — the real takeaway from the story is that Trump actually listened to his health experts in the end , even though Brian Kemp of Georgia was poised to do the very thing the president had been agitating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen early , Kemp said okay , then Fauci and Birx looked at his plan and said , “ Nope.
” So Trump said “ Nope.
” Which was the right call .
If he ’ s going to change his mind every eight seconds , he should at least make the responsible move in the end .
He did here , even if he made it only for reasons of political self-interest , because he fears he ’ ll be blamed for Georgia ’ s second wave if he doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scenes , the administration had also been supportive .
The president spoke to Kemp more than once about the plan and both Trump and Pence called Kemp on Tuesday to praise his performance as governor and his plan to reopen , according to the two administration officials , who spoke on condition of anonymity because were not authorized to publicly discuss the conversations .
But on Wednesday , members of the White House ’ s virus task force revisited the plan and felt it was too soon and would be difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing .
Dr. Deborah Birx , who helps lead the White House ’ s coronavirus response , then spoke to the president after the meeting and suggested that it was too soon to reopen Georgia , an assertion with which the president agreed , according to the officials .
Trump then called Kemp and asked to slow down his plan , to which the governor said no , said the officials .
Imagine the scandal if Fauci and Birx had told Trump that Georgia was moving too soon and he blew them off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is , he claims he never told Kemp that he was okay with the specifics of his plan , only the general impulse to reopen : One counter to the White House ’ s skepticism about Georgia ’ s reopening is that Kemp is consulting with his own public-health experts .
If they say it ’ s safe for the state to cautiously reopen certain businesses , who is Trump to second-guess them ?
But is Kemp actually consulting with experts ?
WaPo hears otherwise : Georgia ’ s Republican governor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tattoo parlors , hair salons and bowling alleys reopen without receiving guidance from the panel of doctors tapped to advise him and without giving advance notice to regional health departments responsible for carrying out his orders , according to physicians and state officials… In these states , among the fastest to jump-start their idle economies , plans are proceeding without the full approval of medical professionals and emergency response officials closest to the ground-level unfolding of the outbreak , which has claimed nearly 50,000 lives in the United States .
The quest by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the date favored by President Trump — has blindsided some of the officials advising them .
It ’ s a political debacle in the making if Georgia sees a new spike .
Trump ’ s being reasonable in not wanting to go anywhere near it , especially since he can always try to take credit if it goes well .
( “ I was calling for the country to reopen before Kemp even thought of it.
” ) I ’ m optimistic about Georgia avoiding a large second spike , only because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weak to generate one .
Rigorous social distancing is the new rule de facto in American even if it ’ s no longer the rule de jure in states like Georgia .
“ We can not ‘ reopen ’ America , ” says Jonathan Last in a new piece today .
Only consumers can do that , and they ’ re in no mood .
How will the airline industry “ come back ” when people decide to take flights only for travel that can not be avoided—and international travel is severely restricted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people to be packed into small spaces—play in front of live crowds again ?
The sports leagues may be able to limp along with only broadcast revenues , but the micro-economies built around stadiums and arenas will not .
As teleworking becomes increasingly accepted—or even preferred—the physical office will wane .
What happens to commercial real estate ?
The list goes on and on : Dine-in restaurants , coffee shops , hotels , theme parks , concert venues , convention centers , shopping malls , museums , libraries , schools , colleges—every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nuclear winter that has nothing to do with stay-at home orders .
The spectacle of the mayor of Las Vegas offering her city as a “ control group ” a few days ago was especially absurd , notes Last .
Vegas is dead .
Even if casino workers and hotel maids could be forced back to work , how does she propose to make the city ’ s hospitality industry viable with demand reduced by 80 percent or whatever garish amount it ends up being ?
The same ABC poll found just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing and stay-at-home orders are an overreaction by government that ’ s taking away people ’ s freedoms .
The stay-at-home orders will be lifted sooner or later but social distancing is here to stay , potentially in extreme forms unless officials like Trump and Kemp can boost testing and set up a contact-tracing system to reassure the public that it ’ s ( more ) safe to go out .
Until people feel there ’ s less risk in resuming economic activity , not enough will do it to keep most businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attractions , Vegas especially seems like it ’ s destined for a long deep freeze until the threat from the virus is completely past .
If Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson want to get back to business ASAP , the best thing they could do is bankroll ways to fast-track a vaccine and therapeutic drugs that might shrink the fatality rate .
Until then the “ reopen ” debate is basically a mirage .
Here ’ s Hannity last night making clear that Kemp has momentarily lost the favor of MAGAworld .

This AP story is teeing up readers to bash Trump (and Pence) as fickle, which is fair enough. E.g.:
Maybe if you want states to open in a slow and methodical way you shouldn’t scream in all caps that they need to be liberated. Maybe you know actually for once put even just the slightest bit of thought into your messaging. Crazy thought, I know, I mean you’re only the president. — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) April 23, 2020
Trump originally said we had coronavirus under control, then said never mind we need to lock down, then said never mind we're opening on Easter, then said never mind we're staying closed, then said never mind we're opening, then said he disagrees with Georgia for opening — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) April 22, 2020
Don’t forget the switch from “total authority” to “you’re going to call your own shots” in the span of three days. But, but, but, but — the real takeaway from the story is that Trump actually listened to his health experts in the end, even though Brian Kemp of Georgia was poised to do the very thing the president had been agitating about for weeks. Trump wanted to reopen early, Kemp said okay, then Fauci and Birx looked at his plan and said, “Nope.” So Trump said “Nope.” Which was the right call.
If he’s going to change his mind every eight seconds, he should at least make the responsible move in the end. He did here, even if he made it only for reasons of political self-interest, because he fears he’ll be blamed for Georgia’s second wave if he doesn’t disown today’s reopening.
Behind the scenes, the administration had also been supportive. The president spoke to Kemp more than once about the plan and both Trump and Pence called Kemp on Tuesday to praise his performance as governor and his plan to reopen, according to the two administration officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because were not authorized to publicly discuss the conversations. But on Wednesday, members of the White House’s virus task force revisited the plan and felt it was too soon and would be difficult to defend in that afternoon’s press briefing. Dr. Deborah Birx, who helps lead the White House’s coronavirus response, then spoke to the president after the meeting and suggested that it was too soon to reopen Georgia, an assertion with which the president agreed, according to the officials. Trump then called Kemp and asked to slow down his plan, to which the governor said no, said the officials.
Imagine the scandal if Fauci and Birx had told Trump that Georgia was moving too soon and he blew them off and stuck with Kemp anyway. As it is, he claims he never told Kemp that he was okay with the specifics of his plan, only the general impulse to reopen:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1253695275585220608
One counter to the White House’s skepticism about Georgia’s reopening is that Kemp is consulting with his own public-health experts. If they say it’s safe for the state to cautiously reopen certain businesses, who is Trump to second-guess them? But is Kemp actually consulting with experts? WaPo hears otherwise:
Georgia’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, announced he would let tattoo parlors, hair salons and bowling alleys reopen without receiving guidance from the panel of doctors tapped to advise him and without giving advance notice to regional health departments responsible for carrying out his orders, according to physicians and state officials… In these states, among the fastest to jump-start their idle economies, plans are proceeding without the full approval of medical professionals and emergency response officials closest to the ground-level unfolding of the outbreak, which has claimed nearly 50,000 lives in the United States. The quest by certain governors to reopen by May 1 — the date favored by President Trump — has blindsided some of the officials advising them.
It’s a political debacle in the making if Georgia sees a new spike. Trump’s being reasonable in not wanting to go anywhere near it, especially since he can always try to take credit if it goes well. (“I was calling for the country to reopen before Kemp even thought of it.”)
I’m optimistic about Georgia avoiding a large second spike, only because I think consumer demand will be too weak to generate one. Rigorous social distancing is the new rule de facto in American even if it’s no longer the rule de jure in states like Georgia. “We cannot ‘reopen’ America,” says Jonathan Last in a new piece today. Only consumers can do that, and they’re in no mood.
How will the airline industry “come back” when people decide to take flights only for travel that cannot be avoided—and international travel is severely restricted? How will professional sports—which require thousands of people to be packed into small spaces—play in front of live crowds again? The sports leagues may be able to limp along with only broadcast revenues, but the micro-economies built around stadiums and arenas will not. As teleworking becomes increasingly accepted—or even preferred—the physical office will wane. What happens to commercial real estate? The list goes on and on: Dine-in restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, theme parks, concert venues, convention centers, shopping malls, museums, libraries, schools, colleges—every one of these businesses is headed into a nuclear winter that has nothing to do with stay-at home orders.
The spectacle of the mayor of Las Vegas offering her city as a “control group” a few days ago was especially absurd, notes Last. Vegas is dead. Even if casino workers and hotel maids could be forced back to work, how does she propose to make the city’s hospitality industry viable with demand reduced by 80 percent or whatever garish amount it ends up being?
The same ABC poll found just 17 percent of *Republicans* thought that social distancing and stay-at-home orders are an overreaction by government that’s taking away people’s freedoms. The stay-at-home orders will be lifted sooner or later but social distancing is here to stay, potentially in extreme forms unless officials like Trump and Kemp can boost testing and set up a contact-tracing system to reassure the public that it’s (more) safe to go out. Until people feel there’s less risk in resuming economic activity, not enough will do it to keep most businesses afloat. Given the nature of its attractions, Vegas especially seems like it’s destined for a long deep freeze until the threat from the virus is completely past. If Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson want to get back to business ASAP, the best thing they could do is bankroll ways to fast-track a vaccine and therapeutic drugs that might shrink the fatality rate. Until then the “reopen” debate is basically a mirage.
Here’s Hannity last night making clear that Kemp has momentarily lost the favor of MAGAworld.


hotair--2020-04-24--Christopher Steele deleted his notes and records related to the dossier

Christopher Steele ’ s lawyers claimed last year that he had “ meticulously documented ” his interactions with the main source for the various memos that became known as the Steele dossier .
But last month in court , Steele admitted he no longer has any of that documentation .
He claims all of it was deleted three years ago .
The Daily Caller ’ s exclusive is based on a deposition transcript from a British court where Steele is being sued for defamation by the owners of Alfa Bank .
One portion of the dossier claimed the bank had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A lawyer for the Alfa Bank owners asked Steele about the records and other documentation he had to back up the claims made in the dossier : Steele said he had no records related to the creation of his dossier memos , including “ Report 112 ” from the dossier , which dealt with the Alfa Bank owners .
“ You have no record of anything , have you ?
” Tomlinson asked .
“ I haven ’ t got any records relating to the creation of 112 , ” said Steele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other memoranda ?
” “ No , they were wiped in early January 2017.
” Steele said that a Hushmail account he used in late December 2016 was “ wiped ” clean .
He also said that communications with Fusion GPS on his company ’ s computer network were scrubbed on Jan. 5 , 2017 .
Steele had previously rejected the conclusions of the Inspector General ’ s report which found that his primary sub-source had told the FBI Steele misrepresented some of the information he ’ d been given .
One day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ) Steele ’ s lawyers claimed he could back up the accuracy of the dossier with reference to his meticulous notes and recordings .
Now we learn that the notes and recordings had been deleted nearly three years earlier and no longer exist .
What was the point of claiming Steele could back up his statements with notes if the lawyers knew the notes didn ’ t exist ?
Earlier this month , declassified footnotes from IG Horowitz ’ report revealed that the FBI believed in 2017 that Steele ’ s dossier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disinformation .
At the time I wrote about it , the exact dates of some of the events in question were still redacted .
However , those redactions were later removed .
They show that despite evidence the dossier was compromised with misinformation it was used as a key part of a FISA warrant application renewal targeting Trump campaign aide Carter Page .
In fact , the FBI never mentioned the potential compromise to the court .
The FBI accused an American citizen of being a foreign agent based on a document which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we know that any effort to double-check Steele ’ s work appears to be lost because he deleted all of his own notes and recordings .

Christopher Steele’s lawyers claimed last year that he had “meticulously documented” his interactions with the main source for the various memos that became known as the Steele dossier. But last month in court, Steele admitted he no longer has any of that documentation. He claims all of it was deleted three years ago.
The Daily Caller’s exclusive is based on a deposition transcript from a British court where Steele is being sued for defamation by the owners of Alfa Bank. One portion of the dossier claimed the bank had made “illicit payments to Vladimir Putin.” A lawyer for the Alfa Bank owners asked Steele about the records and other documentation he had to back up the claims made in the dossier:
Steele said he had no records related to the creation of his dossier memos, including “Report 112” from the dossier, which dealt with the Alfa Bank owners. “You have no record of anything, have you?” Tomlinson asked. “I haven’t got any records relating to the creation of 112,” said Steele. “Or indeed any of the other memoranda?” “No, they were wiped in early January 2017.” Steele said that a Hushmail account he used in late December 2016 was “wiped” clean. He also said that communications with Fusion GPS on his company’s computer network were scrubbed on Jan. 5, 2017.
Steele had previously rejected the conclusions of the Inspector General’s report which found that his primary sub-source had told the FBI Steele misrepresented some of the information he’d been given. One day after the report was released (last year) Steele’s lawyers claimed he could back up the accuracy of the dossier with reference to his meticulous notes and recordings. Now we learn that the notes and recordings had been deleted nearly three years earlier and no longer exist. What was the point of claiming Steele could back up his statements with notes if the lawyers knew the notes didn’t exist?
Earlier this month, declassified footnotes from IG Horowitz’ report revealed that the FBI believed in 2017 that Steele’s dossier was at least partly based on Russian disinformation. At the time I wrote about it, the exact dates of some of the events in question were still redacted. However, those redactions were later removed. They show that despite evidence the dossier was compromised with misinformation it was used as a key part of a FISA warrant application renewal targeting Trump campaign aide Carter Page. In fact, the FBI never mentioned the potential compromise to the court.
The FBI accused an American citizen of being a foreign agent based on a document which likely contained Russian disinformation. And now we know that any effort to double-check Steele’s work appears to be lost because he deleted all of his own notes and recordings.


hotair--2020-04-24--The mask mandate in Harris County isn't off to a great start

To say that the roll-out of a mandate for facial covering in Harris County has not gone well is an understatement .
On Wednesday Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued the mandate during a press conference .
Since then it has been anything but smooth sailing for her .
First , as a resident of Harris County let me explain that Lina Hidalgo isn ’ t an actual judge .
She is Harris County ’ s chief executive .
Her title is County Judge but she doesn ’ t work in a courtroom and she isn ’ t a lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bureaucrat if you will .
She was elected in November 2018 in the blue wave that swept all county offices , thanks to energized voter enthusiasm for voting for Beto O ’ Rourke that cycle in Houston that extended out through Harris County .
Thanks , Beto .
Until then , the Harris County Judge was a Republican who held the position since 2007 .
Hidalgo was 27 years old on election night and still a grad student .
She has never held elected office before this one .
In other words , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is .
Emmett is a hard act to follow under any circumstances but this young newbie is now facing leading the country ’ s third-largest county through a pandemic .
As John wrote on Wednesday , violation of the mandate carries a $ 1,000 fine .
A draft of the original order included jail time of 180 days besides the fine .
That was taken out , though , before Hidalgo signed the mandate .
The blowback was immediate .
So , beginning Monday , April 27 , and lasting for thirty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the order signed by Hidalgo : Punishment for breaking rules = Fine up to $ 1,000 .
Enforcement up to Harris County law enforcement agencies .
Essential businesses must provide face coverings/training to workers whose jobs require them to come into contact w/colleagues or the public .
Permitted garments : homemade mask , scarf , bandana or handkerchief .
( The presentation by Hidalgo ’ s office spelled bandana as banana , so that produced some jokes . )
Not recommended : N-95 respirators/medical masks because first responders need them .
Exceptions : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone and in a separate space , at home with roommates or family , or when doing so risks security , mental , or physical health The pushback began over the fine .
Frankly , the order is fairly common-sensical , but the fine is an overreach to many conservatives and certainly to law enforcement .
Law enforcement doesn ’ t want to be tasked with stopping violators and issuing fines that will likely be found unconstitutional .
It ’ s a waste of time and energy when the officers have other things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every tool in the toolbox and necessary to drive home the point that it is important to wear masks .
Seeking the opinion of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton , the Houston Police Officers ’ Union called the rules “ draconian ” .
Rep. Dan Crenshaw weighed in , as did Lt. Gov .
Dan Patrick .
“ Everyone should be wearing a mask in public , I wear 1 everyday , ” union president Joe Gamaldi said in a tweet .
“ But making not wearing 1 punishable by law , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do irreparable damage to our relationship with the community .
We are already stretched too thin without having to enforce this.
” U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw , R-Houston , warned that Hidalgo ’ s order could “ lead to unjust tyranny.
” “ Should guidelines for masks in confined spaces be emphatically promoted ?
Absolutely , ” Crenshaw tweeted .
“ But we will NEVER support 180 days in jail or $ 1,000 fine for not wearing a mask.
” You get the picture .
A local conservative activist has filed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Further confusing the severity of the issue of the fine tacked on to the mandate , Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner , a Democrat , says he ’ ll not enforce the fine .
Neighboring counties are not issuing similar orders on face covering .
Thursday Mayor Turner announced a free mask program will be put in place to provide masks to residents .
City council members will receive them to give to district residents , masks will go to retirement communities and assisted living centers and METRO will hand masks out to riders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be issuing citations .
Also on Thursday , four Republican Houston city council members ( including my councilman ) wrote a letter to Hidalgo urging her to rescind the mask order .
They say that “ voluntarily compliance is working and sufficient.
” Frankly , that is where I ’ m at on the subject .
I strongly believe in the effectiveness of compliance to wearing a face mask in public .
I lean in the direction as an early article of Ed ’ s described – mask up , take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for those of us who are in an at-risk category , for one reason or another , it can truly be a matter of life or death .
I ’ m not one given to bouts of hysteria but this coronavirus pandemic is nothing to mess with .
It ’ s not the ordinary flu .
This virus is many times deadlier and it spreads quickly , at an alarming speed .
Some very non-flu-like things happen to those who are hospitalized with COVID-19 .
Blood clots , burning sensations in extremities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and taste are not normal flu symptoms , certainly not that I ’ ve ever experienced .
Why risk the exposure to yourself or to those you love ?
Houstonians and Harris County residents have risen to the call to hunker down .
We wear protective masks and gloves when it makes sense to do so .
We are staying at home as much as possible .
According to experts monitoring the city and county , the peak of the pandemic here should be May 1 , so we aren ’ t quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hidalgo looks to be a rookie overreach .
And , if she was going to make such a strong statement by including a fine ( and originally including jail time ) for violations , it should have been done much sooner in the outbreak .
The point is , including a fine presents unnecessary confusion and isn ’ t practical .
A chief executive officer should know all of that .

To say that the roll-out of a mandate for facial covering in Harris County has not gone well is an understatement. On Wednesday Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued the mandate during a press conference. Since then it has been anything but smooth sailing for her.
First, as a resident of Harris County let me explain that Lina Hidalgo isn’t an actual judge. She is Harris County’s chief executive. Her title is County Judge but she doesn’t work in a courtroom and she isn’t a lawyer. She’s the top county bureaucrat if you will. She was elected in November 2018 in the blue wave that swept all county offices, thanks to energized voter enthusiasm for voting for Beto O’Rourke that cycle in Houston that extended out through Harris County. Thanks, Beto. Until then, the Harris County Judge was a Republican who held the position since 2007. Hidalgo was 27 years old on election night and still a grad student. She has never held elected office before this one. In other words, she rode the blue wave and here she is. Emmett is a hard act to follow under any circumstances but this young newbie is now facing leading the country’s third-largest county through a pandemic.
As John wrote on Wednesday, violation of the mandate carries a $1,000 fine. A draft of the original order included jail time of 180 days besides the fine. That was taken out, though, before Hidalgo signed the mandate. The blowback was immediate. So, beginning Monday, April 27, and lasting for thirty days, here are the specifics of the order signed by Hidalgo:
Punishment for breaking rules = Fine up to $1,000. Enforcement up to Harris County law enforcement agencies. Essential businesses must provide face coverings/training to workers whose jobs require them to come into contact w/colleagues or the public. Permitted garments: homemade mask, scarf, bandana or handkerchief. (The presentation by Hidalgo’s office spelled bandana as banana, so that produced some jokes.) Not recommended: N-95 respirators/medical masks because first responders need them. Exceptions: when exercising, eating or drinking, alone and in a separate space, at home with roommates or family, or when doing so risks security, mental, or physical health
The pushback began over the fine. Frankly, the order is fairly common-sensical, but the fine is an overreach to many conservatives and certainly to law enforcement. Law enforcement doesn’t want to be tasked with stopping violators and issuing fines that will likely be found unconstitutional. It’s a waste of time and energy when the officers have other things to do. Hidalgo calls it using every tool in the toolbox and necessary to drive home the point that it is important to wear masks.
Seeking the opinion of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Houston Police Officers’ Union called the rules “draconian”. Rep. Dan Crenshaw weighed in, as did Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
“Everyone should be wearing a mask in public, I wear 1 everyday,” union president Joe Gamaldi said in a tweet. “But making not wearing 1 punishable by law, and asking our officers to enforce it, will do irreparable damage to our relationship with the community. We are already stretched too thin without having to enforce this.” U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, warned that Hidalgo’s order could “lead to unjust tyranny.” “Should guidelines for masks in confined spaces be emphatically promoted? Absolutely,” Crenshaw tweeted. “But we will NEVER support 180 days in jail or $1,000 fine for not wearing a mask.” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called Hidalgo’s order “the ultimate government overreach.” “These kind of confused government policies fuel public anger — and rightfully so,” Patrick tweeted.
You get the picture. A local conservative activist has filed a lawsuit against Hidalgo over the order.
Houston conservative power broker Steve Hotze filed a lawsuit against Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo Thursday, alleging that her order requiring people to cover their faces in public violates the Texas Constitution and conflicts with Gov. Greg Abbott’s stay-at-home order. Hotze, who also sued Hidalgo over her stay-at-home directive, said in a petition filed in state district court that the mask rule is at odds with a provision of the Constitution that gives the Legislature “exclusive authority to define crimes and to designate the punishments for those crimes.” The petition also contends that Hidalgo cannot issue more restrictive orders than Abbott, who has not mandated that Texans wear masks in public.
Further confusing the severity of the issue of the fine tacked on to the mandate, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat, says he’ll not enforce the fine.
“Fines, I’m not even focused on that,” Turner said. Turner made his position clear regarding Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s nose and mouth cover order. Houston Police Department will not fine residents.
Neighboring counties are not issuing similar orders on face covering.
Thursday Mayor Turner announced a free mask program will be put in place to provide masks to residents. City council members will receive them to give to district residents, masks will go to retirement communities and assisted living centers and METRO will hand masks out to riders. Turner re-emphasized that police officers won’t be issuing citations.
“When you see a police officer, for example, they’re not looking to give you a citation, you know, they’re looking to give you a mask or a face covering,” Turner said. “That’s the focus. We’re all on the same team, trying to move in the same direction to keep everybody healthy.”
Also on Thursday, four Republican Houston city council members (including my councilman) wrote a letter to Hidalgo urging her to rescind the mask order. They say that “voluntarily compliance is working and sufficient.” Frankly, that is where I’m at on the subject. I strongly believe in the effectiveness of compliance to wearing a face mask in public. I lean in the direction as an early article of Ed’s described – mask up, take all the precautions you can. Especially for those of us who are in an at-risk category, for one reason or another, it can truly be a matter of life or death.
I’m not one given to bouts of hysteria but this coronavirus pandemic is nothing to mess with. It’s not the ordinary flu. This virus is many times deadlier and it spreads quickly, at an alarming speed. Some very non-flu-like things happen to those who are hospitalized with COVID-19. Blood clots, burning sensations in extremities, the loss of a sense of smell and taste are not normal flu symptoms, certainly not that I’ve ever experienced. Why risk the exposure to yourself or to those you love?
Houstonians and Harris County residents have risen to the call to hunker down. We wear protective masks and gloves when it makes sense to do so. We are staying at home as much as possible. According to experts monitoring the city and county, the peak of the pandemic here should be May 1, so we aren’t quite there yet. The order signed by Hidalgo looks to be a rookie overreach. And, if she was going to make such a strong statement by including a fine (and originally including jail time) for violations, it should have been done much sooner in the outbreak. The point is, including a fine presents unnecessary confusion and isn’t practical. A chief executive officer should know all of that.


hotair--2020-04-24--Biden: "Mark my words" -- Trump will "try to kick back the election somehow" from November

Which conspiracy theory are we running with today — that Trump is an out-of-control president about to seize dictatorial power , or an absentee politician who won ’ t rule by decree ?
We have had plenty of both this year from Democrats , who less than ninety days ago pleaded with the Senate to remove Trump lest he become a tyrant .
Just weeks later , leading Democrats howled that Trump was too slow to take over domestic private production , while Joe Biden ’ s senior adviser ripped Trump for not simply authorizing himself to fund the Paycheck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House .
Biden apparently thinks “ dictator in waiting ” was the message of the day at his fundraiser yesterday , even though this idea has already been thoroughly debunked : Biden also raised the prospect of another round of Russia-collusion speculation : Well , if you want to go all-in on crazy , you may as well go truly all-in .
I can ’ t wait for Biden to start talking about extraterrestrials and anal probes , too .
That would certainly be entertaining .
And enlightening too , but perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It should be noted that the only significant public figure expressing public concern over the prospect of Trump postponing the election is Joe Biden .
Not even Hillary Clinton is that paranoid : There ’ s a very good reason that Biden ’ s the only one yammering about this , and it ’ s because president ’ s don ’ t have that authority .
Elections are scheduled by statute , a law passed by Congress in January 1845 called the Presidential Election Day Law , as I pointed out the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was this act that set the national election date as the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November every four years .
In order for an election to be postponed , Congress would have act to postpone it , not the president .
In short , executive orders do not override statutory law , especially a statute this clear .
Trump can no more postpone an election than he can unilaterally repeal a federal law against murder .
Even if Trump was dumb enough to suggest a postponement to Congress , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow for the delay — and that would only happen if there was widespread consensus that an election couldn ’ t be held on time .
Even Snopes shot down this particular paranoid conspiracy theory , and notes another constitutional provision that would moot the entire idea anyway : Another option for states to be able to choose their electors via elections held later than Nov. 3 would be for both houses of the U.S. Congress to pass , and the president to sign , a law superseding or modifying the Presidential Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But given the current highly polarized state of U.S. politics , the chances that such a feat could be accomplished in sufficiently timely fashion — if at all — are also extremely unlikely .
And even if the U.S. legislative and executive branches could sufficiently cooperate to buy some additional time by delaying the next election , they wouldn ’ t have much leeway .
The 20th amendment to the U.S. constitution states that the current president ’ s four-year term ends at noon on Jan. 20 .
So the election couldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than two months without incurring the risk of leaving the U.S. without a president or vice president come Jan. 20 , and leaving Congress the chaotic task of having the Speaker of the House temporarily govern while figuring out how to rectify the absence of a duly-elected chief executive .
( Altering that Jan. 20 deadline would require amending the U.S. Constitution in a matter of months , a virtually impossible feat . )
Mark my words : This is sheer idiocy , and anyone propagating it is either an idiot or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media should ask Biden to clarify to which of these categories he belongs .

Which conspiracy theory are we running with today — that Trump is an out-of-control president about to seize dictatorial power, or an absentee politician who won’t rule by decree? We have had plenty of both this year from Democrats, who less than ninety days ago pleaded with the Senate to remove Trump lest he become a tyrant. Just weeks later, leading Democrats howled that Trump was too slow to take over domestic private production, while Joe Biden’s senior adviser ripped Trump for not simply authorizing himself to fund the Paycheck Protection Program even without an appropriation from the House.
Biden apparently thinks “dictator in waiting” was the message of the day at his fundraiser yesterday, even though this idea has already been thoroughly debunked:
Joe Biden tonight predicts Presidrnt Trump will try to delay the November election. “Mark my words I think he is gonna try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can’t be held,” he says at a fundraiser, according to pooler @BoKnowsNews — Matt Viser (@mviser) April 24, 2020
Biden also raised the prospect of another round of Russia-collusion speculation:
“You can be assured between [Trump] and the Russians there is going to be an attempt to interfere,” @JoeBiden said at a fundraiser tonight about the general election. — Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) April 24, 2020
Well, if you want to go all-in on crazy, you may as well go truly all-in. I can’t wait for Biden to start talking about extraterrestrials and anal probes, too. That would certainly be entertaining. And enlightening too, but perhaps not in the manner Biden intends.
It should be noted that the only significant public figure expressing public concern over the prospect of Trump postponing the election is Joe Biden. Not even Hillary Clinton is that paranoid:
Let's be clear. Trump does not have the power to cancel or postpone the November election. https://t.co/OKQyAq5g80 — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 6, 2020
There’s a very good reason that Biden’s the only one yammering about this, and it’s because president’s don’t have that authority. Elections are scheduled by statute, a law passed by Congress in January 1845 called the Presidential Election Day Law, as I pointed out the last time Biden brought this up. It was this act that set the national election date as the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November every four years. In order for an election to be postponed, Congress would have act to postpone it, not the president.
In short, executive orders do not override statutory law, especially a statute this clear. Trump can no more postpone an election than he can unilaterally repeal a federal law against murder. Even if Trump was dumb enough to suggest a postponement to Congress, they would have to pass a law to allow for the delay — and that would only happen if there was widespread consensus that an election couldn’t be held on time.
Even Snopes shot down this particular paranoid conspiracy theory, and notes another constitutional provision that would moot the entire idea anyway:
Another option for states to be able to choose their electors via elections held later than Nov. 3 would be for both houses of the U.S. Congress to pass, and the president to sign, a law superseding or modifying the Presidential Election Day Act to establish a new date. But given the current highly polarized state of U.S. politics, the chances that such a feat could be accomplished in sufficiently timely fashion — if at all — are also extremely unlikely. And even if the U.S. legislative and executive branches could sufficiently cooperate to buy some additional time by delaying the next election, they wouldn’t have much leeway. The 20th amendment to the U.S. constitution states that the current president’s four-year term ends at noon on Jan. 20. So the election couldn’t be put off by much more than two months without incurring the risk of leaving the U.S. without a president or vice president come Jan. 20, and leaving Congress the chaotic task of having the Speaker of the House temporarily govern while figuring out how to rectify the absence of a duly-elected chief executive. (Altering that Jan. 20 deadline would require amending the U.S. Constitution in a matter of months, a virtually impossible feat.)
Mark my words: This is sheer idiocy, and anyone propagating it is either an idiot or someone pandering to idiots. Maybe the media should ask Biden to clarify to which of these categories he belongs.


hotair--2020-04-24--Lysol maker responds to "recent speculation": Do not inject yourself with our product to treat coron

Lysol maker responds to "recent speculation": Do not inject yourself with our product to treat coronavirus

The president ’ s out here willing to try anything to get us out of this mess and all he gets is negativity from the “ cleaning products ” arm of the deep state .
Due to recent speculation and social media activity , RB ( the makers of Lysol and Dettol ) has been asked whether internal administration of disinfectants may be appropriate for investigation or use as a treatment for coronavirus ( SARS-CoV-2 ) .
As a global leader in health and hygiene products , we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injection , ingestion or any other route ) .
As with all products , our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines .
Please read the label and safety information .
Hats off to Kayleigh McEnany , the new White House press secretary , for doing her best to spin yesterday ’ s inane digression about bringing “ light inside the body ” or injecting something to do “ almost a cleaning ” of the lungs in order to halt the virus : She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ you ’ re going to have to use medical doctors ” to test his idea .
I ’ m looking forward to the randomized clinical trials for Lysol IV drips .
The video of Birx reacting is worth its weight in gold .
You should have resigned in protest and gone to work for the states when Trump gave you the opening , doc .
How did we reach the point where the president hears a DHS official say something about disinfectants working to kill the virus on *surfaces* and starts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body ?
It ’ s pretty simple , says the Times .
He doesn ’ t prepare for the briefings .
He ’ s reacting in real time to the information he ’ s processing , and somehow in his brain the idea of an internal “ cleaning ” made enough sense that he figured it was worth tossing out there to the planet off the cuff .
The daily White House coronavirus task force briefing is the one portion of the day that Mr. Trump looks forward to , although even Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks , grievances and falsehoods by the president are hurting him politically .
Mr. Trump will hear none of it .
Aides say he views them as prime-time shows that are the best substitute for the rallies he can no longer attend but craves .
Mr. Trump rarely attends the task force meetings that precede the briefings , and he typically does not prepare before he steps in front of the cameras .
He is often seeing the final version of the day ’ s main talking points that aides have prepared for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he makes tweaks with a Sharpie just before he reads them live .
He hastily plows through them , usually in a monotone , in order to get to the question-and-answer bullying session with reporters that he relishes .
If it ’ s true that he thinks of the briefings as ersatz rallies then logically he ’ d see no problem with riffing on whatever subject comes to mind , whether he knows the first thing about it or not .
That ’ s how his rallies work .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consciousness before an adoring audience willing to sit rapt and listen to him talk about anything , which is probably how he imagines the TV audience for the briefings too .
Anyone else puzzling over an internal “ cleaning ” of the body with disinfectants would run the idea by Fauci and Birx before taking it live on TV if the point of the briefings was to provide useful information about COVID to the public .
But if the point is simply to get the president some face time with his fans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , harmful , or somewhere in between ?
Relatedly , a new announcement from the FDA : They go on to remind the reader that hydroxychloroquine “ should be limited to clinical trial settings or for treating certain hospitalized patients ” under compassionate use protocols and that HCQ shouldn ’ t be purchased from online pharmacies without a prescription .
As Jeryl Bier says , it ’ s bananas that the president has concluded that a key part of his job during a pandemic is to talk up different drugs at his briefings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clorox .
The only thing he should have to say each day is how much progress has been made in the past 24 hours towards getting testing and contact tracing where they need to be to have the economy reopen safely sooner rather than later .
Everything else isn ’ t just a distraction and beyond his purview , it reeks of panic .
If you can ’ t or don ’ t want to do the nuts and bolts of your job then of course you ’ ll be heavily invested psychologically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even his fans have begun to adjust to that .
A new AP poll finds that not even half of Republicans say they trust the information he ’ s providing on coronavirus “ a great deal.
” Among all adults , just 23 percent say so .
I think most of the public treats what he says about COVID-19 the way Fauci and Birx do : They have to listen to it because his office entitles him to pontificate on a grand stage but they don ’ t need to take any of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have to take it literally .
Here ’ s one of his top advisors on hydroxychloroquine , another guy from New York City who ’ ll seize any excuse to enjoy the spotlight , wondering last night on Fox why we don ’ t do contact tracing for cancer , heart disease , and , uh , other non-infectious illnesses .

The president’s out here willing to try anything to get us out of this mess and all he gets is negativity from the “cleaning products” arm of the deep state.
Due to recent speculation and social media activity, RB (the makers of Lysol and Dettol) has been asked whether internal administration of disinfectants may be appropriate for investigation or use as a treatment for coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route). As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines. Please read the label and safety information.
Hats off to Kayleigh McEnany, the new White House press secretary, for doing her best to spin yesterday’s inane digression about bringing “light inside the body” or injecting something to do “almost a cleaning” of the lungs in order to halt the virus:
JUST IN—@PressSec issues a statement to defend the President’s comments about the possibility of using disinfectants to tackle #Coronavirus: pic.twitter.com/ljsnVe5lm9 — Weijia Jiang (@weijia) April 24, 2020
She’s right, he did say that “you’re going to have to use medical doctors” to test his idea. I’m looking forward to the randomized clinical trials for Lysol IV drips.
The video of Birx reacting is worth its weight in gold. You should have resigned in protest and gone to work for the states when Trump gave you the opening, doc.
Here is Dr. Birx's reaction when President Trump asks his science advisor to study using UV light on the human body and injecting disinfectant to fight the coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/MVno5X7JMA — Daniel Lewis (@Daniel_Lewis3) April 24, 2020
How did we reach the point where the president hears a DHS official say something about disinfectants working to kill the virus on *surfaces* and starts riffing about their efficacy inside the human body? It’s pretty simple, says the Times. He doesn’t prepare for the briefings. He’s reacting in real time to the information he’s processing, and somehow in his brain the idea of an internal “cleaning” made enough sense that he figured it was worth tossing out there to the planet off the cuff.
The daily White House coronavirus task force briefing is the one portion of the day that Mr. Trump looks forward to, although even Republicans say that the two hours of political attacks, grievances and falsehoods by the president are hurting him politically. Mr. Trump will hear none of it. Aides say he views them as prime-time shows that are the best substitute for the rallies he can no longer attend but craves. Mr. Trump rarely attends the task force meetings that precede the briefings, and he typically does not prepare before he steps in front of the cameras. He is often seeing the final version of the day’s main talking points that aides have prepared for him for the first time although aides said he makes tweaks with a Sharpie just before he reads them live. He hastily plows through them, usually in a monotone, in order to get to the question-and-answer bullying session with reporters that he relishes.
If it’s true that he thinks of the briefings as ersatz rallies then logically he’d see no problem with riffing on whatever subject comes to mind, whether he knows the first thing about it or not. That’s how his rallies work. They’re his chance to vent his stream of consciousness before an adoring audience willing to sit rapt and listen to him talk about anything, which is probably how he imagines the TV audience for the briefings too. Anyone else puzzling over an internal “cleaning” of the body with disinfectants would run the idea by Fauci and Birx before taking it live on TV if the point of the briefings was to provide useful information about COVID to the public. But if the point is simply to get the president some face time with his fans, who cares if the information is useful, harmful, or somewhere in between?
Relatedly, a new announcement from the FDA:
They go on to remind the reader that hydroxychloroquine “should be limited to clinical trial settings or for treating certain hospitalized patients” under compassionate use protocols and that HCQ shouldn’t be purchased from online pharmacies without a prescription. As Jeryl Bier says, it’s bananas that the president has concluded that a key part of his job during a pandemic is to talk up different drugs at his briefings, whether it’s hydroxychloroquine or Clorox. The only thing he should have to say each day is how much progress has been made in the past 24 hours towards getting testing and contact tracing where they need to be to have the economy reopen safely sooner rather than later. Everything else isn’t just a distraction and beyond his purview, it reeks of panic. If you can’t or don’t want to do the nuts and bolts of your job then of course you’ll be heavily invested psychologically in quick fixes and miracle cures.
Even his fans have begun to adjust to that. A new AP poll finds that not even half of Republicans say they trust the information he’s providing on coronavirus “a great deal.” Among all adults, just 23 percent say so. I think most of the public treats what he says about COVID-19 the way Fauci and Birx do: They have to listen to it because his office entitles him to pontificate on a grand stage but they don’t need to take any of it seriously. And they certainly don’t have to take it literally.
Here’s one of his top advisors on hydroxychloroquine, another guy from New York City who’ll seize any excuse to enjoy the spotlight, wondering last night on Fox why we don’t do contact tracing for cancer, heart disease, and, uh, other non-infectious illnesses.


hotair--2020-04-24--Pence to Geraldo: We might be pretty much back to normal by Memorial Day

Either the White House has seen some solid data and developments that it hasn ’ t entirely shared with us , or it hasn ’ t learned any lessons about setting expectations .
This comment from Vice President Mike Pence didn ’ t make many waves yesterday afternoon when he made it on Geraldo Rivera ’ s radio show , but Donald Trump made sure to retweet Rivera ’ s mention this morning : No kidding .
The messaging of late from the medical experts is that we may experience a lull over the summer , but it will almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be whether we ’ re ready for it with the proper levels of protective gear , testing , and health-care capacity to keep hospitals from getting overwhelmed by it .
Pence , however , thinks that the impact of it will be “ largely … behind us “ : Vice President Mike Pence is optimistic that the coronavirus pandemic will be over by Memorial Day Weekend .
In an interview with Geraldo Rivera ’ s news program Thursday , Pence , who also heads President Donald Trump ’ s Coronavirus Task Force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the pandemic is largely past its peak .
“ I think by Memorial Day Weekend we will largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us , ” Pence said .
“ State and local officials will begin to reopen activities , you ’ re going to see states ahead here begin to do that.
” The International Business Times notes that Pence made a similar prediction in a Wall Street Journal podcast on Wednesday , too : “ We remain very hopeful that if the current trajectory of the coronavirus epidemic continues that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in early June than we are today , ” the vice president said .
” We believe that because of what the people have done , because of what the people of those communities have done , we ’ re past the peak.
” Past the peak everywhere in the US ?
That ’ s … a rather bold bet , especially in this unforgiving media environment .
Half of the questions for Trump and others at the briefing seem to start with the phrase , “ Back in February , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease in the first few weeks of its outbreak from China , which even the media managed to do , is understandable in retrospect , especially with the bad data from Beijing and WHO .
Those questions now are not only unfair , they also miss the point .
Most Americans want to know what ’ s happening now rather than watch media food-fights with Trump , and more importantly what will happen next .
This from Pence explicitly references what will happen next , and now we have lots of American data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Predictions like this will be much tougher to wave away if they don ’ t come to pass , which is why it ’ s usually best to set expectations to a modest level ( with more ambiguous optimism , of course ) that can realistically be bested .
No one wins points for falling short .
If we reopen and discover we ’ re not past the peak on Memorial Day , Pence and the Trump administration will pay a price for this .
We can certainly hope for Memorial Day as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d better be prepared to get back to as much normalcy as possible while dealing with peaks and valleys .
That is the expectation that should be set , because it is the most likely of the scenarios at the moment — as Anthony Fauci , Robert Redfield , and Deborah Birx make clear .

Either the White House has seen some solid data and developments that it hasn’t entirely shared with us, or it hasn’t learned any lessons about setting expectations. This comment from Vice President Mike Pence didn’t make many waves yesterday afternoon when he made it on Geraldo Rivera’s radio show, but Donald Trump made sure to retweet Rivera’s mention this morning:
If–as @VP tells me on our radio interview this morning–the worst is behind us & entire epidemic will be largely behind us by Memorial Day–less than a month away. It's @realDonaldTrump Administration's most optimistic projection. Mike Pence sticks his neck out-Hope he's right. — Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) April 24, 2020
No kidding. The messaging of late from the medical experts is that we may experience a lull over the summer, but it will almost certainly return this fall. The question will be whether we’re ready for it with the proper levels of protective gear, testing, and health-care capacity to keep hospitals from getting overwhelmed by it.
Pence, however, thinks that the impact of it will be “largely … behind us“:
Vice President Mike Pence is optimistic that the coronavirus pandemic will be over by Memorial Day Weekend. In an interview with Geraldo Rivera’s news program Thursday, Pence, who also heads President Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force, said that current U.S. trends indicate that the pandemic is largely past its peak. “I think by Memorial Day Weekend we will largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us,” Pence said. “State and local officials will begin to reopen activities, you’re going to see states ahead here begin to do that.”
The International Business Times notes that Pence made a similar prediction in a Wall Street Journal podcast on Wednesday, too:
“We remain very hopeful that if the current trajectory of the coronavirus epidemic continues that we could be in a much different place in early June than we are today,” the vice president said. ” We believe that because of what the people have done, because of what the people of those communities have done, we’re past the peak.”
Past the peak everywhere in the US? That’s … a rather bold bet, especially in this unforgiving media environment. Half of the questions for Trump and others at the briefing seem to start with the phrase, “Back in February, you said …” Blowing projections of the disease in the first few weeks of its outbreak from China, which even the media managed to do, is understandable in retrospect, especially with the bad data from Beijing and WHO. Those questions now are not only unfair, they also miss the point. Most Americans want to know what’s happening now rather than watch media food-fights with Trump, and more importantly what will happen next.
This from Pence explicitly references what will happen next, and now we have lots of American data with which to understand the challenges. Predictions like this will be much tougher to wave away if they don’t come to pass, which is why it’s usually best to set expectations to a modest level (with more ambiguous optimism, of course) that can realistically be bested. No one wins points for falling short.
If we reopen and discover we’re not past the peak on Memorial Day, Pence and the Trump administration will pay a price for this. We can certainly hope for Memorial Day as a past-the-peak target, but perhaps we’d better be prepared to get back to as much normalcy as possible while dealing with peaks and valleys. That is the expectation that should be set, because it is the most likely of the scenarios at the moment — as Anthony Fauci, Robert Redfield, and Deborah Birx make clear.


hotair--2020-04-24--Here we go: Minnesota to start reopening on Monday

This may be the first time anyone in Minnesota could be accused of taking a “ fairly aggressive posture ” on anything .
Governor Tim Walz ( D ) announced that he would lift some COVID-19 restrictions that could put as many as 100,000 Minnesotans back to work on Monday , assuming that the offices and businesses prepare properly to comply with social-distancing and disinfecting guidelines .
This doesn ’ t include retail stores , but it will allow manufacturing , industrial , and office environments to begin operations again : An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 employees could return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tim Walz to dial back the state ’ s stay-at-home order , which was imposed to reduce or delay the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The move is tailored to manufacturers and offices that don ’ t have face-to-face interaction with clients and weren ’ t deemed critical industries that were exempt from the stay-at-home order .
Roughly 20,000 companies in this category now have the option to reopen if they complete and publicize plans to maintain social distancing , worker hygiene and workspace cleanliness , said Steve Grove , commissioner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Economic Development .
“ This is a limited first step in the process of safely reopening some businesses and returning Minnesotans to work , ” he said .
Walz says this decision , which starts earlier than the May 1 reopening date recommended by the White House for Phase One , is based on the science here in the state .
However , as the Star Tribune points out , cases are still increasing here , albeit on a very slow slope .
The difference may be the testing capacity that Walz announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability now to perform 20,000 tests a day .
That number will increase too , and in a state of six million residents , that ’ s at least a significant level for a turn toward normalcy , or something like it .
Besides , Walz said , any other date for a rollout would be “ arbitrary , ” with not much difference in consequence .
The classes of businesses allowed to reopen have predictable movement patterns too , which make it easier to apply new protocols for social distancing , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and will have to wait .
Walz did warn that businesses better be prepared if testing indicated a new need to pause : Walz said it would be arbitrary to reopen businesses based on dates or goals such as 14 days of declining cases .
He also stressed that the new state approach of dialing up or down restrictions goes both ways and that businesses need to be prepared for renewed restrictions if new waves of the pandemic emerge .
There is particular concern about a second wave that could come in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the same time .
“ We may have to be prepared to move the dial back down again , ” Walz said .
Minnesota might the second state ( behind Georgia ’ s more controversial plan ) to take a major step back from the shelter-in-place orders issued in the COVID-19 crisis , but they won ’ t be alone for long .
In yesterday ’ s briefing , Vice President Mike Pence announced that sixteen states had rolled out plans for reopening along the White House ’ s guidelines : Sixteen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to lift coronavirus restrictions , Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday , as the country shows “ promising signs of progress ” on driving down the spread of Covid-19 .
“ At the present moment , 16 states have released formal reopening plans , ” Pence said at a White House press briefing .
“ States are beginning to make those plans and we ’ re encouraged to see so many states embracing the phased approach to reopening their economies that ’ s contemplated in our guidelines for opening up America again.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ broad federal guidelines that lay out conditions for parts of the U.S. to start relaxing some of the strict social distancing measures in a three-phase approach .
Before entering the first phase , the guidelines say that the number of cases , positive tests and reports of flu- or Covid 19-like symptoms in a state or region should be trending downward .
There should also be a “ robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers , including emerging antibody testing , ” according to the guidelines .
The White House didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , but Pence mentioned Missouri , Pennsylvania , Oregon , and Idaho as states preparing to implement Phase One .
Ohio ’ s Mike DeWine has also suggested that they might be ready for that step , but has insisted that the science will drive that decision as well .
All eyes will likely be on Minnesota next week to see how well this works out .
Two key questions remain : Will business owners feel comfortable enough to reopen , and will employees have the confidence to return ?

This may be the first time anyone in Minnesota could be accused of taking a “fairly aggressive posture” on anything. Governor Tim Walz (D) announced that he would lift some COVID-19 restrictions that could put as many as 100,000 Minnesotans back to work on Monday, assuming that the offices and businesses prepare properly to comply with social-distancing and disinfecting guidelines. This doesn’t include retail stores, but it will allow manufacturing, industrial, and office environments to begin operations again:
An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 employees could return to work Monday under a plan by Gov. Tim Walz to dial back the state’s stay-at-home order, which was imposed to reduce or delay the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move is tailored to manufacturers and offices that don’t have face-to-face interaction with clients and weren’t deemed critical industries that were exempt from the stay-at-home order. Roughly 20,000 companies in this category now have the option to reopen if they complete and publicize plans to maintain social distancing, worker hygiene and workspace cleanliness, said Steve Grove, commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. “This is a limited first step in the process of safely reopening some businesses and returning Minnesotans to work,” he said.
Walz says this decision, which starts earlier than the May 1 reopening date recommended by the White House for Phase One, is based on the science here in the state. However, as the Star Tribune points out, cases are still increasing here, albeit on a very slow slope. The difference may be the testing capacity that Walz announced earlier in the week, with the ability now to perform 20,000 tests a day. That number will increase too, and in a state of six million residents, that’s at least a significant level for a turn toward normalcy, or something like it.
Besides, Walz said, any other date for a rollout would be “arbitrary,” with not much difference in consequence. The classes of businesses allowed to reopen have predictable movement patterns too, which make it easier to apply new protocols for social distancing, while retail businesses are tougher environments to control and will have to wait. Walz did warn that businesses better be prepared if testing indicated a new need to pause:
Walz said it would be arbitrary to reopen businesses based on dates or goals such as 14 days of declining cases. He also stressed that the new state approach of dialing up or down restrictions goes both ways and that businesses need to be prepared for renewed restrictions if new waves of the pandemic emerge. There is particular concern about a second wave that could come in the fall when the influenza season is emerging at the same time. “We may have to be prepared to move the dial back down again,” Walz said.
Minnesota might the second state (behind Georgia’s more controversial plan) to take a major step back from the shelter-in-place orders issued in the COVID-19 crisis, but they won’t be alone for long. In yesterday’s briefing, Vice President Mike Pence announced that sixteen states had rolled out plans for reopening along the White House’s guidelines:
Sixteen states have unveiled “formal reopening plans” to lift coronavirus restrictions, Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday, as the country shows “promising signs of progress” on driving down the spread of Covid-19. “At the present moment, 16 states have released formal reopening plans,” Pence said at a White House press briefing. “States are beginning to make those plans and we’re encouraged to see so many states embracing the phased approach to reopening their economies that’s contemplated in our guidelines for opening up America again.” … Last week, Trump unveiled broad federal guidelines that lay out conditions for parts of the U.S. to start relaxing some of the strict social distancing measures in a three-phase approach. Before entering the first phase, the guidelines say that the number of cases, positive tests and reports of flu- or Covid 19-like symptoms in a state or region should be trending downward. There should also be a “robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing,” according to the guidelines.
The White House didn’t supply a list of the states, but Pence mentioned Missouri, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Idaho as states preparing to implement Phase One. Ohio’s Mike DeWine has also suggested that they might be ready for that step, but has insisted that the science will drive that decision as well.
All eyes will likely be on Minnesota next week to see how well this works out. Two key questions remain: Will business owners feel comfortable enough to reopen, and will employees have the confidence to return?


hotair--2020-04-24--CNN: Say, let's drop in unannounced on Wuhan whistleblower's widow to see if she'll talk

Perhaps this looked like a better idea in theory , but in practice , it looks more like a replay of Al Capone ’ s vault — as owned by Joseph Stalin .
Spoiler alert — despite what CNN ’ s chyron and description say here , CNN ’ s David Culver only barely spoke with the widow of Li Wenliang , the Wuhan whistleblowing doctor who tried to warn the world that China was lying about what we now call COVID-19 .
Beijing had him arrested and detained in December , and kept him suppressed until he died of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only thing Li ’ s widow had to say to CNN — which never arranged an interview ahead of time — is that she had nothing to say .
Gee , I wonder why … Is China suppressing Li ’ s family too ?
Maybe , probably , but this clip does nothing to support that idea .
CNN had as much support for that premise before Culver ever set foot in Wuhan .
In fact , Culver ’ s clumsy on-camera attempt to get Li ’ s widow to talk likely made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than before .
What in the world were they thinking ?
The most remarkable thing about this four-minute clip — other than CNN thought it was a good idea to make Li ’ s widow a target — is that there ’ s nothing in here at all worth watching .
It consists of Culver walking around Wuhan but offering no new reporting at all .
Culver suggests that Wuhan ’ s recovery could teach us some important lessons about how we reopen , which might be true , except that Culver doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us .
There is literally no payoff at all for sitting through the four minutes of this clip , except for CNN ’ s self-promotion .
One can use other gauges to see the level of transparency China is offering anyway .
They have rejected a demand from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to allow international inspectors access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and other nearby labs to check on their safety protocols : “ Any objective person will see that some U.S. politicians have been peddling lies that discredit China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s minds and deflect attention from the fact that they fell short of fulfilling their own anti-epidemic responsibilities , ” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Thursday .
Shuang ’ s statement was in response to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who called for inspections at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and other labs where Chinese scientists study coronaviruses and other pathogens .
“ There are multiple labs inside of China that are handling these things , ” Pompeo said Wednesday at the State Department .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a safe and secure way such that there isn ’ t accidental release .
“ We have to make sure that the Chinese Government is handling those materials in an appropriate way not only in the Wuhan Institute of Virology but elsewhere , ” he added .
In other words , don ’ t expect any transparency from Beijing .
Li ’ s widow is smart enough to know that without being told .

Perhaps this looked like a better idea in theory, but in practice, it looks more like a replay of Al Capone’s vault — as owned by Joseph Stalin. Spoiler alert — despite what CNN’s chyron and description say here, CNN’s David Culver only barely spoke with the widow of Li Wenliang, the Wuhan whistleblowing doctor who tried to warn the world that China was lying about what we now call COVID-19. Beijing had him arrested and detained in December, and kept him suppressed until he died of the virus in early February.
The only thing Li’s widow had to say to CNN — which never arranged an interview ahead of time — is that she had nothing to say. Gee, I wonder why …
CNN’s @david_culver contacted the widow of the doctor in Wuhan, China, who tried to sound the alarm about coronavirus and later died from the virus. “The concern is now that there's more pressure on his family to keep quiet,” Culver reports. https://t.co/wBlsmPHgID pic.twitter.com/wSeEw0F6UU — New Day (@NewDay) April 24, 2020
Is China suppressing Li’s family too? Maybe, probably, but this clip does nothing to support that idea. CNN had as much support for that premise before Culver ever set foot in Wuhan. In fact, Culver’s clumsy on-camera attempt to get Li’s widow to talk likely made her more of a target for Beijing than before. What in the world were they thinking?
The most remarkable thing about this four-minute clip — other than CNN thought it was a good idea to make Li’s widow a target — is that there’s nothing in here at all worth watching. It consists of Culver walking around Wuhan but offering no new reporting at all. Culver suggests that Wuhan’s recovery could teach us some important lessons about how we reopen, which might be true, except that Culver doesn’t have any lessons or data for us. There is literally no payoff at all for sitting through the four minutes of this clip, except for CNN’s self-promotion.
One can use other gauges to see the level of transparency China is offering anyway. They have rejected a demand from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to allow international inspectors access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and other nearby labs to check on their safety protocols:
“Any objective person will see that some U.S. politicians have been peddling lies that discredit China’s anti-epidemic efforts to fuddle people’s minds and deflect attention from the fact that they fell short of fulfilling their own anti-epidemic responsibilities,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Thursday. Shuang’s statement was in response to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who called for inspections at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and other labs where Chinese scientists study coronaviruses and other pathogens. “There are multiple labs inside of China that are handling these things,” Pompeo said Wednesday at the State Department. “It’s important that those materials are being handled in a safe and secure way such that there isn’t accidental release. “We have to make sure that the Chinese Government is handling those materials in an appropriate way not only in the Wuhan Institute of Virology but elsewhere,” he added.
In other words, don’t expect any transparency from Beijing. Li’s widow is smart enough to know that without being told.


hotair--2020-04-24--Michigan Democrats to censure lawmaker who thanked Trump, claim they "own" her

You may recall the recent story about Detroit Democratic state representative Karen Whitsett .
She ’ s the one who claimed that she experienced something of a “ Lazarus effect ” after taking hydroxychloroquine when she contracted COVID-19 last month .
During a subsequent meeting of survivors of the novel coronavirus with both the Vice President and the President , she publicly thanked Donald Trump for promoting the drug and potentially saving her life .
Well , no good deed goes unpunished , as the saying goes .
Tomorrow , Detroit members of the state Democratic Party will vote to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her in upcoming elections .
This is apparently how you are treated in Michigan if you commit the sin of saying “ thank you ” to the Bad Orange Man .
( Detroit News ) Detroit Democrats plan to vote Saturday to censure and bar any future endorsements of a Democratic lawmaker who credited President Donald Trump with advocating for the drug that she said cured her of COVID-19 .
State Rep. Karen Whitsett , D-Detroit , broke protocol by meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence during an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during which she credited hydroxychloroquine for saving her life .
“ Thank you for everything that you have done , ” Whitsett told Trump at the meeting .
“ I did not know that saying thank you had a political line .
… I ’ m telling my story and my truth , and this how I feel and these are my words.
” The public meeting with Trump wasn ’ t Whitsett ’ s only “ violation ” of Democratic Party rules of the road .
She previously criticized Governor Gretchen Whitmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Governor had been giving federal officials incorrect information on the COVID-19 situation in Detroit and saying that she wasn ’ t doing enough to respond to the pandemic .
In addition to not receiving any endorsements , Whitsett will also be barred from participating in any public events with the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization .
In other words , she ’ s essentially being blacklisted from her own party and being treated like an outcast .
And what rationale did party leaders offer for this punishment ?
Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jonathan Kinloch , the chairman of the 13th CDDPO , is quoted as saying , “ At the end of the day , we have political systems .
We have political parties , and political parties exist for a reason .
[ Endorsed candidates and officials ] do not belong to themselves .
They belong to the members and precinct delegates of the Democratic Party.
” Excuse me , but did you actually just say that the elected Democratic officials belong to the delegates of the party ?
I think there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people belong to other people , isn ’ t there ?
Oh , that ’ s right .
Slavery .
And not to put too fine of a point on this , but Representative Whitsett is black , just in case you hadn ’ t noticed .
I ’ m not sure what ’ s going on inside the Michigan Democratic Party , but this is just totally off the hook .
This woman managed to survive COVID-19 and thanked the person who suggested using the drug that she credits with saving her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a governor from her own party and spoke out about the best way to respond to the pandemic in her district .
For all of this , she is now persona non grata .
You rarely see me rooting for too many Democrats , but I hope the voters of the 13th District take note of how their elected official is being treated and respond appropriately in the coming election .

You may recall the recent story about Detroit Democratic state representative Karen Whitsett. She’s the one who claimed that she experienced something of a “Lazarus effect” after taking hydroxychloroquine when she contracted COVID-19 last month. During a subsequent meeting of survivors of the novel coronavirus with both the Vice President and the President, she publicly thanked Donald Trump for promoting the drug and potentially saving her life.
Well, no good deed goes unpunished, as the saying goes. Tomorrow, Detroit members of the state Democratic Party will vote to censure Whitsett and prevent any future endorsements of her in upcoming elections. This is apparently how you are treated in Michigan if you commit the sin of saying “thank you” to the Bad Orange Man. (Detroit News)
Detroit Democrats plan to vote Saturday to censure and bar any future endorsements of a Democratic lawmaker who credited President Donald Trump with advocating for the drug that she said cured her of COVID-19. State Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, broke protocol by meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence during an April 14 meeting of COVID-19 survivors, during which she credited hydroxychloroquine for saving her life. “Thank you for everything that you have done,” Whitsett told Trump at the meeting. “I did not know that saying thank you had a political line. … I’m telling my story and my truth, and this how I feel and these are my words.”
The public meeting with Trump wasn’t Whitsett’s only “violation” of Democratic Party rules of the road. She previously criticized Governor Gretchen Whitmer (rather gently), saying that the Governor had been giving federal officials incorrect information on the COVID-19 situation in Detroit and saying that she wasn’t doing enough to respond to the pandemic.
In addition to not receiving any endorsements, Whitsett will also be barred from participating in any public events with the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization. In other words, she’s essentially being blacklisted from her own party and being treated like an outcast.
And what rationale did party leaders offer for this punishment? Here’s where the story truly turns bizarre. Jonathan Kinloch, the chairman of the 13th CDDPO, is quoted as saying, “At the end of the day, we have political systems. We have political parties, and political parties exist for a reason. [Endorsed candidates and officials] do not belong to themselves. They belong to the members and precinct delegates of the Democratic Party.”
Excuse me, but did you actually just say that the elected Democratic officials belong to the delegates of the party? I think there’s a word for a system where some people belong to other people, isn’t there? Oh, that’s right. Slavery. And not to put too fine of a point on this, but Representative Whitsett is black, just in case you hadn’t noticed.
I’m not sure what’s going on inside the Michigan Democratic Party, but this is just totally off the hook. This woman managed to survive COVID-19 and thanked the person who suggested using the drug that she credits with saving her life. She dared to fact check a governor from her own party and spoke out about the best way to respond to the pandemic in her district. For all of this, she is now persona non grata. You rarely see me rooting for too many Democrats, but I hope the voters of the 13th District take note of how their elected official is being treated and respond appropriately in the coming election.