hotair--2020-10-25--Exclusive: Spike Cohen on pandemic lockdowns, masks, and the definition of victory

I had the opportunity to speak with Libertarian vice-presidential nominee Jeremy “ Spike ” Cohen yesterday following a campaign appearance in North Texas .
A lightly edited transcript is below .
Taylor Millard : Happy to be in Texas ?
Spike Cohen : Oh , I love being in Texas .
So , this is my…what is it…fifth or sixth campaign stop in Texas .
First , I was in Lubbock back in August .
Since then I ’ ve been in Houston , Conroe , Brenham , Dallas , and now here in Fort Worth .
I ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I love Texas .
Millard : So , what is the , when you sit there and look at the discussions you ’ ve had in Texas , and we ’ ll get to the other discussions you ’ ve had across the country , what is it you ’ ve run into in talking with people and what are they saying to you ?
Is it a Q & A and a discussion or are you just giving speeches ?
What ’ s kind of going on with your appearances ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my events , I do…possibly I do a speech , sometimes I don ’ t even do a speech , but I almost always do a Q & A .
I try to take at least five or six questions , there have been times I ’ ve spent two hours answering questions .
It ’ s what I prefer to do .
It ’ s one thing for me to show up and say what I think and what I think people want to hear .
My most important thing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me what they think and what their questions are and what their concerns are and to be able to give the answer .
There ’ s so many people even within this movement and especially those who show up at our events just out of curiosity and there ’ s been a lot of that , a thousand people who show up just to hear what we have to say ‘ cause we ’ re the only one showing up .
And they have questions : Well , how does this Libertarian society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how would it play out if Libertarians were in charge instead of Republicrats .
I savor the opportunity to be able to answer those .
Millard : The narrative that ’ s been going on this year is that it ’ s the most important election of our time .
Millard : Which is of course the narrative that happened in 2016 and in 2012 .
Millard : How do you explain that and how do you sit there , and you tell people : Hey instead of voting for a Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cohen : Well , the first thing I say is that this election is far too important to keep voting for the people who put us in this mess .
That ’ s the shorthand of what I do .
If we have opportunity for a longer conversation , I talk about the fact that the reason this election is so important , the reason that we ’ re in a constant state of crises , is because of the bad policies that have been put in place by Republicans and Democrats working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make our lives increasingly difficult for the benefit of them and the cronies and bureaucrat class that they ’ ve created .
That is why the problems that we ’ re facing are going on and the only way that we ’ re going to get out of this constant state of crisis is to get these people out of office , to dismantle the systems they ’ ve created , and to take the power and the freedom and the wealth that they have robbed from the American people and put it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belonged .
Millard : What ’ s it like campaigning during a pandemic ?
Spike Cohen : It involves a lot of masks .
It involves a lot of creativity from our planning department and where we can do venues ‘ cause you can ’ t do an indoor event with thousands of people right now .
Or at least not responsibly .
I mean , in most places , it ’ s illegal .
Even in the places where it ’ s legal it wouldn ’ t really be responsible to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of outdoor events…it means a lot of rolling with the punches and it means sometimes doing some illegal stuff like anti-lockdown protests like we did in Miami last week .
Millard : What was that like ?
Spike Cohen : That was really what I would like us to focus on moving forward which is showing direct action that we refuse to cow-tow to the diktat of the state especially when we have been doing it legally up to that point .
What happened in Miami is that we got all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , indoors event with about 50 to 100 people at a place called CubaOcho…and we were going to have a regular rally-type of event with a Q & A followed by a salsa party that was going to last three or four hours .
And when we got there , we found out that the city manager found out that we were going to be there and so they shut the event down .
They shut the venue down under the most flimsy of pretenses .
They told the owner , Roberto , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even though when they came there to issue the violation notice he was there alone – with no one else there .
Which would mean it was impossible for him to be violating anything .
So , when we got there and we were told that he had just been shut down we had one of two options .
We could either just pack up and leave…or we could talk to the 100+ people who showed up and were being told that they weren ’ t allowed to peaceably assemble .
Thankfully , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new sidewalk area and good acoustics…so we went out there with bullhorns and we held an anti-lockdown protest/rally/salsa social .
And in doing that , not only were we able to show the government there in Miami and governments around the country that we ’ re not going to sit there and simply sit back and let them treat us however they want to .
Not only we were able to show the voters that we were not going to simply just cower whenever the government told us what to do , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more people because by having it outside , everyone was able to hear us .
Thousands of people we were able to interact with – including all the people…who wanted to be part of our outdoor salsa party ‘ cause salsa events have been shut down for some time .
And we did it safely , we had hand sanitizer , we had masks , we did it in a safe and responsible way .
But we were able to show people that we need to be able to live our lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under lockdown and fear .
Nothing less than the World Health Organization has said that these lockdowns have accomplished nothing other than increasing poverty , increasing child malnutrition , increasing homelessness , increasing untreated depression , increasing all these other terrible things that have a far higher rate of fatality that covid-19 itself .
We need to treat this disease seriously , but we also need to live our lives .
Millard : All right , so let ’ s talk about treating this disease seriously because I know that it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re in an outdoor event right now .
I happen to be wearing a mask , you ’ re not wearing a mask .
I know I ’ m going to have friends who are not libertarians – they ’ re kind of libertarian curious – but maybe they don ’ t completely agree with every single bit of the philosophy and the political stances .
However , they ’ re going to sit there and say , “ Why is Spike Cohen , the libertarian vice-presidential nominee , why is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why is Taylor wearing a mask and why is Taylor being responsible , but Spike isn ’ t ?
” Now…you and I would have a different opinion than everyone else…What do you say to someone who ’ s going to sit there and say , “ Why are you not wearing a mask ?
” ?
Spike Cohen : I would say that I have traveled to something like 35 states and interacted with tens of thousands of people over the course of this campaign .
In-person…sometimes wearing masks , especially if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re in a closer , more crowded conditions .
But very often not wearing masks when we are outdoors and it ’ s not as crowded .
There have been no outbreak events that have been traced to our events .
I and my team are routinely tested , and each test comes out negative .
We are being responsible .
Being responsible doesn ’ t mean just doing what the government tells you to do .
Being responsible doesn ’ t mean just living in fear .
It means looking at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adult conscientious decisions on how we are to live our lives .
This campaign and the way that we ’ ve conducted it is just proof that we don ’ t have to live like this .
If people want to wear masks – we can wear masks .
When someone asks me to wear a mask because it makes them more comfortable , I ’ m happy to do so .
But what I ’ m not going to do is to continue to live in fear and to continue to contribute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economically and destroyed entire households , not just economically but in many other ways .
I have talked to people who are unable to get cancer screenings because their hospital isn ’ t allowed to treat anyone but covid patients .
I ’ ve talked to people whose hospitals were shut down because they couldn ’ t afford to continue operating just by treating covid patients because respiratory care therapy operates at a loss .
I ’ ve talked to people whose lives have been destroyed because of these lockdowns .
And many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to these lockdowns .
And guess what ?
It didn ’ t slow the spread of covid-19 .
We ’ re still seeing spikes in the increasing covid-19 even amidst lockdowns and mask mandates and all of this stuff .
It is proof positive that this isn ’ t working .
Again , the World Health Organization has said that it is not working .
These ideas are not just tyrannical and infringing upon our rights they are anti-science and they are not working .
What would work is if the CDC and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covid patients for the first two months that the virus was here .
Now we can decide whether that was intentional or not but the reality is by allowing during that time that this could have been contained…instead making that medical professionals were not able to do their jobs and save lives and to this day continue to make it difficult for medical professionals to save lives and to be able to health people…That is why the pandemic ’ s going so poorly here .
That ’ s why things are going badly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live their lives not because people are trying to provide for their families .
It ’ s because the government is trying to tell medical professionals how to do their job when they themselves don ’ t know how to do it .
Millard : You were hooked up with Vermin Supreme in the primary .
Now you ’ re hooked up with Jo Jorgensen .
What is the difference between campaigning with Jo Jorgensen versus campaigning with Vermin Supreme ?
Are you a little bit more serious or has anything really changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I haven ’ t really changed .
I was really the…overwhelmingly serious but with some humor and satire candidate .
I still am that .
I still am a serious candidate who does not take himself too seriously and recognizes that humor is a great way to reach people .
Now , obviously , the difference is in how I ’ m complementing my running mate .
With Vermin he was the satire candidate and I was the one who when he would bring people in with satire , I would sell them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is able to reach certain audiences and I ’ m able to reach others .
We ’ re bringing them into the same policies and the same message .
But in doing this and in complementing each other that way , we ’ re able to make sure that we don ’ t leave a single chip on the table at the end of the day .
No matter where you are on the political spectrum .
No matter how old you are .
No matter your race , your income level , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in between .
And , depending on how much you even take this system seriously , you still are being reached by the Libertarian message .
Millard : What ’ s been the most interesting thing you ’ ve run into during this campaign/pandemic ?
Spike Cohen : Besides just getting to see so many different parts of the U.S. in such a relatively short period of time .
I ’ m in a different state almost every single day…Being able to look back over just the course of just a few months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country ( chuckles ) or at least almost all of the states .
I would say that the most interesting thing has been the consistency of the concerns of the American people .
And the fact that what people are saying they are concerned about are almost completely removed from what the media tells us what people are concerned about .
Do you know what people are concerned about ?
Making ends meet .
And that ’ s almost never talked about in the media .
They talk about almost anything else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans don ’ t know how they ’ re going to be able to make ends meet .
That was a problem before these lockdowns and before this pandemic and it ’ s just become even more as a result of it…We are the party that recognizes that Republicrat monetary policy , Republicrat regulatory policy , Republicrat labor and environmental policy has led to a situation where an increasing number of Americans are unable to afford just a basic cost of living .
They ’ re having to- even with subsidization of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even with subsidization of food and houses , even with so-called help that they ’ ve been taxed to pay for being given back to them…they still can ’ t afford things .
Even with running up debt , even with this government at the federal and state level running up debt , they can ’ t afford to live .
And we know why that is .
It ’ s because a system was developed by cronies and Republicrats to rob all of us to enrich them .
To rob us of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our freedom , and , of course , to rob us of our money .
And the time has come for us to dismantle that , to kick those bums out of office , to take that power and that money back and give it back to the American people .
Millard : What ’ s a victory for the Libertarians on Election Day ?
Spike Cohen : I am running and Jo is running…We are running to win this election .
I have never undertaken any kind of undertaking in the 20+ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business or in politics with the idea of trying to fail well .
I always try to win .
With that said , we understand what our odds are .
We know the uphill battle that we face .
Winning is what winning has always been for Libertarians : doing better in this election than we ’ ve done in previous ones .
And we ’ ve been doing that steadily for many decades now .
Not just doing better and better in terms of the percentage we get running for president but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of Libertarians who get elected at the city and state level .
Right now , we have around 250 elected Libertarians .
That number goes up every single election cycle…that is a type of victory just having more Libertarians in it .
That is why I focus so much on using my national platform and Jo using her national platform to promote the down-ballot races that have a higher chance of winning .
But , at the end of the day , we ’ re trying to win .
Millard : One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made kind of a snarky comment on Facebook saying , “ Oh…this poll shows Jo Jorgensen is polling about as well as Kanye West .
Are you guys even going to beat Kanye West ?
” I kind of ignored it .
However , I want to ask you…what do you think about the comment about someone showing a poll showing Jorgensen polling around the same of Kanye West ?
It ’ s pretty much an outlier because y ’ all tend to be doing better than Kanye .
Spike Cohen : Yeah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll they ’ re citing – it may have been a statewide poll or something .
Or they may have just made it up .
I honestly don ’ t know , I haven ’ t seen that poll .
Here ’ s what I will say…by virtue of the fact we ’ re on all 50 state ballots we ’ re going to do better than Kanye West because he ’ s only on seven or eight .
What I will also say that Kanye West is experienc [ ing ] a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even though he is a billionaire , even though he is one of the most well-known people on the planet , easily , probably Top 10 most well-known people on the planet .
Because he ’ s not running as a Republican or Democrat he didn ’ t realize just how difficult it is to get on the ballot .
There ’ s a reason why Libertarian Party is the only party was the only party to be able to earn our spot on all 50 state ballots , plus DC , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re the only ones who have the wherewithal and the infrastructure and the dedication of our activists to be able to do so .
But more importantly , it shouldn ’ t have to be that way .
Whatever qualifications that it takes for Republicans and Democrats to get on the ballot – it should be that way for everyone else .
However high or low that threshold is it should be for everyone else .
It…completely goes against the idea of a representative republic that we ’ re supposed to have and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed to be under .
To have it where two parties , who are in control , have one set of standards for them and a much higher set of standards for anyone else who wants to run .
Kanye West has experienced that firsthand .
Millard : Spike , thank you .
This is why I let you answer these questions .
Spike Cohen ( smiling ) : Hey , thank you .
I appreciate that .

I had the opportunity to speak with Libertarian vice-presidential nominee Jeremy “Spike” Cohen yesterday following a campaign appearance in North Texas. A lightly edited transcript is below.
Taylor Millard: Happy to be in Texas?
Spike Cohen: Oh, I love being in Texas. So, this is my…what is it…fifth or sixth campaign stop in Texas. First, I was in Lubbock back in August. Since then I’ve been in Houston, Conroe, Brenham, Dallas, and now here in Fort Worth. I’ll be in Dallas, later tonight, and I love Texas.
Millard: So, what is the, when you sit there and look at the discussions you’ve had in Texas, and we’ll get to the other discussions you’ve had across the country, what is it you’ve run into in talking with people and what are they saying to you? Is it a Q&A and a discussion or are you just giving speeches? What’s kind of going on with your appearances?
Spike Cohen: At pretty much all of my events, I do…possibly I do a speech, sometimes I don’t even do a speech, but I almost always do a Q&A. I try to take at least five or six questions, there have been times I’ve spent two hours answering questions. It’s what I prefer to do. It’s one thing for me to show up and say what I think and what I think people want to hear. My most important thing is that I want people to share with me what they think and what their questions are and what their concerns are and to be able to give the answer.
There’s so many people even within this movement and especially those who show up at our events just out of curiosity and there’s been a lot of that, a thousand people who show up just to hear what we have to say ‘cause we’re the only one showing up. And they have questions: Well, how does this Libertarian society work, how do your policies work, how would it play out if Libertarians were in charge instead of Republicrats. I savor the opportunity to be able to answer those.
Millard: The narrative that’s been going on this year is that it’s the most important election of our time.
Spike Cohen: Yeah.
Millard: Which is of course the narrative that happened in 2016 and in 2012.
Spike Cohen: It’s always the narrative.
Millard: How do you explain that and how do you sit there, and you tell people: Hey instead of voting for a Republican or a Democrat…consider third party?
Spike Cohen: Well, the first thing I say is that this election is far too important to keep voting for the people who put us in this mess. That’s the shorthand of what I do. If we have opportunity for a longer conversation, I talk about the fact that the reason this election is so important, the reason that we’re in a constant state of crises, is because of the bad policies that have been put in place by Republicans and Democrats working together for the past several decades to make our lives increasingly difficult for the benefit of them and the cronies and bureaucrat class that they’ve created. That is why the problems that we’re facing are going on and the only way that we’re going to get out of this constant state of crisis is to get these people out of office, to dismantle the systems they’ve created, and to take the power and the freedom and the wealth that they have robbed from the American people and put it back in your hands where it always belonged.
Millard: What’s it like campaigning during a pandemic?
Spike Cohen: It involves a lot of masks. It involves a lot of creativity from our planning department and where we can do venues ‘cause you can’t do an indoor event with thousands of people right now. Or at least not responsibly. I mean, in most places, it’s illegal. Even in the places where it’s legal it wouldn’t really be responsible to do that. So, it means a lot of outdoor events…it means a lot of rolling with the punches and it means sometimes doing some illegal stuff like anti-lockdown protests like we did in Miami last week.
Millard: What was that like?
Spike Cohen: That was really what I would like us to focus on moving forward which is showing direct action that we refuse to cow-tow to the diktat of the state especially when we have been doing it legally up to that point. What happened in Miami is that we got all of the permission needed to have a legal, indoors event with about 50 to 100 people at a place called CubaOcho…and we were going to have a regular rally-type of event with a Q&A followed by a salsa party that was going to last three or four hours. And when we got there, we found out that the city manager found out that we were going to be there and so they shut the event down.
They shut the venue down under the most flimsy of pretenses. They told the owner, Roberto, that he was violating covid restrictions, even though when they came there to issue the violation notice he was there alone – with no one else there. Which would mean it was impossible for him to be violating anything. So, when we got there and we were told that he had just been shut down we had one of two options. We could either just pack up and leave…or we could talk to the 100+ people who showed up and were being told that they weren’t allowed to peaceably assemble.
Thankfully, there was a nice alley there and a new sidewalk area and good acoustics…so we went out there with bullhorns and we held an anti-lockdown protest/rally/salsa social. And in doing that, not only were we able to show the government there in Miami and governments around the country that we’re not going to sit there and simply sit back and let them treat us however they want to. Not only we were able to show the voters that we were not going to simply just cower whenever the government told us what to do, but we were also able to reach far more people because by having it outside, everyone was able to hear us. Thousands of people we were able to interact with – including all the people…who wanted to be part of our outdoor salsa party ‘cause salsa events have been shut down for some time. And we did it safely, we had hand sanitizer, we had masks, we did it in a safe and responsible way. But we were able to show people that we need to be able to live our lives. That we cannot continue living under lockdown and fear. Nothing less than the World Health Organization has said that these lockdowns have accomplished nothing other than increasing poverty, increasing child malnutrition, increasing homelessness, increasing untreated depression, increasing all these other terrible things that have a far higher rate of fatality that covid-19 itself. We need to treat this disease seriously, but we also need to live our lives.
Millard: All right, so let’s talk about treating this disease seriously because I know that it’s an important thing to talk about. We’re in an outdoor event right now. I happen to be wearing a mask, you’re not wearing a mask. I know I’m going to have friends who are not libertarians – they’re kind of libertarian curious – but maybe they don’t completely agree with every single bit of the philosophy and the political stances. However, they’re going to sit there and say, “Why is Spike Cohen, the libertarian vice-presidential nominee, why is he not wearing a mask? And why is Taylor wearing a mask and why is Taylor being responsible, but Spike isn’t?” Now…you and I would have a different opinion than everyone else…What do you say to someone who’s going to sit there and say, “Why are you not wearing a mask?”?
Spike Cohen: I would say that I have traveled to something like 35 states and interacted with tens of thousands of people over the course of this campaign. In-person…sometimes wearing masks, especially if we’re indoors or we’re in a closer, more crowded conditions. But very often not wearing masks when we are outdoors and it’s not as crowded. There have been no outbreak events that have been traced to our events. I and my team are routinely tested, and each test comes out negative. We are being responsible. Being responsible doesn’t mean just doing what the government tells you to do. Being responsible doesn’t mean just living in fear. It means looking at the data that we have and making grown adult conscientious decisions on how we are to live our lives.
This campaign and the way that we’ve conducted it is just proof that we don’t have to live like this. If people want to wear masks – we can wear masks. When someone asks me to wear a mask because it makes them more comfortable, I’m happy to do so. But what I’m not going to do is to continue to live in fear and to continue to contribute to lockdowns that have destroyed the U.S. economically and destroyed entire households, not just economically but in many other ways. I have talked to people who are unable to get cancer screenings because their hospital isn’t allowed to treat anyone but covid patients. I’ve talked to people whose hospitals were shut down because they couldn’t afford to continue operating just by treating covid patients because respiratory care therapy operates at a loss. I’ve talked to people whose lives have been destroyed because of these lockdowns. And many people whose lives have been lost due to these lockdowns. And guess what? It didn’t slow the spread of covid-19. We’re still seeing spikes in the increasing covid-19 even amidst lockdowns and mask mandates and all of this stuff. It is proof positive that this isn’t working. Again, the World Health Organization has said that it is not working. These ideas are not just tyrannical and infringing upon our rights they are anti-science and they are not working.
What would work is if the CDC and FDA had allowed medical professionals to test covid patients for the first two months that the virus was here. Now we can decide whether that was intentional or not but the reality is by allowing during that time that this could have been contained…instead making that medical professionals were not able to do their jobs and save lives and to this day continue to make it difficult for medical professionals to save lives and to be able to health people…That is why the pandemic’s going so poorly here. That’s why things are going badly. Not because people are trying to live their lives not because people are trying to provide for their families. It’s because the government is trying to tell medical professionals how to do their job when they themselves don’t know how to do it.
Millard: You were hooked up with Vermin Supreme in the primary. Now you’re hooked up with Jo Jorgensen. What is the difference between campaigning with Jo Jorgensen versus campaigning with Vermin Supreme? Are you a little bit more serious or has anything really changed, at all?
Spike Cohen: I haven’t really changed. I was really the…overwhelmingly serious but with some humor and satire candidate. I still am that. I still am a serious candidate who does not take himself too seriously and recognizes that humor is a great way to reach people. Now, obviously, the difference is in how I’m complementing my running mate. With Vermin he was the satire candidate and I was the one who when he would bring people in with satire, I would sell them on the liberty message. With Jo…she is able to reach certain audiences and I’m able to reach others. We’re bringing them into the same policies and the same message. But in doing this and in complementing each other that way, we’re able to make sure that we don’t leave a single chip on the table at the end of the day. No matter where you are on the political spectrum. No matter how old you are. No matter your race, your income level, your creed or color, or anything in between. And, depending on how much you even take this system seriously, you still are being reached by the Libertarian message.
Millard: What’s been the most interesting thing you’ve run into during this campaign/pandemic?
Spike Cohen: Besides just getting to see so many different parts of the U.S. in such a relatively short period of time. I’m in a different state almost every single day…Being able to look back over just the course of just a few months and really have seen almost all of the country (chuckles) or at least almost all of the states. I would say that the most interesting thing has been the consistency of the concerns of the American people. And the fact that what people are saying they are concerned about are almost completely removed from what the media tells us what people are concerned about. Do you know what people are concerned about? Making ends meet. And that’s almost never talked about in the media.
They talk about almost anything else but the fact that an increasing number of Americans don’t know how they’re going to be able to make ends meet. That was a problem before these lockdowns and before this pandemic and it’s just become even more as a result of it…We are the party that recognizes that Republicrat monetary policy, Republicrat regulatory policy, Republicrat labor and environmental policy has led to a situation where an increasing number of Americans are unable to afford just a basic cost of living. They’re having to- even with subsidization of their health care in many cases, even with subsidization of food and houses, even with so-called help that they’ve been taxed to pay for being given back to them…they still can’t afford things. Even with running up debt, even with this government at the federal and state level running up debt, they can’t afford to live. And we know why that is. It’s because a system was developed by cronies and Republicrats to rob all of us to enrich them. To rob us of their power, to rob us of our freedom, and, of course, to rob us of our money. And the time has come for us to dismantle that, to kick those bums out of office, to take that power and that money back and give it back to the American people.
Millard: What’s a victory for the Libertarians on Election Day?
Spike Cohen: I am running and Jo is running…We are running to win this election. I have never undertaken any kind of undertaking in the 20+ years that I’ve been in business or in politics with the idea of trying to fail well. I always try to win. With that said, we understand what our odds are. We know the uphill battle that we face. Winning is what winning has always been for Libertarians: doing better in this election than we’ve done in previous ones. And we’ve been doing that steadily for many decades now. Not just doing better and better in terms of the percentage we get running for president but arguably, more importantly, increasing the number of Libertarians who get elected at the city and state level. Right now, we have around 250 elected Libertarians. That number goes up every single election cycle…that is a type of victory just having more Libertarians in it. That is why I focus so much on using my national platform and Jo using her national platform to promote the down-ballot races that have a higher chance of winning. But, at the end of the day, we’re trying to win.
Millard: One final question. A friend of mine made kind of a snarky comment on Facebook saying, “Oh…this poll shows Jo Jorgensen is polling about as well as Kanye West. Are you guys even going to beat Kanye West?” I kind of ignored it. However, I want to ask you…what do you think about the comment about someone showing a poll showing Jorgensen polling around the same of Kanye West? It’s pretty much an outlier because y’all tend to be doing better than Kanye.
Spike Cohen: Yeah, I’m not sure which poll they’re citing – it may have been a statewide poll or something. Or they may have just made it up. I honestly don’t know, I haven’t seen that poll.
Here’s what I will say…by virtue of the fact we’re on all 50 state ballots we’re going to do better than Kanye West because he’s only on seven or eight. What I will also say that Kanye West is experienc[ing] a very interesting thing in American politics. Even though he is a billionaire, even though he is one of the most well-known people on the planet, easily, probably Top 10 most well-known people on the planet. Because he’s not running as a Republican or Democrat he didn’t realize just how difficult it is to get on the ballot. There’s a reason why Libertarian Party is the only party was the only party to be able to earn our spot on all 50 state ballots, plus DC, even during a pandemic. Because we’re the only ones who have the wherewithal and the infrastructure and the dedication of our activists to be able to do so. But more importantly, it shouldn’t have to be that way. Whatever qualifications that it takes for Republicans and Democrats to get on the ballot – it should be that way for everyone else. However high or low that threshold is it should be for everyone else. It…completely goes against the idea of a representative republic that we’re supposed to have and the democratic system that we’re supposed to be under. To have it where two parties, who are in control, have one set of standards for them and a much higher set of standards for anyone else who wants to run. Kanye West has experienced that firsthand.
Millard: Spike, thank you. This is why I let you answer these questions.
Spike Cohen (smiling): Hey, thank you. I appreciate that.


hotair--2020-10-25--Mark Meadows: "We're not going to control the pandemic"

He said this about two hours ago as I ’ m writing this and I ’ m surprised there isn ’ t a Biden ad already circulating online to showcase the quote .
Prominent Democrats are already highlighting it .
Meadows is totally right , by the way .
As an empirical matter , the window for containing the virus closed some time ago .
Maybe it closed in February , when the CDC mangled its chance to get testing going before the virus had spread widely .
Maybe it closed in April , when Trump decided that reopening for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppression .
Maybe it closed in August , when the public blew off warnings from experts like Fauci that if Americans didn ’ t go the extra mile to drive national case counts down to 10,000 or fewer before the weather turned chilly , we ’ d be in for a brutal winter .
Or maybe there never was a window to contain COVID realistically .
Europeans spent this past summer patting themselves on the back for locking down stringently in the spring while foolhardy Americans rushed to return to normalcy , seeding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Europe doing today ?
Meadows isn ’ t wrong .
But it ’ s one thing for this to be true and another thing for an influential government figure to admit that it ’ s true .
It ’ d be like a top general confessing in the middle of a war that we have no realistic hope of stopping the enemy .
Even if the facts on the ground plainly support that conclusion , admitting it is tantamount to admitting failure .
Maybe there was a chance to win the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blew it or maybe there was never any chance , but either way , the guys in charge are out of answers .
The Trumpist response to questions like this should be simple : What would you have us do that we ’ re not doing ?
They set up Operation Warp Speed as the vaccine equivalent of the Manhattan Project .
They ’ ve got the FDA looking at potentially gamechanging therapeutics like antibody drugs .
They have fast , cheap antigen tests being rolled out to boost local surveillance .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might have helped , but contact tracing only works well when there ’ s a smallish number of people infected and the U.S. has never had fewer than 30,000 or so new cases each day since March .
There ’ s an obvious response , though .
Answer : You should do everything you possibly can , and Trump and his staff simply aren ’ t willing to go that far per their ambivalence towards masks and social distancing .
They ’ ll do the big-picture stuff like fast-tracking vaccines but they refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doctors have insisted upon for the past six months — even in their own personal behavior , as we saw from the outbreak at the White House that infected the president himself .
This is why the mask debate never ends even though it ’ s been going nowhere for months , and why masking has figured so prominently in Biden ’ s campaign messaging about coronavirus .
It ’ s not really about masks , it ’ s about the White House ’ s commitment to doing everything conceivable to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s not in their personal comfort zone .
Trump won ’ t stop holding mass rallies , he won ’ t insist that attendees mask up , and he won ’ t demand that his staff take strict precautions to avoid infection .
The top story in COVID news today , in fact , involves a new outbreak at the White House that ’ s brought the disease to Mike Pence ’ s doorstep .
Between this very public reminder that the people in charge can ’ t even be diligent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the U.S. just set a daily record for coronavirus cases , Team Trump is stuck with the worst possible coronavirus optics a week out from Election Day .
Several members of Vice President Mike Pence ’ s inner circle , including at least four members of his staff , have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past few days , people briefed on the matter said , raising new questions about the safety protocols at the White House , where masks are not routinely worn .
Devin O ’ Malley , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the vice president ’ s chief of staff , Marc Short , had tested positive .
A person briefed on the diagnosis said he received it on Saturday… The statement did not come from the White House medical unit , but instead from a press aide .
Two people briefed on the matter said that the White House chief of staff , Mark Meadows , had sought to keep news of the outbreak from becoming public… Mr. Short has been among those within the White House who have questioned the extensive lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this morning , fortunately , but stay tuned .
It takes the virus a few days to incubate .
We won ’ t know how many staffers are tangled up in this new outbreak until later this week .
Until then voters will be left to wonder , “ Does the head of Trump ’ s coronavirus task force have COVID because he and the dummies around him still won ’ t take basic safety measures ?
” You can see why Meadows allegedly wanted to cover up the outbreak , even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about an outbreak from people who ’ ve been in proximity to the infected .
Now that it ’ s publicly known , the Trump campaign is faced with an ugly political dilemma : Do they pull Pence off the trail , which would remind voters in a visible way that the White House failed to contain the virus on its own campus ?
Or do they keep sending him out there , which would mean flouting CDC rules on what to do if you ’ ve recently been in contact with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Campaigning isn ’ t “ essential ” business .
Pence ’ s official duties , like having to attend an important cabinet meeting , would qualify as essential .
Campaigning is essential to him politically , but not to the country .
“ I think everybody ’ s got to put the health of the people they ’ re going to be in touch with first , ” said Chris Christie when asked about Pence ’ s decision to keep campaigning .
“ You got to keep yourself away from everybody and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christie was chastened by his own bout with the disease and has been an evangelist for precautions like masks and social distancing since recovering .
If Trump had taken the same attitude it might be helping him in the polls right now , especially with seniors who have been leery of his approach to the pandemic .
Oh well .
I ’ ll leave you with this tweet , which is circulating on political Twitter today on the one-year anniversary of its publication .

He said this about two hours ago as I’m writing this and I’m surprised there isn’t a Biden ad already circulating online to showcase the quote. Prominent Democrats are already highlighting it.
Meadows is totally right, by the way. As an empirical matter, the window for containing the virus closed some time ago. Maybe it closed in February, when the CDC mangled its chance to get testing going before the virus had spread widely. Maybe it closed in April, when Trump decided that reopening for business would be his priority instead of suppression. Maybe it closed in August, when the public blew off warnings from experts like Fauci that if Americans didn’t go the extra mile to drive national case counts down to 10,000 or fewer before the weather turned chilly, we’d be in for a brutal winter. Or maybe there never was a window to contain COVID realistically. Europeans spent this past summer patting themselves on the back for locking down stringently in the spring while foolhardy Americans rushed to return to normalcy, seeding an outbreak in the south. How’s Europe doing today?
Meadows isn’t wrong. But it’s one thing for this to be true and another thing for an influential government figure to admit that it’s true. It’d be like a top general confessing in the middle of a war that we have no realistic hope of stopping the enemy. Even if the facts on the ground plainly support that conclusion, admitting it is tantamount to admitting failure. Maybe there was a chance to win the war at some point and the administration blew it or maybe there was never any chance, but either way, the guys in charge are out of answers.
Mark Meadows: “We’re not going to control the pandemic, we are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigations.” Jake Tapper: “Why aren’t we going to get control of the pandemic?” Meadows: “Because it is a contagious virus” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/1ahyatu6co — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) October 25, 2020
The Trumpist response to questions like this should be simple: What would you have us do that we’re not doing? They set up Operation Warp Speed as the vaccine equivalent of the Manhattan Project. They’ve got the FDA looking at potentially gamechanging therapeutics like antibody drugs. They have fast, cheap antigen tests being rolled out to boost local surveillance. A national contact tracing program at some point might have helped, but contact tracing only works well when there’s a smallish number of people infected and the U.S. has never had fewer than 30,000 or so new cases each day since March.
There’s an obvious response, though. Answer: You should do everything you possibly can, and Trump and his staff simply aren’t willing to go that far per their ambivalence towards masks and social distancing. They’ll do the big-picture stuff like fast-tracking vaccines but they refuse to be sticklers about the basic precautions doctors have insisted upon for the past six months — even in their own personal behavior, as we saw from the outbreak at the White House that infected the president himself. This is why the mask debate never ends even though it’s been going nowhere for months, and why masking has figured so prominently in Biden’s campaign messaging about coronavirus. It’s not really about masks, it’s about the White House’s commitment to doing everything conceivable to try to contain the virus, even the stuff that’s not in their personal comfort zone. Trump won’t stop holding mass rallies, he won’t insist that attendees mask up, and he won’t demand that his staff take strict precautions to avoid infection.
The top story in COVID news today, in fact, involves a new outbreak at the White House that’s brought the disease to Mike Pence’s doorstep. Between this very public reminder that the people in charge can’t even be diligent about protecting themselves and the ominous reality that the U.S. just set a daily record for coronavirus cases, Team Trump is stuck with the worst possible coronavirus optics a week out from Election Day.
Several members of Vice President Mike Pence’s inner circle, including at least four members of his staff, have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past few days, people briefed on the matter said, raising new questions about the safety protocols at the White House, where masks are not routinely worn. Devin O’Malley, a spokesman for Mr. Pence, said that the vice president’s chief of staff, Marc Short, had tested positive. A person briefed on the diagnosis said he received it on Saturday… The statement did not come from the White House medical unit, but instead from a press aide. Two people briefed on the matter said that the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, had sought to keep news of the outbreak from becoming public… Mr. Short has been among those within the White House who have questioned the extensive lockdowns across the country.
Pence tested negative this morning, fortunately, but stay tuned. It takes the virus a few days to incubate. We won’t know how many staffers are tangled up in this new outbreak until later this week. Until then voters will be left to wonder, “Does the head of Trump’s coronavirus task force have COVID because he and the dummies around him still won’t take basic safety measures?” You can see why Meadows allegedly wanted to cover up the outbreak, even though it’s incredibly reckless to withhold information about an outbreak from people who’ve been in proximity to the infected. Now that it’s publicly known, the Trump campaign is faced with an ugly political dilemma: Do they pull Pence off the trail, which would remind voters in a visible way that the White House failed to contain the virus on its own campus? Or do they keep sending him out there, which would mean flouting CDC rules on what to do if you’ve recently been in contact with someone who’s tested positive?
Campaigning isn’t “essential” business. Pence’s official duties, like having to attend an important cabinet meeting, would qualify as essential. Campaigning is essential to him politically, but not to the country. “I think everybody’s got to put the health of the people they’re going to be in touch with first,” said Chris Christie when asked about Pence’s decision to keep campaigning. “You got to keep yourself away from everybody and I’m a little bit surprised.” Christie was chastened by his own bout with the disease and has been an evangelist for precautions like masks and social distancing since recovering. If Trump had taken the same attitude it might be helping him in the polls right now, especially with seniors who have been leery of his approach to the pandemic. Oh well.
I’ll leave you with this tweet, which is circulating on political Twitter today on the one-year anniversary of its publication.


hotair--2020-10-25--Can the NYPD make up all of its personnel losses?

New York City currently has roughly 4,000 fewer uniformed police officers than it did at the same time last year .
That ’ s probably not as massive of a figure as it sounds because the NYPD still has more than 33,000 cops , comprising one of the largest police forces in the world .
But it ’ s still a significant reduction , coming at a time when the city is experiencing rising violent crime rates at levels not seen in decades .
In an effort to combat this issue , the Chief of Police recently announced that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police academy for the class starting next month .
But will that be too little and too late ?
( NY Post ) The NYPD will enroll 900 new recruits for a November Police Academy class , the city ’ s top cop announced Friday , but will still be about 1,800 officers short of where the ranks were last year , due to budget cuts amid the COVID-fueled financial crisis and the push to reduce ranks in response to calls to defund the police .
The new class of recruits will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ongoing surge of gun violence across the coronavirus pandemic-stricken Big Apple .
“ Next week , the NYPD will send out offers to the 2020 November Academy class .
Before the new class starts , the NYPD uniform headcount will be approximately 34,200 .
The new class will be 900 recruits , bringing the uniform head count closer to the level expected in the Adopted Budget , ” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in a statement .
Attempting to recruit 900 new officers is better than nothing , but New Yorkers should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them .
First of all , this plan is based on the assumption that we can find 900 qualified people who are interested in applying .
Would you want to be a cop in the Big Apple these days ?
This has been an ongoing challenge for the NYPD since well before the current levels of the crisis took hold .
There are probably enough people out there who meet the physical requirements , but the fact that you can ’ t be accepted if you have any sort of significant arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question is how you sell the idea of a career with the NYPD to well-qualified prospects under the current conditions .
City Hall is busy blaming the cops for the world ’ s problems and cutting their funding .
People openly ridicule and even attack the police out in the streets , with few facing any serious consequences for their actions .
And in the vast majority of cases , even if you manage to do your job and bring in one of the bad guys , they are immediately put back out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s generous “ bail reform ” laws .
With all of that in mind , it will be more than a pleasant surprise if the NYPD can somehow manage to graduate 900 new officers in the immediate future .
And even if they do , that will still leave them with more than 2,000 fewer officers than they had last year .
The force has lost more than just warm bodies to fill uniforms , too .
A lot of experience and knowledge of the community went out the door with all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early retirement this year .
There was a time when a career in law enforcement was something that school children dreamed about , along with being a fireman , an astronaut or any other glorified occupation you can think of .
People didn ’ t go into the job with the expectation of becoming rich or famous .
While things are somewhat better than they used to be , cops are still very much underpaid when you consider that they ’ re volunteering for a job dealing with people who are frequently inclined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
No , people became police officers because of a sense of pride in serving their community .
They were willing to risk their own safety to ensure the safety of everyone else .
But these days , particularly in our larger cities , the police are treated with disrespect and contempt , if not outright violence .
Best of luck to the NYPD in refilling their ranks .
I don ’ t envy you the task .

New York City currently has roughly 4,000 fewer uniformed police officers than it did at the same time last year. That’s probably not as massive of a figure as it sounds because the NYPD still has more than 33,000 cops, comprising one of the largest police forces in the world. But it’s still a significant reduction, coming at a time when the city is experiencing rising violent crime rates at levels not seen in decades. In an effort to combat this issue, the Chief of Police recently announced that they will be recruiting 900 new applicants to the police academy for the class starting next month. But will that be too little and too late? (NY Post)
The NYPD will enroll 900 new recruits for a November Police Academy class, the city’s top cop announced Friday, but will still be about 1,800 officers short of where the ranks were last year, due to budget cuts amid the COVID-fueled financial crisis and the push to reduce ranks in response to calls to defund the police. The new class of recruits will add to the current 34,200-member force amid an ongoing surge of gun violence across the coronavirus pandemic-stricken Big Apple. “Next week, the NYPD will send out offers to the 2020 November Academy class. Before the new class starts, the NYPD uniform headcount will be approximately 34,200. The new class will be 900 recruits, bringing the uniform head count closer to the level expected in the Adopted Budget,” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in a statement.
Attempting to recruit 900 new officers is better than nothing, but New Yorkers should be aware that significant challenges remain ahead of them. First of all, this plan is based on the assumption that we can find 900 qualified people who are interested in applying. Would you want to be a cop in the Big Apple these days? This has been an ongoing challenge for the NYPD since well before the current levels of the crisis took hold. There are probably enough people out there who meet the physical requirements, but the fact that you can’t be accepted if you have any sort of significant arrest record quickly thins the ranks.
Another question is how you sell the idea of a career with the NYPD to well-qualified prospects under the current conditions. City Hall is busy blaming the cops for the world’s problems and cutting their funding. People openly ridicule and even attack the police out in the streets, with few facing any serious consequences for their actions. And in the vast majority of cases, even if you manage to do your job and bring in one of the bad guys, they are immediately put back out on the streets thanks to New York’s generous “bail reform” laws.
With all of that in mind, it will be more than a pleasant surprise if the NYPD can somehow manage to graduate 900 new officers in the immediate future. And even if they do, that will still leave them with more than 2,000 fewer officers than they had last year. The force has lost more than just warm bodies to fill uniforms, too. A lot of experience and knowledge of the community went out the door with all of the cops who quit or took early retirement this year.
There was a time when a career in law enforcement was something that school children dreamed about, along with being a fireman, an astronaut or any other glorified occupation you can think of. People didn’t go into the job with the expectation of becoming rich or famous. While things are somewhat better than they used to be, cops are still very much underpaid when you consider that they’re volunteering for a job dealing with people who are frequently inclined to shoot at them when they show up. No, people became police officers because of a sense of pride in serving their community. They were willing to risk their own safety to ensure the safety of everyone else. But these days, particularly in our larger cities, the police are treated with disrespect and contempt, if not outright violence.
Best of luck to the NYPD in refilling their ranks. I don’t envy you the task.


hotair--2020-10-25--Commandment and commission: Sunday reflection

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees , they gathered together , and one of them , a scholar of the law , tested him by asking , “ Teacher , which commandment in the law is the greatest ?
” He said to him , “ You shall love the Lord , your God , with all your heart , with all your soul , and with all your mind .
This is the greatest and the first commandment .
The second is like it : You shall love your neighbor as yourself .
The whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two commandments.
” My apologies for a brief reflection this week , as I have not had much time to prepare a more in-depth look at today ’ s Gospel .
In truth , though , this Gospel reading speaks for itself on just about every level , because Jesus made the path of salvation as simple as it can get .
And simplicity is the entire point of this passage , and of the other readings today that focus on mission and mercy .
In Jesus ’ time , the temple authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutiae of the Law , but little time on its purpose .
Time and time again , Jesus and the disciples come across this attitude from the Pharisees and the scribes .
They accuse Jesus of violating the Sabbath by gleaning grain from fields for nourishment as they walk , or for doing healings on the Sabbath .
They tried to trap him on questions about taxation , re-marriage , and so on , without success .
Too often we also miss the forest for the trees .
We think of salvation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equation for which only a few have the answer .
This is the impulse behind gnosticism , the idea that Jesus left secret teachings that unlock the path to Heaven .
It ’ s also the impulse behind a lot of amusing Hollywood and literary entertainment , all of which equally miss the point .
Jesus made the point clear , and the path as simple as possible .
Love the Lord above all things , and love your neighbor as yourself .
The way to enter the self-sacrificing love of the Trinity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ourselves to it here and now .
This is agape or caritas love , in which we work for the betterment of others with the same passion as we do for ourselves , with the love for the Lord as its centerpiece .
We don ’ t miss this point because it ’ s complicated .
We avoid it because it is hard to do .
It ’ s much easier for us in our fallen and selfish natures to look for a shortcut around this simplicity , even if it becomes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Code by the time it ’ s over .
The whole arc of human history suggests that we ’ ll do anything to avoid loving our neighbors as ourselves if we can do so , at least generally speaking .
We spend our time working on futile combinations and esoteric nonsense to avoid the simple path to salvation — form ourselves to the Lord ’ s self-sacrificing love .
That simple path is hard , but it is also effective , and it is tied to the Great Commission as well .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the apostle tells his flock that they have amplified his evangelization by their prophesying and by their example in living in caritas : You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake .
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord , receiving the word in great affliction , with joy from the Holy Spirit , so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia .
For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every place your faith in God has gone forth , so that we have no need to say anything .
For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you , and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven , whom he raised from the dead , Jesus , who delivers us from the coming wrath .
This is the fruit of following Jesus ’ commandment , or more accurately His focus on what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of caritas , we make the simple path plain , even though we occasionally stumble upon it .
It opens the ears and hearts of others who hear the Gospel within that example of caritas .
It is in this way that the church expands and the Good News of salvation spreads to all nations and peoples .
When the people who evangelize do not live in this spirit , the actions speak louder than the words , and the simplicity gets betrayed by the machinations of those preaching this simplicity .
Love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love your neighbor as yourself .
It couldn ’ t be simpler , and it couldn ’ t be tougher — but Christ knew that , too .
That is why He sent the Holy Spirit to be among us , to help each of us open our hearts to that simplicity and to take comfort in it .
The front page image is “ The Holy Trinity ” by Jerónimo Cósida , 1570 .
On display in Spain .
“ Sunday Reflection ” is a regular feature , looking at the specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Catholic parishes around the world .
The reflection represents only my own point of view , intended to help prepare myself for the Lord ’ s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion .
Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here .

This morning’s Gospel reading is Matthew 22:34–40:
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
My apologies for a brief reflection this week, as I have not had much time to prepare a more in-depth look at today’s Gospel. In truth, though, this Gospel reading speaks for itself on just about every level, because Jesus made the path of salvation as simple as it can get. And simplicity is the entire point of this passage, and of the other readings today that focus on mission and mercy.
In Jesus’ time, the temple authorities spent much of their time proclaiming the minutiae of the Law, but little time on its purpose. Time and time again, Jesus and the disciples come across this attitude from the Pharisees and the scribes. They accuse Jesus of violating the Sabbath by gleaning grain from fields for nourishment as they walk, or for doing healings on the Sabbath. They tried to trap him on questions about taxation, re-marriage, and so on, without success.
Too often we also miss the forest for the trees. We think of salvation and eternal life as some sort of complex equation for which only a few have the answer. This is the impulse behind gnosticism, the idea that Jesus left secret teachings that unlock the path to Heaven. It’s also the impulse behind a lot of amusing Hollywood and literary entertainment, all of which equally miss the point.
Jesus made the point clear, and the path as simple as possible. Love the Lord above all things, and love your neighbor as yourself. The way to enter the self-sacrificing love of the Trinity in the next life is to form ourselves to it here and now. This is agape or caritas love, in which we work for the betterment of others with the same passion as we do for ourselves, with the love for the Lord as its centerpiece.
We don’t miss this point because it’s complicated. We avoid it because it is hard to do. It’s much easier for us in our fallen and selfish natures to look for a shortcut around this simplicity, even if it becomes a scheme right out of The Da Vinci Code by the time it’s over. The whole arc of human history suggests that we’ll do anything to avoid loving our neighbors as ourselves if we can do so, at least generally speaking. We spend our time working on futile combinations and esoteric nonsense to avoid the simple path to salvation — form ourselves to the Lord’s self-sacrificing love.
That simple path is hard, but it is also effective, and it is tied to the Great Commission as well. In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle tells his flock that they have amplified his evangelization by their prophesying and by their example in living in caritas:
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit, so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.
This is the fruit of following Jesus’ commandment, or more accurately His focus on what the Decalogue means. By living lives of caritas, we make the simple path plain, even though we occasionally stumble upon it. It opens the ears and hearts of others who hear the Gospel within that example of caritas. It is in this way that the church expands and the Good News of salvation spreads to all nations and peoples. When the people who evangelize do not live in this spirit, the actions speak louder than the words, and the simplicity gets betrayed by the machinations of those preaching this simplicity.
Love the Lord above all others, and love your neighbor as yourself. It couldn’t be simpler, and it couldn’t be tougher — but Christ knew that, too. That is why He sent the Holy Spirit to be among us, to help each of us open our hearts to that simplicity and to take comfort in it.
The front page image is “The Holy Trinity” by Jerónimo Cósida, 1570. On display in Spain.
“Sunday Reflection” is a regular feature, looking at the specific readings used in today’s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world. The reflection represents only my own point of view, intended to help prepare myself for the Lord’s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion. Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here.


hotair--2020-10-25--"Chumps": Angry Joe Biden trashes Trump supporters during Pennsylvania rally

When Joe Biden entered the presidential race , he did so because he said he wants to bring back civility and unite Americans .
However , as we see regularly , Biden has anger management issues .
He lashes out at President Trump and his supporters in a way that is neither civil nor unifying .
Saturday during a drive-in rally in Pennsylvania , Biden had a real “ basket of deplorables ” moment .
Biden ’ s campaign strategy consists of doing interviews with local news markets and random podcasts while remaining in his basement as much as possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assigned to cover his campaign .
Just recently , Biden began to do some campaign rallies .
His campaign rallies are not traditional campaign rallies , though .
Team Biden organizes drive-in rallies in parking lots .
Up to four people are allowed to occupy a vehicle and each vehicle is parked in a socially distanced space .
It is very 2020 and it is ridiculous .
Instead of applause from his supporters , they honk their horns to show approval for whatever word salad he is serving up .
Biden usually stays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drive-in rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday which also brought out a crowd of Trump supporters .
They gathered in a parking lot across from the parking lot for the Biden rally .
The enthusiastic Trump supporters were making some noise , shouting and honking their horns .
Grumpy Gramps didn ’ t appreciate the interruption and he lashed out at them .
He did so by calling them “ chumps ” .
Hillary Clinton likes to call Trump supporters “ baskets of deplorables ” , you know .
This was a deplorables moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t do things like those chumps out there with the microphones , those Trump guys , ” he told supporters ensconced in about 130 cars at a drive-in rally at Bucks County Community College in Newtown .
WATCH : Joe Biden insults Pennsylvanians who do n't support him , calls them `` chumps '' pic.twitter.com/QvHgk7nppH He was referring to scores of fans of President Trump , driving pickup trucks and SUVs draped with American flags and campaign banners , who invaded a nearby parking lot — within earshot of the candidate — to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat down .
Biden only spoke for about 25 minutes .
Hillary Clinton won Bucks County by less than one percent in 2016 .
It is a crucial swing county in Pennsylvania .
During the short , small rally , Biden brought up foreign sources of money as it pertains to the president , not his son , Hunter .
He pointed a finger at Trump as “ the only guy any of us have known as president who ’ s making money from foreign sources.
” That ’ s a bold move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been caught ( allegedly ) with his hand in the Chinese cookie jar .
What kind of man helps his son make deals with foreign countries and demands a kickback for his trouble , allegedly ?
If the stories are true , Biden shakes down his own son for foreign money .
It is curious how a career politician , a federal employee , can afford such a posh lifestyle , with at least two homes and a beach house .
He was a senator and then vice-president .
His wife teaches at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget the Bill Clinton years ?
How about the Obama years when Hillary and Bill were receiving lots of foreign money through their foundation while she was Secretary of State ?
The fact is that Joe Biden enjoys the luxury of the press touting him as a nice guy , Middle-Class Joe , but it ’ s a farce .
The reporters covering his campaign haven ’ t asked any challenging questions of him when they are allowed to even ask questions .
He holds press conferences and doesn ’ t take questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home during the pandemic , he would become angry on the campaign trail when a voter challenged him on an issue .
He called them names ( C ’ mon , Fat . )
and challenged them to push-up contests .
It ’ s a very odd way to bring people to his side .
He said more than once that he ’ d like to punch Trump – take him out behind the school gym , or something .
If his real reason for running for president is to bring back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he so ugly in his speech and aggressive in his physical threats ?
When Biden resorted to name-calling about Trump supporters making noise across the street , he seems to have veered off his teleprompter script .
He was saying that “ I ’ ll work as hard for those who don ’ t support me as those who do , ” as he often does .
He channels his best Obama imitation but it always falls flat .
We lived through eight years of Obama saying that and not delivering , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he divided America so much that it ushered in a Trump presidency .
Biden will say anything to get elected .
As President Trump pointed out during the last debate , Biden is a typical politician – all talk , no action .
Biden is desperate to clean up a big mistake he made during the last debate when he admitted he will do his best to destroy the oil and gas industry .
Biden needs Pennsylvania voters to win and this subject is important to them .
Biden came out on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers remember the Obama years and the way that administration worked against the industry at every turn .
Joe Biden has no energy and he couldn ’ t even last for the entirety of the last debate against Trump .
Biden was fading and it showed just an hour into it .
Trump , in contrast , is like the Energizer bunny .
He is holding several rallies a day and traveling from state to state though he is recently recovered from the coronavirus .
Biden , by contrast , is treated like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only about 130 cars at Biden ’ s drive-in rally .
A member of Team Trump thinks there were more Trump supporters across the street .
There are only nine days left until Election Day .
We ’ ll see if Sleepy Joe can last long enough to cross the finish line .

When Joe Biden entered the presidential race, he did so because he said he wants to bring back civility and unite Americans. However, as we see regularly, Biden has anger management issues. He lashes out at President Trump and his supporters in a way that is neither civil nor unifying. Saturday during a drive-in rally in Pennsylvania, Biden had a real “basket of deplorables” moment.
Biden’s campaign strategy consists of doing interviews with local news markets and random podcasts while remaining in his basement as much as possible. There is little interaction with journalists assigned to cover his campaign. Just recently, Biden began to do some campaign rallies. His campaign rallies are not traditional campaign rallies, though. Team Biden organizes drive-in rallies in parking lots. Up to four people are allowed to occupy a vehicle and each vehicle is parked in a socially distanced space. It is very 2020 and it is ridiculous. Instead of applause from his supporters, they honk their horns to show approval for whatever word salad he is serving up.
Biden usually stays close to home. He did a drive-in rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday which also brought out a crowd of Trump supporters. They gathered in a parking lot across from the parking lot for the Biden rally. The enthusiastic Trump supporters were making some noise, shouting and honking their horns. Grumpy Gramps didn’t appreciate the interruption and he lashed out at them. He did so by calling them “chumps”. Hillary Clinton likes to call Trump supporters “baskets of deplorables”, you know. This was a deplorables moment for Biden.
“We don’t do things like those chumps out there with the microphones, those Trump guys,” he told supporters ensconced in about 130 cars at a drive-in rally at Bucks County Community College in Newtown. WATCH: Joe Biden insults Pennsylvanians who don't support him, calls them "chumps" pic.twitter.com/QvHgk7nppH — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 24, 2020 He was referring to scores of fans of President Trump, driving pickup trucks and SUVs draped with American flags and campaign banners, who invaded a nearby parking lot — within earshot of the candidate — to honk horns and try to shout the Democrat down.
Biden only spoke for about 25 minutes. Hillary Clinton won Bucks County by less than one percent in 2016. It is a crucial swing county in Pennsylvania. During the short, small rally, Biden brought up foreign sources of money as it pertains to the president, not his son, Hunter. He pointed a finger at Trump as “the only guy any of us have known as president who’s making money from foreign sources.” That’s a bold move for a 78-year-old career politician who has been caught (allegedly) with his hand in the Chinese cookie jar. What kind of man helps his son make deals with foreign countries and demands a kickback for his trouble, allegedly? If the stories are true, Biden shakes down his own son for foreign money. It is curious how a career politician, a federal employee, can afford such a posh lifestyle, with at least two homes and a beach house. He was a senator and then vice-president. His wife teaches at a community college.
Did Joe Biden forget the Bill Clinton years? How about the Obama years when Hillary and Bill were receiving lots of foreign money through their foundation while she was Secretary of State?
The fact is that Joe Biden enjoys the luxury of the press touting him as a nice guy, Middle-Class Joe, but it’s a farce. The reporters covering his campaign haven’t asked any challenging questions of him when they are allowed to even ask questions. He holds press conferences and doesn’t take questions. Before he began to hide out at home during the pandemic, he would become angry on the campaign trail when a voter challenged him on an issue. He called them names (C’mon, Fat.) and challenged them to push-up contests. It’s a very odd way to bring people to his side. He said more than once that he’d like to punch Trump – take him out behind the school gym, or something. If his real reason for running for president is to bring back civility in public service, why is he so ugly in his speech and aggressive in his physical threats?
When Biden resorted to name-calling about Trump supporters making noise across the street, he seems to have veered off his teleprompter script. He was saying that “I’ll work as hard for those who don’t support me as those who do,” as he often does. He channels his best Obama imitation but it always falls flat. We lived through eight years of Obama saying that and not delivering, in fact, many of us think that he divided America so much that it ushered in a Trump presidency. Biden will say anything to get elected. As President Trump pointed out during the last debate, Biden is a typical politician – all talk, no action.
Biden is desperate to clean up a big mistake he made during the last debate when he admitted he will do his best to destroy the oil and gas industry. Biden needs Pennsylvania voters to win and this subject is important to them. Biden came out on the wrong side of it. Energy industry workers remember the Obama years and the way that administration worked against the industry at every turn.
Joe Biden has no energy and he couldn’t even last for the entirety of the last debate against Trump. Biden was fading and it showed just an hour into it. Trump, in contrast, is like the Energizer bunny. He is holding several rallies a day and traveling from state to state though he is recently recovered from the coronavirus. Biden, by contrast, is treated like a hot house flower. There were only about 130 cars at Biden’s drive-in rally. A member of Team Trump thinks there were more Trump supporters across the street.
Looks like more Trump supporters showed up to Biden’s Bucks County, PA event than Biden supporters! 🤣🤣🤣
pic.twitter.com/vCouQoKPue — Abigail Marone (@abigailmarone) October 24, 2020
There are only nine days left until Election Day. We’ll see if Sleepy Joe can last long enough to cross the finish line.


hotair--2020-10-25--Murkowski is now walking a tightrope on the ACB confirmation

Many of you are probably old enough to remember when Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski ( R ) was saying that the Senate committee hearings over the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett for a seat on the Supreme Court hadn ’ t swayed her position .
She was still not inclined to act on any confirmation process prior to the election .
That was way back around… three days ago .
But as of yesterday , that story has taken a sudden turn .
Now Murkowski is saying she plans to vote in favor of confirming Barrett if and when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Senate floor .
That ’ s expected to happen tomorrow .
So is this a reversal ?
Perhaps not .
As we ’ ll discuss in a moment , there ’ s actually a viable rationale behind this decision , at least if you ’ re willing to squint your eyes a bit when looking at it .
( Associated Press ) Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett won crucial backing when one of the last Republican holdouts against filling the seat during an election season announced support for President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmation vote expected Monday .
Sen. Lisa Murkowski , R-Alaska , declared her support Saturday during a rare weekend Senate session as Republicans race to confirm Barrett before Election Day .
Senators are set Sunday to push ahead , despite Democratic objections that the winner of the White House on Nov. 3 should make the choice to fill the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Barrett ’ s nomination already appeared to have enough votes for confirmation from Senate Republicans who hold the majority in the chamber .
But Murkowski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of support .
Unless somebody is planning an eleventh-hour surprise that Cocaine Mitch hasn ’ t been able to detect , we ’ re now looking at a confirmation vote where only Susan Collins will either vote against Barrett or abstain .
That vote is at least somewhat understandable because Collins is on the verge of losing her seat on November 3rd and she knows how to read the polls in Maine .
( Her state ’ s adoption of ranked-choice voting had probably already doomed her anyway . )
So as I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this apparent shift in her position ?
It all comes down to the process more than the person .
Murkowski has never once said that she had any questions about ACB ’ s qualifications for a seat on the nation ’ s highest court .
She was objecting to the idea of holding the confirmation hearings before the election .
She can argue that she would have opposed confirming anyone for the seat , even if it was someone that the leadership of both parties was clamoring for .
But now the choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The vote is going to take place over her objections and it ’ s her job to consider the nominee and cast a vote .
Since that chore can ’ t be ignored or put off , she ’ s left with no choice but to acknowledge Barrett ’ s sterling qualifications and her admirable performance during the hearings and vote to confirm her .
Anybody buying this ?
Okay… probably not .
It was clearly a calculated political show driven by the fact that Murkowski represents a state that ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be .
( Republican Dan Sullivan is currently holding a fairly comfortable lead over independent/Dem Al Gross , but it ’ s in single digits . )
She needs to maintain her patina of independence from the party leadership for the sake of her political future .
But in the end , she still had to come around to a position where she would help pull Barrett over the finish line .
The only saving grace for the Democrats at this point is that Collins will allow them to claim there was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmation .
Update ( Ed ) : You know I hate to say “ I told you so , ” but … ah , that ’ s not true , I love to say “ I told you so.
” Murkowski ’ s language hinted at this all along : However , there ’ s another possibility for both Murkowski and Collins , one that might explain why Murkowski ’ s playing coy about specifics .
Both of them can register their objections to the process by voting against the procedural motion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the nuking of the filibuster , McConnell only needs 51 votes to do that , too .
Murkowski and Collins would then be free to claim they voted against the process , but that Barrett is so obviously qualified that their objections can ’ t be extended to the final vote on Barrett herself .
Collins faces a tough challenge for her seat in Maine , so she may end up a nay on the final vote too , or a no-show .
Murkowski ’ s response today seems calculated to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the nominee .
Even her original statement of opposition was entirely about process , not about voting against a nominee if the process took place anyway .
Murkowski wisely kept her options open , and is about to eat her cake and have it too .

Many of you are probably old enough to remember when Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) was saying that the Senate committee hearings over the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett for a seat on the Supreme Court hadn’t swayed her position. She was still not inclined to act on any confirmation process prior to the election. That was way back around… three days ago. But as of yesterday, that story has taken a sudden turn. Now Murkowski is saying she plans to vote in favor of confirming Barrett if and when the measure comes to a full vote on the Senate floor. That’s expected to happen tomorrow. So is this a reversal? Perhaps not. As we’ll discuss in a moment, there’s actually a viable rationale behind this decision, at least if you’re willing to squint your eyes a bit when looking at it. (Associated Press)
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett won crucial backing when one of the last Republican holdouts against filling the seat during an election season announced support for President Donald Trump’s pick ahead of a confirmation vote expected Monday. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, declared her support Saturday during a rare weekend Senate session as Republicans race to confirm Barrett before Election Day. Senators are set Sunday to push ahead, despite Democratic objections that the winner of the White House on Nov. 3 should make the choice to fill the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett’s nomination already appeared to have enough votes for confirmation from Senate Republicans who hold the majority in the chamber. But Murkowski’s nod gives her a boost of support.
Unless somebody is planning an eleventh-hour surprise that Cocaine Mitch hasn’t been able to detect, we’re now looking at a confirmation vote where only Susan Collins will either vote against Barrett or abstain. That vote is at least somewhat understandable because Collins is on the verge of losing her seat on November 3rd and she knows how to read the polls in Maine. (Her state’s adoption of ranked-choice voting had probably already doomed her anyway.)
So as I mentioned above, how does Murkowski explain this apparent shift in her position? It all comes down to the process more than the person. Murkowski has never once said that she had any questions about ACB’s qualifications for a seat on the nation’s highest court. She was objecting to the idea of holding the confirmation hearings before the election. She can argue that she would have opposed confirming anyone for the seat, even if it was someone that the leadership of both parties was clamoring for.
But now the choice has been removed from her hands. The vote is going to take place over her objections and it’s her job to consider the nominee and cast a vote. Since that chore can’t be ignored or put off, she’s left with no choice but to acknowledge Barrett’s sterling qualifications and her admirable performance during the hearings and vote to confirm her.
Anybody buying this? Okay… probably not. It was clearly a calculated political show driven by the fact that Murkowski represents a state that’s not nearly as red as it used to be. (Republican Dan Sullivan is currently holding a fairly comfortable lead over independent/Dem Al Gross, but it’s in single digits.) She needs to maintain her patina of independence from the party leadership for the sake of her political future. But in the end, she still had to come around to a position where she would help pull Barrett over the finish line. The only saving grace for the Democrats at this point is that Collins will allow them to claim there was “bipartisan opposition” to Barrett’s confirmation.
Update (Ed): You know I hate to say “I told you so,” but … ah, that’s not true, I love to say “I told you so.” Murkowski’s language hinted at this all along:
However, there’s another possibility for both Murkowski and Collins, one that might explain why Murkowski’s playing coy about specifics. Both of them can register their objections to the process by voting against the procedural motion to go to the floor vote. Thanks to the nuking of the filibuster, McConnell only needs 51 votes to do that, too. Murkowski and Collins would then be free to claim they voted against the process, but that Barrett is so obviously qualified that their objections can’t be extended to the final vote on Barrett herself. Collins faces a tough challenge for her seat in Maine, so she may end up a nay on the final vote too, or a no-show. Murkowski’s response today seems calculated to leave her enough room to separate the process from the nominee.
Even her original statement of opposition was entirely about process, not about voting against a nominee if the process took place anyway. Murkowski wisely kept her options open, and is about to eat her cake and have it too.


hotair--2020-10-26--Hunter Biden wins coveted endorsement of... Vladimir Putin

Perhaps we ’ ve been reading this entire Hunter Biden laptop story totally wrong .
All of his various business dealings in China and Ukraine or with Burisma may have been on the up and up all along and we ’ re just unfairly judging him and his family .
After all , Russian President and former KGB henchman Vladimir Putin doesn ’ t see anything wrong with Hunter ’ s wheeling and dealing .
And if Big Vlad is okay with it , how bad could it really be ?
Why Putin decided to weigh in on this particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he ’ s found at least one reporter at Reuters who was happy to report on his comments and attempt to throw more cold water on the story .
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that he saw nothing criminal in Hunter Biden ’ s past business ties with Ukraine or Russia , marking out his disagreement with one of Donald Trump ’ s attack lines in the U.S. presidential election .
Putin was responding to comments made by Trump during televised debates with Democratic challenger Joe Biden ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is trailing in opinion polls , has used the debates to make accusations that Biden and his son Hunter engaged in unethical practices in Ukraine .
No evidence has been verified to support the allegations , and Joe Biden has called them false and discredited .
I ’ ll pause for a moment here to note that way that Reuters is treating the laptop story , along the same lines as nearly all mainstream media outlets .
They casually toss out the phrase “ no evidence has been verified to support the allegations.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were copied on the emails have come forward to confirm that they are real .
The CEO of Hunter ’ s own company has verified their authenticity .
And neither of the Bidens have ever claimed that the emails were fake , despite having had plenty of opportunities to do so .
Precisely how much more “ verification ” do you need ?
Getting back to the main topic , this incident might make us wonder precisely how much election meddling the Russian president is really interested in launching .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion of Donald Trump and in the same comments he noted Joe Biden ’ s “ sharp anti-Russian rhetoric ” .
So why bother vouching for Hunter Biden ’ s claim if he ’ s all that interested in seeing Trump win a second term ?
I suppose it ’ s possible that he ’ s just trying to improve his relationship with Joe Biden in case he wins .
Of course , getting an endorsement from Vladimir Putin over a question of corruption might go a long way .
After all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s leading authority on the subject .
Analysts have suspected for years that Putin may actually be the planet ’ s first trillionaire after lining his pockets with illicit cash for as long as he ’ s been in power .
It really wasn ’ t all that much of an endorsement , by the way .
Putin went on to say that he wasn ’ t even sure if Hunter Biden still had a company operating in Ukraine .
He also noted that it “ doesn ’ t concern ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ made good money ” he didn ’ t see anything wrong with that .
I would imagine not .
Putin is more of a kleptocrat than a capitalist , but he certainly knows a thing or two about “ making good money .
”

Perhaps we’ve been reading this entire Hunter Biden laptop story totally wrong. All of his various business dealings in China and Ukraine or with Burisma may have been on the up and up all along and we’re just unfairly judging him and his family. After all, Russian President and former KGB henchman Vladimir Putin doesn’t see anything wrong with Hunter’s wheeling and dealing. And if Big Vlad is okay with it, how bad could it really be? Why Putin decided to weigh in on this particular subject remains something of a mystery, but he’s found at least one reporter at Reuters who was happy to report on his comments and attempt to throw more cold water on the story.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that he saw nothing criminal in Hunter Biden’s past business ties with Ukraine or Russia, marking out his disagreement with one of Donald Trump’s attack lines in the U.S. presidential election. Putin was responding to comments made by Trump during televised debates with Democratic challenger Joe Biden ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Trump, who is trailing in opinion polls, has used the debates to make accusations that Biden and his son Hunter engaged in unethical practices in Ukraine. No evidence has been verified to support the allegations, and Joe Biden has called them false and discredited.
I’ll pause for a moment here to note that way that Reuters is treating the laptop story, along the same lines as nearly all mainstream media outlets. They casually toss out the phrase “no evidence has been verified to support the allegations.”
Oh, really? Multiple people who were copied on the emails have come forward to confirm that they are real. The CEO of Hunter’s own company has verified their authenticity. And neither of the Bidens have ever claimed that the emails were fake, despite having had plenty of opportunities to do so. Precisely how much more “verification” do you need?
Getting back to the main topic, this incident might make us wonder precisely how much election meddling the Russian president is really interested in launching. He has always seemed to have a fairly good opinion of Donald Trump and in the same comments he noted Joe Biden’s “sharp anti-Russian rhetoric”. So why bother vouching for Hunter Biden’s claim if he’s all that interested in seeing Trump win a second term? I suppose it’s possible that he’s just trying to improve his relationship with Joe Biden in case he wins.
Of course, getting an endorsement from Vladimir Putin over a question of corruption might go a long way. After all, the guy is pretty much the world’s leading authority on the subject. Analysts have suspected for years that Putin may actually be the planet’s first trillionaire after lining his pockets with illicit cash for as long as he’s been in power.
It really wasn’t all that much of an endorsement, by the way. Putin went on to say that he wasn’t even sure if Hunter Biden still had a company operating in Ukraine. He also noted that it “doesn’t concern” the Russians. But if the younger Biden “made good money” he didn’t see anything wrong with that. I would imagine not. Putin is more of a kleptocrat than a capitalist, but he certainly knows a thing or two about “making good money.”