hotair--2020-10-17--Seattle: At least 118 police officer have left the department this year, mayor receiving a stream of

Seattle: At least 118 police officer have left the department this year, mayor receiving a stream of threats

On Friday the Seattle Budget Office published a report revealing that a record number of police officers left the force in September .
The attrition through resignation and retirement brings current staffing down to levels not seen in 20 years .
A record number of Seattle police officers left the department in September , double the highest of any month on record , and a level of attrition that the city ’ s mayor calls “ unprecedented.
” On top of that , the report says the city could find itself at police staffing levels on par with the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s population has grown by 44 % since then .
The report says 39 officers or officers in training “ separated ” from SPD in September , while another 14 officers were on extended leave .
Per the report , that means the number of officers decreased from 1,247 to 1,203 in a single month .
Last month was the peak of this trend but in all there have been 118 separations from the force this year , most of those since the push to defund the police : At least 118 officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the bulk leaving after the Seattle City Council embraced radical activists pushing to defund the police .
Separations are all-inclusive , including resignations ( including lateral-moves to other agencies ) and retirements… The mass exodus of officers started in May with 10 separations , followed by 16 in June , 10 in July , and 14 in August .
In September , that number jumped to 39 .
So far in October , there have been eight separations according to a source , though this is not in the mayor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who resigned this year , is included in the statistics .
Can you blame them ?
Seattle officers have been seriously injured by “ protesters ” who police say are clearly filled with hate and eager to be destructive .
Some officers have just given up .
Even apart from the physical injuries , there ’ s the constant stream of abuse they have to deal with from “ activists.
” How much of this would you put up with at your job ?
The low staffing levels create real world problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slower response times to 911 calls .
Dr. Jackie Helfgott , the director of Seattle University ’ s Crime and Justice Research Center , is helping to run the sixth annual Seattle Public Safety Survey .
“ These are historically low staffing levels , ” she said , adding her data shows people are most concerned with car prowls and a lack of police capacity to respond to 911 calls .
“ Carmen Best was the best thing that happened to the city.
” She said the council ’ s attempts to cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a real possibility things will continue to get much worse thanks to a city council that is still eager to defund the police .
Mayor Jenny Durkan tried to limit the cuts to the police by vetoing the city council ’ s budget proposal , but the council voted to override that veto .
That decision has already had disastrous consequences for the city which currently has no teams to deal with problems created by homeless camps .
In one case , the homeless have set up a “ metal shop ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at night next to a group of apartment buildings but the city says it has no staff who can do anything about it .
And that may not change until next year some time .
The far left activists appear to be winning in Seattle but despite her best efforts to appease them , Mayor Durkan has become a target for their abuse .
Graffiti has been repeatedly left outside her home and she has become a target for an increasing number of threats of all kinds : Police are investigating a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messages are being left outside the home of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan… In addition to threatening messages outside her home , Durkan ’ s staff have seen an increase in threats and hateful messages via her email , swatting , social media , the mayor ’ s office voicemail and letters , including death threats…Several messages are serious enough to warrant additional investigation , according to police… As a former U.S. attorney , Durkan ’ s home address had been kept confidential until Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant marched with a group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer .
Here ’ s the kind of thing that fans of socialist councilmember Kshama Sawant have been leaving at Durkan ’ s house : Rioters forced the Mayor of Portland to move out of his home last month .
Now they seem to be trying to do the same to Seattle ’ s Mayor Durkan .
Frankly , it ’ s hard to have much sympathy because Durkan encouraged these “ activists.
” When CHAZ was set up she called it a block party and suggested it might lead to a summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ranted about President Trump .
Now she ’ s been labeled a “ Nazi ” by the same crowd of extremists .
The whole city , not just the mayor , is paying a price for her unwillingness to stand up to extremism .

On Friday the Seattle Budget Office published a report revealing that a record number of police officers left the force in September. The attrition through resignation and retirement brings current staffing down to levels not seen in 20 years.
A record number of Seattle police officers left the department in September, double the highest of any month on record, and a level of attrition that the city’s mayor calls “unprecedented.” On top of that, the report says the city could find itself at police staffing levels on par with the early 1990s, even though the city’s population has grown by 44% since then. The report says 39 officers or officers in training “separated” from SPD in September, while another 14 officers were on extended leave. Per the report, that means the number of officers decreased from 1,247 to 1,203 in a single month.
Last month was the peak of this trend but in all there have been 118 separations from the force this year, most of those since the push to defund the police:
At least 118 officers have separated from the force in 2020, with the bulk leaving after the Seattle City Council embraced radical activists pushing to defund the police. Separations are all-inclusive, including resignations (including lateral-moves to other agencies) and retirements… The mass exodus of officers started in May with 10 separations, followed by 16 in June, 10 in July, and 14 in August. In September, that number jumped to 39. So far in October, there have been eight separations according to a source, though this is not in the mayor’s report. Police Chief Carmen Best, who resigned this year, is included in the statistics.
Can you blame them? Seattle officers have been seriously injured by “protesters” who police say are clearly filled with hate and eager to be destructive. Some officers have just given up. Even apart from the physical injuries, there’s the constant stream of abuse they have to deal with from “activists.” How much of this would you put up with at your job?
https://twitter.com/KittyLists/status/1294819940428443648
The low staffing levels create real world problems for everyone living in the area including slower response times to 911 calls.
Currently, due to low staff, the median priority 1 response times — that is, dangerous, in-progress crimes that demand immediate response — was an astounding nine minutes in the North Precinct from July through September, according to city documents.
KING 5’s collected reactions to the staffing crisis:
Dr. Jackie Helfgott, the director of Seattle University’s Crime and Justice Research Center, is helping to run the sixth annual Seattle Public Safety Survey. “These are historically low staffing levels,” she said, adding her data shows people are most concerned with car prowls and a lack of police capacity to respond to 911 calls. “Carmen Best was the best thing that happened to the city.” She said the council’s attempts to cut funding chased Best away. SoDo BIA [Business Improvement Area] Executive Director Erin Goodman called the numbers “really, really concerning.”
There’s a real possibility things will continue to get much worse thanks to a city council that is still eager to defund the police. Mayor Jenny Durkan tried to limit the cuts to the police by vetoing the city council’s budget proposal, but the council voted to override that veto. That decision has already had disastrous consequences for the city which currently has no teams to deal with problems created by homeless camps. In one case, the homeless have set up a “metal shop” that runs a generator and grinders late at night next to a group of apartment buildings but the city says it has no staff who can do anything about it. And that may not change until next year some time.
The far left activists appear to be winning in Seattle but despite her best efforts to appease them, Mayor Durkan has become a target for their abuse. Graffiti has been repeatedly left outside her home and she has become a target for an increasing number of threats of all kinds:
Police are investigating a series of incidents where homophobic slurs and hateful messages are being left outside the home of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan… In addition to threatening messages outside her home, Durkan’s staff have seen an increase in threats and hateful messages via her email, swatting, social media, the mayor’s office voicemail and letters, including death threats…Several messages are serious enough to warrant additional investigation, according to police… As a former U.S. attorney, Durkan’s home address had been kept confidential until Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant marched with a group of demonstrators to Durkan’s doorstep this summer.
Here’s the kind of thing that fans of socialist councilmember Kshama Sawant have been leaving at Durkan’s house:
Someone just shared this screen shot with me from my former colleague. This is not merely “uncivilized”. It is misogynistic and laced with gender-based threats at YOUR HOME. It is wrong. We can disagree without demoralizing each other. This movement demands that of us. pic.twitter.com/XC2DITTX1W — Council President M. Lorena González (Seattle) (@CMLGonzalez) October 16, 2020
Rioters forced the Mayor of Portland to move out of his home last month. Now they seem to be trying to do the same to Seattle’s Mayor Durkan. Frankly, it’s hard to have much sympathy because Durkan encouraged these “activists.” When CHAZ was set up she called it a block party and suggested it might lead to a summer of love. She took their side and ranted about President Trump. Now she’s been labeled a “Nazi” by the same crowd of extremists. The whole city, not just the mayor, is paying a price for her unwillingness to stand up to extremism.


hotair--2020-10-17--Memo from Biden campaign manager: Our polling shows Trump is neck and neck with us in the battlegrou

Memo from Biden campaign manager: Our polling shows Trump is neck and neck with us in the battlegrounds

She ’ s been beating this drum all week , first in a series of tweets on Wednesday , then again in a video chat with supporters yesterday .
Democrats aren ’ t worried about a late Trump surge nearly as much as they ’ re worried about creeping complacency among their own voters .
Today , a memo in which she echoed the point yet again somehow ended up in the hands of the Times .
I wonder if Team Joe ’ s polling is showing a downtick lately among lefties who say they ’ re planning to turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BLOWOUT LOOMS ” headlines might convince just enough lukewarm supporters at the margins that Sleepy Joe doesn ’ t need their votes to give Trump a shot at the upset .
“ While we see robust leads at the national level , in the states we ’ re counting on to carry us to victory like Arizona and North Carolina we ’ re only up by three points , ” [ O ’ Malley Dillon ] wrote , according to the memo obtained by The New York Times .
“ We also know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong , and that variables like turnout mean that in a number of critical states we are functionally tied — and that we need to campaign like we ’ re trailing.
” … “ This race is far closer than some of the punditry we ’ re seeing on Twitter and on TV would suggest , ” she wrote .
“ In the key battleground states where this election will be decided , we remain neck and neck with Donald Trump.
” “ If we learned anything from 2016 , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or his ability to claw his way back into contention in the final days of a campaign , through whatever smears or underhanded tactics he has at his disposal , ” she added .
The public polls are wrong .
O ’ Malley Dillon herself says so !
Or , well , she implies it .
But … her numbers for North Carolina and Arizona actually match the public polling pretty well .
RCP has Biden ahead by an average of 2.7 points in NC today and by four points in AZ .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which battlegrounds she ’ s chosen to highlight .
North Carolina and Arizona have been tight for most of the campaign , but not all battlegrounds are and Biden doesn ’ t need either of them to win .
All he needs is to hold onto Hillary ’ s 2016 states and flip the Rust Belt trio of Michigan , Wisconsin , and Pennsylvania .
All of which he ’ s leading by 5.6 points or better right now .
What ’ s O ’ Malley Dillon ’ s polling telling her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She ’ s seeing solid leads in each and doesn ’ t want to mention it lest it undercut her “ no complacency ” message .
Even her claim that Biden isn ’ t up double digits nationally isn ’ t contradicted by the public polling .
*Some* pollsters have him up by 10 points or more , but if you average out all of the recent surveys you get a Biden lead of nine .
Plus , nearly every national poll taken over the last 10 days has him at 50 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably aren ’ t enough undecideds out there to win it for Trump this time .
He needs to find a way to flip a few percentage points from Biden ’ s column in the 17 days he has left .
What can he say after four years as president and many months of campaigning this year to convince a Biden voter to become a Trump voter , very belatedly ?
Another curious thing .
Yesterday , according to the Times , during her video presentation O ’ Malley Dillon told fans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win Arizona.
” That ’ s an odd show of confidence within a broader message about taking nothing for granted , and it ’ s belied by her own polling .
I wonder what she ’ s seeing on the ground in AZ to make her so confident despite enjoying a narrow lead over Trump right now .
Whatever the answer , something to chew on : If Biden were to flip Arizona plus Wisconsin and Michigan but Trump were to hold on in Pennsylvania and the other battlegrounds he won in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 269-269 clusterfark that would be decided by the House .
Which is probably what we ’ ll end up with , because , you know .
2020 .
By the way , here ’ s what Trump ’ s friendliest pollster , Trafalgar , is seeing in Arizona right now : I ’ ll leave you with the president contemplating the prospect of defeat in his own inimitable way .
He ’ s mostly joking here .
Mostly .

She’s been beating this drum all week, first in a series of tweets on Wednesday, then again in a video chat with supporters yesterday. Democrats aren’t worried about a late Trump surge nearly as much as they’re worried about creeping complacency among their own voters.
Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon, in grassroots summit, emphasizes that their polling does NOT show a double-digit lead nationally. "Please take the fact that we are not ahead by double digits" “Those are inflated national public polling numbers” pic.twitter.com/v95za3XRGZ — Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) October 16, 2020
Today, a memo in which she echoed the point yet again somehow ended up in the hands of the Times. I wonder if Team Joe’s polling is showing a downtick lately among lefties who say they’re planning to turn out. The barrage of “BIDEN BLOWOUT LOOMS” headlines might convince just enough lukewarm supporters at the margins that Sleepy Joe doesn’t need their votes to give Trump a shot at the upset.
“While we see robust leads at the national level, in the states we’re counting on to carry us to victory like Arizona and North Carolina we’re only up by three points,” [O’Malley Dillon] wrote, according to the memo obtained by The New York Times. “We also know that even the best polling can be wrong, and that variables like turnout mean that in a number of critical states we are functionally tied — and that we need to campaign like we’re trailing.”… “This race is far closer than some of the punditry we’re seeing on Twitter and on TV would suggest,” she wrote. “In the key battleground states where this election will be decided, we remain neck and neck with Donald Trump.” “If we learned anything from 2016, it’s that we cannot underestimate Donald Trump or his ability to claw his way back into contention in the final days of a campaign, through whatever smears or underhanded tactics he has at his disposal,” she added.
The public polls are wrong. O’Malley Dillon herself says so! Or, well, she implies it.
But … her numbers for North Carolina and Arizona actually match the public polling pretty well. RCP has Biden ahead by an average of 2.7 points in NC today and by four points in AZ.
She’s also being highly selective in which battlegrounds she’s chosen to highlight. North Carolina and Arizona have been tight for most of the campaign, but not all battlegrounds are and Biden doesn’t need either of them to win. All he needs is to hold onto Hillary’s 2016 states and flip the Rust Belt trio of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. All of which he’s leading by 5.6 points or better right now.
What’s O’Malley Dillon’s polling telling her about those states? My guess: She’s seeing solid leads in each and doesn’t want to mention it lest it undercut her “no complacency” message.
Even her claim that Biden isn’t up double digits nationally isn’t contradicted by the public polling. *Some* pollsters have him up by 10 points or more, but if you average out all of the recent surveys you get a Biden lead of nine. Plus, nearly every national poll taken over the last 10 days has him at 50 percent or better. Contra 2016, there probably aren’t enough undecideds out there to win it for Trump this time. He needs to find a way to flip a few percentage points from Biden’s column in the 17 days he has left.
What can he say after four years as president and many months of campaigning this year to convince a Biden voter to become a Trump voter, very belatedly?
Another curious thing. Yesterday, according to the Times, during her video presentation O’Malley Dillon told fans, “I know we’re going to win Arizona.” That’s an odd show of confidence within a broader message about taking nothing for granted, and it’s belied by her own polling. I wonder what she’s seeing on the ground in AZ to make her so confident despite enjoying a narrow lead over Trump right now. Whatever the answer, something to chew on: If Biden were to flip Arizona plus Wisconsin and Michigan but Trump were to hold on in Pennsylvania and the other battlegrounds he won in 2016, we’d have ourselves a 269-269 clusterfark that would be decided by the House.
Which is probably what we’ll end up with, because, you know. 2020.
By the way, here’s what Trump’s friendliest pollster, Trafalgar, is seeing in Arizona right now:
I’ll leave you with the president contemplating the prospect of defeat in his own inimitable way. He’s mostly joking here. Mostly.


hotair--2020-10-17--On the campaign trail: A reporter did his job and Joe Biden lost his mind

Joe Biden is not accustomed to receiving anything but softball questions from reporters on the campaign trail , or anywhere , really .
As he was about to board a private jet after a campaign stop in Michigan Friday night , a CBS reporter asked about his son ’ s business dealings and Biden lost his temper .
Bo Erickson , a 2020 campaign reporter covering Joe Biden ’ s campaign for CBS , dared to do what no other reporter has done .
He asked Biden about a story that is dominating the news – N.Y. Post ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business dealings .
Biden snapped at Erickson in response .
He calls the story a “ smear campaign ” , which is a standard political response from a candidate but he also made it a personal attack on Erickson .
Biden said he expected that kind of question from him .
“ Those are the questions you always ask.
” The personal attack on a CBS reporter is how Biden normally treats FNC ’ s reporter Peter Doocy .
Biden regularly snarls at Doocy ’ s questions .
Status Quo Joe just doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his actions , especially if the story brings in a member of his family .
His son Hunter ’ s allegedly corrupt business practices of making big money off of his father ’ s name and career are the focus of an October surprise story .
This story , if it proves to be true , is particularly damning because it involves Hunter Biden ’ s dealings with Ukraine .
We all remember that Ukraine figured into the impeachment circus conducted by House Democrats earlier this year .
The question to Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
If Biden ’ s son is selling access to his father , American voters have a right to know .
Hunter ’ s involvement in Ukraine ( and China ) began during his father ’ s time in the White House and he traveled on Air Force Two with his father to both countries .
For two solid days , no reporter asked Joe Biden about the story .
Social media acted quickly to stop users from sharing the story as it broke .
George Stephanopoulos didn ’ t bother to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcast during prime time hours on Thursday night .
No one in the audience asked about it .
NewsBusters took a look at broadcast television coverage of the story and found that less than 10 minutes of coverage was given to the story in the first 92 hours .
For Wednesday , October 14 and Thursday , October 15 MRC analysts looked at the ABC , CBS , NBC evening and morning shows , plus ABC ’ s and NBC ’ s townhall events with Joe Biden and President Trump , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 6am through midnight ET ) .
Out of a total of 92 hours of news programming , there was less than 10 minutes ( 9 minutes , 47 seconds ) spent on the latest scandal involving Joe Biden ’ s son , or less than 0.2 % of the available airtime .
ABC and CNN spent ZERO seconds on Hunter Biden .
NBC spent just 45 seconds on Hunter ’ s emails .
CBS led the broadcast networks with still a meager four minutes , 28 seconds .
MSNBC spent the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family scandal coming in with a still insignificant four minutes , 34 seconds of coverage during a 36-hour period .
Fair and balanced , right ?
When Trump ’ s tax returns were illegally gotten and reported on , the story made all the news shows and continues to be a topic of questioning for Trump , including during his own town hall Thursday with Savannah Guthrie on NBC .
There was not a bit of concern from the social media giants about the tax return story .
Trump ’ s treatment is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden .
Biden is protected at all costs because everyone on the left assumes he will win the election .
No one in the media ( Biden ’ s base supporters ) wants to do anything to stop him from being the next president .
Our overlords in social media went too far this time in stacking the deck against Trump , though .
Now they find themselves on the wrong side of Congress .
Biden is an arrogant swamp creature who is offended when he is expected to answer for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s gotten away with it for almost 50 years so why change now ?
He ’ s been allowed to campaign and fundraise from his basement without any probing questions from the press .
He rarely takes questions during press conferences or when he delivers speeches .
He is being allowed to just cruise into winning back the White House if he wins in November without any reporter laying a glove on him .
After Bo Erickson posted his exchange with Biden on Twitter , it was notable that other members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them came forward to support Erickson literally doing his job .
Two CBS colleagues did tweet support , though .
Biden doesn ’ t like the story coming out but his campaign refuses to deny Biden ’ s likelihood of having “ informal interaction ” with Pozharskyi .
Does anyone think an official meeting would be on Biden ’ s calendar to discuss enriching his family ?
I would think that kind of deal is done during “ informal interaction ” .
Although the Biden campaign has denied that the former VP ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied ever meeting the man .
“ We have reviewed Joe Biden ’ s official schedules from the time and no meeting , as alleged by the New York Post , ever took place , ” Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement , Politico reported Wednesday .
“ Biden ’ s campaign would not rule out the possibility that the former VP had some kind of informal interaction with Pozharskyi , which wouldn ’ t appear on Biden ’ s official schedule , ” Politico added .
Senior Biden advisers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who served the former VP at the time of the meeting , also said that Biden might have met the Burisma executive in an unofficial capacity .
Millions of Americans have already voted .
Biden needs to be held accountable sooner rather than later .

Joe Biden is not accustomed to receiving anything but softball questions from reporters on the campaign trail, or anywhere, really. As he was about to board a private jet after a campaign stop in Michigan Friday night, a CBS reporter asked about his son’s business dealings and Biden lost his temper.
Bo Erickson, a 2020 campaign reporter covering Joe Biden’s campaign for CBS, dared to do what no other reporter has done. He asked Biden about a story that is dominating the news – N.Y. Post’s story about his son Hunter’s business dealings. Biden snapped at Erickson in response. He calls the story a “smear campaign”, which is a standard political response from a candidate but he also made it a personal attack on Erickson. Biden said he expected that kind of question from him. “Those are the questions you always ask.”
I asked Joe Biden: What is your response to the NYPost story about your son, sir? He called it a “smear campaign” and then went after me. “I know you’d ask it. I have no response, it’s another smear campaign, right up your alley, those are the questions you always ask.” pic.twitter.com/Eo6VD4TqxD — Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) October 17, 2020
The personal attack on a CBS reporter is how Biden normally treats FNC’s reporter Peter Doocy. Biden regularly snarls at Doocy’s questions. Status Quo Joe just doesn’t like to be held accountable for his actions, especially if the story brings in a member of his family. His son Hunter’s allegedly corrupt business practices of making big money off of his father’s name and career are the focus of an October surprise story. This story, if it proves to be true, is particularly damning because it involves Hunter Biden’s dealings with Ukraine. We all remember that Ukraine figured into the impeachment circus conducted by House Democrats earlier this year.
The Biden 2020 presidential campaign previously responded to the Post story on Wednesday, saying the former vice president “carried out official U.S. policy toward Ukraine and engaged in no wrongdoing,” and that “Trump administration officials have attested to these facts under oath.” The Post obtained a 2015 email indicating that Vadym Pozharskyi, an adviser to the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, thanked Hunter Biden for “giving an opportunity” to meet his father, who was then serving as vice president under Barack Obama.
The question to Biden was a legitimate one and a necessary one. If Biden’s son is selling access to his father, American voters have a right to know. Hunter’s involvement in Ukraine (and China) began during his father’s time in the White House and he traveled on Air Force Two with his father to both countries.
For two solid days, no reporter asked Joe Biden about the story. Social media acted quickly to stop users from sharing the story as it broke. George Stephanopoulos didn’t bother to ask about it during a town hall broadcast during prime time hours on Thursday night. No one in the audience asked about it. NewsBusters took a look at broadcast television coverage of the story and found that less than 10 minutes of coverage was given to the story in the first 92 hours.
For Wednesday, October 14 and Thursday, October 15 MRC analysts looked at the ABC, CBS, NBC evening and morning shows, plus ABC’s and NBC’s townhall events with Joe Biden and President Trump, as well as CNN and MSNBC’s coverage (6am through midnight ET). Out of a total of 92 hours of news programming, there was less than 10 minutes (9 minutes, 47 seconds) spent on the latest scandal involving Joe Biden’s son, or less than 0.2% of the available airtime. ABC and CNN spent ZERO seconds on Hunter Biden. NBC spent just 45 seconds on Hunter’s emails. CBS led the broadcast networks with still a meager four minutes, 28 seconds. MSNBC spent the most amount of time on the latest Biden family scandal coming in with a still insignificant four minutes, 34 seconds of coverage during a 36-hour period.
Fair and balanced, right? When Trump’s tax returns were illegally gotten and reported on, the story made all the news shows and continues to be a topic of questioning for Trump, including during his own town hall Thursday with Savannah Guthrie on NBC. There was not a bit of concern from the social media giants about the tax return story. Trump’s treatment is the opposite of the treatment given to Joe Biden. Biden is protected at all costs because everyone on the left assumes he will win the election. No one in the media (Biden’s base supporters) wants to do anything to stop him from being the next president. Our overlords in social media went too far this time in stacking the deck against Trump, though. Now they find themselves on the wrong side of Congress.
“While I will intentionally not link to the New York Post, I want to be clear that this story is eligible to be fact-checked by Facebook’s third-party fact-checking partners,” Facebook spokesman Andy Stone tweeted Wednesday. “In the meantime, we are reducing its distribution on our platform.” Twitter claimed in a statement that it had taken action against the article in keeping with the company’s “Hacked Materials Policy” and prevented users from sharing the report. The company rolled back its overzealous crackdown amid backlash, which included a mea culpa from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
Biden is an arrogant swamp creature who is offended when he is expected to answer for his (alleged) corrupt behavior. He’s gotten away with it for almost 50 years so why change now? He’s been allowed to campaign and fundraise from his basement without any probing questions from the press. He rarely takes questions during press conferences or when he delivers speeches. He is being allowed to just cruise into winning back the White House if he wins in November without any reporter laying a glove on him.
After Bo Erickson posted his exchange with Biden on Twitter, it was notable that other members of the press remained silent. None of them came forward to support Erickson literally doing his job. Two CBS colleagues did tweet support, though.
Biden adopts Trump playbook – attacking pool reporter @BoKnowsNews for asking about Hunter Biden story which has been a focus of President Trump’s campaign over past few days. Fine to attack the story, but why personally insult Bo? https://t.co/PgOsLgu2DT — Paula Reid (@PaulaReidCBS) October 17, 2020
It’s our job as journalists to ask questions of people in power or who want to be in power — whether they like the questions or not. Bo did his job tonight. And Bo did his job well. https://t.co/VJBXavcqc0 — Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) October 17, 2020
Biden doesn’t like the story coming out but his campaign refuses to deny Biden’s likelihood of having “informal interaction” with Pozharskyi. Does anyone think an official meeting would be on Biden’s calendar to discuss enriching his family? I would think that kind of deal is done during “informal interaction”.
Although the Biden campaign has denied that the former VP ever met Pozharskyi officially, it has not denied ever meeting the man. “We have reviewed Joe Biden’s official schedules from the time and no meeting, as alleged by the New York Post, ever took place,” Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement, Politico reported Wednesday. “Biden’s campaign would not rule out the possibility that the former VP had some kind of informal interaction with Pozharskyi, which wouldn’t appear on Biden’s official schedule,” Politico added. Senior Biden advisers, including Michael Carpenter and Amos Hochstein, who served the former VP at the time of the meeting, also said that Biden might have met the Burisma executive in an unofficial capacity.
Millions of Americans have already voted. Biden needs to be held accountable sooner rather than later.


hotair--2020-10-17--Close to half a million ballots sent to California voters who have moved or died

Why do you suppose California Republicans are setting up their own ballot drop boxes at churches and gun shops to offer voters a safe way to ensure their votes make it to election officials for counting ?
Do you suppose they have some concerns about how well the mass mail-in voting system will perform when it ’ s put to the full test on November 3rd ?
Perish the thought .
I ’ m sure everything will be fine .
Well… nearly everything .
But we might not be entirely confident about the eventual fate of roughly 400,000 ballots that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s because their voter rolls don ’ t appear to have been tended very well over the years and that huge slug of ballots went to people who had either moved out of the state or taken up residence in cemeteries .
( CBS Los Angeles ) Millions of California ballots have been delivered to residents across the state as early voting begins for the 2020 general election , but some have gone to people who should no longer be registered to vote in the state .
A new study from the Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 400,000 ballots have been sent to people who moved or died .
“ The fear is that people who are dishonest could vote those ballots and attempt to get them counted , ” said Evelyn Swenson , who works with the organization .
“ What kind of confidence to the people of California have in the system when they ’ re getting ballots from their deceased loved one 10 years ago or someone who never lived there or someone who moved 10 years ago ?
That hurts the confidence in the election.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about this .
Oh , wait… that ’ s right .
We ’ ve been shouting this from the rooftops for most of the year .
States like Washington , where they do full mail-in voting every year have the system in fairly good shape , but it took them years to get there .
They had to clean up their voter rolls entirely and then develop better ways to track when people are born , when they die , and if they move .
California hasn ’ t had nearly enough time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As a result , ballots are showing up in all sorts of incorrect locations .
The local CBS station interviewed a number of residents and business owners who received ballots in the mail that didn ’ t belong there .
Margaret Richards of Sherman Oaks was sent a ballot .
The problem is that Ms. Richards has been living in Tennessee for the past sixteen years .
One Monrovia resident received a ballot for the person who sold her the house she now owns fifteen years ago .
The previous owners now live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time a ballot is sent back to the post office marked as undeliverable because the resident no longer lives there , the voter ’ s registration record is supposed to be deactivated .
But the woman in question claims to have done that every time she received any election material but they ’ re still coming .
And what about all of the people who moved within the state but haven ’ t updated their registration yet ?
Will they be provided a way to vote ?
But hey… nothing serious could go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , somebody decides to “ test the system ” by sending in the ballot anyway like that guy in Florida did for his dead wife .
That wouldn ’ t happen though , would it ?
Naw .
I ’ m sure he was the only one .
I really have to take a moment here and offer a tip of the hat to the local CBS team in Los Angeles .
Unlike their national parent network , they ’ ve been doing a bang-up job in uncovering fraud and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ ve reported on the huge problems the state is having with unemployment fraud , prompting the government to take action .
And now they ’ re all over the mail-in voting issues .
Well done , folks .

Why do you suppose California Republicans are setting up their own ballot drop boxes at churches and gun shops to offer voters a safe way to ensure their votes make it to election officials for counting? Do you suppose they have some concerns about how well the mass mail-in voting system will perform when it’s put to the full test on November 3rd? Perish the thought. I’m sure everything will be fine. Well… nearly everything. But we might not be entirely confident about the eventual fate of roughly 400,000 ballots that went out this month. That’s because their voter rolls don’t appear to have been tended very well over the years and that huge slug of ballots went to people who had either moved out of the state or taken up residence in cemeteries. (CBS Los Angeles)
Millions of California ballots have been delivered to residents across the state as early voting begins for the 2020 general election, but some have gone to people who should no longer be registered to vote in the state. A new study from the Election Integrity Project California has found that close to 400,000 ballots have been sent to people who moved or died. “The fear is that people who are dishonest could vote those ballots and attempt to get them counted,” said Evelyn Swenson, who works with the organization. “What kind of confidence to the people of California have in the system when they’re getting ballots from their deceased loved one 10 years ago or someone who never lived there or someone who moved 10 years ago? That hurts the confidence in the election.”
If only someone had warned them about this. Oh, wait… that’s right. We’ve been shouting this from the rooftops for most of the year. States like Washington, where they do full mail-in voting every year have the system in fairly good shape, but it took them years to get there. They had to clean up their voter rolls entirely and then develop better ways to track when people are born, when they die, and if they move. California hasn’t had nearly enough time to seriously take on that challenge. As a result, ballots are showing up in all sorts of incorrect locations.
The local CBS station interviewed a number of residents and business owners who received ballots in the mail that didn’t belong there. Margaret Richards of Sherman Oaks was sent a ballot. The problem is that Ms. Richards has been living in Tennessee for the past sixteen years. One Monrovia resident received a ballot for the person who sold her the house she now owns fifteen years ago. The previous owners now live in Texas. In theory, any time a ballot is sent back to the post office marked as undeliverable because the resident no longer lives there, the voter’s registration record is supposed to be deactivated. But the woman in question claims to have done that every time she received any election material but they’re still coming. And what about all of the people who moved within the state but haven’t updated their registration yet? Will they be provided a way to vote?
But hey… nothing serious could go wrong with this, right? Unless, of course, somebody decides to “test the system” by sending in the ballot anyway like that guy in Florida did for his dead wife. That wouldn’t happen though, would it? Naw. I’m sure he was the only one.
I really have to take a moment here and offer a tip of the hat to the local CBS team in Los Angeles. Unlike their national parent network, they’ve been doing a bang-up job in uncovering fraud and incompetence in the California state government. They’ve reported on the huge problems the state is having with unemployment fraud, prompting the government to take action. And now they’re all over the mail-in voting issues. Well done, folks.


hotair--2020-10-17--The Associated Press finally talks about the Hunter Biden emails, but...

Thus far , it ’ s been a Sisyphean task to get anyone in the mainstream media outside of Fox News to talk about the Hunter Biden email story , but some cracks in the wall that they ’ ve thrown up to defend Joe Biden are starting to show .
That doesn ’ t mean that America will be getting the full story , however .
The latest example of this phenomenon showed up yesterday when the Associated Press finally decided to offer some coverage .
It ’ s a rather short report and you won ’ t find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in it .
Nor will you see any references to Ukraine , Burisma or any suggestions of influence peddling .
Russia is mentioned quite a bit , however , but only in reference to whether or not Rudy Giuliani is a peddler of kompromat .
The FBI is investigating whether emails that were published by the New York Post related to Joe Biden ’ s son , Hunter , are connected to a possible Russian influence operation to spread disinformation , according to a person familiar with the matter .
The newspaper said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained a hard drive from Rudy Giuliani containing the emails , and that the messages were found on a laptop that had been left last year at a Delaware computer repair shop for service but never retrieved .
The unlikely account of how the emails surfaced raised immediate questions about Russian involvement , particularly because U.S. officials have warned that Russia — which backed Trump ’ s 2016 campaign through hacking and a covert social media campaign — is interfering again this year .
As you will see , there isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual content of the emails or Joe Biden ’ s involvement in the alleged activities .
Without offering any evidence whatsoever , the AP suggests that the material may be part of a Russian influence operation .
They describe Giuliani ’ s story about how the hard drive data was obtained as “ unlikely.
” They describe the authenticity of the emails as “ unclear , ” again suggesting without evidence that they might be hacked or possibly forged or both .
All of this ignores several pertinent details that have already been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Biden campaign nor Hunter Biden himself has attempted to deny the authenticity of the emails .
If they were forged or tampered with , that would be the easiest thing in the world to do , particularly since the FBI is looking into them .
Further , Fox News has now confirmed the authenticity of the emails with two different people who were copied on some of the email chains .
If you haven ’ t read John ’ s full coverage of that story from yesterday , you should do so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also been confirmed that a sweetheart deal for a group of Chinese Communist Party members to tour the White House ( with suggestions that a meeting with Joe Biden was included ) in 2011 actually took place .
Hunter Biden was out of the country at the time , but his business partners were able to set up the arrangement for him after he was asked .
The dominos have been falling for some time now in terms of the authenticity of this material .
Is there any other plausible explanation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his business dealings in Ukraine and China ?
How else does a guy who speaks neither language and has zero background or experience in the businesses concerned and spends his time smoking crack with strippers wind up with business opportunities of that magnitude ?
He had nothing to offer beyond access to his father .
Does this mean that way the laptop ’ s hard drive wound up in Rudy Giuliani ’ s hands is 100 % on the up and up ?
That ’ s yet to be established and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be seeking to answer about the computer repair shop where they originated .
Those details should be sorted out and any required action must be taken .
But none of that changes the story about the contents of the emails which , at this point , should at least be close enough to total confirmation for legitimate news outlets to be covering .
And yet all they can do is throw suspicions about the laptop ’ s origin out to muddy the waters .
This is nothing short of election interference at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not being done by the Russians .
It ’ s coming from our own social media giants and mainstream news sources .
Here ’ s some bonus information for you to chew on in case you missed Tucker Carlson yesterday .
In the tweet and video below , it ’ s noted that Hunter Biden told his family , “ Don ’ t worry , unlike your grandfather , I won ’ t make you give me half your salary.
” Unless he ’ s just making up lies to trash his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial records if that kind of money was changing hands , don ’ t you think ?
And Uncle Joe certainly seems to have done well for himself for a guy living on a government salary , hasn ’ t he ?

Thus far, it’s been a Sisyphean task to get anyone in the mainstream media outside of Fox News to talk about the Hunter Biden email story, but some cracks in the wall that they’ve thrown up to defend Joe Biden are starting to show. That doesn’t mean that America will be getting the full story, however. The latest example of this phenomenon showed up yesterday when the Associated Press finally decided to offer some coverage. It’s a rather short report and you won’t find the word “China” mentioned anywhere in it. Nor will you see any references to Ukraine, Burisma or any suggestions of influence peddling. Russia is mentioned quite a bit, however, but only in reference to whether or not Rudy Giuliani is a peddler of kompromat.
The FBI is investigating whether emails that were published by the New York Post related to Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, are connected to a possible Russian influence operation to spread disinformation, according to a person familiar with the matter. The newspaper said in its story Wednesday that it had obtained a hard drive from Rudy Giuliani containing the emails, and that the messages were found on a laptop that had been left last year at a Delaware computer repair shop for service but never retrieved. The unlikely account of how the emails surfaced raised immediate questions about Russian involvement, particularly because U.S. officials have warned that Russia — which backed Trump’s 2016 campaign through hacking and a covert social media campaign — is interfering again this year.
As you will see, there isn’t a single reference to any of the actual content of the emails or Joe Biden’s involvement in the alleged activities. Without offering any evidence whatsoever, the AP suggests that the material may be part of a Russian influence operation. They describe Giuliani’s story about how the hard drive data was obtained as “unlikely.” They describe the authenticity of the emails as “unclear,” again suggesting without evidence that they might be hacked or possibly forged or both.
All of this ignores several pertinent details that have already been established. First of all, neither the Biden campaign nor Hunter Biden himself has attempted to deny the authenticity of the emails. If they were forged or tampered with, that would be the easiest thing in the world to do, particularly since the FBI is looking into them. Further, Fox News has now confirmed the authenticity of the emails with two different people who were copied on some of the email chains. If you haven’t read John’s full coverage of that story from yesterday, you should do so now.
In addition, it’s also been confirmed that a sweetheart deal for a group of Chinese Communist Party members to tour the White House (with suggestions that a meeting with Joe Biden was included) in 2011 actually took place. Hunter Biden was out of the country at the time, but his business partners were able to set up the arrangement for him after he was asked.
The dominos have been falling for some time now in terms of the authenticity of this material. Is there any other plausible explanation for Hunter Biden’s incredible good fortune in his business dealings in Ukraine and China? How else does a guy who speaks neither language and has zero background or experience in the businesses concerned and spends his time smoking crack with strippers wind up with business opportunities of that magnitude? He had nothing to offer beyond access to his father.
Does this mean that way the laptop’s hard drive wound up in Rudy Giuliani’s hands is 100% on the up and up? That’s yet to be established and there are definitely some questions that the FBI should be seeking to answer about the computer repair shop where they originated. Those details should be sorted out and any required action must be taken. But none of that changes the story about the contents of the emails which, at this point, should at least be close enough to total confirmation for legitimate news outlets to be covering. And yet all they can do is throw suspicions about the laptop’s origin out to muddy the waters. This is nothing short of election interference at the highest level and it’s not being done by the Russians. It’s coming from our own social media giants and mainstream news sources.
Here’s some bonus information for you to chew on in case you missed Tucker Carlson yesterday. In the tweet and video below, it’s noted that Hunter Biden told his family, “Don’t worry, unlike your grandfather, I won’t make you give me half your salary.” Unless he’s just making up lies to trash his own father, surely there must be some financial records if that kind of money was changing hands, don’t you think? And Uncle Joe certainly seems to have done well for himself for a guy living on a government salary, hasn’t he?


hotair--2020-10-18--Sunday morning talking heads

Sunday morning talking heads

There ’ s no such thing as a “ slow news week ” anymore but there are still slow-ish mornings for the Sunday news shows , and today is one .
We ’ re 16 days out from a national election , guaranteeing a higher than usual number of partisan apparatchiks on your TV set .
Take your pick .
If it ’ s Republican talking points you want , RNC chair Ronna McDaniel will speak with “ This Week ” while Trump campaign aides Lara Trump and Jason Miller sit down with “ State of the Union ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you ’ re looking for Democratic spin , DNC chief Tom Perez will chat with “ Face the Nation ” and Pete Buttigieg will engage with “ Fox News Sunday.
” Buttigieg has had a number of effective appearances on Fox News lately , to acclaim from lefties .
The fact that he ’ s booked with Chris Wallace today suggests he ’ s now Team Biden ’ s go-to guy for Fox segments .
It ’ ll be interesting to see who ’ s asked about the Hunter Biden coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and who isn ’ t .
The lead guest , though , is Nancy Pelosi , who ’ s been on Sunday television virtually every week for the past two months pushing her team ’ s message on the endless stimulus negotiations .
She ’ s come under pressure from the left lately to make a deal before Election Day lest Trump lose interest in negotiating after a defeat .
Given how resolute Senate Republicans seem to be that they won ’ t pass a bill with a pricetag as large as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House , she has little reason not to make a deal ASAP and then punt the issue to McConnell to try to divide the GOP in the home stretch of the campaign .
She ’ ll talk to “ This Week ” about the prospects for an agreement as well as that embarrassing public tantrum she threw a few days ago when challenged by a reporter who , for once , didn ’ t reflexively accept the Democratic spin on who ’ s to blame .
Last but not least , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ midwest and elsewhere will be a hot topic .
Governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois are set for “ Meet the Press ” and “ State of the Union , ” respectively , to discuss the trend .
Friday ’ s national daily case count was the highest since late July .
Not looking good for winter .
The full line-up is at the AP .

There’s no such thing as a “slow news week” anymore but there are still slow-ish mornings for the Sunday news shows, and today is one. We’re 16 days out from a national election, guaranteeing a higher than usual number of partisan apparatchiks on your TV set. Take your pick. If it’s Republican talking points you want, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel will speak with “This Week” while Trump campaign aides Lara Trump and Jason Miller sit down with “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday,” respectively. If you’re looking for Democratic spin, DNC chief Tom Perez will chat with “Face the Nation” and Pete Buttigieg will engage with “Fox News Sunday.” Buttigieg has had a number of effective appearances on Fox News lately, to acclaim from lefties. The fact that he’s booked with Chris Wallace today suggests he’s now Team Biden’s go-to guy for Fox segments.
It’ll be interesting to see who’s asked about the Hunter Biden coverage in the New York Post this week and who isn’t.
The lead guest, though, is Nancy Pelosi, who’s been on Sunday television virtually every week for the past two months pushing her team’s message on the endless stimulus negotiations. She’s come under pressure from the left lately to make a deal before Election Day lest Trump lose interest in negotiating after a defeat. Given how resolute Senate Republicans seem to be that they won’t pass a bill with a pricetag as large as the one being discussed by Democrats and the White House, she has little reason not to make a deal ASAP and then punt the issue to McConnell to try to divide the GOP in the home stretch of the campaign. She’ll talk to “This Week” about the prospects for an agreement as well as that embarrassing public tantrum she threw a few days ago when challenged by a reporter who, for once, didn’t reflexively accept the Democratic spin on who’s to blame.
Last but not least, the alarming surge of COVID cases in the midwest and elsewhere will be a hot topic. Governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois are set for “Meet the Press” and “State of the Union,” respectively, to discuss the trend. Friday’s national daily case count was the highest since late July. Not looking good for winter. The full line-up is at the AP.


hotair--2020-10-18--Pelosi starts 48-hour clock on coronavirus relief talks

House Democrats and the White House have 48 hours to work out a deal on coronavirus relief before the election .
“ I ’ m optimistic because , again , we ’ ve been back and forth on all of this , ” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on ABC ’ s This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday .
“ You know legislation , shall is different from may .
Shall — the difference amounts to this , if you think of it this simple way , when you say may you ’ re giving the president a flush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do this , he may grant , he may withhold .
When you say shall , according to the scientific — the science ( ph ) tell us must happen .
And if we test and trace and treat , masks , separate , ventilate , sanitize , and all the rest of that , we can open our schools…we can open our businesses.
” Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin meet tomorrow for more negotiations after a conversation on Saturday .
“ [ W ] e ’ re seeking clarity , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due respect to some of the people in the president ’ s administration , they ’ re not legislators , ” Pelosi commented to Stephanopoulos ignoring the fact Trump ’ s Chief of Staff , who ’ s involved in the negotiations , is a former congressman .
“ So , when they said we ’ re accepting the language on testing , for example , they ’ re just making a light touch .
They said they changed shall to may , requirements to recommendations , a plan to a strategy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out 55 percent of the language that we had there for testing and tracing.
” Pelosi ’ s public negotiation mainly involved pushing for more money towards minority communities , something she harped upon earlier this month in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues .
Her latest gripe to Stephanopoulos is a desire for a national plan involving the federal government forcing states to address the issue without revealing what exactly she wants in testing and tracing .
The same goes for expenses .
We have pages and pages of how you would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They crossed it all out .
Instead , they put this sentence : ‘ Contact tracing will be paid for by the federal government as part of the $ 75 billion.
’ Okay , we agree to that .
‘ But given state difference , each state shall establish a strategy that is appropriate to its circumstances .
CDC can provide guidance to the states on elements.
’ ‘ Can.
’ No , ‘ must.
’ But in addition to that , we have to have a national plan .
You can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decide how they are going to address the minority community .
So , release the pages .
That allows people to analyze and decide whether it ’ s a good plan or a bad plan .
Simple .
There is , however , another chamber in Congress required to weigh in before a bill gets signed by President Donald Trump .
Senate Republicans appear perfectly fine with leaving everything to the White House .
“ If Speaker Pelosi ever let the House reach a bipartisan agreement with the Administration , the Senate would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement on Saturday which also accused Pelosi of holding up negotiations for non-coronavirus relief issues .
“ Next week , Senate Republicans will move to break the logjam .
The Senate will vote on hundreds of billions of dollars for targeted relief programs that Democrats do not even claim to oppose.
” It ’ s likely Pelosi ’ s desire for a national plan suggests she believes Joe Biden wins the presidential race .
It means the Trump Administration can either defer everything to the Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it doesn ’ t like in the Trump plan in 2021 .
Or make tweaks in some grandiose political gesture .
Pelosi may also be betting no deal happens and Trump makes another executive order setting more precedent for the next president to do the same , so Congress can avoid doing its job .
McConnell ’ s likely goal involves protecting the Republican Senate or , at least , Republicans on the ballot .
It does appear to give the notion Republicans are attempting to do their job while ignoring the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government through early December .
Proving , yet again , Congress isn ’ t doing its job .
So..tick tock on political theatre over coronavirus ‘ relief.
’ No real solution expected .

House Democrats and the White House have 48 hours to work out a deal on coronavirus relief before the election.
“I’m optimistic because, again, we’ve been back and forth on all of this,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. “You know legislation, shall is different from may. Shall — the difference amounts to this, if you think of it this simple way, when you say may you’re giving the president a flush front (ph). He may do this, he may grant, he may withhold. When you say shall, according to the scientific — the science (ph) tell us must happen. And if we test and trace and treat, masks, separate, ventilate, sanitize, and all the rest of that, we can open our schools…we can open our businesses.”
Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin meet tomorrow for more negotiations after a conversation on Saturday.
“[W]e’re seeking clarity, because, actually, the — with all due respect to some of the people in the president’s administration, they’re not legislators,” Pelosi commented to Stephanopoulos ignoring the fact Trump’s Chief of Staff, who’s involved in the negotiations, is a former congressman. “So, when they said we’re accepting the language on testing, for example, they’re just making a light touch. They said they changed shall to may, requirements to recommendations, a plan to a strategy, not a strategic plan. They took out 55 percent of the language that we had there for testing and tracing.”
Pelosi’s public negotiation mainly involved pushing for more money towards minority communities, something she harped upon earlier this month in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues. Her latest gripe to Stephanopoulos is a desire for a national plan involving the federal government forcing states to address the issue without revealing what exactly she wants in testing and tracing. The same goes for expenses.
We have pages and pages of how you would do this in the minority community. They crossed it all out. Instead, they put this sentence: ‘Contact tracing will be paid for by the federal government as part of the $75 billion.’ Okay, we agree to that. ‘But given state difference, each state shall establish a strategy that is appropriate to its circumstances. CDC can provide guidance to the states on elements.’ ‘Can.’ No, ‘must.’ But in addition to that, we have to have a national plan. You cannot leave it up to the states to decide how they are going to address the minority community.
So, release the pages. That allows people to analyze and decide whether it’s a good plan or a bad plan. Simple.
There is, however, another chamber in Congress required to weigh in before a bill gets signed by President Donald Trump. Senate Republicans appear perfectly fine with leaving everything to the White House.
“If Speaker Pelosi ever let the House reach a bipartisan agreement with the Administration, the Senate would of course consider it, ” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement on Saturday which also accused Pelosi of holding up negotiations for non-coronavirus relief issues. “Next week, Senate Republicans will move to break the logjam. The Senate will vote on hundreds of billions of dollars for targeted relief programs that Democrats do not even claim to oppose.”
Yay, public negotiations.
It’s likely Pelosi’s desire for a national plan suggests she believes Joe Biden wins the presidential race. It means the Trump Administration can either defer everything to the Biden Administration or the Biden Administration changes whatever it doesn’t like in the Trump plan in 2021. Or make tweaks in some grandiose political gesture. Pelosi may also be betting no deal happens and Trump makes another executive order setting more precedent for the next president to do the same, so Congress can avoid doing its job.
McConnell’s likely goal involves protecting the Republican Senate or, at least, Republicans on the ballot. It does appear to give the notion Republicans are attempting to do their job while ignoring the fact Trump signed another continuing resolution to fund the government through early December. Proving, yet again, Congress isn’t doing its job.
So..tick tock on political theatre over coronavirus ‘relief.’ No real solution expected.


hotair--2020-10-18--Mexican restaurant in Iowa: "No Love, No Tacos"

A politically active small business owner in Iowa finds himself in a kerfuffle over the overtly liberal politicization of his Mexican restaurant .
Alfonso Medina is a Democrat and his restaurant is well-known for its burritos in Marshalltown , Iowa .
The Food Network named its “ California Burrito ” one of the best in the United States .
Some local residents of the small town take offense with a sign Medina placed in front of his restaurant in August .
Medina wants to show how woke he is about equality and social justice so his sign includes everyone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reads : “ We Believe : Black Lives Matter , No Human is Illegal , Love is Love , Women ’ s Rights are Human Rights , Science is Real , Water is Life , Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere.
” The only affirmation missing is one for the unborn but that doesn ’ t fit the smug liberal narrative , does it ?
Some customers have begun to complain about political correctness and political messages at a food establishment .
Naturally , the disagreement finds its way to social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think there was anything bad ” , Medina said .
His wife , however , told him he was brave to put up the sign .
I can only assume that this is a story that is just now being published because the election is such a short time away .
Not long after , his social media feed lit up with criticism about the sign and he even received a few letters .
But one such letter caught his attention .
It was typed with no return address or signature .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came from a customer .
They addressed him by name and accused him of caving in to political correctness , but they also called him “ a leftist Marxist.
” Whoever wrote the letter said they only saw the sign after leaving the restaurant , spending more than $ 100 and leaving a “ generous tip.
” The letter also has a handwritten part expressing disappointment La Carreta decided to display a sign “ that insults and disrespects Christianity and America.
” Medina says he takes everything in stride .
He addressed his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letter on his Instagram account .
His reply to the letter reads : ” We ’ re just trynna change the world with good food , drinks and a few standing up for what we believe in just like Anglo owned companies do .
If others have the right to be vocal , so do we .
We ’ re sorry your burrito had to get political , but it was the only way y ’ all would listen .
We don ’ t even do it for financial gain If anything .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tacos.
” His Facebook his message was a bit different and some of it was in Spanish .
Then he put up another sign , a bigger sign that reads “ No Love , No Tacos ” and quickly copyrighted the slogan .
Guess who ’ s making money off it now with t-shirt sales and other branded merchandise ?
Yes , that would be Alfonso Medina .
He is contributing to a scholarship fund for a local community college .
He essentially says , if customers don ’ t like his political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s an odd message for such a savvy businessman to deliver .
Medina ’ s political activism and his restaurant made news during the Democrat primary because some candidates used the restaurant as a campaign stop , including Beto O ’ Rourke , Julian Castro , Pete Buttigieg , and Tom Steyer .
Medina supported Castro and was disappointed when he dropped out before the Iowa caucus .
His restaurant is popular and the majority of his customers are white .
About 30 % of the town ’ s 26,666 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward in his political activity .
He created a new website to advocate for making Election Day a national holiday .
He will close his restaurant that day and pay his employees for the day .
He says he will volunteer at the polls .
It will be interesting to see if his business is affected by all this .
Lots of businesses find that “ get woke , go broke ” rings true with decreases in sales but that may not happen here .
He ’ s obviously known for hosting Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It may be that it didn ’ t matter until he took it a step further and advertised his political leanings with signs .
Using the examples of Chic-fil-A and Hobby Lobby as examples of businesses known for conservative politics is a little different in that it is the business owner ’ s political contributions that became public knowledge .
These two businesses don ’ t allow individual stores to do political events .
Medina re-opened the family business after it was closed four years ago .
His parents “ migrated ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The way the CNN story frames that part of his story leaves it unclear if his parents are legal immigrants .
Medina says , “ Made in Mexico , delivered in the US.
” He says he supports Elizabeth Warren ’ s views on immigration , which is the open borders , total amnesty position .
Medina believes that working in the food industry has been the driving force behind his participation and commitment to local politics .
After the 2016 general election , he sent an email to community leaders to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that President Donald Trump promised to enact .
In less than 48 hours , I was sitting with the mayor at that time and the police chief , ” he said .
“ I wanted to ask what was going to happen ” in Marshalltown , which is “ a community of immigrants.
” Medina ’ s position as a business owner has given him an opportunity to discuss issues affecting his community .
He said getting involved helps him feel represented .
Iowa never entirely shut down businesses so he has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and keep his employees .
He has participated in feeding needy families .
His focus on immigration even appears on his receipts – “ Immigrants make the United States great .
They also cooked and served your food today .
”

A politically active small business owner in Iowa finds himself in a kerfuffle over the overtly liberal politicization of his Mexican restaurant. Alfonso Medina is a Democrat and his restaurant is well-known for its burritos in Marshalltown, Iowa. The Food Network named its “California Burrito” one of the best in the United States.
Some local residents of the small town take offense with a sign Medina placed in front of his restaurant in August. Medina wants to show how woke he is about equality and social justice so his sign includes everyone. A small-ish yard sign with multi-colored lettering reads: “We Believe: Black Lives Matter, No Human is Illegal, Love is Love, Women’s Rights are Human Rights, Science is Real, Water is Life, Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere.” The only affirmation missing is one for the unborn but that doesn’t fit the smug liberal narrative, does it?
Some customers have begun to complain about political correctness and political messages at a food establishment. Naturally, the disagreement finds its way to social media. “I didn’t think there was anything bad”, Medina said. His wife, however, told him he was brave to put up the sign. I can only assume that this is a story that is just now being published because the election is such a short time away.
Not long after, his social media feed lit up with criticism about the sign and he even received a few letters. But one such letter caught his attention. It was typed with no return address or signature. To Medina, it was clear the letter came from a customer. They addressed him by name and accused him of caving in to political correctness, but they also called him “a leftist Marxist.” Whoever wrote the letter said they only saw the sign after leaving the restaurant, spending more than $100 and leaving a “generous tip.” The letter also has a handwritten part expressing disappointment La Carreta decided to display a sign “that insults and disrespects Christianity and America.”
Medina says he takes everything in stride. He addressed his customer’s complaint by publishing the letter on his Instagram account. His reply to the letter reads:” We’re just trynna change the world with good food, drinks and a few standing up for what we believe in just like Anglo owned companies do. If others have the right to be vocal, so do we. We’re sorry your burrito had to get political, but it was the only way y’all would listen. We don’t even do it for financial gain If anything. Business is booming😎 No love, no tacos.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEVDQAeplow/
His Facebook his message was a bit different and some of it was in Spanish.
On Facebook, he wrote that he was not upset or afraid. He said he stood by his sign and the letters only encourage him to keep going. “Si ladran es porque vamos avanzando,” he wrote, meaning “If they bark, it signifies we are advancing.”
Then he put up another sign, a bigger sign that reads “No Love, No Tacos” and quickly copyrighted the slogan. Guess who’s making money off it now with t-shirt sales and other branded merchandise? Yes, that would be Alfonso Medina. He is contributing to a scholarship fund for a local community college.
Alfonso Medina of Marshalltown’s La Carreta gets some national press for his #NoLoveNoTacos movementhttps://t.co/OIl54v9fIn — Iowa Starting Line (@IAStartingLine) October 18, 2020
He essentially says, if customers don’t like his political messages, they can eat somewhere else. That’s an odd message for such a savvy businessman to deliver.
“I am someone who takes something negative and tries to turn it into something 10 times more positive,” he said. “If they don’t want us, they should align their ideals and their comments with the food they eat.”
Medina’s political activism and his restaurant made news during the Democrat primary because some candidates used the restaurant as a campaign stop, including Beto O’Rourke, Julian Castro, Pete Buttigieg, and Tom Steyer. Medina supported Castro and was disappointed when he dropped out before the Iowa caucus. His restaurant is popular and the majority of his customers are white. About 30% of the town’s 26,666 residents are Hispanic. He is moving forward in his political activity. He created a new website to advocate for making Election Day a national holiday. He will close his restaurant that day and pay his employees for the day. He says he will volunteer at the polls.
It will be interesting to see if his business is affected by all this. Lots of businesses find that “get woke, go broke” rings true with decreases in sales but that may not happen here. He’s obviously known for hosting Democrat activities at this place of business. It may be that it didn’t matter until he took it a step further and advertised his political leanings with signs. Using the examples of Chic-fil-A and Hobby Lobby as examples of businesses known for conservative politics is a little different in that it is the business owner’s political contributions that became public knowledge. These two businesses don’t allow individual stores to do political events.
Medina re-opened the family business after it was closed four years ago. His parents “migrated” to America and he was born in America. The way the CNN story frames that part of his story leaves it unclear if his parents are legal immigrants. Medina says, “Made in Mexico, delivered in the US.” He says he supports Elizabeth Warren’s views on immigration, which is the open borders, total amnesty position.
Medina believes that working in the food industry has been the driving force behind his participation and commitment to local politics. After the 2016 general election, he sent an email to community leaders to discuss the rhetoric and the immigration policies that President Donald Trump promised to enact. In less than 48 hours, I was sitting with the mayor at that time and the police chief,” he said. “I wanted to ask what was going to happen” in Marshalltown, which is “a community of immigrants.” Medina’s position as a business owner has given him an opportunity to discuss issues affecting his community. He said getting involved helps him feel represented.
Iowa never entirely shut down businesses so he has been able to remain open throughout the pandemic and keep his employees. He has participated in feeding needy families. His focus on immigration even appears on his receipts – “Immigrants make the United States great. They also cooked and served your food today.”


hotair--2020-10-18--Pandemic fatigue home and abroad

Pandemic fatigue home and abroad

Politicians across the globe currently deal with something everyone of sound mind and body could have easily predicted : pandemic fatigue .
No one , not even the greatest of hermits , wanted to be locked up alone or with family members for an extreme period without some sort of relief from the monotony .
Humans desire some sort of interaction with the outside world even if it involves the smallest amount of so-called normalcy on a semi-regular basis .
“ Since the virus arrived in the European region eight months ago , citizens have made huge sacrifices to contain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the World Health Organization said earlier this month after suggesting 60 % of the globe had a version of pandemic fatigue .
“ It has come at an extraordinary cost , which has exhausted all of us , regardless of where we live , or what we do .
In such circumstances , it is easy and natural to feel apathetic and demotivated , to experience fatigue .
I believe it is possible to reinvigorate and revive efforts to tackle the evolving Covid-19 challenges we face.
” One method the WHO decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lockdown to keep everyone inside .
WHO special adviser on COVID-19 Dr. David Nabarro told The Spectator he favored a “ middle way ’ featuring some sort of robust coronavirus defense including testing , contact tracings , and isolation but not a centralized national lockdown .
“ We think lockdowns only serve one purpose and that is to give you a bit of breathing space , ” Nabarro hypothesized last week to Andrew Neil by pointing out lockdowns just put a pause on the virus .
“ While you ’ ve got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building up your testing , building up your contact tracing , building up your local organization so that as you release lockdown you ’ re bound to get more cases , but you can deal with it really , really elegantly.
” Perhaps the most insightful commentary from Nabarro involved acknowledgment the public felt rather tossed around by politicians in the coronavirus response .
He hoped for uniform policies across the globe regarding coronavirus so as to not confuse people or likely cause heartburn for politicians on why X country or state is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing that .
Uniform measures might relax the fatigue and virus spread .
It ’ s doubtful any sort of unanimous decision will ever be reached .
CapX ’ s John Ashmore derided the British government ’ s handling of the virus with its Tier system unlike the simplicity of staying home from March .
He also noted with amusement the fact Labour politicians in Liverpool and Greater Manchester are united against any sort of national lockdown putting themselves crossways with national Labour leaders ( possibly one of the rare times those two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dislike of Arsenal ! )
.
Meanwhile , the UK government ’ s science adviser wants a three-week lockdown so everything can reset .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s government appeared hesitant to any new lockdown .
Germany ’ s government encouraged people to stop panic buying with Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner promising Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung politicians , bureaucrats , and business owners knew how to handle any runs on supplies .
A third of France is under a month-long curfew with government permits required for dog walking , going to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
Italian gyms and other so-called “ non-essential ” shops appear headed for another shutdown .
Belgium ’ s coronavirus problems suggest their government hoped to use a version of Nabarro ’ s middle-ground approach albeit not within the notion of contact tracing , local organization , and testing .
The government enacted some restrictions but resisted more stringent levels in hopes of avoiding some sort of pandemic fatigue .
“ [ T ] here are two enemies : the virus , but also isolation , depression , ” Minister of Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning while defending its relaxed curfew of “ only ” midnight to 6 a.m. and the closing of bars and restaurants .
“ We must therefore combine the fight against the virus with the possibility of the citizens to still see people , to move around , to take a stroll in the streets at night .
There are also people who work until 10 pm .
So that ’ s one of the reasons why we said to ourselves that we was not going to make life impossible .
But at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extra careful .
” How people avoid fatigue when they have no place to go has yet to be determined .
The general consensus in America is pandemic fatigue increased virus cases .
However , the solution amongst politicians varies .
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins encouraged people to put personal restrictions on their lives mainly because he can not order people to stay indoors due to the near-dictatorial pandemic powers of Texas Governor Greg Abbott .
Abbott allowed some bars to reopen with county judge approval this month .
California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requiring only three households , keeping things outdoors , and reducing gathering length .
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will allow ski resorts to open next month but he ’ s not planning to give state money to municipalities which don ’ t enforce his rules on Orthodox Jewish communities .
The response to all government action is relatively consistent : lawsuits and protests .
A Hasidic wedding is set for tomorrow in the Williamsburg neighborhood of New York City .
Cuomo is also under lawsuit for his restrictions on Orthodox Jewish gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s decision to keep online-only education in place through December last week with one person holding up a sign demanding hybrid school modeling .
Texas has seen multiple lawsuits over Abbott ’ s orders on restrictions which failed to get anywhere .
California parents aren ’ t happy with school closures .
“ I am so tired of everything , ” Indra Singh told The New York Times .
“ Is it going to be over ?
I want it to be over.
” Perhaps a better model of tackling pandemic fatigue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing , mask-wearing , and limit contact with others .
The Dallas Stars watch party I attended during their Stanley Cup run featured few guests and I made sure I knew everyone and their recent activities .
I sit away from others should I go to a restaurant and won ’ t be around people ( particularly my elderly parents ) if I feel even slightly ill. Friends of mine do the same .
Chick-fil-A is not opening dining rooms to guests .
Other shops required masks long before the government did .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people won ’ t follow the rules or guidelines .
They ’ re taking the risk on themselves and it ’ s likely I would limit my contact with those who are too cavalier regarding virus precautions .
Going outside on walks or runs remains an option in fighting pandemic fatigue , as is the Xbox or PS4 .
I do miss hockey games , though .
It will be up to individuals to decide how to handle pandemic fatigue , not government .
Crashing the economy ( again ) will not solve @ @ @ @

Politicians across the globe currently deal with something everyone of sound mind and body could have easily predicted: pandemic fatigue. No one, not even the greatest of hermits, wanted to be locked up alone or with family members for an extreme period without some sort of relief from the monotony. Humans desire some sort of interaction with the outside world even if it involves the smallest amount of so-called normalcy on a semi-regular basis.
“Since the virus arrived in the European region eight months ago, citizens have made huge sacrifices to contain Covid-19,” Dr. Hans Henri Kluge with the World Health Organization said earlier this month after suggesting 60% of the globe had a version of pandemic fatigue. “It has come at an extraordinary cost, which has exhausted all of us, regardless of where we live, or what we do. In such circumstances, it is easy and natural to feel apathetic and demotivated, to experience fatigue. I believe it is possible to reinvigorate and revive efforts to tackle the evolving Covid-19 challenges we face.”
One method the WHO decided to not support was the idea of a lockdown to keep everyone inside. WHO special adviser on COVID-19 Dr. David Nabarro told The Spectator he favored a “middle way’ featuring some sort of robust coronavirus defense including testing, contact tracings, and isolation but not a centralized national lockdown.
“We think lockdowns only serve one purpose and that is to give you a bit of breathing space,” Nabarro hypothesized last week to Andrew Neil by pointing out lockdowns just put a pause on the virus. “While you’ve got that breathing space you should be really building up your testing, building up your contact tracing, building up your local organization so that as you release lockdown you’re bound to get more cases, but you can deal with it really, really elegantly.”
Perhaps the most insightful commentary from Nabarro involved acknowledgment the public felt rather tossed around by politicians in the coronavirus response. He hoped for uniform policies across the globe regarding coronavirus so as to not confuse people or likely cause heartburn for politicians on why X country or state is doing this, while Y country is doing that. Uniform measures might relax the fatigue and virus spread.
It’s doubtful any sort of unanimous decision will ever be reached.
CapX’s John Ashmore derided the British government’s handling of the virus with its Tier system unlike the simplicity of staying home from March. He also noted with amusement the fact Labour politicians in Liverpool and Greater Manchester are united against any sort of national lockdown putting themselves crossways with national Labour leaders (possibly one of the rare times those two municipalities agree on anything except perhaps the dislike of Arsenal!). Meanwhile, the UK government’s science adviser wants a three-week lockdown so everything can reset. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government appeared hesitant to any new lockdown.
Germany’s government encouraged people to stop panic buying with Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner promising Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung politicians, bureaucrats, and business owners knew how to handle any runs on supplies. A third of France is under a month-long curfew with government permits required for dog walking, going to work, or visiting a relative’s home. Italian gyms and other so-called “non-essential” shops appear headed for another shutdown.
Belgium’s coronavirus problems suggest their government hoped to use a version of Nabarro’s middle-ground approach albeit not within the notion of contact tracing, local organization, and testing. The government enacted some restrictions but resisted more stringent levels in hopes of avoiding some sort of pandemic fatigue.
“[T]here are two enemies: the virus, but also isolation, depression,” Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke said to RTL TVI Sunday morning while defending its relaxed curfew of “only” midnight to 6 a.m. and the closing of bars and restaurants. “We must therefore combine the fight against the virus with the possibility of the citizens to still see people, to move around, to take a stroll in the streets at night. There are also people who work until 10 pm. So that’s one of the reasons why we said to ourselves that we was not going to make life impossible. But at the same time, people have to be extra careful. ”
How people avoid fatigue when they have no place to go has yet to be determined. The general consensus in America is pandemic fatigue increased virus cases.
However, the solution amongst politicians varies. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins encouraged people to put personal restrictions on their lives mainly because he cannot order people to stay indoors due to the near-dictatorial pandemic powers of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Abbott allowed some bars to reopen with county judge approval this month. California’s mandatory guidelines on in-person family gatherings include requiring only three households, keeping things outdoors, and reducing gathering length. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will allow ski resorts to open next month but he’s not planning to give state money to municipalities which don’t enforce his rules on Orthodox Jewish communities.
The response to all government action is relatively consistent: lawsuits and protests. A Hasidic wedding is set for tomorrow in the Williamsburg neighborhood of New York City. Cuomo is also under lawsuit for his restrictions on Orthodox Jewish gatherings. Parents protested a Cleveland-area school district’s decision to keep online-only education in place through December last week with one person holding up a sign demanding hybrid school modeling. Texas has seen multiple lawsuits over Abbott’s orders on restrictions which failed to get anywhere. California parents aren’t happy with school closures.
“I am so tired of everything,” Indra Singh told The New York Times. “Is it going to be over? I want it to be over.”
Perhaps a better model of tackling pandemic fatigue involves personal responsibility. I practice social distancing, mask-wearing, and limit contact with others. The Dallas Stars watch party I attended during their Stanley Cup run featured few guests and I made sure I knew everyone and their recent activities. I sit away from others should I go to a restaurant and won’t be around people (particularly my elderly parents) if I feel even slightly ill. Friends of mine do the same. Chick-fil-A is not opening dining rooms to guests. Other shops required masks long before the government did. And, yes, personal responsibility means people won’t follow the rules or guidelines. They’re taking the risk on themselves and it’s likely I would limit my contact with those who are too cavalier regarding virus precautions. Going outside on walks or runs remains an option in fighting pandemic fatigue, as is the Xbox or PS4. I do miss hockey games, though.
It will be up to individuals to decide how to handle pandemic fatigue, not government. Crashing the economy (again) will not solve the issue either.


hotair--2020-10-18--California guns sales continue to break records

I thought this wasn ’ t supposed to happen in the liberal paradise of California .
While some sectors of the economy continue to tank in the Golden State , particularly tourism and restaurants and bars , another type of business is cleaning up .
While not all gun shops are open , the ones that are can ’ t keep their products in stock .
Gun sales this year have surged to levels never seen before and they ’ re on track to see the largest number of sales in a single year ever .
Surveys conducted of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 % of the people buying a firearm legally are doing so for the first time .
And the reasons they give for doing so are both predictable and familiar .
( Free Beacon ) According to a new study , Californians have bought guns at a record pace , many for the first time , despite recent gun-store shutdowns .
The study , which a group of researchers at the University of California released in October , found that pandemic-caused uncertainty has led to increased demand for firearms in the deep blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 110,000 people who bought a gun during the onset of the pandemic , the study concluded .
As we ’ ve discussed here in the past , many of those first-time shoppers are running into a number of unpleasant surprises .
Most Californians with no experience in exercising their Second Amendment rights previously supported the state ’ s many gun control laws .
But now they are frequently shocked ( Shocked , I say ! )
to learn that they have to fill out endless forms , endure lengthy waiting periods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courses before they can bring their new purchase home .
So what are the most common reasons cited for the decision to purchase a firearm for the first time in California ?
They are as follows : Dear California liberals suddenly awaking to these realizations .
I have some news for you .
Each and every one of the concerns you ’ ve listed as reasons to exercise your Second Amendment rights are completely valid .
But there ’ s one more thing you need to understand .
This is all your own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats to every statewide office .
You ’ ve made them a supermajority in the state legislature .
You ’ ve hounded the few conservatives in your state to the point where they ’ ve been leaving in droves .
The lawlessness you are now panicking over is being perpetrated by mobs of people chanting the same messages that your party has endorsed .
The prisoner release programs iarepart of the “ Empty the Jails ” trend put in place by Democrats .
The gun stores were closed by endless , burdensome regulations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive orders issued this year by your Democratic Governor and the Democratic Mayors of all your large cities .
Having a tough time legally purchasing a firearm now that the mobs are approaching your doors and chaos is engulfing your streets ?
Tough cookies , moonbeam .
This is what you voted for .
This is what you demanded .
You got exactly what you wanted and now you can live with the results .
I ’ d wish you good luck , but I ’ m fairly sure you ’ d get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really mean it .

I thought this wasn’t supposed to happen in the liberal paradise of California. While some sectors of the economy continue to tank in the Golden State, particularly tourism and restaurants and bars, another type of business is cleaning up. While not all gun shops are open, the ones that are can’t keep their products in stock. Gun sales this year have surged to levels never seen before and they’re on track to see the largest number of sales in a single year ever. Surveys conducted of those making purchases in 2020 show that nearly 40% of the people buying a firearm legally are doing so for the first time. And the reasons they give for doing so are both predictable and familiar. (Free Beacon)
According to a new study, Californians have bought guns at a record pace, many for the first time, despite recent gun-store shutdowns. The study, which a group of researchers at the University of California released in October, found that pandemic-caused uncertainty has led to increased demand for firearms in the deep blue state. First-time owners accounted for 47,000 of the 110,000 people who bought a gun during the onset of the pandemic, the study concluded.
As we’ve discussed here in the past, many of those first-time shoppers are running into a number of unpleasant surprises. Most Californians with no experience in exercising their Second Amendment rights previously supported the state’s many gun control laws. But now they are frequently shocked (Shocked, I say!) to learn that they have to fill out endless forms, endure lengthy waiting periods and pay for expensive permits and training courses before they can bring their new purchase home.
So what are the most common reasons cited for the decision to purchase a firearm for the first time in California? They are as follows:
Response to the pandemic
Worry about lawlessness
Worry about prisoner releases
Potential government collapse
Gun stores closing
Dear California liberals suddenly awaking to these realizations. I have some news for you. Each and every one of the concerns you’ve listed as reasons to exercise your Second Amendment rights are completely valid. But there’s one more thing you need to understand. This is all your own fault.
You’ve elected liberal Democrats to every statewide office. You’ve made them a supermajority in the state legislature. You’ve hounded the few conservatives in your state to the point where they’ve been leaving in droves.
The lawlessness you are now panicking over is being perpetrated by mobs of people chanting the same messages that your party has endorsed. The prisoner release programs iarepart of the “Empty the Jails” trend put in place by Democrats. The gun stores were closed by endless, burdensome regulations that Democrats put in place or through executive orders issued this year by your Democratic Governor and the Democratic Mayors of all your large cities.
Having a tough time legally purchasing a firearm now that the mobs are approaching your doors and chaos is engulfing your streets? Tough cookies, moonbeam. This is what you voted for. This is what you demanded. You got exactly what you wanted and now you can live with the results. I’d wish you good luck, but I’m fairly sure you’d get the impression that I didn’t really mean it.