hotair--2020-12-27--Lin Wood: We can prove Trump was cheated -- if Republicans boycott the Georgia Senate runoffs

Via Mediaite , have a look below at the very special present that was left under the GOP ’ s tree on Christmas morning .
I bet Dominion ’ s defamation lawyers are pretty excited about it too .
Seems to me that we ’ ll get a ( relatively ) good result from Georgia regardless of whether Republican voters take Wood ’ s advice or ignore it .
Click the image in the tweet for the full reveal : Wood would have you believe that some sort of “ algorithm ” inside Dominion ’ s machines is subtracting Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can he and Sidney Powell prove that ?
Simple : All Republicans need to do is mass-boycott the Senate election on January 5 , tricking the algorithm into producing impossible “ negative ” vote totals for Republicans in heavily Democratic areas .
E.g.
, if the fabled algorithm is designed to automatically switch 100 votes from red to blue and only 50 Republicans turn out to vote , Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue will each get -50 negative votes in that precinct — the smoking gun that vote-stealing is going on .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in whom MAGA has placed all of its hopes on overturning the election .
The woman in whom they ’ ve placed their hopes isn ’ t having a great week either .
First Sidney Powell was barred from meeting with Trump , now the credibility of another of her key witnesses is in serious doubt : Powell told courts that the witness is an expert who could show that overseas corporations helped shift votes to President-elect Joe Biden .
The witness ’ s identity must be concealed from the public , Powell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reputation , professional career and personal safety.
” The Washington Post identified the witness by determining that portions of her affidavit match , sometimes verbatim , a blog post that the pro-Trump podcaster Terpsichore Maras-Lindeman published in November 2019 .
In an interview , Maras-Lindeman confirmed that she wrote the affidavit and said she viewed it as her contribution to a fight against the theft of the election… In a recent civil fraud case , attorneys for the state of North Dakota said that Maras-Lindeman falsely claimed to be a medical doctor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MBA .
They said she used multiple aliases and social security numbers and created exaggerated online résumés as part of what they called “ a persistent effort .
.
.
to deceive others.
” Wood has been encouraging Georgia Republicans not to vote in the Senate runoffs for more than a month but until now I thought he meant that to be a simple act of protest .
I.e .
“ until we have reason to trust that the votes in this state are being counted accurately we should decline to participate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — certainly more so than Trump ’ s “ the election was rigged but go vote in the runoffs anyway ” pitch — but that ’ s no longer the rationale here .
Essentially Wood is treating the runoffs as an experiment on the state ’ s voting machines .
All he needs in order to produce the evidence that ’ s going to propel Trump to a second term is for Republican voters to stay home .
That must be verrrrrry tempting for “ stop the steal ” true believers in Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end up being as tight as the presidential election was , Wood ’ s message really does have potential to tip those elections to the Democrats .
Which , as I say , means we should get a result on election night that ’ s encouraging in one way or another regardless of the outcome .
If Loeffler and Perdue win , it ’ ll mean Wood and Powell have less influence among MAGA fans than people think and that their theory of vote-switching by Dominion machines is bogus .
If Loeffler and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the segment of the base that ’ s embraced all-out crankishness is now sizable enough to decide elections , in which case the GOP can ’ t be trusted to govern responsibly and the Senate ’ s probably better off in Schumer ’ s hands for the time being .
On the other hand , conspiracy theories are necessarily unfalsifiable and therefore any new development can simply be folded into the theory .
If Loeffler and Perdue win , Wood will presumably say that GOP turnout was so enormous that even the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough votes to blow it for them .
If they win by two points each then they must have really won by six or seven .
Whereas if Loeffler and Perdue lose , that ’ ll be treated as further “ proof ” following the presidential election of how corrupt Georgia ’ s election system is .
Certainly that ’ ll be Trump ’ s spin on the result , although it ’ ll be trickier for Wood since he ’ s *trying* to engineer a GOP defeat here .
If Loeffler and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two points without any evidence of “ negative vote totals ” anywhere , how does Wood spin that ?
Does he celebrate the fact that some Georgia Republicans stayed home , as he asked them to do ?
Or does he cite Loeffler ’ s and Perdue ’ s defeats as further evidence that the machines are rigged or whatever ?
To put that a different way , what would Wood regard as a “ legitimate ” outcome in Georgia ?
For Trump and most MAGA fans , Loeffler and Perdue winning would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegitimate .
For Wood , who ’ s called for the two to be arrested , it ’ s much more complicated .
Here ’ s GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger , a rare House Republican who ’ s willing to criticize Trump , palpably mortified by what his party ’ s become .
He was tweeting his disgust at Trump and his “ stop the steal ” enablers last night but he felt obliged to make his position known on national TV this morning too .

Via Mediaite, have a look below at the very special present that was left under the GOP’s tree on Christmas morning.
I bet Dominion’s defamation lawyers are pretty excited about it too.
Seems to me that we’ll get a (relatively) good result from Georgia regardless of whether Republican voters take Wood’s advice or ignore it. Click the image in the tweet for the full reveal:
https://twitter.com/LLinWood/status/1342650137382969344
Wood would have you believe that some sort of “algorithm” inside Dominion’s machines is subtracting Republican votes and adding Democratic ones. How can he and Sidney Powell prove that? Simple: All Republicans need to do is mass-boycott the Senate election on January 5, tricking the algorithm into producing impossible “negative” vote totals for Republicans in heavily Democratic areas. E.g., if the fabled algorithm is designed to automatically switch 100 votes from red to blue and only 50 Republicans turn out to vote, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue will each get -50 negative votes in that precinct — the smoking gun that vote-stealing is going on.
That’s the logic driving the man in whom MAGA has placed all of its hopes on overturning the election.
The woman in whom they’ve placed their hopes isn’t having a great week either. First Sidney Powell was barred from meeting with Trump, now the credibility of another of her key witnesses is in serious doubt:
Powell told courts that the witness is an expert who could show that overseas corporations helped shift votes to President-elect Joe Biden. The witness’s identity must be concealed from the public, Powell has said, to protect her “reputation, professional career and personal safety.” The Washington Post identified the witness by determining that portions of her affidavit match, sometimes verbatim, a blog post that the pro-Trump podcaster Terpsichore Maras-Lindeman published in November 2019. In an interview, Maras-Lindeman confirmed that she wrote the affidavit and said she viewed it as her contribution to a fight against the theft of the election… In a recent civil fraud case, attorneys for the state of North Dakota said that Maras-Lindeman falsely claimed to be a medical doctor and to have both a PhD and an MBA. They said she used multiple aliases and social security numbers and created exaggerated online résumés as part of what they called “a persistent effort . . . to deceive others.”
Wood has been encouraging Georgia Republicans not to vote in the Senate runoffs for more than a month but until now I thought he meant that to be a simple act of protest. I.e. “until we have reason to trust that the votes in this state are being counted accurately we should decline to participate in elections.” That’s logical enough — certainly more so than Trump’s “the election was rigged but go vote in the runoffs anyway” pitch — but that’s no longer the rationale here. Essentially Wood is treating the runoffs as an experiment on the state’s voting machines. All he needs in order to produce the evidence that’s going to propel Trump to a second term is for Republican voters to stay home.
That must be verrrrrry tempting for “stop the steal” true believers in Georgia. If the Loeffler and Perdue races end up being as tight as the presidential election was, Wood’s message really does have potential to tip those elections to the Democrats. Which, as I say, means we should get a result on election night that’s encouraging in one way or another regardless of the outcome. If Loeffler and Perdue win, it’ll mean Wood and Powell have less influence among MAGA fans than people think and that their theory of vote-switching by Dominion machines is bogus. If Loeffler and Perdue lose, it’ll mean that the segment of the base that’s embraced all-out crankishness is now sizable enough to decide elections, in which case the GOP can’t be trusted to govern responsibly and the Senate’s probably better off in Schumer’s hands for the time being.
On the other hand, conspiracy theories are necessarily unfalsifiable and therefore any new development can simply be folded into the theory. If Loeffler and Perdue win, Wood will presumably say that GOP turnout was so enormous that even the “algorithm” couldn’t subtract enough votes to blow it for them. If they win by two points each then they must have really won by six or seven. Whereas if Loeffler and Perdue lose, that’ll be treated as further “proof” following the presidential election of how corrupt Georgia’s election system is. Certainly that’ll be Trump’s spin on the result, although it’ll be trickier for Wood since he’s *trying* to engineer a GOP defeat here. If Loeffler and Perdue each lose by, say, two points without any evidence of “negative vote totals” anywhere, how does Wood spin that? Does he celebrate the fact that some Georgia Republicans stayed home, as he asked them to do? Or does he cite Loeffler’s and Perdue’s defeats as further evidence that the machines are rigged or whatever?
To put that a different way, what would Wood regard as a “legitimate” outcome in Georgia? For Trump and most MAGA fans, Loeffler and Perdue winning would be legitimate and them losing would be illegitimate. For Wood, who’s called for the two to be arrested, it’s much more complicated.
Here’s GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a rare House Republican who’s willing to criticize Trump, palpably mortified by what his party’s become. He was tweeting his disgust at Trump and his “stop the steal” enablers last night but he felt obliged to make his position known on national TV this morning too.


hotair--2020-12-27--Prophecy and promises: Sunday reflection

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses , they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord , just as it is written in the law of the Lord , Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord , and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons , in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord .
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon .
This man was righteous and devout , awaiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holy Spirit was upon him .
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord .
He came in the Spirit into the temple ; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him , he took him into his arms and blessed God , saying : “ Now , Master , you may let your servant go in peace , according to your word , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which you prepared in sight of all the peoples , a light for revelation to the Gentiles , and glory for your people Israel.
” The child ’ s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him ; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother , “ Behold , this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel , and to be a sign that will be contradicted —and you yourself a sword will pierce— so that the thoughts of many hearts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prophetess , Anna , the daughter of Phanuel , of the tribe of Asher .
She was advanced in years , having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage , and then as a widow until she was eighty-four .
She never left the temple , but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer .
And coming forward at that very time , she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem .
When they had fulfilled all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they returned to Galilee , to their own town of Nazareth .
The child grew and became strong , filled with wisdom ; and the favor of God was upon him .
Several years ago , friends of mine got involved in the Promise Keepers organization , an ecumenical fellowship of Christian men predicated on doing one thing : keeping promises of fidelity to family and God .
Although I didn ’ t have the time to devote to another organization , my experiences with it were very positive , and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How difficult is it to keep a promise , after all ?
Pretty darned difficult , as the entire arc of salvation shows , but also as we see in our daily lives .
Left on our own , we tend to fall back to our own interests , and living in a fallen world , those tend to lead us back into sin .
Sin is , at its heart , selfishness and self-idolatry .
The Promise Keepers model , as I understood it ( and I was only loosely involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , was to build a network of mentors and friendships with the purpose of accountability .
That support system might seem intrusive on the outside , but the men I knew in it absolutely understood the need for those connections as a means to keep their promises to Christ and to their families .
They met regularly , discussed their trials and setbacks , and received the support and fellowship necessary to get back onto the right track .
Today ’ s readings and Gospel are all about keeping promises , remaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s will through that fidelity .
We start with Abram ’ s love for the Lord and how that changed the world , allowing the sin of Adam to recede and our connection to the Lord to begin flourishing again .
Abram and Sarah had reached an older age and could not have children ; they had given up that hope when the Lord reached out to them .
The Lord promised Abram that his descendants would be uncountable , and Abram “ put his faith in the Lord ” that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which point the Lord renamed him Abraham .
God kept that promise by making Sarah fertile and bearing Isaac , through whom the twelve tribes of Israel would descend and the path of salvation would unfold .
And yet , as precious as Isaac was to Abraham , he was willing to sacrifice him at God ’ s command .
This last test of Abraham ’ s fidelity goes beyond all imagining , and yet Abraham kept his fidelity to the Lord .
His trust in God ran so deep , as Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed that even death would not stop the Lord from fulfilling His promise : This turned out to be a prophetic foreshadowing of Christ , as Paul explains in his epistle .
The Lord would complete the sacrifice that Abraham began by sacrificing His only Son for the salvation of the world , as an act of love and fidelity to His people .
In today ’ s Gospel , we see even more of promise keeping with Simeon and Anna .
The Holy Spirit had promised both that they would live to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrival .
This promise was itself a model of accountability ; in their way , the signs and portents throughout scripture are models of accountability , just as the prophets explicitly are .
They are God ’ s way of emphasizing his promise and ensuring that people put their trust in His word .
Simeon and Anna are the guarantors of the promise of salvation , just as John the Baptist was its herald later .
All of this teaches us that the Lord keeps His promises — even though we often do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon , while our fidelity is too often weak and situational .
It is in this contrast that we see the real nature of salvation in the adoption of the self-giving and self-sacrificing love of the Trinity through Christ and abandoning the self-love that leads us into sin and infidelity .
It is for this reason that Christ established His church , as well as the fulfillment of the Great Commission .
As imperfect as it can be in this world , the church is a network of support and accountability as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the God who loves us so completely .
That is where we learn to keep promises , and to recognize that the world is greater than ourselves .
It is only through that recognition that true caritas love can find expression in our communities and in our world , and our hearts be transformed from promise breaking to promise keeping .
And only then can we say that we have seen the coming of salvation , as Simeon and Anna testified in our gospel today .
The front-page image is a detail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Rembrandt , 1631 .
On display at Mauritshuis , The Hague , Netherlands , via WikiArt .
“ Sunday Reflection ” is a regular feature , looking at the specific readings used in today ’ s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world .
The reflection represents only my own point of view , intended to help prepare myself for the Lord ’ s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion .
Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here .

This morning’s Gospel reading is Luke 2:22–40:
When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted —and you yourself a sword will pierce— so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Several years ago, friends of mine got involved in the Promise Keepers organization, an ecumenical fellowship of Christian men predicated on doing one thing: keeping promises of fidelity to family and God. Although I didn’t have the time to devote to another organization, my experiences with it were very positive, and all the more amazing because of its simplicity. How difficult is it to keep a promise, after all?
Pretty darned difficult, as the entire arc of salvation shows, but also as we see in our daily lives. Left on our own, we tend to fall back to our own interests, and living in a fallen world, those tend to lead us back into sin. Sin is, at its heart, selfishness and self-idolatry. The Promise Keepers model, as I understood it (and I was only loosely involved, so my apologies for any misunderstandings), was to build a network of mentors and friendships with the purpose of accountability. That support system might seem intrusive on the outside, but the men I knew in it absolutely understood the need for those connections as a means to keep their promises to Christ and to their families. They met regularly, discussed their trials and setbacks, and received the support and fellowship necessary to get back onto the right track.
Today’s readings and Gospel are all about keeping promises, remaining faithful, and the unfolding of God’s will through that fidelity. We start with Abram’s love for the Lord and how that changed the world, allowing the sin of Adam to recede and our connection to the Lord to begin flourishing again. Abram and Sarah had reached an older age and could not have children; they had given up that hope when the Lord reached out to them. The Lord promised Abram that his descendants would be uncountable, and Abram “put his faith in the Lord” that this prophecy would come to pass, at which point the Lord renamed him Abraham. God kept that promise by making Sarah fertile and bearing Isaac, through whom the twelve tribes of Israel would descend and the path of salvation would unfold.
And yet, as precious as Isaac was to Abraham, he was willing to sacrifice him at God’s command. This last test of Abraham’s fidelity goes beyond all imagining, and yet Abraham kept his fidelity to the Lord. His trust in God ran so deep, as Paul writes to the Hebrews, that Abraham believed that even death would not stop the Lord from fulfilling His promise:
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.” He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead, and he received Isaac back as a symbol.
This turned out to be a prophetic foreshadowing of Christ, as Paul explains in his epistle. The Lord would complete the sacrifice that Abraham began by sacrificing His only Son for the salvation of the world, as an act of love and fidelity to His people.
In today’s Gospel, we see even more of promise keeping with Simeon and Anna. The Holy Spirit had promised both that they would live to see the Christ and testify to His arrival. This promise was itself a model of accountability; in their way, the signs and portents throughout scripture are models of accountability, just as the prophets explicitly are. They are God’s way of emphasizing his promise and ensuring that people put their trust in His word. Simeon and Anna are the guarantors of the promise of salvation, just as John the Baptist was its herald later.
All of this teaches us that the Lord keeps His promises — even though we often do not. His promises can be relied upon, while our fidelity is too often weak and situational. It is in this contrast that we see the real nature of salvation in the adoption of the self-giving and self-sacrificing love of the Trinity through Christ and abandoning the self-love that leads us into sin and infidelity.
It is for this reason that Christ established His church, as well as the fulfillment of the Great Commission. As imperfect as it can be in this world, the church is a network of support and accountability as well as a place for the worship due to the God who loves us so completely. That is where we learn to keep promises, and to recognize that the world is greater than ourselves. It is only through that recognition that true caritas love can find expression in our communities and in our world, and our hearts be transformed from promise breaking to promise keeping. And only then can we say that we have seen the coming of salvation, as Simeon and Anna testified in our gospel today.
The front-page image is a detail from “Simeon in the Temple” by Rembrandt, 1631. On display at Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands, via WikiArt.
“Sunday Reflection” is a regular feature, looking at the specific readings used in today’s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world. The reflection represents only my own point of view, intended to help prepare myself for the Lord’s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion. Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here.


hotair--2020-12-27--Speakeasy, anyone? Beverly Hills restaurant caught in New Year's Eve dinner scheme

Just in case you have forgotten that we are not all in this together , here is yet another reminder .
La Scala , a restaurant in Beverly Hills , California known for its celebrity clientele , was caught offering something it shouldn ’ t have been offering .
La Scala is facing backlash for placing invitations in take-out orders which offer the possibility of indoor dining at the restaurant on New Year ’ s Eve .
The management appears to have been attempting to take the pulse of customers to find out if there was interest in such an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked customers to spread the word but to do so discreetly .
To prove just how dumb that gambit was , an invitation found its way into the hands of a Los Angeles journalist .
Gee , who could have predicted that ?
California is under the strictest of lockdown orders due to its spike in coronavirus cases .
There is a ban on both indoor and outdoor dining in restaurants in Southern California .
Restaurants only have the option of providing take-out and delivery of food .
La Scala was offering a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The indoor dining opportunity was to have a speakeasy-style theme .
The scheme was a little too clever by half .
A Los Angeles journalist tweeted a photo of one of the purported invitations from celebrity-friendly La Scala — two blocks from Rodeo Drive — that likened the New Year ’ s Eve dinner to a speakeasy-style gathering reminiscent of the alcohol-free era of Prohibition in the 1920s .
“ We ’ re considering taking reservations for New Year ’ s Eve dinner .
Inside , ” the invitation read .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be interested in , please let us know as soon as possible .
If enough interest , we ’ ll contact you back to secure a reservation .
Please keep this discreet but tell all your friends.
” Naturally , when word got out , the responses were not favorable .
A Los Angeles journalist spread the word by posting the invitation found in take-out orders .
She also posted about an upcoming meeting planned by the elected officials in Beverly Hills on January 12 , 2021 .
That post came with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open their own health department , separate from Los Angeles County so that restrictions like closing restaurants won ’ t apply to Beverly Hills .
A resolution was unanimously approved by the Beverly Hills City Council opposing the Los Angeles County Public Health Officer order that prohibits outdoor dining across the County and in the City of Beverly Hills .
The resolution included directing staff to explore the possibility of creating a local City Health Department .
Citing a detrimental impact on local businesses and lack of scientific evidence used by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be placed on the December 8 , 2020 agenda of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to repeal the current Health Order .
In addition , the City Council is requesting the County focus on implementing restrictions based on data and localized to the area of the outbreak .
The resolution further states that all future Los Angeles County Public Health Officer Orders be based on actual data related to a particular industry , sector , or area and not be applied unilaterally to every jurisdiction in Los Angeles County .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the potential for the creation of a local City Health Department in Beverly Hills , rather than remain under the jurisdiction of the County Department of Public Health .
The Council also directed the City Attorney to explore legal action against the County , potentially in collaboration with other municipalities .
The current County Health Order prohibits indoor and outdoor dining ( only allowing for pick-up or delivery ) for the next several weeks .
For a list of businesses offering take-out and delivery options in Beverly Hills , visit www.beverlyhills.org/restaurants .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people are not pleased , to say the least .
The Beverly Hills Police Department says they are “ handling the matter.
” I didn ’ t find a tweet saying that , though , after a quick search of its timeline .
Instead , there is a generic holiday greeting and request that everyone stay safe .
So far , La Scala has not issued a statement .
Businesses all across the country are suffering due to often arbitrary lockdown restrictions .
Americans are wary of big government intervention against private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to try to skirt the restrictions with clever little theme dinners in restaurants is unacceptable .
If they wish to make a statement and open despite the lockdown , do it in the open and make the message clear .
The sneaky way , even though it was doomed from the beginning because of the lame request of inviting everyone “ discreetly ” , is a jab in the eye to everyone .
It ’ s a reminder that we really aren ’ t all in this together .
The wealthy , celebrities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules are for everyone else , not for them .

Just in case you have forgotten that we are not all in this together, here is yet another reminder. La Scala, a restaurant in Beverly Hills, California known for its celebrity clientele, was caught offering something it shouldn’t have been offering.
La Scala is facing backlash for placing invitations in take-out orders which offer the possibility of indoor dining at the restaurant on New Year’s Eve. The management appears to have been attempting to take the pulse of customers to find out if there was interest in such an evening celebration. Ironically, the restaurant asked customers to spread the word but to do so discreetly. To prove just how dumb that gambit was, an invitation found its way into the hands of a Los Angeles journalist. Gee, who could have predicted that?
California is under the strictest of lockdown orders due to its spike in coronavirus cases. There is a ban on both indoor and outdoor dining in restaurants in Southern California. Restaurants only have the option of providing take-out and delivery of food. La Scala was offering a service that it is restricted from making. The indoor dining opportunity was to have a speakeasy-style theme. The scheme was a little too clever by half.
A Los Angeles journalist tweeted a photo of one of the purported invitations from celebrity-friendly La Scala — two blocks from Rodeo Drive — that likened the New Year’s Eve dinner to a speakeasy-style gathering reminiscent of the alcohol-free era of Prohibition in the 1920s. “We’re considering taking reservations for New Year’s Eve dinner. Inside,” the invitation read. “If this is something you’d be interested in, please let us know as soon as possible. If enough interest, we’ll contact you back to secure a reservation. Please keep this discreet but tell all your friends.”
Naturally, when word got out, the responses were not favorable. A Los Angeles journalist spread the word by posting the invitation found in take-out orders. She also posted about an upcoming meeting planned by the elected officials in Beverly Hills on January 12, 2021. That post came with a reminder that officials in Beverly Hills want to open their own health department, separate from Los Angeles County so that restrictions like closing restaurants won’t apply to Beverly Hills.
I'm glad so many people want Beverly Hills electeds to know about this. Their next meeting is January 12—I'm sure they want to hear from you: https://t.co/lPNdr2cDuY Last meeting they discussed creating a new health department to skirt LA County rules: https://t.co/whh5WZ5Zsz — Alissa Walker (@awalkerinLA) December 26, 2020
A resolution was unanimously approved by the Beverly Hills City Council opposing the Los Angeles County Public Health Officer order that prohibits outdoor dining across the County and in the City of Beverly Hills. The resolution included directing staff to explore the possibility of creating a local City Health Department.
Citing a detrimental impact on local businesses and lack of scientific evidence used by the County, the resolution demands a motion be placed on the December 8, 2020 agenda of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to repeal the current Health Order. In addition, the City Council is requesting the County focus on implementing restrictions based on data and localized to the area of the outbreak. The resolution further states that all future Los Angeles County Public Health Officer Orders be based on actual data related to a particular industry, sector, or area and not be applied unilaterally to every jurisdiction in Los Angeles County. The City Council also directed staff to explore the potential for the creation of a local City Health Department in Beverly Hills, rather than remain under the jurisdiction of the County Department of Public Health. The Council also directed the City Attorney to explore legal action against the County, potentially in collaboration with other municipalities. The current County Health Order prohibits indoor and outdoor dining (only allowing for pick-up or delivery) for the next several weeks. For a list of businesses offering take-out and delivery options in Beverly Hills, visit www.beverlyhills.org/restaurants.
A local ABC affiliate ran with the story and people are not pleased, to say the least.
Upscale Beverly Hills restaurant La Scala planning "discreet" New Year's Eve indoor dinner in apparent violation of LA County COVID-19 protocols https://t.co/MzJ8iDIL0u — ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 27, 2020
The Beverly Hills Police Department says they are “handling the matter.” I didn’t find a tweet saying that, though, after a quick search of its timeline. Instead, there is a generic holiday greeting and request that everyone stay safe.
“We understand this is an incredibly difficult time for all of our businesses,” the city’s statement said, “however the County Order does currently prohibit indoor and outdoor dining, including in the City of Beverly Hills.” On Christmas Day, the Beverly Hills Police Department tweeted it was aware of the invitations and said it was “handling the matter.”
So far, La Scala has not issued a statement.
Businesses all across the country are suffering due to often arbitrary lockdown restrictions. Americans are wary of big government intervention against private businesses as it is. For some to try to skirt the restrictions with clever little theme dinners in restaurants is unacceptable. If they wish to make a statement and open despite the lockdown, do it in the open and make the message clear. The sneaky way, even though it was doomed from the beginning because of the lame request of inviting everyone “discreetly”, is a jab in the eye to everyone. It’s a reminder that we really aren’t all in this together. The wealthy, celebrities and elected officials live as if the rules are for everyone else, not for them.


hotair--2020-12-27--Selective unemployment benefits expiring for millions

When the clock struck midnight last night , unemployment benefits for upwards of nine million Americans turned into a pumpkin .
This was one aspect of the COVID relief bill that didn ’ t draw as much attention initially while it was being hammered out in the Senate .
Before getting to the details , I wanted to point out some curious stylistic choices made by the editors at the Associated Press when covering this story .
Articles from the AP tend to fall into two general categories .
Some of them are in the form of the early news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dates , times , names and generic descriptions of events .
These days , however , other pieces take on a definite dramatic flair with editorial coloring .
That ’ s the case with this article under the byline of Alexandra Olson and Jill Covin .
The title sets the tone .
“ Unemployment benefits expire for millions as Trump rages.
” Rather than simply talking about the number of people impacted , they splash around some extra ink , describing them as “ struggling to make ends meet.
” When they mention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pork out of the relief bill , “ pork ” is put in scare quotes , as if that bill wasn ’ t stuffed to the gills with unrelated wish-list spending items .
More examples abound .
But here are the basics in any event .
Unemployment benefits for millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet lapsed overnight as President Donald Trump refused to signed an end-of-year COVID relief and spending bill that had been considered a done deal before his sudden objections .
The fate of the bipartisan package remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand larger COVID relief checks and complained about “ pork ” spending .
Without the widespread funding provided by the massive measure , a government shutdown would occur when money runs out at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday .
“ It ’ s a chess game and we are pawns , ” said Lanetris Haines , a self-employed single mother of three in South Bend , Indiana , who stood to lose her $ 129 weekly jobless benefit unless Trump signed the package into law or succeeded in his improbable quest for changes .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that not everyone ’ s unemployment benefits ran out last night .
Most unemployment programs are run and funded by the individual states , though they have been sweetened with some extra federal money this year .
But thanks to the original relief bill , millions of people who wouldn ’ t normally qualify for unemployment benefits were added to the rolls with a federal program .
They generally fall into the category of freelancers , gig workers , and independent contractors who typically wouldn ’ t be eligible for those benefits .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , those payments will stop .
The total number of people who fall into that category isn ’ t known precisely .
The AP asked a few different labor experts and got figures that ranged from 9.1 million to more than 14 million .
This is because the eligibility requirements differ from state to state .
In reality , barring some major snafu , this aspect of the relief plan is probably not going to turn out to be a big deal .
The clock is ticking in terms of the fate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is all happening so close to the end of the current congress complicates matters , but not terminally .
Trump has ten days ( not including Sundays ) to either sign or veto the bill .
If he vetos it , there are moe than enough votes in both chambers to override it during special sessions planned for this week .
But if he does nothing and the clock runs out on or after January 3rd , the bill is basically dead .
That ’ s the date the Constitution sets for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next one to be seated .
Even if that happens , however , the makeup of the two chambers hasn ’ t changed all that much unless the Democrats flip both Senate seats in Georgia on the 5th .
And in that horrible event , the Senate would only be even more likely to pass such a measure .
At that point , the new congress could introduce the same bill they already passed , send it to Trump ’ s desk and put it into law twelve days later at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here would be retroactive .
So yes , there would likely be roughly three weeks where these programs were inactive , but after that things would kick back into gear .
It ’ s not an ideal situation , but it ’ s also not armageddon .
Personally , while the relief package absolutely wound up turning into a massive pork festival , I ’ m pretty sure that starting over from scratch would take months and the damage would probably outweigh the value of pushing for a cleaner bill .
Seeing these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money is , sadly , the norm rather than the exception at this point .
I don ’ t see a practical way to stop it so it would probably behoove the President to just sign the damn thing and at least take credit for aiding the unemployed in a prompt fashion .
No , I ’ m not happy about saying that , but we ’ re approaching territory covered by the First Rule of Holes at this point .
The White House should probably stop digging .

When the clock struck midnight last night, unemployment benefits for upwards of nine million Americans turned into a pumpkin. This was one aspect of the COVID relief bill that didn’t draw as much attention initially while it was being hammered out in the Senate. Before getting to the details, I wanted to point out some curious stylistic choices made by the editors at the Associated Press when covering this story. Articles from the AP tend to fall into two general categories. Some of them are in the form of the early news wire services, pretty much sticking to dates, times, names and generic descriptions of events. These days, however, other pieces take on a definite dramatic flair with editorial coloring. That’s the case with this article under the byline of Alexandra Olson and Jill Covin.
The title sets the tone. “Unemployment benefits expire for millions as Trump rages.” Rather than simply talking about the number of people impacted, they splash around some extra ink, describing them as “struggling to make ends meet.” When they mention the President’s demand to cut the pork out of the relief bill, “pork” is put in scare quotes, as if that bill wasn’t stuffed to the gills with unrelated wish-list spending items. More examples abound. But here are the basics in any event.
Unemployment benefits for millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet lapsed overnight as President Donald Trump refused to signed an end-of-year COVID relief and spending bill that had been considered a done deal before his sudden objections. The fate of the bipartisan package remained in limbo Sunday as Trump continued to demand larger COVID relief checks and complained about “pork” spending. Without the widespread funding provided by the massive measure, a government shutdown would occur when money runs out at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. “It’s a chess game and we are pawns,” said Lanetris Haines, a self-employed single mother of three in South Bend, Indiana, who stood to lose her $129 weekly jobless benefit unless Trump signed the package into law or succeeded in his improbable quest for changes.
We should first make note of the fact that not everyone’s unemployment benefits ran out last night. Most unemployment programs are run and funded by the individual states, though they have been sweetened with some extra federal money this year. But thanks to the original relief bill, millions of people who wouldn’t normally qualify for unemployment benefits were added to the rolls with a federal program. They generally fall into the category of freelancers, gig workers, and independent contractors who typically wouldn’t be eligible for those benefits. With the expiration of the original program, those payments will stop.
The total number of people who fall into that category isn’t known precisely. The AP asked a few different labor experts and got figures that ranged from 9.1 million to more than 14 million. This is because the eligibility requirements differ from state to state.
In reality, barring some major snafu, this aspect of the relief plan is probably not going to turn out to be a big deal. The clock is ticking in terms of the fate of the relief bill and the fact that this is all happening so close to the end of the current congress complicates matters, but not terminally. Trump has ten days (not including Sundays) to either sign or veto the bill. If he vetos it, there are moe than enough votes in both chambers to override it during special sessions planned for this week. But if he does nothing and the clock runs out on or after January 3rd, the bill is basically dead. That’s the date the Constitution sets for the current congress to be dismissed and the next one to be seated.
Even if that happens, however, the makeup of the two chambers hasn’t changed all that much unless the Democrats flip both Senate seats in Georgia on the 5th. And in that horrible event, the Senate would only be even more likely to pass such a measure. At that point, the new congress could introduce the same bill they already passed, send it to Trump’s desk and put it into law twelve days later at the most. And the benefits under discussion here would be retroactive. So yes, there would likely be roughly three weeks where these programs were inactive, but after that things would kick back into gear. It’s not an ideal situation, but it’s also not armageddon.
Personally, while the relief package absolutely wound up turning into a massive pork festival, I’m pretty sure that starting over from scratch would take months and the damage would probably outweigh the value of pushing for a cleaner bill. Seeing these swamp dwellers spending unimaginably large amounts of money is, sadly, the norm rather than the exception at this point. I don’t see a practical way to stop it so it would probably behoove the President to just sign the damn thing and at least take credit for aiding the unemployed in a prompt fashion. No, I’m not happy about saying that, but we’re approaching territory covered by the First Rule of Holes at this point. The White House should probably stop digging.


hotair--2020-12-28--Yes, Anthony Warner was the Nashville bomber, but his motive?

All of the leads released by authorities since the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville had been pointing to Anthony Warner as the prime suspect and now the FBI has put the matter to rest .
DNA testing has reportedly confirmed that Warner was in the truck and died in the blast .
The case is far from closed , however , because agents are still beating the bushes to attempt to figure out a motive .
The press is aiding in that effort and from what ’ s been determined thus far , we might be able to draw at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warner himself , we ’ re beginning to learn that he was considered by people who knew him to be “ a bit of an odd duck , ” but he had no criminal history to speak of besides a minor drug charge back in the 70s .
( NBC News ) The suspect in the Christmas morning explosion that rocked downtown Nashville , Tennessee , identified as Anthony Quinn Warner , 63 , died in the blast , investigators said Sunday .
Speaking to reporters , authorities said that state and federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the explosion to items collected from Warner and from his relatives .
“ We can tell you Anthony Warner is the man believed to be responsible for this horrible crime , ” said John Drake , chief of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department .
There ’ s just so much weirdness surrounding Warner and his recent activities that it ’ s hard to know where to start .
One of his neighbors described him as “ a little odd , ” but not all that unusual or notable .
He was also described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most part .
He constructed a fence around his property last month , blocking the view of anyone seeking to observe the house .
He opened the gate , pulled his RV into the driveway , and then closed the gate again .
Presumably , that ’ s when he began constructing the bomb .
From all we ’ ve learned , Warner technically qualifies as a “ suicide bomber , ” but it ’ s clearly not that simple .
When someone decides to end it all that way , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small amount of explosives .
Conversely , when someone goes to the trouble of building a truly massive bomb , they take it to a place where they will create the maximum carnage and death .
Neither is the case with Warner .
He chose a time and date when the fewest people possible would be likely to be out and about .
He played a recording warning anyone in the area that a blast was imminent .
And his efforts paid off since he was the only one that was killed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ way that he did ?
If he wasn ’ t trying to kill a bunch of people , the bomb must have been intended to destroy something .
Yesterday , we discussed the suggestion that Warner was paranoid about the new 5G networks .
And he did park the RV in front of the AT & T building .
But he was a computer technician with a lot of experience in electronics .
Surely he knew that he couldn ’ t seriously take out all of the 5G for very long , right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a while .
As we already discussed , he had transferred two of his properties to a woman from California for free recently .
He quit his job providing computer services to a local real estate agency more than a month ago without offering a reason .
That was about the same time period when he was putting the fence up .
While not vastly wealthy , Warner was clearly well-off financially and there hasn ’ t been any indication that his health was failing .
So what drove him to commit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that recording that he was blaring on the speakers of the RV .
First , it was warning people of an imminent blast .
But then , shortly before the bomb went off , it switched to playing Petula Clark ’ s 1964 song “ Downtown.
” That ’ s just another layer of weirdness .
My first thought upon learning this was that the guy might have been a big fan of the television series Lost .
That was the song that the reproductive doctor was playing in her house during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the sound of an explosion .
She rushed outside to see the plane that brought the castaways to the island breaking up in the sky above them .
Or maybe the guy just really liked the song .
Who knows ?
In any event , if Warner wasn ’ t trying to take out a bunch of people but he used a massively larger bomb than he would have needed to end his own life , he must have been trying to blow up something , right ?
And since he parked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building , the 5G theory may be the best one we have to go on .
If he didn ’ t leave a note and his digital tracks online don ’ t turn up anything we may never know .
For one final dose of weirdness in this tale , there was a possible copycat of Warner ’ s arrested yesterday afternoon in Lebanon , Tennessee , roughly one-half hour ’ s drive from where Warner blew up his RV .
A white box truck was driving around playing the same sort of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police didn ’ t find any explosives in the vehicle , however .
Was that an attempt at suicide by cop or just some moron who didn ’ t understand how on-edge everyone was after the Christmas blast and didn ’ t realize the cops might have just taken him out with a sniper rifle ?
This entire affair just grows stranger by the day .

All of the leads released by authorities since the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville had been pointing to Anthony Warner as the prime suspect and now the FBI has put the matter to rest. DNA testing has reportedly confirmed that Warner was in the truck and died in the blast. The case is far from closed, however, because agents are still beating the bushes to attempt to figure out a motive. The press is aiding in that effort and from what’s been determined thus far, we might be able to draw at least a few conclusions. As to Warner himself, we’re beginning to learn that he was considered by people who knew him to be “a bit of an odd duck,” but he had no criminal history to speak of besides a minor drug charge back in the 70s. (NBC News)
The suspect in the Christmas morning explosion that rocked downtown Nashville, Tennessee, identified as Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, died in the blast, investigators said Sunday. Speaking to reporters, authorities said that state and federal investigators matched DNA from the scene of the explosion to items collected from Warner and from his relatives. “We can tell you Anthony Warner is the man believed to be responsible for this horrible crime,” said John Drake, chief of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
There’s just so much weirdness surrounding Warner and his recent activities that it’s hard to know where to start. One of his neighbors described him as “a little odd,” but not all that unusual or notable. He was also described as someone who kept to himself for the most part. He constructed a fence around his property last month, blocking the view of anyone seeking to observe the house. He opened the gate, pulled his RV into the driveway, and then closed the gate again. Presumably, that’s when he began constructing the bomb.
From all we’ve learned, Warner technically qualifies as a “suicide bomber,” but it’s clearly not that simple. When someone decides to end it all that way, they typically only need a vest with a small amount of explosives. Conversely, when someone goes to the trouble of building a truly massive bomb, they take it to a place where they will create the maximum carnage and death. Neither is the case with Warner. He chose a time and date when the fewest people possible would be likely to be out and about. He played a recording warning anyone in the area that a blast was imminent. And his efforts paid off since he was the only one that was killed.
So why would he do it the way that he did? If he wasn’t trying to kill a bunch of people, the bomb must have been intended to destroy something. Yesterday, we discussed the suggestion that Warner was paranoid about the new 5G networks. And he did park the RV in front of the AT&T building. But he was a computer technician with a lot of experience in electronics. Surely he knew that he couldn’t seriously take out all of the 5G for very long, right?
The bomber was clearly planning this for a while. As we already discussed, he had transferred two of his properties to a woman from California for free recently. He quit his job providing computer services to a local real estate agency more than a month ago without offering a reason. That was about the same time period when he was putting the fence up. While not vastly wealthy, Warner was clearly well-off financially and there hasn’t been any indication that his health was failing. So what drove him to commit suicide?
And then there’s that recording that he was blaring on the speakers of the RV. First, it was warning people of an imminent blast. But then, shortly before the bomb went off, it switched to playing Petula Clark’s 1964 song “Downtown.” That’s just another layer of weirdness. My first thought upon learning this was that the guy might have been a big fan of the television series Lost. That was the song that the reproductive doctor was playing in her house during a flashback segment before the tune was interrupted by the sound of an explosion. She rushed outside to see the plane that brought the castaways to the island breaking up in the sky above them. Or maybe the guy just really liked the song. Who knows?
In any event, if Warner wasn’t trying to take out a bunch of people but he used a massively larger bomb than he would have needed to end his own life, he must have been trying to blow up something, right? And since he parked in front of the AT&T building, the 5G theory may be the best one we have to go on. If he didn’t leave a note and his digital tracks online don’t turn up anything we may never know.
For one final dose of weirdness in this tale, there was a possible copycat of Warner’s arrested yesterday afternoon in Lebanon, Tennessee, roughly one-half hour’s drive from where Warner blew up his RV. A white box truck was driving around playing the same sort of ominous warning about an imminent explosion. Police didn’t find any explosives in the vehicle, however. Was that an attempt at suicide by cop or just some moron who didn’t understand how on-edge everyone was after the Christmas blast and didn’t realize the cops might have just taken him out with a sniper rifle? This entire affair just grows stranger by the day.


hotair--2020-12-28--Good bet: Consumer brands predict working from home is here to stay

Everyone has the same question – what does life look like after the pandemic fades away ?
Do we go back to life as it was before the coronavirus from China caused a national lockdown or do we continue on with life as we know it now ?
The manufacturers of consumer goods are betting that more of us will be working from home in the future .
They are making adjustments accordingly .
Granted , for the majority of Americans , working from home isn ’ t a viable option .
Global Workplace Analytics , a telecommuting research-and-consulting firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. workers will work from home at least several days a week at the end of 2021 .
That number is vastly increased from the pre-pandemic number of 4 % .
Some companies are pushing back return dates for office employees , allowing staff to continue working from home for at least part of the workweek .
GWA ’ s president , Kate Lister , said the more the new routine is working from home , “ the greater the adoption we will see when the dust settles.
” Millions of Americans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it ’ s a safe bet to assume that those who can continue to do so , at least part-time if not full-time , will .
Consumer product companies are planning ahead and betting on stronger demand for some products over others .
In our new world , people work from home offices or family rooms and personal needs are different .
Meals are prepared and eaten at home , including quick lunches during the workday .
There is no need for purchasing as many business-appropriate garments or personal items like make-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re a nation of slobs but our needs are different at home , right ?
Why bother with a nice suit or pair of khakis if jeans or even sweats are all you need around the house ?
So the products we buy now are adjusted to our circumstances .
For example , more coffee and less razors .
As a result , many food-and-consumer-products companies are investing in factories , equipment and brands to provide more of those items for years to come , seeking to accommodate consumers who are making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tending beards with trimmers and balm rather than shaving them off .
Conagra Brands Inc. and Kraft Heinz Co. are buying and upgrading equipment to make more at-home lunch foods .
General Mills Inc. has added a manufacturing line for Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal at a Georgia factory , which the company said is one of its most expensive capital projects ever .
Kimberly-Clark Corp. is converting a plant to make toilet paper for homes instead of offices , and Procter & Gamble Co. is adding beard-care products in addition to Gillette @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the pandemic .
While some food manufacturers resisted making too much investment into long-term changes , the strategy of adding shifts and limiting product variety to increase capacity is being re-visited now .
The pandemic has lasted long enough that new habits have formed and routines are likely permanently altered .
People who don ’ t enjoy cooking are purchasing frozen meals and since we no longer go to movie theatres , the demand for snacks like popcorn is up .
Food makers are investing in machines that are faster and able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it is adding a manufacturing line at an Iowa factory that would substantially increase its capacity to make Healthy Choice , Marie Callender ’ s and other frozen meals .
The food maker has also invested to speed up machines making Orville Redenbacher and Act II popcorn at an Indiana factory , predicting people will continue watching movies at home for some time .
Campbell Soup Co. said this month that it expects remote workers to want more of its foods after the health crisis , too .
Campbell is expanding manufacturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kettle and Cape Cod chips .
Others are pushing ahead .
Kraft Heinz Co. raised production of its highest-demand items such as Kraft Mac & Cheese cups , Oscar Mayer cold cuts and Philadelphia cream cheese by about 20 % during the pandemic .
Now the company is spending more than $ 100 million to add more production capacity next year .
“ This is a business that has been relatively flat for a while at best , ” said Adam Butler , president of Kraft ’ s Easy Meals Made Better division @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down on it.
” Some businesses are planning to open new factories in 2021 or shifting operations to accommodate new demands .
Switching gears is especially costly and complicated for makers of paper towels and toilet paper .
Consumer-grade products are generally made on different equipment , using different materials than the thinner , more utilitarian versions used in public buildings and businesses .
That meant consumers couldn ’ t find enough toilet paper throughout much of the pandemic .
Kimberly-Clark , maker of Cottonelle toilet paper and Scott paper towels , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Mobile , Ala. , that makes tissues and paper for offices , said CEO Mike Hsu .
Amy ’ s Kitchen is opening a factory in San Jose , Calif. , and another on the East Coast in 2022 to make more of the organic soups and frozen meals that have soared in popularity during the pandemic , said chief executive Xavier Unkovic .
Some manufacturers expect demand to level off and are not adding capacity for consumer goods .
Procter & Gamble , for example , makes Charmin toilet paper and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in products for beards along with shaving products because men are growing more beards during the pandemic .
Beauty products companies like Estee Lauder and Coty are investing more in skincare items instead of make-up items .
J.M .
Smucker Company CEO John Brase said , “ We would be crazy not to be opportunistic.
” Smucker has restarted idle machines and retrofitted others to make sizes and varieties of Folgers and Dunkin ’ coffee that will appeal to people working from home .
Consumer goods companies are working to cater to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cinnamon Toast Crunch and mac and cheese .
And sweat pants .
Lots of sweat pants .
Comfort foods and comfortable clothing are in demand .

Everyone has the same question – what does life look like after the pandemic fades away? Do we go back to life as it was before the coronavirus from China caused a national lockdown or do we continue on with life as we know it now? The manufacturers of consumer goods are betting that more of us will be working from home in the future. They are making adjustments accordingly.
Granted, for the majority of Americans, working from home isn’t a viable option. Global Workplace Analytics, a telecommuting research-and-consulting firm, found that about a quarter of U.S. workers will work from home at least several days a week at the end of 2021. That number is vastly increased from the pre-pandemic number of 4%. Some companies are pushing back return dates for office employees, allowing staff to continue working from home for at least part of the workweek. GWA’s president, Kate Lister, said the more the new routine is working from home, “the greater the adoption we will see when the dust settles.” Millions of Americans are working from home now. I agree that it’s a safe bet to assume that those who can continue to do so, at least part-time if not full-time, will.
Consumer product companies are planning ahead and betting on stronger demand for some products over others. In our new world, people work from home offices or family rooms and personal needs are different. Meals are prepared and eaten at home, including quick lunches during the workday. There is no need for purchasing as many business-appropriate garments or personal items like make-up. I’m not saying we’re a nation of slobs but our needs are different at home, right? Why bother with a nice suit or pair of khakis if jeans or even sweats are all you need around the house? So the products we buy now are adjusted to our circumstances. For example, more coffee and less razors.
As a result, many food-and-consumer-products companies are investing in factories, equipment and brands to provide more of those items for years to come, seeking to accommodate consumers who are making more coffee, buying more casual clothes and tending beards with trimmers and balm rather than shaving them off. Conagra Brands Inc. and Kraft Heinz Co. are buying and upgrading equipment to make more at-home lunch foods. General Mills Inc. has added a manufacturing line for Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal at a Georgia factory, which the company said is one of its most expensive capital projects ever. Kimberly-Clark Corp. is converting a plant to make toilet paper for homes instead of offices, and Procter & Gamble Co. is adding beard-care products in addition to Gillette razors.
Retail grocery sales are surging during the pandemic. While some food manufacturers resisted making too much investment into long-term changes, the strategy of adding shifts and limiting product variety to increase capacity is being re-visited now. The pandemic has lasted long enough that new habits have formed and routines are likely permanently altered. People who don’t enjoy cooking are purchasing frozen meals and since we no longer go to movie theatres, the demand for snacks like popcorn is up. Food makers are investing in machines that are faster and able to keep up with demand.
Conagra said it is adding a manufacturing line at an Iowa factory that would substantially increase its capacity to make Healthy Choice, Marie Callender’s and other frozen meals. The food maker has also invested to speed up machines making Orville Redenbacher and Act II popcorn at an Indiana factory, predicting people will continue watching movies at home for some time. Campbell Soup Co. said this month that it expects remote workers to want more of its foods after the health crisis, too. Campbell is expanding manufacturing capacity for Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers and Kettle and Cape Cod chips. Others are pushing ahead. Kraft Heinz Co. raised production of its highest-demand items such as Kraft Mac & Cheese cups, Oscar Mayer cold cuts and Philadelphia cream cheese by about 20% during the pandemic. Now the company is spending more than $100 million to add more production capacity next year. “This is a business that has been relatively flat for a while at best,” said Adam Butler, president of Kraft’s Easy Meals Made Better division. “Now we want to double down on it.”
Some businesses are planning to open new factories in 2021 or shifting operations to accommodate new demands.
Switching gears is especially costly and complicated for makers of paper towels and toilet paper. Consumer-grade products are generally made on different equipment, using different materials than the thinner, more utilitarian versions used in public buildings and businesses. That meant consumers couldn’t find enough toilet paper throughout much of the pandemic. Kimberly-Clark, maker of Cottonelle toilet paper and Scott paper towels, will move some consumer-quality production to a factory in Mobile, Ala., that makes tissues and paper for offices, said CEO Mike Hsu. Amy’s Kitchen is opening a factory in San Jose, Calif., and another on the East Coast in 2022 to make more of the organic soups and frozen meals that have soared in popularity during the pandemic, said chief executive Xavier Unkovic.
Some manufacturers expect demand to level off and are not adding capacity for consumer goods. Procter & Gamble, for example, makes Charmin toilet paper and Bounty paper towels. It has invested in products for beards along with shaving products because men are growing more beards during the pandemic. Beauty products companies like Estee Lauder and Coty are investing more in skincare items instead of make-up items. J.M. Smucker Company CEO John Brase said, “We would be crazy not to be opportunistic.” Smucker has restarted idle machines and retrofitted others to make sizes and varieties of Folgers and Dunkin’ coffee that will appeal to people working from home.
Consumer goods companies are working to cater to the new normal. Apparently, that includes Cinnamon Toast Crunch and mac and cheese. And sweat pants. Lots of sweat pants. Comfort foods and comfortable clothing are in demand.


hotair--2020-12-28--California is now the epicenter of the winter surge of COVID cases in the U.S.

Well , we ’ ve done it .
California is officially in first place in a race that no one wants to win .
As of Saturday , the state has the highest number of new COVID cases per capita in the U.S. : Last week , the state reported the nation ’ s fourth highest number of daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven day period , but California jumped to first place when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its case per capita tracker Saturday .
According to the CDC update from Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100.5 daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days , which places it comfortably ahead of second-place Tennessee , which saw an average of 89.6 daily cases per 100,000 residents over the same time period .
California ’ s daily case-per capita figure is actually down from the 109.3 mark it was at last week , which is likely due to reporting delays caused by the Christmas holiday .
The winter surge in California is roughly twice as bad as the one we had in the spring/summer based on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , more than 19,750 patients were hospitalized with confirmed cases of the virus in California , including 4,228 treated in intensive care units .
Both totals are now officially more than double the peak observed during the summer surge , when about 7,200 were hospitalized with 2,050 in intensive care .
ICU bed availability is still at 0 % in Southern California and the Central Valley .
Officials haven ’ t said yet that the three week lockdown will be extended but that ’ s certainly the case .
At a press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision would be announced tomorrow .
The framework for ending the lockdown is the same as that for entering it , i.e .
ICU capacity of 15 % .
So at the moment the entire southern half of the state in nowhere close to that .
What we don ’ t know is how long the lockdown will be extended .
All of this raises a question which Politico highlighted last week .
Why is this happening ?
California has taken this virus seriously from the start .
It was the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has had a shutdown in the most seriously affected areas for most of this month .
But so far it seems those measures haven ’ t really worked .
The turnabout has confounded leaders and health experts .
They can point to any number of reasons that contributed to California ’ s surge over the past several weeks .
But it is hard to pinpoint one single factor — and equally hard to find a silver bullet… In Los Angeles , officials have said all along that people were gathering too often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties when the Dodgers and Lakers won championships this fall .
Some have blamed the strict rules themselves , saying that cooped-up Californians couldn ’ t take it any longer and decided they need to live their lives .
Others have said congregant settings remain a severe concern in a housing-constrained state , especially in low-income communities where residents live in tight quarters and must continue to work in-person to survive… Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham ( R-Templeton ) argued that the state ’ s attempt to “ shut down types of human interaction without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was creating a backlash of sorts — “ driving people to higher-risk activity ” like gathering indoors at home , rather than places like restaurants .
There ’ s some data to back up this idea that people are pushing back against the lockdowns .
Cell phone data from earlier this month seemed to back up the idea that Californians in the Bay Area are just not following the rules as strictly as they did in the spring : The data company Unacast , a firm that collects cellphone location data from millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Social Distancing Scoreboard ” that shows which counties in California and beyond are seeing compliance in getting people to stay home .
Each county and state is graded on an A through F scale based on three criteria : change in average mobility based on distance traveled , change in nonessential visits and difference in encounter density… …data pulled from Dec. 17 — almost two weeks after five Bay Area counties adopted the state ’ s stay-at-home order early — shows that only one county is receiving an “ A ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to one factor that might be convincing people not to take this as seriously this time around , it would be the hypocrisy of Democratic leaders who have preached social distance and then been caught out at fancy dinners in closed rooms .
Both Gov .
Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed were caught doing this and I think it suggests to most people that they can similarly fudge things instead of being strict about it .
Hypocrisy is what has made California the epicenter of the winter surge .

Well, we’ve done it. California is officially in first place in a race that no one wants to win. As of Saturday, the state has the highest number of new COVID cases per capita in the U.S.:
Last week, the state reported the nation’s fourth highest number of daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven day period, but California jumped to first place when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its case per capita tracker Saturday. According to the CDC update from Saturday, California has reported an average of 100.5 daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, which places it comfortably ahead of second-place Tennessee, which saw an average of 89.6 daily cases per 100,000 residents over the same time period. California’s daily case-per capita figure is actually down from the 109.3 mark it was at last week, which is likely due to reporting delays caused by the Christmas holiday.
The winter surge in California is roughly twice as bad as the one we had in the spring/summer based on the number of people hospitalized.
As of Monday, more than 19,750 patients were hospitalized with confirmed cases of the virus in California, including 4,228 treated in intensive care units. Both totals are now officially more than double the peak observed during the summer surge, when about 7,200 were hospitalized with 2,050 in intensive care.
ICU bed availability is still at 0% in Southern California and the Central Valley. Officials haven’t said yet that the three week lockdown will be extended but that’s certainly the case. At a press conference today, Gov. Newsom said the decision would be announced tomorrow. The framework for ending the lockdown is the same as that for entering it, i.e. ICU capacity of 15%. So at the moment the entire southern half of the state in nowhere close to that. What we don’t know is how long the lockdown will be extended.
All of this raises a question which Politico highlighted last week. Why is this happening? California has taken this virus seriously from the start. It was the first state to shut down in the spring and has had a shutdown in the most seriously affected areas for most of this month. But so far it seems those measures haven’t really worked.
The turnabout has confounded leaders and health experts. They can point to any number of reasons that contributed to California’s surge over the past several weeks. But it is hard to pinpoint one single factor — and equally hard to find a silver bullet… In Los Angeles, officials have said all along that people were gathering too often. They blamed celebrations and postseason viewing parties when the Dodgers and Lakers won championships this fall. Some have blamed the strict rules themselves, saying that cooped-up Californians couldn’t take it any longer and decided they need to live their lives. Others have said congregant settings remain a severe concern in a housing-constrained state, especially in low-income communities where residents live in tight quarters and must continue to work in-person to survive… Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-Templeton) argued that the state’s attempt to “shut down types of human interaction without seeing if that’s effective” was creating a backlash of sorts — “driving people to higher-risk activity” like gathering indoors at home, rather than places like restaurants.


hotair--2020-12-28--Louie Gohmert, Kelli Ward, others try to overturn election by suing ... Mike Pence?

“ Filing frivolous lawsuits shows that you ’ re a fighter , even if corrupt judges quickly apply ‘ law ’ to reject them , ” snarked law prof Orin Kerr in response to this new one .
I kinda like the idea of Pence being the nominal defendant , though , as it captures the increasingly bizarre tenor of the legal effort .
What we really need is for the president to join the suit so that we can have a Trump v. Pence court battle before POTUS turns on his VP for real .
Which he will , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Trump ’ s own ( former ) communications director is nudging people to knock it off and start thinking about the next election already : Politico summarizes the complaint from Gohmert et al .
: Gohmert and a handful of the would-be electors sued Pence in federal court on Monday in a long-shot bid to throw out the rules that govern Congress ’ counting of electoral votes next week .
It ’ s an effort they hope will permit Pence — who is tasked with leading the Jan. 6 session of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President-elect Joe Biden ’ s electors and count Trump ’ s losing slates instead .
The lawsuit asserts that the 1887 law known as the Electoral Count Act , the vague statute that has long governed the electoral vote counting process with minimal drama , unconstitutionally binds Pence from exercising total authority to choose which votes to count .
“ Under the Twelfth Amendment , Defendant Pence alone has the exclusive authority and sole discretion to open and permit the counting of the electoral votes for a given state , and where there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where there is objection to any single slate of electors , to determine which electors ’ votes , or whether none , shall be counted , ” the suit contends .
Politico thinks the suit is designed to squeeze Pence by forcing him to take a position on the question .
If he opposes the suit in court , it would mean that he ’ s essentially fighting on Joe Biden ’ s behalf , trying to forfeit his own ( supposed ) power to block Biden ’ s victory from being certified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oppose the suit , it means that the plaintiffs should prevail — in theory .
In reality , third parties would intervene in court to oppose it even if Pence refuses , as I assume he will .
Or , since Pence is being sued in his capacity as VP , the DOJ would defend the suit on his behalf .
Which would be … interesting : Here ’ s the complaint .
It claims that the VP rather than Congress has sole authority in deciding whether to accept a state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Trump appointee , sides with Gohmert et al .
then it would be entirely up to Mike Pence to decide whether to certify Biden ’ s victory or not on January 6 .
Three little problems , though .
First is standing , a recurring sticking point in post-election litigation by Trump allies : I was only half-joking when speculating about a Trump v. Pence lawsuit .
If we ’ re looking for a plaintiff who ’ s at risk of suffering a concrete injury if Congress rather than the VP is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump himself is the most obvious example .
Did Gohmert and the rest offer him a chance to join this complaint ?
The second problem has also recurred in “ stop the steal ” rhetoric since the electoral college met on December 14 .
It ’ s the bogus idea that swing states have each appointed two different slates of electors and it ’ s now up to Congress and Pence to decide which slate is the legitimate one .
From the complaint : “ Accordingly , there are now competing slates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , ” the complaint goes on to say , which is a lie .
But it ’ s an oft-repeated lie , amplified even by the likes of Newt Gingrich in the weeks since the electoral college met .
The idea of “ competing ” slates of electors comes from a hypothetical scenario in which a state ’ s Democratic governor certifies the Democratic presidential candidate as the winner while the Republican legislature declares that the Republican presidential candidate is the true winner due to irregularities in the vote or whatever .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two different slates each backed by a different arm of the duly elected state government .
That ’ s not what happened this year .
No legislature in any state won by Biden declared Trump the “ true ” winner and declared his electors to be the state ’ s legitimate ones .
A few individual Republican lawmakers in each state invited Trump ’ s electors to come to the state capitol to symbolically cast their votes for Trump , but because those votes aren ’ t recognized by any official body , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” slate .
They ’ re just random people who engaged in an empty gesture to show their loyalty to the president , much like the rest of the shambolic post-election effort to overturn the results in court .
It ’ s no different than if Hillary had thrown a fit after the 2016 election , demanded that her electors in the Rust Belt states gather and symbolically vote for her , and then asked Vice President Joe Biden to recognize those electors as legitimate instead of the pro-Trump electors certified by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In fact , the complaint carries the farce an extra step by trumpeting the fact that “ members of the Arizona Legislature ” passed a joint resolution declaring that Arizona ’ s electoral votes should go to Trump .
In reality , just 17 of the 60 members of the Arizona House supported that resolution and just five of its 30 state senators agreed .
There was no majority in either chamber , it was just random MAGA lawmakers once again making a symbolic gesture of support for Trump .
It would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s caucus in the Senate signed onto a resolution calling for $ 2,000 stimulus checks .
That ’ s not meaningful in any way except as a PR stunt .
You need a majority in both chambers to pass a resolution before it can become law .
The third problem is … just consider how absurd American elections would be if the sitting vice president had total authority over whether to accept or reject a state ’ s electoral votes .
In theory the party that controlled the White House could maintain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the VP .
All they ’ d need is the same sort of charade about “ competing ” slates of electors that Gohmert et al .
are engaged in right now , which would be easy enough to arrange per my Hillary hypothetical above .
So long as an election is close-ish in a meaningful number of swing states , the losing candidate from the party in power would simply need to ( 1 ) cry “ fraud ” and invent some nonsense about the Kremlin or Dominion rigging the vote ; ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states that she lost to gather and symbolically cast their votes for her ; ( 3 ) ask the sitting VP from her party to declare her the real winner on January 6 by refusing to accept the votes of states where fraud has been alleged .
Biden could have easily designated Hillary the winner in 2016 under this logic .
Al Gore could have declared himself the winner in 2000 .
It ’ d be completely wacky .
But then , a lot of people who should know better are up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good idea when you ’ re trying to sell the public on an outrageous country-destroying authoritarian power grab to cite Stalin in support of it .
I also like the hubris involved in reasoning that because a majority of Republicans have been led to believe that something false is true , the fact that a majority of the total population believes otherwise should be of no consequence .
A good , healthy place to be as a movement as we approach January 6 .
Exit question : How long will lawsuits attempting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ *after* Biden has been inaugurated ?
I ’ d guess until May .

“Filing frivolous lawsuits shows that you’re a fighter, even if corrupt judges quickly apply ‘law’ to reject them,” snarked law prof Orin Kerr in response to this new one. I kinda like the idea of Pence being the nominal defendant, though, as it captures the increasingly bizarre tenor of the legal effort.
What we really need is for the president to join the suit so that we can have a Trump v. Pence court battle before POTUS turns on his VP for real. Which he will, soon enough.
Not a great sign when Trump’s own (former) communications director is nudging people to knock it off and start thinking about the next election already:
Uh, Guys.. why don’t we focus our efforts on winning back the House in ‘22 https://t.co/R2QROikPRr — Alyssa Farah (@Alyssafarah) December 28, 2020
Politico summarizes the complaint from Gohmert et al.:
Gohmert and a handful of the would-be electors sued Pence in federal court on Monday in a long-shot bid to throw out the rules that govern Congress’ counting of electoral votes next week. It’s an effort they hope will permit Pence — who is tasked with leading the Jan. 6 session of the House and Senate — to simply ignore President-elect Joe Biden’s electors and count Trump’s losing slates instead. The lawsuit asserts that the 1887 law known as the Electoral Count Act, the vague statute that has long governed the electoral vote counting process with minimal drama, unconstitutionally binds Pence from exercising total authority to choose which votes to count. “Under the Twelfth Amendment, Defendant Pence alone has the exclusive authority and sole discretion to open and permit the counting of the electoral votes for a given state, and where there are competing slates of electors, or where there is objection to any single slate of electors, to determine which electors’ votes, or whether none, shall be counted,” the suit contends.
Politico thinks the suit is designed to squeeze Pence by forcing him to take a position on the question. If he opposes the suit in court, it would mean that he’s essentially fighting on Joe Biden’s behalf, trying to forfeit his own (supposed) power to block Biden’s victory from being certified by Congress. If he declines to oppose the suit, it means that the plaintiffs should prevail — in theory. In reality, third parties would intervene in court to oppose it even if Pence refuses, as I assume he will. Or, since Pence is being sued in his capacity as VP, the DOJ would defend the suit on his behalf. Which would be … interesting:
Of course, now Rep. Gohmert has put DOJ in the position of having to actually tell a court that there was no evidence of fraud in the election. Hmmm. — Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) December 28, 2020
Here’s the complaint. It claims that the VP rather than Congress has sole authority in deciding whether to accept a state’s electoral votes. If the judge, a Trump appointee, sides with Gohmert et al. then it would be entirely up to Mike Pence to decide whether to certify Biden’s victory or not on January 6. Three little problems, though. First is standing, a recurring sticking point in post-election litigation by Trump allies:
“The idea that the Vice President has sole authority to determine whether or not to count electoral votes submitted by a state, or which of competing submissions to count, is inconsistent with a proper understanding of the Constitution,” said Edward Foley, a law professor at the Ohio State University… Election law experts said there’s a strong possibility that U.S. District Judge Jeremy Kernodle, a Trump appointee, would find that Gohmert, Ward and the other Republican litigants lacked a legal right to sue. “I’m not at all sure that the court will get to the merits of this lawsuit, given questions about the plaintiffs’ standing to bring this kind of claim, as well as other procedural obstacles,” Foley said.
I was only half-joking when speculating about a Trump v. Pence lawsuit. If we’re looking for a plaintiff who’s at risk of suffering a concrete injury if Congress rather than the VP is allowed to certify Biden’s victory, Trump himself is the most obvious example. Did Gohmert and the rest offer him a chance to join this complaint?
The second problem has also recurred in “stop the steal” rhetoric since the electoral college met on December 14. It’s the bogus idea that swing states have each appointed two different slates of electors and it’s now up to Congress and Pence to decide which slate is the legitimate one. From the complaint:
“Accordingly, there are now competing slates of Republican and Democratic electors in five States,” the complaint goes on to say, which is a lie. But it’s an oft-repeated lie, amplified even by the likes of Newt Gingrich in the weeks since the electoral college met. The idea of “competing” slates of electors comes from a hypothetical scenario in which a state’s Democratic governor certifies the Democratic presidential candidate as the winner while the Republican legislature declares that the Republican presidential candidate is the true winner due to irregularities in the vote or whatever. In that case we’d have two different slates each backed by a different arm of the duly elected state government.
That’s not what happened this year. No legislature in any state won by Biden declared Trump the “true” winner and declared his electors to be the state’s legitimate ones. A few individual Republican lawmakers in each state invited Trump’s electors to come to the state capitol to symbolically cast their votes for Trump, but because those votes aren’t recognized by any official body, they’re not a “competing” slate. They’re just random people who engaged in an empty gesture to show their loyalty to the president, much like the rest of the shambolic post-election effort to overturn the results in court. It’s no different than if Hillary had thrown a fit after the 2016 election, demanded that her electors in the Rust Belt states gather and symbolically vote for her, and then asked Vice President Joe Biden to recognize those electors as legitimate instead of the pro-Trump electors certified by the state.
It’s a farce. In fact, the complaint carries the farce an extra step by trumpeting the fact that “members of the Arizona Legislature” passed a joint resolution declaring that Arizona’s electoral votes should go to Trump. In reality, just 17 of the 60 members of the Arizona House supported that resolution and just five of its 30 state senators agreed. There was no majority in either chamber, it was just random MAGA lawmakers once again making a symbolic gesture of support for Trump. It would be like if half of Chuck Schumer’s caucus in the Senate signed onto a resolution calling for $2,000 stimulus checks. That’s not meaningful in any way except as a PR stunt. You need a majority in both chambers to pass a resolution before it can become law.
The third problem is … just consider how absurd American elections would be if the sitting vice president had total authority over whether to accept or reject a state’s electoral votes. In theory the party that controlled the White House could maintain its control indefinitely on the say-so of the VP. All they’d need is the same sort of charade about “competing” slates of electors that Gohmert et al. are engaged in right now, which would be easy enough to arrange per my Hillary hypothetical above. So long as an election is close-ish in a meaningful number of swing states, the losing candidate from the party in power would simply need to (1) cry “fraud” and invent some nonsense about the Kremlin or Dominion rigging the vote; (2) ask her electors in swing states that she lost to gather and symbolically cast their votes for her; (3) ask the sitting VP from her party to declare her the real winner on January 6 by refusing to accept the votes of states where fraud has been alleged. Biden could have easily designated Hillary the winner in 2016 under this logic. Al Gore could have declared himself the winner in 2000. It’d be completely wacky.
But then, a lot of people who should know better are up for wacky possibilities right now:
At that moment, the Presidency will be in his hands. And there is nothing stopping Pence, under the (plenary and unappealable) authority vested in him as President of the Senate, from declining to open and count the certificates from the six disputed states. 2/4 — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) December 27, 2020
Per the 12th Amendment: "[T]he votes shall then be counted[.] … The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President[.]" Reader comments? 4/4 More here – https://t.co/ehnnu84Lgi — Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) December 27, 2020
Always a good idea when you’re trying to sell the public on an outrageous country-destroying authoritarian power grab to cite Stalin in support of it. I also like the hubris involved in reasoning that because a majority of Republicans have been led to believe that something false is true, the fact that a majority of the total population believes otherwise should be of no consequence.
A good, healthy place to be as a movement as we approach January 6. Exit question: How long will lawsuits attempting to overturn the election continue to be filed *after* Biden has been inaugurated? I’d guess until May.