hotair--2020-08-15--Night 79: Unlawful assembly declared in Portland

After returning their attention to the courthouse building a couple of nights ago , last night a group of about 300 people with shields and riot gear were intent on heading back to the Portland Police Association headquarters north of downtown .
Since they ’ ve tried to set fires inside this building before , police were determined not to let them take another crack at it .
And that meant lots of confrontations in the streets .
Here ’ s the description of last night ’ s activity from the police : Police learned that the march was likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Association ( PPA ) in the 1800 Block of North Lombard Street .
During multiple previous demonstrations , individuals broke into the PPA office and lit arson fires , in addition to committing burglary , theft , and vandalism .
In order to avoid a repeat of those past events , Officers positioned themselves to block the marchers access to the PPA office .
Some members of the group began launching paintballs and other projectiles at officers .
Due to the ongoing criminal behavior , an unlawful assembly was declared… Over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group and continued to block streets and throw projectiles at officers .
Officers dispersed them in different directions .
There was also a minor injury traffic crash caused by a driver who was unaware of the street blockage .
As officers dispersed the crowd , individuals launched commercial grade fireworks , golf balls , large river rock , palm sized chunks of concrete ( see attached photo ) , glass bottles , and ball bearings from sling shots at officers .
One officer was punched in the head multiple times , causing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested .
Another officer was struck by an object , possibly a stick or bat , and suffered a minor injury .
Green lasers were shined in officers ’ eyes .
Several people with “ press ” affixed to them shined flashlights in officers eyes .
Multiple dumpster fires were set in traffic intersections .
Some of the fires were set close enough to traffic that several cars had to swerve to miss them .
At one point the marchers started toward North Precinct at 449 Northeast Emerson Street , but officers blocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working community policing center , has also been the scene of multiple arson fires .
What it actually looked like on the streets was a lot of chaos and , frankly , some of the police just seemed angry .
Maybe it ’ s because they ’ re tired of having things like this thrown at them : There ’ s a lot of video from last night so I won ’ t try to include all of it but here are some of significant moments in roughly chronological order .
Right away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different .
The marchers set up a line of wooden shields opposite the police .
The police weren ’ t budging so the group retreated to look for another path they could take toward the PPA building .
For a while there was a standoff with the group shouting things and throwing things at the police : The timestamp on this tweet suggests it came later but the description says this is right around the same time , i.e .
just before the police charged : Around 10:30 the police declared an unlawful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They guys with the shields didn ’ t move so the police charged through their line ( 2nd clip below ) : Once the crowd was moving , the police just kept pushing them : The retreating crowd responded with dumpster fires in the street : There were only four arrests made last night and this is one of them .
This guy is clearly resisting arrest and even grabs an officer ’ s baton at one point , but none of that will be considered cause for charges by the Portland DA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an overpass : And the police rushed the people who were on the bridge : Sometime around 1:30 am it was over and police drove off .
So that ’ s basically what happened on night 79 .
Police were being more aggressive than I ’ ve seen in the past week .
They weren ’ t just trailing the group to see what would happen , they were cutting them off and confronting them direclty .
The police have already been criticized for pushing through the shield wall by Portland City Commissioner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no good options here .
They could kettle the group and make mass arrests but the DA has made clear he won ’ t bring charges in those situations so it would just be a lot of effort and paperwork and the same people would be back out the next night .
All the police can do at this point is keep fighting these nightly battles to keep the mob too occupied to try to burn anything ( besides dumpsters ) .
After 11 weeks of this , I ’ m sure the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .

After returning their attention to the courthouse building a couple of nights ago, last night a group of about 300 people with shields and riot gear were intent on heading back to the Portland Police Association headquarters north of downtown. Since they’ve tried to set fires inside this building before, police were determined not to let them take another crack at it. And that meant lots of confrontations in the streets. Here’s the description of last night’s activity from the police:
Police learned that the march was likely proceeding to the offices of the Portland Police Association (PPA) in the 1800 Block of North Lombard Street. During multiple previous demonstrations, individuals broke into the PPA office and lit arson fires, in addition to committing burglary, theft, and vandalism. In order to avoid a repeat of those past events, Officers positioned themselves to block the marchers access to the PPA office. Some members of the group began launching paintballs and other projectiles at officers. Due to the ongoing criminal behavior, an unlawful assembly was declared… Over the course of several hours, parts of the group and continued to block streets and throw projectiles at officers. Officers dispersed them in different directions. There was also a minor injury traffic crash caused by a driver who was unaware of the street blockage. As officers dispersed the crowd, individuals launched commercial grade fireworks, golf balls, large river rock, palm sized chunks of concrete (see attached photo), glass bottles, and ball bearings from sling shots at officers. One officer was punched in the head multiple times, causing minor injury, and the suspect was arrested. Another officer was struck by an object, possibly a stick or bat, and suffered a minor injury. Green lasers were shined in officers’ eyes. Several people with “press” affixed to them shined flashlights in officers eyes. Multiple dumpster fires were set in traffic intersections. Some of the fires were set close enough to traffic that several cars had to swerve to miss them. At one point the marchers started toward North Precinct at 449 Northeast Emerson Street, but officers blocked their path. North Precinct, a working community policing center, has also been the scene of multiple arson fires.
What it actually looked like on the streets was a lot of chaos and, frankly, some of the police just seemed angry. Maybe it’s because they’re tired of having things like this thrown at them:
Protest Blocks Streets, Officers Assaulted, Pelted With Rocks, Glass Bottles, Other Objects (Photo) https://t.co/Kilu4qbnwV pic.twitter.com/Nx5Km0JLGu — Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 15, 2020
There’s a lot of video from last night so I won’t try to include all of it but here are some of significant moments in roughly chronological order.
Right away the guy documenting this notices something is different.
The crowd has just made contact with a line of riot police officers on Killingsworth & Interstate Ave. This is the first time I have seen Portland Police preemptively intercept protesters. #PortlandProtests #PDXprotests #Blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/fDaKIa752t — Justin Yau (@PDocumentarians) August 15, 2020
The marchers set up a line of wooden shields opposite the police.
Protestors formed a phalanx against a police line pic.twitter.com/HWYXWt1fn9 — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 15, 2020
The police weren’t budging so the group retreated to look for another path they could take toward the PPA building.
Protestors are retreating in formation, walking through a different street since police blocked off this one pic.twitter.com/EpHuMRhNoN — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 15, 2020
For a while there was a standoff with the group shouting things and throwing things at the police:
Protestors are standoffing on Killingsworth pic.twitter.com/LoWX9FEEwP — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 15, 2020
The timestamp on this tweet suggests it came later but the description says this is right around the same time, i.e. just before the police charged:
The moments before PPB charged the protest crowd. This guitarist is disparaging the police while playing music. #PortlandProtests #PDXprotests #Blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/nm89PHKND0 — Justin Yau (@PDocumentarians) August 15, 2020
Around 10:30 the police declared an unlawful assembly and ordered everyone to disperse. They guys with the shields didn’t move so the police charged through their line (2nd clip below):
Police jump into protestor shield line, push protestors down, hit them with Billy clubs pic.twitter.com/PmMjkWJN27 — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 15, 2020
Once the crowd was moving, the police just kept pushing them:
Police run into protestors walking away, pushing them pic.twitter.com/qyCLAapNRG — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 15, 2020
The retreating crowd responded with dumpster fires in the street:
The fire rises pic.twitter.com/Z39vSa0hhR — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 15, 2020
There were only four arrests made last night and this is one of them. This guy is clearly resisting arrest and even grabs an officer’s baton at one point, but none of that will be considered cause for charges by the Portland DA.
Portland Police officers executed several charges and made multiple arrests. The crowd is still mobile with police in pursuit. #PortlandProtests #PDXprotests #Blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/09pOcnmllz — Justin Yau (@PDocumentarians) August 15, 2020
Eventually there was another standoff on an overpass:
Police on the bridge give another dispersal warning pic.twitter.com/s2pnjoKapH — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 15, 2020
And the police rushed the people who were on the bridge:
Portland police bull rush protestors on a bridge pic.twitter.com/pMU2hcJi6P — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 15, 2020
Sometime around 1:30 am it was over and police drove off.
So that’s basically what happened on night 79. Police were being more aggressive than I’ve seen in the past week. They weren’t just trailing the group to see what would happen, they were cutting them off and confronting them direclty. The police have already been criticized for pushing through the shield wall by Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty:
This brutality is unacceptable. This is the community the police are sworn to protect and serve. They must uphold Portlanders constitution rights. https://t.co/u52zPfJ47Z — Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty (@JoAnnPDX) August 15, 2020
The police have no good options here. They could kettle the group and make mass arrests but the DA has made clear he won’t bring charges in those situations so it would just be a lot of effort and paperwork and the same people would be back out the next night. All the police can do at this point is keep fighting these nightly battles to keep the mob too occupied to try to burn anything (besides dumpsters). After 11 weeks of this, I’m sure the police are pretty frustrated and sick of it.


hotair--2020-08-15--Marge Simpson scolds senior legal adviser to Team Trump with a video appearance

A well-known animated character has entered the fray .
Marge Simpson , the matriarch of The Simpsons family doesn ’ t appreciate something said by Jenna Ellis , legal adviser and attorney to the Trump campaign and President Trump .
Ellis made a crack about Kamala Harris earlier this week that didn ’ t sit well with Marge .
She said that Kamala Harris sounds like Marge Simpson .
So , Marge responded in a similar manner – on Twitter , of course .
She is feeling “ disrespected ” by Jenna ’ s remark , after her daughter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a compliment .
There is every possibility that Jenna meant it as a dig to Kamala but did she really “ name call ” as Marge accuses her ?
Technically , she did name Marge ’ s name but typically name-calling refers to lobbing some kind of slur against another person .
Anyway , Marge released a short video response .
“ I usually don ’ t get into politics , but the president ’ s senior adviser Jenna Ellis just said Kamala Harris sounds like me , ” the character said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t mean it as a compliment.
” “ If that ’ s so , as an ordinary suburban housewife , I ’ m starting to feel a little disrespected , ” she continued .
“ I teach my children not to name call , Jenna .
I was going to say I ’ m pissed off , but I ’ m afraid they ’ d bleep it.
” Marge cleverly uses the description of herself – “ an ordinary suburban housewife ” – to tie in President Trump ’ s recent remarks as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place by the Obama administration which deals with affordable housing outside of urban areas .
This isn ’ t the first time that The Simpsons has offered up a political opinion .
The creator of the animated Fox show , Matt Groening , is a Democrat ( an assumption based on the fact he has a record of contributing to Democrat campaigns ) but the show goes after both sides of the aisle .
Groening isn ’ t like Seth MacFarlane , for instance , who is publicly anti-Trump in social media like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the entertainment industry .
Season 32 ( ! )
of the show begins in late September so this little incident gives the show some additional publicity , not that it needs it .
Back in 2000 , the show predicted a Donald Trump presidency .
In season 11 , an episode has Bart Simpson looking 30 years into the future .
His super-woke feminist sister , Lisa , has been elected president .
Trump was her predecessor .
This was revealed in a joke .
Hillary Clinton has made appearances on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for whom to vote and she ends up on the side of Hillary , naturally .
Hillary has also made appearances in multiple Simpsons video games and Marge made a web short lamenting the contention between Clinton , Trump , and a wider pool of political candidates .
In a clip posted to Fox ’ s animation YouTube channel , Marge tells her husband that she ’ s conflicted about who to vote for in the upcoming election .
Homer helpfully turns on the television and the couple watches a parody of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ran during Clinton ’ s 2008 campaign against then-Sen. Barack Obama .
In the animated version , Clinton is well prepared to take that early-morning call , but GOP nominee Donald Trump initially rejects it because he is busy tweeting about Elizabeth Warren .
Trump answers the phone the second time , but doesn ’ t bother heading to the Situation Room until he ’ s undergone an elaborate grooming regimen .
Marge definitively announces that she ’ ll vote for Clinton , but Homer ’ s a little slow on the uptake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
Homer realizes his mistake when Marge subsequently invites the family ’ s greyhound to share their bed , blocking the space between them .
“ And that ’ s how I became a Democrat , ” Homer deadpans .
It ’ s hard for people on either side of the aisle to get very irritated about jokes that bring politics into the show .
As I mentioned , The Simpsons goes after people in both parties , usually in a gentle , amusing way .
The only character we are certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is an unapologetic woke feminist .
She ’ s the one who drags the family into action on political issues .
But it might behoove the GOP to be nice to The Simpsons , considering that the series seemingly remains one of the few vestiges of political balance .
Throughout the years , people have studied the series and tried to determine its political leaning only to discover that it ’ s pretty much an even split when it comes to how the series has satirized politics .
Starting back with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regularly fired off barbs at politicians .
Since then , Clinton , Romney , Gore , Obama , nor Trump have been immune .
Also , it ’ s important to remember that The Simpsons literally predicted that Donald Trump would be president one day , so clearly they know more than we do .
So far , Jenna has had the last word – on Twitter , of course .
A little more than 80 days to go until Election Day and the animated characters have begun to make an appearance .

A well-known animated character has entered the fray. Marge Simpson, the matriarch of The Simpsons family doesn’t appreciate something said by Jenna Ellis, legal adviser and attorney to the Trump campaign and President Trump. Ellis made a crack about Kamala Harris earlier this week that didn’t sit well with Marge. She said that Kamala Harris sounds like Marge Simpson.
Kamala sounds like Marge Simpson. — Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) August 12, 2020
So, Marge responded in a similar manner – on Twitter, of course. She is feeling “disrespected” by Jenna’s remark, after her daughter, Lisa, told her that it was not a compliment. There is every possibility that Jenna meant it as a dig to Kamala but did she really “name call” as Marge accuses her? Technically, she did name Marge’s name but typically name-calling refers to lobbing some kind of slur against another person. Anyway, Marge released a short video response.
“I usually don’t get into politics, but the president’s senior adviser Jenna Ellis just said Kamala Harris sounds like me,” the character said. “Lisa said she doesn’t mean it as a compliment.” “If that’s so, as an ordinary suburban housewife, I’m starting to feel a little disrespected,” she continued. “I teach my children not to name call, Jenna. I was going to say I’m pissed off, but I’m afraid they’d bleep it.”
Marge Simpson has something to say. pic.twitter.com/viux96bAPf — TheSimpsons (@TheSimpsons) August 14, 2020
Marge cleverly uses the description of herself – “an ordinary suburban housewife” – to tie in President Trump’s recent remarks as he ended a housing program put into place by the Obama administration which deals with affordable housing outside of urban areas.
“The ‘suburban housewife’ will be voting for me,” his post read. “They want safety & are thrilled that I ended the long running program where low income housing would invade their neighborhood. Biden would reinstall it, in a bigger form, with Corey Booker in charge!”
This isn’t the first time that The Simpsons has offered up a political opinion. The creator of the animated Fox show, Matt Groening, is a Democrat (an assumption based on the fact he has a record of contributing to Democrat campaigns) but the show goes after both sides of the aisle. Groening isn’t like Seth MacFarlane, for instance, who is publicly anti-Trump in social media like most of the people making a living in the entertainment industry. Season 32 (!) of the show begins in late September so this little incident gives the show some additional publicity, not that it needs it.
Back in 2000, the show predicted a Donald Trump presidency. In season 11, an episode has Bart Simpson looking 30 years into the future. His super-woke feminist sister, Lisa, has been elected president. Trump was her predecessor. This was revealed in a joke. Hillary Clinton has made appearances on the show. In 2016 Marge was pondering for whom to vote and she ends up on the side of Hillary, naturally. Hillary has also made appearances in multiple Simpsons video games and Marge made a web short lamenting the contention between Clinton, Trump, and a wider pool of political candidates.
In a clip posted to Fox’s animation YouTube channel, Marge tells her husband that she’s conflicted about who to vote for in the upcoming election. Homer helpfully turns on the television and the couple watches a parody of that infamous “3 a.m.” ad that ran during Clinton’s 2008 campaign against then-Sen. Barack Obama. In the animated version, Clinton is well prepared to take that early-morning call, but GOP nominee Donald Trump initially rejects it because he is busy tweeting about Elizabeth Warren. Trump answers the phone the second time, but doesn’t bother heading to the Situation Room until he’s undergone an elaborate grooming regimen. Marge definitively announces that she’ll vote for Clinton, but Homer’s a little slow on the uptake and thinks she wants to vote for Trump. Homer realizes his mistake when Marge subsequently invites the family’s greyhound to share their bed, blocking the space between them. “And that’s how I became a Democrat,” Homer deadpans.
It’s hard for people on either side of the aisle to get very irritated about jokes that bring politics into the show. As I mentioned, The Simpsons goes after people in both parties, usually in a gentle, amusing way. The only character we are certain of at all times is Lisa, who is an unapologetic woke feminist. She’s the one who drags the family into action on political issues.
But it might behoove the GOP to be nice to The Simpsons, considering that the series seemingly remains one of the few vestiges of political balance. Throughout the years, people have studied the series and tried to determine its political leaning only to discover that it’s pretty much an even split when it comes to how the series has satirized politics. Starting back with the first Bush family, The Simpsons have regularly fired off barbs at politicians. Since then, Clinton, Romney, Gore, Obama, nor Trump have been immune. Also, it’s important to remember that The Simpsons literally predicted that Donald Trump would be president one day, so clearly they know more than we do.
So far, Jenna has had the last word – on Twitter, of course.
Marge is probably going to vote Democrat… by mail. https://t.co/UMcpXPuvFm — Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) August 14, 2020
A little more than 80 days to go until Election Day and the animated characters have begun to make an appearance.


hotair--2020-08-15--NYC Blue Lives Matter mural lawsuit moving forward

It ’ s been nearly a month since two groups promoting support for police officers requested a permit to paint a Blue Lives Matter mural on a street in New York City .
As time went on with no answer from City Hall , the two groups publicly stated that their patience was growing thin and they might be forced to take Mayor Bill de Blasio to court over the question .
They explained that time was of the essence because we are currently in a moment where the debate is gaining serious traction across the nation .
But Hizzoner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so earlier this week the lawsuit was kicked into gear .
( NY Post ) A pair of pro-cop groups are suing Mayor Bill de Blasio for being denied a Blue Lives Matter mural akin to the one Black Lives Matter had splashed across 5th Avenue , The Post has learned .
The lawsuit , filed late Monday by Blue Lives Matter NYC and Standing up for NYC in the Southern District of New York , accuses de Blasio and Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg of violating the groups ’ First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be used by private speakers ” — yet forbidding a similar mural supportive of cops .
“ The ‘ Black Lives Matter ’ message is highly political and is generally understood by the public to be and support a general anti-police message , include some extreme measures as defending the police and ending police activity , ” the suit reads .
In more “ normal ” times , I wouldn ’ t have given this lawsuit much of a chance of succeeding .
There are long-established laws regarding defacing public roadways or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traffic directions indicated by the usual traffic lines , arrows and instructions placed on the pavement .
In that context , the city would be well within their rights to refuse any permit request for such displays .
But those rules have gone out the window this year .
The court will need to see the request in the context of other recent events and signals sent by City Hall .
Bill de Blasio really brought all of this on himself .
Not only did he approve the painting of a gigantic Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he went out and helped paint it himself .
He later revealed that there was never a permit issued for that mural , either .
Standing in sharp contrast is the artist who pained a thin blue line on the median in front of one police precinct station who was then ordered to remove it by officials .
And that one wasn ’ t even on the street surface .
The Public Transportation Commissioner has taken the Mayor ’ s side , saying “ the city is able to make unilateral decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubt that the courts will be very sympathetic to that argument given everything else that has transpired .
The Mayor opened the door to allowing the streets to be used as a public forum for free speech writ large in brightly colored paint .
He then began issuing capricious decisions as to who could or couldn ’ t participate in that debate forum .
If there ’ s any sanity left in the world ( admittedly , a very big “ if ” ) I would expect the courts to either order all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the streets of the city and the existing codes to be enforced , or to instruct the Mayor to begin issuing permits to all who wish to participate .
Given the historical ban on such displays on roadways , I would lean toward the former more than the latter .
None of that will make the debate over support for the police go away , however , As Karen reported earlier , one of New York City ’ s largest police unions issued their first-ever endorsement for the presidency this week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done because of his vocal support for law enforcement while so many other politicians are working to defund or abolish the police .
You can expect to see plenty more of this between now and the election .

It’s been nearly a month since two groups promoting support for police officers requested a permit to paint a Blue Lives Matter mural on a street in New York City. As time went on with no answer from City Hall, the two groups publicly stated that their patience was growing thin and they might be forced to take Mayor Bill de Blasio to court over the question. They explained that time was of the essence because we are currently in a moment where the debate is gaining serious traction across the nation. But Hizzoner is still refusing to grant the permit, so earlier this week the lawsuit was kicked into gear. (NY Post)
A pair of pro-cop groups are suing Mayor Bill de Blasio for being denied a Blue Lives Matter mural akin to the one Black Lives Matter had splashed across 5th Avenue, The Post has learned. The lawsuit, filed late Monday by Blue Lives Matter NYC and Standing up for NYC in the Southern District of New York, accuses de Blasio and Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg of violating the groups’ First Amendment rights by allowing “city property to be used by private speakers” — yet forbidding a similar mural supportive of cops. “The ‘Black Lives Matter’ message is highly political and is generally understood by the public to be and support a general anti-police message, include some extreme measures as defending the police and ending police activity,” the suit reads.
In more “normal” times, I wouldn’t have given this lawsuit much of a chance of succeeding. There are long-established laws regarding defacing public roadways or hindering the ability of drivers to follow traffic directions indicated by the usual traffic lines, arrows and instructions placed on the pavement. In that context, the city would be well within their rights to refuse any permit request for such displays. But those rules have gone out the window this year. The court will need to see the request in the context of other recent events and signals sent by City Hall.
Bill de Blasio really brought all of this on himself. Not only did he approve the painting of a gigantic Black Lives Matter mural on 5th Avenue, but he went out and helped paint it himself. He later revealed that there was never a permit issued for that mural, either. Standing in sharp contrast is the artist who pained a thin blue line on the median in front of one police precinct station who was then ordered to remove it by officials. And that one wasn’t even on the street surface.
The Public Transportation Commissioner has taken the Mayor’s side, saying “the city is able to make unilateral decisions on individual requests.” But I somehow doubt that the courts will be very sympathetic to that argument given everything else that has transpired. The Mayor opened the door to allowing the streets to be used as a public forum for free speech writ large in brightly colored paint. He then began issuing capricious decisions as to who could or couldn’t participate in that debate forum. If there’s any sanity left in the world (admittedly, a very big “if”) I would expect the courts to either order all of the murals to be immediately removed from the streets of the city and the existing codes to be enforced, or to instruct the Mayor to begin issuing permits to all who wish to participate. Given the historical ban on such displays on roadways, I would lean toward the former more than the latter.
None of that will make the debate over support for the police go away, however, As Karen reported earlier, one of New York City’s largest police unions issued their first-ever endorsement for the presidency this week, backing Donald Trump. This was obviously done because of his vocal support for law enforcement while so many other politicians are working to defund or abolish the police. You can expect to see plenty more of this between now and the election.


hotair--2020-08-15--Historic: NYC police union makes first presidential endorsement

The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York ( NYCPBA ) , a New York City law enforcement union did something on Friday that the union has never done before – it announced an endorsement in the presidential race .
NYCPBA announced its endorsement of President Trump ’ s re-election .
Trump has referred to himself as “ your law and order president ” , as he did in June while cities burned and commercial property , as well as statues and monuments , were destroyed by supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement .
By contrast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silent about the destruction and lawlessness when the protests turn into riots .
In July , the New York City Council approved $ 1 billion in budget cuts for the New York Police Department .
At the time , Trump voiced his opposition to that decision .
So now , according to NYCPBA President Patrick Lynch , Trump has earned the endorsement .
NYCPBA President Patrick Lynch said he could not remember a time in 36 years when the NYCPBA had endorsed any presidential candidate “ until now.
” “ Many times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , law enforcement groups , give endorsements , ” Lynch said to Trump .
“ Not in the New York City PBA , sir .
In the New York City PBA , sir , you earn the endorsement and you ’ ve earned this endorsement .
I ’ m proud to give it.
” Lynch criticized local and state government leaders for “ passing this false narrative that New York City police officers and law enforcement are evil .
How absurd is that ?
That they blame us for society ’ s ills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NYPD “ the most compassionate people on the face of the earth.
” For his part , Trump said he didn ’ t realize a presidential endorsement wasn ’ t something that had been done before by the union .
As he thanked them for the endorsement he said , “ I assumed it was given out because I see a lot of things given out and they shouldn ’ t be given out.
” Trump spoke to members of the NYCPBA in New Jersey .
He took the opportunity to slam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group that “ she ’ s a step worse , Kamala.
” He also said that if elected , Biden would immediately pass legislation to “ gut every single police department in America.
” And he had some words to say about Mayor de Blasio .
Trump went on to say that if Biden were elected president , cities , towns , suburbs , monuments and 401K accounts would be in jeopardy .
“ Your 401ks are going to be worthless…crime all over the place , ” Trump said .
Trump went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said he “ has launched a crusade against the police.
” The president described how he watched a protestor dump a bucket of water on two police officers and said , “ I wish they fought back.
” “ We ’ re going to give you back your status , ” Trump the officers , after claiming that democrats have declared a “ leftwing war on cops.
” “ My agenda is ‘ anti-crime and pro-cops ’ , ” he added .
Rudy Giuliani also spoke and bashed Kamala and her record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No arguments here .
While Biden hasn ’ t specifically said he will support defunding police departments , Kamala has been all about the demands of Black Lives Matter .
For regular voters who live in areas outside of the cities dealing with the protests and riots , the folks living in suburbs especially , and seeing the violence and destruction spread out into outlying areas , Trump ’ s tough talk on law and order will appeal to them .
The safety of their families and loved ones , and the security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inclination to prove how woke they are .
In the privacy of the voting booth , they will vote in their own best interests and that is not the ushering in of the Marxist agenda of the Black Lives Matter movement .
People support equality but not lawlessness and violence .

The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (NYCPBA), a New York City law enforcement union did something on Friday that the union has never done before – it announced an endorsement in the presidential race. NYCPBA announced its endorsement of President Trump’s re-election.
Trump has referred to himself as “your law and order president”, as he did in June while cities burned and commercial property, as well as statues and monuments, were destroyed by supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement. By contrast, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have remained silent about the destruction and lawlessness when the protests turn into riots. In July, the New York City Council approved $1 billion in budget cuts for the New York Police Department. At the time, Trump voiced his opposition to that decision. So now, according to NYCPBA President Patrick Lynch, Trump has earned the endorsement.
NYCPBA President Patrick Lynch said he could not remember a time in 36 years when the NYCPBA had endorsed any presidential candidate “until now.” “Many times, people say that a union like ours, law enforcement groups, give endorsements,” Lynch said to Trump. “Not in the New York City PBA, sir. In the New York City PBA, sir, you earn the endorsement and you’ve earned this endorsement. I’m proud to give it.” Lynch criticized local and state government leaders for “passing this false narrative that New York City police officers and law enforcement are evil. How absurd is that? That they blame us for society’s ills?” Lynch referred to members of the NYPD “the most compassionate people on the face of the earth.”
For his part, Trump said he didn’t realize a presidential endorsement wasn’t something that had been done before by the union. As he thanked them for the endorsement he said, “I assumed it was given out because I see a lot of things given out and they shouldn’t be given out.”
Trump spoke to members of the NYCPBA in New Jersey. He took the opportunity to slam Biden and Kamala. He told the group that “she’s a step worse, Kamala.” He also said that if elected, Biden would immediately pass legislation to “gut every single police department in America.” And he had some words to say about Mayor de Blasio.
Trump went on to say that if Biden were elected president, cities, towns, suburbs, monuments and 401K accounts would be in jeopardy. “Your 401ks are going to be worthless…crime all over the place,” Trump said.
Trump went on to attack NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and said he “has launched a crusade against the police.” The president described how he watched a protestor dump a bucket of water on two police officers and said, “I wish they fought back.” “We’re going to give you back your status,” Trump the officers, after claiming that democrats have declared a “leftwing war on cops.” “My agenda is ‘anti-crime and pro-cops’,” he added.
Rudy Giuliani also spoke and bashed Kamala and her record as the top cop in California.
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who also spoke at the NYCPBA meeting on Friday, attacked the prosecutorial record of Biden’s running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. Giuliani said that when Harris was California’s Attorney General, “she prosecuted little people but she wouldn’t prosecute big people.” “Tell me this isn’t a horrible person,” Giuliani added, referring to Harris.
No arguments here. While Biden hasn’t specifically said he will support defunding police departments, Kamala has been all about the demands of Black Lives Matter. For regular voters who live in areas outside of the cities dealing with the protests and riots, the folks living in suburbs especially, and seeing the violence and destruction spread out into outlying areas, Trump’s tough talk on law and order will appeal to them. The safety of their families and loved ones, and the security of their personal property will outweigh any inclination to prove how woke they are. In the privacy of the voting booth, they will vote in their own best interests and that is not the ushering in of the Marxist agenda of the Black Lives Matter movement. People support equality but not lawlessness and violence.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1294388698738569224


hotair--2020-08-15--Yes, the DoD has established a UFO task force

Yesterday morning I picked apart a breaking story from CNN claiming that the Pentagon was on the verge of announcing the formation of a UAP Task Force that would study UFOs and their incursions into our air space .
The announcement was expected to be made “ in the next few days.
” Well , we didn ’ t have long to wait at all .
Later in the afternoon , a brief press release was dropped at the Defense Department website covering precisely that bit of information .
Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist actually approved this move back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off on the announcement until Friday , apparently waiting to make sure that all the i ’ s were dotted and the t ’ s were crossed .
I first saw the announcement at the Black Vault , but before long the mainstream media had picked up the story and began running with it .
( ABC News ) The Pentagon has announced the establishment of a task force to review “ unexplained aerial phenomena , ” or UFOs , that have been observed by the U.S. military , according to a Pentagon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begun in recent years to investigate incidents in which the U.S. military has encountered such phenomena , including those captured on Navy fighter videos that the Pentagon declassified in April .
The new Defense Department task force will investigate incidents of unexplained aerial phenomena encountered by the U.S. military , whether it be by pilots or other means .
The actual release from the DoD is rather brief and workmanlike considering the massive implications inherent in the news .
Here are the first two of the three paragraphs they released .
On Aug. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Defense David L. Norquist approved the establishment of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena ( UAP ) Task Force ( UAPTF ) .
The Department of the Navy , under the cognizance of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security , will lead the UAPTF .
The Department of Defense established the UAPTF to improve its understanding of , and gain insight into , the nature and origins of UAPs .
The mission of the task force is to detect , analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you see what I mean about the rather “ ho-hum ” tone of this extraordinary announcement ?
We ’ ve approved the creation of a multi-agency task force to study UFOs .
In other news , warmer temperatures are expected across the midwest over the weekend .
For the past three years , it ’ s been a task akin to pulling teeth to get the Pentagon to talk about this at all .
And even when they did , there were layers of contradictory statements and obfuscation that left the people interested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant and whether or not they were being honest with us .
But now , David Norquist just drops this on the nation ’ s head as if he was releasing some budget numbers regarding how much the Navy was going to be spending on sliced cheese next year .
But the reality is that this was a huge announcement .
As I was saying on social media last night , the world has literally changed before our eyes .
The Pentagon just admitted that UFOs are real , that we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they are compiling reports on sightings so they can analyze the data and try to figure it all out .
What we didn ’ t receive was any sort of indication that they plan to share what they ’ ve already been gathering up until now .
The government has been studying UFOs since at least the late 1940s .
Through one program after another – Project Sign , Project Grudge , Project Blue Book and AATIP – the government has been delving into the topic , all the while assuring the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see and everyone should just move on and get on with their lives .
If we ’ re entering into a new era of openness and transparency , perhaps they could generate some sort of non-classified summary of what they ’ ve learned up until now and share it with the rest of us .
That ’ s certainly something that Marco Rubio is in favor of .
So does this admission by the Pentagon mean that aliens are real ?
No .
Not even close .
Or at least… not yet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ realities here for a moment .
Given how long they ’ ve had to study the matter and our extensive international intelligence assets , if these unidentified craft were being launched by the Russians or the Chinese , don ’ t you think they ’ d have figured that out by now ?
And if that were the case , I seriously doubt you ’ d be hearing about it because we would be too busy trying to catch up with the massive technological breakthrough that one of them had made .
Conversely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technology , do you think they would be drawing attention to it by announcing this sort of task force ?
If , as was pointed out in a slide taken from a classified briefing given to members of Congress , you eliminate all of the possible terrestrial sources for this technology , what ’ s left ?
It appears that we ’ re edging closer and closer to some truly astounding revelations .

Yesterday morning I picked apart a breaking story from CNN claiming that the Pentagon was on the verge of announcing the formation of a UAP Task Force that would study UFOs and their incursions into our air space. The announcement was expected to be made “in the next few days.” Well, we didn’t have long to wait at all. Later in the afternoon, a brief press release was dropped at the Defense Department website covering precisely that bit of information. Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist actually approved this move back on August 4th, but they held off on the announcement until Friday, apparently waiting to make sure that all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed.
I first saw the announcement at the Black Vault, but before long the mainstream media had picked up the story and began running with it. (ABC News)
The Pentagon has announced the establishment of a task force to review “unexplained aerial phenomena,” or UFOs, that have been observed by the U.S. military, according to a Pentagon statement. The move continues an effort begun in recent years to investigate incidents in which the U.S. military has encountered such phenomena, including those captured on Navy fighter videos that the Pentagon declassified in April. The new Defense Department task force will investigate incidents of unexplained aerial phenomena encountered by the U.S. military, whether it be by pilots or other means.
The actual release from the DoD is rather brief and workmanlike considering the massive implications inherent in the news. Here are the first two of the three paragraphs they released.
On Aug. 4, 2020, Deputy Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist approved the establishment of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force (UAPTF). The Department of the Navy, under the cognizance of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, will lead the UAPTF. The Department of Defense established the UAPTF to improve its understanding of, and gain insight into, the nature and origins of UAPs. The mission of the task force is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security.
Do you see what I mean about the rather “ho-hum” tone of this extraordinary announcement? We’ve approved the creation of a multi-agency task force to study UFOs. In other news, warmer temperatures are expected across the midwest over the weekend.
For the past three years, it’s been a task akin to pulling teeth to get the Pentagon to talk about this at all. And even when they did, there were layers of contradictory statements and obfuscation that left the people interested in this subject arguing over what they meant and whether or not they were being honest with us. But now, David Norquist just drops this on the nation’s head as if he was releasing some budget numbers regarding how much the Navy was going to be spending on sliced cheese next year.
But the reality is that this was a huge announcement. As I was saying on social media last night, the world has literally changed before our eyes. The Pentagon just admitted that UFOs are real, that we don’t know what they are, and that they are compiling reports on sightings so they can analyze the data and try to figure it all out.
What we didn’t receive was any sort of indication that they plan to share what they’ve already been gathering up until now. The government has been studying UFOs since at least the late 1940s. Through one program after another – Project Sign, Project Grudge, Project Blue Book and AATIP – the government has been delving into the topic, all the while assuring the nation that there was nothing much to see and everyone should just move on and get on with their lives. If we’re entering into a new era of openness and transparency, perhaps they could generate some sort of non-classified summary of what they’ve learned up until now and share it with the rest of us. That’s certainly something that Marco Rubio is in favor of.
So does this admission by the Pentagon mean that aliens are real? No. Not even close. Or at least… not yet. But let’s consider the underlying realities here for a moment. Given how long they’ve had to study the matter and our extensive international intelligence assets, if these unidentified craft were being launched by the Russians or the Chinese, don’t you think they’d have figured that out by now? And if that were the case, I seriously doubt you’d be hearing about it because we would be too busy trying to catch up with the massive technological breakthrough that one of them had made. Conversely, if this was our own ultra-secret technology, do you think they would be drawing attention to it by announcing this sort of task force?
If, as was pointed out in a slide taken from a classified briefing given to members of Congress, you eliminate all of the possible terrestrial sources for this technology, what’s left? It appears that we’re edging closer and closer to some truly astounding revelations.


hotair--2020-08-14--U.S. seized 1.1 million barrels of Iranian gasoline headed to Venezuela

Back in May , Iran sent five tankers full of gasoline to Venezuela which was in the midst of a gas crunch because its refining capacity has plummeted .
Iran and Venezuela attempted a second round but this time tried to deliver the gasoline covertly by using ship-to-ship transfers and four foreign-flagged tankers .
In July the DOJ filed a “ forfeiture complaint and warrant ” with a federal court on the grounds that profit from the sale of the gasoline would go the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) and be used to support terrorism .
A judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time the four tankers involved in the scheme turned off their tracking signals .
Apparently the effort to disappear didn ’ t work because this Wednesday , the U.S. seized 1.1 million barrels of gasoline from the four ships .
All of this was done without firing a shot .
Roughly 1.116 million barrels of fuel was confiscated from the foreign-flagged vessels M/T Bella , M/T Bering , M/T Pandi and M/T Luna , a Justice Department statement said , adding that the seizure took place “ with the assistance of foreign partners.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , acting on a warrant issued by a U.S. District Court over a July 2 complaint seeking the forfeiture of all petroleum products aboard the vessels .
The property is now in U.S. custody , the Justice Department said .
According to The Associated Press , quoting unnamed U.S. officials , no military force was used in the seizure of the cargo , and none of the ships was physically impounded .
Instead , U.S. officials threatened ship owners , insurers and captains with sanctions to force them to hand over their cargo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will still have to prove in court that the gasoline was subject to forfeit but assuming that happens , it would be sold and the profits used to benefit U.S. victims of the Iranian regime .
But it doesn ’ t sound as if Iran will be complaining about the seizure because the Iranian ambassador to Venezuela claimed they had nothing to do with the gasoline from those four ships : “ The ships are not Iranian , and neither the owner nor its flag has anything to do with Iran , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is another lie and act of psychological warfare perpetrated by the US propaganda machine , ” Soltani said .
“ The terrorist # Trump can not compensate for his humiliation and defeat by Iran using false propaganda.
” Also this week , U.S. Central Command says that Iran boarded a tanker in international waters : As for the location of the four ships from which the gasoline was seized that ’ s not exactly clear though one of them might have been sold as scrap : It is not clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bering , Pandi and Luna – or their cargoes currently are , but the ship captains weeks ago turned off their tracking devices to hide their locations , said Russ Dallen , a Miami-based partner at brokerage Caracas Capital Markets , who follows ship movements .
The Bering went dark on May 11 in the Mediterranean near Greece and has not turned on its transponder since , while the Bella did the same July 2 in the Philippines , Dallen said .
The Luna and Pandi were last spotted when they were together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 when the US seizure order came .
Shipping data shows that the Pandi , which also goes by Andy , is reporting that it has been “ broken up , ” or sold as scrap , Dallen said .
Overall a pretty positive result for the U.S. and a bad one for Iran and Venezuela .
And here ’ s the cherry on top .
Code Pink ’ s Medea Benjamin is unhappy about it : Correction : I accidentally wrote 1.1 million “ gallons ” of gasoline in the headline but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barrels.
” Sorry for the error .

Back in May, Iran sent five tankers full of gasoline to Venezuela which was in the midst of a gas crunch because its refining capacity has plummeted. Iran and Venezuela attempted a second round but this time tried to deliver the gasoline covertly by using ship-to-ship transfers and four foreign-flagged tankers. In July the DOJ filed a “forfeiture complaint and warrant” with a federal court on the grounds that profit from the sale of the gasoline would go the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and be used to support terrorism. A judge issued a warrant and right around that time the four tankers involved in the scheme turned off their tracking signals.
Apparently the effort to disappear didn’t work because this Wednesday, the U.S. seized 1.1 million barrels of gasoline from the four ships. All of this was done without firing a shot.
Roughly 1.116 million barrels of fuel was confiscated from the foreign-flagged vessels M/T Bella, M/T Bering, M/T Pandi and M/T Luna, a Justice Department statement said, adding that the seizure took place “with the assistance of foreign partners.” The cargo was intercepted on Wednesday, acting on a warrant issued by a U.S. District Court over a July 2 complaint seeking the forfeiture of all petroleum products aboard the vessels. The property is now in U.S. custody, the Justice Department said. According to The Associated Press, quoting unnamed U.S. officials, no military force was used in the seizure of the cargo, and none of the ships was physically impounded. Instead, U.S. officials threatened ship owners, insurers and captains with sanctions to force them to hand over their cargo, the AP reported.
The government will still have to prove in court that the gasoline was subject to forfeit but assuming that happens, it would be sold and the profits used to benefit U.S. victims of the Iranian regime. But it doesn’t sound as if Iran will be complaining about the seizure because the Iranian ambassador to Venezuela claimed they had nothing to do with the gasoline from those four ships:
“The ships are not Iranian, and neither the owner nor its flag has anything to do with Iran,” Hojat Soltani said on Twitter in Spanish. “This is another lie and act of psychological warfare perpetrated by the US propaganda machine,” Soltani said. “The terrorist #Trump cannot compensate for his humiliation and defeat by Iran using false propaganda.”
Also this week, U.S. Central Command says that Iran boarded a tanker in international waters:
(1/5) IMSC STATEMENT: "@IMSC_Sentinel monitored an incident involving Iranian forces who boarded a tanker in the international waters of the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, Aug 12." pic.twitter.com/Pe7gfo3xy1 — IMSC – International Maritime Security Construct (@IMSC_Sentinel) August 13, 2020
(2/5) IMSC STATEMENT: "Iran's use of its military forces to conduct an armed boarding of a commercial vessel in international waters constitutes a blatant violation of international law that undermines freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce." pic.twitter.com/MrhFMRwqiV — IMSC – International Maritime Security Construct (@IMSC_Sentinel) August 13, 2020
(3/5) IMSC STATEMENT: "We call on Iran to articulate to the international community the legal basis for its actions. This type of reckless, aggressive behavior by Iran destabilizes the region and threatens the rules based international order." pic.twitter.com/w7dlzDXuoX — IMSC – International Maritime Security Construct (@IMSC_Sentinel) August 13, 2020
(4/5) IMSC STATEMENT: "A @IMSC_Sentinel coalition ship was providing overwatch in the immediate area and monitored the incident. There were no calls for help issued by Wila. Sentinel's mission is to deter & expose malign activity, reassure the maritime community in the region." pic.twitter.com/9GZwfIQXz7 — IMSC – International Maritime Security Construct (@IMSC_Sentinel) August 13, 2020
As for the location of the four ships from which the gasoline was seized that’s not exactly clear though one of them might have been sold as scrap:
It is not clear where the vessels – the Bella, Bering, Pandi and Luna – or their cargoes currently are, but the ship captains weeks ago turned off their tracking devices to hide their locations, said Russ Dallen, a Miami-based partner at brokerage Caracas Capital Markets, who follows ship movements. The Bering went dark on May 11 in the Mediterranean near Greece and has not turned on its transponder since, while the Bella did the same July 2 in the Philippines, Dallen said. The Luna and Pandi were last spotted when they were together in the Gulf of Oman on July 10 when the US seizure order came. Shipping data shows that the Pandi, which also goes by Andy, is reporting that it has been “broken up,” or sold as scrap, Dallen said.
Overall a pretty positive result for the U.S. and a bad one for Iran and Venezuela. And here’s the cherry on top. Code Pink’s Medea Benjamin is unhappy about it:
So disgusting that the US government seizes ships with oil destined for Venezuela, and then blames the Venezuelan government for a crisis where people wait for days to get gasoline. Pirates. Thieves. https://t.co/AGKrsyldab — Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) August 14, 2020
Correction: I accidentally wrote 1.1 million “gallons” of gasoline in the headline but it should have been 1.1 million “barrels.” Sorry for the error.


hotair--2020-08-16--Sunday morning talking heads

Sunday morning talking heads

Another Sunday morning and the Democratic nominee for president is nowhere to be found despite repeated requests from hosts for a tete-a-tete .
Instead of Joe Biden or his new surrogate-in-chief , Kamala Harris , they ’ ll have to make do with Bernie Sanders .
He ’ s the lead guest on “ This Week , ” “ Meet the Press , ” and “ State of the Union , ” no doubt tasked by the Biden campaign with trying to sell wary progressives on Harris ’ s nomination as VP .
The tricky part is that if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cred it ’ ll be used by Team Trump to call her a radical .
Expect Sanders to try to frame her as somewhere in between him and Biden ideologically .
The White House , meanwhile , has various top surrogates out to tout this week ’ s landmark diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and the UAE .
One of the midwives of that deal , Jared Kushner , is set for “ Face the Nation ” while NSA Robert O ’ Brien will chat with “ Meet the Press.
” Chief of staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also scheduled for “ State of the Union ” and “ This Week , ” respectively .
They ’ ll be asked about Harris too , of course , specifically Trump ’ s latest flirtation with Birtherism at her expense .
Trump ’ s enthusiastic support for QAnon candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene after she won the GOP primary in Georgia ’ s 14th District earlier might also come up .
Sanders and the White House representatives will each be pressed on what ’ s happening at the Postal Service .
Bernie will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats ’ plans to vote by mail is afoot while Kushner et al .
will insist that it ’ s nothing more sinister than an effort to reorganize a failing agency .
Presumably Sanders will seize this opportunity to call on Dems to vote as early as possible , whether in person or through the mail .
Elsewhere , Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will chat with “ Face the Nation ” about the … unpleasantness in her city earlier this past week .
The full line-up is at the AP .

Another Sunday morning and the Democratic nominee for president is nowhere to be found despite repeated requests from hosts for a tete-a-tete. Instead of Joe Biden or his new surrogate-in-chief, Kamala Harris, they’ll have to make do with Bernie Sanders. He’s the lead guest on “This Week,” “Meet the Press,” and “State of the Union,” no doubt tasked by the Biden campaign with trying to sell wary progressives on Harris’s nomination as VP. The tricky part is that if he’s too effusive about her left-wing cred it’ll be used by Team Trump to call her a radical. Expect Sanders to try to frame her as somewhere in between him and Biden ideologically.
The White House, meanwhile, has various top surrogates out to tout this week’s landmark diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and the UAE. One of the midwives of that deal, Jared Kushner, is set for “Face the Nation” while NSA Robert O’Brien will chat with “Meet the Press.” Chief of staff Mark Meadows and campaign spokesman Jason Miller are also scheduled for “State of the Union” and “This Week,” respectively. They’ll be asked about Harris too, of course, specifically Trump’s latest flirtation with Birtherism at her expense. Trump’s enthusiastic support for QAnon candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene after she won the GOP primary in Georgia’s 14th District earlier might also come up.
Sanders and the White House representatives will each be pressed on what’s happening at the Postal Service. Bernie will claim that a grand conspiracy to sabotage the Democrats’ plans to vote by mail is afoot while Kushner et al. will insist that it’s nothing more sinister than an effort to reorganize a failing agency. Presumably Sanders will seize this opportunity to call on Dems to vote as early as possible, whether in person or through the mail.
Elsewhere, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will chat with “Face the Nation” about the … unpleasantness in her city earlier this past week. The full line-up is at the AP.


hotair--2020-08-16--The stupid USPS fight of 2020

The stupid USPS fight of 2020

This current embroilment over Postal Service funding is stupid only because it didn ’ t have to be this way .
President Donald Trump , as his wont , tied increased USPS funding with this idea of universal mail-in voting while claiming it helps Democrats more than Republicans ( evidence of higher Democratic participation is mixed , for those wondering ) .
Democrats see Trump ’ s comments , along with changes from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy ( who is a major Trump bundler ) , as proof the White House seeks to cause delays in the November election and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should he lose .
It ’ s not a simple issue despite the obvious role of politics in the entire situation .
Government Executive reported in January the USPS Board of Governors was expected to pick an outsider to handle Post Office affairs .
Unions didn ’ t want any service cuts while business organizations pushed for someone who had experience with unions and the ability to use technology and innovation .
DeJoy appears to fit the bill based on his history in the private sector .
Questions remain on why USPS ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chose DeJoy as Postmaster General given his role in raising funds for Republicans .
His wife ’ s role in Republican political circles as the Canadian Ambassador-elect and vice-chair of the President ’ s Commission on White House Fellowships is also troubling and could give off the air of handing out favors to political supporters in exchange for policy adjustments .
Politics makes everything ugly .
DeJoy ’ s nomination meant changes to how USPS operates .
Via NBC News : Internal documents reviewed by NBC News showed DeJoy is decommissioning 671 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absence of which will further contribute to a slowing of the mail , postal workers said .
A USPS spokesman , David Partenheimer , told NBC News that the removal amounted to “ Normal business adjustments !
” and added the Postal Service often moves equipment because of fluctuating mail volume .
Meanwhile , numerous states received recent letters from the Postal Service warning that their vote-by-mail deadlines were too tight to ensure proper delivery .
A number of states are expanding vote-by-mail because of the pandemic , seeking to prevent crowded polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Democrats see these USPS operational changes as Exhibit A of said political patronage and helping Trump come November .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants DeJoy to appear before the House ( and probably the Senate ) for discussion on August 24th while saying he , “ has acted as an accomplice in the President ’ s campaign to cheat in the election , as he launches sweeping new operational changes that degrade delivery standards and delay the mail .
The Postal Service itself has warned that voters – even if they send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be disenfranchised in 46 states and in Washington , D.C. by continued delays .
This constitutes a grave threat to the integrity of the election and to our very democracy.
” Not quite , if The Wall Street Journal is to be believed .
The Postal Service sent letters last month to election officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia , echoing public reminders that mail-in balloting shouldn ’ t be left to the last minute…the Postal Service warned certain states that it can ’ t promise it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be counted .
The letters said tight deadlines allowed by some states are to blame , depending on state laws .
Some states allow voters to request and cast a mail-in ballot up to a few days before Election Day .
That might be insufficient time for delivery and “ creates a risk that ballots requested near the deadline under state law will not be returned by mail in time to be counted , ” said a July 29 letter from the Postal Service ’ s general counsel to Pennsylvania ’ s top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jocelyn Benson , a Democrat , said the letter she received reiterated the need for election officials to work with postal officials to avoid a last-minute crunch .
She added : “ If this letter aims to backtrack on that collaboration or the promise of prioritization of election mail , that would be very concerning.
” DeJoy is saying the right things publicly to assuage Democrat concerns .
“ If public policy makers choose to utilize the mail as a part of their election system , we will do everything we can to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent with our operational standards , ” he told USPS Board of Governor on August 7th .
“ We do ask election officials and voters to be mindful of the time that it takes for us to deliver ballots , whether it is a blank ballot going to a voter or a completed ballot going back to election officials .
We have delivery standards that have been in place for many years .
These standards have not changed , and despite any assertions to the contrary , we are not slowing down Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we continue to employ a robust and proven process to ensure proper handling of all Election Mail.
” He ’ s likely to repeat these comments when he shows up before Congress .
Two alternatives to solve the USPS mess : privatize it or slowly defund the entire thing although the federal government will have to devote money to funding USPS ’ messy pension plan .
This requires an act of Congress , not the presidency , meaning it won ’ t happen given the desire of the government to maintain some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both moves get rid of the political aspects of it to a certain extent ( particularly the politics of USPS Board of Governors appointees ) while also allowing USPS to make needed changes to increase efficiency .
The likelihood of either happening remains slim to none meaning we ’ ll just get USPS theater for the rest of the month .
Yay…silly season .

This current embroilment over Postal Service funding is stupid only because it didn’t have to be this way. President Donald Trump, as his wont, tied increased USPS funding with this idea of universal mail-in voting while claiming it helps Democrats more than Republicans (evidence of higher Democratic participation is mixed, for those wondering). Democrats see Trump’s comments, along with changes from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy (who is a major Trump bundler), as proof the White House seeks to cause delays in the November election and figure out a way to claim fraud should he lose.
It’s not a simple issue despite the obvious role of politics in the entire situation. Government Executive reported in January the USPS Board of Governors was expected to pick an outsider to handle Post Office affairs. Unions didn’t want any service cuts while business organizations pushed for someone who had experience with unions and the ability to use technology and innovation. DeJoy appears to fit the bill based on his history in the private sector. Questions remain on why USPS’ Board of Governors, all Trump appointees, chose DeJoy as Postmaster General given his role in raising funds for Republicans. His wife’s role in Republican political circles as the Canadian Ambassador-elect and vice-chair of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships is also troubling and could give off the air of handing out favors to political supporters in exchange for policy adjustments. Politics makes everything ugly.
DeJoy’s nomination meant changes to how USPS operates. Via NBC News:
Internal documents reviewed by NBC News showed DeJoy is decommissioning 671 of its letter sorting machines, the absence of which will further contribute to a slowing of the mail, postal workers said. A USPS spokesman, David Partenheimer, told NBC News that the removal amounted to “Normal business adjustments!” and added the Postal Service often moves equipment because of fluctuating mail volume. Meanwhile, numerous states received recent letters from the Postal Service warning that their vote-by-mail deadlines were too tight to ensure proper delivery. A number of states are expanding vote-by-mail because of the pandemic, seeking to prevent crowded polling places and possible spread of the virus.
Democrats see these USPS operational changes as Exhibit A of said political patronage and helping Trump come November. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants DeJoy to appear before the House (and probably the Senate) for discussion on August 24th while saying he, “has acted as an accomplice in the President’s campaign to cheat in the election, as he launches sweeping new operational changes that degrade delivery standards and delay the mail. The Postal Service itself has warned that voters – even if they send in their ballots by state deadlines – may be disenfranchised in 46 states and in Washington, D.C. by continued delays. This constitutes a grave threat to the integrity of the election and to our very democracy.”
Not quite, if The Wall Street Journal is to be believed.
The Postal Service sent letters last month to election officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, echoing public reminders that mail-in balloting shouldn’t be left to the last minute…the Postal Service warned certain states that it can’t promise it will deliver all mailed ballots in time to be counted. The letters said tight deadlines allowed by some states are to blame, depending on state laws. Some states allow voters to request and cast a mail-in ballot up to a few days before Election Day. That might be insufficient time for delivery and “creates a risk that ballots requested near the deadline under state law will not be returned by mail in time to be counted,” said a July 29 letter from the Postal Service’s general counsel to Pennsylvania’s top election official. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, said the letter she received reiterated the need for election officials to work with postal officials to avoid a last-minute crunch. She added: “If this letter aims to backtrack on that collaboration or the promise of prioritization of election mail, that would be very concerning.”
DeJoy is saying the right things publicly to assuage Democrat concerns.
“If public policy makers choose to utilize the mail as a part of their election system, we will do everything we can to deliver Election Mail in a timely manner consistent with our operational standards,” he told USPS Board of Governor on August 7th. “We do ask election officials and voters to be mindful of the time that it takes for us to deliver ballots, whether it is a blank ballot going to a voter or a completed ballot going back to election officials. We have delivery standards that have been in place for many years. These standards have not changed, and despite any assertions to the contrary, we are not slowing down Election Mail or any other mail. Instead, we continue to employ a robust and proven process to ensure proper handling of all Election Mail.”
He’s likely to repeat these comments when he shows up before Congress.
Two alternatives to solve the USPS mess: privatize it or slowly defund the entire thing although the federal government will have to devote money to funding USPS’ messy pension plan. This requires an act of Congress, not the presidency, meaning it won’t happen given the desire of the government to maintain some sort of control over the mail. Both moves get rid of the political aspects of it to a certain extent (particularly the politics of USPS Board of Governors appointees) while also allowing USPS to make needed changes to increase efficiency.
The likelihood of either happening remains slim to none meaning we’ll just get USPS theater for the rest of the month. Yay…silly season.


hotair--2020-08-16--Rahm: "Didn't get your medicine, your Social Security check?" Blame Donald Trump, that's the problem

As I watched some of ABC ’ s This Week on Sunday morning , I was struck by the sheer lunacy that is occurring around the postal service debate .
Never in my life have I ever heard so much care and concern about the USPS as I am hearing now .
Since when has the U.S .
Postal Service become a precious favorite of the left that must be kept as it is right now ?
Well , since this is an election year and there is a pandemic to deal with , too .
The post office has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cohorts in the media , the Bad Orange Man and Republicans are trying to use the postal service to suppress the vote .
It ’ s all a grand conspiracy to get Donald Trump re-elected .
A Trump supporter and Republican fundraiser , Louis DeJoy , was appointed to serve as the 75th United States Postmaster General in May .
During the Roundtable discussion , Rahm Emanuel , former Mayor of Chicago and Obama ’ s White House Chief of Staff , gave the Democrats some advice – redirect the message .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t get your medicine through the mail ?
Donald Trump .
That ’ s the problem .
You didn ’ t get your Social Security check and you ’ re going to miss your mortgage payment ?
Donald Trump is the problem , a Republican problem.
” Since funding the postal service is tied up in a coronavirus package in Congress , he blames Republicans for refusing to negotiate until after Labor Day .
That ’ s his spin on how the negotiation process is going but it ’ s the same as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Never mind that it was Speaker Nancy Pelosi who told White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Mnuchen to not bother getting back to her and Senator Chuck Schumer until they were ready to accept her numbers on the funding .
Here ’ s the thing – current polling shows Joe Biden up with senior voters – the first Democrat presidential candidate to be winning the support of senior citizens in many election cycles .
So , while we all know that polls essentially mean very little right now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that alleged support and use it as leverage in the funding negotiations .
He thinks that by turning up the heat on Republicans and blaming Trump for possible hold-ups in the mail , they will cave to Pelosi ’ s demands .
“ Let ’ s make this relevant to a very important constituency today.
” Republican consultant Sara Fagen countered with some common sense .
“ Great political messaging but it is totally false.
” She noted that $ 77B has been lost in 12 years by the postal service and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is twice what funding is .
Louis DeJoy , someone she knows , is a smart man and is capable of putting into place the reforms sorely needed to the postal service .
He ’ s already made administrative changes , much to the displeasure to the union workers , that will streamline the process .
Now , his work will be stalled until after the election due to perception and that is unfortunate .
The American taxpayers lose .
The Republicans and Democrats are far apart on funding for USPS in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fantasy that Trump and DeJoy are removing sorting machines and mailboxes out of post offices across the country so that it will be impossible for the postal service to handle the expected increase in mail-in voting .
The truth is that machines are being moved to more needed spots and older machines are being replaced with new ones .
This isn ’ t rocket science , nor is it some nefarious plot to re-elect Donald Trump .
Rep. Carolyn Maloney , Chairman of the House Oversight Committee , introduced a bill last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned organizational overhaul that critics maintain would handicap mail-in voting .
Other top Democrats also floated addressing other issues , including expired federal unemployment benefits and voting rights .
But Democratic sources said the immediate focus — at least for now — is preserving the Postal Service ahead of the election .
On Friday , Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) issued a scathing statement accusing President Donald Trump and Republicans of waging an “ all-out assault on the Postal Service and its role in ensuring the integrity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Trump said he opposes a federal infusion of funds to save the flailing postal service because he doesn ’ t support mail-in voting .
“ The President made plain that he will manipulate the operations of the Post Office to deny eligible voters the ballot in pursuit of his own re-election , ” Pelosi and Schumer said .
“ The President ’ s own words confirm : he needs to cheat to win.
” The fact is that Pelosi and the House are out for summer recess , with no votes scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi is now considering calling the House back early from their break , probably because she realizes the Democrats are not looking so great now .
So , that is where we are now .
Remember , it was Rahm who is fond of saying , Never let a crisis go to waste .
That is exactly what is happening right now .
The crisis is the inability of Pelosi to get the Republicans to cave on her greedy demands for more taxpayer dollars at the negotiating table .
The solution , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scaring the elderly voters who rely on the postal service .

As I watched some of ABC’s This Week on Sunday morning, I was struck by the sheer lunacy that is occurring around the postal service debate. Never in my life have I ever heard so much care and concern about the USPS as I am hearing now. Since when has the U.S. Postal Service become a precious favorite of the left that must be kept as it is right now? Well, since this is an election year and there is a pandemic to deal with, too. The post office has been politicized.
To hear Democrats and their cohorts in the media, the Bad Orange Man and Republicans are trying to use the postal service to suppress the vote. It’s all a grand conspiracy to get Donald Trump re-elected. A Trump supporter and Republican fundraiser, Louis DeJoy, was appointed to serve as the 75th United States Postmaster General in May.
During the Roundtable discussion, Rahm Emanuel, former Mayor of Chicago and Obama’s White House Chief of Staff, gave the Democrats some advice – redirect the message. He said, “You didn’t get your medicine through the mail? Donald Trump. That’s the problem. You didn’t get your Social Security check and you’re going to miss your mortgage payment? Donald Trump is the problem, a Republican problem.” Since funding the postal service is tied up in a coronavirus package in Congress, he blames Republicans for refusing to negotiate until after Labor Day. That’s his spin on how the negotiation process is going but it’s the same as all the other Democrats are saying. Never mind that it was Speaker Nancy Pelosi who told White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Mnuchen to not bother getting back to her and Senator Chuck Schumer until they were ready to accept her numbers on the funding.
Here’s the thing – current polling shows Joe Biden up with senior voters – the first Democrat presidential candidate to be winning the support of senior citizens in many election cycles. So, while we all know that polls essentially mean very little right now, Rahm Emanuel wants Democrats to capitalize on that alleged support and use it as leverage in the funding negotiations. He thinks that by turning up the heat on Republicans and blaming Trump for possible hold-ups in the mail, they will cave to Pelosi’s demands. “Let’s make this relevant to a very important constituency today.”
Republican consultant Sara Fagen countered with some common sense. “Great political messaging but it is totally false.” She noted that $77B has been lost in 12 years by the postal service and its unfunded mandate for health care and pension is twice what funding is. Louis DeJoy, someone she knows, is a smart man and is capable of putting into place the reforms sorely needed to the postal service. He’s already made administrative changes, much to the displeasure to the union workers, that will streamline the process. Now, his work will be stalled until after the election due to perception and that is unfortunate. The American taxpayers lose.
The Republicans and Democrats are far apart on funding for USPS in the coronavirus package.
House Democrats included $25 billion for the USPS in their coronavirus bill in May, along with an additional $3.6 billion in election security funding. The White House and Democratic leaders tentatively agreed to as much as $10 billion for the Postal Service in their negotiations, but that was contingent on the rest of the agreement being nailed down, which wasn’t anywhere near happening.
Democrats point to a fantasy that Trump and DeJoy are removing sorting machines and mailboxes out of post offices across the country so that it will be impossible for the postal service to handle the expected increase in mail-in voting. The truth is that machines are being moved to more needed spots and older machines are being replaced with new ones. This isn’t rocket science, nor is it some nefarious plot to re-elect Donald Trump.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, introduced a bill last week that would prohibit USPS from implementing a planned organizational overhaul that critics maintain would handicap mail-in voting.
Other top Democrats also floated addressing other issues, including expired federal unemployment benefits and voting rights. But Democratic sources said the immediate focus — at least for now — is preserving the Postal Service ahead of the election. On Friday, Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) issued a scathing statement accusing President Donald Trump and Republicans of waging an “all-out assault on the Postal Service and its role in ensuring the integrity of the 2020 election.” Their statement came after Trump said he opposes a federal infusion of funds to save the flailing postal service because he doesn’t support mail-in voting. “The President made plain that he will manipulate the operations of the Post Office to deny eligible voters the ballot in pursuit of his own re-election,” Pelosi and Schumer said. “The President’s own words confirm: he needs to cheat to win.”
The fact is that Pelosi and the House are out for summer recess, with no votes scheduled until the week of Sept. 14. Pelosi is now considering calling the House back early from their break, probably because she realizes the Democrats are not looking so great now.
Frustration has been growing in both parties over the lack of response to the U.S. economic situation while Congress remains in recess. On Friday, roughly a half-dozen House members spoke by phone with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to discuss ways to break the impasse. The group, dubbed the Problem Solvers Caucus, included members of both parties, including swing district Democrats like Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.).
So, that is where we are now. Remember, it was Rahm who is fond of saying, Never let a crisis go to waste. That is exactly what is happening right now. The crisis is the inability of Pelosi to get the Republicans to cave on her greedy demands for more taxpayer dollars at the negotiating table. The solution, in his mind anyway, is to start scaring the elderly voters who rely on the postal service.


hotair--2020-08-16--Bernie Sanders plays party man in defense of Kamala Harris as VP

Senator Bernie Sanders seems confident likely Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris brushes away concerns about Joe Biden in the White House .
The “ Independent ” Vermont senator believes Harris cinches the deal for Biden .
“ Well , I believe that Kamala is somebody who is — known for a number of years — incredibly smart , incredibly tough , ” He said today on ABC ’ s This Week with George Stephanopoulos .
“ And I would not like to be Vice President Pence in a debate with her .
I think she ’ s an asset for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s going to do great on the campaign trail.
” Stephanopoulos pressed Sanders to answer whether or not Harris ’ record as California Attorney General , just three years ago , causes pause amongst progressives and democratic socialist voters before selecting Biden/Harris this November .
Sanders , instead , turned the question into a referendum on President Donald Trump .
“ Well , I would say that the overwhelming majority of progressives understand that it is absolutely imperative that Donald Trump be defeated , that we have a president who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president who has turned his back on the working families of this country , a president who has done a horrible job in terms of the pandemic , does not believe in science , is not dealing with the existential threat of climate change , ” Sanders said his appeal .
“ So obviously there may be disagreements .
A lot of my supporters are not enthusiastic about Joe Biden , you know why ?
I ran against Joe Biden .
But I think there is overwhelming understanding that Donald Trump must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that the day after he is elected we ’ re going to do everything we can to create a government that works for all of us and not just the 1 percent and wealthy campaign contributors.
” Bernie Sanders , ever the Democratic Party man despite his claims of otherwise and the occasional bucking of the party on foreign policy issues .
How do fellow progressives and Democratic Socialists feel about Harris as VP ?
It depends on the website .
DailyKos is chock full of people completely bought into the Biden-Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prosecutor in San Francisco and California .
One commentator focused on the plea bargain mill claim Harris used in her run for district attorney with the summation , “ We must defeat Trump.
” Other DailyKos authors see Harris as a catalyst towards victory .
“ Putting Harris front and center , in battleground states and cities with large Black populations like Detroit , Milwaukee , and Philadelphia , is important for all those communities , ” Joan McCarter wrote Friday in a piece calling Harris the right fit for Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skipped 2016 .
“ The campaign is also hoping that her first generation immigrant background will motivate voters in immigrant-rich communities in red states that are poised to flip , like Arizona , Florida , and Texas.
” The socialists , and Sanders fans , over at Jacobin magazine also see Harris as the perfect fit for Biden , but not as a positive .
“ Harris ’ s possible ascension to the White House solidifies what Biden ’ s nomination already represented : the defeat , at least temporarily , of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party ’ s corporate faction , and the determination of its elites to barrel ahead with the shallow , corporate politics of the Obama era , a politics mainly concerned with lowering the expectations of ordinary people , ” Branko Marcetic intoned in a piece calling Biden and Harris neo-liberal soul mates .
“ Indeed , one of the reasons it was hard to imagine anyone else but Harris ending up on the ticket is that she so snugly embodies the modern Democratic Party — which also means almost everything you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do with who she actually is.
” Marcetic also gripes , correctly , about Harris ’ role as a prosecutor .
“ Even in a party that embraced Biden- and Clinton-style tough-on-crime policies , Harris stands out for her cruelty : she fought to keep innocent people in jail , blocked payouts to the wrongfully convicted , argued for keeping non-violent offenders in jail as a source of cheap labor , withheld evidence that could have freed numerous prisoners , tried to dismiss a suit to end solitary confinement in California , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inmates .
A recent report detailed how Harris risked being held in contempt of court for resisting a court order to release non-violent prisoners , which one law professor compared to Southern resistance to 1950s desegregation orders.
” Not exactly the ringing endorsement the Democratic Party likely hopes to get from the Sanders faction .
Nor was Sanders ’ own endorsement which completely eschewed policy for the desire to see Trump booted from the White House .
The question for Democrats is whether this “ Anybody but Trump , ” strategy works .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring in Sanders voters with their unity plan , although Harris as VP isn ’ t exactly progressive from a policy standpoint .
It ’ s possible Democrats are hoping a non-Sanders acolyte will solidify centrist support among Republicans disgusted with Trump ’ s tenure .
Their theory may be whoever voted for Evan McMullin in 2016 will side with Biden in 2020 and , maybe , some people who picked Gary Johnson .
It might work , however , this ignores the important role of policy within certain voting blocs .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support Biden or Harris , nor are the most fervent libertarians .
It ’ s more likely those who see policy more important than politics will either skip the 2020 election or vote for a third-party candidate more amiable to their positions .
Another reason for the two-party system to die .

Senator Bernie Sanders seems confident likely Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris brushes away concerns about Joe Biden in the White House. The “Independent” Vermont senator believes Harris cinches the deal for Biden.
“Well, I believe that Kamala is somebody who is — known for a number of years — incredibly smart, incredibly tough,” He said today on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos. “And I would not like to be Vice President Pence in a debate with her. I think she’s an asset for the Biden campaign, and I think she’s going to do great on the campaign trail.”
Stephanopoulos pressed Sanders to answer whether or not Harris’ record as California Attorney General, just three years ago, causes pause amongst progressives and democratic socialist voters before selecting Biden/Harris this November. Sanders, instead, turned the question into a referendum on President Donald Trump.
“Well, I would say that the overwhelming majority of progressives understand that it is absolutely imperative that Donald Trump be defeated, that we have a president who is trying to undermine American democracy, a president who has turned his back on the working families of this country, a president who has done a horrible job in terms of the pandemic, does not believe in science, is not dealing with the existential threat of climate change,” Sanders said his appeal. “So obviously there may be disagreements. A lot of my supporters are not enthusiastic about Joe Biden, you know why? I ran against Joe Biden. But I think there is overwhelming understanding that Donald Trump must be defeated, Biden must be elected, and that the day after he is elected we’re going to do everything we can to create a government that works for all of us and not just the 1 percent and wealthy campaign contributors.”
Bernie Sanders, ever the Democratic Party man despite his claims of otherwise and the occasional bucking of the party on foreign policy issues.
How do fellow progressives and Democratic Socialists feel about Harris as VP? It depends on the website.
DailyKos is chock full of people completely bought into the Biden-Harris ticket and defending Harris’ record as a prosecutor in San Francisco and California. One commentator focused on the plea bargain mill claim Harris used in her run for district attorney with the summation, “We must defeat Trump.”
Other DailyKos authors see Harris as a catalyst towards victory.
“Putting Harris front and center, in battleground states and cities with large Black populations like Detroit, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia, is important for all those communities,” Joan McCarter wrote Friday in a piece calling Harris the right fit for Biden and the one to bring in voters who skipped 2016. “The campaign is also hoping that her first generation immigrant background will motivate voters in immigrant-rich communities in red states that are poised to flip, like Arizona, Florida, and Texas.”
The socialists, and Sanders fans, over at Jacobin magazine also see Harris as the perfect fit for Biden, but not as a positive.
“Harris’s possible ascension to the White House solidifies what Biden’s nomination already represented: the defeat, at least temporarily, of the left of the Democratic Party by the party’s corporate faction, and the determination of its elites to barrel ahead with the shallow, corporate politics of the Obama era, a politics mainly concerned with lowering the expectations of ordinary people,” Branko Marcetic intoned in a piece calling Biden and Harris neo-liberal soul mates. “Indeed, one of the reasons it was hard to imagine anyone else but Harris ending up on the ticket is that she so snugly embodies the modern Democratic Party — which also means almost everything you’re about to hear about her has little to do with who she actually is.”
Marcetic also gripes, correctly, about Harris’ role as a prosecutor. “Even in a party that embraced Biden- and Clinton-style tough-on-crime policies, Harris stands out for her cruelty: she fought to keep innocent people in jail, blocked payouts to the wrongfully convicted, argued for keeping non-violent offenders in jail as a source of cheap labor, withheld evidence that could have freed numerous prisoners, tried to dismiss a suit to end solitary confinement in California, and denied gender reassignment surgery to trans inmates. A recent report detailed how Harris risked being held in contempt of court for resisting a court order to release non-violent prisoners, which one law professor compared to Southern resistance to 1950s desegregation orders.”
Not exactly the ringing endorsement the Democratic Party likely hopes to get from the Sanders faction. Nor was Sanders’ own endorsement which completely eschewed policy for the desire to see Trump booted from the White House.
The question for Democrats is whether this “Anybody but Trump,” strategy works. Democrats are doing all they can to bring in Sanders voters with their unity plan, although Harris as VP isn’t exactly progressive from a policy standpoint. It’s possible Democrats are hoping a non-Sanders acolyte will solidify centrist support among Republicans disgusted with Trump’s tenure. Their theory may be whoever voted for Evan McMullin in 2016 will side with Biden in 2020 and, maybe, some people who picked Gary Johnson.
It might work, however, this ignores the important role of policy within certain voting blocs. The more fervent socialists are not likely to support Biden or Harris, nor are the most fervent libertarians. It’s more likely those who see policy more important than politics will either skip the 2020 election or vote for a third-party candidate more amiable to their positions.
Another reason for the two-party system to die.