hotair--2020-11-21--Trump: "Stay tuned" for "big" voter fraud information in Georgia

Er … didn ’ t Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell promise to deliver this “ big voter fraud information ” by yesterday ?
Wasn ’ t that the point of the borderline-insane press conference in which Powell accused Republican candidates of paying off Dominion for their victories and Giuliani quoted My Cousin Vinny ?
They had the evidence in hand of a vast , communist-funded plot to steal millions of votes away from Donald Trump — or so they claimed on Thursday .
Well , if they have the evidence as they claimed on Thursday , how long will we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see it ?
Two weeks , Powell told Maria Bartiromo yesterday : Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell Friday claimed her team will be able to prove , in court , all of their claims concerning the election “ within the next two weeks , ” as “ we have more than enough evidence now.
” “ We have more evidence now than the present population is imprisoned on , ” Powell told Fox Business ’ Maria Bartiromo , while laughing off a statement from Dominion Voting Systems denying the attorneys ’ claim that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pull votes away from President Donald Trump and give them to Democrat challenger Joe Biden , and that the company had ties to Venezuela .
If they have that much evidence now , why isn ’ t the case in court already ?
Civil lawsuits don ’ t require a criminal evidentiary standard of “ beyond a reasonable doubt.
” All they require is a preponderance of evidence .
Even if Team Trump needed to wait for certification to sue Georgia , they could file the case on Monday and present all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait two weeks ?
Not by coincidence , the safe harbor date for electors is December 8 … just over two weeks out .
The obvious impression is that Team Trump ’ s legal team doesn ’ t actually have any evidence of massive voter fraud , in Georgia or anywhere else .
They ’ re stalling for time and using these wild claims to pressure state legislatures into tossing out valid election results , and are getting more desperate by the day to do so .
They want legislatures to believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of fraud unless they act now to invalidate elections .
Thursday ’ s presser now looks like a bluff to keep Georgia from certifying after the hand recount ; if so , that strategy flopped .
Last night , the Wall Street Journal ’ s editorial board — not exactly a bastion of progressive activism — pointed out the obvious conclusion from Georgia ’ s hand recount .
The hand count of the printed ballots showed that the voting system performed accurately and without any significant evidence of fraud : The Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but notice its retreat .
“ This so-called hand recount went exactly as we expected , ” lawyer Jenna Ellis said , “ because Georgia simply recounted all of the illegal ballots that had been included in the total.
” Hang on : At a press conference hours earlier , attorney Sidney Powell alleged , without showing evidence , that Dominion voting machines “ run an algorithm , that probably ran all over the country , to take a certain percentage of votes from President Trump and flip them to President Biden.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ A hand recount is a perfect way to test it , if you remember how Georgia ’ s voting machines work : Residents make their choices on a touch-screen .
The system then prints a paper ballot , with a text summary showing the candidates selected , which provides the voter a chance to confirm .
If software flipped Georgia ’ s electronic totals , there would be some big , unexplained discrepancy between those data and the paper ballots .
The hand recount found nothing of the sort .
Georgia also asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laboratory certified by the federal Election Assistance Commission , to audit a random sample of Dominion machines .
No tampering was found .
Another Trump line is that Georgia ’ s recount didn ’ t reverify the signatures on absentee votes .
But the secret ballot is a hang-up : Once ballots are removed from the envelopes , there ’ s no way to match them up again .
That ’ s why signature verification comes first .
For the record , Georgia says that 0.15 % of ballots , or 2,011 votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , compared with 0.16 % in 2018 .
Let ’ s just repeat that process one more time .
I ’ m not crazy about on-screen voting , but the Dominion system produces a paper ballot that the voter verifies is accurate before submitting .
In order to prevail on claims of widespread algorithm-based fraud , Powell will have to show that the Dominion system somehow hypnotized those millions of voters into misreading their own ballots .
The widespread-fraud claims are nonsense , and should be treated as such unless and until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and make argument with this supposed evidence , rather than holding press conferences and making TV appearances describing their case .
It ’ s not just Georgia where this is percolating , however .
The Minnesota GOP did some throat-clearing on election “ abnormalities ” yesterday , too : Election officials on Friday swiftly rejected claims by Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan that “ extreme data abnormalities ” might have influenced the state ’ s Nov. 3 election after her examples proved to be nothing more than instances of high voter turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Wright counties , two main counties cited by Carnahan , said they found nothing that would call into question the integrity or validity of the vote .
A Star Tribune analysis of Minnesota election data since 2000 , for both presidential and gubernatorial elections , found nothing irregular about this year ’ s voting trends .
Carnahan ’ s attempt to sow doubt over the outcome of the 2020 election follows a coordinated and frantic final push by President Donald Trump and his allies to nullify its outcome through more than two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 29 losses or dismissals so far .
“ We ’ re just trying to shed light on some of the abnormalities we ’ ve seen , ” Carnahan said Friday night .
“ And where it goes from there remains to be seen at this point.
” Carnahan is comparing only votes for Democrats in certain counties in 2012 , 2016 and 2020 , omitting turnout data from 2018 when Democrats also swept statewide races on the midterm ballot .
Her analysis does not account for overall turnout shifts or whether similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
In a separate Facebook post , Carnahan said she had been in touch with an attorney for Trump ’ s campaign before releasing her statement late Thursday .
Two facts make this amusing .
First , Minnesota uses paper ballots for almost all of its voters , not on-screen voting systems ; there are a few of the latter for special-needs voters , but are only used in those instances .
The paper ballots are optical-scan forms that can be rapidly read and validated by machines made by at least three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them .
Even the on-screen voting machines are split between four different manufacturers ( again , Dominion is one of the four ) .
The paper balloting system means easy recounts , by hand or by machine , or both .
Second : Donald Trump lost Minnesota by 233,000 votes and seven percentage points .
Jason Lewis lost the Senate race by 168,000 votes .
These elections weren ’ t close , and it ’ s not as if Minnesota was on a red-state bubble .
Trump and the GOP can ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think something is wrong .
The fact that they haven ’ t pretty much means this is nothing but cheap demagoguery .
Just as it is in Georgia .
Remember this : if attorneys aren ’ t making the argument in court , where they have to submit claims in good faith , their arguments aren ’ t worth anything .
And even then , when they make the arguments in court , make sure to test their “ evidence.
” There ’ s a reason Team Trump is 2-29 this post-election season @

Er … didn’t Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell promise to deliver this “big voter fraud information” by yesterday? Wasn’t that the point of the borderline-insane press conference in which Powell accused Republican candidates of paying off Dominion for their victories and Giuliani quoted My Cousin Vinny? They had the evidence in hand of a vast, communist-funded plot to steal millions of votes away from Donald Trump — or so they claimed on Thursday.
On Saturday, it’s still “stay tuned!”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1330148622898515969
Well, if they have the evidence as they claimed on Thursday, how long will we have to “stay tuned” to see it? Two weeks, Powell told Maria Bartiromo yesterday:
Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell Friday claimed her team will be able to prove, in court, all of their claims concerning the election “within the next two weeks,” as “we have more than enough evidence now.” “We have more evidence now than the present population is imprisoned on,” Powell told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, while laughing off a statement from Dominion Voting Systems denying the attorneys’ claim that the company’s software was used to pull votes away from President Donald Trump and give them to Democrat challenger Joe Biden, and that the company had ties to Venezuela.
If they have that much evidence now, why isn’t the case in court already? Civil lawsuits don’t require a criminal evidentiary standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt.” All they require is a preponderance of evidence. Even if Team Trump needed to wait for certification to sue Georgia, they could file the case on Monday and present all of their evidence in court. Why wait two weeks?
Not by coincidence, the safe harbor date for electors is December 8 … just over two weeks out. The obvious impression is that Team Trump’s legal team doesn’t actually have any evidence of massive voter fraud, in Georgia or anywhere else. They’re stalling for time and using these wild claims to pressure state legislatures into tossing out valid election results, and are getting more desperate by the day to do so. They want legislatures to believe that they risk getting blindsided by this massive case of fraud unless they act now to invalidate elections.
Thursday’s presser now looks like a bluff to keep Georgia from certifying after the hand recount; if so, that strategy flopped. Last night, the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board — not exactly a bastion of progressive activism — pointed out the obvious conclusion from Georgia’s hand recount. The hand count of the printed ballots showed that the voting system performed accurately and without any significant evidence of fraud:
The Trump legal team is dismissing the Georgia recount, but notice its retreat. “This so-called hand recount went exactly as we expected,” lawyer Jenna Ellis said, “because Georgia simply recounted all of the illegal ballots that had been included in the total.” Hang on: At a press conference hours earlier, attorney Sidney Powell alleged, without showing evidence, that Dominion voting machines “run an algorithm, that probably ran all over the country, to take a certain percentage of votes from President Trump and flip them to President Biden.” What happened to that claim? A hand recount is a perfect way to test it, if you remember how Georgia’s voting machines work: Residents make their choices on a touch-screen. The system then prints a paper ballot, with a text summary showing the candidates selected, which provides the voter a chance to confirm. If software flipped Georgia’s electronic totals, there would be some big, unexplained discrepancy between those data and the paper ballots. The hand recount found nothing of the sort. Georgia also asked Pro V&V, a testing laboratory certified by the federal Election Assistance Commission, to audit a random sample of Dominion machines. No tampering was found. Another Trump line is that Georgia’s recount didn’t reverify the signatures on absentee votes. But the secret ballot is a hang-up: Once ballots are removed from the envelopes, there’s no way to match them up again. That’s why signature verification comes first. For the record, Georgia says that 0.15% of ballots, or 2,011 votes, were rejected for signature problems this year, compared with 0.16% in 2018.
Let’s just repeat that process one more time. I’m not crazy about on-screen voting, but the Dominion system produces a paper ballot that the voter verifies is accurate before submitting. In order to prevail on claims of widespread algorithm-based fraud, Powell will have to show that the Dominion system somehow hypnotized those millions of voters into misreading their own ballots. The widespread-fraud claims are nonsense, and should be treated as such unless and until Powell et al show up in court and make argument with this supposed evidence, rather than holding press conferences and making TV appearances describing their case.
It’s not just Georgia where this is percolating, however. The Minnesota GOP did some throat-clearing on election “abnormalities” yesterday, too:
Election officials on Friday swiftly rejected claims by Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan that “extreme data abnormalities” might have influenced the state’s Nov. 3 election after her examples proved to be nothing more than instances of high voter turnout. … Nonpartisan election officials in Anoka and Wright counties, two main counties cited by Carnahan, said they found nothing that would call into question the integrity or validity of the vote. A Star Tribune analysis of Minnesota election data since 2000, for both presidential and gubernatorial elections, found nothing irregular about this year’s voting trends. Carnahan’s attempt to sow doubt over the outcome of the 2020 election follows a coordinated and frantic final push by President Donald Trump and his allies to nullify its outcome through more than two dozen court challenges in battleground states, with 29 losses or dismissals so far. “We’re just trying to shed light on some of the abnormalities we’ve seen,” Carnahan said Friday night. “And where it goes from there remains to be seen at this point.” Carnahan is comparing only votes for Democrats in certain counties in 2012, 2016 and 2020, omitting turnout data from 2018 when Democrats also swept statewide races on the midterm ballot. Her analysis does not account for overall turnout shifts or whether similar patterns emerged in other parts of the state. In a separate Facebook post, Carnahan said she had been in touch with an attorney for Trump’s campaign before releasing her statement late Thursday.
Two facts make this amusing. First, Minnesota uses paper ballots for almost all of its voters, not on-screen voting systems; there are a few of the latter for special-needs voters, but are only used in those instances. The paper ballots are optical-scan forms that can be rapidly read and validated by machines made by at least three different manufacturers, although Dominion is one of them. Even the on-screen voting machines are split between four different manufacturers (again, Dominion is one of the four). The paper balloting system means easy recounts, by hand or by machine, or both.
Second: Donald Trump lost Minnesota by 233,000 votes and seven percentage points. Jason Lewis lost the Senate race by 168,000 votes. These elections weren’t close, and it’s not as if Minnesota was on a red-state bubble. Trump and the GOP can ask for a hand recount if they really think something is wrong. The fact that they haven’t pretty much means this is nothing but cheap demagoguery. Just as it is in Georgia.
Remember this: if attorneys aren’t making the argument in court, where they have to submit claims in good faith, their arguments aren’t worth anything. And even then, when they make the arguments in court, make sure to test their “evidence.” There’s a reason Team Trump is 2-29 this post-election season.


hotair--2020-11-21--Harvard graduate students demand a ban on Trump officials, Then the pushback began

A petition began circulating around Harvard University seeking to ban Trump administration officials from the campus .
The petition was drafted last week by students at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences .
The language in the petition has now been modified because of the pushback the action has received from those who are speaking up against censorship on campus .
Students in Harvard ’ s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences began circulating the petition at the Kennedy School of Government , and other parts of Harvard .
The Kennedy School is a prestigious school that is known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fellows , speakers , and instructors .
The graduate students of the Kennedy School are not on board with the liberal arts graduate students intent to silence Trump administration officials when his term in office ends .
So , the wording in the petition was changed to a demand for new guidelines for Trump administration officials .
Sources with direct knowledge of the matter told the outlet that petition organizers later changed the wording in the petition to say that Team Trump officials should be held “ accountable ” before they set foot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the language in the documents was likely the result of the opposition to the original , the people told the network .
The Kennedy School ’ s student council struck down the petition , people with direct knowledge of the matter told Fox Business .
Students at the renowned Harvard Business School also rejected the petition .
The liberal arts graduate students want to hold Trump administration officials accountable though there is no definition of what that means .
The petition organizers then changed the wording of the document from an outright @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teaching or attending the university to holding these officials “ accountable ” before they deal with Harvard in the aforementioned capacities , people with direct knowledge of the matter say .
Perhaps the students think that demands for a new set of guidelines specifically drawn up for the Trump officials sound better than an outright ban from campus .
These are graduate liberal arts students .
The whole point of a liberal arts education is to experience various points of view on a number of topics and learn to discern between what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not .
Learning to reason is a big part of the process .
Clearly , these students do not have professors who are doing their job .
Parents should ask for refunds .
Especially at the grad school level , these students are too big of snowflakes to be well-educated .
Republican students are speaking out against such arbitrary bans that violate the First Amendment on campus and pacify students heavily infected with Trump Derangement Syndrome .
They have fallen for Democrat talking points that claim Trump is destroying democracy , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election process .
The petition organizers then changed the wording of the document from an outright ban of Trump administration officials speaking , teaching or attending the university to holding these officials “ accountable ” before they deal with Harvard in the aforementioned capacities , people with direct knowledge of the matter say .
Estes is a member of the Kennedy School ’ s student government and a member of a Republican student group .
“ Harvard has hosted a number of controversial guests over the years like a fellow from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make broadly applicable guidelines that apply to every speaker , not single out Trump appointees ” he added .
Often when an administration leaves office , whether a Republican one or a Democrat one , members of the administration find a home at Harvard .
The Kennedy School focuses on government and public policy .
It is known for hiring former politicians and political staffers to teach as professors or temporary fellows .
The petition says new guidelines are needed because any Trump administration official who hasn ’ t spoken out against Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on campus .
They have disqualified themselves from being hired as a teacher or fellow , you see .
The petition states that the students signing on to it hold “ a variety of political views ” and “ remain fully committed to free speech and debate of difficult subjects ” .
Malarkey .
We hold a variety of political views , but these actions alarm all of us invested in the future of democracy in the United States and abroad .
We worry that in following tradition and inviting members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be legitimizing this subversion of democratic principles that up to now had been universally accepted by both political parties .
That is why today we are asking you to set up a system of accountability for high-level political appointees and Trump administration consultants before they are invited as fellows or to teach or speak on campus .
These accountability guidelines should be publicly shared with students by the end of the calendar year .
Harvard should stand firm with its stated commitments to a just Harvard and a just world , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pursuit of truth , the right to vote , a free and independent press , checks and balances , the peaceful transfer of power , and the rule of law with equal justice for all .
We believe that Trump administration officials who failed to live up to that standard have disqualified themselves from being hired by the school as faculty or fellows .
Part of ensuring the survival of our democracy means calling to account those who seek to harm it .
That is why we are also requesting the school fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these commitments and hold them fully accountable for that complicity .
The Institute of Politics at HKS , or any other center , has the responsibility to boldly confront Trump administration alumni invited to speak at Harvard about their collaboration or passive acceptance of this attack on truth and fundamental democratic principles — or not invite them to speak at all .
We acknowledge this situation is nuanced as many appointees and career officials chose to join this administration to pursue the public good in spite of these norm violations .
Others might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within .
We are simply asking the school to create and share with students transparent guidelines of accountability that ensure its full commitment to the principles American democracy is built upon .
While the Kennedy School students and the Business School students are reacting appropriately to such censorship , it should be noted that the students of the Harvard Medical School , as well as Harvard Divinity School , are supporting the petition .
Prominent public figures are speaking out against the campus version of McCarthyism .
Prominent Republicans blasted the petition as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discourse .
Alan Dershowitz , a retired Harvard law professor who represented Trump in his impeachment trial , said he would offer free legal help to anyone who would be excluded by new policies .
“ Will I be banned from speaking at Harvard ?
” Dershowitz asked on Twitter .
Kayleigh McEnany , the White House press secretary and a Harvard Law School graduate , urged Harvard to reject the petition .
“ I will happily walk back on campus and challenge this , ” she told Fox Business .
“ Censorship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities should be bastions of free speech.
” Dershowitz is a liberal Democrat and a friend of Trump and served as legal counsel to him .
The Harvard Graduate Students Union , a labor group that represents campus graduate workers is supporting the petition because Trump officials are “ blatantly anti-democratic , anti-science , and anti-labor administration.
” The petition states that “ Harvard has a duty to “ boldly confront ” those who were complicit or not invite them to speak at all.
” So much for a free exchange of ideas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speakers have been run off campus for several years .
It looks like that will continue .

A petition began circulating around Harvard University seeking to ban Trump administration officials from the campus. The petition was drafted last week by students at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The language in the petition has now been modified because of the pushback the action has received from those who are speaking up against censorship on campus.
Students in Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences began circulating the petition at the Kennedy School of Government, and other parts of Harvard. The Kennedy School is a prestigious school that is known for hosting both Democrats and Republicans as fellows, speakers, and instructors. The graduate students of the Kennedy School are not on board with the liberal arts graduate students intent to silence Trump administration officials when his term in office ends. So, the wording in the petition was changed to a demand for new guidelines for Trump administration officials.
Sources with direct knowledge of the matter told the outlet that petition organizers later changed the wording in the petition to say that Team Trump officials should be held “accountable” before they set foot in the prestigious institution. The change in the language in the documents was likely the result of the opposition to the original, the people told the network. The Kennedy School’s student council struck down the petition, people with direct knowledge of the matter told Fox Business.
Students at the renowned Harvard Business School also rejected the petition. The liberal arts graduate students want to hold Trump administration officials accountable though there is no definition of what that means.
The petition organizers then changed the wording of the document from an outright ban of Trump administration officials speaking, teaching or attending the university to holding these officials “accountable” before they deal with Harvard in the aforementioned capacities, people with direct knowledge of the matter say. Perhaps the students think that demands for a new set of guidelines specifically drawn up for the Trump officials sound better than an outright ban from campus. These are graduate liberal arts students. The whole point of a liberal arts education is to experience various points of view on a number of topics and learn to discern between what the student believes in and what the student does not. Learning to reason is a big part of the process. Clearly, these students do not have professors who are doing their job. Parents should ask for refunds. Especially at the grad school level, these students are too big of snowflakes to be well-educated.
Republican students are speaking out against such arbitrary bans that violate the First Amendment on campus and pacify students heavily infected with Trump Derangement Syndrome. They have fallen for Democrat talking points that claim Trump is destroying democracy, is a science denier, and is subverting the election process.
The petition organizers then changed the wording of the document from an outright ban of Trump administration officials speaking, teaching or attending the university to holding these officials “accountable” before they deal with Harvard in the aforementioned capacities, people with direct knowledge of the matter say. Estes is a member of the Kennedy School’s student government and a member of a Republican student group. “Harvard has hosted a number of controversial guests over the years like a fellow from the Palestine Liberation Organization, so we should make broadly applicable guidelines that apply to every speaker, not single out Trump appointees” he added.
Often when an administration leaves office, whether a Republican one or a Democrat one, members of the administration find a home at Harvard. The Kennedy School focuses on government and public policy. It is known for hiring former politicians and political staffers to teach as professors or temporary fellows. The petition says new guidelines are needed because any Trump administration official who hasn’t spoken out against Trump is complicit and not deserving of being on campus. They have disqualified themselves from being hired as a teacher or fellow, you see. The petition states that the students signing on to it hold “a variety of political views” and “remain fully committed to free speech and debate of difficult subjects”. Malarkey.
We hold a variety of political views, but these actions alarm all of us invested in the future of democracy in the United States and abroad. We worry that in following tradition and inviting members of the Trump administration to Harvard, the school would be legitimizing this subversion of democratic principles that up to now had been universally accepted by both political parties. That is why today we are asking you to set up a system of accountability for high-level political appointees and Trump administration consultants before they are invited as fellows or to teach or speak on campus. These accountability guidelines should be publicly shared with students by the end of the calendar year. Harvard should stand firm with its stated commitments to a just Harvard and a just world, to free and honest inquiry in the unfettered pursuit of truth, the right to vote, a free and independent press, checks and balances, the peaceful transfer of power, and the rule of law with equal justice for all. We believe that Trump administration officials who failed to live up to that standard have disqualified themselves from being hired by the school as faculty or fellows. Part of ensuring the survival of our democracy means calling to account those who seek to harm it. That is why we are also requesting the school fully vet speakers for their role in undermining these commitments and hold them fully accountable for that complicity. The Institute of Politics at HKS, or any other center, has the responsibility to boldly confront Trump administration alumni invited to speak at Harvard about their collaboration or passive acceptance of this attack on truth and fundamental democratic principles — or not invite them to speak at all. We acknowledge this situation is nuanced as many appointees and career officials chose to join this administration to pursue the public good in spite of these norm violations. Others might claim to have upheld these norms from within. We are simply asking the school to create and share with students transparent guidelines of accountability that ensure its full commitment to the principles American democracy is built upon.
While the Kennedy School students and the Business School students are reacting appropriately to such censorship, it should be noted that the students of the Harvard Medical School, as well as Harvard Divinity School, are supporting the petition. Prominent public figures are speaking out against the campus version of McCarthyism.
Prominent Republicans blasted the petition as an attack on free speech and open discourse. Alan Dershowitz, a retired Harvard law professor who represented Trump in his impeachment trial, said he would offer free legal help to anyone who would be excluded by new policies. “Will I be banned from speaking at Harvard?” Dershowitz asked on Twitter. Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary and a Harvard Law School graduate, urged Harvard to reject the petition. “I will happily walk back on campus and challenge this,” she told Fox Business. “Censorship should not be tolerated. Our academic communities should be bastions of free speech.”
Dershowitz is a liberal Democrat and a friend of Trump and served as legal counsel to him. The Harvard Graduate Students Union, a labor group that represents campus graduate workers is supporting the petition because Trump officials are “blatantly anti-democratic, anti-science, and anti-labor administration.” The petition states that “Harvard has a duty to “boldly confront” those who were complicit or not invite them to speak at all.” So much for a free exchange of ideas on Harvard’s campus. Conservative speakers have been run off campus for several years. It looks like that will continue.


hotair--2020-11-21--Colorado illegal aliens pretty excited about a Biden presidency

Liberals , progressives and socialists around the nation have been celebrating Joe Biden ’ s apparent election ever since the major media outlets began calling the race for him .
Out in Colorado , CBS News has been interviewing one particular group of supporters who appear to be giddy with excitement at the thought of a Biden presidency .
That would be the illegal aliens who have been hiding in “ sanctuary ” at a number of churches around the state .
These people already have pending deportation orders against them but have remained holed up in houses of worship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t come busting into a church to haul them out .
In their view , having Joe Biden in the White House means that the coast may finally be clear and they ’ ll be able to go back to freely moving about the community without fear of being held accountable for their crimes .
The First Unitarian Church in Denver is home for Jeannette Vizguerra .
Facing possible deportation to Mexico , she has been in sanctuary for 2 years now .
“ My hope is this new president create change in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBS4 ’ s Rick Sallinger .
With Biden due to take office in January , Vizguerra ’ s long effort to once again be free in America could possibly be realized .
“ Yeah , my hope is it ’ s about time , not just for me but for more than 11 million people , ” she said , speaking about all immigrants without documents .
This isn ’ t the first time we ’ ve heard the name of Jeannette Vizguerra .
I first wrote about her back in February of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office and put more serious people in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement , Vizguerra ’ s name popped up on the ICE naughty list and she was scheduled for deportation .
But rather than complying with the order , she and her attorney staged a big PR stunt for the media and she moved into the First Unitarian Church .
She ’ s been there ever since .
Another woman , Araceli Velasquez , has been hiding out at the United Methodist Church in Denver for the same amount of time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent back to El Salvadore , even though there is a standing , legal order to remove her .
She too expressed her hopes that Joe Biden would give her more wiggle room than the current president .
The same feelings were expressed by Ingrid Encalda Latorre from her hideout in the Unitarian Universalist Church in Boulder .
Yes , spirits seem to be high in the illegal alien community this month .
Everyone is waiting for Uncle Joe to take control and cripple our immigration enforcement capabilities .
And Biden has given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already .
He recently announced that he planned to implement a freeze on all deportations until he could issue some new marching orders to our immigration enforcement agencies .
Articles like the one linked above always seem to focus on the most friendly and sympathetic faces they can find .
Women , particularly mothers , hiding out in church basements so the Bad Orange Man can ’ t send evil law enforcement officers to haul them away .
But when Biden says no deportations , that includes the inability to ship out all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the priority list who been taken down for everything from murder to rape to fraud .
It ’ s a frightening prospect , but it ’ s also precisely what the Democrats have been pushing for .
Even if the GOP keeps control of the Senate and manages to push back some of the Democrats ’ worst impulses , this is one area where Biden will be able to wreak some serious damage and undo the progress made under Donald Trump .
Traffic at the southern border has been reduced to a relative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Simultaneously , ICE and the Border Patrol have been shipping out illegals at an impressive clip .
We were finally making some progress on this front , but if Joe Biden is perched in the White House , it will likely all be washed away in short order .

Liberals, progressives and socialists around the nation have been celebrating Joe Biden’s apparent election ever since the major media outlets began calling the race for him. Out in Colorado, CBS News has been interviewing one particular group of supporters who appear to be giddy with excitement at the thought of a Biden presidency. That would be the illegal aliens who have been hiding in “sanctuary” at a number of churches around the state. These people already have pending deportation orders against them but have remained holed up in houses of worship, knowing that ICE agents won’t come busting into a church to haul them out. In their view, having Joe Biden in the White House means that the coast may finally be clear and they’ll be able to go back to freely moving about the community without fear of being held accountable for their crimes.
The First Unitarian Church in Denver is home for Jeannette Vizguerra. Facing possible deportation to Mexico, she has been in sanctuary for 2 years now. “My hope is this new president create change in the immigration system,” she told CBS4’s Rick Sallinger. With Biden due to take office in January, Vizguerra’s long effort to once again be free in America could possibly be realized. “Yeah, my hope is it’s about time, not just for me but for more than 11 million people,” she said, speaking about all immigrants without documents.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the name of Jeannette Vizguerra. I first wrote about her back in February of 2017. Shortly after Donald Trump took office and put more serious people in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Vizguerra’s name popped up on the ICE naughty list and she was scheduled for deportation. But rather than complying with the order, she and her attorney staged a big PR stunt for the media and she moved into the First Unitarian Church. She’s been there ever since.
Another woman, Araceli Velasquez, has been hiding out at the United Methodist Church in Denver for the same amount of time. She’s trying to avoid being sent back to El Salvadore, even though there is a standing, legal order to remove her. She too expressed her hopes that Joe Biden would give her more wiggle room than the current president. The same feelings were expressed by Ingrid Encalda Latorre from her hideout in the Unitarian Universalist Church in Boulder.
Yes, spirits seem to be high in the illegal alien community this month. Everyone is waiting for Uncle Joe to take control and cripple our immigration enforcement capabilities. And Biden has given them plenty of reasons to be optimistic already. He recently announced that he planned to implement a freeze on all deportations until he could issue some new marching orders to our immigration enforcement agencies.
Articles like the one linked above always seem to focus on the most friendly and sympathetic faces they can find. Women, particularly mothers, hiding out in church basements so the Bad Orange Man can’t send evil law enforcement officers to haul them away. But when Biden says no deportations, that includes the inability to ship out all of the ones at the top of the priority list who been taken down for everything from murder to rape to fraud. It’s a frightening prospect, but it’s also precisely what the Democrats have been pushing for.
Even if the GOP keeps control of the Senate and manages to push back some of the Democrats’ worst impulses, this is one area where Biden will be able to wreak some serious damage and undo the progress made under Donald Trump. Traffic at the southern border has been reduced to a relative trickle, largely due to the pandemic. Simultaneously, ICE and the Border Patrol have been shipping out illegals at an impressive clip. We were finally making some progress on this front, but if Joe Biden is perched in the White House, it will likely all be washed away in short order.


hotair--2020-11-21--In some California counties, Sheriffs won't be enforcing Governor's shutdown orders

This story is reminiscent of the recent report that various sheriff ’ s departments around New York State are refusing to enforce Andrew Cuomo ’ s Thanksgiving lockdown rules , leaving him furious .
But today ’ s tale comes to us from the other side of the country .
In Orange County , California , Sheriff Don Barnes responded to a new , limited stay-at-home order from Governor Gavin Newsom .
The short version of his response boils down to the reality of limited personnel and resources , leading him to say that he has no plans to deploy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom wind up being “ furious ” as well ?
( CBS Los Angeles ) In a statement , Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said , “ Earlier today , the Orange County Sheriff ’ s Department became aware of a limited Stay at Home Order that Governor Newsom ’ s office ordered to go into effect on Saturday , November 21 at 10 p.m .
Throughout the pandemic , the Orange County Sheriff ’ s Department has taken an education-first approach with regard to the public health orders.
” Barnes continued , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Governor .
At this time , due to the need to have deputies available from emergency calls for service , deputies will not be responding to requests for face-coverings or social-gatherings enforcement.
” The latest order isn ’ t a blanket shut down , but more of a curfew .
Newsom ’ s order forbids “ gatherings , movement and non-essential work ” from 10 pm until 5 am .
And it only applies to counties that fall into the “ purple ” tier for new COVID cases and hospitalizations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Newsom now finds himself in the same situation as Governor Cuomo does in New York .
You can issue executive orders all you like , but what happens if you can ’ t find anyone to enforce those orders ?
If the County Sheriff ’ s Department refuses and the local or municipal police departments don ’ t want to take on the responsibility , his options are clearly limited .
He could try sending in the state troopers , I suppose , but they aren ’ t exactly overflowing with manpower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what can the Governor do ?
Send in the National Guard to make sure someone isn ’ t staying at the restaurant until 10:30 pm for an extra cocktail ?
Business owners in Orange County are more upset over these orders than the rank-and-file citizens .
This is particularly true of employers in the bar and restaurant trades .
CBS interviewed a few of them who don ’ t see a way to come back if they have to shut down again or severely limit their hours .
If Newsom wants everyone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that the restaurants who have managed to reopen will have to curtail table service an hour or more before that .
And that ’ s the height of the dinner hour .
Lest you think this standoff in Orange County is an isolated incident , it ’ s not .
Fresno Sheriff Margaret Mims had an even more blunt message for Newsom .
She held a press conference and declared that her deputies weren ’ t going to be “ making criminals out of ordinary citizens.
” ( Fox News ) Mims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not be setting up checkpoints or pulling drivers over to ask why they are out and about after the curfew .
In other words , she ’ s not going to be enforcing it at all .
Now it ’ s the Governor ’ s move .
What ’ s not clear is whether he has any cards left to play .

This story is reminiscent of the recent report that various sheriff’s departments around New York State are refusing to enforce Andrew Cuomo’s Thanksgiving lockdown rules, leaving him furious. But today’s tale comes to us from the other side of the country. In Orange County, California, Sheriff Don Barnes responded to a new, limited stay-at-home order from Governor Gavin Newsom. The short version of his response boils down to the reality of limited personnel and resources, leading him to say that he has no plans to deploy deputies to enforce the order. Will Newsom wind up being “furious” as well? (CBS Los Angeles)
In a statement, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said, “Earlier today, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department became aware of a limited Stay at Home Order that Governor Newsom’s office ordered to go into effect on Saturday, November 21 at 10 p.m. Throughout the pandemic, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department has taken an education-first approach with regard to the public health orders.” Barnes continued, “We are currently assessing the action by the Governor. At this time, due to the need to have deputies available from emergency calls for service, deputies will not be responding to requests for face-coverings or social-gatherings enforcement.”
Statement from @OCSheriffBarnes on the limited Stay at Home Order issued by Governor Newsom. pic.twitter.com/qDnYS4fk6U — OC Sheriff, CA (@OCSheriff) November 20, 2020
The latest order isn’t a blanket shut down, but more of a curfew. Newsom’s order forbids “gatherings, movement and non-essential work” from 10 pm until 5 am. And it only applies to counties that fall into the “purple” tier for new COVID cases and hospitalizations. Orange County currently falls into that tier.
Newsom now finds himself in the same situation as Governor Cuomo does in New York. You can issue executive orders all you like, but what happens if you can’t find anyone to enforce those orders? If the County Sheriff’s Department refuses and the local or municipal police departments don’t want to take on the responsibility, his options are clearly limited. He could try sending in the state troopers, I suppose, but they aren’t exactly overflowing with manpower right now either. Beyond that, what can the Governor do? Send in the National Guard to make sure someone isn’t staying at the restaurant until 10:30 pm for an extra cocktail?
Business owners in Orange County are more upset over these orders than the rank-and-file citizens. This is particularly true of employers in the bar and restaurant trades. CBS interviewed a few of them who don’t see a way to come back if they have to shut down again or severely limit their hours. If Newsom wants everyone to be home by 10 pm, that means that the restaurants who have managed to reopen will have to curtail table service an hour or more before that. And that’s the height of the dinner hour.
Lest you think this standoff in Orange County is an isolated incident, it’s not. Fresno Sheriff Margaret Mims had an even more blunt message for Newsom. She held a press conference and declared that her deputies weren’t going to be “making criminals out of ordinary citizens.” (Fox News)
“We’ve got a lot of things to do, including taking guns away from gang members, stopping narcotic trafficking, and saving children from internet predators,” Mims said during a video briefing Thursday afternoon. “We’re not gonna make criminals of normally law-abiding citizens.”
Mims went on to say that her deputies would not be setting up checkpoints or pulling drivers over to ask why they are out and about after the curfew. In other words, she’s not going to be enforcing it at all.
Now it’s the Governor’s move. What’s not clear is whether he has any cards left to play.


hotair--2020-11-22--Sunday morning talking heads

Sunday morning talking heads

Not surprisingly , this morning ’ s Sunday shows are heavy on Democrats and extremely light on Republicans — at least , pro-Trump Republicans .
No one wants to have to defend Giuliani ’ s and Sidney Powell ’ s surreal press conference on Thursday , and so no one will .
Republicans John Bolton and Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan are booked for “ State of the Union ” and “ Face the Nation , ” respectively , but both are Trump enemies and will doubtless lambaste him for his barely concealed effort to try to convince legislatures in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election results .
The closest thing to a Trump official scheduled as of Saturday morning is GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota , who ’ ll chat with “ Meet the Press.
” Even before the humiliation of the Giuliani press conference , Cramer was calling for the transition to Biden to begin : “ It grows increasingly unlikely that a remedy would involve overturning the election , ” said Sen. Kevin Cramer ( R-N.D. ) , who said he nonetheless supports Trump ’ s goals of exposing even small cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ought to be getting briefings and the transition ought to be in the works so that there ’ s an infrastructure for that .
And if he ends up winning , as it seems likely he will , that he won ’ t have to get caught up on one day in January.
” That was five days ago .
I ’ d guess that he hasn ’ t grown more sanguine about the transition delay since then .
Cramer will also be asked about the increasingly ferocious epidemic of COVID in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which had the highest mortality rate from the disease on Earth as of earlier this week .
He ’ ll preview the apocalyptic scenario for the state ’ s health-care system if North Dakotans insist on big family Thanksgivings .
Other guests today will also focus on the coronavirus .
Anthony Fauci is set for “ Face the Nation ” to plead with Americans not to gather in groups for the rest of the winter while Moncef Slaoui , the head of Operation Warp Speed , chats with “ This Week ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the almost miraculous success of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in trials .
Now that Pfizer has applied for emergency use authorization from the FDA , he ’ ll be pressed on when mass vaccinations in the U.S. might begin .
The rest of the slate this morning involves Democrats who ’ ll be key players in Biden ’ s new administration .
Incoming chief of staff Ron Klain will talk with “ This Week , ” Cedric Richmond will speak to “ Meet the Press , ” Symone Sanders will guest on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jen Psaki will appear on “ State of the Union.
” Each of them will preview Biden ’ s cabinet choices , complain about GSA ’ s delay in releasing transition funds , and lament the sorry spectacle of the Giuliani/Powell presser .
The full line-up is at the AP .

Not surprisingly, this morning’s Sunday shows are heavy on Democrats and extremely light on Republicans — at least, pro-Trump Republicans. No one wants to have to defend Giuliani’s and Sidney Powell’s surreal press conference on Thursday, and so no one will. Republicans John Bolton and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan are booked for “State of the Union” and “Face the Nation,” respectively, but both are Trump enemies and will doubtless lambaste him for his barely concealed effort to try to convince legislatures in states won by Biden to void their election results.
The closest thing to a Trump official scheduled as of Saturday morning is GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, who’ll chat with “Meet the Press.” Even before the humiliation of the Giuliani press conference, Cramer was calling for the transition to Biden to begin:
“It grows increasingly unlikely that a remedy would involve overturning the election,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), who said he nonetheless supports Trump’s goals of exposing even small cases of malfeasance on ballots. “Vice President Biden ought to be getting briefings and the transition ought to be in the works so that there’s an infrastructure for that. And if he ends up winning, as it seems likely he will, that he won’t have to get caught up on one day in January.”
That was five days ago. I’d guess that he hasn’t grown more sanguine about the transition delay since then. Cramer will also be asked about the increasingly ferocious epidemic of COVID in his home state of North Dakota, which had the highest mortality rate from the disease on Earth as of earlier this week. He’ll preview the apocalyptic scenario for the state’s health-care system if North Dakotans insist on big family Thanksgivings.
Other guests today will also focus on the coronavirus. Anthony Fauci is set for “Face the Nation” to plead with Americans not to gather in groups for the rest of the winter while Moncef Slaoui, the head of Operation Warp Speed, chats with “This Week” and “State of the Union” about the almost miraculous success of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in trials. Now that Pfizer has applied for emergency use authorization from the FDA, he’ll be pressed on when mass vaccinations in the U.S. might begin.
The rest of the slate this morning involves Democrats who’ll be key players in Biden’s new administration. Incoming chief of staff Ron Klain will talk with “This Week,” Cedric Richmond will speak to “Meet the Press,” Symone Sanders will guest on “Face the Nation,” and Jen Psaki will appear on “State of the Union.” Each of them will preview Biden’s cabinet choices, complain about GSA’s delay in releasing transition funds, and lament the sorry spectacle of the Giuliani/Powell presser. The full line-up is at the AP.


hotair--2020-11-22--America needs to chill

America needs to chill

This long slog of an election cycle , plus the pandemic proves one thing : America needs to chill , particularly the political and social media class .
These pundits and politicians suggesting President Donald Trump is attempting to steal the election are completely unserious despite their claims otherwise .
The same with those bizarrely speculating Tucker Carlson has been compromised for questioning Sidney Powell or that all electronic voting systems were hacked by some grand conspiracy .
They may believe what they ’ re saying , but it ’ s histrionic nonsense .
Trump is a showman , pure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His social media claims of electoral malfeasance and hesitancy to begin the transition to President-elect Joe Biden are just pure pettiness by someone who can ’ t accept the reality of an election loss .
The weird news conferences , failed court actions , social media suggestions , and statements by his cul-err-supporters are either desperate attempts to maintain relevance or hope to garner favor in the “ future ” of something involving Trump .
Whether it ’ s a new political party or some kind of Trump Network remains to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator David Perdue , looking for hand recounts ?
They ’ re just hoping Trump ’ s supporters will show up for them in the January runoff .
It ’ s a game but one with serious repercussions if America doesn ’ t take a deep breath and relax .
An anti-Trump friend of mine suggests what ’ s going on is dangerous .
He ’ s right , but not necessarily the way he believes .
What ’ s alarming about the unserious claims regarding Trump looking to “ steal ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Paul Abrams at Huffington Post implored Trump-skeptical Republicans to “ object to the electors ” in early January 2017 .
The late Georgia Congressman John Lewis later told NBC News he didn ’ t see Trump as a “ legitimate president ” claiming Russian interference .
Robert Kuttner wrote weeks later in The American Prospect he believed the Trump presidency wouldn ’ t last long because he ’ d be removed from power .
“ The best and most honorable outcome would be for Vice President Pence to preside over some kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s election ( and his own ) was not legitimate .
This course might make the country whole .
It might even make America great again.
” Does that sound familiar to what Trump-friendly outlets and the Administration currently suggest ?
“ Certainly these voters can be used to discredit and demean Biden ’ s presidency , ” Anne Applebaum wrote on November 6th in The Atlantic explaining the differences between Democrats lusting after an illegitimate Trump presidency and one involving a president just booted from office in an election .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans that Obama was illegitimate , so he will now seek to convince Americans that Biden is illegitimate .
“ Biden Is Fake ” Facebook groups will be used to gin up Republican votes and support for Republican causes ; emails with “ Phony Biden ” in the subject line will be used to raise money .
Trump ’ s campaign has already blasted out a fundraising text with the following message : “ Pres Trump & VP Pence : It ’ s so urgent we BOTH texted you .
Dems & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election !
1000 % -MATCH to FIGHT BACK !
Act NOW.
” Pro-Trump influencers , perhaps aided by the campaign and its botnets , have tried to make the hashtag # StopTheSteal trend on social media… ” Those # StopTheSteal emails , for what it ’ s worth , are beyond tiresome and immediately end up in my trash .
What ’ s important to remember , however , is the fact 33 % of the country didn ’ t vote .
The whys don ’ t matter , it ’ s likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t worth it , don ’ t feel represented , are just apolitical , or a combination .
It is a reminder politics isn ’ t everything or even close to it .
Life still happens , even in situations where the government seeks more and more control over our lives .
This is an important thing for us to remember .
The danger the political and social media class run into is this notion American politics has to become a system of punishing dissenters , regardless of where they stand on political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Life will go on no matter who is in the White House , Capitol Hill , City Hall , the governor ’ s mansion , or state legislatures .

This long slog of an election cycle, plus the pandemic proves one thing: America needs to chill, particularly the political and social media class. These pundits and politicians suggesting President Donald Trump is attempting to steal the election are completely unserious despite their claims otherwise. The same with those bizarrely speculating Tucker Carlson has been compromised for questioning Sidney Powell or that all electronic voting systems were hacked by some grand conspiracy. They may believe what they’re saying, but it’s histrionic nonsense.
Trump is a showman, pure and simple, who loves the limelight. His social media claims of electoral malfeasance and hesitancy to begin the transition to President-elect Joe Biden are just pure pettiness by someone who can’t accept the reality of an election loss. The weird news conferences, failed court actions, social media suggestions, and statements by his cul-err-supporters are either desperate attempts to maintain relevance or hope to garner favor in the “future” of something involving Trump. Whether it’s a new political party or some kind of Trump Network remains to be seen.
Those politicians, like Georgia Senator David Perdue, looking for hand recounts? They’re just hoping Trump’s supporters will show up for them in the January runoff. It’s a game but one with serious repercussions if America doesn’t take a deep breath and relax.
An anti-Trump friend of mine suggests what’s going on is dangerous. He’s right, but not necessarily the way he believes.
What’s alarming about the unserious claims regarding Trump looking to “steal” the election is the road American politics traverses.
Paul Abrams at Huffington Post implored Trump-skeptical Republicans to “object to the electors” in early January 2017. The late Georgia Congressman John Lewis later told NBC News he didn’t see Trump as a “legitimate president” claiming Russian interference. Robert Kuttner wrote weeks later in The American Prospect he believed the Trump presidency wouldn’t last long because he’d be removed from power. “The best and most honorable outcome would be for Vice President Pence to preside over some kind of caretaker government, acknowledging that Trump’s election (and his own) was not legitimate. This course might make the country whole. It might even make America great again.”
Does that sound familiar to what Trump-friendly outlets and the Administration currently suggest?
The ploy appears simple – plan for future elections.
“Certainly these voters can be used to discredit and demean Biden’s presidency,” Anne Applebaum wrote on November 6th in The Atlantic explaining the differences between Democrats lusting after an illegitimate Trump presidency and one involving a president just booted from office in an election. “Just as Trump once helped convince millions of Americans that Obama was illegitimate, so he will now seek to convince Americans that Biden is illegitimate. “Biden Is Fake” Facebook groups will be used to gin up Republican votes and support for Republican causes; emails with “Phony Biden” in the subject line will be used to raise money. Trump’s campaign has already blasted out a fundraising text with the following message: “Pres Trump & VP Pence: It’s so urgent we BOTH texted you. Dems & the Fake News want to STEAL this Election! 1000%-MATCH to FIGHT BACK! Act NOW.” Pro-Trump influencers, perhaps aided by the campaign and its botnets, have tried to make the hashtag #StopTheSteal trend on social media…”
Those #StopTheSteal emails, for what it’s worth, are beyond tiresome and immediately end up in my trash.
What’s important to remember, however, is the fact 33% of the country didn’t vote. The whys don’t matter, it’s likely because they either think voting isn’t worth it, don’t feel represented, are just apolitical, or a combination. It is a reminder politics isn’t everything or even close to it. Life still happens, even in situations where the government seeks more and more control over our lives. This is an important thing for us to remember.
The danger the political and social media class run into is this notion American politics has to become a system of punishing dissenters, regardless of where they stand on political issues. We need to chill. Life will go on no matter who is in the White House, Capitol Hill, City Hall, the governor’s mansion, or state legislatures.


hotair--2020-11-22--Breaking: Powell goes under the bus?

Breaking: Powell goes under the bus?

Well , this is awkward .
Remember that presser on Thursday , where Sidney Powell stood shoulder to shoulder with Rudy Giuliani and claimed she had evidence of a communist plot to steal the election from Donald Trump ?
And suggested that Republican candidates might have paid off Dominion to “ win ” their own elections ?
About an hour ago , Giuliani sent out a statement through the Donald Trump campaign that , er , Powell has nothing to do with the campaign or Trump : Team Trump senior legal advisor and Trump counsel Jenna Ellis also filed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What ?
They don ’ t want to be associated with the “ biblical ” lawsuit Powell claims she ’ s ready to file in Georgia ?
Shying away from the whole “ devil went down to Georgia ” theme that the Trump campaign seemed to be adopting ?
To call this sudden is an understatement .
After Powell ’ s escalating allegations of worldwide conspiracies — including Bernie Sanders knuckling under to Hillary Clinton in 2016 — GOP Rep. Liz Cheney demanded that Powell “ put up or shut up , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump defended Powell and attacked Cheney for her demand that Trump accept defeat : More to the point , however , it was Giuliani who put Powell on the stage with him on Thursday .
That was a campaign presser , called by Giuliani to shore up their position in challenging the results of the 2020 election , even while losing on almost every front .
Powell ’ s theory might be lunacy , but it ’ s about the only theory that even attempts to explain why Trump hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percentages and analytics still falls far short of the scale needed to seriously question the overall result .
The big question is why they ’ re even bothering to distance from Powell .
She may be nuttier than Giuliani , but that ’ s more a question of scale .
Powell clearly angered Trump ’ s allies within the GOP by accusing them of paying off communist overlords to win their elections , and she ’ s been oddly hostile to anyone asking for a peek at her case — even normally friendly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see Powell ’ s work and get shined on by Powell ?
Or discover that Powell doesn ’ t have any evidence at all ?
We ’ ll know soon enough .
Jake Tapper wonders if Team Trump will try to keep Powell ’ s theories alive while throwing Powell herself under the bus : Trump might still tweet about Powell , but today ’ s sudden distancing from Powell suggests that the campaign has had enough of the insanity .
As we have been warning for the last couple of weeks — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press conferences and interviews .
When attorneys present evidence in court , then take it seriously , but even then , scrutinize it to see whether it holds up .
Giuliani just took a beating in Pennsylvania and bailed out of Michigan to avoid another legal beating .
This apparent ejection of Powell from the team after featuring her three days ago makes this look even more like a clown show rather than a Dream Team .

Well, this is awkward. Remember that presser on Thursday, where Sidney Powell stood shoulder to shoulder with Rudy Giuliani and claimed she had evidence of a communist plot to steal the election from Donald Trump? And suggested that Republican candidates might have paid off Dominion to “win” their own elections? About an hour ago, Giuliani sent out a statement through the Donald Trump campaign that, er, Powell has nothing to do with the campaign or Trump:
Team Trump senior legal advisor and Trump counsel Jenna Ellis also filed the pro underbus vice motion on Twitter:
What? They don’t want to be associated with the “biblical” lawsuit Powell claims she’s ready to file in Georgia? Shying away from the whole “devil went down to Georgia” theme that the Trump campaign seemed to be adopting?
To call this sudden is an understatement. After Powell’s escalating allegations of worldwide conspiracies — including Bernie Sanders knuckling under to Hillary Clinton in 2016 — GOP Rep. Liz Cheney demanded that Powell “put up or shut up,” meaning produce evidence immediately for her charges. Trump defended Powell and attacked Cheney for her demand that Trump accept defeat:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1330327620148465664
More to the point, however, it was Giuliani who put Powell on the stage with him on Thursday. That was a campaign presser, called by Giuliani to shore up their position in challenging the results of the 2020 election, even while losing on almost every front. Powell’s theory might be lunacy, but it’s about the only theory that even attempts to explain why Trump hasn’t conceded. Giuliani’s sophistry about percentages and analytics still falls far short of the scale needed to seriously question the overall result.
The big question is why they’re even bothering to distance from Powell. She may be nuttier than Giuliani, but that’s more a question of scale. Powell clearly angered Trump’s allies within the GOP by accusing them of paying off communist overlords to win their elections, and she’s been oddly hostile to anyone asking for a peek at her case — even normally friendly outlets. Did Giuliani finally demand to see Powell’s work and get shined on by Powell? Or discover that Powell doesn’t have any evidence at all?
We’ll know soon enough. Jake Tapper wonders if Team Trump will try to keep Powell’s theories alive while throwing Powell herself under the bus:
This attempt by Trump's legal team — Giuliani, Ellis — to distance themselves from Sidney Powell's insane conspiracy theories is going to be super awkward next time — oh, I dont know — say, Trump Giuiliani, or Ellis — tweet about the very same insane conspiracy theories. — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 22, 2020
Trump might still tweet about Powell, but today’s sudden distancing from Powell suggests that the campaign has had enough of the insanity.
As we have been warning for the last couple of weeks — don’t believe anything claimed in press conferences and interviews. When attorneys present evidence in court, then take it seriously, but even then, scrutinize it to see whether it holds up. Giuliani just took a beating in Pennsylvania and bailed out of Michigan to avoid another legal beating. This apparent ejection of Powell from the team after featuring her three days ago makes this look even more like a clown show rather than a Dream Team.


hotair--2020-11-22--Air travel surges as Thanksgiving holiday approaches despite health warnings

The Transportation Security Administration ( TSA ) reports that more than 1 million people flew through U.S. domestic airports on Friday .
This number is the second-highest daily total since the coronavirus pandemic hit last spring .
This is notable due to the fact we all have been told over and over again by officials in recent days , from the federal level to local levels , to avoid traditional Thanksgiving gatherings this year due to the coronavirus pandemic .
That number is still substantially behind normal levels of air travel but it shows that people are dismissing suggestions to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year despite the latest wave of coronavirus cases spiking in hot spots across the country .
A total of 1,019,836 people passed through U.S. airport security screening portals on Friday , 40 % of the nearly 2.6 million who flew on the equivalent day last year , according to TSA data .
Since passenger counts plummeted from mid-March , only Oct. 18 had more people boarding flights .
Friday ’ s total was well above the one-week average of 829,000 passengers a day .
The increase came in spite of recent warnings from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. , about softening holiday travel demand .
The period around Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest for travel .
“ There has been a deceleration in system bookings and an uptick in cancellations as a result of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases , ” United said in a regulatory filing .
In October Dr. Fauci began advising people to strongly think about canceling family celebrations during the Thanksgiving holiday .
He began sounding the alarm that large group gatherings are a terrible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly dangerous time for the spread of the virus .
The CDC came out with its holiday travel recommendations on Thursday – don ’ t do it .
There is no doubt that the recommendation from the CDC , for those waiting on that agency ’ s recommendation , came too late to change any travel plans already made by families all over the country .
People buy airline tickets well before seven days out in order to get a decent price and to schedule the most convenient time to travel .
Thanksgiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the year for airlines .
Dr. Fauci has been giving interviews and providing his guidance on how to handle the upcoming holiday season .
He recommends that only the members of a household celebrate together .
Leave the large extended family and friends gatherings for next year .
Other public officials are delivering the same advice .
Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , recommended that people “ think twice ” about traveling over the holidays .
Various governors have echoed the call to restrict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not necessarily issuing formal guidance .
“ Think about those you love and what you would do to protect them .
It ’ s up to each and every one of us to be responsible and prevent the spread of Covid this holiday season , ” Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards , a Democrat , said Saturday on Twitter .
Fauci appeared on some of the Sunday morning political shows today .
When he was asked about the large number of people traveling by air , he said he is more concerned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the people on individual flights .
We know that airlines have requirements that must be met in order for a customer to board the plane , one of which is wearing a face mask .
In airports , Dr. Fauci said , people are laxer about wearing masks and don ’ t follow social distancing guidelines .
Even with masks in place , people still need to remember to social distance .
Health officials have warned that the burgeoning wave of infections could soon overwhelm the healthcare system if people do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not traveling and mingling with other households for Thursday ’ s traditional Thanksgiving celebration .
Still , video footage on Twitter showed more than a hundred people , wearing masks , crowding departure gates at Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix , Arizona , on Friday .
Lines for TSA checkpoints and kiosks at Chicago O ’ Hare airport were also long on Friday and “ reminiscent of pre-pandemic times , ” local TV station WGN reported .
Despite the strong showing of air travelers , most people will travel by car if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the holiday .
The number of Thanksgiving air travelers was expected to decline by 47.5 % from 2019 , but nonetheless , 2.4 million people were forecast to take to the skies , according to a report earlier this month from the American Automobile Association .
It said the number traveling by car was expected to fall by only about 4 % .
“ For those who are considering making a trip , the majority will go by car , which provides the flexibility to modify holiday travel plans up until the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Paula Twidale said in a statement .
The good news is that a vaccine is on the horizon and more therapeutics , too .
Doctors have learned how to treat the coronavirus in better , more efficient ways and the death rates are falling , despite increases in hospitalizations .
We just have to hang in there a little longer until more herd immunity takes over and our lives return to a more normal existence .

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reports that more than 1 million people flew through U.S. domestic airports on Friday. This number is the second-highest daily total since the coronavirus pandemic hit last spring. This is notable due to the fact we all have been told over and over again by officials in recent days, from the federal level to local levels, to avoid traditional Thanksgiving gatherings this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
That number is still substantially behind normal levels of air travel but it shows that people are dismissing suggestions to stay at home for the holiday this year despite the latest wave of coronavirus cases spiking in hot spots across the country.
A total of 1,019,836 people passed through U.S. airport security screening portals on Friday, 40% of the nearly 2.6 million who flew on the equivalent day last year, according to TSA data. Since passenger counts plummeted from mid-March, only Oct. 18 had more people boarding flights. Friday’s total was well above the one-week average of 829,000 passengers a day. The increase came in spite of recent warnings from carriers, including American Airlines Group Inc., United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co., about softening holiday travel demand. The period around Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest for travel. “There has been a deceleration in system bookings and an uptick in cancellations as a result of the recent spike in Covid-19 cases,” United said in a regulatory filing.
In October Dr. Fauci began advising people to strongly think about canceling family celebrations during the Thanksgiving holiday. He began sounding the alarm that large group gatherings are a terrible idea, given that now is a particularly dangerous time for the spread of the virus. The CDC came out with its holiday travel recommendations on Thursday – don’t do it. There is no doubt that the recommendation from the CDC, for those waiting on that agency’s recommendation, came too late to change any travel plans already made by families all over the country. People buy airline tickets well before seven days out in order to get a decent price and to schedule the most convenient time to travel. Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for airlines.
Dr. Fauci has been giving interviews and providing his guidance on how to handle the upcoming holiday season. He recommends that only the members of a household celebrate together. Leave the large extended family and friends gatherings for next year. Other public officials are delivering the same advice.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recommended that people “think twice” about traveling over the holidays. Various governors have echoed the call to restrict gatherings for the popular holiday, while not necessarily issuing formal guidance. “Think about those you love and what you would do to protect them. It’s up to each and every one of us to be responsible and prevent the spread of Covid this holiday season,” Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, said Saturday on Twitter.
Updated statistics: On Friday, Nov. 20, @TSA
screened 1,019,836 people at airport security checkpoints nationwide. This is the 2nd time since the pandemic passenger volume has surpassed 1 million. https://t.co/rH5iMMfW0n #traveling — Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) November 21, 2020
Fauci appeared on some of the Sunday morning political shows today. When he was asked about the large number of people traveling by air, he said he is more concerned about the number of people in airports than of the people on individual flights. We know that airlines have requirements that must be met in order for a customer to board the plane, one of which is wearing a face mask. In airports, Dr. Fauci said, people are laxer about wearing masks and don’t follow social distancing guidelines. Even with masks in place, people still need to remember to social distance.
Health officials have warned that the burgeoning wave of infections could soon overwhelm the healthcare system if people do not follow public health guidance, particularly around not traveling and mingling with other households for Thursday’s traditional Thanksgiving celebration. Still, video footage on Twitter showed more than a hundred people, wearing masks, crowding departure gates at Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday. Lines for TSA checkpoints and kiosks at Chicago O’Hare airport were also long on Friday and “reminiscent of pre-pandemic times,” local TV station WGN reported.
Despite the strong showing of air travelers, most people will travel by car if they are going away from home to celebrate the holiday.
The number of Thanksgiving air travelers was expected to decline by 47.5% from 2019, but nonetheless, 2.4 million people were forecast to take to the skies, according to a report earlier this month from the American Automobile Association. It said the number traveling by car was expected to fall by only about 4%. “For those who are considering making a trip, the majority will go by car, which provides the flexibility to modify holiday travel plans up until the day of departure,” AAA Senior Vice President Paula Twidale said in a statement.
The good news is that a vaccine is on the horizon and more therapeutics, too. Doctors have learned how to treat the coronavirus in better, more efficient ways and the death rates are falling, despite increases in hospitalizations. We just have to hang in there a little longer until more herd immunity takes over and our lives return to a more normal existence.


hotair--2020-11-22--United Kingdom might ease some coronavirus restrictions before Christmas

The United Kingdom may relax some coronavirus restrictions before Christmas although it comes at a cost : a new tiered system , freshly revamped from the last tiered system .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to release more details to the House of Commons on Monday but the gist of the plan involves making sure people can still do some shopping .
Via The Sunday Times : Many of the government ’ s scientific advisers believe that retail is relatively low-risk activity in terms of spreading the infection if managed well .
Thomas House , a reader in mathematics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sage ’ s SPI-M modelling subgroup , said : “ If you think about what the worst kind of activity would be , it ’ s an enormous drunk New Year ’ s Eve party with lots of people in a confined space and high-risk individuals present .
“ Compared to that , shopping with good ventilation , where you can manage flows of people , where there ’ s contactless payment , where people who have symptoms have enough flexibility to think , ‘ I ’ ve got a cough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week ’ — it does seem to be quite a safe activity .
We haven ’ t seen huge clusters associated with shops.
” Gyms are expected to re-open and the restaurant and pub closure requirement moves back an hour to 11 p.m .
The big change , however , involves tightening local restrictions in England ’ s tiered system .
Johnson ’ s government appears to still be figuring out exactly what those changes will entail although the BBC reports ministers are expected to say the previous system wasn ’ t strict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England ’ s system will look more like Scotland ’ s five-tiered system but that likely puts the major metropolitan areas into lockdown .
Parliament will still have to approve the new measures .
What ’ s more interesting is this semi-bubble system England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland are negotiating for Christmastime .
Via The Scotsman : As such , Ministers endorsed a shared objective of facilitating some limited additional household bubbling for a small number of days , but also emphasised that the public will be advised to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people should avoid travelling and minimise social contact .
“ Work is continuing to finalise the arrangements , including relating to travel .
The UK Government , Scottish Government , Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive hope to conclude this work this week , subject to agreement by each administration .
The BBC noted the government believes most UKers will ignore the lockdown measures anyway on Christmas and attempt to have some sort of normalcy before the end of the year .
Which makes sense given the fact people will only allow themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before deciding to do their own thing and damn the consequences .
Here ’ s more from the BBC .
Prof Calum Semple , from the University of Liverpool , said he hoped it would be possible to relax rules over Christmas if the new tiered system worked but warned “ there will be a price ” , including tighter restrictions in the future .
However , Prof Semple , who is a member of Sage , told Sky News ’ s Sophy Ridge there was “ a lot to be optimistic about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccination of the general population to happen towards next summer , which would give “ broad immunity ” and allow a “ return back to normal ” .
We ’ ll see if it works .

The United Kingdom may relax some coronavirus restrictions before Christmas although it comes at a cost: a new tiered system, freshly revamped from the last tiered system. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to release more details to the House of Commons on Monday but the gist of the plan involves making sure people can still do some shopping. Via The Sunday Times:
Many of the government’s scientific advisers believe that retail is relatively low-risk activity in terms of spreading the infection if managed well. Thomas House, a reader in mathematics at the University of Manchester who sits on Sage’s SPI-M modelling subgroup, said: “If you think about what the worst kind of activity would be, it’s an enormous drunk New Year’s Eve party with lots of people in a confined space and high-risk individuals present. “Compared to that, shopping with good ventilation, where you can manage flows of people, where there’s contactless payment, where people who have symptoms have enough flexibility to think, ‘I’ve got a cough, so I won’t go this week’ — it does seem to be quite a safe activity. We haven’t seen huge clusters associated with shops.”
Gyms are expected to re-open and the restaurant and pub closure requirement moves back an hour to 11 p.m.
The big change, however, involves tightening local restrictions in England’s tiered system. Johnson’s government appears to still be figuring out exactly what those changes will entail although the BBC reports ministers are expected to say the previous system wasn’t strict enough. There’s a theory England’s system will look more like Scotland’s five-tiered system but that likely puts the major metropolitan areas into lockdown. Parliament will still have to approve the new measures.
What’s more interesting is this semi-bubble system England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are negotiating for Christmastime. Via The Scotsman:
As such, Ministers endorsed a shared objective of facilitating some limited additional household bubbling for a small number of days, but also emphasised that the public will be advised to remain cautious, and that wherever possible people should avoid travelling and minimise social contact. “Work is continuing to finalise the arrangements, including relating to travel. The UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive hope to conclude this work this week, subject to agreement by each administration.
The BBC noted the government believes most UKers will ignore the lockdown measures anyway on Christmas and attempt to have some sort of normalcy before the end of the year. Which makes sense given the fact people will only allow themselves to be locked down for so long before deciding to do their own thing and damn the consequences. Here’s more from the BBC.
Prof Calum Semple, from the University of Liverpool, said he hoped it would be possible to relax rules over Christmas if the new tiered system worked but warned “there will be a price”, including tighter restrictions in the future. However, Prof Semple, who is a member of Sage, told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge there was “a lot to be optimistic about”. He said he expected mass vaccination of the general population to happen towards next summer, which would give “broad immunity” and allow a “return back to normal”.
We’ll see if it works.


hotair--2020-11-22--Democrats plan to bring back earmarks. Ready the pork barrel!

If you don ’ t believe in zombies , you may want to rethink your position because some of the most disgusting relics of the past are clearly able to rise up from the grave and stalk the land again .
Nearly a decade ago , under the leadership of then-Speaker John Boehner , we finally got rid of earmarks in Congress , significantly reducing the ages-old practice of pork-barrel politics .
Amazingly , it turned out to be something that both Democrats and Republicans were able to get behind and it seemed generally popular with the public .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to town and the Democrats appear poised to cling to the majority in the House , Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is telling people that earmarks may be coming back again .
And he ’ s acting as if it ’ s the most natural and expected thing in the world .
( Roll Call ) “ I don ’ t expect it to be a partisan effort .
Now that doesn ’ t mean that everybody does participate , ” [ Hoyer ] said .
“ But I know there are a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of Republicans on the Senate side who want to .
.
.
have the ability to invest in their states.
” Democrats and Republicans have been talking about bringing back earmarks since just after Speaker John A. Boehner , R-Ohio , added a ban to House GOP rules in 2011 .
Senate Democrats followed a few months later with the support of President Barack Obama .
Senate Republicans made their earmark prohibition permanent last year , but several party members , including Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby , R-Ala. , support bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a charming way to describe it , isn ’ t it ?
“ Have the ability to invest in their states.
” This is the same old song and dance we used to hear from most of the swamp creatures in D.C. ( and I ’ m talking about both parties here , to be clear ) when people complained about the corrosive nature of the earmark system .
The reality , of course , is that all of the states receive federal funding for any number of purposes each year .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly the House where all spending bills must originate – has sole discretion over how and where taxpayer money is spent .
These are joint decisions that must be voted on and approved by the entire body .
In reality , those “ investments ” generally involved cash payments funded unwittingly by the taxpayers to buy the votes of reluctant members .
And , in turn , those earmarked funds wound up going home to curry favor from influential local interests and to pay for projects that benefitted party cronies .
They also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and satirists as the cash so frequently wound up paying for bridges to nowhere or federally funded studies into why prisoners try to escape from jail .
It ’ s not that the total number of earmarks generally added all that much debt onto an already massively bloated budget process , but it was more the principle of the thing .
And once it was finally gone , I foolishly thought that it would fade into history as a lesson we had finally learned .
Perhaps not .
It sounds as if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collective snout back into the trough with abandon and there are plenty of Republicans willing to go along with the scheme .
If this is a sign of how the next two to four years are going to play out , let ’ s just say that I ’ m not feeling all that inspired or hopeful at the moment .

If you don’t believe in zombies, you may want to rethink your position because some of the most disgusting relics of the past are clearly able to rise up from the grave and stalk the land again. Nearly a decade ago, under the leadership of then-Speaker John Boehner, we finally got rid of earmarks in Congress, significantly reducing the ages-old practice of pork-barrel politics. Amazingly, it turned out to be something that both Democrats and Republicans were able to get behind and it seemed generally popular with the public. But now that Joe Biden is coming back to town and the Democrats appear poised to cling to the majority in the House, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is telling people that earmarks may be coming back again. And he’s acting as if it’s the most natural and expected thing in the world. (Roll Call)
“I don’t expect it to be a partisan effort. Now that doesn’t mean that everybody does participate,” [Hoyer] said. “But I know there are a lot of Republicans on our side and a lot of Republicans on the Senate side who want to . . . have the ability to invest in their states.” Democrats and Republicans have been talking about bringing back earmarks since just after Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, added a ban to House GOP rules in 2011. Senate Democrats followed a few months later with the support of President Barack Obama. Senate Republicans made their earmark prohibition permanent last year, but several party members, including Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby, R-Ala., support bringing the practice back.
That’s a charming way to describe it, isn’t it? “Have the ability to invest in their states.”
This is the same old song and dance we used to hear from most of the swamp creatures in D.C. (and I’m talking about both parties here, to be clear) when people complained about the corrosive nature of the earmark system. The reality, of course, is that all of the states receive federal funding for any number of purposes each year. But no one member of either chamber – particularly the House where all spending bills must originate – has sole discretion over how and where taxpayer money is spent. These are joint decisions that must be voted on and approved by the entire body.
In reality, those “investments” generally involved cash payments funded unwittingly by the taxpayers to buy the votes of reluctant members. And, in turn, those earmarked funds wound up going home to curry favor from influential local interests and to pay for projects that benefitted party cronies.
They also provided decades worth of material for bloggers and satirists as the cash so frequently wound up paying for bridges to nowhere or federally funded studies into why prisoners try to escape from jail. It’s not that the total number of earmarks generally added all that much debt onto an already massively bloated budget process, but it was more the principle of the thing. And once it was finally gone, I foolishly thought that it would fade into history as a lesson we had finally learned.
Perhaps not. It sounds as if the Democratic majority is ready to push its collective snout back into the trough with abandon and there are plenty of Republicans willing to go along with the scheme. If this is a sign of how the next two to four years are going to play out, let’s just say that I’m not feeling all that inspired or hopeful at the moment.