hotair--2020-12-17--New GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville hints he'll object to electoral college results on January 6

I won ’ t rehash the mechanics of what happens in Congress on January 6 .
If you haven ’ t been following it , this post will catch you up .
It ’ s enough here to say that whether McConnell can prevent any members of his caucus from objecting to the results in swing states is a less interesting question right now than *how many* Senate Republicans might end up objecting once one does .
All it takes is one objection to force a floor vote on whether to accept a state ’ s electoral votes , remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — or if Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue feel obliged to object in order to shore up righty support for their runoff races — then there ’ s no point in 2024 hopefuls staying on the sidelines .
A Ted Cruz or Josh Hawley might be willing to play ball with McConnell and hold their objections in order to spare their colleagues in swing states a tough vote .
But once a single objection is registered , thereby forcing that vote , they might as well come off the sidelines and object themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ d put the over/under on Republican objections at around five .
Sounds like Tuberville might be the first : He just got elected in Alabama by relentlessly kissing Trump ’ s ass , defeating the establishment choice *and* Jeff Sessions in the primary .
He owes McConnell nothing and will hold his seat as long as he wants to hold it .
Cocaine Mitch might punish him with lame committee assignments but Tuberville ’ s probably not in the Senate to do serious policy work .
So why not object @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has zero chance of successfully blocking Biden ’ s inauguration .
It ’ s pure theater for MAGA voters , with Republican incumbents like Marco Rubio and Ron Johnson who are up for reelection in purple states in 2022 forced to pay the price by taking a no-win position on an otherwise avoidable issue .
There ’ s a fantasy scenario brewing online in which Mike Pence , who ’ ll preside over the January 6 session , will simply refuse to accept the electoral college results after they ’ re certified by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence is an institutionalist and a traditional Republican .
He ’ s barely lifted a finger to advance Trump ’ s post-election “ I was cheated ” narrative .
He ’ ll do the right thing , as his own allies admit : While Pence allies said there is no reason to doubt he will perform his duties as prescribed , some congressional Republicans have already vowed to push their colleagues to reject enough electoral votes to block Biden from becoming president .
If Pence were to decline , the president pro tempore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time since 1969 , when incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey — also the defeated Democratic nominee for president at the time — skipped the proceedings to attend a funeral .
The effort , led by GOP Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama , is unlikely to yield Trump ’ s desired result but could easily leave Pence in an excruciating situation .
One White House official compared the task at hand for Pence — which will include opening and counting electoral votes sent from each state — to someone delivering a death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this going to be an easy moment for the vice president or president to stomach , ” the official said .
He might skip town early to take a trip to the Middle East , a little goodwill tour in preparation for his run for president in 2024 or 2028 .
In that case Chuck Grassley will fill in for him and do the honors of accepting Congress ’ s verdict .
The nightmare scenario that doomsayers feared might happen on January 6 involved one or more swing states sending *two* slates of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college , forcing Congress to decide which slate to accept .
Had Biden won a state narrowly , that state ’ s Democratic governor might have certified his victory while its Republican-controlled state legislature might have designated Trump the winner instead based on some dispute over legal ballots or what have you .
A myth is circulating this week in some righty media outlets ( including some well-known ones ) that that ’ s what ended up happening — there ’ s a Democratic slate of electors that voted for Biden and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now Congress must choose which one to recognize .
But that ’ s false .
No legislature or governor has designated any pro-Trump electors as official .
It ’ s undisputed by the governments of Georgia , Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania , and Arizona that Biden won and his electors are the state ’ s official electors .
Someone should tell Sidney Powell , whose latest court filing claims otherwise : There ’ s no “ choice ” before Congress on January 6 as to whether to accept Biden ’ s electors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are no Trump electors in any disputed state .
They simply don ’ t exist as a matter of law because no arm of state government has recognized them .
The most Congress could theoretically do , I suppose , is refuse to count a state ’ s electoral votes altogether rather than award them to Biden on the theory that that state ’ s results are “ in dispute ” or whatever .
But of course , they won ’ t .
There are enough centrist Republicans in the Senate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes .
Which , much like the Texas lawsuit that was dismissed by SCOTUS , makes it easy for populist Republicans to use this as a way to pander .
If there were 51 Senate Republicans who seemed willing to somehow block Biden ’ s victory , people like Cruz and Hawley would have a tough decision to make on whether to go along .
Because there aren ’ t 51 votes , they can make a big stink about cheating if they like and know that people like Mitt Romney and Susan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail them out .
The same was true of Ken Paxton , the various state AGs , and the House Republicans who joined Texas ’ s lawsuit .
They knew that more responsible actors like Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh would refuse to plunge the country into an existential crisis , which they treated as license to abandon their own moral obligation not to do so .
Just another case of grandstanding populist free-riders putting on a show for Trump and MAGA , trusting that the RINOs will behave ethically when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any consequences .
By the way , the city of Detroit is asking a local court to sanction Powell for “ frivolously undermining ‘ People ’ s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government ' ” with her “ Kraken ” lawsuit .
Between her conspiracy theorizing , the glaring misstatements of fact like the one above , the exaggeration of a key witness ’ s credentials , and the bizarre inclusion of named plaintiffs who never agreed to join her suit , they ’ ve got a shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll leave you with this .
Powell ’ s made a *lot* of wild accusations lately .
Might be time to pay the piper .

I won’t rehash the mechanics of what happens in Congress on January 6. If you haven’t been following it, this post will catch you up. It’s enough here to say that whether McConnell can prevent any members of his caucus from objecting to the results in swing states is a less interesting question right now than *how many* Senate Republicans might end up objecting once one does.
All it takes is one objection to force a floor vote on whether to accept a state’s electoral votes, remember. If Tuberville is committed to objecting — or if Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue feel obliged to object in order to shore up righty support for their runoff races — then there’s no point in 2024 hopefuls staying on the sidelines. A Ted Cruz or Josh Hawley might be willing to play ball with McConnell and hold their objections in order to spare their colleagues in swing states a tough vote. But once a single objection is registered, thereby forcing that vote, they might as well come off the sidelines and object themselves in order to pander to MAGA voters.
I’d put the over/under on Republican objections at around five. Sounds like Tuberville might be the first:
BREAKING: Defying McConnell, Sen-elect Tuberville suggests he will challenge Electoral College, while stumping in Georgia pic.twitter.com/1z5wJ2ajVP — Lauren Windsor (@lawindsor) December 17, 2020
He just got elected in Alabama by relentlessly kissing Trump’s ass, defeating the establishment choice *and* Jeff Sessions in the primary. He owes McConnell nothing and will hold his seat as long as he wants to hold it. Cocaine Mitch might punish him with lame committee assignments but Tuberville’s probably not in the Senate to do serious policy work. So why not object?
As a reminder, this gambit has zero chance of successfully blocking Biden’s inauguration. It’s pure theater for MAGA voters, with Republican incumbents like Marco Rubio and Ron Johnson who are up for reelection in purple states in 2022 forced to pay the price by taking a no-win position on an otherwise avoidable issue. There’s a fantasy scenario brewing online in which Mike Pence, who’ll preside over the January 6 session, will simply refuse to accept the electoral college results after they’re certified by Congress, but c’mon. Pence is an institutionalist and a traditional Republican. He’s barely lifted a finger to advance Trump’s post-election “I was cheated” narrative. He’ll do the right thing, as his own allies admit:
While Pence allies said there is no reason to doubt he will perform his duties as prescribed, some congressional Republicans have already vowed to push their colleagues to reject enough electoral votes to block Biden from becoming president. If Pence were to decline, the president pro tempore of the Senate would step in for the first time since 1969, when incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey — also the defeated Democratic nominee for president at the time — skipped the proceedings to attend a funeral. The effort, led by GOP Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, is unlikely to yield Trump’s desired result but could easily leave Pence in an excruciating situation. One White House official compared the task at hand for Pence — which will include opening and counting electoral votes sent from each state — to someone delivering a death notice. “By no means is this going to be an easy moment for the vice president or president to stomach,” the official said.
He might skip town early to take a trip to the Middle East, a little goodwill tour in preparation for his run for president in 2024 or 2028. In that case Chuck Grassley will fill in for him and do the honors of accepting Congress’s verdict.
The nightmare scenario that doomsayers feared might happen on January 6 involved one or more swing states sending *two* slates of “official” electors to the electoral college, forcing Congress to decide which slate to accept. Had Biden won a state narrowly, that state’s Democratic governor might have certified his victory while its Republican-controlled state legislature might have designated Trump the winner instead based on some dispute over legal ballots or what have you. A myth is circulating this week in some righty media outlets (including some well-known ones) that that’s what ended up happening — there’s a Democratic slate of electors that voted for Biden and a Republican one that voted for Trump and now Congress must choose which one to recognize.
But that’s false. No legislature or governor has designated any pro-Trump electors as official. It’s undisputed by the governments of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Arizona that Biden won and his electors are the state’s official electors. Someone should tell Sidney Powell, whose latest court filing claims otherwise:
At one point, the filing states: “On December 14, 2020, the Republican majority State legislatures of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin exercised their plenary authority under the U.S. Constitution’s Electors Clause by permitting the full slate of Republican nominees to cast their electoral votes for President Donald J. Trump on a contingent basis.”… None of this is true. There is no endorsement from the Michigan Legislature. On Monday, both House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, said Monday the election is over and Biden won the state.
There’s no “choice” before Congress on January 6 as to whether to accept Biden’s electors or Trump’s electors because … there are no Trump electors in any disputed state. They simply don’t exist as a matter of law because no arm of state government has recognized them. The most Congress could theoretically do, I suppose, is refuse to count a state’s electoral votes altogether rather than award them to Biden on the theory that that state’s results are “in dispute” or whatever. But of course, they won’t. There are enough centrist Republicans in the Senate to provide 51 votes for accepting the electoral votes.
Which, much like the Texas lawsuit that was dismissed by SCOTUS, makes it easy for populist Republicans to use this as a way to pander. If there were 51 Senate Republicans who seemed willing to somehow block Biden’s victory, people like Cruz and Hawley would have a tough decision to make on whether to go along. Because there aren’t 51 votes, they can make a big stink about cheating if they like and know that people like Mitt Romney and Susan Collins will do the right thing and bail them out. The same was true of Ken Paxton, the various state AGs, and the House Republicans who joined Texas’s lawsuit. They knew that more responsible actors like Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh would refuse to plunge the country into an existential crisis, which they treated as license to abandon their own moral obligation not to do so. Just another case of grandstanding populist free-riders putting on a show for Trump and MAGA, trusting that the RINOs will behave ethically when the time comes and spare the country from any consequences.
By the way, the city of Detroit is asking a local court to sanction Powell for “frivolously undermining ‘People’s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government'” with her “Kraken” lawsuit. Between her conspiracy theorizing, the glaring misstatements of fact like the one above, the exaggeration of a key witness’s credentials, and the bizarre inclusion of named plaintiffs who never agreed to join her suit, they’ve got a shot at getting the court to agree.
I’ll leave you with this. Powell’s made a *lot* of wild accusations lately. Might be time to pay the piper.


hotair--2020-12-17--Great news: We may have 20-40% more doses of Pfizer vaccine than first thought

And without shipping a single extra vial , no less .
On one hand , you have to wonder how this got missed .
On the other hand , don ’ t look a gift horse in the mouth : Pharmacists have found a way to squeeze extra doses out of vials of Pfizer ’ s vaccine , potentially expanding the nation ’ s scarce supply by up to 40 percent .
The Food and Drug Administration said late Wednesday that those extra doses could be used , clearing up confusion that had caused some pharmacists to throw away leftover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency set last week .
“ Given the public health emergency , FDA is advising that it is acceptable to use every full dose obtainable , ” an agency spokesperson told POLITICO , mirroring language that a federal health official sent to state vaccine providers Wednesday morning .
The Washington Post followed up this morning , citing Politico ’ s report , by clarifying that it ’ s still not certain how many doses there are in the Pfizer vials .
It depends in large part on how the vials are handled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used .
What does seem clear is that Pfizer underestimated its own capacity : That means the supply of remaining vaccine could be up to 40 percent greater , though the drugmaker cautions that it ’ s uncertain how many extra doses are available .
The FDA and Pfizer also caution that any leftover vaccine from different vials that is smaller than a full dose should not be mixed together , which experts say risks cross-contamination .
“ The amount of vaccine remaining in the multidose vial after removal of 5 doses can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needles and syringes used , ” Sharon Castillo , a spokeswoman for Pfizer , said in a statement .
At least this answers another potential question , which is whether providers were under-dosing people with the vaccine .
Both Pfizer and the FDA seem convinced that ’ s not the case , which means we really do have extra capacity in the current shipments , and likely in the shipments to come .
That is all sorts of good news , even while the Trump administration negotiates for even more of Pfizer ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in active negotiations ” with Pfizer to boost the U.S. supply , HHS Secretary Alex Azar told reporters Wednesday morning .
He added that Pfizer has notified the federal government of “ manufacturing challenges ” but did not disclose further details or indicate whether that could impact future vaccine production .
… “ The U.S. government has asked us for additional 100 million doses .
And we are in a position to provide them , but we are working the time frame , ” Bourla said on CNBC ’ s Squawk Box on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of that in the third quarter [ but ] the US government wants it in the second quarter.
” The “ challenges ” cited by Azar appear to be just keeping up with demand .
Pfizer says it ’ s not having any production issues other than capacity , which is apparently the sticking point in the talks at the moment .
Perhaps the US could offer to fund expansion of Pfizer ’ s production capacity in exchange for the extra doses , essentially wrapping the company more into Operation Warp Speed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for both sides .
Right now , though , the details of the talks are still being kept pretty quiet .
And of course , the US might get tens of millions more doses from Moderna , whose vaccine gets its formal review today from the FDA ’ s expert panel .
Will they get the emergency-use authorization over the next 48 hours , like Pfizer did last week ?
Come on , man : The U.S. is on the cusp of a second vaccine for COVID-19 , with independent federal advisers reviewing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-dose vaccine is safe and 94 % effective .
An endorsement from the panel paves the way for an official green light by federal regulators to begin distributing next week some 5.9 million Moderna doses to the nation ’ s front-line health care workers and nursing home residents .
The Moderna batch would be in addition to the 6.4 million doses provided by Pfizer-BioNTech that started to roll out this week after being the first to get emergency authorization .
At this point , the panel would have to demonstrate a good reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to get vaccines out is a much higher priority than propping up bureaucratic processes , especially since Moderna might have a real complaint if they get held to a higher standard than Pfizer did for its EUA .
The FDA expert panel review is being streamed live .
You might need more caffeine if you decide to stick it out all the way through .

And without shipping a single extra vial, no less. On one hand, you have to wonder how this got missed. On the other hand, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth:
Pharmacists have found a way to squeeze extra doses out of vials of Pfizer’s vaccine, potentially expanding the nation’s scarce supply by up to 40 percent. The Food and Drug Administration said late Wednesday that those extra doses could be used, clearing up confusion that had caused some pharmacists to throw away leftover vaccine for fear of violating the rules the agency set last week. “Given the public health emergency, FDA is advising that it is acceptable to use every full dose obtainable,” an agency spokesperson told POLITICO, mirroring language that a federal health official sent to state vaccine providers Wednesday morning.
The Washington Post followed up this morning, citing Politico’s report, by clarifying that it’s still not certain how many doses there are in the Pfizer vials. It depends in large part on how the vials are handled by providers, and what syringes get used. What does seem clear is that Pfizer underestimated its own capacity:
That means the supply of remaining vaccine could be up to 40 percent greater, though the drugmaker cautions that it’s uncertain how many extra doses are available. The FDA and Pfizer also caution that any leftover vaccine from different vials that is smaller than a full dose should not be mixed together , which experts say risks cross-contamination. “The amount of vaccine remaining in the multidose vial after removal of 5 doses can vary, depending on the type of needles and syringes used,” Sharon Castillo, a spokeswoman for Pfizer, said in a statement.
At least this answers another potential question, which is whether providers were under-dosing people with the vaccine. Both Pfizer and the FDA seem convinced that’s not the case, which means we really do have extra capacity in the current shipments, and likely in the shipments to come. That is all sorts of good news, even while the Trump administration negotiates for even more of Pfizer’s output:
Officials “are engaged in active negotiations” with Pfizer to boost the U.S. supply, HHS Secretary Alex Azar told reporters Wednesday morning. He added that Pfizer has notified the federal government of “manufacturing challenges” but did not disclose further details or indicate whether that could impact future vaccine production. … “The U.S. government has asked us for additional 100 million doses. And we are in a position to provide them, but we are working the time frame,” Bourla said on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Monday. “We can provide a lot of that in the third quarter [but] the US government wants it in the second quarter.”
The “challenges” cited by Azar appear to be just keeping up with demand. Pfizer says it’s not having any production issues other than capacity, which is apparently the sticking point in the talks at the moment. Perhaps the US could offer to fund expansion of Pfizer’s production capacity in exchange for the extra doses, essentially wrapping the company more into Operation Warp Speed, which would be a good deal for both sides. Right now, though, the details of the talks are still being kept pretty quiet.
And of course, the US might get tens of millions more doses from Moderna, whose vaccine gets its formal review today from the FDA’s expert panel. Will they get the emergency-use authorization over the next 48 hours, like Pfizer did last week? Come on, man:
The U.S. is on the cusp of a second vaccine for COVID-19, with independent federal advisers reviewing data Thursday from Moderna that suggests its two-dose vaccine is safe and 94% effective. An endorsement from the panel paves the way for an official green light by federal regulators to begin distributing next week some 5.9 million Moderna doses to the nation’s front-line health care workers and nursing home residents. The Moderna batch would be in addition to the 6.4 million doses provided by Pfizer-BioNTech that started to roll out this week after being the first to get emergency authorization.
At this point, the panel would have to demonstrate a good reason not to recommend an EUA. The need to get vaccines out is a much higher priority than propping up bureaucratic processes, especially since Moderna might have a real complaint if they get held to a higher standard than Pfizer did for its EUA.
The FDA expert panel review is being streamed live. You might need more caffeine if you decide to stick it out all the way through.


hotair--2020-12-17--Putin's alibi on Navalny hit: Hey, we would have "finished it"

Maybe Vladimir Putin doesn ’ t realize that bragging about his superior assassination skills doesn ’ t dunk on suspicions surrounding the poisoning of his most prominent political opponent .
Alexey Navalny has fled Russia after one and possibly two attempts on his life , which fits a pattern of “ suicides , ” poisonings , and falls out of windows for those who criticize Russia ’ s pseudo-tsar .
CNN and Belingcat published claims on Monday that Putin himself directed the attempted murder of Navalny .
Nonsense , Putin responded today when asked about the allegation .
If he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a chuckle , his superior assassins would have “ finished it.
” “ Listen , we know very well what this is… this is a legalization , not some investigation but the legalization of the materials of American special services , ” Putin said Thursday .
“ What , we don ’ t know that they are tracking location ?
Our special services know this perfectly well , the FSB officers and officers of other agencies know it .
They use their phones where they deem necessary not to conceal their location @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that — and it is — it means this patient in the Berlin clinic is enjoying the support of the US special services in this , ” Putin said .
“ And if that ’ s correct , then that ’ s interesting , then of course [ our ] special services need to keep an eye on him .
But that doesn ’ t mean he needs to be poisoned , who needs him anyway ?
If [ they ] wanted to , they would ’ ve probably finished it , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , his wife asked me , and I immediately gave the order to let him out of the country to be treated in Germany… This is a trick to attack the leaders [ in Russia ] .
” In the first place , Russia ’ s botched these hits in the past .
Russian intel informant Sergei Skripal managed to survive a nerve-agent attack in 2018 , and Russia ’ s assassins manage to bungle their operation enough to get exposed in the aftermath .
Putin ’ s bravado on this score @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a brutal gangster government that manages to measure up to its KGB/communist predecessors — frequently competent at best , and mostly filled with thugs and bureaucrats whose main talent is in brown-nosing .
Unfortunately for dissidents , “ frequently competent ” is bad enough .

Maybe Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize that bragging about his superior assassination skills doesn’t dunk on suspicions surrounding the poisoning of his most prominent political opponent. Alexey Navalny has fled Russia after one and possibly two attempts on his life, which fits a pattern of “suicides,” poisonings, and falls out of windows for those who criticize Russia’s pseudo-tsar.
CNN and Belingcat published claims on Monday that Putin himself directed the attempted murder of Navalny. Nonsense, Putin responded today when asked about the allegation. If he’d ordered it, Putin said with a chuckle, his superior assassins would have “finished it.”
Thanks for clarifying, tovarisch!
Putin’s first comment on new revelations of Kremlin involvement in the attempted murder of his most prominent critic @navalny. If it had been us, he says, “we would have finished the job." pic.twitter.com/doTKkGop65 — Matthew Luxmoore (@mjluxmoore) December 17, 2020
“Listen, we know very well what this is… this is a legalization, not some investigation but the legalization of the materials of American special services,” Putin said Thursday. “What, we don’t know that they are tracking location? Our special services know this perfectly well, the FSB officers and officers of other agencies know it. They use their phones where they deem necessary not to conceal their location. And if it’s like that — and it is — it means this patient in the Berlin clinic is enjoying the support of the US special services in this,” Putin said. “And if that’s correct, then that’s interesting, then of course [our] special services need to keep an eye on him. But that doesn’t mean he needs to be poisoned, who needs him anyway? If [they] wanted to, they would’ve probably finished it,” Putin added. “But in this case, his wife asked me, and I immediately gave the order to let him out of the country to be treated in Germany… This is a trick to attack the leaders [in Russia].”
In the first place, Russia’s botched these hits in the past. Russian intel informant Sergei Skripal managed to survive a nerve-agent attack in 2018, and Russia’s assassins manage to bungle their operation enough to get exposed in the aftermath. Putin’s bravado on this score is nothing more than a cover for a brutal gangster government that manages to measure up to its KGB/communist predecessors — frequently competent at best, and mostly filled with thugs and bureaucrats whose main talent is in brown-nosing. Unfortunately for dissidents, “frequently competent” is bad enough.


hotair--2020-12-17--Relief watch: Deal still valiantly hanging on in its fight to remain dead, or something; <span class

Relief watch: Deal still valiantly hanging on in its fight to remain dead, or something; Update: Politico wonders -- where's the beef?

Oh wait , that ’ s not quite how every major news outlet reports the status of the COVID-19 relief package negotiations .
Their nearly universal description is “ nearing agreement.
” That ’ s how NBC describes it , while ABC reports “ Congress close to COVID-19 relief deal.
” CBS uses “ Congress nears ” for its report .
You get the gist .
The Associated Press reported an hour ago that the deal still valiantly struggles to stay in the same distance from success that it ’ s enjoyed since July , too .
They just put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiators are closing in on a $ 900 billion COVID-19 economic relief package that would deliver additional help to businesses , $ 300-per-week jobless checks and $ 600 stimulus payments to most Americans .
But there was no deal quite yet .
The long-delayed measure was coming together as Capitol Hill combatants finally fashioned difficult compromises , often at the expense of more ambitious Democratic wishes for the legislation , to complete the second major relief package of the coronavirus pandemic .
Wasn ’ t that supposed to happen yesterday ?
Indeed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ football away again .
Who could ’ ve guessed that ?
About the only media outlet with the proper perspective on this congressional clusterfark is CNN .
Give credit where it ’ s due , as Manu Raju and Clare Foran don ’ t appear to be impressed with the happy talk and utter lack of actual agreement .
That ’ s more about the continuing resolution than the COVID-19 relief deal , but the two are now inextricably intertwined : As congressional leaders scramble to finalize a $ 900 billion Covid relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlikely that Congress will be able to get the long-awaited plan through both chambers by Friday night when a government shutdown looms .
With fewer than two days left on the clock , lawmakers are now discussing the possibility of extending the shutdown deadline , again , to allow more time for negotiations to lock down a deal and push it through the House and Senate .
The two issues are tied together since leaders want to tie the relief deal to a $ 1.4 trillion funding bill to keep the government open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tag could be close to $ 900 billion and it ’ s expected to include money for vaccine distribution and for schools , jobless benefits of $ 300 per week , roughly $ 330 billion for small business loans , and a new round of stimulus checks , which could be set at around $ 600 per individual under a certain income threshold .
While the proposal is also expected to include a $ 90 billion fund administered by FEMA to provide to states and cities , it will not include a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments that Democrats had demanded .
It also won ’ t include protections from lawsuits for businesses and others that opened up during the pandemic , a key GOP priority .
If this sounds repetitive , it is .
We ’ re writing about the same deal over and over again because Congress has fussed over the same details for spending their imaginary money for the last four months .
As I wrote yesterday , it ’ s essentially the same deal that Congress could have easily passed any time over the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of compromise have been hiding in plain sight all along .
And yet , even more than a month after the election essentially negated even the last arguable electoral advantages for both sides , they ’ re still stubbornly refusing to split money that doesn ’ t truly exist in the first place .
If someone wrote this as satire of the crumbling credibility of national institutions , no one would have bought it .
To quote my friend and colleague Cam Edwards at Bearing Arms , “ Everything is stupid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time.
” Stand by for tomorrow ’ s breathless update of the Generalissimo Francisco Franco bill !
Update : I may have spoken too soon .
Politico ’ s Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer also sound skeptical : Well , you have to pass it to find out what ’ s in it , as Pelosi once famously advised .
On that basis , this might be the most well-kept secret in Congress .

Oh wait, that’s not quite how every major news outlet reports the status of the COVID-19 relief package negotiations. Their nearly universal description is “nearing agreement.” That’s how NBC describes it, while ABC reports “Congress close to COVID-19 relief deal.” CBS uses “Congress nears” for its report. You get the gist.
The Associated Press reported an hour ago that the deal still valiantly struggles to stay in the same distance from success that it’s enjoyed since July, too. They just put it more optimistically. Suckers.
Congressional negotiators are closing in on a $900 billion COVID-19 economic relief package that would deliver additional help to businesses, $300-per-week jobless checks and $600 stimulus payments to most Americans. But there was no deal quite yet. The long-delayed measure was coming together as Capitol Hill combatants finally fashioned difficult compromises, often at the expense of more ambitious Democratic wishes for the legislation, to complete the second major relief package of the coronavirus pandemic.
Wasn’t that supposed to happen yesterday? Indeed it was, but Lucy unexpectedly yanked the football away again. Who could’ve guessed that?
A hoped-for announcement Wednesday failed to materialize as lawmakers across the spectrum hammered out details of the sprawling legislation and top negotiators continued to trade offers. But lawmakers briefed on the outlines of the aid bill freely shared them.
About the only media outlet with the proper perspective on this congressional clusterfark is CNN. Give credit where it’s due, as Manu Raju and Clare Foran don’t appear to be impressed with the happy talk and utter lack of actual agreement. That’s more about the continuing resolution than the COVID-19 relief deal, but the two are now inextricably intertwined:
As congressional leaders scramble to finalize a $900 billion Covid relief deal, it’s growing increasingly unlikely that Congress will be able to get the long-awaited plan through both chambers by Friday night when a government shutdown looms. With fewer than two days left on the clock, lawmakers are now discussing the possibility of extending the shutdown deadline, again, to allow more time for negotiations to lock down a deal and push it through the House and Senate. The two issues are tied together since leaders want to tie the relief deal to a $1.4 trillion funding bill to keep the government open through next September. … The price tag could be close to $900 billion and it’s expected to include money for vaccine distribution and for schools, jobless benefits of $300 per week, roughly $330 billion for small business loans, and a new round of stimulus checks, which could be set at around $600 per individual under a certain income threshold. While the proposal is also expected to include a $90 billion fund administered by FEMA to provide to states and cities, it will not include a large pot of money for state and local governments that Democrats had demanded. It also won’t include protections from lawsuits for businesses and others that opened up during the pandemic, a key GOP priority.
If this sounds repetitive, it is. We’re writing about the same deal over and over again because Congress has fussed over the same details for spending their imaginary money for the last four months. As I wrote yesterday, it’s essentially the same deal that Congress could have easily passed any time over the last four months. The elements for this kind of compromise have been hiding in plain sight all along.
And yet, even more than a month after the election essentially negated even the last arguable electoral advantages for both sides, they’re still stubbornly refusing to split money that doesn’t truly exist in the first place. If someone wrote this as satire of the crumbling credibility of national institutions, no one would have bought it. To quote my friend and colleague Cam Edwards at Bearing Arms, “Everything is stupid, and it’s getting stupider all the time.” Stand by for tomorrow’s breathless update of the Generalissimo Francisco Franco bill!
Update: I may have spoken too soon. Politico’s Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer also sound skeptical:
So here we are. It's Thursday morning, the government shuts down Friday, and we haven’t seen a word of the $1 trillion-plus in government spending and nearly $1 trillion in Covid relief.https://t.co/9VfypEIsQV — POLITICO (@politico) December 17, 2020
Well, you have to pass it to find out what’s in it, as Pelosi once famously advised. On that basis, this might be the most well-kept secret in Congress.


hotair--2020-12-18--New Jersey sued by Smith & Wesson

New Jersey sued by Smith & Wesson

Turnabout is fair play , as the saying goes .
Since liberals and their elected officials across the country are constantly suing the gun industry in an effort to undermine gun rights , the shoe may be on the other foot in New Jersey next year .
Smith & Wesson has filed a lawsuit against the Garden State and New Jersey ’ s Democratic Attorney General , Gurbir Grewal .
At issue is a subpoena that Grewal issued to the firearms manufacturer seeking ten year ’ s worth of advertising and sales revenue .
Smith & Wesson has identified the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company ’ s First Amendment rights and an effort to intimidate them into accepting new restrictions on their operations as part of settlements in frivolous lawsuits .
( Free Beacon ) Smith & Wesson sued the state Tuesday in response to a broad subpoena issued by New Jersey attorney general Gurbir Grewal ( D. ) .
The case , filed in federal district court , seeks to have the subpoena—which demanded a decade ’ s worth of advertising and sales records—thrown out and declared unconstitutional .
“ The New Jersey Attorney General has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith & Wesson ’ s speech , and with the intention of damaging Smith & Wesson both financially and reputationally , ” the complaint from the company said .
“ The most recent such action is the issuance of an administrative subpoena … on October 13 , 2020 , that allegedly seeks evidence of consumer fraud relating to advertising – but in reality , it seeks to suppress and punish lawful speech regarding gun ownership in order to advance an anti-Second Amendment agenda that the Attorney General publicly committed to pursue.
” Grewal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into potential “ consumer fraud ” and the company ’ s advertising and sales records are part of that effort .
But even if there were some sort of complaint spurring this investigation , what sort of “ consumer fraud ” would Smith & Wesson be engaging in ?
They advertise firearms and supporting products .
Unless the weapons can be shown to be inoperable or lacking in required safety features , what sort of deceptive advertising could they really manage ?
What ’ s going on in New Jersey is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Free Beacon spoke to a senior attorney for the National Shooting Sports Foundation who described the process .
The state drums up some sort of complaint , seeking to force the company to run up huge legal fees defending itself .
Then they offer a settlement to avoid going to court , but in addition to damages , they attempt to force the company to agree to new restrictions on its operations .
These act as de facto gun control regulations that liberal legislators aren ’ t able to pass into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of facts that suggest Smith & Wesson ’ s efforts to fight back may face an uphill battle .
First of all , state law in New Jersey gives the Attorney General broad powers in terms of issuing subpoenas for almost any reason ( or no reason at all ) .
And those same laws make if very difficult to force the AG to show his cards if there ’ s an “ ongoing investigation ” that can be cited .
The second fact is that this tactic has been used before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfortunately achieved at least some levels of success .
Look no further than the many years worth of frivolous lawsuits brought against Remington Arms by liberal gun-grabbing groups claiming to be representing the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook mass shooting .
Despite repeated defeats in a number of courts as they sought a way to sidestep the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act , they tied up Remington Arms in the courts for the better part of a decade .
And while this certainly wasn ’ t the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a series of setbacks that led to the company filing for bankruptcy multiple times and finally shutting down their main manufacturing plant this year .
It ’ s still possible that the recently reinvigorated conservative wing of the Supreme Court might eventually wind up having to take a look at this suit , potentially shutting down this back-door effort to restrict Second Amendment rights and undermine the PLCAA .
But we ’ re still in the very early stages of this show and it could take years before things reach that level @

Turnabout is fair play, as the saying goes. Since liberals and their elected officials across the country are constantly suing the gun industry in an effort to undermine gun rights, the shoe may be on the other foot in New Jersey next year. Smith & Wesson has filed a lawsuit against the Garden State and New Jersey’s Democratic Attorney General, Gurbir Grewal. At issue is a subpoena that Grewal issued to the firearms manufacturer seeking ten year’s worth of advertising and sales revenue. Smith & Wesson has identified the sweeping request as an infringement on the company’s First Amendment rights and an effort to intimidate them into accepting new restrictions on their operations as part of settlements in frivolous lawsuits. (Free Beacon)
Smith & Wesson sued the state Tuesday in response to a broad subpoena issued by New Jersey attorney general Gurbir Grewal (D.). The case, filed in federal district court, seeks to have the subpoena—which demanded a decade’s worth of advertising and sales records—thrown out and declared unconstitutional. “The New Jersey Attorney General has taken a series of actions to suppress Smith & Wesson’s speech, and with the intention of damaging Smith & Wesson both financially and reputationally,” the complaint from the company said. “The most recent such action is the issuance of an administrative subpoena … on October 13, 2020, that allegedly seeks evidence of consumer fraud relating to advertising – but in reality, it seeks to suppress and punish lawful speech regarding gun ownership in order to advance an anti-Second Amendment agenda that the Attorney General publicly committed to pursue.”
Grewal is claiming that he’s conducting an investigation into potential “consumer fraud” and the company’s advertising and sales records are part of that effort. But even if there were some sort of complaint spurring this investigation, what sort of “consumer fraud” would Smith & Wesson be engaging in? They advertise firearms and supporting products. Unless the weapons can be shown to be inoperable or lacking in required safety features, what sort of deceptive advertising could they really manage?
What’s going on in New Jersey is an obvious example of a fishing expedition. The Free Beacon spoke to a senior attorney for the National Shooting Sports Foundation who described the process. The state drums up some sort of complaint, seeking to force the company to run up huge legal fees defending itself. Then they offer a settlement to avoid going to court, but in addition to damages, they attempt to force the company to agree to new restrictions on its operations. These act as de facto gun control regulations that liberal legislators aren’t able to pass into law.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of facts that suggest Smith & Wesson’s efforts to fight back may face an uphill battle. First of all, state law in New Jersey gives the Attorney General broad powers in terms of issuing subpoenas for almost any reason (or no reason at all). And those same laws make if very difficult to force the AG to show his cards if there’s an “ongoing investigation” that can be cited.
The second fact is that this tactic has been used before by other liberal groups and they have unfortunately achieved at least some levels of success. Look no further than the many years worth of frivolous lawsuits brought against Remington Arms by liberal gun-grabbing groups claiming to be representing the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook mass shooting. Despite repeated defeats in a number of courts as they sought a way to sidestep the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, they tied up Remington Arms in the courts for the better part of a decade. And while this certainly wasn’t the only driving factor, it was clearly part of a series of setbacks that led to the company filing for bankruptcy multiple times and finally shutting down their main manufacturing plant this year.
It’s still possible that the recently reinvigorated conservative wing of the Supreme Court might eventually wind up having to take a look at this suit, potentially shutting down this back-door effort to restrict Second Amendment rights and undermine the PLCAA. But we’re still in the very early stages of this show and it could take years before things reach that level.


hotair--2020-12-18--The List: Some government officials deemed more important than others in line for the COVID-19 vacci

The List: Some government officials deemed more important than others in line for the COVID-19 vaccine

Several days ago the top government officials who will be at the front of the line to be vaccinated were announced .
The White House , leaders on Capitol Hill , and in the judiciary will receive priority appointments for the vaccination against COVID-19 .
It is part of continuity-of-government planning .
This morning Vice-President Mike Pence , Second Lady Karen Pence , and the Surgeon General made a joint appearance to receive their vaccinations on camera .
Besides the continuity-of-government angle for Pence , it was a good move for the nation ’ s top doc and the vice-president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else to do the same when the vaccine becomes widely available .
National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot confirmed that senior government officials will be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines .
Officials in all three branches of government are included .
“ Senior officials across all three branches of government will receive vaccinations pursuant to continuity of government protocols established in executive policy , ” Ullyot said in a statement .
“ The American people should have confidence that they are receiving the same safe and effective vaccine as senior officials of the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health professionals and national security leadership.
” A senior administration official pointed to guidance under Presidential Policy Directive 40 , which provides for parallel continuity-of-government actions in both the legislative and judicial branches when undertaken by the executive branch .
The official said that in this case , people essential to the continuity of government , including in Congress , should receive vaccine priority .
Attending Physician Brian Monahan and his staff on Capitol Hill will be responsible for administering the vaccines .
In the Senate , Roy Blunt , chair of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoken to Monahan about the process .
At the time of the announcement that the officials would receive the vaccines , the number of doses that would be available was unclear .
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said discussions had been ongoing for some time , even before the Pfizer vaccine was granted emergency use authorization .
“ Of course , many qualify in terms of the high-risk groups in terms of age , ” Hoyer said .
“ But in addition to that , clearly , it is critical that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it can operate on a continuing basis given the challenges that confront us a great immediacy.
” “ I think there will be many people at the Capitol who will meet the requirements of first responders and people with comorbidities and other things , and I think the more places you ’ re giving , making the vaccine available , where you have the capacity to deliver it , the quicker we get to where we ant to get , ” Blunt said last week .
Here ’ s the thing – vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population and residency .
In other words , lawmakers will receive their vaccines out of the allotment given to their home state .
Members of Congress maintain their home state residency , as do many staffers , though they work in Washington , D.C. And , the point is being stressed that supplies are limited and only being offered to those officials deemed most essential for the government to operate smoothly .
Their spouses , by the way , are not on the list .
Dr. Monahan distributed a “ Dear Colleague ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ My recommendation to you is absolutely unequivocal : there is no reason why you should defer receiving this vaccine , ” Attending Physician Brian P. Monahan said in a “ Dear Colleague ” letter sent to House members and staff late Thursday .
“ The benefit far exceeds any small risk.
” Monahan said there was a limited supply of the vaccine and congressional spouses are not currently eligible because the Capitol is being provided with doses to ensure the continuity of government operations .
Members are being encouraged to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech — in the Rayburn Building .
“ Once we have completed the vaccination of the Members , we will follow a process to identify the continuity-essential staff members in the various divisions of the Capitol community in the coming weeks , ” Monahan wrote .
“ The appointing process will then continue until the small vaccine supply is exhausted .
A second dose scheduling process will then begin later.
” On Thursday night , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed he will take the vaccination citing his own correspondence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the vaccine , he ’ ll continue following coronavirus guidelines like wearing a face mask and social distancing .
Speaker Pelosi said she ’ ll do the same within the next few days .
Senate President Pro Tempore Charles E. Grassley hasn ’ t made his decision known yet .
“ Because of government continuity requirements , I have been informed by the Office of the Attending Physician that I am eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine , which I will accept in the coming days , ” the Kentucky Republican , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
“ Even with a vaccine , I will continue following [ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ] guidelines by wearing a mask , practicing social distancing , and washing my hands frequently .
I would strongly encourage everyone to continue following these important guidelines , ” the 78-year-old McConnell said .
“ It is the only way we will defeat COVID-19 once and for all.
” It is still not clear whether there is a vaccine allotment for this purpose , with only five federal departments and agencies having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of COVID19 vaccine doses we will be provided reflects a fraction of the first tranche of vaccines as it is distributed throughout the country , ” the attending physician wrote .
The National Security Council said in a Sunday statement that top officials in all three branches would be prioritized for vaccines .
The District of Columbia Department of Health has said the vaccine doses will not come from their allocation .
Army Gen. Gustave Perna , the chief operating officer for Warp Speed , said that five federal agencies have their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Defense , Department of State , Indian Health Services , and Bureau of Federal Prisons .
Pence ’ s dose is thought to come from his home state of Indiana ’ s allotment , the same is true for Biden ’ s dose which will come from Delaware ’ s allotment .
Biden says he ’ ll be vaccinated next week .
A Supreme Court spokesperson said the court is aware of the NSC ’ s statement on vaccines for the justices but offered no details .
Chief Justice John G. Roberts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are both Maryland residents and neither are on the priority list because of the limited supply allotted to Maryland .
If push comes to shove , I would assume that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ranks higher than the House Majority Leader , though Hoyer ’ s age puts him in the high-risk category .
Many in all three branches are high-risk because of their ages alone .
It will be interesting to see who makes the first cut for vaccines .
There are a lot of big egos on Capitol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it on camera , too , to send a message to their constituents that taking the vaccine is an important step in handling the coronavirus pandemic .

Several days ago the top government officials who will be at the front of the line to be vaccinated were announced. The White House, leaders on Capitol Hill, and in the judiciary will receive priority appointments for the vaccination against COVID-19. It is part of continuity-of-government planning.
This morning Vice-President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, and the Surgeon General made a joint appearance to receive their vaccinations on camera. Besides the continuity-of-government angle for Pence, it was a good move for the nation’s top doc and the vice-president to lead by example and encourage everyone else to do the same when the vaccine becomes widely available.
National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot confirmed that senior government officials will be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines. Officials in all three branches of government are included.
“Senior officials across all three branches of government will receive vaccinations pursuant to continuity of government protocols established in executive policy,” Ullyot said in a statement. “The American people should have confidence that they are receiving the same safe and effective vaccine as senior officials of the United States government on the advice of public health professionals and national security leadership.” A senior administration official pointed to guidance under Presidential Policy Directive 40, which provides for parallel continuity-of-government actions in both the legislative and judicial branches when undertaken by the executive branch. The official said that in this case, people essential to the continuity of government, including in Congress, should receive vaccine priority.
Attending Physician Brian Monahan and his staff on Capitol Hill will be responsible for administering the vaccines. In the Senate, Roy Blunt, chair of the Senate Rules and Administration said he has spoken to Monahan about the process. At the time of the announcement that the officials would receive the vaccines, the number of doses that would be available was unclear. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said discussions had been ongoing for some time, even before the Pfizer vaccine was granted emergency use authorization.
“Of course, many qualify in terms of the high-risk groups in terms of age,” Hoyer said. “But in addition to that, clearly, it is critical that we have the Congress in a condition where it can operate on a continuing basis given the challenges that confront us a great immediacy.” “I think there will be many people at the Capitol who will meet the requirements of first responders and people with comorbidities and other things, and I think the more places you’re giving, making the vaccine available, where you have the capacity to deliver it, the quicker we get to where we ant to get,” Blunt said last week.
Here’s the thing – vaccines are supposed to be distributed based on population and residency. In other words, lawmakers will receive their vaccines out of the allotment given to their home state. Members of Congress maintain their home state residency, as do many staffers, though they work in Washington, D.C. And, the point is being stressed that supplies are limited and only being offered to those officials deemed most essential for the government to operate smoothly. Their spouses, by the way, are not on the list.
Dr. Monahan distributed a “Dear Colleague” letter to House members and some staffers.
“My recommendation to you is absolutely unequivocal: there is no reason why you should defer receiving this vaccine,” Attending Physician Brian P. Monahan said in a “Dear Colleague” letter sent to House members and staff late Thursday. “The benefit far exceeds any small risk.” Monahan said there was a limited supply of the vaccine and congressional spouses are not currently eligible because the Capitol is being provided with doses to ensure the continuity of government operations. Members are being encouraged to make appointments to get the vaccine — the one manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech — in the Rayburn Building. “Once we have completed the vaccination of the Members, we will follow a process to identify the continuity-essential staff members in the various divisions of the Capitol community in the coming weeks,” Monahan wrote. “The appointing process will then continue until the small vaccine supply is exhausted. A second dose scheduling process will then begin later.”
On Thursday night, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed he will take the vaccination citing his own correspondence with Dr. Monahan. He said even with the vaccine, he’ll continue following coronavirus guidelines like wearing a face mask and social distancing. Speaker Pelosi said she’ll do the same within the next few days. Senate President Pro Tempore Charles E. Grassley hasn’t made his decision known yet.
“Because of government continuity requirements, I have been informed by the Office of the Attending Physician that I am eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, which I will accept in the coming days,” the Kentucky Republican, who is a polio survivor, said in a statement. “Even with a vaccine, I will continue following [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and washing my hands frequently. I would strongly encourage everyone to continue following these important guidelines,” the 78-year-old McConnell said. “It is the only way we will defeat COVID-19 once and for all.”
It is still not clear whether there is a vaccine allotment for this purpose, with only five federal departments and agencies having announced special supplies. “The small number of COVID19 vaccine doses we will be provided reflects a fraction of the first tranche of vaccines as it is distributed throughout the country,” the attending physician wrote. The National Security Council said in a Sunday statement that top officials in all three branches would be prioritized for vaccines. The District of Columbia Department of Health has said the vaccine doses will not come from their allocation.
Army Gen. Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer for Warp Speed, said that five federal agencies have their own allotments – Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, Department of State, Indian Health Services, and Bureau of Federal Prisons.
Pence’s dose is thought to come from his home state of Indiana’s allotment, the same is true for Biden’s dose which will come from Delaware’s allotment. Biden says he’ll be vaccinated next week. A Supreme Court spokesperson said the court is aware of the NSC’s statement on vaccines for the justices but offered no details. Chief Justice John G. Roberts and House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer are both Maryland residents and neither are on the priority list because of the limited supply allotted to Maryland. If push comes to shove, I would assume that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ranks higher than the House Majority Leader, though Hoyer’s age puts him in the high-risk category. Many in all three branches are high-risk because of their ages alone. It will be interesting to see who makes the first cut for vaccines. There are a lot of big egos on Capitol Hill. All of them should do it on camera, too, to send a message to their constituents that taking the vaccine is an important step in handling the coronavirus pandemic.


hotair--2020-12-18--Portland cleans up homeless boat encampment known as 'Pirates of the Columbia River'

A significant portion of the border between Washington State and Oregon is the Columbia River .
Recently , people entering Oregon on Interstate 5 would cross a bridge and immediately see a mess of vandalized boats tied up near Hayden Island in the center of the river .
At the base of the Interstate Bridge on Hayden Island are two old military vessels — the Alert and the Sakarissa .
Ownership issues have left the ships vulnerable .
Within the past year both have been boarded , damaged and tagged by people living in a growing homeless camp on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can kind of see the progress over the months .
They ’ ve been completely vandalized .
They ’ ve now been broken into .
I can only imagine what has been taken and stolen from the insides , ” said Sgt .
Steve Dangler of the Multnomah County Sheriff ’ s River Patrol Unit .
In addition to being an eyesore for people on the bridge , the site has become a location connected to frequent thefts from other residents of Hayden Island .
In fact , that ’ s where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their nickname .
Earlier this month KATU did a story about the situation .
The leader of a group called the Waterfront Organizations of Oregon told the channel , “ The pirates raid our communities .
They threaten our people .
They steal our property.
” He added , “ This has got to come to an end.
” The good news is that the KATU story seems to have prompted some action .
Yesterday , crews showed up to clear out the area : Along the shore , there used to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That is now being cleared and cleaned up by a crew contracted by the property owners .
They removed the old gang-plank that let people get from ship to shore , loaded it onto a trailer , and hauled it away… Contractors say the clearing and clean-up should be done in the next day or two .
The boats may take a while longer , but the River Patrol says the family who owns them is working on getting them out of the water .
One of the people who has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been offended by being called a pirate .
He claims he ’ s bagged up trash and isn ’ t doing any harm .
But it ’ s clear from the before and after pictures that the boats have been heavily vandalized and police say at least one person has drowned at the site .
The law-free zones for the homeless don ’ t work out for anyone , certainly not the neighbors who become victims of theft used to support people ’ s drug habits .
KATU ’ s report on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfortunately it can ’ t be embedded so you ’ ll have to click here for that .

A significant portion of the border between Washington State and Oregon is the Columbia River. Recently, people entering Oregon on Interstate 5 would cross a bridge and immediately see a mess of vandalized boats tied up near Hayden Island in the center of the river.
At the base of the Interstate Bridge on Hayden Island are two old military vessels — the Alert and the Sakarissa. Ownership issues have left the ships vulnerable. Within the past year both have been boarded, damaged and tagged by people living in a growing homeless camp on the shore next to the ships. “You can kind of see the progress over the months. They’ve been completely vandalized. They’ve now been broken into. I can only imagine what has been taken and stolen from the insides,” said Sgt. Steve Dangler of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s River Patrol Unit.
In addition to being an eyesore for people on the bridge, the site has become a location connected to frequent thefts from other residents of Hayden Island. In fact, that’s where this group of homeless people picked up their nickname.
“The Pirates of the Columbia,” said Carol Kersley whose boat was stolen, “because they steal anything that’s not nailed down.”
Earlier this month KATU did a story about the situation. The leader of a group called the Waterfront Organizations of Oregon told the channel, “The pirates raid our communities. They threaten our people. They steal our property.” He added, “This has got to come to an end.”
The good news is that the KATU story seems to have prompted some action. Yesterday, crews showed up to clear out the area:
Along the shore, there used to be a homeless camp and piles of garbage. That is now being cleared and cleaned up by a crew contracted by the property owners. They removed the old gang-plank that let people get from ship to shore, loaded it onto a trailer, and hauled it away… Contractors say the clearing and clean-up should be done in the next day or two. The boats may take a while longer, but the River Patrol says the family who owns them is working on getting them out of the water.
One of the people who has been living in the boats seems to have been offended by being called a pirate. He claims he’s bagged up trash and isn’t doing any harm. But it’s clear from the before and after pictures that the boats have been heavily vandalized and police say at least one person has drowned at the site.
The law-free zones for the homeless don’t work out for anyone, certainly not the neighbors who become victims of theft used to support people’s drug habits. KATU’s report on the clean up is worth a look but unfortunately it can’t be embedded so you’ll have to click here for that.


hotair--2020-12-18--Why isn't Trump the face of the vaccine rollout this week?

I asked this question yesterday and the AP is asking it today , citing aides to the president himself who are perplexed at seeing him avoid the spotlight .
The distribution of the vaccine is his biggest achievement and it ’ s getting tons of ecstatic media coverage .
If ever there were a moment for a spotlight-seeking born salesman to elbow everyone out of the way and take center stage , it ’ s right now .
One would think he ’ d be on TV three hours a day every day for the past week talking about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country owes everything to him and Operation Warp Speed , on and on .
Instead he ’ s nowhere to be found .
He ’ s barely even tweeting about it .
He allowed Mike Pence , of all people , to do the big star turn on behalf of the White House this morning by getting vaccinated for the cameras .
It ’ s totally uncharacteristic .
He ’ s missing in action from his finest hour .
Five days into the largest vaccination campaign in the nation ’ s history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to sell the American public on what aides hope will be a key part of his legacy .
He has held no public events to trumpet the rollout .
He hasn ’ t been inoculated himself .
And he has tweeted fewer than a handful of times about the shot .
Trump ’ s relative silence comes as he continues to stew about his defeat in the Nov. 3 election and embraces increasingly extreme efforts to overturn the people ’ s will .
He ’ s pushed aside the plans of aides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face of the vaccination campaign , eschewing visits to labs and production facilities to thank workers , or hosting efforts to build public confidence in the shot , according to people familiar with the conversations… But many Trump aides are puzzled by his low profile now that the vaccine is actually being injected .
They see it as a missed opportunity for the president , who leaves office at noon on Jan. 20 , to claim credit for helping oversee the speedy development and deployment of the vaccine that is expected to finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 310,000 Americans .
Yeah , why no trip to a Pfizer plant somewhere to do a thumbs-up photo with a big pallet of vaccine doses ?
“ The president ’ s relatively low profile on the COVID response since the election is curious and counter to Mr. Trump ’ s own interests , ” said one public health expert to the AP .
“ Having exhibited leadership in the vaccines ’ development , he should take great pride in publicly demonstrating his trust in COVID vaccines , ” Even Sleepy Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s anything he ’ d thank Trump for , said , “ There are some things .
I think what he ’ s done , getting the vaccine moving , has been positive.
” Operation Warp Speed is one of the few Trump initiatives that even Democrats feel grudgingly obliged to credit him with .
Why isn ’ t he taking his victory lap ?
Four theories , from most innocuous to most sinister : 1 .
He wants Pence to get the limelight that rightly belongs to him as a show of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VP for his leadership of the COVID task force .
Likelihood : Zero percent .
2 .
He ’ s deeply depressed over the election and consumed psychologically with theories that he was cheated , to the exclusion of nearly everything else — the vaccine , the atrocious daily COVID death toll , the Russian mega-hack , everything .
Likelihood : 50 percent .
The catch with Haberman ’ s theory is that he ’ s worn a mask at times , as recently as last weekend ’ s Army/Navy game , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ weak ” as well .
He wisely agreed to go to Walter Reed when he had COVID rather than try to tough it out at the White House despite the risk that that would also make him look “ weak.
” One would think that the fantastic achievement represented by the vaccine and the credit owed to him for it would offset any qualms he might have about being seen as weak by receiving a dose .
Besides , if he ’ s squeamish about looking weak , he could always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it in a statement .
Likelihood : 10 percent .
4 .
He ’ s keenly aware that many of his hardcore fans are anti-vax or en route to becoming anti-vax , especially now that Democrats are about to take charge of the distribution process .
He ’ s an avid consumer of populist media , where COVID disinformation is plentiful and vaccine skepticism is already beginning to trickle into even mainstream programming .
And he ’ s expressed skepticism about vaccines in the past himself , predisposing him to eventually adopting crankish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now that he no longer has an electoral interest in the vaccine ’ s success , and in fact has a personal interest in seeing it fail since that would leave Biden with a giant mess , he ’ s already begun turning against it out of spite .
Likelihood : 40 percent .
I guess we ’ ll have to rely on leadership-by-example from lesser officials .
I ’ ll leave you with a few tweets .

I asked this question yesterday and the AP is asking it today, citing aides to the president himself who are perplexed at seeing him avoid the spotlight. The distribution of the vaccine is his biggest achievement and it’s getting tons of ecstatic media coverage. If ever there were a moment for a spotlight-seeking born salesman to elbow everyone out of the way and take center stage, it’s right now. One would think he’d be on TV three hours a day every day for the past week talking about how phenomenal the vaccine is, how the country owes everything to him and Operation Warp Speed, on and on.
Instead he’s nowhere to be found. He’s barely even tweeting about it. He allowed Mike Pence, of all people, to do the big star turn on behalf of the White House this morning by getting vaccinated for the cameras. It’s totally uncharacteristic. He’s missing in action from his finest hour.
What’s up?
Five days into the largest vaccination campaign in the nation’s history, Trump has been largely absent from the effort to sell the American public on what aides hope will be a key part of his legacy. He has held no public events to trumpet the rollout. He hasn’t been inoculated himself. And he has tweeted fewer than a handful of times about the shot. Trump’s relative silence comes as he continues to stew about his defeat in the Nov. 3 election and embraces increasingly extreme efforts to overturn the people’s will. He’s pushed aside the plans of aides who wanted him to be the public face of the vaccination campaign, eschewing visits to labs and production facilities to thank workers, or hosting efforts to build public confidence in the shot, according to people familiar with the conversations… But many Trump aides are puzzled by his low profile now that the vaccine is actually being injected. They see it as a missed opportunity for the president, who leaves office at noon on Jan. 20, to claim credit for helping oversee the speedy development and deployment of the vaccine that is expected to finally contain the virus that has killed more than 310,000 Americans.
Yeah, why no trip to a Pfizer plant somewhere to do a thumbs-up photo with a big pallet of vaccine doses? “The president’s relatively low profile on the COVID response since the election is curious and counter to Mr. Trump’s own interests,” said one public health expert to the AP. “Having exhibited leadership in the vaccines’ development, he should take great pride in publicly demonstrating his trust in COVID vaccines,”
Even Sleepy Joe Biden, asked last night whether there’s anything he’d thank Trump for, said, “There are some things. I think what he’s done, getting the vaccine moving, has been positive.” Operation Warp Speed is one of the few Trump initiatives that even Democrats feel grudgingly obliged to credit him with. Why isn’t he taking his victory lap?
Four theories, from most innocuous to most sinister:
1. He wants Pence to get the limelight that rightly belongs to him as a show of magnanimity and appreciation, to thank the VP for his leadership of the COVID task force. Likelihood: Zero percent.
2. He’s deeply depressed over the election and consumed psychologically with theories that he was cheated, to the exclusion of nearly everything else — the vaccine, the atrocious daily COVID death toll, the Russian mega-hack, everything. Likelihood: 50 percent.
3. He’s worried about looking “weak”:
JUST NOW: "I have a theory… I don't think that he wants to be jabbed with a needle on live television…I think that he considers that to be some kind of an act of weakness."@maggieNYT on @realDonaldTrump's refusal (so far) to be publicly vaccinated.pic.twitter.com/HIHCL9usxj — John Berman (@JohnBerman) December 18, 2020
The catch with Haberman’s theory is that he’s worn a mask at times, as recently as last weekend’s Army/Navy game, even though that’s attacked by skeptics as “weak” as well. He wisely agreed to go to Walter Reed when he had COVID rather than try to tough it out at the White House despite the risk that that would also make him look “weak.” One would think that the fantastic achievement represented by the vaccine and the credit owed to him for it would offset any qualms he might have about being seen as weak by receiving a dose. Besides, if he’s squeamish about looking weak, he could always get the vaccine off-camera and then announce it in a statement. Likelihood: 10 percent.
4. He’s keenly aware that many of his hardcore fans are anti-vax or en route to becoming anti-vax, especially now that Democrats are about to take charge of the distribution process. He’s an avid consumer of populist media, where COVID disinformation is plentiful and vaccine skepticism is already beginning to trickle into even mainstream programming. And he’s expressed skepticism about vaccines in the past himself, predisposing him to eventually adopting crankish suspicions about Pfizer’s product. Now that he no longer has an electoral interest in the vaccine’s success, and in fact has a personal interest in seeing it fail since that would leave Biden with a giant mess, he’s already begun turning against it out of spite. Likelihood: 40 percent.
I guess we’ll have to rely on leadership-by-example from lesser officials. I’ll leave you with a few tweets.
Today, with confidence in science & at the direction of the Office of the Attending Physician, I received the COVID-19 vaccine. As the vaccine is being distributed, we must all continue mask wearing, social distancing & other science-based steps to save lives & crush the virus. pic.twitter.com/tijVCSnJd7 — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 18, 2020
Just received the safe, effective COVID vaccine following continuity-of-government protocols. Vaccines are how we beat this virus. Now back to continue fighting for a rescue package including a lot more money for distribution so more Americans can receive it as fast as possible. pic.twitter.com/kSBhI3EzzM — Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) December 18, 2020


hotair--2020-12-18--Chinese historian's latest book describes the awful truth of Mao's Cultural Revolution

Yang Jisheng is a Chinese historian who lived through the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution as a young man .
He started out as a member of the Communist Party and eventually became a reporter for a state news service .
But his viewpoint changed in 1989 after he saw the Party ’ s crackdown on student protesters in Tiananmen Square .
He used his access to primary sources as a Communist Party member and began putting together a book on the famines associated with the Great Leap Forward .
That book , titled Tombstone , was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths of more than 30 million people , was published in 2008 and translated into English four years later .
In 2016 , Yang published a follow up about Mao ’ s Cultural Revolution .
The English language translation of that book , titled The World Turned Upside Down , will be published next month .
Today the Atlantic published a profile of Yang that also offers a preview of the latest book .
The Cultural Revolution was Mao ’ s last attempt at creating the utopian socialist society he ’ d long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motivated less by ideology than by political survival .
Mao faced internal criticism for the catastrophe that was the Great Leap Forward .
He was unnerved by what had happened in the Soviet Union when Nikita Khrushchev began denouncing Joseph Stalin ’ s brutality after his death in 1953 .
China ’ s aging despot ( Mao turned 73 the year the revolution began ) couldn ’ t help but wonder which of his designated successors would similarly betray his legacy .
To purge suspected traitors from the upper echelons , Mao bypassed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his warriors students as young as 14 years old , the Red Guards , with caps and baggy uniforms cinched around their skinny waists .
In the summer of 1966 , they were unleashed to root out counterrevolutionaries and reactionaries ( “ Sweep away the monsters and demons , ” the People ’ s Daily exhorted ) , a mandate that amounted to a green light to torment real and imagined enemies .
The Red Guards persecuted their teachers .
They smashed antiques , burned books , and ransacked private homes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes , were among the bourgeois items targeted . )
Trying to rein in the overzealous youth , Mao ended up sending some 16 million teenagers and young adults out into rural areas to do hard labor .
He also dispatched military units to defuse the expanding violence , but the Cultural Revolution had taken on a life of its own… What started as casual brutality—class enemies forced to wear ridiculous dunce caps or stand in stress positions—degenerated into outright sadism .
On the outskirts of Beijing , where traffic-crammed ring roads now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , neighbors tortured and killed one another in the 1960s , using the cruelest methods imaginable .
People said to be the offspring of landlords were chopped up with farm implements and beheaded .
Male infants were torn apart by the legs to prevent them from growing up to take revenge .
In a famous massacre in Dao County , Hunan province , members of two rival factions—the Red Alliance and the Revolutionary Alliance—butchered one another .
So many bloated corpses floated down the Xiaoshui River that bodies clogged the dam downstream , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s surface .
During a series of massacres in Guangxi province , at least 80,000 people were murdered ; in one 1967 incident , the killers ate the livers and flesh of some of their victims .
When it was all over the death toll from the Cultural Revolution alone was around 1.5 million .
That figure only seems small because of the much greater death toll from the Great Leap Forward that preceded it .
Yang is no 81 years old and still lives in Beijing .
The Atlantic reports he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his new book , enough that he tried to delay it .
He was concerned it could have an impact on his grandson .
There ’ s no doubt that China is willing to clamp down on criticism of the Communist Party , even historical criticism .
Today the NY Times published a piece about the arrest of Chinese journalist Du Bin .
The journalist , Du Bin , 48 , was detained on Wednesday by police officers in Beijing , said his sister , Du Jirong .
Police officers told Ms. Du @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed under administrative detention for “ picking quarrels and provoking trouble.
” The vaguely worded offense is one that the government often uses to quell activism and discussion of social and political issues .
Friends of Mr. Du , who has worked as a freelance photographer for The New York Times , say they believe his detention may have been connected to several of his recent book projects .
One book , published in Taiwan in 2017 , was a historical account of what is known as the “ siege of Changchun , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese city in 1948 to starve out their rival Nationalist soldiers , leading to the deaths of at least 160,000 civilians .
Another book by Mr. Du , about the more nefarious aspects of Lenin ’ s experiments with Communism , was scheduled to be published in Taiwan on Jan. 1 , 2021 .
If China doesn ’ t like what you are saying , you disappear and they make up some charges against you and put you in prison .
That ’ s what happened to the independent journalists who were covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ displeased the party disappeared .
The Party may be less deadly than it once was but the essential disregard for individual rights goes on .
As for Yang ’ s new book , I ’ ve added it to my Christmas list this year .

Yang Jisheng is a Chinese historian who lived through the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution as a young man. He started out as a member of the Communist Party and eventually became a reporter for a state news service. But his viewpoint changed in 1989 after he saw the Party’s crackdown on student protesters in Tiananmen Square. He used his access to primary sources as a Communist Party member and began putting together a book on the famines associated with the Great Leap Forward.
That book, titled Tombstone, was an unsparing account of what led to the deaths of more than 30 million people, was published in 2008 and translated into English four years later.
In 2016, Yang published a follow up about Mao’s Cultural Revolution. The English language translation of that book, titled The World Turned Upside Down, will be published next month. Today the Atlantic published a profile of Yang that also offers a preview of the latest book.
The Cultural Revolution was Mao’s last attempt at creating the utopian socialist society he’d long envisioned, although he may have been motivated less by ideology than by political survival. Mao faced internal criticism for the catastrophe that was the Great Leap Forward. He was unnerved by what had happened in the Soviet Union when Nikita Khrushchev began denouncing Joseph Stalin’s brutality after his death in 1953. China’s aging despot (Mao turned 73 the year the revolution began) couldn’t help but wonder which of his designated successors would similarly betray his legacy. To purge suspected traitors from the upper echelons, Mao bypassed the Communist Party bureaucracy. He deputized as his warriors students as young as 14 years old, the Red Guards, with caps and baggy uniforms cinched around their skinny waists. In the summer of 1966, they were unleashed to root out counterrevolutionaries and reactionaries (“Sweep away the monsters and demons,” the People’s Daily exhorted), a mandate that amounted to a green light to torment real and imagined enemies. The Red Guards persecuted their teachers. They smashed antiques, burned books, and ransacked private homes. (Pianos and nylon stockings, Yang notes, were among the bourgeois items targeted.) Trying to rein in the overzealous youth, Mao ended up sending some 16 million teenagers and young adults out into rural areas to do hard labor. He also dispatched military units to defuse the expanding violence, but the Cultural Revolution had taken on a life of its own… What started as casual brutality—class enemies forced to wear ridiculous dunce caps or stand in stress positions—degenerated into outright sadism. On the outskirts of Beijing, where traffic-crammed ring roads now lead to walled compounds with luxury villas, neighbors tortured and killed one another in the 1960s, using the cruelest methods imaginable. People said to be the offspring of landlords were chopped up with farm implements and beheaded. Male infants were torn apart by the legs to prevent them from growing up to take revenge. In a famous massacre in Dao County, Hunan province, members of two rival factions—the Red Alliance and the Revolutionary Alliance—butchered one another. So many bloated corpses floated down the Xiaoshui River that bodies clogged the dam downstream, creating a red scum on the reservoir’s surface. During a series of massacres in Guangxi province, at least 80,000 people were murdered; in one 1967 incident, the killers ate the livers and flesh of some of their victims.
When it was all over the death toll from the Cultural Revolution alone was around 1.5 million. That figure only seems small because of the much greater death toll from the Great Leap Forward that preceded it.
Yang is no 81 years old and still lives in Beijing. The Atlantic reports he was nervous about the English publication of his new book, enough that he tried to delay it. He was concerned it could have an impact on his grandson. There’s no doubt that China is willing to clamp down on criticism of the Communist Party, even historical criticism. Today the NY Times published a piece about the arrest of Chinese journalist Du Bin.
The journalist, Du Bin, 48, was detained on Wednesday by police officers in Beijing, said his sister, Du Jirong. Police officers told Ms. Du on Thursday that her brother had been placed under administrative detention for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” The vaguely worded offense is one that the government often uses to quell activism and discussion of social and political issues. Friends of Mr. Du, who has worked as a freelance photographer for The New York Times, say they believe his detention may have been connected to several of his recent book projects. One book, published in Taiwan in 2017, was a historical account of what is known as the “siege of Changchun,” when Communist troops blockaded the northeastern Chinese city in 1948 to starve out their rival Nationalist soldiers, leading to the deaths of at least 160,000 civilians. Another book by Mr. Du, about the more nefarious aspects of Lenin’s experiments with Communism, was scheduled to be published in Taiwan on Jan. 1, 2021.
If China doesn’t like what you are saying, you disappear and they make up some charges against you and put you in prison. That’s what happened to the independent journalists who were covering the coronavirus outbreak. Even doctors who displeased the party disappeared. The Party may be less deadly than it once was but the essential disregard for individual rights goes on.
As for Yang’s new book, I’ve added it to my Christmas list this year.