hotair--2020-12-07--Report concludes "Havana Syndrome' likely caused by pulsed microwaves

This report by the National Academies of Sciences has apparently been around for a few months but it wasn ’ t until last Friday that it was available to the public .
It concludes that “ Havana Syndrome ” was likely caused by pulsed microwaves : The report adds that , “ Studies published in the open literature more than a half-century ago and over the subsequent decades by Western and Soviet sources provide circumstantial support for this possible mechanism.
” In October , GQ Magazine reported that government employees have continued to “ get hit ” by these attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the number of places where Americans have been hit has expanded beyond Havana , Moscow and China .
More recent attacks have taken place in Australia , London and even Arlington , Virginia .
Then , shortly after Thanksgiving 2019 , according to three sources familiar with the incident , a White House staffer was hit while walking her dog in Arlington , Virginia , a suburb of Washington , D.C .
According to a government source familiar with the incident , the staffer passed a parked van .
A man got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dog started seizing up .
Then she felt it too : a high-pitched ringing in her ears , an intense headache , and a tingling on the side of her face .
According to the source , this had happened to the staffer before .
In August 2019 , she had accompanied John Bolton , who was then the national security adviser , on a trip to London .
While the report is somewhat confident about what is happening , it does not reach any firm conclusions about who is responsible .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible evidence in that regard : Today NBC News published a story about one of the people who experienced such an attack .
Marc Polymeropoulos was a CIA agent for 26 years but in 2017 during a trip to Moscow he woke up and found himself unable to stand without falling over : “ I couldn ’ t stand up , ” he said .
“ I was falling over .
I had an incredible sense of nausea and ringing in my ears .
I was , frankly , terrified.
” Polymeropoulos , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBC ’ s Andrea Mitchell for the TODAY show Monday , never felt right again , and he came to believe he was among the American diplomats and spies who suffered from the so-called Havana Syndrome , the mysterious affliction that first cropped up among officers at the American embassy in Cuba in 2016… Polymeropoulos was the CIA ’ s deputy chief of operations for the Europe/Eurasia Mission Center when he went to Moscow , a job that includes overseeing operations against Russia .
If what happened to him was in fact a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He cut short his CIA career at 50 , and not a day goes by when he doesn ’ t experience a headache , he says… The State Department appears to be downplaying this report , suggesting it ’ s not conclusive .
I hope they are taking this more seriously in private than they are in public .
It can ’ t be an accident that people experience the same sounds and symptoms , all happen to work for the CIA .
And given that Putin ’ s Russia has no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spies and opposition figures using nerve agents , there ’ s no reason to think they would balk at this kind of less than lethal attacks on CIA agents .
Here ’ s NBC News ’ story on the new report :

This report by the National Academies of Sciences has apparently been around for a few months but it wasn’t until last Friday that it was available to the public. It concludes that “Havana Syndrome” was likely caused by pulsed microwaves:
The committee found the unusual presentation of acute, directional or location-specific early phase signs, symptoms and observations reported by DOS employees to be consistent with the effects of directed, pulsed radio frequency (RF) energy. Many of the chronic, nonspecific symptoms are also consistent with known RF effects such as dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, cognitive deficits and memory loss.
The report adds that, “Studies published in the open literature more than a half-century ago and over the subsequent decades by Western and Soviet sources provide circumstantial support for this possible mechanism.”
In October, GQ Magazine reported that government employees have continued to “get hit” by these attacks in the past year. In fact, the number of places where Americans have been hit has expanded beyond Havana, Moscow and China. More recent attacks have taken place in Australia, London and even Arlington, Virginia.
Then, shortly after Thanksgiving 2019, according to three sources familiar with the incident, a White House staffer was hit while walking her dog in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. According to a government source familiar with the incident, the staffer passed a parked van. A man got out and walked past her. Her dog started seizing up. Then she felt it too: a high-pitched ringing in her ears, an intense headache, and a tingling on the side of her face. According to the source, this had happened to the staffer before. In August 2019, she had accompanied John Bolton, who was then the national security adviser, on a trip to London.
While the report is somewhat confident about what is happening, it does not reach any firm conclusions about who is responsible. However, the CIA did put together some possible evidence in that regard:
A source directly familiar with the matter told NBC News the CIA, using mobile phone location data, had determined that some Russian intelligence agents who had worked on microwave weapons programs were present in the same cities at the same time that CIA officers suffered mysterious symptoms. CIA officials consider that a promising lead but not conclusive evidence.
Today NBC News published a story about one of the people who experienced such an attack. Marc Polymeropoulos was a CIA agent for 26 years but in 2017 during a trip to Moscow he woke up and found himself unable to stand without falling over:
“I couldn’t stand up,” he said. “I was falling over. I had an incredible sense of nausea and ringing in my ears. I was, frankly, terrified.” Polymeropoulos, who granted his first television interview to NBC’s Andrea Mitchell for the TODAY show Monday, never felt right again, and he came to believe he was among the American diplomats and spies who suffered from the so-called Havana Syndrome, the mysterious affliction that first cropped up among officers at the American embassy in Cuba in 2016… Polymeropoulos was the CIA’s deputy chief of operations for the Europe/Eurasia Mission Center when he went to Moscow, a job that includes overseeing operations against Russia. If what happened to him was in fact a Russian attack, it did its job. He cut short his CIA career at 50, and not a day goes by when he doesn’t experience a headache, he says…
The State Department appears to be downplaying this report, suggesting it’s not conclusive. I hope they are taking this more seriously in private than they are in public. It can’t be an accident that people experience the same sounds and symptoms, all happen to work for the CIA. And given that Putin’s Russia has no hesitation about trying to murder former Russian spies and opposition figures using nerve agents, there’s no reason to think they would balk at this kind of less than lethal attacks on CIA agents.
Here’s NBC News’ story on the new report:


hotair--2020-12-07--Arizona legislature shuts down for the week due to exposure to Rudy Giuliani

“ [ A ] person in contact with the former mayor said he began feeling ill late this past week , ” the Times reported last night .
On Thursday he participated in a hearing before Republicans in Georgia ’ s state legislature .
The day before that , he spoke at great length at a hearing before state GOP legislators in Arizona .
People with COVID can be infectious to others for “ several days ” before they begin to experience symptoms .
Conspiracy theories and disinformation may not have been the only things Rudy was spreading recently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislature will be shuttered this week as a precaution for fear that Giuliani inadvertently poisoned their bodies , not just their minds .
Giuliani had spent more than 10 hours discussing election concerns with Arizona Republicans — including two members of Congress and at least 13 current and future state lawmakers — at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix last Monday .
He led the meeting maskless , flouting social distancing guidelines and posing for photos .
Giuliani also met privately with Republican lawmakers and legislative leadership the next day , according to lawmakers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted Sunday evening that some representatives-elect who ’ d attended the Hyatt event attended an orientation for new lawmakers later in the week , possibly exposing additional legislators and Capitol staff… Some GOP lawmakers scheduled to take office next month , such as Representative-elect Judy Burges and Senator-elect Wendy Rogers , also attended .
Audience members were spread out , but a photo posted by the Arizona Republican Party showed many participants , including Giuliani and Trump legal adviser Jenna Ellis , posing close together for a group photo .
During the hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seated three feet away from him to … take her mask off : It ’ s frankly amazing that it took him this long to get infected .
According to Newsweek , no fewer than 40 people in Trump ’ s inner circles at the White House and the campaign have been infected with COVID so far .
Giuliani had somehow managed to avoid it .
He was part of the same debate-prep team for Trump as Chris Christie , Kellyanne Conway , Hope Hicks , and the president himself , all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not Rudy .
His own son tested positive a few weeks ago , the day after he attended the now-famous press conference at which Giuliani and Sidney Powell laid out their theories about a conspiracy to rig the vote — but Rudy was fine .
To all appearances he ’ s never been a stickler about wearing masks either .
Yet until this week , almost miraculously , he had somehow had managed to tiptoe through the raindrops and avoid catching coronavirus .
Eventually the odds caught up to him .
Reportedly he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today , supposedly experiencing “ mild symptoms.
” I ’ m skeptical about that last part .
Would a hospital really sacrifice a bed , even for a VIP , to treat him for “ mild symptoms ” at a moment when they ’ re under pressure from COVID ’ s spread ?
Trump and Christie were each hospitalized for a time and recovered but each had more than “ mild symptoms ” during their stays .
I hope Rudy gets well soon , not just for reasons of basic compassion but because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contracted a debilitating disease while working on a project as futile and ignoble as the Trump campaign ’ s embarrassing election lawsuits .
Speaking of which , I ’ ll leave you with this .
Giuliani ’ s helped to put a lot of people in danger over the past four weeks , and not every example is related to COVID .

“[A] person in contact with the former mayor said he began feeling ill late this past week,” the Times reported last night. On Thursday he participated in a hearing before Republicans in Georgia’s state legislature. The day before that, he spoke at great length at a hearing before state GOP legislators in Arizona.
People with COVID can be infectious to others for “several days” before they begin to experience symptoms.
Conspiracy theories and disinformation may not have been the only things Rudy was spreading recently, in other words. The entire Arizona legislature will be shuttered this week as a precaution for fear that Giuliani inadvertently poisoned their bodies, not just their minds.
Giuliani had spent more than 10 hours discussing election concerns with Arizona Republicans — including two members of Congress and at least 13 current and future state lawmakers — at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix last Monday. He led the meeting maskless, flouting social distancing guidelines and posing for photos. Giuliani also met privately with Republican lawmakers and legislative leadership the next day, according to lawmakers’ social media posts. And Democratic legislators noted Sunday evening that some representatives-elect who’d attended the Hyatt event attended an orientation for new lawmakers later in the week, possibly exposing additional legislators and Capitol staff… Some GOP lawmakers scheduled to take office next month, such as Representative-elect Judy Burges and Senator-elect Wendy Rogers, also attended. Audience members were spread out, but a photo posted by the Arizona Republican Party showed many participants, including Giuliani and Trump legal adviser Jenna Ellis, posing close together for a group photo.
During the hearing in Michigan, Giuliani asked a witness seated three feet away from him to … take her mask off:
It’s frankly amazing that it took him this long to get infected. According to Newsweek, no fewer than 40 people in Trump’s inner circles at the White House and the campaign have been infected with COVID so far. Giuliani had somehow managed to avoid it. He was part of the same debate-prep team for Trump as Chris Christie, Kellyanne Conway, Hope Hicks, and the president himself, all of whom eventually got the disease — but not Rudy. His own son tested positive a few weeks ago, the day after he attended the now-famous press conference at which Giuliani and Sidney Powell laid out their theories about a conspiracy to rig the vote — but Rudy was fine.
To all appearances he’s never been a stickler about wearing masks either. Yet until this week, almost miraculously, he had somehow had managed to tiptoe through the raindrops and avoid catching coronavirus. Eventually the odds caught up to him.
Reportedly he’s at a hospital in Georgetown today, supposedly experiencing “mild symptoms.” I’m skeptical about that last part. Would a hospital really sacrifice a bed, even for a VIP, to treat him for “mild symptoms” at a moment when they’re under pressure from COVID’s spread? Trump and Christie were each hospitalized for a time and recovered but each had more than “mild symptoms” during their stays. I hope Rudy gets well soon, not just for reasons of basic compassion but because it feels ludicrous for him to have contracted a debilitating disease while working on a project as futile and ignoble as the Trump campaign’s embarrassing election lawsuits.
Speaking of which, I’ll leave you with this. Giuliani’s helped to put a lot of people in danger over the past four weeks, and not every example is related to COVID.


hotair--2020-12-07--Report: Barr might quit before the end of the year

I ’ m grasping for some too-clever-by-half angle here in which Barr steps aside at Trump ’ s request so that new acting Attorney General Lou Dobbs can declare the election invalid or whatever .
But the truth is doubtless simpler and more mundane .
Barr knows he ’ s likely to be humiliated over the next six weeks , either by getting “ the full Sessions ” from Trump ’ s Twitter feed or being ignominiously fired or both .
So he ’ s thinking of telling Trump , “ You can ’ t fire me , I quit.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources he ’ s been thinking about doing this since shortly after Election Day , before he and Trump butted heads over the alleged rampant voter fraud that Barr ’ s deputies somehow can ’ t find evidence of .
But even if that ’ s true , it doesn ’ t mean Barr ’ s not disgruntled .
Remember that Trump was leaning on him and Chris Wray to deliver an October surprise by doing something , anything , about Hunter Biden ’ s laptop in the final weeks of the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the fact that the Durham report wouldn ’ t be published until after the election , when it would no longer be of use to him politically .
Maybe Barr ’ s reached his limit .
From the Times : Attorney General William P. Barr is considering stepping down before President Trump ’ s term ends next month , according to three people familiar with this thinking .
One said Mr. Barr could announce his departure before the end of the year… One of the people insisted that Mr. Barr had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that Mr. Trump had not affected the attorney general ’ s thinking .
Another said Mr. Barr had concluded that he had completed the work that he set out to accomplish at the Justice Department .
But the president ’ s public complaints about the election , including a baseless allegation earlier last week that federal law enforcement had rigged the election against him , are certain to cast a cloud over any early departure by Mr. Barr .
By leaving early , Mr. Barr could avoid a confrontation with the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s efforts to rewrite the election results .
Only Barr knows for sure but my guess is that this quote from Trump on November 29 got under the AG ’ s skin and convinced him to speak up a few days later about how his deputies hadn ’ t found any significant voter fraud .
It ’ s one thing to claim that Biden cheated ; Barr was willing to facilitate that narrative in whatever small ways he could .
It ’ s another to suggest that Biden cheated with Barr ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s cue to finally say , “ Nope , no proof of fraud so far.
” CNN has a source who says yes , Barr ’ s looking for the exit because he ’ s tired of being demagogued by a boss whom he ’ s served loyally : Some lefty commentators today suspect this is all a form of kabuki by Barr , showing himself “ standing up to Trump ” at the last moment as he prepares to reenter Washington ’ s decidedly un-Trumpy professional circles .
( See also Kellyanne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if he ’ s not hanging in there for the moment in the hope that Trump will finally tire of his futile attempts to block Biden ’ s victory and just let the final six weeks of his term play out more or less normally .
Maybe he ’ ll decamp to Mar-a-Lago for Christmas and never come back to the White House , just letting the government run on autopilot until January 20 .
Barr might stick around to the end in that case .
Why not ?
But if instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer to Inauguration Day , which has been the trend thus far , Barr may fear that he ’ ll be asked to do something even weirder than usual , like sue to stop Congress from counting the electoral college ’ s votes on January 6 .
Then he ’ ll have to tell Trump no , and Trump and his media outlets will rant , and , well , who needs it ?
Barr ’ s a wealthy man and he ’ ll be unemployed in six weeks anyway .
Better to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stick around and finish his tenure as righty populists ’ new favorite scapegoat for Trump ’ s defeat .
For the moment , he ’ s claiming that he ’ s all-in : Here ’ s an example of the treatment that awaits Barr over the next month and a half from Trump toadies .
I wonder how he feels about the fact that the president would much rather have this person as Attorney General than Barr himself .

I’m grasping for some too-clever-by-half angle here in which Barr steps aside at Trump’s request so that new acting Attorney General Lou Dobbs can declare the election invalid or whatever.
But the truth is doubtless simpler and more mundane. Barr knows he’s likely to be humiliated over the next six weeks, either by getting “the full Sessions” from Trump’s Twitter feed or being ignominiously fired or both. So he’s thinking of telling Trump, “You can’t fire me, I quit.”
If you believe WaPo’s sources he’s been thinking about doing this since shortly after Election Day, before he and Trump butted heads over the alleged rampant voter fraud that Barr’s deputies somehow can’t find evidence of. But even if that’s true, it doesn’t mean Barr’s not disgruntled. Remember that Trump was leaning on him and Chris Wray to deliver an October surprise by doing something, anything, about Hunter Biden’s laptop in the final weeks of the campaign. The president had also complained publicly about the fact that the Durham report wouldn’t be published until after the election, when it would no longer be of use to him politically.
Maybe Barr’s reached his limit. From the Times:
Attorney General William P. Barr is considering stepping down before President Trump’s term ends next month, according to three people familiar with this thinking. One said Mr. Barr could announce his departure before the end of the year… One of the people insisted that Mr. Barr had been weighing his departure since before last week and that Mr. Trump had not affected the attorney general’s thinking. Another said Mr. Barr had concluded that he had completed the work that he set out to accomplish at the Justice Department. But the president’s public complaints about the election, including a baseless allegation earlier last week that federal law enforcement had rigged the election against him, are certain to cast a cloud over any early departure by Mr. Barr. By leaving early, Mr. Barr could avoid a confrontation with the president over his refusal to advance Mr. Trump’s efforts to rewrite the election results.
Only Barr knows for sure but my guess is that this quote from Trump on November 29 got under the AG’s skin and convinced him to speak up a few days later about how his deputies hadn’t found any significant voter fraud. It’s one thing to claim that Biden cheated; Barr was willing to facilitate that narrative in whatever small ways he could. It’s another to suggest that Biden cheated with Barr’s help. That was Barr’s cue to finally say, “Nope, no proof of fraud so far.”
Trump here suggests the FBI and the DOJ are involved in the giant conspiracy to steal the election from him. Alrighty, then. https://t.co/3Cg80ptXQZ — S.V. Dáte (@svdate) November 29, 2020
CNN has a source who says yes, Barr’s looking for the exit because he’s tired of being demagogued by a boss whom he’s served loyally:
The source confirmed that Barr is not happy with Trump, writing that Barr “is not someone who takes bullying and turns the other cheek!” “He has not made a final decision,” the source said… Two White House officials told CNN that while Trump had certainly considered firing Barr, he’s being advised against it by several people.
Some lefty commentators today suspect this is all a form of kabuki by Barr, showing himself “standing up to Trump” at the last moment as he prepares to reenter Washington’s decidedly un-Trumpy professional circles. (See also Kellyanne Conway.) I wonder, though, if he’s not hanging in there for the moment in the hope that Trump will finally tire of his futile attempts to block Biden’s victory and just let the final six weeks of his term play out more or less normally. Maybe he’ll decamp to Mar-a-Lago for Christmas and never come back to the White House, just letting the government run on autopilot until January 20. Barr might stick around to the end in that case. Why not?
But if instead Trump gets more desperate as we get closer to Inauguration Day, which has been the trend thus far, Barr may fear that he’ll be asked to do something even weirder than usual, like sue to stop Congress from counting the electoral college’s votes on January 6. Then he’ll have to tell Trump no, and Trump and his media outlets will rant, and, well, who needs it? Barr’s a wealthy man and he’ll be unemployed in six weeks anyway. Better to parachute out of a bad situation than stick around and finish his tenure as righty populists’ new favorite scapegoat for Trump’s defeat.
For the moment, he’s claiming that he’s all-in:
NEW: A DOJ official tells @CBSNews that Attorney General Bill Barr intends to stay as long as President Trump needs him. Sunday NYTimes reported, “Barr Is Said to Be Weighing Whether to Leave Before Trump’s Term Ends” — Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) December 7, 2020
Here’s an example of the treatment that awaits Barr over the next month and a half from Trump toadies. I wonder how he feels about the fact that the president would much rather have this person as Attorney General than Barr himself.


hotair--2020-12-07--"The people have spoken": Federal judge tosses "Kraken" lawsuit in Michigan; <span class='red'>Updat

"The people have spoken": Federal judge tosses "Kraken" lawsuit in Michigan; Update: Dismissed in Georgia too

A federal judge swatted down Sidney Powell ’ s so-called “ Kraken ” lawsuit in Michigan this morning , ruling that her team never provided evidence of fraud or legal errors .
Claims that the 2020 election got stolen from Donald Trump amount to nothing more than “ an amalgamation of theories , conjecture , and speculation , ” ruled Judge Linda Parker .
The judge wondered whether this was ever intended as a serious election challenge , or rather just a dishonest attempt to undermine confidence in the election system : A Michigan federal judge has ruled against a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state , determining the lawsuit brought by an ally of President Donald Trump was riddle with “ theories , conjecture and speculation ” but little evidence of wrongdoing .
U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker ruled against a request from Sidney Powell — an attorney disavowed by the Trump campaign who still champions its causes — to force the state to award its electoral votes to Trump despite President-elect Joe Biden winning the state .
… “ In fact , this lawsuit seems to be less about achieving the relief Plaintiffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is beyond the power of this Court — and more about the impact of their allegations on People ’ s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government , ” reads a portion of the 36-page opinion .
“ Plaintiffs ask this Court to ignore the orderly statutory scheme established to challenge elections and to ignore the will of millions of voters .
This the Court can not , and will not , do .
The people have spoken.
” Up to now , Powell ( and Team Trump lawyers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued that they expect to lose at the district court level .
The strategy , they have consistently claimed , is to take the cases to the Supreme Court for a comprehensive victory that will restore Trump to office .
This morning , however , Powell ’ s lieutenant Gregory Rohl didn ’ t sound as though they had the next step set in cement : “ Again I believe that our projected path to resolution of this issue for Michigan and national voters always contemplated ultimate review by ( the U.S. Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an email Monday morning .
“ Since so many successful inroads have been made through the various filings on this voter fraud issue across the country , I need to meet with my team and decide whether our case needs to move forward on appeal .
I ’ m prepared to do so and believe all voters deserve our continued commitment to the integrity of our Democratic Process.
” Er … what “ successful inroads ” would those be ?
Election challenges have lost at every level , and the one successful ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reversed on appeal later — and only involved ballots in Pennsylvania that didn ’ t get counted .
They haven ’ t succeeded at all , especially Powell ’ s efforts .
Judge Parker ( an Obama appointee for those keeping score ) denied the injunctive relief sought by Powell because the plaintiffs never provided evidence of fraud , nor that laws had been broken or that the Equal Protection Clause had been violated .
In fact , Parker ruled , Powell never did establish that this suit belonged in federal court , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unlike Russell , which Plaintiffs cite in their reply brief , this is not a case where a plaintiff is seeking to enjoin the continuing enforcement of a statute that is allegedly unconstitutional .
See id .
at 1044 , 1047 ( plaintiff claimed that Kentucky law creating a 300-foot nopolitical-speech buffer zone around polling location violated his free-speech rights ) .
Instead , Plaintiffs are seeking to undo what has already occurred , as their requested relief reflects.2 ( See ECF No .
7 at Pg ID 1847 ; see also ECF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Before this lawsuit was filed , the Michigan Board of State Canvassers had already certified the election results and Governor Whitmer had transmitted the State ’ s slate of electors to the United States Archivist .
( ECF Nos .
31-4 , 31-5 . )
There is no continuing violation to enjoin .
As such , the case is entirely moot anyway : In their prayer for relief , Plaintiffs ask the Court to : ( a ) order Defendants to decertify the results of the election ; ( b ) enjoin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the certified election results to the Electoral College ; ( c ) order Defendants “ to transmit certified election results that state that President Donald Trump is the winner of the election ” ; ( d ) impound all voting machines and software in Michigan for expert inspection ; ( e ) order that no votes received or tabulated by machines not certified as required by federal and state law be counted ; and , ( f ) enter a declaratory judgment that mail-in and absentee ballot fraud must be remedied with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ECF No .
6 at Pg ID 955-56 , ¶ 233 . )
What relief the Court could grant Plaintiffs is no longer available .
Before this lawsuit was filed , all 83 counties in Michigan had finished canvassing their results for all elections and reported their results for state office races to the Secretary of State and the Michigan Board of State Canvassers in accordance with Michigan law .
See Mich. Comp .
Laws § 168.843 .
The State Board had certified the results of the 2020 General Election and Governor Whitmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Archivists .
… The time for requesting a special election based on mechanical errors or malfunctions in voting machines had expired .
See Mich. Comp .
Laws §§ 168.831 , 168.832 ( petitions for special election based on a defect or mechanical malfunction must be filed “ no later than 10 days after the date of the election ” ) .
And so had the time for requesting a recount for the office of President .
… In short , Plaintiffs ’ requested relief concerning the 2020 General Election is moot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Powell ’ s claim , which might make this a bit uncomfortable on appeal .
Only one affidavit presented in the case provides any testimony to Powell ’ s overarching theory of the case , which is that votes were switched from Trump to Biden .
And that affidavit , Parker notes pointedly , isn ’ t actually testimony at all about specific activity but just a “ belief ” by the plaintiff ’ s witness : But , to be perfectly clear , Plaintiffs ’ equal protection claim is not supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schemes caused votes for President Trump to be changed to votes for Vice President Biden .
For example , the closest Plaintiffs get to alleging that physical ballots were altered in such a way is the following statement in an election challenger ’ s sworn affidavit : “ I believe some of these workers were changing votes that had been cast for Donald Trump and other Republican candidates.
” 9 ( ECF No .
6 at Pg ID 902 ¶ 91 ( citing Aff .
Articia Bomer , ECF No .
6-3 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of course , “ [ a ] belief is not evidence ” and falls far short of what is required to obtain any relief , much less the extraordinary relief Plaintiffs request .
United States v. O ’ Connor , No .
96-2992 , 1997 WL 413594 , at *1 ( 7th Cir .
1997 ) ; see Brown v. City of Franklin , 430 F. App ’ x 382 , 387 ( 6th Cir .
2011 ) ( “ Brown just submits his belief that Fox ’ s ‘ protection ’ statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
.
.
An unsubstantiated belief is not evidence of pretext.
” ) ; Booker v. City of St. Louis , 309 F.3d 464 , 467 ( 8th Cir .
2002 ) ( “ Booker ’ s “ belief ” that he was singled out for testing is not evidence that he was.
” ) .10 The closest Plaintiffs get to alleging that election machines and software changed votes for President Trump to Vice President Biden in Wayne County is an amalgamation of theories , conjecture , and speculation that such alterations were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No .
6 at ¶¶ 7-11 , 17 , 125 , 129 , 138-43 , 147-48 , 155-58 , 160-63 , 167 , 171 . )
And Plaintiffs do not at all explain how the question of whether the treatment of election challengers complied with state law bears on the validity of votes , or otherwise establishes an equal protection claim .
With nothing but speculation and conjecture that votes for President Trump were destroyed , discarded or switched to votes for Vice President Biden , Plaintiffs ’ equal protection claim fails.1 As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laches doctrine to address those : If Plaintiffs had legitimate claims regarding the manner by which ballots were processed and tabulated on or after Election Day , they could have brought the instant action on Election Day or during the weeks of canvassing that followed—yet they did not .
Plaintiffs base the claims related to election machines and software on “ expert and fact witness ” reports discussing “ glitches ” and other alleged vulnerabilities that occurred as far back as 2010 .
( See e.g.
, ECF No .
6 at Pg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) - ( E ) , ( G ) , 158 , 160 , 167 . )
If Plaintiffs had legitimate concerns about the election machines and software , they could have filed this lawsuit well before the 2020 General Election—yet they sat back and did nothing .
Plaintiffs proffer no persuasive explanation as to why they waited so long to file this suit .
Plaintiffs concede that they “ would have preferred to file sooner , but [ ] needed some time to gather statements from dozens of fact witnesses , retain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other data supporting their Complaint.
” ( ECF No .
49 at Pg ID 3081 . )
But according to Plaintiffs themselves , “ [ m ] anipulation of votes was apparent shortly after the polls closed on November 3 , 2020.
” ( ECF No .
7 at Pg ID 1837 ( emphasis added ) . )
Indeed , where there is no reasonable explanation , there can be no true justification .
See Crookston v. Johnson , 841 F.3d 396 , 398 ( 6th Cir .
2016 ) ( identifying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to issue a stay of an election-related injunction is plaintiff offering “ no reasonable explanation for waiting so long to file this action ” ) .
Defendants satisfy the first element of their laches defense .
… Plaintiffs could have lodged their constitutional challenges much sooner than they did , and certainly not three weeks after Election Day and one week after certification of almost three million votes .
The Court concludes that Plaintiffs ’ delay results in their claims being barred by laches .
Parker opted for a very comprehensive rejection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parker also anticipated an appeal and wanted to address all possible avenues for challenges .
That doesn ’ t mean an appellate court wouldn ’ t take a look at it , but there are multiple obstacles and findings now for Powell and her team to overcome for any kind of a favorable ruling .
Based on her sloppy record so far , it seems unlikely that her team will fare much better at the next level .
Update : A federal judge in Georgia has dismissed Powell ’ s Kraken lawsuit there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ W. Bush appointee for those keeping score .
Read through this whole thread to get an idea of how the hearing went for Powell , but this sums it up :

A federal judge swatted down Sidney Powell’s so-called “Kraken” lawsuit in Michigan this morning, ruling that her team never provided evidence of fraud or legal errors. Claims that the 2020 election got stolen from Donald Trump amount to nothing more than “an amalgamation of theories, conjecture, and speculation,” ruled Judge Linda Parker. The judge wondered whether this was ever intended as a serious election challenge, or rather just a dishonest attempt to undermine confidence in the election system:
A Michigan federal judge has ruled against a sweeping legal bid to overturn election results in the state, determining the lawsuit brought by an ally of President Donald Trump was riddle with “theories, conjecture and speculation” but little evidence of wrongdoing. U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker ruled against a request from Sidney Powell — an attorney disavowed by the Trump campaign who still champions its causes — to force the state to award its electoral votes to Trump despite President-elect Joe Biden winning the state. … “In fact, this lawsuit seems to be less about achieving the relief Plaintiffs seek — as much of that relief is beyond the power of this Court — and more about the impact of their allegations on People’s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government,” reads a portion of the 36-page opinion. “Plaintiffs ask this Court to ignore the orderly statutory scheme established to challenge elections and to ignore the will of millions of voters. This the Court cannot, and will not, do. The people have spoken.”
Up to now, Powell (and Team Trump lawyers in their separate complaints) have long argued that they expect to lose at the district court level. The strategy, they have consistently claimed, is to take the cases to the Supreme Court for a comprehensive victory that will restore Trump to office. This morning, however, Powell’s lieutenant Gregory Rohl didn’t sound as though they had the next step set in cement:
“Again I believe that our projected path to resolution of this issue for Michigan and national voters always contemplated ultimate review by (the U.S. Supreme Court),” Rohl said in an email Monday morning. “Since so many successful inroads have been made through the various filings on this voter fraud issue across the country, I need to meet with my team and decide whether our case needs to move forward on appeal. I’m prepared to do so and believe all voters deserve our continued commitment to the integrity of our Democratic Process.”
Er … what “successful inroads” would those be? Election challenges have lost at every level, and the one successful ruling Team Trump or its allies got was reversed on appeal later — and only involved ballots in Pennsylvania that didn’t get counted. They haven’t succeeded at all, especially Powell’s efforts.
Judge Parker (an Obama appointee for those keeping score) denied the injunctive relief sought by Powell because the plaintiffs never provided evidence of fraud, nor that laws had been broken or that the Equal Protection Clause had been violated. In fact, Parker ruled, Powell never did establish that this suit belonged in federal court, nor is there anything to enjoin:
Unlike Russell, which Plaintiffs cite in their reply brief, this is not a case where a plaintiff is seeking to enjoin the continuing enforcement of a statute that is allegedly unconstitutional. See id. at 1044, 1047 (plaintiff claimed that Kentucky law creating a 300-foot nopolitical-speech buffer zone around polling location violated his free-speech rights). Instead, Plaintiffs are seeking to undo what has already occurred, as their requested relief reflects.2 (See ECF No. 7 at Pg ID 1847; see also ECF No. 6 at Pg 955-56.) Before this lawsuit was filed, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers had already certified the election results and Governor Whitmer had transmitted the State’s slate of electors to the United States Archivist. (ECF Nos. 31-4, 31-5.) There is no continuing violation to enjoin.
As such, the case is entirely moot anyway:
In their prayer for relief, Plaintiffs ask the Court to: (a) order Defendants to decertify the results of the election; (b) enjoin Secretary Benson and Governor Whitmer from transmitting the certified election results to the Electoral College; (c) order Defendants “to transmit certified election results that state that President Donald Trump is the winner of the election”; (d) impound all voting machines and software in Michigan for expert inspection; (e) order that no votes received or tabulated by machines not certified as required by federal and state law be counted; and, (f) enter a declaratory judgment that mail-in and absentee ballot fraud must be remedied with a manual recount or statistically valid sampling.3 (ECF No. 6 at Pg ID 955-56, ¶ 233.) What relief the Court could grant Plaintiffs is no longer available. Before this lawsuit was filed, all 83 counties in Michigan had finished canvassing their results for all elections and reported their results for state office races to the Secretary of State and the Michigan Board of State Canvassers in accordance with Michigan law. See Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.843. The State Board had certified the results of the 2020 General Election and Governor Whitmer had submitted the slate of Presidential Electors to the Archivists. … The time for requesting a special election based on mechanical errors or malfunctions in voting machines had expired. See Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 168.831, 168.832 (petitions for special election based on a defect or mechanical malfunction must be filed “no later than 10 days after the date of the election”). And so had the time for requesting a recount for the office of President. … In short, Plaintiffs’ requested relief concerning the 2020 General Election is moot.
Parker also ruled on the merits of Powell’s claim, which might make this a bit uncomfortable on appeal. Only one affidavit presented in the case provides any testimony to Powell’s overarching theory of the case, which is that votes were switched from Trump to Biden. And that affidavit, Parker notes pointedly, isn’t actually testimony at all about specific activity but just a “belief” by the plaintiff’s witness:
But, to be perfectly clear, Plaintiffs’ equal protection claim is not supported by any allegation that Defendants’ alleged schemes caused votes for President Trump to be changed to votes for Vice President Biden. For example, the closest Plaintiffs get to alleging that physical ballots were altered in such a way is the following statement in an election challenger’s sworn affidavit: “I believe some of these workers were changing votes that had been cast for Donald Trump and other Republican candidates.”9 (ECF No. 6 at Pg ID 902 ¶ 91 (citing Aff. Articia Bomer, ECF No. 6-3 at Pg ID 1008-1010).) But of course, “[a] belief is not evidence” and falls far short of what is required to obtain any relief, much less the extraordinary relief Plaintiffs request. United States v. O’Connor, No. 96-2992, 1997 WL 413594, at *1 (7th Cir. 1997); see Brown v. City of Franklin, 430 F. App’x 382, 387 (6th Cir. 2011) (“Brown just submits his belief that Fox’s ‘protection’ statement actually meant “protection from retaliation. . . . An unsubstantiated belief is not evidence of pretext.”); Booker v. City of St. Louis, 309 F.3d 464, 467 (8th Cir. 2002) (“Booker’s “belief” that he was singled out for testing is not evidence that he was.”).10 The closest Plaintiffs get to alleging that election machines and software changed votes for President Trump to Vice President Biden in Wayne County is an amalgamation of theories, conjecture, and speculation that such alterations were possible. (See e.g., ECF No. 6 at ¶¶ 7-11, 17, 125, 129, 138-43, 147-48, 155-58, 160-63, 167, 171.) And Plaintiffs do not at all explain how the question of whether the treatment of election challengers complied with state law bears on the validity of votes, or otherwise establishes an equal protection claim. With nothing but speculation and conjecture that votes for President Trump were destroyed, discarded or switched to votes for Vice President Biden, Plaintiffs’ equal protection claim fails.1
As for machine problems, Parker uses the laches doctrine to address those:
If Plaintiffs had legitimate claims regarding the manner by which ballots were processed and tabulated on or after Election Day, they could have brought the instant action on Election Day or during the weeks of canvassing that followed—yet they did not. Plaintiffs base the claims related to election machines and software on “expert and fact witness” reports discussing “glitches” and other alleged vulnerabilities that occurred as far back as 2010. (See e.g., ECF No. 6 at Pg ID 927-933, ¶¶ 157(C)-(E), (G), 158, 160, 167.) If Plaintiffs had legitimate concerns about the election machines and software, they could have filed this lawsuit well before the 2020 General Election—yet they sat back and did nothing. Plaintiffs proffer no persuasive explanation as to why they waited so long to file this suit. Plaintiffs concede that they “would have preferred to file sooner, but [] needed some time to gather statements from dozens of fact witnesses, retain and engage expert witnesses, and gather other data supporting their Complaint.” (ECF No. 49 at Pg ID 3081.) But according to Plaintiffs themselves, “[m]anipulation of votes was apparent shortly after the polls closed on November 3, 2020.” (ECF No. 7 at Pg ID 1837 (emphasis added).) Indeed, where there is no reasonable explanation, there can be no true justification. See Crookston v. Johnson, 841 F.3d 396, 398 (6th Cir. 2016) (identifying the “first and most essential” reason to issue a stay of an election-related injunction is plaintiff offering “no reasonable explanation for waiting so long to file this action”). Defendants satisfy the first element of their laches defense. … Plaintiffs could have lodged their constitutional challenges much sooner than they did, and certainly not three weeks after Election Day and one week after certification of almost three million votes. The Court concludes that Plaintiffs’ delay results in their claims being barred by laches.
Parker opted for a very comprehensive rejection of injunctive relief in this decision. Clearly Parker also anticipated an appeal and wanted to address all possible avenues for challenges. That doesn’t mean an appellate court wouldn’t take a look at it, but there are multiple obstacles and findings now for Powell and her team to overcome for any kind of a favorable ruling. Based on her sloppy record so far, it seems unlikely that her team will fare much better at the next level.
Update: A federal judge in Georgia has dismissed Powell’s Kraken lawsuit there as well. Batten was a George W. Bush appointee for those keeping score. Read through this whole thread to get an idea of how the hearing went for Powell, but this sums it up:
Judge Timothy Batten says that state courts need to hear these sorts of cases not federal courts.
Plaintiffs also do not have standing, Batten rules. — Alan Feuer (@alanfeuer) December 7, 2020


hotair--2020-12-07--Former Cuomo aide: "Love Gov" office is "most toxic" -- especially to women

Shocked , shocked am I that the governor that routinely snarls at reporters might promote a toxic work environment in his office .
A former aide to Andrew Cuomo , the man dubbed by his brother as the Love Gov in April , went on Twitter to proclaim her tenure there as the “ most toxic ” she ever had to endure .
It ’ s so bad , Lindsey Boylan announced on Saturday , that waitressing was “ an infinitely more respectful environment.
” And if Cuomo didn ’ t instill such fear , Boylan says more people would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Read the whole thread , but the Daily Wire ’ s Hank Berrien sums it up well : Boylan , whom the New York City Campaign Finance Board listed as having been the Deputy Secretary of Economic Development for New York State and Special Advisor to the Governor , wrote , “ Seriously , the messages and texts I receive when I speak the truth about this…it ’ s a whole book of people who have been harmed .
Don ’ t be surprised that it ’ s the same small group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every presser .
The same group that he has had by him the whole time , doing his dirty work .
If you ’ re not one of those handful , your life working for him is endlessly dispiriting .
I tried to quit three times before it stuck .
I ’ ve worked hard my whole life .
Hustled – fake it till you make it style .
That environment is beyond toxic .
I ’ m still unwrapping it years later in therapy !
” She concluded , “ And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could opt out and eventually did .
I shudder to think what happens to others .
It pisses me off so much .
Yes I did not sign whatever they told me to sign when I left .
Nope !
” Boylan isn ’ t backing off of this claim , either .
The New York Post reached out to her for a statement ( natch ) , and Boylan insisted that the toxicity was aimed at “ predominantly women ” to boot : Boylan doubled down on her claims Monday .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what I said speaks to not only my story , but countless others , predominately women I ’ ve interacted with or heard from over the years , ” she told The Post .
… “ Seriously , the messages and texts I receive when I speak the truth about this…it ’ s a whole book of people who have been harmed , ” she tweeted .
“ Don ’ t be surprised that it ’ s the same small group of white people sitting alongside him at every presser .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him the whole time , doing his dirty work .
If you ’ re not one of those handful , your life working for him is endlessly dispiriting , ” Boylan wrote .
It ’ s not the first recent broadside against Cuomo from his side of the ideological divide .
The Nation ’ s Alexis Grenell ripped Cuomo a couple of weeks ago as a terrible autocrat , but this is the first Cuomo insider to speak out about his toxicity .
That raises all sorts of problems for Cuomo , depending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration era .
If more people speak up about this toxic atmosphere , then Joe Biden won ’ t want him anywhere near his administration .
It also makes a presidential run nearly impossible later for Cuomo , an ambition that nearly came to fruition in progressive despair over Joe Biden ’ s control of the primaries this spring .
Will CNN report about this aspect of the “ Love Gov ” ?
Don ’ t hold your breath .

Shocked, shocked am I that the governor that routinely snarls at reporters might promote a toxic work environment in his office. A former aide to Andrew Cuomo, the man dubbed by his brother as the Love Gov in April, went on Twitter to proclaim her tenure there as the “most toxic” she ever had to endure. It’s so bad, Lindsey Boylan announced on Saturday, that waitressing was “an infinitely more respectful environment.”
And if Cuomo didn’t instill such fear, Boylan says more people would have gone public with this by now:
If people weren’t deathly afraid of him, they’d be saying the same thing and you’d already know the stories. — Lindsey Boylan (@LindseyBoylan) December 5, 2020
Read the whole thread, but the Daily Wire’s Hank Berrien sums it up well:
Boylan, whom the New York City Campaign Finance Board listed as having been the Deputy Secretary of Economic Development for New York State and Special Advisor to the Governor, wrote, “Seriously, the messages and texts I receive when I speak the truth about this…it’s a whole book of people who have been harmed. Don’t be surprised that it’s the same small group of white people sitting alongside him at every presser. The same group that he has had by him the whole time, doing his dirty work. If you’re not one of those handful, your life working for him is endlessly dispiriting. I tried to quit three times before it stuck. I’ve worked hard my whole life. Hustled – fake it till you make it style. That environment is beyond toxic. I’m still unwrapping it years later in therapy!” She concluded, “And I’m a privileged person. I could opt out and eventually did. I shudder to think what happens to others. It pisses me off so much. Yes I did not sign whatever they told me to sign when I left. Nope!”
Boylan isn’t backing off of this claim, either. The New York Post reached out to her for a statement (natch), and Boylan insisted that the toxicity was aimed at “predominantly women” to boot:
Boylan doubled down on her claims Monday. “I stand by what I said, and what I said speaks to not only my story, but countless others, predominately women I’ve interacted with or heard from over the years,” she told The Post. … “Seriously, the messages and texts I receive when I speak the truth about this…it’s a whole book of people who have been harmed,” she tweeted. “Don’t be surprised that it’s the same small group of white people sitting alongside him at every presser. The same group that he has had by him the whole time, doing his dirty work. If you’re not one of those handful, your life working for him is endlessly dispiriting,” Boylan wrote.
It’s not the first recent broadside against Cuomo from his side of the ideological divide. The Nation’s Alexis Grenell ripped Cuomo a couple of weeks ago as a terrible autocrat, but this is the first Cuomo insider to speak out about his toxicity. That raises all sorts of problems for Cuomo, depending on his ambitions in the upcoming Biden administration era. If more people speak up about this toxic atmosphere, then Joe Biden won’t want him anywhere near his administration. It also makes a presidential run nearly impossible later for Cuomo, an ambition that nearly came to fruition in progressive despair over Joe Biden’s control of the primaries this spring.
Will CNN report about this aspect of the “Love Gov”? Don’t hold your breath.


hotair--2020-12-07--Kemp, Duncan: We're not calling a special session because there's no point

In the words of Bones McCoy in Star Trek III : “ How can you get a permit to do a damned illegal thing ?
” Despite public castigation by Donald Trump and demands from four state senators , both Gov .
Brian Kemp and Lt. Gov .
Geoff Duncan announced late last night that they would not call a special session to choose new presidential electors .
Under both state and federal law , they explain , the legislature can ’ t pick new electors anyway : “ While we understand four members of the Georgia Senate are requesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the General Assembly , doing this in order to select a separate slate of presidential electors is not an option that is allowed under state or federal law .
“ State law is clear : the legislature could only direct an alternative method for choosing presidential electors if the election was not able to be held on the date set by federal law .
In the 1960s , the General Assembly decided that Georgia ’ s presidential electors will be determined by the winner of the state ’ s popular vote .
Any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that process for the November 3rd election would be unconstitutional and immediately enjoined by the courts , resulting in a long legal dispute and no short-term resolution .
“ The judicial system remains the only viable – and quickest – option in disputing the results of the November 3rd election in Georgia.
” The Associated Press pointed out that Kemp and Duncan can ’ t technically stop a special session from taking place .
In Georgia , the legislature can call one on its own , but that requires a supermajority — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the record as wanting one : State lawmakers could call a special session on their own , but only if 60 % of members in both houses of the General Assembly demanded a session in writing .
That ’ s unlikely , especially because more than 40 % of the current members of the state House are Democrats .
On Saturday , four Republican state senators including William Ligon of Brunswick , Greg Dolezal of Cumming , Brandon Beach of Alpharetta and Burt Jones of Jackson launched a written petition trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session .
All four attended Trump ’ s rally Saturday in Valdosta .
“ I don ’ t believe that there ’ s the will in the General Assembly for a special session , ” Raffensperger said .
He said if lawmakers went ahead “ they would be then nullifying the will of the people.
” The fact that only four members of the legislature want a special session underscores Raffensperger ’ s point .
Notably , it ’ s only the four that showed up to the rally , too .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s allegations about the election , the Republican-controlled legislature has been remarkably equanimous about the controversy .
Perhaps that ’ s because they , like Kemp , have watched the process up close and paid attention to the implications of the hand recount ’ s corroboration of Election Night results .
Most of them might be keeping their mouths shut — an option that Kemp and to a lesser extent Duncan don ’ t have — but most of them aren ’ t protesting the outcome either .
Thanks to state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to participate in Trump ’ s public-relations campaign , either .
The proper venue is , as Kemp and Duncan point out , the judiciary .
If the campaign has specific evidence of specific fraud on a scale which calls the election into question , that ’ s the venue to present it .
So far , the campaign and its allies have only presented conjecture and ambiguous arguments around easily explained videos which don ’ t prove fraud on any scale .
When that changes , so will the outcomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of presentations in various states , it hasn ’ t changed yet .

In the words of Bones McCoy in Star Trek III: “How can you get a permit to do a damned illegal thing?” Despite public castigation by Donald Trump and demands from four state senators, both Gov. Brian Kemp and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan announced late last night that they would not call a special session to choose new presidential electors. Under both state and federal law, they explain, the legislature can’t pick new electors anyway:
“While we understand four members of the Georgia Senate are requesting the convening of a special session of the General Assembly, doing this in order to select a separate slate of presidential electors is not an option that is allowed under state or federal law. “State law is clear: the legislature could only direct an alternative method for choosing presidential electors if the election was not able to be held on the date set by federal law. In the 1960s, the General Assembly decided that Georgia’s presidential electors will be determined by the winner of the state’s popular vote. Any attempt by the legislature to retroactively change that process for the November 3rd election would be unconstitutional and immediately enjoined by the courts, resulting in a long legal dispute and no short-term resolution. “The judicial system remains the only viable – and quickest – option in disputing the results of the November 3rd election in Georgia.”
The Associated Press pointed out that Kemp and Duncan can’t technically stop a special session from taking place. In Georgia, the legislature can call one on its own, but that requires a supermajority — and right now, only four members are on the record as wanting one:
State lawmakers could call a special session on their own, but only if 60% of members in both houses of the General Assembly demanded a session in writing. That’s unlikely, especially because more than 40% of the current members of the state House are Democrats. On Saturday, four Republican state senators including William Ligon of Brunswick, Greg Dolezal of Cumming, Brandon Beach of Alpharetta and Burt Jones of Jackson launched a written petition trying to collect the signatures to force a special session. All four attended Trump’s rally Saturday in Valdosta. “I don’t believe that there’s the will in the General Assembly for a special session,” Raffensperger said. He said if lawmakers went ahead “they would be then nullifying the will of the people.”
The fact that only four members of the legislature want a special session underscores Raffensperger’s point. Notably, it’s only the four that showed up to the rally, too. For all of the heat and bluster around Trump’s allegations about the election, the Republican-controlled legislature has been remarkably equanimous about the controversy. Perhaps that’s because they, like Kemp, have watched the process up close and paid attention to the implications of the hand recount’s corroboration of Election Night results. Most of them might be keeping their mouths shut — an option that Kemp and to a lesser extent Duncan don’t have — but most of them aren’t protesting the outcome either.
Thanks to state and federal law, they don’t have to participate in Trump’s public-relations campaign, either. The proper venue is, as Kemp and Duncan point out, the judiciary. If the campaign has specific evidence of specific fraud on a scale which calls the election into question, that’s the venue to present it. So far, the campaign and its allies have only presented conjecture and ambiguous arguments around easily explained videos which don’t prove fraud on any scale. When that changes, so will the outcomes — but so far, despite dozens of presentations in various states, it hasn’t changed yet.


hotair--2020-12-07--Fox News: Firm co-owned by Omar's husband got $635K in COVID-19 loans ... while scoring millions fro

Fox News: Firm co-owned by Omar's husband got $635K in COVID-19 loans ... while scoring millions from campaign donations; Update: Made $4M in 2020

Now that ’ s keeping it in the family .
Ilhan Omar ’ s 2020 campaign paid the firm co-owned by her husband Tim Mynett over $ 2.7 million for services rendered , allowing the couple to keep a significant part of the $ 5.7 million they raised for her re-election .
The E Street Group LLC was by far the biggest recipient of Omar ’ s campaign , accounting for half of all disbursements .
The second-ranking recipient was the state Democratic Party ( DFL here in Minnesota ) with just under $ 400K .
At the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incomes with the campaign , they also scored big on COVID-19 relief , according to Fox News : Public records show that E Street Group , co-owned by Omar ’ s husband , Tim Mynett , received nearly $ 135,000 in Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) loans and $ 500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster loans .
… Public records show that E Street Group , co-owned by Omar ’ s husband , Tim Mynett , received nearly $ 135,000 in Paycheck Protection Program ( PPP ) loans and $ 500,000 in Economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filings also show that the firm received payments for other campaigns , including $ 175,000 from the committee of Rep. Pramila Jayapal , D-Wash. , and nearly $ 130,000 from the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party .
In what world was E Street Group LLC in need of taxpayer support ?
Why did a member of Congress who personally benefited from campaign donations through E Street Group allow her husband ’ s firm to get access to $ 635,000 in subsidized relief loans in the first place ?
One might think this kind of grift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ethics Committee at some point — if not federal prosecutors .
One has to wonder whether Omar knew this was coming out .
The Daily Wire recalls that Omar suddenly announced that she would cut ties with E Street Group a fortnight after the election : In mid-November , Omar cut ties with her husband ’ s firm after she won re-election in Minnesota ’ s 5th Congressional District , saying she wanted to “ make sure that anybody who is supporting our campaign with their time or financial support feels there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the Star Tribune reported .
“ Every dollar that was spent went to a team of more than twenty that were helping us fight back against attacks and organize on the ground and online in a COVID-19 world , ” she added .
“ And Tim — beyond his salary at the firm — received no profit whatsoever from the consulting relationship the firm provided.
” The Star Tribune noted at the time that this wasn ’ t a spontaneous demonstration of transparency .
Omar cut ties because an outside group had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Federal Election Commission has taken no public action in response to a complaint last year from a conservative group that alleged money from Omar ’ s campaign paid to now-husband Tim Mynett and his E Street Group LLC for personal travel expenses .
Beyond being able to point to Omar as a high-profile client , the contract was a lucrative one for the E Street Group : Omar ’ s campaign reported paying the firm more than $ 1.1 million for advertising and consulting in the third quarter of this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as legitimate .
The firm ’ s leadership has also previously said that much of the advertising expenses are transferred to other vendors .
… Omar stopped short of adequately addressing concerns about how the money was spent by E Street Group , said Thomas Anderson , a spokesman for the National Legal and Policy Center , the group that filed the initial complaint .
“ We feel Congresswoman Omar is attempting to clean up a mess we laid out in our complaint.
” Add the COVID-19 loans to the mix , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grift in Omar ’ s approach to public service .
That might not make Omar unique in the Beltway , but the sheer chutzpah of draining badly needed relief aid for her family ’ s business puts Omar in a class of her own .
Or so we hope , at least .
Update : Just what “ economic injury ” did E Street Group LLC suffer in 2020 ?
They made $ 4 million in this cycle , according to Open Secrets .
They only made $ 145,000 in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The amount of their COVID-19 relief loans was four times their entire income of the 2018 cycle .
Where ’ s the “ injury ” ?

Now that’s keeping it in the family. Ilhan Omar’s 2020 campaign paid the firm co-owned by her husband Tim Mynett over $2.7 million for services rendered, allowing the couple to keep a significant part of the $5.7 million they raised for her re-election. The E Street Group LLC was by far the biggest recipient of Omar’s campaign, accounting for half of all disbursements. The second-ranking recipient was the state Democratic Party (DFL here in Minnesota) with just under $400K.
At the same time E Street Group and Mynett/Omar scored big incomes with the campaign, they also scored big on COVID-19 relief, according to Fox News:
Public records show that E Street Group, co-owned by Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, received nearly $135,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and $500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster loans. … Public records show that E Street Group, co-owned by Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, received nearly $135,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and $500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster loans. Federal Election Commission filings also show that the firm received payments for other campaigns, including $175,000 from the committee of Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and nearly $130,000 from the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.
In what world was E Street Group LLC in need of taxpayer support? Why did a member of Congress who personally benefited from campaign donations through E Street Group allow her husband’s firm to get access to $635,000 in subsidized relief loans in the first place? One might think this kind of grift should get the attention of the House Ethics Committee at some point — if not federal prosecutors.
One has to wonder whether Omar knew this was coming out. The Daily Wire recalls that Omar suddenly announced that she would cut ties with E Street Group a fortnight after the election:
In mid-November, Omar cut ties with her husband’s firm after she won re-election in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, saying she wanted to “make sure that anybody who is supporting our campaign with their time or financial support feels there is no perceived issue with that support,” the Star Tribune reported. “Every dollar that was spent went to a team of more than twenty that were helping us fight back against attacks and organize on the ground and online in a COVID-19 world,” she added. “And Tim — beyond his salary at the firm — received no profit whatsoever from the consulting relationship the firm provided.”
The Star Tribune noted at the time that this wasn’t a spontaneous demonstration of transparency. Omar cut ties because an outside group had filed a complaint about her campaign-finance ties:
The Federal Election Commission has taken no public action in response to a complaint last year from a conservative group that alleged money from Omar’s campaign paid to now-husband Tim Mynett and his E Street Group LLC for personal travel expenses. Beyond being able to point to Omar as a high-profile client, the contract was a lucrative one for the E Street Group: Omar’s campaign reported paying the firm more than $1.1 million for advertising and consulting in the third quarter of this year alone — transactions that Omar has defended as legitimate. The firm’s leadership has also previously said that much of the advertising expenses are transferred to other vendors. … Omar stopped short of adequately addressing concerns about how the money was spent by E Street Group, said Thomas Anderson, a spokesman for the National Legal and Policy Center, the group that filed the initial complaint. “We feel Congresswoman Omar is attempting to clean up a mess we laid out in our complaint.”
Add the COVID-19 loans to the mix, and it’s pretty easy to see the grift in Omar’s approach to public service. That might not make Omar unique in the Beltway, but the sheer chutzpah of draining badly needed relief aid for her family’s business puts Omar in a class of her own. Or so we hope, at least.
Update: Just what “economic injury” did E Street Group LLC suffer in 2020? They made $4 million in this cycle, according to Open Secrets. They only made $145,000 in 2018, the first cycle of their operation. The amount of their COVID-19 relief loans was four times their entire income of the 2018 cycle. Where’s the “injury”?


hotair--2020-12-08--New Los Angeles County DA won't be prosecuting much of anything

Los Angeles County swore in its new District Attorney yesterday and George Gascon wasted no time in announcing that things were going to be changing in a big way in America ’ s largest county court system .
For one thing , they probably won ’ t be needing as many prosecutors as they ’ ve traditionally employed because Gascon is going to ensure that most crimes won ’ t be prosecuted anymore .
That may sound like a bit of hyperbole to you , but it ’ s not .
Gascon ran on a platform of shutting down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve seen recently in other cities such as Philadelphia and New York .
The ink wasn ’ t even dry on his new contract before he announced a laundry list of offenses that will be “ declined ” by his office if the LAPD attempts to bring any charges against violators .
( LA Times ) Los Angeles County Dist .
Atty .
George Gascón announced sweeping policy changes as he took office Monday , including a plan to end the use of cash bail in the nation ’ s largest court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking sentencing enhancements in nearly all cases .
The dramatic reversals to deeply engrained , traditional law enforcement strategies in the nation ’ s largest prosecutor ’ s office also include plans to review of thousands of old cases to determine whether lighter sentences or a prisoner ’ s release should be sought , Gascón said in speech after being sworn in .
Gascón also said he expects to bring an end to misdemeanor prosecutions of most first-time , non-violent , offenders .
“ I recognize for many this is a new path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a police officer or a prosecutor , I ask you to walk with me .
I ask you to join me on this journey , ” he said .
Here ’ s a partial list of crimes , announced on Twitter , for which virtually all criminals will be getting a pass .
This is just staggering .
There are a couple of categories of crime where we could certainly debate the issue , such as prostitution .
But for the most part , the rest of these offenses comprise a list of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least had ) at their disposal to curb more serious crimes .
Trespassing rarely turns into a situation where an arrest is warranted unless the offender is planning something more serious .
And decriminalizing acts of resisting arrest means that anyone caught committing a crime can feel free to either attempt to flee the police or try to fight their way out of the situation .
Yes , the new DA is offering “ exemptions ” to this leniency , generally involving those who are repeat offenders .
But in the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cops supposed to know who is or isn ’ t a repeat offender before they ’ ve got the cuffs on them and can check their identification ?
Gascon is also eliminating almost all cash bail .
This is the same disastrous experiment that ’ s been running in New York City and Philadelphia with tragic results .
Crime is on the rise in both cities , approaching levels we ’ ve not seen since the bad old days of the 80s and early 90s .
And now the City of Angels wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ club .
Keep in mind that Los Angeles County is home to some of the most notorious gang turf in the country .
Compton was the launching point of the world ’ s awareness of the existence of the Crips and the Bloods .
The LAPD has done an admirable job of tamping down gang violence over the past couple of decades , making much of the city safer than other gang havens like Baltimore and Chicago .
But now it ’ s apparently going to be open season again .
Why would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a place where the government is openly admitting that they won ’ t make an effort to keep its law abiding citizens safe on the streets and in their own homes ?
None of this means that we should feel much sympathy for the residents of Los Angeles County , however .
Keep in mind that Gascon ran on a very clear platform of doing precisely what we ’ re seeing being rolled out this week .
He wasn ’ t hiding his intentions in any way .
This is what you Agnelinos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re getting .
Now you can live with the results .
Well… at least some of you , anyway .

Los Angeles County swore in its new District Attorney yesterday and George Gascon wasted no time in announcing that things were going to be changing in a big way in America’s largest county court system. For one thing, they probably won’t be needing as many prosecutors as they’ve traditionally employed because Gascon is going to ensure that most crimes won’t be prosecuted anymore. That may sound like a bit of hyperbole to you, but it’s not. Gascon ran on a platform of shutting down the “incarceration nation,” as we’ve seen recently in other cities such as Philadelphia and New York. The ink wasn’t even dry on his new contract before he announced a laundry list of offenses that will be “declined” by his office if the LAPD attempts to bring any charges against violators. (LA Times)
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón announced sweeping policy changes as he took office Monday, including a plan to end the use of cash bail in the nation’s largest court system and a ban on his prosecutors seeking sentencing enhancements in nearly all cases. The dramatic reversals to deeply engrained, traditional law enforcement strategies in the nation’s largest prosecutor’s office also include plans to review of thousands of old cases to determine whether lighter sentences or a prisoner’s release should be sought, Gascón said in speech after being sworn in. Gascón also said he expects to bring an end to misdemeanor prosecutions of most first-time, non-violent, offenders. “I recognize for many this is a new path … whether you are a protester, a police officer or a prosecutor, I ask you to walk with me. I ask you to join me on this journey,” he said.
Here’s a partial list of crimes, announced on Twitter, for which virtually all criminals will be getting a pass.
NEW: L.A. County DA George Gascon has issued a directive to prosecutors that the following misdemeanors will be declined for prosecution, with exemptions.
-Trespassing
-Disturbing the peace
-Driving without license
-Prostitution
-Resisting arrest
Details/exemptions below @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/uVsIC4Dg43 — Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) December 8, 2020
This is just staggering. There are a couple of categories of crime where we could certainly debate the issue, such as prostitution. But for the most part, the rest of these offenses comprise a list of tools that police officers have (or at least had) at their disposal to curb more serious crimes. Trespassing rarely turns into a situation where an arrest is warranted unless the offender is planning something more serious. And decriminalizing acts of resisting arrest means that anyone caught committing a crime can feel free to either attempt to flee the police or try to fight their way out of the situation.
Yes, the new DA is offering “exemptions” to this leniency, generally involving those who are repeat offenders. But in the vast majority of cases, how are the cops supposed to know who is or isn’t a repeat offender before they’ve got the cuffs on them and can check their identification?
Gascon is also eliminating almost all cash bail. This is the same disastrous experiment that’s been running in New York City and Philadelphia with tragic results. Crime is on the rise in both cities, approaching levels we’ve not seen since the bad old days of the 80s and early 90s. And now the City of Angels wants to sign on and join the same club. Keep in mind that Los Angeles County is home to some of the most notorious gang turf in the country. Compton was the launching point of the world’s awareness of the existence of the Crips and the Bloods. The LAPD has done an admirable job of tamping down gang violence over the past couple of decades, making much of the city safer than other gang havens like Baltimore and Chicago. But now it’s apparently going to be open season again.
Why would anyone choose to continue to live in a place where the government is openly admitting that they won’t make an effort to keep its law abiding citizens safe on the streets and in their own homes? None of this means that we should feel much sympathy for the residents of Los Angeles County, however. Keep in mind that Gascon ran on a very clear platform of doing precisely what we’re seeing being rolled out this week. He wasn’t hiding his intentions in any way. This is what you Agnelinos voted for and this is what you’re getting. Now you can live with the results. Well… at least some of you, anyway.


hotair--2020-12-08--ER doctor who criticized Trump's drive-by in front of Walter Reed Medical Center removed from schedu

ER doctor who criticized Trump's drive-by in front of Walter Reed Medical Center removed from schedule

When President Trump was hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center for the coronavirus in October , crowds of his supporters gathered every day outside the facility to wish him well .
Trump was aware of their presence from press reports .
When he and his doctors began negotiating a check-out date for his release from the hospital , Trump decided to surprise his loyal supporters and do a drive-by for them .
The Secret Service slowly drove him by the cheering crowd in The Beast , President Trump visible to them , waving and smiling .
Medical staff assured the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the president ’ s drive-by .
The criticism Trump received for the show of gratitude to his supporters was overblown .
That ’ s what happens in Trump ’ s America – Trump does something , the press loses its mind , Trump ’ s action is found to be acceptable , the press moves on to its next overblown reaction , rinse and repeat .
We ’ ve experienced four years of that .
Only one doctor from Walter Reed came forward and said what the critics were saying at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secret Service agents at risk by selfishly joy-riding to wave at his fans .
Dr. James Phillips , an Emergency Room physician , chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University , and an attending physician at Walter Reed spoke against the president ’ s actions .
On October 4 Phillips tweeted , “ Every single person…in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential “ drive-by ” just now has to be quarantined for 14 days .
They might get sick .
They may die .
For political theater .
Commanded by Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theater .
This is insanity.
” The tweet has since been deleted .
He also posted a second tweet , “ That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof , but hermetically sealed against chemical attack , ” Phillips wrote on Twitter at the time .
“ The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures .
The irresponsibility is astounding.
” Now , two months later , Dr. Phillips , a contract employee at GW Medical Faculty Associates , finds himself removed from the hospital ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a disaster medicine specialist would be eliminated from the schedule as Maryland is nearing a record high for COVID-19 hospitalizations .
As I said , Dr. Phillips wasn ’ t the only person to criticize the motorcade trip around the hospital but he was the only physician there to speak out publicly .
Besides the tweets , he also gave a television interview .
He told the TODAY show that Trump ’ s actions were “ irresponsible ” .
“ This is the wrong message to be sending , ” Phillips said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous move .
There is no medical benefit for this to have taken place.
” “ Beyond the risk that was imparted on those Secret Service agents , volunteering or not , it ’ s the message that is sent to other people who are sick that it ’ s OK to go out , ” he continued .
Phillips has been removed from the rotation but Walter Reed denies it was their decision .
Dr. Phillips ’ s employment is through a contractor and that company determines his schedule .
Contracted employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a contract when it comes time to do that , or the contractor can decide not to renew .
There is no word if Phillips ’ s removal was done in retaliation for his criticism of the president .
There is something else to consider , too .
The other doctors who were asked said that they approved of President Trump ’ s car ride .
They didn ’ t express concern about the exposure of the Secret Service agents in The Beast , the presidential vehicle , with him .
They referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the rest of the vehicle .
When Dr. Phillips went rogue with public criticism , he threw his fellow physicians under the bus .
Maybe he ’ s a Never Trumper who wanted his 15 minutes of fame .
It doesn ’ t matter .
He knew better than to treat the other doctors as he did , yet he did it anyway .

When President Trump was hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center for the coronavirus in October, crowds of his supporters gathered every day outside the facility to wish him well. Trump was aware of their presence from press reports. When he and his doctors began negotiating a check-out date for his release from the hospital, Trump decided to surprise his loyal supporters and do a drive-by for them. The Secret Service slowly drove him by the cheering crowd in The Beast, President Trump visible to them, waving and smiling.
Medical staff assured the public that all appropriate precautions were taken during the president’s drive-by. The criticism Trump received for the show of gratitude to his supporters was overblown. That’s what happens in Trump’s America – Trump does something, the press loses its mind, Trump’s action is found to be acceptable, the press moves on to its next overblown reaction, rinse and repeat. We’ve experienced four years of that.
Only one doctor from Walter Reed came forward and said what the critics were saying at the time – Trump put the lives of Secret Service agents at risk by selfishly joy-riding to wave at his fans. Dr. James Phillips, an Emergency Room physician, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University, and an attending physician at Walter Reed spoke against the president’s actions. On October 4 Phillips tweeted, “Every single person…in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential “drive-by” just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity.” The tweet has since been deleted. He also posted a second tweet, “That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack,” Phillips wrote on Twitter at the time. “The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding.”
Now, two months later, Dr. Phillips, a contract employee at GW Medical Faculty Associates, finds himself removed from the hospital’s schedule. His colleagues are surprised that a disaster medicine specialist would be eliminated from the schedule as Maryland is nearing a record high for COVID-19 hospitalizations. As I said, Dr. Phillips wasn’t the only person to criticize the motorcade trip around the hospital but he was the only physician there to speak out publicly. Besides the tweets, he also gave a television interview. He told the TODAY show that Trump’s actions were “irresponsible”.
“This is the wrong message to be sending,” Phillips said, adding: “This was a dangerous move. There is no medical benefit for this to have taken place.” “Beyond the risk that was imparted on those Secret Service agents, volunteering or not, it’s the message that is sent to other people who are sick that it’s OK to go out,” he continued.
Phillips has been removed from the rotation but Walter Reed denies it was their decision. Dr. Phillips’s employment is through a contractor and that company determines his schedule.
They told the outlet that the hospital “provides requirements for contract positions. Schedules are determined by the contractor. There was no decision made by anyone at WRNMMC to remove Dr. Phillips from the schedule.”
Contracted employees like Dr. Phillips can simply not renew a contract when it comes time to do that, or the contractor can decide not to renew. There is no word if Phillips’s removal was done in retaliation for his criticism of the president. There is something else to consider, too. The other doctors who were asked said that they approved of President Trump’s car ride. They didn’t express concern about the exposure of the Secret Service agents in The Beast, the presidential vehicle, with him. They referred to the partition between the front seat and the rest of the vehicle. When Dr. Phillips went rogue with public criticism, he threw his fellow physicians under the bus. Maybe he’s a Never Trumper who wanted his 15 minutes of fame. It doesn’t matter. He knew better than to treat the other doctors as he did, yet he did it anyway.