hotair--2020-10-10--Hmm. Another presidential debate moderator has deactivated her Twitter account

Another twist has developed in the presidential debate story .
A piece went up on Fox News online Friday night reporting that Kristen Welker has deactivated her Twitter account .
It caught my attention because just hours earlier , C-SPAN ’ s Steve Scully deactivated his Twitter account as he deals with the mess he ’ s gotten himself into over the appearance that he is a Never-Trumper working with the likes of Anthony Scaramucci .
Welker is the moderator for the October 22 presidential debate .
The the second debate was canceled after President Trump refused to go forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Presidential Debates ( CPD ) made the decision to go that route without notifying either candidate before making their announcement .
The moderator of the October 15 debate was to be C-SPAN ’ s Steve Scully .
He is under fire now for a tweet he sent to Anthony Scaramucci , asking for advice on how to handle President Trump , which was not sent privately but in public view .
He was already being criticized as the choice of moderator because of his past history with Joe Biden .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ college and there is a photo of him and Biden at a social gathering circulating on Twitter .
There are also a couple of tweets that show an anti-Trump bias .
His Twitter account was hacked , he claimed after being caught , and has now been deactivated .
My first question when I saw that Welker has deactivated her account is one that I assume everyone else is asking – what is she hiding ?
She is NBC ’ s White House correspondent and a weekend anchor .
Fox News was told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to deactivate her account , that she was not asked to do so by the CPD .
She , like most journalists , is likely a Biden voter .
Perhaps she made the decision to deactivate her account until after the debate .
Or , perhaps after a review of her past tweets , she decided a bias comes through .
If it is the latter she would be a rarity in her profession .
Most reporters swear by the fact that they have no bias .
It ’ s the bubble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t see their own biases .
The CPD is standing up for Scully and going along with this story of being hacked .
His employer , C-SPAN is doing the same .
Twitter is staying silent .
Scully has not issued any statement at all since he posted the tweet to The Mooch .
C-SPAN ’ s statement said Scully “ did not originate the tweet ” and added that the CPD was investigating the incident “ with the help of authorities.
” In its own statement , CPD said it “ it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI and Twitter ” as part of its investigation .
Twitter declined to comment when asked to confirm whether or not Scully ’ s account was hacked .
Twitter also did not immediately respond to Fox News ’ inquiry about whether Scully deleted his own account or if Twitter had taken it down as part of a potential investigation .
The third scheduled debate on October 22 at Belmont University in Nashville will actually be the second debate between President Trump and Joe Biden .
The October 15 debate was canceled due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has exposed many things to the American public and the corruption of the CPD is a good example .
Don ’ t take my word for it – Republican Party elder Bob Dole realizes that the commission is partisan now , not the non-partisan organization it was set up to be .
He tweeted that he is friends with many of the CPD ’ s members and they are anti-Trumpers .
The former senator says they are biased against the president .
The choice of presidential debate moderators has favored Democrats for many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new development .
The bias has clearly come through this year , though , with all of the moderators being Democrats .
The moderator chosen from Fox News Channel is a Democrat and previously had a rather contentious interview with President Trump .
Wallace made himself the third debater during the first debate and sided with Joe Biden , chuckling and agreeing with him when Biden made snide remarks against Trump .
Susan Page , the moderator for the vice-presidential debate is currently writing a book on Nancy Pelosi .
Most of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but some changes should be made if we are to continue allowing them to make the choices for presidential debates .
Yashar Ali , a liberal journalist , put together a list of the members of the CPD along with their ages and occupations .
It ’ s an eye-opener .
He dwells on age and race because he wants a more woke commission but the list exposes an important truth – there are more Democrats than Republicans on it .
The three co-chairs of the Commission on Presidential Debates—the nonprofit , bipartisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and vice presidential debates every four years during the general election—are all over the age of 70 ( two of them are more than 80 years old ) , are all white , and all are deeply entrenched in the clubby Washington , D.C. , world of former politicians , think tanks and lobbyists .
Of the remaining 10 members on the commission ’ s board of directors , seven are more than 70 years old , two are in their 60s , and the youngest is 46 .
One is Black , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asian .
Since Republicans are already underrepresented , and I ’ m willing to bet that the two members who are listed as Independents are Biden voters , it is no wonder that Bob Dole sounded the alarm that those Republicans are Never Trumpers .
How is this fair to the president ?
It ’ s too bad that Dole didn ’ t speak up earlier before the sudden change in the second debate exposed their power grab .
The CPD is the epitome of The Swamp in Washington , D.C .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question remains – what is Kristen Welker trying to hide in her Twitter account ?
Did she get nervous because of Scully ’ s error in exposing himself to be on Team Biden ?
She works for NBC and it is an anti-Trump network .
I guess we ’ ll know after the debate if she re-activates her account .
For now , it looks really swampy .

Another twist has developed in the presidential debate story. A piece went up on Fox News online Friday night reporting that Kristen Welker has deactivated her Twitter account. It caught my attention because just hours earlier, C-SPAN’s Steve Scully deactivated his Twitter account as he deals with the mess he’s gotten himself into over the appearance that he is a Never-Trumper working with the likes of Anthony Scaramucci. Welker is the moderator for the October 22 presidential debate.
The the second debate was canceled after President Trump refused to go forward with a virtual debate. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) made the decision to go that route without notifying either candidate before making their announcement.
The moderator of the October 15 debate was to be C-SPAN’s Steve Scully. He is under fire now for a tweet he sent to Anthony Scaramucci, asking for advice on how to handle President Trump, which was not sent privately but in public view. He was already being criticized as the choice of moderator because of his past history with Joe Biden. He was an intern in his office while in college and there is a photo of him and Biden at a social gathering circulating on Twitter. There are also a couple of tweets that show an anti-Trump bias. His Twitter account was hacked, he claimed after being caught, and has now been deactivated.
My first question when I saw that Welker has deactivated her account is one that I assume everyone else is asking – what is she hiding? She is NBC’s White House correspondent and a weekend anchor. Fox News was told that it was Welker’s own decision to deactivate her account, that she was not asked to do so by the CPD. She, like most journalists, is likely a Biden voter. Perhaps she made the decision to deactivate her account until after the debate. Or, perhaps after a review of her past tweets, she decided a bias comes through. If it is the latter she would be a rarity in her profession. Most reporters swear by the fact that they have no bias. It’s the bubble they live in. They don’t see their own biases.
Kristen Welker (@KWelkerNBC), the moderator of the next presidential debate, has either deactivated or deleted her Twitter account. pic.twitter.com/Hld32HDyBN — Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) October 9, 2020
The CPD is standing up for Scully and going along with this story of being hacked. His employer, C-SPAN is doing the same. Twitter is staying silent. Scully has not issued any statement at all since he posted the tweet to The Mooch.
C-SPAN’s statement said Scully “did not originate the tweet” and added that the CPD was investigating the incident “with the help of authorities.” In its own statement, CPD said it “it had reported the apparent hack to the FBI and Twitter” as part of its investigation. Twitter declined to comment when asked to confirm whether or not Scully’s account was hacked. Twitter also did not immediately respond to Fox News’ inquiry about whether Scully deleted his own account or if Twitter had taken it down as part of a potential investigation.
The third scheduled debate on October 22 at Belmont University in Nashville will actually be the second debate between President Trump and Joe Biden. The October 15 debate was canceled due to shenanigans played by the CPD. 2020 has exposed many things to the American public and the corruption of the CPD is a good example. Don’t take my word for it – Republican Party elder Bob Dole realizes that the commission is partisan now, not the non-partisan organization it was set up to be. He tweeted that he is friends with many of the CPD’s members and they are anti-Trumpers. The former senator says they are biased against the president.
The Commission on Presidential Debates is supposedly bipartisan w/ an equal number of Rs and Ds. I know all of the Republicans and most are friends of mine. I am concerned that none of them support @realDonaldTrump. A biased Debate Commission is unfair. — Senator Bob Dole (@SenatorDole) October 9, 2020
The choice of presidential debate moderators has favored Democrats for many years, this isn’t a new development. The bias has clearly come through this year, though, with all of the moderators being Democrats. The moderator chosen from Fox News Channel is a Democrat and previously had a rather contentious interview with President Trump. Wallace made himself the third debater during the first debate and sided with Joe Biden, chuckling and agreeing with him when Biden made snide remarks against Trump. Susan Page, the moderator for the vice-presidential debate is currently writing a book on Nancy Pelosi.
Most of us don’t think about the CPD but some changes should be made if we are to continue allowing them to make the choices for presidential debates.
Yashar Ali, a liberal journalist, put together a list of the members of the CPD along with their ages and occupations. It’s an eye-opener. He dwells on age and race because he wants a more woke commission but the list exposes an important truth – there are more Democrats than Republicans on it.
The three co-chairs of the Commission on Presidential Debates—the nonprofit, bipartisan organization that sponsors and produces the presidential and vice presidential debates every four years during the general election—are all over the age of 70 (two of them are more than 80 years old), are all white, and all are deeply entrenched in the clubby Washington, D.C., world of former politicians, think tanks and lobbyists. Of the remaining 10 members on the commission’s board of directors, seven are more than 70 years old, two are in their 60s, and the youngest is 46. One is Black, one is Latina, and one is Asian.
Since Republicans are already underrepresented, and I’m willing to bet that the two members who are listed as Independents are Biden voters, it is no wonder that Bob Dole sounded the alarm that those Republicans are Never Trumpers. How is this fair to the president? It’s too bad that Dole didn’t speak up earlier before the sudden change in the second debate exposed their power grab. The CPD is the epitome of The Swamp in Washington, D.C. Some changes have to be made.
The question remains – what is Kristen Welker trying to hide in her Twitter account? Did she get nervous because of Scully’s error in exposing himself to be on Team Biden? She works for NBC and it is an anti-Trump network. I guess we’ll know after the debate if she re-activates her account. For now, it looks really swampy.


hotair--2020-10-10--Woman not allowed to board flight due to "lewd, obscene and offensive" breasts

Now that their bailout money has run out , Southwest Airlines is facing the same dilemma as most of its competitors .
With air travel volume still at barely a trickle compared to pre-plague levels , they ’ ll either need to start laying off large numbers of workers or find some other way to cut costs .
They ’ ve already asked workers to take pay cuts , but the unions are balking at that idea .
No matter which way they wind up going , we can probably expect to see a decrease in the quality of service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already be showing up at some airline terminals , or at least in Chicago .
One woman who was attempting to board a flight on Tuesday received an unpleasant surprise when she was informed by the agent at the gate that she would not be allowed to board her flight .
But this wasn ’ t some security concern or even a refusal to wear a facemask .
The attendant told the woman that the halter-top shirt she was wearing was too revealing and was “ lewd , obscene and offensive.
” ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she was prevented from boarding her flight because her breasts were deemed “ lewd , obscene and offensive ” — forcing the captain to lend her his T-shirt .
Irate Chicago resident Kayla Eubanks took to Twitter to document her dispute on Tuesday with ground staffers who said her low-cut black halter top was too revealing .
“ Y ’ all I was KICKED OFF my @ SouthwestAir flight because my boobs are ‘ lewd , obscene and offensive.
’ I was told that passengers may look at me in my attire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with a bathroom selfie showing her ensemble , which included a long red skirt .
The pilot of the plane was apparently sympathetic to Eubanks ’ plight and loaned her one of his t-shirts to wear so she could make her ( now-delayed ) flight .
Here ’ s one of the series of tweets that Ms. Eubanks sent out with a selfie showing the “ lewd ” shirt in question .
Here ’ s another with the video she recorded of the gate employee trying to find a reference to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy was located . )
I ’ m obviously no expert on women ’ s fashions ( or men ’ s either , for that matter ) but if this is really a policy that Southwest Airlines has on the books , it needs a fresh look .
I ’ ll grant you that the halter-top Eubanks was wearing is obviously a bit on the revealing side , but you can see far more revealing garb on both ladies and men any time you go to the beach or the swimming pool .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ floor .
You ’ d have to be seriously prudish to describe the woman ’ s outfit as obscene or offensive .
Besides , isn ’ t air travel enough of a massive pain in the backsides these days as it is ?
If you ’ re not worried about catching the plague from your fellow travelers in the plane ’ s cramped confines , you ’ re probably crossing your fingers and hoping the damned thing won ’ t just fall out of the sky .
And that ’ s assuming you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight to begin with .
Southwest slashed 35,000 flights in October as compared to last year , and more flights will require one or more layovers along the way .
Whether you ’ re a fan of Ms. Eubanks ’ sartorial choices or not , the woman ’ s “ private areas ” were all covered and there was no reason she shouldn ’ t have been able to board the plane .
Southwest should be issuing an apology and a voucher for a free flight rather than scrambling to identify some policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the fashion police .

Now that their bailout money has run out, Southwest Airlines is facing the same dilemma as most of its competitors. With air travel volume still at barely a trickle compared to pre-plague levels, they’ll either need to start laying off large numbers of workers or find some other way to cut costs. They’ve already asked workers to take pay cuts, but the unions are balking at that idea. No matter which way they wind up going, we can probably expect to see a decrease in the quality of service that travelers receive.
That phenomenon may already be showing up at some airline terminals, or at least in Chicago. One woman who was attempting to board a flight on Tuesday received an unpleasant surprise when she was informed by the agent at the gate that she would not be allowed to board her flight. But this wasn’t some security concern or even a refusal to wear a facemask. The attendant told the woman that the halter-top shirt she was wearing was too revealing and was “lewd, obscene and offensive.” (NY Post)
A Southwest Airlines passenger said she was prevented from boarding her flight because her breasts were deemed “lewd, obscene and offensive” — forcing the captain to lend her his T-shirt. Irate Chicago resident Kayla Eubanks took to Twitter to document her dispute on Tuesday with ground staffers who said her low-cut black halter top was too revealing. “Y’all I was KICKED OFF my @SouthwestAir flight because my boobs are ‘lewd, obscene and offensive.’ I was told that passengers may look at me in my attire and be offended,” Eubanks tweeted along with a bathroom selfie showing her ensemble, which included a long red skirt.
The pilot of the plane was apparently sympathetic to Eubanks’ plight and loaned her one of his t-shirts to wear so she could make her (now-delayed) flight.
Here’s one of the series of tweets that Ms. Eubanks sent out with a selfie showing the “lewd” shirt in question.
Y’all I was KICKED OFF my @SouthwestAir flight because my boobs are “lewd, obscene and offensive.” I was told that passengers may look at me in my attire and be offended. The attire in question: https://t.co/tOAxZsFDU5 pic.twitter.com/S9W9gFXpg6 — Kayla Eubanks (@UziSuzy) October 6, 2020
Here’s another with the video she recorded of the gate employee trying to find a reference to their policy on attire. (No such policy was located.)
This @SouthwestAir employee practically did cartwheels to ensure that I wouldn’t get on this plane y’all. I was held at the gate for 30 minutes because of my shirt. pic.twitter.com/gxnlNX4H6b — Kayla Eubanks (@UziSuzy) October 6, 2020
I’m obviously no expert on women’s fashions (or men’s either, for that matter) but if this is really a policy that Southwest Airlines has on the books, it needs a fresh look. I’ll grant you that the halter-top Eubanks was wearing is obviously a bit on the revealing side, but you can see far more revealing garb on both ladies and men any time you go to the beach or the swimming pool. And her skirt reached nearly to the floor. You’d have to be seriously prudish to describe the woman’s outfit as obscene or offensive.
Besides, isn’t air travel enough of a massive pain in the backsides these days as it is? If you’re not worried about catching the plague from your fellow travelers in the plane’s cramped confines, you’re probably crossing your fingers and hoping the damned thing won’t just fall out of the sky. And that’s assuming you’re able to actually book a flight to begin with. Southwest slashed 35,000 flights in October as compared to last year, and more flights will require one or more layovers along the way.
Whether you’re a fan of Ms. Eubanks’ sartorial choices or not, the woman’s “private areas” were all covered and there was no reason she shouldn’t have been able to board the plane. Southwest should be issuing an apology and a voucher for a free flight rather than scrambling to identify some policy that allows their gate attendants to act as the fashion police.


hotair--2020-10-10--Nearly 50K flawed ballots sent out in one Ohio county

Things appear to be going swimmingly in Ohio as large numbers of voters prepare to send in their ballots by mail .
And when we say “ large ” we ’ re not talking about an increase of a few percent over 2016 .
In Franklin County , encompassing the state capital of Columbus , nearly a quarter of a million ballots have already been mailed out .
Unfortunately , nearly 20 % of those ballots are invalid because of incorrect information on them .
If this sounds familiar , it ’ s probably because we ’ ve been seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
But the errors in Franklin County were particularly egregious .
A “ fix ” for this problem has been promised , but with only 24 days to go , cleaning this mess up is going to require some serious magic .
( Associated Press ) Nearly 50,000 voters received incorrect absentee ballots in the county that is home to Ohio ’ s capital , elections officials said Friday as they promised corrected ballots would be mailed within 72 hours .
With about 240,000 ballots mailed , that meant one in five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ error happened Saturday afternoon when someone changed a setting on a machine that places absentee ballots into mailing envelopes , Franklin County elections officials said Thursday .
Some ballots had an incorrect congressional race , while others had the correct information but were sent to voters in a different precinct .
This must be yet another example of those “ snafus ” that the Associated Press keeps assuring us always happen but are easily corrected and no big deal .
Seriously ?
Twenty percent is one heck of a “ snafu.
” We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this was a simple case of human error , which is certainly plausible .
Somebody at the company contracted to assemble the ballots for mailing “ changed a setting ” on the machine that stuffs and addresses the envelopes .
That resulted in the names of congressional candidates being incorrect or showing the race in a different district .
This is Ohio ’ s 3rd Congressional District we ’ re talking about , which is rated at D+19 so it probably won ’ t impact Joyce Beatty ’ s ( D ) election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had happened in a marginal , closely contested district , 50,000 votes could easily tip the election in one direction of the other .
So what are they going to do about it ?
Election officials say that they ’ ll not only be sending new ballots out , but they will send “ a postcard ” to each voter who received an incorrect ballot with instructions as to how they should proceed .
But let ’ s stop and consider the reality of what that means .
We ’ re now in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All across the country , residents ’ mailboxes are inundated with campaign mailers from every elected official and hopeful candidate on the ballot on a daily basis .
A large majority of that material goes straight into the recycling bin , including at my house .
If the voter has already received their ballot and sent it in , a lot of them are simply going to ignore any additional postcards or anything else that looks like more campaign propaganda .
If they didn ’ t happen to catch this story on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have no idea that they mailed in a spoiled ballot .
Those are the sorts of potential errors that we ’ ll likely never find out about .
On election day , the spoiled ballots will simply be rejected and the voters will probably never realize that they weren ’ t counted .
Further , even if they do mail in the replacement ballot , we ’ re relying on election workers who have never handled this volume of mail-in voting before to catch all of them and ensure people don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luck , Ohio .
The 2020 election is shaping up to be a wild and wooly affair .
The latest round of polling shows Biden and Trump separated by less than one percent .
That ’ s a contest that may wind up coming down to a difference of… dare we say it… less than 50,000 votes .

Things appear to be going swimmingly in Ohio as large numbers of voters prepare to send in their ballots by mail. And when we say “large” we’re not talking about an increase of a few percent over 2016. In Franklin County, encompassing the state capital of Columbus, nearly a quarter of a million ballots have already been mailed out. Unfortunately, nearly 20% of those ballots are invalid because of incorrect information on them. If this sounds familiar, it’s probably because we’ve been seeing this happen all over the country this month. But the errors in Franklin County were particularly egregious. A “fix” for this problem has been promised, but with only 24 days to go, cleaning this mess up is going to require some serious magic. (Associated Press)
Nearly 50,000 voters received incorrect absentee ballots in the county that is home to Ohio’s capital, elections officials said Friday as they promised corrected ballots would be mailed within 72 hours. With about 240,000 ballots mailed, that meant one in five voters received a wrong ballot. The error happened Saturday afternoon when someone changed a setting on a machine that places absentee ballots into mailing envelopes, Franklin County elections officials said Thursday. Some ballots had an incorrect congressional race, while others had the correct information but were sent to voters in a different precinct.
This must be yet another example of those “snafus” that the Associated Press keeps assuring us always happen but are easily corrected and no big deal. Seriously? Twenty percent is one heck of a “snafu.”
We’re once again being told that this was a simple case of human error, which is certainly plausible. Somebody at the company contracted to assemble the ballots for mailing “changed a setting” on the machine that stuffs and addresses the envelopes. That resulted in the names of congressional candidates being incorrect or showing the race in a different district.
This is Ohio’s 3rd Congressional District we’re talking about, which is rated at D+19 so it probably won’t impact Joyce Beatty’s (D) election prospects very much. But if this had happened in a marginal, closely contested district, 50,000 votes could easily tip the election in one direction of the other.
So what are they going to do about it? Election officials say that they’ll not only be sending new ballots out, but they will send “a postcard” to each voter who received an incorrect ballot with instructions as to how they should proceed. But let’s stop and consider the reality of what that means. We’re now in the final throes of the presidential election. All across the country, residents’ mailboxes are inundated with campaign mailers from every elected official and hopeful candidate on the ballot on a daily basis. A large majority of that material goes straight into the recycling bin, including at my house.
If the voter has already received their ballot and sent it in, a lot of them are simply going to ignore any additional postcards or anything else that looks like more campaign propaganda. If they didn’t happen to catch this story on the news, they’ll probably have no idea that they mailed in a spoiled ballot. Those are the sorts of potential errors that we’ll likely never find out about. On election day, the spoiled ballots will simply be rejected and the voters will probably never realize that they weren’t counted. Further, even if they do mail in the replacement ballot, we’re relying on election workers who have never handled this volume of mail-in voting before to catch all of them and ensure people don’t wind up inadvertently voting twice.
Good luck, Ohio. The 2020 election is shaping up to be a wild and wooly affair. The latest round of polling shows Biden and Trump separated by less than one percent. That’s a contest that may wind up coming down to a difference of… dare we say it… less than 50,000 votes.


hotair--2020-10-11--Sunday morning talking heads

Sunday morning talking heads

This is the first Sunday in nearly a month where the news cycle hasn ’ t been shattered by something that happened in the preceding 48 hours .
Three weeks ago , it was the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on a Friday night .
Eight days later , on Saturday afternoon , Trump introduced Amy Coney Barrett as his new SCOTUS nominee .
Six days after that , the president was flown to Walter Reed for treatment for COVID-19 — which he may or may not have acquired , or passed on to others , at the Barrett ceremony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened in the past 24 hours as I write this on Saturday morning .
Fingers crossed that that ’ s still true by the time you read it on Sunday .
The star guest this morning is Gretchen Whitmer , on to discuss the foiled plot by militiamen to kidnap and murder her .
In any other era that would be the lead story in every news outlet for days ; in the Trump era , where batsh*t blockbusters happen hourly , it ’ s already slipping through the cracks .
“ Face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it the attention it deserves with an interview of Whitmer , who ’ ll naturally try to turn the ordeal into a story about Trump in order to help her party a few weeks before a national election .
Also on “ Face the Nation ” this morning is RNC chair Ronna McDaniel , who ’ ll offer her view on the state of the race and answer some awkward questions about how she came to be infected with coronavirus .
She was with POTUS at an event the day before the Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was infected then ?
Or was someone else in her orbit infected before she met with Trump , raising the possibility that McDaniel herself infected the president ?
Elsewhere this morning we have a bevy of senators scheduled to preview the upcoming Barrett confirmation hearing and the prospects for a last-second stimulus deal .
Ted Cruz and Dick Durbin will chat with “ Meet the Press , ” Mazie Hirono will speak to “ State of the Union , ” and Ben Sasse and Chris Coons will talk with “ Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most outspoken Republicans in the Senate in opposing a blowout stimulus package on the order of what Pelosi wants .
Where do they stand now that the president himself said on Friday that he wants a deal even bigger than the one Pelosi ’ s been pushing ?
Are they really not going to throw him a lifeline that might save his campaign by passing a White-House-approved compromise with Democrats in the final days of the race ?
Finally , Eric Trump will appear on “ This Week ” to explain what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father has “ literally saved Christianity.
” The full line-up is at the AP .

This is the first Sunday in nearly a month where the news cycle hasn’t been shattered by something that happened in the preceding 48 hours. Three weeks ago, it was the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on a Friday night. Eight days later, on Saturday afternoon, Trump introduced Amy Coney Barrett as his new SCOTUS nominee. Six days after that, the president was flown to Walter Reed for treatment for COVID-19 — which he may or may not have acquired, or passed on to others, at the Barrett ceremony the previous week.
Nothing crazy has happened in the past 24 hours as I write this on Saturday morning. Fingers crossed that that’s still true by the time you read it on Sunday.
The star guest this morning is Gretchen Whitmer, on to discuss the foiled plot by militiamen to kidnap and murder her. In any other era that would be the lead story in every news outlet for days; in the Trump era, where batsh*t blockbusters happen hourly, it’s already slipping through the cracks. “Face the Nation” will try to give it the attention it deserves with an interview of Whitmer, who’ll naturally try to turn the ordeal into a story about Trump in order to help her party a few weeks before a national election. Also on “Face the Nation” this morning is RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, who’ll offer her view on the state of the race and answer some awkward questions about how she came to be infected with coronavirus. She was with POTUS at an event the day before the Barrett Rose Garden ceremony. Does she think she was infected then? Or was someone else in her orbit infected before she met with Trump, raising the possibility that McDaniel herself infected the president?
Elsewhere this morning we have a bevy of senators scheduled to preview the upcoming Barrett confirmation hearing and the prospects for a last-second stimulus deal. Ted Cruz and Dick Durbin will chat with “Meet the Press,” Mazie Hirono will speak to “State of the Union,” and Ben Sasse and Chris Coons will talk with “Fox News Sunday.” Cruz and Sasse are among the most outspoken Republicans in the Senate in opposing a blowout stimulus package on the order of what Pelosi wants. Where do they stand now that the president himself said on Friday that he wants a deal even bigger than the one Pelosi’s been pushing? Are they really not going to throw him a lifeline that might save his campaign by passing a White-House-approved compromise with Democrats in the final days of the race?
Finally, Eric Trump will appear on “This Week” to explain what he meant when he said that his father has “literally saved Christianity.” The full line-up is at the AP.


hotair--2020-10-11--PA Mayor fires police chief over his wife's pro-Trump FB comments

This story took place over the past week or so but it ’ s just bubbling to the surface outside of the local news beat .
In Lancaster , Pennsylvania , Mayor Danene Sorace ( D ) held an extremely short press conference on October 2nd to announce the retirement of their Chief of Police , Jarrad Berkihiser .
After briefly thanking him for his service , the Mayor took no questions from the press and departed .
The Police Chief did not attend the event and issued no comment .
The retirement of one police chief normally wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story , but word has leaked out that the reason for the “ retirement ” was much more than initially met the eye .
According to a past president of the local Fraternal Order of Police , this was actually a case of the Mayor telling Berkihiser that he could either choose to retire early or be fired .
And it was because of comments that the Chief ’ s wife had posted on Facebook in support of President Trump .
( Lancaster Online ) Lancaster ’ s police chief was forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about President Trump on Facebook , according to the past president of the local Fraternal Order of Police .
Mayor Danene Sorace announced Jarrad Berkihiser ’ s retirement on Friday , Oct. 2 , during a three-and-a-half-minute news conference at which she did not answer questions and which Berkihiser did not attend .
It was retire or be fired , John Fiorill , the FOP ’ s immediate past president said Friday .
Fiorill said his account of Berkihiser ’ s retirement is based on a call Berkihiser made to the FOP lodge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resignation .
Since Berkihiser had not reached an agreement with the city at the time of that call , Fiorill said he believes he can share the information with the media .
The comments posted by the Chief ’ s wife have since been deleted , but they were captured and saved before they disappeared .
In a thread about volunteering at a Trump rally , a friend of Kristy Berkihiser ( the Chief ’ s wife ) posted something about how sincerely the President had spoken about his support of law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ why I ’ m voting for him again .
Same reason as last time… you don ’ t see him meeting w Jacob Blake ’ s family or speaking to him by phone… ” That was apparently the entire exchange .
But it caught someone ’ s attention and the comments clearly found their way to the Mayor ’ s office .
Now , I ’ ll grant you that I could see how some people might take offense at someone cheering for the President not placing a call to the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
But that wasn ’ t the chief talking .
That was his wife .
How petty would you have to be to terminate a lifelong law enforcement officer ’ s career over that ?
Is he supposed to censor his wife ’ s social media accounts ?
In followup series of exchanges with the press , the Mayor continued to insist that she couldn ’ t make any further comment on the subject , citing privacy and an “ agreement ” between her and the soon-to-be ex-Chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any public statements either .
We don ’ t have any way to document it as yet , but it ’ s not too hard to guess what ’ s going on here .
The Trump-hating Mayor probably made it clear that she was going to ensure that Berkihiser was driven from office .
If he kept his mouth shut he could quietly retire and keep the retirement benefits he was probably counting on to support his family .
Or he could fight her , be fired , and potentially lose those benefits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the better part of valor and decided leaving would be better than working for this sort of a mayor anyway .
The Trump Derangement Syndrome is apparentLy strong in Lancaster .
It ’ s just a shame that the Chief wound up taking the brunt of the damage for something he had nothing to do with .

This story took place over the past week or so but it’s just bubbling to the surface outside of the local news beat. In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Mayor Danene Sorace (D) held an extremely short press conference on October 2nd to announce the retirement of their Chief of Police, Jarrad Berkihiser. After briefly thanking him for his service, the Mayor took no questions from the press and departed. The Police Chief did not attend the event and issued no comment.
The retirement of one police chief normally wouldn’t make for much of a news story, but word has leaked out that the reason for the “retirement” was much more than initially met the eye. According to a past president of the local Fraternal Order of Police, this was actually a case of the Mayor telling Berkihiser that he could either choose to retire early or be fired. And it was because of comments that the Chief’s wife had posted on Facebook in support of President Trump. (Lancaster Online)
Lancaster’s police chief was forced to retire because his wife posted positive comments about President Trump on Facebook, according to the past president of the local Fraternal Order of Police. Mayor Danene Sorace announced Jarrad Berkihiser’s retirement on Friday, Oct. 2, during a three-and-a-half-minute news conference at which she did not answer questions and which Berkihiser did not attend. It was retire or be fired, John Fiorill, the FOP’s immediate past president said Friday. Fiorill said his account of Berkihiser’s retirement is based on a call Berkihiser made to the FOP lodge seeking labor advice after Sorace demanded his resignation. Since Berkihiser had not reached an agreement with the city at the time of that call, Fiorill said he believes he can share the information with the media.
The comments posted by the Chief’s wife have since been deleted, but they were captured and saved before they disappeared. In a thread about volunteering at a Trump rally, a friend of Kristy Berkihiser (the Chief’s wife) posted something about how sincerely the President had spoken about his support of law enforcement. Mrs. Berkihiser responded by saying, “why I’m voting for him again. Same reason as last time… you don’t see him meeting w Jacob Blake’s family or speaking to him by phone…”
That was apparently the entire exchange. But it caught someone’s attention and the comments clearly found their way to the Mayor’s office. Now, I’ll grant you that I could see how some people might take offense at someone cheering for the President not placing a call to the family of a Black man shot by the police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. But that wasn’t the chief talking. That was his wife. How petty would you have to be to terminate a lifelong law enforcement officer’s career over that? Is he supposed to censor his wife’s social media accounts?
In followup series of exchanges with the press, the Mayor continued to insist that she couldn’t make any further comment on the subject, citing privacy and an “agreement” between her and the soon-to-be ex-Chief. Jarrad Berkihiser isn’t issuing any public statements either.
We don’t have any way to document it as yet, but it’s not too hard to guess what’s going on here. The Trump-hating Mayor probably made it clear that she was going to ensure that Berkihiser was driven from office. If he kept his mouth shut he could quietly retire and keep the retirement benefits he was probably counting on to support his family. Or he could fight her, be fired, and potentially lose those benefits. Perhaps the Chief decided that discretion was the better part of valor and decided leaving would be better than working for this sort of a mayor anyway.
The Trump Derangement Syndrome is apparentLy strong in Lancaster. It’s just a shame that the Chief wound up taking the brunt of the damage for something he had nothing to do with.


hotair--2020-10-11--Rioters are still looting high-end SoHo shops weekly using threats of racist accusations

The looting that went on in New York City at the height of the BLM riots was a regular feature in the local news , though far less frequently mentioned on CNN , MSNBC or in the major national newspapers .
Now the frequency and size of the protests and the associated rioting have diminished somewhat as the colder weather arrives .
But one thing hasn ’ t changed .
The looting in some of Gotham ’ s most expensive retail districts is still going on every week .
Though you rarely hear about it on the news , retailers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being targeted constantly .
And the vast majority of the thieves manage to get away because they threaten the stores with accusations of racism if they try to stop them .
( NY Post ) Bands of shoplifters are terrorizing Soho ’ s high-end boutiques , lifting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of designer merchandise , and in some cases , threatening security guards to keep quiet — or be labeled racist , The Post has learned… “ This is happening every week .
Walk around Soho on Wooster Street and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You have huge bouncers out there trying to deter hit-and-run activity , ” the source , a restaurateur , said .
But in some cases , the thieves are given carte blanche to steal .
“ If they [ store personnel ] stop them and say anything in the store before they ’ ve left the building then it often gets turned into a racial accusation , ” the source said .
The weekly robberies have been taking place in outlets including Adidas , Fendi and Burberry .
The very upscale store Moncler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same day .
Moncler sells down jackets that go for as much as $ 2,000 .
( Who spends that much on a down jacket is a mystery for another day . )
The robberies took place in broad daylight and more than $ 50,000 in merchandise was carried out of the store and driven away .
The suspects were unmolested in their efforts and no arrests have been made .
The details of these crimes are daunting but a few patterns seem clear .
The criminals , almost entirely younger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NYPD is overextended and they can ’ t be everywhere at once .
They go into some of the priciest stores with the most expensive merchandise , cause a disturbance , and then grab as much loot as they can carry .
If anyone tries to stop them , they begin screaming about racism .
It ’ s gotten to the point where store managers are telling their security people to just let them go rather than be branded on social media as “ not supporting Black Lives Matter.
” But these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part , if at all .
The retailers aren ’ t seeing a lot of BLM shirts or people carrying signs .
These are just opportunistic thieves and gang bangers who have been blending in with the rest of the rioters and cashing in while the opportunities are plentiful .
And they ’ re clearly very media savvy .
They know that the stores are frightened of being seen as insufficiently woke and all they need to do is get a cellphone video of a minority youth being restrained or ejected from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be posted online , a petition will be started and the store will be canceled and besieged by outraged activists .
This is how the “ movement ” is working today in New York City .
I ’ m sure those who have been subjected to actual racial violence and oppression must be so proud right about now .

The looting that went on in New York City at the height of the BLM riots was a regular feature in the local news, though far less frequently mentioned on CNN, MSNBC or in the major national newspapers. Now the frequency and size of the protests and the associated rioting have diminished somewhat as the colder weather arrives. But one thing hasn’t changed. The looting in some of Gotham’s most expensive retail districts is still going on every week. Though you rarely hear about it on the news, retailers in Manhattan’s upscale SoHo district are being targeted constantly. And the vast majority of the thieves manage to get away because they threaten the stores with accusations of racism if they try to stop them. (NY Post)
Bands of shoplifters are terrorizing Soho’s high-end boutiques, lifting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of designer merchandise, and in some cases, threatening security guards to keep quiet — or be labeled racist, The Post has learned… “This is happening every week. Walk around Soho on Wooster Street and Greene Street, Mercer Street. … You have huge bouncers out there trying to deter hit-and-run activity,” the source, a restaurateur, said. But in some cases, the thieves are given carte blanche to steal. “If they [store personnel] stop them and say anything in the store before they’ve left the building then it often gets turned into a racial accusation,” the source said.
The weekly robberies have been taking place in outlets including Adidas, Fendi and Burberry. The very upscale store Moncler on Prince Street was recently hit twice in the same day. Moncler sells down jackets that go for as much as $2,000. (Who spends that much on a down jacket is a mystery for another day.) The robberies took place in broad daylight and more than $50,000 in merchandise was carried out of the store and driven away. The suspects were unmolested in their efforts and no arrests have been made.
The details of these crimes are daunting but a few patterns seem clear. The criminals, almost entirely younger Black and Hispanic males, realize that the NYPD is overextended and they can’t be everywhere at once. They go into some of the priciest stores with the most expensive merchandise, cause a disturbance, and then grab as much loot as they can carry. If anyone tries to stop them, they begin screaming about racism. It’s gotten to the point where store managers are telling their security people to just let them go rather than be branded on social media as “not supporting Black Lives Matter.”
But these aren’t protesters for the most part, if at all. The retailers aren’t seeing a lot of BLM shirts or people carrying signs. These are just opportunistic thieves and gang bangers who have been blending in with the rest of the rioters and cashing in while the opportunities are plentiful. And they’re clearly very media savvy. They know that the stores are frightened of being seen as insufficiently woke and all they need to do is get a cellphone video of a minority youth being restrained or ejected from the store. Then the deceptive video will be posted online, a petition will be started and the store will be canceled and besieged by outraged activists.
This is how the “movement” is working today in New York City. I’m sure those who have been subjected to actual racial violence and oppression must be so proud right about now.


hotair--2020-10-11--'Seinfeld' mail carrier delivers an anti-Trump PSA for mail-in voting

Actor Wayne Knight , best known as a Seinfeld cast member , filmed a public service announcement ( PSA ) in support of the United States Postal Service ( USPS ) and against President Trump .
Knight played a postal carrier , Newman , in the television show .
What jumps out in the PSA is that Knight makes a point of saying that he is “ not a political person ” yet in the second sentence spoken by Knight , he accuses President Trump and “ his so-called Postmaster General ” of a “ premeditated assault ” on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of trying to “ slow down the mail.
” And , after he says the words Postmaster General , he spits .
I guess that is to show he is in Newman mode .
Clearly , he is doing a hostile-sounding political rant .
Knight tries to soften his rant a little bit by taking very weak shots at postal carriers , like saying that only postal workers can slow down the mail .
Any effectiveness of his tongue in cheek criticism of postal carriers is lost in the tone of the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proof of alleged interference with the USPS by the Trump administration and the Postmaster-General – shortened hours , “ missing ” mailboxes , and decommissioning sorting machines .
I know that the Newman character was never the sharpest tool in the shed but his premature celebration of Festivus isn ’ t a good argument .
All of this has been debunked by pointing out that the union members of the USPS and the Postmaster General have been working on an agreement over working hours , the mailboxes and sorting machines are standard practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in places that they are most needed .
Postmaster General DeJoy promised reforms to the USPS that will make it more efficient and his plans have been met with opposition from the powerful Postal Service union .
“ Hello zip codes and you plus fours – you know who you are .
According to this month ’ s old issue of Dr. Roberta Greenburg ’ s Time magazine subscription , there ’ s been a systematic , premeditated assault on the US Mail by President Trump and his so-called postmaster general , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the ground .
“ That guy ’ s never even licked a stamp !
” he continued .
“ They ’ ve had the unmitigated gall to try to slow down the mail .
When everybody knows who can slow down the mail is a mailman !
They ’ ve shortened working hours .
They ’ ve got missing mailboxes .
They ’ re decommissioning sweet , sweet sorting machines to try to delay voting by mail .
And it ’ s not just your mail-in ballots you ’ ve got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve got to worry about your grandmother ’ s blood pressure medicine , your social security checks , military benefits , and millions and millions of Crate and Barrel catalogs.
” He ends with an appeal to voters to vote early , whether that is in person or by mail .
And he says the USPS will do it ’ s “ solemn best ” to make sure the ballot is delivered .
“ But take it from me , a postman .
If you want to vote early and in person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote from home ?
Apply for the ballot and get it in as soon as possible .
My brothers and sisters and I in blue will do our solemn best to make sure your ballot is delivered , ” he said .
The PSA was released the day before World Post Day , October 9 .
It is sponsored by PACRONYM , “ the largest digital super PAC working to get Trump out of the White House on 11/3/20 ” according to its Twitter page .
The whole PSA is political , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s claim that he isn ’ t a political person is no longer a valid claim , if it was before , after participating in this ad .
He ’ s just another Hollywood celebrity that is a Biden voter and willing to weigh in with his opinion .

Actor Wayne Knight, best known as a Seinfeld cast member, filmed a public service announcement (PSA) in support of the United States Postal Service (USPS) and against President Trump. Knight played a postal carrier, Newman, in the television show.
What jumps out in the PSA is that Knight makes a point of saying that he is “not a political person” yet in the second sentence spoken by Knight, he accuses President Trump and “his so-called Postmaster General” of a “premeditated assault” on the USPS. Specifically, he accuses them of trying to “slow down the mail.” And, after he says the words Postmaster General, he spits. I guess that is to show he is in Newman mode. Clearly, he is doing a hostile-sounding political rant.
Knight tries to soften his rant a little bit by taking very weak shots at postal carriers, like saying that only postal workers can slow down the mail. Any effectiveness of his tongue in cheek criticism of postal carriers is lost in the tone of the rest of the rant. Knight lists his proof of alleged interference with the USPS by the Trump administration and the Postmaster-General – shortened hours, “missing” mailboxes, and decommissioning sorting machines. I know that the Newman character was never the sharpest tool in the shed but his premature celebration of Festivus isn’t a good argument. All of this has been debunked by pointing out that the union members of the USPS and the Postmaster General have been working on an agreement over working hours, the mailboxes and sorting machines are standard practice in keeping equipment in working order and in places that they are most needed. Postmaster General DeJoy promised reforms to the USPS that will make it more efficient and his plans have been met with opposition from the powerful Postal Service union.
“Hello zip codes and you plus fours – you know who you are. According to this month’s old issue of Dr. Roberta Greenburg’s Time magazine subscription, there’s been a systematic, premeditated assault on the US Mail by President Trump and his so-called postmaster general,” Knight says in character, before spitting on the ground. “That guy’s never even licked a stamp!” he continued. “They’ve had the unmitigated gall to try to slow down the mail. When everybody knows who can slow down the mail is a mailman! They’ve shortened working hours. They’ve got missing mailboxes. They’re decommissioning sweet, sweet sorting machines to try to delay voting by mail. And it’s not just your mail-in ballots you’ve got to worry about. Oh no-no-no-no. You’ve got to worry about your grandmother’s blood pressure medicine, your social security checks, military benefits, and millions and millions of Crate and Barrel catalogs.”
He ends with an appeal to voters to vote early, whether that is in person or by mail. And he says the USPS will do it’s “solemn best” to make sure the ballot is delivered.
“But take it from me, a postman. If you want to vote early and in person, do it. You want to vote from home? Apply for the ballot and get it in as soon as possible. My brothers and sisters and I in blue will do our solemn best to make sure your ballot is delivered,” he said.
The PSA was released the day before World Post Day, October 9. It is sponsored by PACRONYM, “the largest digital super PAC working to get Trump out of the White House on 11/3/20” according to its Twitter page. The whole PSA is political, of course, and anti-Trump. Knight’s claim that he isn’t a political person is no longer a valid claim, if it was before, after participating in this ad. He’s just another Hollywood celebrity that is a Biden voter and willing to weigh in with his opinion.


hotair--2020-10-11--North Korea's new missile parade is disturbing to say the least

Earlier this week we discussed an announcement from the apparently still living Kim Jong-un that he was beginning a “ new campaign ” where he would be rolling out some exciting new weapons for the world to see .
As it turns out , he probably wasn ’ t bluffing .
Last night a massive parade was held in Pyongyang ’ s Kim Il Sung Square , overseen by the diminutive dictator himself .
And on display were a wide array of weapons including multiple , massive ICBMs , supposedly capable of vastly increased range and the ability to carry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech , however , was still less confrontational and threatening than the ones he ’ s given in years past .
( Associated Press ) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned Saturday that his country would “ fully mobilize ” its nuclear force if threatened as he took center stage at a massive military parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the country ’ s ruling party .
Kim , however , avoided direct criticism of Washington during the event , which took place less than four weeks before the U.S. presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a domestic message urging his people to remain firm in face of “ tremendous challenges ” posed by the coronavirus pandemic and crippling U.S.-led sanctions over his nuclear program .
Outside observers were expecting the North to possibly unveil the latest weapons in its growing nuclear arsenal that threatens U.S. allies in Asia and the American mainland .
There are two things we should focus on here .
One is the advancements in North Korea ’ s nuclear weapons arsenal and the other is Kim ’ s tone in this speech and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements during this exhibition .
As to the latter , Kim still seems to be trying to string the United States along in the hopes of continuing negotiations with Donald Trump .
But the bevy of weapons he rolled out clearly shows that all the while he was supposedly observing a “ moratorium ” on nuclear weapons development and capabilities as a sign of good faith as he talked about denuclearization with the White House , he was actively developing new and more powerful delivery systems .
In other words , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
( I know you ’ re shocked . )
As to how serious we should take these new ICBMS , well… pretty seriously .
For more on this , please check out military analyst Tyler Rogoway ’ s report at The War Zone for the alarming details .
It can not be underestimated what we just saw .
Many will say that it is all for show— some of it is—but the realities of recent history run quite counter to the assumption that the weapons shown are hollow effigies of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a view has become laughably dated and downright inaccurate .
When it comes to weapons development , under the Kim Jung Un regime , the proof has very much been in the pudding .
The level of candor regarding his military technology ambitions has been striking in its honesty and accuracy .
Those who chronically underestimated North Korea are living in the past .
The Hermit Kingdom has proven to be amazingly resourceful under the Kim Jong Un and has delivered capabilities many hung their careers on claiming could only be obtained far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The War Zone warned about years ago , and we were proven to be all too correct , unfortunately .
Our intelligence sources seem confident that these missiles are not just dummies prepared for PR purposes .
Some of the largest ICBMs on display last night appear to be significantly improved and expanded versions of the Hwasong HS-15s that we already knew about .
The projected range of this ICBM could reach virtually anywhere in the continental United States and appears to have the capacity to carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parade were clearly solid-fuel rockets with significantly enhanced capabilities compared to the older , liquid-fueled models the North Koreans had been using in the past .
The sanctions against North Korea have clearly failed to halt his weapons development efforts entirely , though they probably slowed Kim down a bit .
The problem is that we already know the North Koreans have been skirting the sanctions with the help of both Russia and China , along with receiving at least tacit support from Iran .
All that ’ s missing at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of actual nuclear weapons .
And since we know Kim has been working on improving his ICBMs during the “ moratorium , ” do you really doubt he ’ s been upgrading his nukes and miniaturizing them also ?
It appears that North Korea is now truly a member of the global nuclear club with capabilities that could challenge any of his western adversaries .
I don ’ t know if there was ever a way we could have stopped him short of direct military intervention , but the horses are out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ominous situation with no clear path toward a resolution in evidence .

Earlier this week we discussed an announcement from the apparently still living Kim Jong-un that he was beginning a “new campaign” where he would be rolling out some exciting new weapons for the world to see. As it turns out, he probably wasn’t bluffing. Last night a massive parade was held in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square, overseen by the diminutive dictator himself. And on display were a wide array of weapons including multiple, massive ICBMs, supposedly capable of vastly increased range and the ability to carry larger nuclear payloads. Kim’s speech, however, was still less confrontational and threatening than the ones he’s given in years past. (Associated Press)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned Saturday that his country would “fully mobilize” its nuclear force if threatened as he took center stage at a massive military parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the country’s ruling party. Kim, however, avoided direct criticism of Washington during the event, which took place less than four weeks before the U.S. presidential election. Instead, he focused on a domestic message urging his people to remain firm in face of “tremendous challenges” posed by the coronavirus pandemic and crippling U.S.-led sanctions over his nuclear program. Outside observers were expecting the North to possibly unveil the latest weapons in its growing nuclear arsenal that threatens U.S. allies in Asia and the American mainland.
There are two things we should focus on here. One is the advancements in North Korea’s nuclear weapons arsenal and the other is Kim’s tone in this speech and what’s been revealed about his previous statements during this exhibition. As to the latter, Kim still seems to be trying to string the United States along in the hopes of continuing negotiations with Donald Trump. But the bevy of weapons he rolled out clearly shows that all the while he was supposedly observing a “moratorium” on nuclear weapons development and capabilities as a sign of good faith as he talked about denuclearization with the White House, he was actively developing new and more powerful delivery systems. In other words, he’s been lying to us the entire time. (I know you’re shocked.)
As to how serious we should take these new ICBMS, well… pretty seriously. For more on this, please check out military analyst Tyler Rogoway’s report at The War Zone for the alarming details.
It cannot be underestimated what we just saw. Many will say that it is all for show— some of it is—but the realities of recent history run quite counter to the assumption that the weapons shown are hollow effigies of the real McCoy. In fact, such a view has become laughably dated and downright inaccurate. When it comes to weapons development, under the Kim Jung Un regime, the proof has very much been in the pudding. The level of candor regarding his military technology ambitions has been striking in its honesty and accuracy. Those who chronically underestimated North Korea are living in the past. The Hermit Kingdom has proven to be amazingly resourceful under the Kim Jong Un and has delivered capabilities many hung their careers on claiming could only be obtained far in the future. This is something The War Zone warned about years ago, and we were proven to be all too correct, unfortunately.
Our intelligence sources seem confident that these missiles are not just dummies prepared for PR purposes. Some of the largest ICBMs on display last night appear to be significantly improved and expanded versions of the Hwasong HS-15s that we already knew about. The projected range of this ICBM could reach virtually anywhere in the continental United States and appears to have the capacity to carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs). Other missiles displayed during the parade were clearly solid-fuel rockets with significantly enhanced capabilities compared to the older, liquid-fueled models the North Koreans had been using in the past.
The sanctions against North Korea have clearly failed to halt his weapons development efforts entirely, though they probably slowed Kim down a bit. The problem is that we already know the North Koreans have been skirting the sanctions with the help of both Russia and China, along with receiving at least tacit support from Iran. All that’s missing at this point are a few more successful tests of actual nuclear weapons. And since we know Kim has been working on improving his ICBMs during the “moratorium,” do you really doubt he’s been upgrading his nukes and miniaturizing them also?
It appears that North Korea is now truly a member of the global nuclear club with capabilities that could challenge any of his western adversaries. I don’t know if there was ever a way we could have stopped him short of direct military intervention, but the horses are out of the barn now. This is an ominous situation with no clear path toward a resolution in evidence.


hotair--2020-10-11--New Dem talking point: Republicans packed the Court first

This is silly nonsense but even nonsense is preferable to their current talking point , that voters don ’ t deserve to know what Democrats will do with the Court next year .
When you don ’ t know what to say to a pressing question , you tu-quoque it .
In a hyperpolarized country , that ’ ll usually suffice .
Yesterday Biden was pressed again about Court-packing and replied that that ’ s what the GOP ’ s doing now with Barrett and , furthermore , that it ’ s unconstitutional .
Which , ah , no .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman this morning that “ unconstitutional ” doesn ’ t mean “ stuff I don ’ t like.
” Biden ’ s underlying point , that Republicans have engaged in something tantamount to Court-packing , is circulating more widely today .
“ Denying a vote on Merrick Garland for almost a full year while rushing in a nominee closer to a presidential election than ever before in American history would qualify as what if not ‘ court packing ’ ?
” wondered Atlantic reporter Ron Brownstein .
“ Can we at least recognize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels of the judiciary has been the Republican playbook for decades ?
Asking for Merrick Garland , ” added Dan Rather .
Filling a vacancy isn ’ t “ Court-packing.
” You know it , I know it , Democrats know it , even Document Dan knows it deep down .
But in fairness to Team Joe , as some are pointing out on Twitter this morning , Republicans have been too loose in throwing that term around in the past as well .
Mike Lee and John Cornyn accused Obama of trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Circuit in 2013 by nominating judges to fill three vacancies ; the GOP took the position , conveniently , that the court was too big relative to its workload and that those three seats should be cut .
“ Appointing judges to existing vacancies is not court-packing , ” said a Brookings Institute scholar at the time in response .
“ It ’ s simply the way the system works.
” Indeed .
The argument Democrats are trying to make here , very ineffectively , is about norms in filling court vacancies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of seats on the Court in order to manufacture vacancies for a sitting president to fill .
The current vacancy , by contrast , was created by the death of a sitting justice .
It ’ s perfectly normal for the Senate to fill that , even if the timing of it is highly abnormal .
What Republicans are guilty of isn ’ t Court-packing , it ’ s Court-shrinking over the second half of the previous decade .
The most famous example was blocking Merrick Garland in 2016 , leaving SCOTUS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to be a full calendar year .
There have been some breathtaking examples of hypocrisy among Senate Republicans lately in insisting that a nine-member Court is essential before Election Day when they sang a very different tune four years ago .
Here ’ s a story that was published five days before Trump ’ s victory in 2016 .
With Clinton favored to win , some Republicans in the Senate were considering keeping Scalia ’ s seat vacant indefinitely rather than allow her to fill it .
Sen. John McCain was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk show , he said that if Clinton is elected , “ I promise you that we will be united against any Supreme Court nominee [ that ] she would put up.
” His press secretary quickly tried to backpedal , but McCain himself has not… [ Richard ] Burr , in a tough re-election battle in North Carolina , said in a tape-recorded meeting with Republican volunteers last weekend , “ If Hillary becomes president , I am going to do everything I can do to make sure four years from now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Supreme Court.
” As for [ Ted ] Cruz , he suggested there is nothing sacrosanct about having nine justices .
For support , he pointed to a statement made by Justice Stephen Breyer during an interview in which Breyer noted that the court has historically functioned with as few as five or six justices .
Garland is the most well-known example of Republicans engaging in Court-shrinking because it involved a SCOTUS seat , but McConnell and his caucus also managed to successfully blockade many Obama appellate nominees for years — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was elected and those lingering vacancies were finally filled by a Republican president .
That was perfectly constitutional too , of course .
Nothing in the law compels the Senate to consider a president ’ s nominee .
If voters deemed it dirty pool , they could have punished the GOP at the ballot box by electing a Democratic president and Senate in 2016 .
They didn ’ t .
But that ’ s the procedural backdrop for why Democrats are accusing them of “ Court-packing ” today .
The term is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaint , which is that Republicans have been willing to use the constitutional tools at their disposal to change the size of various federal courts temporarily over the past six years when it suited their partisan political interests to do so .
If Democrats win back total control of government next month , they ’ ll be in a position to do the same thing ; it ’ s just that they ’ ll be adding justices instead of effectively subtracting them by refusing to fill vacancies on an undermanned federal bench .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll be perfectly constitutional as well .
( I ’ m imagining the next round of this fight circa February 2021 .
“ We shrank the Court *temporarily* to advance our partisan agenda .
They ’ re trying to expand it *permanently* to advance theirs .
Big difference !
” ) I don ’ t think they ’ ll do it , if only because they won ’ t have the votes even if progressives manage to force the question in Congress .
But this is what happens when the fight for control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that norms ( “ A sitting president should receive deference from the Senate in filling court vacancies , provided his nominees are qualified ” ) get replaced by raw power politics ( “ Why should a Senate controlled by one party allow a president from the other party to appoint anyone ?
” ) .
We can blame Democrats for setting that transition in motion way back in the day with their demagoguery over Robert Bork and Miguel Estrada , or we can blame both parties for letting Congress grow so feeble institutionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not the legislature , feels much more important to American governance in 2020 .
But we are where we are .
Here ’ s Ben Sasse laying into Democrats ’ weaselly dodging over Court-packing in his own colorful way , and correctly noting that Dems would have to nuke two norms , not one , to add justices to SCOTUS .
I made that point a few days ago myself .
I doubt that the GOP ’ s focus on packing the Court over the final weeks will matter much on Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to care much about congressional process .
But ( a ) Republicans don ’ t have many other cards to play right now and ( b ) Biden ’ s dodging on this subject has been so pitifully inept this past week that it makes sense to keep media attention on it .
Voters won ’ t ultimately care about what he wants to do with the Court , but his weird insistence on dismissing legitimate questions about the subject as essentially none of the electorate ’ s business might annoy people .

This is silly nonsense but even nonsense is preferable to their current talking point, that voters don’t deserve to know what Democrats will do with the Court next year.
When you don’t know what to say to a pressing question, you tu-quoque it. In a hyperpolarized country, that’ll usually suffice.
Yesterday Biden was pressed again about Court-packing and replied that that’s what the GOP’s doing now with Barrett and, furthermore, that it’s unconstitutional. Which, ah, no.
Biden is again asked why voters don’t deserve to know his views on court packing. He responds: “The only court packing going on right now is going on with Republicans packing the court right now … I’m going to stay focused on it so we don’t take our eyes off the ball here." pic.twitter.com/E9H5rIXMX2 — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) October 10, 2020
Jake Tapper politely reminded Biden’s spokesman this morning that “unconstitutional” doesn’t mean “stuff I don’t like.”
Biden’s underlying point, that Republicans have engaged in something tantamount to Court-packing, is circulating more widely today. “Denying a vote on Merrick Garland for almost a full year while rushing in a nominee closer to a presidential election than ever before in American history would qualify as what if not ‘court packing’?” wondered Atlantic reporter Ron Brownstein. “Can we at least recognize that ‘Court Packing’ at all levels of the judiciary has been the Republican playbook for decades? Asking for Merrick Garland,” added Dan Rather.
Filling a vacancy isn’t “Court-packing.” You know it, I know it, Democrats know it, even Document Dan knows it deep down. But in fairness to Team Joe, as some are pointing out on Twitter this morning, Republicans have been too loose in throwing that term around in the past as well. Mike Lee and John Cornyn accused Obama of trying to “pack” the D.C. Circuit in 2013 by nominating judges to fill three vacancies; the GOP took the position, conveniently, that the court was too big relative to its workload and that those three seats should be cut. “Appointing judges to existing vacancies is not court-packing,” said a Brookings Institute scholar at the time in response. “It’s simply the way the system works.”
Indeed. The argument Democrats are trying to make here, very ineffectively, is about norms in filling court vacancies. “Court-packing” refers to expanding the number of seats on the Court in order to manufacture vacancies for a sitting president to fill. The current vacancy, by contrast, was created by the death of a sitting justice. It’s perfectly normal for the Senate to fill that, even if the timing of it is highly abnormal.
What Republicans are guilty of isn’t Court-packing, it’s Court-shrinking over the second half of the previous decade. The most famous example was blocking Merrick Garland in 2016, leaving SCOTUS with an eight-member panel for what turned out to be a full calendar year. There have been some breathtaking examples of hypocrisy among Senate Republicans lately in insisting that a nine-member Court is essential before Election Day when they sang a very different tune four years ago. Here’s a story that was published five days before Trump’s victory in 2016. With Clinton favored to win, some Republicans in the Senate were considering keeping Scalia’s seat vacant indefinitely rather than allow her to fill it.
Sen. John McCain was the first. Appearing on a conservative radio talk show, he said that if Clinton is elected, “I promise you that we will be united against any Supreme Court nominee [that] she would put up.” His press secretary quickly tried to backpedal, but McCain himself has not… [Richard] Burr, in a tough re-election battle in North Carolina, said in a tape-recorded meeting with Republican volunteers last weekend, “If Hillary becomes president, I am going to do everything I can do to make sure four years from now, we still got an opening on the Supreme Court.” As for [Ted] Cruz, he suggested there is nothing sacrosanct about having nine justices. For support, he pointed to a statement made by Justice Stephen Breyer during an interview in which Breyer noted that the court has historically functioned with as few as five or six justices.
Garland is the most well-known example of Republicans engaging in Court-shrinking because it involved a SCOTUS seat, but McConnell and his caucus also managed to successfully blockade many Obama appellate nominees for years — a gambit that paid off lavishly when Trump was elected and those lingering vacancies were finally filled by a Republican president. That was perfectly constitutional too, of course. Nothing in the law compels the Senate to consider a president’s nominee. If voters deemed it dirty pool, they could have punished the GOP at the ballot box by electing a Democratic president and Senate in 2016. They didn’t.
But that’s the procedural backdrop for why Democrats are accusing them of “Court-packing” today. The term is a misnomer for their actual, more meritorious complaint, which is that Republicans have been willing to use the constitutional tools at their disposal to change the size of various federal courts temporarily over the past six years when it suited their partisan political interests to do so. If Democrats win back total control of government next month, they’ll be in a position to do the same thing; it’s just that they’ll be adding justices instead of effectively subtracting them by refusing to fill vacancies on an undermanned federal bench. And if they do, that’ll be perfectly constitutional as well. (I’m imagining the next round of this fight circa February 2021. “We shrank the Court *temporarily* to advance our partisan agenda. They’re trying to expand it *permanently* to advance theirs. Big difference!”)
I don’t think they’ll do it, if only because they won’t have the votes even if progressives manage to force the question in Congress. But this is what happens when the fight for control of the judiciary turns so bitterly toxic that norms (“A sitting president should receive deference from the Senate in filling court vacancies, provided his nominees are qualified”) get replaced by raw power politics (“Why should a Senate controlled by one party allow a president from the other party to appoint anyone?”). We can blame Democrats for setting that transition in motion way back in the day with their demagoguery over Robert Bork and Miguel Estrada, or we can blame both parties for letting Congress grow so feeble institutionally that the partisan make-up of the judiciary, not the legislature, feels much more important to American governance in 2020. But we are where we are.
Here’s Ben Sasse laying into Democrats’ weaselly dodging over Court-packing in his own colorful way, and correctly noting that Dems would have to nuke two norms, not one, to add justices to SCOTUS. I made that point a few days ago myself. I doubt that the GOP’s focus on packing the Court over the final weeks will matter much on Election Day, as American voters never seem to care much about congressional process. But (a) Republicans don’t have many other cards to play right now and (b) Biden’s dodging on this subject has been so pitifully inept this past week that it makes sense to keep media attention on it. Voters won’t ultimately care about what he wants to do with the Court, but his weird insistence on dismissing legitimate questions about the subject as essentially none of the electorate’s business might annoy people.


hotair--2020-10-11--Drop-off ballot box battle continues in Texas, Appeals Court grants stay on governor's order

It seems like only yesterday that I wrote about an Obama-appointed federal judge blocking the order from Governor Abbott in Texas to limit drop-off ballot boxes .
As it turns out , I did .
And , just like that , the latest move in the battle to keep election integrity strong in Texas changes the story again .
Saturday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a temporary stay while the case is appealed .
This means that Governor Abbott ’ s executive order stands for now – a limit of one drop-off ballot box location @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one box per county rule in order to maintain election integrity and fend off potential voter fraud .
Democrats argue it is not about election security but voter suppression .
Some voters who want to drop off a mail-in ballot instead of using the USPS will have to travel a long distance to do so .
A U.S. federal appeals court on Saturday issued a temporary stay that allows the Republican governor of Texas to continue limiting counties to a single drop-off site for absentee ballots in the Nov. 3 presidential election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck down Governor Greg Abbott ’ s limit on drop-off sites , which Democrats had denounced as voter suppression .
But on Saturday a panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said it granted a temporary stay while the case was appealed .
Early voting begins in Texas on Tuesday , October 13 .
Many mail-in ballots have already been returned and received by the county clerk ’ s offices across the state .
Meanwhile , the battle over absentee ballots continues .
Democrats are using the coronavirus to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of showing up in person during early voting or on Election Day .
Safety measures will be in place for in-person voting at polling locations and the early voting period has been lengthened in hopes of easing crowds on Election Day .
Texas is one of a few states that limit mail-in voting with specific requirements that must be met to qualify for an absentee ballot .
Registered voters ages 65 and older , disabled voters and those who are ill , voters who will be outside the county during early voting and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are incarcerated but eligible to vote all qualify for mail-in voting .
Due to the coronavirus pandemic , the requirement that someone is suffering from an illness has been interpreted by Democrats to include a fear of catching the virus at a voting poll location .
The county clerk in Harris County , for example , tried to use fear of the coronavirus as a justification for mailing out applications for absentee ballots to every registered voter ( 2.4 million ) in the county .
That plan has been stopped by the Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety of mailing in ballots by using the USPS though there is a push for all states to universally use mail-in ballots .
Democrats want it both ways – they want to scare voters into thinking that somehow the USPS is working in tandem with the Trump campaign to give Trump an advantage while also demanding drop-off ballot boxes due to concerns about the USPS ’ s ability to handle what is expected to be a big increase in mail-in ballots .
That is an irrational claim , though .
The USPS can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just as it handles millions of pieces of mail during the holiday season every year .
Texas isn ’ t the only state that finds itself in court battling over drop-off ballot boxes .
Ohio is mirroring Texas ’ s battle over multiple drop-off ballot box locations .
Multiple ballot drop boxes in Ohio counties again are disallowed as a federal appeals court issued a stay of a lower-court order late Friday .
In a 2-1 vote , a three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instructing Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose to permit multiple drop boxes .
“ The Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized that lower federal courts should ordinarily not alter election rules on the eve of an election … Here , the district court went a step further and altered election rules during an election , ” the court opinion said .
“ In all , we conclude that Ohio ’ s restrictions are reasonable and non-discriminatory , ” and promote “ uniformity , which in turn promotes the fair administration of elections , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
It will not be a surprise if more legal rulings come forward before Election Day .
The craziness of 2020 just won ’ t let up .

It seems like only yesterday that I wrote about an Obama-appointed federal judge blocking the order from Governor Abbott in Texas to limit drop-off ballot boxes. As it turns out, I did. And, just like that, the latest move in the battle to keep election integrity strong in Texas changes the story again.
Saturday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a temporary stay while the case is appealed. This means that Governor Abbott’s executive order stands for now – a limit of one drop-off ballot box location per county. Governor Abbott wants the one box per county rule in order to maintain election integrity and fend off potential voter fraud. Democrats argue it is not about election security but voter suppression. Some voters who want to drop off a mail-in ballot instead of using the USPS will have to travel a long distance to do so.
A U.S. federal appeals court on Saturday issued a temporary stay that allows the Republican governor of Texas to continue limiting counties to a single drop-off site for absentee ballots in the Nov. 3 presidential election. On Friday, a federal court had struck down Governor Greg Abbott’s limit on drop-off sites, which Democrats had denounced as voter suppression. But on Saturday a panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said it granted a temporary stay while the case was appealed.
Early voting begins in Texas on Tuesday, October 13. Many mail-in ballots have already been returned and received by the county clerk’s offices across the state. Meanwhile, the battle over absentee ballots continues. Democrats are using the coronavirus to scare voters into using mail-in voting instead of showing up in person during early voting or on Election Day. Safety measures will be in place for in-person voting at polling locations and the early voting period has been lengthened in hopes of easing crowds on Election Day.
Texas is one of a few states that limit mail-in voting with specific requirements that must be met to qualify for an absentee ballot. Registered voters ages 65 and older, disabled voters and those who are ill, voters who will be outside the county during early voting and on Election Day, and those who are incarcerated but eligible to vote all qualify for mail-in voting. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the requirement that someone is suffering from an illness has been interpreted by Democrats to include a fear of catching the virus at a voting poll location. The county clerk in Harris County, for example, tried to use fear of the coronavirus as a justification for mailing out applications for absentee ballots to every registered voter (2.4 million) in the county. That plan has been stopped by the Supreme Court of Texas.
Democrats question the safety of mailing in ballots by using the USPS though there is a push for all states to universally use mail-in ballots. Democrats want it both ways – they want to scare voters into thinking that somehow the USPS is working in tandem with the Trump campaign to give Trump an advantage while also demanding drop-off ballot boxes due to concerns about the USPS’s ability to handle what is expected to be a big increase in mail-in ballots. That is an irrational claim, though. The USPS can handle millions of mail-in ballots if necessary just as it handles millions of pieces of mail during the holiday season every year.
Texas isn’t the only state that finds itself in court battling over drop-off ballot boxes. Ohio is mirroring Texas’s battle over multiple drop-off ballot box locations.
Multiple ballot drop boxes in Ohio counties again are disallowed as a federal appeals court issued a stay of a lower-court order late Friday. In a 2-1 vote, a three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of a district judge’s order instructing Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose to permit multiple drop boxes. “The Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized that lower federal courts should ordinarily not alter election rules on the eve of an election … Here, the district court went a step further and altered election rules during an election,” the court opinion said. “In all, we conclude that Ohio’s restrictions are reasonable and non-discriminatory,” and promote “uniformity, which in turn promotes the fair administration of elections,” the court wrote.
Time is running out. It will not be a surprise if more legal rulings come forward before Election Day. The craziness of 2020 just won’t let up.