democracynow--2020-11-09--Ro Khanna: Progressives Helped Biden Win. We Can't Stop Push for Green New Deal & Medicare for All

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : As President-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are preparing to assume office , a debate is growing over the direction of the Democratic Party .
I mean , this just exploded this weekend .
Biden ’ s transition team reportedly is considering former Ohio Governor John Kasich , a lifelong Republican , for a Cabinet position .
On Saturday , Kasich spoke on CNN .
AMY GOODMAN : That Democratic congresswoman from Virginia he was referring to is Abigail Spanberger , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic lawmakers on a phone call last week that , quote , “ No one should say 'defund the police ' ever again , ” unquote .
Progressive lawmakers are pushing back .
In an interview with The New York Times , Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said , quote , “ Progressive policies do not hurt candidates .
Every single candidate that co-sponsored Medicare for All in a swing district kept their seat .
We also know that co-sponsoring the Green new Deal was not a sinker , ” unquote .
On Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State of the Union with Jake Tapper .
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ : There are , at least in the House caucus , very deep divisions within the party , and I believe that we need to really come together and not allow Republican narratives to tear us apart .
You know , as you mentioned , we have a slimmer Democratic majority .
It ’ s going to be more important than ever for us to work together and not fight each other .
And so , when we kind of come out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when we don ’ t even have solid data yet , pointing fingers and telling each other what to do , it deepens the division in the party , and it ’ s irresponsible .
It ’ s irresponsible to pour gasoline on these already very delicate tensions in the party .
So , we can help .
It ’ s not saying that every member has to campaign as a progressive in a traditional progressive way , but it ’ s to say that we have assets to offer the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , fully leaned into or exploited .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
She is your sister congressmember , Ro Khanna .
If you can respond to this ?
I mean , this was an onslaught attack on the progressive wing , though the progressive wing , which you are certainly very much a part of , is pushing back .
And it really determines what happens with the Biden-Harris administration as the Cabinet is chosen .
Can you talk about this Kasich-Spanberger-Clyburn attack on progressives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re the reason Harris and Biden won ” ?
REP. RO KHANNA : Well , let ’ s start with some facts .
The Fox News exit polls showed that , overwhelmingly , Medicare for All , government-provided health insurance , was popular with the American people .
Florida , the same state which we lost in the presidential , voted for a $ 15 minimum wage , so , obviously , increased working wages is popular with the America people .
Overwhelmingly , people showed a transition to a green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular with the American people .
Free public college is popular with the American people .
So the policies that we are advocating are not just for deeply blue districts .
They are policies that will help people in the Midwest , in the South , across this country .
Second , John Kasich talking about how the debt is our biggest issue .
Where was John Kasich during the tax cuts ?
Where was John Kasich for the last four years ?
And where was John Kasich in listening to the inadequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery ?
So we know that the worst mistake we can make is to have inadequate government spending .
That ’ s not a matter of politics .
That ’ s a matter of making sure that we don ’ t sink into a worse recession , and actually get out of our economic mess .
And the final point I ’ ll say is , look , if the question is , “ Are we a messy democracy with divisions across this country ?
” absolutely .
And I think progressives understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better job of going into communities which we haven ’ t won and building public trust .
But that should be the spirit of the conversation , as opposed to attacking particular members or a particular wing of the party .
AMY GOODMAN : And this could determine who is in that bubble , that inner circle , the Cabinet of the Biden-Harris administration , is who prevails here .
The more establishment wing is saying , “ Do not raise this once again until the Georgia runoff happens in January.
” Your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re saying , these are actually popular policies .
REP. RO KHANNA : They ’ re popular policies , and they ’ re the correct policies .
I mean , go look at what Paul Krugman is saying .
Go look at what Christina Romer was saying .
There are many causes for Donald Trump , but one of the causes was that the recovery was too slow and uneven , and that was because it was too small a stimulus .
And you had people like Rahm Emanuel back then saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough .
It turned out it was half as much .
We need to have bold policies and can ’ t have austerity politics , or we ’ re going to be in a world of hurt .
The second thing is , I believe we have to take the fight to the Senate .
We have to have bold policies that are popular , and make it very clear that Mitch McConnell either has to do what the American people want or he is the person standing in the way .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t taking a bold agenda in the fight to the Senate , then we ’ re going to let down a lot of people , and we ’ re not going to be on the side of progress .
I also think it ’ s bad politics .
AMY GOODMAN : Speaking of the Senate , now that Kamala Harris becomes vice president of the United States , her seat becomes vacant as junior senator of California .
There are a number of names of those that are being talked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Your name has also come up .
If Gavin Newsom chose you , would you accept that ?
REP. RO KHANNA : Well , I ’ d certainly be open to it , but I think what ’ s more important as that he chooses a progressive , that he chooses someone who ’ s for Medicare for All , that he chooses someone who ’ s for police accountability and doesn ’ t run from that issue , that he chooses someone who ’ s going to end the filibuster once we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chooses someone who ’ s really going to push for systemic reform .
California ’ s senator should be a bold progressive .
And some of the names you mentioned are — I mean , Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters and Karen Bass .
Some of the people being considered are not .
And I think that ’ s the fight .
AMY GOODMAN : Were you on the conference call on Thursday where the Democrats really went at it , the Democratic congressmember , where Abigail Spanberger spoke and was extremely angry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss of Democratic congressmembers ’ seats — I think at last count it was seven , though they of course retained the majority — on progressives ?
Were you there ?
Did you speak up ?
REP. RO KHANNA : I did , and I did speak up .
It was a three-hour call .
First of all , the call was a day or two after the election .
Emotions are raw .
I think some of it has been overhyped .
I mean , people are , obviously , right after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , going to speak out .
But secondly , I didn ’ t view it as as negative as all the coverage .
We have a very , very divided country .
We are trying to do something very , very difficult .
Abigail Spanberger ’ s district is very different than Rashida Tlaib ’ s district , is very different than Vicente González ’ s district or my district .
And the fact that we have this kind of diversity in the caucus and aren ’ t just on boilerplate talking points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in helping us construct a common narrative .
Now , the question is : Are we going to just be fighting with each other , or are we going to have some common ground ?
I believe we have the opportunity of a common agenda .
My view is that ought to be starting with jobs , higher wages , healthcare , education for everyone .
I think that ’ s something that cuts across the ideological spectrum .
AMY GOODMAN : The issue of foreign policy , Congressmember Khanna — I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to ask you about Yemen , a country — AMY GOODMAN : — you have long championed .
In our headlines today , the latest headlines , the watchdog — our latest headlines say that , you know , Yemen is falling into a massive crisis of hunger , on top of dealing with COVID-19 .
REP. RO KHANNA : Well , thank you , Amy , for raising this .
As you know , that Senator Sanders and I had a War Powers Resolution that passed the House , that passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vetoed .
It would have provided that we get totally out of the war in Yemen , provide no logistical support to the Saudis .
I have talked to folks , and I believe that ’ s something we should do right in January and have President Biden sign that War Powers Resolution .
He has indicated a willingness to do that .
That would be an incredible signal .
It would give Martin Griffiths a lot more leverage to bring this war to an end .
AMY GOODMAN : You know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly , and then we ’ re going to go back to our other guests , as you leave — REP. RO KHANNA : Please , please , go ahead .
I have some time .
It ’ s fine .
AMY GOODMAN : Oh , about this headline now in New York magazine , “ Police Reform Is Probably Dead Under Biden.
” And then I ’ m going to get response from our other two guests , from Eddie Glaude and Bree Newsome Bass .
REP. RO KHANNA : Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politically .
Let me talk about the political one first , and I look forward to what your other guests have to say .
I don ’ t believe Joe Biden would have been president if it weren ’ t for the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd .
Look at the turnout in Philadelphia , in Atlanta , in Milwaukee .
I mean , Donald Trump had high turnout ; we had even higher turnout .
That started because of the Black Lives Matter movement .
That started because of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black Lives Matter movement or activists , when , in my view , those are the — that is the mobilization that put Biden into the White House , is just flat-out wrong .
I mean , I don ’ t see where the data — what data they ’ re looking at .
And look , Vice President Biden , President-elect Biden , has said that he understands he owes this election to the African American community , who came out and voted .
I don ’ t see how he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real , substantive reform .
I mean , I just think it would be unconscionable .
At the very least , we should get the Senate and the president to pass the reform that the House has already passed about holding officers accountable and having force be a last resort .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , I want to thank you for being with us , Congressmember Ro Khanna of California , again , one of the names that is being put forward as a possible replacement for Kamala Harris , now that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of January .
We ’ re also talking to professor Eddie Glaude of Princeton University and Bree Newsome Bass , a well-known antiracist activist who scaled that flagpole in South Carolina and took down the Confederate flag .
We ’ ll continue with them in a moment .
AMY GOODMAN : “ The President Sang Amazing Grace ” performed by Kronos Quartet and Meklit of Stanford University .
The song recalls President Obama ’ s eulogy for the Charleston church shooting victims and pays homage to the moment President Obama sang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the South Carolina state senator and pastor Clemente Pinckney , who was also killed during the massacre .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: As President-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are preparing to assume office, a debate is growing over the direction of the Democratic Party. I mean, this just exploded this weekend. Biden’s transition team reportedly is considering former Ohio Governor John Kasich, a lifelong Republican, for a Cabinet position. On Saturday, Kasich spoke on CNN.
JOHN KASICH: The best thing that’s happened to Joe Biden is the fact that the United States Senate is either going to be Republican or very close. … And the far left can push him as hard as they want. And frankly, the Democrats have to make it clear to the far left that they almost cost him this election. … And that congresswoman from Virginia warned the Democrats, “You want to talk about defunding the police? You’ll have no support.” … One other thing: One Democrat told me, at some point, if they had been more clear in rejecting the hard left, they would have appealed more to Americans who, I believe, essentially, live in the middle. … So I think, actually, he’s in a better position today because being pulled from the left isn’t going to work. They will not get those things done.
AMY GOODMAN: That Democratic congresswoman from Virginia he was referring to is Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer, who told fellow Democratic lawmakers on a phone call last week that, quote, “No one should say 'defund the police' ever again,” unquote.
Progressive lawmakers are pushing back. In an interview with The New York Times, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, quote, “Progressive policies do not hurt candidates. Every single candidate that co-sponsored Medicare for All in a swing district kept their seat. We also know that co-sponsoring the Green new Deal was not a sinker,” unquote. On Sunday, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper.
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: There are, at least in the House caucus, very deep divisions within the party, and I believe that we need to really come together and not allow Republican narratives to tear us apart. You know, as you mentioned, we have a slimmer Democratic majority. It’s going to be more important than ever for us to work together and not fight each other. And so, when we kind of come out swinging, not 48 hours after Tuesday, when we don’t even have solid data yet, pointing fingers and telling each other what to do, it deepens the division in the party, and it’s irresponsible. It’s irresponsible to pour gasoline on these already very delicate tensions in the party. So, we can help. It’s not saying that every member has to campaign as a progressive in a traditional progressive way, but it’s to say that we have assets to offer the party that the party has not yet, you know, fully leaned into or exploited.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She is your sister congressmember, Ro Khanna. If you can respond to this? I mean, this was an onslaught attack on the progressive wing, though the progressive wing, which you are certainly very much a part of, is pushing back. And it really determines what happens with the Biden-Harris administration as the Cabinet is chosen. Can you talk about this Kasich-Spanberger-Clyburn attack on progressives, as progressives say, “No, we’re the reason Harris and Biden won”?
REP. RO KHANNA: Well, let’s start with some facts. The Fox News exit polls showed that, overwhelmingly, Medicare for All, government-provided health insurance, was popular with the American people. Florida, the same state which we lost in the presidential, voted for a $15 minimum wage, so, obviously, increased working wages is popular with the America people. Overwhelmingly, people showed a transition to a green economy, clean tech jobs, is popular with the American people. Free public college is popular with the American people. So the policies that we are advocating are not just for deeply blue districts. They are policies that will help people in the Midwest, in the South, across this country.
Second, John Kasich talking about how the debt is our biggest issue. Where was John Kasich during the tax cuts? Where was John Kasich for the last four years? And where was John Kasich in listening to the inadequate stimulus response in 2008 that prolonged the recovery? So we know that the worst mistake we can make is to have inadequate government spending. That’s not a matter of politics. That’s a matter of making sure that we don’t sink into a worse recession, and actually get out of our economic mess.
And the final point I’ll say is, look, if the question is, “Are we a messy democracy with divisions across this country?” absolutely. And I think progressives understand that we have to still do a better job of going into communities which we haven’t won and building public trust. But that should be the spirit of the conversation, as opposed to attacking particular members or a particular wing of the party.
AMY GOODMAN: And this could determine who is in that bubble, that inner circle, the Cabinet of the Biden-Harris administration, is who prevails here. The more establishment wing is saying, “Do not raise this once again until the Georgia runoff happens in January.” Your thoughts on this? But as you’re saying, these are actually popular policies.
REP. RO KHANNA: They’re popular policies, and they’re the correct policies. I mean, go look at what Paul Krugman is saying. Go look at what Christina Romer was saying. There are many causes for Donald Trump, but one of the causes was that the recovery was too slow and uneven, and that was because it was too small a stimulus. And you had people like Rahm Emanuel back then saying the stimulus of $700 billion was enough. It turned out it was half as much. We need to have bold policies and can’t have austerity politics, or we’re going to be in a world of hurt.
The second thing is, I believe we have to take the fight to the Senate. We have to have bold policies that are popular, and make it very clear that Mitch McConnell either has to do what the American people want or he is the person standing in the way. And if we are accommodationists and incrementalists and aren’t taking a bold agenda in the fight to the Senate, then we’re going to let down a lot of people, and we’re not going to be on the side of progress. I also think it’s bad politics.
AMY GOODMAN: Speaking of the Senate, now that Kamala Harris becomes vice president of the United States, her seat becomes vacant as junior senator of California. There are a number of names of those that are being talked about — Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee. Your name has also come up. If Gavin Newsom chose you, would you accept that?
REP. RO KHANNA: Well, I’d certainly be open to it, but I think what’s more important as that he chooses a progressive, that he chooses someone who’s for Medicare for All, that he chooses someone who’s for police accountability and doesn’t run from that issue, that he chooses someone who’s going to end the filibuster once we have a Senate majority, that he chooses someone who’s really going to push for systemic reform. California’s senator should be a bold progressive. And some of the names you mentioned are — I mean, Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters and Karen Bass. Some of the people being considered are not. And I think that’s the fight.
AMY GOODMAN: Were you on the conference call on Thursday where the Democrats really went at it, the Democratic congressmember, where Abigail Spanberger spoke and was extremely angry, basically blaming those — blaming the loss of Democratic congressmembers’ seats — I think at last count it was seven, though they of course retained the majority — on progressives? Were you there? Did you speak up?
REP. RO KHANNA: I did, and I did speak up. It was a three-hour call. First of all, the call was a day or two after the election. Emotions are raw. I think some of it has been overhyped. I mean, people are, obviously, right after an election, especially in close elections, going to speak out.
But secondly, I didn’t view it as as negative as all the coverage. We have a very, very divided country. We are trying to do something very, very difficult. Abigail Spanberger’s district is very different than Rashida Tlaib’s district, is very different than Vicente González’s district or my district. And the fact that we have this kind of diversity in the caucus and aren’t just on boilerplate talking points, frankly, is a good thing in helping us construct a common narrative.
Now, the question is: Are we going to just be fighting with each other, or are we going to have some common ground? I believe we have the opportunity of a common agenda. My view is that ought to be starting with jobs, higher wages, healthcare, education for everyone. I think that’s something that cuts across the ideological spectrum.
AMY GOODMAN: The issue of foreign policy, Congressmember Khanna — I know you have to go, but I wanted to ask you about Yemen, a country —
REP. RO KHANNA: Yes, please.
AMY GOODMAN: — you have long championed. In our headlines today, the latest headlines, the watchdog — our latest headlines say that, you know, Yemen is falling into a massive crisis of hunger, on top of dealing with COVID-19.
REP. RO KHANNA: Well, thank you, Amy, for raising this. As you know, that Senator Sanders and I had a War Powers Resolution that passed the House, that passed the Senate, and that President Trump vetoed. It would have provided that we get totally out of the war in Yemen, provide no logistical support to the Saudis. I have talked to folks, and I believe that’s something we should do right in January and have President Biden sign that War Powers Resolution. He has indicated a willingness to do that. That would be an incredible signal. It would give Martin Griffiths a lot more leverage to bring this war to an end.
AMY GOODMAN: You know, I just want to ask you very quickly, and then we’re going to go back to our other guests, as you leave —
REP. RO KHANNA: Please, please, go ahead. I have some time. It’s fine.
AMY GOODMAN: Oh, about this headline now in New York magazine, “Police Reform Is Probably Dead Under Biden.” And then I’m going to get response from our other two guests, from Eddie Glaude and Bree Newsome Bass.
REP. RO KHANNA: Well, I think that would mistake morally and politically. Let me talk about the political one first, and I look forward to what your other guests have to say. I don’t believe Joe Biden would have been president if it weren’t for the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd. Look at the turnout in Philadelphia, in Atlanta, in Milwaukee. I mean, Donald Trump had high turnout; we had even higher turnout. That started because of the Black Lives Matter movement. That started because of these people organizing. So, to blame the Black Lives Matter movement or activists, when, in my view, those are the — that is the mobilization that put Biden into the White House, is just flat-out wrong. I mean, I don’t see where the data — what data they’re looking at.
And look, Vice President Biden, President-elect Biden, has said that he understands he owes this election to the African American community, who came out and voted. I don’t see how he turns his back on them without getting real, substantive reform. I mean, I just think it would be unconscionable. At the very least, we should get the Senate and the president to pass the reform that the House has already passed about holding officers accountable and having force be a last resort.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you for being with us, Congressmember Ro Khanna of California, again, one of the names that is being put forward as a possible replacement for Kamala Harris, now that she ascends to the vice presidency at the end of January. We’re also talking to professor Eddie Glaude of Princeton University and Bree Newsome Bass, a well-known antiracist activist who scaled that flagpole in South Carolina and took down the Confederate flag. We’ll continue with them in a moment.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “The President Sang Amazing Grace” performed by Kronos Quartet and Meklit of Stanford University. The song recalls President Obama’s eulogy for the Charleston church shooting victims and pays homage to the moment President Obama sang “Amazing Grace” during the funeral of the South Carolina state senator and pastor Clemente Pinckney, who was also killed during the massacre.


democracynow--2020-11-09--The End of Trump? Biden & Harris Claim Victory in Historic Election, Vowing to Heal Divided Nation

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman .
The Trump presidency is coming to an end .
On Saturday , every major news network called the election for former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate , Senator Kamala Harris , after they won the key battleground state of Pennsylvania .
Harris will become the first woman vice president , as well as the first African American vice president , Indian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office .
According to the Associated Press , the Biden-Harris ticket has now secured 290 electoral votes , well over the 270 needed to win the White House .
Georgia and North Carolina remain too close to call .
President Trump has refused to concede the race and is continuing to file a slew of lawsuits alleging voter fraud .
But the Trump campaign has offered no evidence of actual fraud being committed .
Shortly before the race was called , Trump sent out a tweet in all caps reading , “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” In fact , Biden ’ s lead in the popular vote is now up to over four-and-a-half million and growing .
Trump got the news of his loss while playing golf .
AMY GOODMAN : Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also spoke Saturday .
She spoke of being the daughter of immigrants .
VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT KAMALA HARRIS : And to the woman most responsible for my presence here today : my mother , Shyamala Gopalan Harris , who is always in our hearts .
When she came here from India at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t quite imagine this moment , but she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible .
And so I am thinking about her and about the generations of women — Black women , Asian , white , Latina , Native American women — who throughout our nation ’ s history have paved the way for this moment tonight , women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all , including the Black women who are often — too often — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the backbone of our democracy .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s Kamala Harris , vice president-elect , and , before that , Joe Biden , president-elect of the United States .
We begin our show with two guests : professor Eddie Glaude , chair of Princeton University ’ s Department of African American Studies , his recent article for Time magazine , “ Joe Biden Must Help the Nation Truly Understand the Depth of Our Collective Loss , ” professor Glaude ’ s latest book , Begin Again : James Baldwin ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our Own ; also with us , Bree Newsome Bass , artist , antiracist activist , housing rights activist in North Carolina .
She made national headlines in 2015 when she scaled the 30-foot flagpole at the South Carolina state Capitol to remove the Confederate flag shortly after the massacre of eight African American parishioners and their pastor by a white supremacist at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston .
Bree , we ’ re going to begin with you .
As we ended that last clip with Kamala Harris , I could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scaling the flag , saying , “ You come against me with hatred .
I come against you in the name of God .
This flag comes down today !
” as Kamala Harris ascended the stage .
Talk about your reaction .
BREE NEWSOME BASS : Yes , I mean , it is undoubtedly a historic moment , right ?
I also see a lot of historical parallels right now .
You know , I am repeatedly saying that I think that the central conflict in the United States is and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of white supremacy and this concept of having a multiracial democracy where everyone is allowed to participate in it .
And I think that tension is continuing to play out today .
You know , of course , we just had the election of the first woman vice president , Black vice president , a woman of South Asian descent , a descendent of immigrants , I mean .
And so , on one hand , you have what kind of like represents again this concept of multiracial democracy .
On the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other side , you have a blatant white nationalist movement .
And then , somewhere there in the middle is this constant conversation around unifying the nation and trying to , like , heal that divide , which I frankly think is an ideological divide that can not be unified .
I think that part of the reason why this tension is ongoing and is unresolved is because those two things can not coexist .
And so , even while you have , on one side , the extension of the hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reaching across the aisle and unifying , the other side has still not even conceded the race .
The other side is refusing to acknowledge the election results .
And I think it ’ s important to recognize , as well , that the entire Trump era was in many ways a backlash — right ?
— to this very concept of having a multiracial democracy , to the election of Obama and what that represented in terms of the shifting demographics .
And I think that this election , again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , where Biden and Harris , they were elected because of this multiracial coalition , essentially , that formed among the voting base .
And that ’ s why we are where we are .
And so , while of course it is a very historic moment and you see people celebrating all across the nation , that central conflict has yet to be resolved , just as this election , really , in many ways , has yet to be resolved .
AMY GOODMAN : And , Professor Eddie Glaude — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if you ’ d like , which I think you can ’ t help but do — if you can talk about what your feelings were on Saturday as you watched Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ascend the stage in Wilmington , Delaware , what this all means ?
EDDIE GLAUDE : Well , you know , my initial reaction was , thank God we ’ re going to see the back of Donald Trump ’ s head , that the disaster of the last four years , at least embodied in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Betsy DeVos , William Barr , the whole gaggle of folk , Giuliani , the children — all of those folk will be behind us soon , and , of course , the symbolic significance of Kamala Harris as the first Black vice president , the first Black [ vice ] president of South Asian descent and Caribbean descent and the like .
I was thinking about the National Council of Negro Women .
I was thinking about the Atlanta washerwomen strike of 1881 .
I was thinking about the Women ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the backbone of the Montgomery bus boycott .
I was thinking about Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer .
All of these folk are the wind behind Kamala Harris ’ s back that make her possible .
But she ’ s a symbolic — also the symbolic importance of her , of course .
But we must understand that yesterday was a day , and the day before was a day , of celebration .
Today is the day for the hard work .
The country is deeply divided , as Bree said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the work of responding to the problems we face as a nation at scale , and not returning back to some sense of normalcy , which in some ways laid the foundation for the disaster that was and is Trumpism .
AMY GOODMAN : I also wanted to bring in Ro Khanna from Northern California , congressmember , who himself is Indian American , like Kamala Harris .
And first I wanted to get your overall response when the results were announced on Saturday , though they haven ’ t been certified yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an emotional moment .
It was a proud moment .
I was speaking with my mother and father and brother , and to see someone , a woman of Indian origin , of African African origin , ascend to the vice presidency is something that many of us thought unimaginable growing up .
And I think it highlights the extraordinary nature of the American project .
I mean , we ’ re trying to become a multiracial , multiethnic democracy .
Canada is about 87 % white .
England is about 87 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ’ re 60 % white .
It ’ s a very difficult thing .
And this is a step in the right direction .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman.
The Trump presidency is coming to an end. On Saturday, every major news network called the election for former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, after they won the key battleground state of Pennsylvania. Harris will become the first woman vice president, as well as the first African American vice president, Indian American and Asian American elected to the office. According to the Associated Press, the Biden-Harris ticket has now secured 290 electoral votes, well over the 270 needed to win the White House. Georgia and North Carolina remain too close to call.
President Trump has refused to concede the race and is continuing to file a slew of lawsuits alleging voter fraud. But the Trump campaign has offered no evidence of actual fraud being committed. Shortly before the race was called, Trump sent out a tweet in all caps reading, “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!” In fact, Biden’s lead in the popular vote is now up to over four-and-a-half million and growing. Trump got the news of his loss while playing golf.
On Saturday night, Joe Biden addressed supporters in Wilmington, Delaware.
PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN: The Bible tells us, “To everything there is a season” — a time to build, a time to reap and a time to sow, and a time to heal. This is the time to heal in America.
Now this campaign is over. What is the will of the people? What is our mandate? I believe it’s this: Americans have called upon us to marshal the forces of decency, the forces of fairness, to marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time — the battle to control the virus; the battle to build prosperity; the battle to secure your family’s healthcare; the battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country; and the battle to save our planet by getting climate under control; the battle to restore decency, defend democracy and give everybody in this country a fair shot. That’s all they’re asking for: a fair shot.
AMY GOODMAN: Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also spoke Saturday. She spoke of being the daughter of immigrants.
VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT KAMALA HARRIS: And to the woman most responsible for my presence here today: my mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who is always in our hearts. When she came here from India at the age of 19, she maybe didn’t quite imagine this moment, but she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible. And so I am thinking about her and about the generations of women — Black women, Asian, white, Latina, Native American women — who throughout our nation’s history have paved the way for this moment tonight, women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all, including the Black women who are often — too often — overlooked but so often prove they are the backbone of our democracy.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s Kamala Harris, vice president-elect, and, before that, Joe Biden, president-elect of the United States.
We begin our show with two guests: professor Eddie Glaude, chair of Princeton University’s Department of African American Studies, his recent article for Time magazine, “Joe Biden Must Help the Nation Truly Understand the Depth of Our Collective Loss,” professor Glaude’s latest book, Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own; also with us, Bree Newsome Bass, artist, antiracist activist, housing rights activist in North Carolina. She made national headlines in 2015 when she scaled the 30-foot flagpole at the South Carolina state Capitol to remove the Confederate flag shortly after the massacre of eight African American parishioners and their pastor by a white supremacist at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.
Bree, we’re going to begin with you. As we ended that last clip with Kamala Harris, I could only think about that metaphor of you scaling the flag, saying, “You come against me with hatred. I come against you in the name of God. This flag comes down today!” as Kamala Harris ascended the stage. Talk about your reaction.
BREE NEWSOME BASS: Yes, I mean, it is undoubtedly a historic moment, right? I also see a lot of historical parallels right now. You know, I am repeatedly saying that I think that the central conflict in the United States is and has always been this tension between the ideology of white supremacy and this concept of having a multiracial democracy where everyone is allowed to participate in it. And I think that tension is continuing to play out today.
You know, of course, we just had the election of the first woman vice president, Black vice president, a woman of South Asian descent, a descendent of immigrants, I mean. And so, on one hand, you have what kind of like represents again this concept of multiracial democracy. On the other hand, you have — or on the other side, you have a blatant white nationalist movement. And then, somewhere there in the middle is this constant conversation around unifying the nation and trying to, like, heal that divide, which I frankly think is an ideological divide that cannot be unified. I think that part of the reason why this tension is ongoing and is unresolved is because those two things cannot coexist. And so, even while you have, on one side, the extension of the hand and this language around healing the nation and reaching across the aisle and unifying, the other side has still not even conceded the race. The other side is refusing to acknowledge the election results.
And I think it’s important to recognize, as well, that the entire Trump era was in many ways a backlash — right? — to this very concept of having a multiracial democracy, to the election of Obama and what that represented in terms of the shifting demographics. And I think that this election, again, is kind of like another echo of that, where Biden and Harris, they were elected because of this multiracial coalition, essentially, that formed among the voting base. And that’s why we are where we are. And so, while of course it is a very historic moment and you see people celebrating all across the nation, that central conflict has yet to be resolved, just as this election, really, in many ways, has yet to be resolved.
AMY GOODMAN: And, Professor Eddie Glaude — and feel free to channel James Baldwin, if you’d like, which I think you can’t help but do — if you can talk about what your feelings were on Saturday as you watched Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ascend the stage in Wilmington, Delaware, what this all means?
EDDIE GLAUDE: Well, you know, my initial reaction was, thank God we’re going to see the back of Donald Trump’s head, that the disaster of the last four years, at least embodied in the Trump administration — Stephen Miller, Betsy DeVos, William Barr, the whole gaggle of folk, Giuliani, the children — all of those folk will be behind us soon, and, of course, the symbolic significance of Kamala Harris as the first Black vice president, the first Black [vice] president of South Asian descent and Caribbean descent and the like. I was thinking about the National Council of Negro Women. I was thinking about the Atlanta washerwomen strike of 1881. I was thinking about the Women’s Political Council in Montgomery, who were the backbone of the Montgomery bus boycott. I was thinking about Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer. All of these folk are the wind behind Kamala Harris’s back that make her possible. But she’s a symbolic — also the symbolic importance of her, of course.
But we must understand that yesterday was a day, and the day before was a day, of celebration. Today is the day for the hard work. The country is deeply divided, as Bree said. And we have to get about the work of responding to the problems we face as a nation at scale, and not returning back to some sense of normalcy, which in some ways laid the foundation for the disaster that was and is Trumpism.
AMY GOODMAN: I also wanted to bring in Ro Khanna from Northern California, congressmember, who himself is Indian American, like Kamala Harris. And first I wanted to get your overall response when the results were announced on Saturday, though they haven’t been certified yet.
REP. RO KHANNA: It was an emotional moment. It was a proud moment. I was speaking with my mother and father and brother, and to see someone, a woman of Indian origin, of African African origin, ascend to the vice presidency is something that many of us thought unimaginable growing up.
And I think it highlights the extraordinary nature of the American project. I mean, we’re trying to become a multiracial, multiethnic democracy. Canada is about 87% white. England is about 87% white. Australia is 86% white. We’re 60% white. It’s a very difficult thing. And this is a step in the right direction.


democracynow--2020-11-09--Headlines for November  9, 2020

Headlines for November  9, 2020

Joe Biden has been elected the 46th president of the United States .
The news came shortly before noon Saturday , after the latest counts in Pennsylvania put Biden far enough ahead of President Trump to win the state and with the Electoral College votes needed to clinch the victory after several key races remained too close to call days after Election Day .
Trump , who launched a flurry of legal challenges as results came in , has yet to concede .
He is the first incumbent to lose since George H.W .
Bush in 1992 .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 290 Electoral College votes to Trump ’ s 214 .
In the uncalled states , Biden is leading in Georgia , and Trump is leading in Alaska and North Carolina .
Biden is leading in the popular count by over 4 million votes .
Thousands of people in cities and towns across the U.S. poured onto the streets to celebrate as news networks projected Biden as the winner .
In Washington , D.C. , revelers gathered in front of the White House , and an impromptu parade , complete with brass band , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York City , as in many other places across the country , car horns blared , and people leaned out of their windows banging pots and pans , as people expressed both jubilation and relief for the end of Trump ’ s presidency .
On Saturday evening , President-elect Biden delivered a victory speech from his home town of Wilmington , Delaware , and called for unity and healing .
President-elect Joe Biden : “ Tonight , we ’ re seeing all over this nation , all cities in all parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world — an outpouring of joy , of hope , renewed faith in tomorrow , bring a better day .
And I ’ m humbled by the trust and confidence you ’ ve placed in me .
I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify ; who doesn ’ t see red states and blue states , only sees the United States .
”

Joe Biden has been elected the 46th president of the United States. The news came shortly before noon Saturday, after the latest counts in Pennsylvania put Biden far enough ahead of President Trump to win the state and with the Electoral College votes needed to clinch the victory after several key races remained too close to call days after Election Day. Trump, who launched a flurry of legal challenges as results came in, has yet to concede. He is the first incumbent to lose since George H.W. Bush in 1992. According to the Associated Press, Biden currently has 290 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 214. In the uncalled states, Biden is leading in Georgia, and Trump is leading in Alaska and North Carolina. Biden is leading in the popular count by over 4 million votes.
Thousands of people in cities and towns across the U.S. poured onto the streets to celebrate as news networks projected Biden as the winner. In Washington, D.C., revelers gathered in front of the White House, and an impromptu parade, complete with brass band, made its way through downtown. Here in New York City, as in many other places across the country, car horns blared, and people leaned out of their windows banging pots and pans, as people expressed both jubilation and relief for the end of Trump’s presidency.
On Saturday evening, President-elect Biden delivered a victory speech from his home town of Wilmington, Delaware, and called for unity and healing.


democracynow--2020-11-10--"An Unprecedented Attack on Democracy": Trump Escalates Effort to Overturn Biden Election Victory

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
Attorney General William Barr upended long-standing Justice Department policy Monday by announcing federal prosecutors could investigate , quote , “ specific allegations ” of voter fraud in last week ’ s election , though didn ’ t suggest any .
In response , the Justice Department ’ s chief elections crime prosecutor Richard Pilger resigned in protest .
This comes as Senate Majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend President Trump ’ s refusal to concede to President-elect Joe Biden .
AMY GOODMAN : The Trump campaign has so far filed suits in Pennsylvania , Georgia , Wisconsin , Michigan , Arizona and Nevada .
Many of them have been thrown out , but no evidence of widespread voter fraud has emerged .
In Pennsylvania , a group of Republican legislators are demanding the state not certify the election or seat electors until a legislative-led audit of the 2020 election is completed .
We ’ re joined now by Kristen Clarke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law .
Kristen , welcome back to Democracy Now !
Can you talk about the significance of what ’ s taking place right now ?
KRISTEN CLARKE : This is an unprecedented attack on democracy .
The voters have spoken , and what we ’ re seeing is a president who refuses to recognize and embrace the will of the people .
There are a number of lawsuits , as you have observed , that have been filed in a handful of states across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on arrival , meaning they are dismissed as quickly as they are filed .
They are quietly withdrawn .
None of these cases have borne out .
And many of these cases are filed without proof , without documentation to substantiate these claims of fraud .
In Arizona , we saw a case a few days ago that was filed alleging that the use of a Sharpie pen by voters should disqualify a ballot cast by an eligible voter .
That case was quickly withdrawn , repackaged and filed in another court .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ court yesterday in the Middle District of Pennsylvania .
This case cherry-picks a few counties and alleges that things like the curing of ballots , where voters may have made minor errors on an absentee ballot envelope , for example , should disqualify the voices of eligible voters , again , in these cherry-picked counties .
We ’ re kind of nearing very close to the brink of a constitutional crisis .
The Bush v. Gore situation was very different .
There , we were focused on one state where there was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But here we ’ re talking about several states where the popular vote margin nationally is widening by the day .
So , at this point , we ’ re really standing in the way of a smooth transfer of power , because each day that these baseless and unsubstantiated claims of fraud are allowed to go forward , it stands in the way of President-elect Biden being able to move forward with his transition , which we know is incredibly important given the current state of crises that we face in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the economic crisis and more .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Kristen , I wanted to ask you in particular about Pennsylvania , which was the state , obviously , that put Joe Biden over the top in terms of Electoral College votes .
A coalition of 10 Republican attorneys general filed an amicus brief Monday asking the Supreme Court to hear the case regarding the dispute over the deadline of mail-in ballots .
And the Supreme Court had previously sort of kicked this down the road , because it was tied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether they would actually hear the merits of this case .
But there ’ s questions as to whether there are even , in the mail-in ballots , sufficient numbers to actually affect the results .
Could you talk about the specifics of that case ?
KRISTEN CLARKE : Yes .
Justice Alito and the Supreme Court seem to have left the door just slightly cracked to entertain the claims in this case .
And my sense was that the court — Justice Alito , Justice Kavanaugh and others — would only be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some sense that the interjection of their voice would change the outcome .
But what we ’ re seeing is that that ’ s not the case .
And what we ’ re seeing is that there is no evidence of fraud in the way that Pennsylvania or in the way in which any state carried out its elections .
My organization , the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , runs a nationwide , nonpartisan election protection program .
We have been following and observing the way that this election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And not a single instance — not one , not a single instance — of fraud has come forward .
And it ’ s remarkable , because what we have seen are documented instances of voter suppression , voters who could not access the one drop box per county in Pennsylvania .
What we saw were voters who couldn ’ t vote because of lines that stretched for hours , particularly during the primary season in Philadelphia — and silence , deafening silence , from our federal government , from the Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , again , theater , being used to delay the inevitable .
The voters have spoken .
And we know that we have President-elect Biden who has prevailed .
And it really is time for these lawsuits to be put to rest .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And your reaction to the decision by Attorney General Barr , to his memo authorizing federal prosecutors to begin to pursue substantial investigations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections ?
It caused Richard Pilger , the career official in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — of investigating voter fraud .
This is unprecedented , isn ’ t it , for an attorney general to act even before votes are fully tabulated ?
KRISTEN CLARKE : It certainly is unprecedented .
The Justice Department has long abided by cardinal rules of not taking action that could be perceived to be in favor of a particular political party or a particular candidate — or , here , a particular former candidate .
And we have seen Attorney General Barr ignore these rules at every step of the way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation into a handful of ballots in Pennsylvania , and it was clear that this intervention was designed to put his thumb on the scales in favor of President Trump , to breathe life into these false , baseless claims of widespread vote fraud .
And this directive issued to prosecutors all across our country last night is breathtaking .
It ’ s unprecedented and deeply troubling , because it ’ s intended to incite prosecutors , criminal prosecutors , across our country to now go on a fishing expedition , leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be is that it will cast doubt , sow confusion and chaos in our electoral process .
We want a democracy that has good standing .
There are people all across the globe who are watching this fiasco that ’ s playing out in these United States .
And we are becoming the laughingstock for the world .
And so , to have an attorney general , who should be neutral and independent and fair , kind of weighing in to this kind of chaotic strategy that ’ s underway by President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to suggest that the outcome is not right or fair , is deeply , deeply troubling .
At the end of the day , you know , we are weighing in on some of these cases , where we deem appropriate .
When we look at the pattern , the kind of cherry-picked pattern where these suits are being filed , we ’ re finding that these suits are being filed in places that are home to large numbers of voters of color .
And so , we are weighing in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect that they will all fail at the end of the day , and that — KRISTEN CLARKE : — what we would have lost is time for a smooth transition .
AMY GOODMAN : We have to leave it there .
I thank you for being with us , president and executive director of the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law .
That does it for our show .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
Be safe .
Save lives .
Wear a mask .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
Attorney General William Barr upended long-standing Justice Department policy Monday by announcing federal prosecutors could investigate, quote, “specific allegations” of voter fraud in last week’s election, though didn’t suggest any. In response, the Justice Department’s chief elections crime prosecutor Richard Pilger resigned in protest. This comes as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top Republicans defend President Trump’s refusal to concede to President-elect Joe Biden.
MAJORITY LEADER MITCH McCONNELL: And President Trump is 100% within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options.
AMY GOODMAN: The Trump campaign has so far filed suits in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Nevada. Many of them have been thrown out, but no evidence of widespread voter fraud has emerged. In Pennsylvania, a group of Republican legislators are demanding the state not certify the election or seat electors until a legislative-led audit of the 2020 election is completed.
We’re joined now by Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Kristen, welcome back to Democracy Now! Can you talk about the significance of what’s taking place right now?
KRISTEN CLARKE: This is an unprecedented attack on democracy. The voters have spoken, and what we’re seeing is a president who refuses to recognize and embrace the will of the people.
There are a number of lawsuits, as you have observed, that have been filed in a handful of states across the country. Many of these cases are dead on arrival, meaning they are dismissed as quickly as they are filed. They are quietly withdrawn. None of these cases have borne out. And many of these cases are filed without proof, without documentation to substantiate these claims of fraud. In Arizona, we saw a case a few days ago that was filed alleging that the use of a Sharpie pen by voters should disqualify a ballot cast by an eligible voter. That case was quickly withdrawn, repackaged and filed in another court. We saw a case filed in federal court yesterday in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. This case cherry-picks a few counties and alleges that things like the curing of ballots, where voters may have made minor errors on an absentee ballot envelope, for example, should disqualify the voices of eligible voters, again, in these cherry-picked counties.
We’re kind of nearing very close to the brink of a constitutional crisis. The Bush v. Gore situation was very different. There, we were focused on one state where there was a differential of just a few hundred ballots. But here we’re talking about several states where the popular vote margin nationally is widening by the day. So, at this point, we’re really standing in the way of a smooth transfer of power, because each day that these baseless and unsubstantiated claims of fraud are allowed to go forward, it stands in the way of President-elect Biden being able to move forward with his transition, which we know is incredibly important given the current state of crises that we face in the country with respect to the pandemic, the economic crisis and more.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Kristen, I wanted to ask you in particular about Pennsylvania, which was the state, obviously, that put Joe Biden over the top in terms of Electoral College votes. A coalition of 10 Republican attorneys general filed an amicus brief Monday asking the Supreme Court to hear the case regarding the dispute over the deadline of mail-in ballots. And the Supreme Court had previously sort of kicked this down the road, because it was tied 4-4 at the time in terms of whether they would actually hear the merits of this case. But there’s questions as to whether there are even, in the mail-in ballots, sufficient numbers to actually affect the results. Could you talk about the specifics of that case?
KRISTEN CLARKE: Yes. Justice Alito and the Supreme Court seem to have left the door just slightly cracked to entertain the claims in this case. And my sense was that the court — Justice Alito, Justice Kavanaugh and others — would only be inclined to do so if there was some sense that the interjection of their voice would change the outcome. But what we’re seeing is that that’s not the case. And what we’re seeing is that there is no evidence of fraud in the way that Pennsylvania or in the way in which any state carried out its elections. My organization, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, runs a nationwide, nonpartisan election protection program. We have been following and observing the way that this election has been carried out from day one. And not a single instance — not one, not a single instance — of fraud has come forward.
And it’s remarkable, because what we have seen are documented instances of voter suppression, voters who could not access the one drop box per county in Pennsylvania. What we saw were voters who couldn’t vote because of lines that stretched for hours, particularly during the primary season in Philadelphia — and silence, deafening silence, from our federal government, from the Justice Department. So, this is, you know, again, theater, being used to delay the inevitable. The voters have spoken. And we know that we have President-elect Biden who has prevailed. And it really is time for these lawsuits to be put to rest.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And your reaction to the decision by Attorney General Barr, to his memo authorizing federal prosecutors to begin to pursue substantial investigations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections? It caused Richard Pilger, the career official in charge of voter fraud, to resign — of investigating voter fraud. This is unprecedented, isn’t it, for an attorney general to act even before votes are fully tabulated?
KRISTEN CLARKE: It certainly is unprecedented. The Justice Department has long abided by cardinal rules of not taking action that could be perceived to be in favor of a particular political party or a particular candidate — or, here, a particular former candidate. And we have seen Attorney General Barr ignore these rules at every step of the way. Several weeks ago, he publicly announced an investigation into a handful of ballots in Pennsylvania, and it was clear that this intervention was designed to put his thumb on the scales in favor of President Trump, to breathe life into these false, baseless claims of widespread vote fraud. And this directive issued to prosecutors all across our country last night is breathtaking. It’s unprecedented and deeply troubling, because it’s intended to incite prosecutors, criminal prosecutors, across our country to now go on a fishing expedition, leading nowhere.
But what the impact will be is that it will cast doubt, sow confusion and chaos in our electoral process. We want a democracy that has good standing. There are people all across the globe who are watching this fiasco that’s playing out in these United States. And we are becoming the laughingstock for the world. And so, to have an attorney general, who should be neutral and independent and fair, kind of weighing in to this kind of chaotic strategy that’s underway by President Trump of using litigation to delay the inevitable, to suggest that the outcome is not right or fair, is deeply, deeply troubling.
At the end of the day, you know, we are weighing in on some of these cases, where we deem appropriate. When we look at the pattern, the kind of cherry-picked pattern where these suits are being filed, we’re finding that these suits are being filed in places that are home to large numbers of voters of color. And so, we are weighing in on these cases when appropriate, but we expect that they will all fail at the end of the day, and that —
AMY GOODMAN: Kristen Clarke —
KRISTEN CLARKE: — what we would have lost is time for a smooth transition.
AMY GOODMAN: We have to leave it there. I thank you for being with us, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
That does it for our show. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. Be safe. Save lives. Wear a mask.


democracynow--2020-11-10--Palestinian Peace Negotiator Saeb Erekat Dies of COVID as Virus Rips Through Occupied Territories

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
The veteran Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat , the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization , has died at the age of 65 after he became infected with COVID-19 .
Erekat was a key Palestinian negotiator , involved in peace talks for over three decades .
He famously showed up at the 1991 Madrid Conference proudly wearing a keffiyeh , a symbol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staunch opposition to Trump ’ s Middle East plan , which he called the “ fraud of the century , ” and condemned recent agreements normalizing relations between Israel and Gulf nations .
This is Saeb Erekat speaking in 2018 .
AMY GOODMAN : Erekat is survived by his wife , four children and eight grandchildren .
The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Erekat a “ great fighter who had a great role in raising the banner of Palestine high and defending the rights of our people … in all international forums , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of mourning in Palestinian Authority-ruled areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank .
For more , we ’ re joined by Yousef Munayyer , the Palestinian American analyst , senior nonresident fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC .
Welcome back to Democracy Now !
, Yousef .
Can you talk about the significance of the death of Saeb Erekat of COVID-19 — he lived in the West Bank ; he had had a lung transplant here in the United States in , what , 2017 , was extremely vulnerable — and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YOUSEF MUNAYYER : Yeah .
Good morning , Amy .
And thank you for having me on .
Let me just begin by extending my condolences to the entire Erekat family , who lost Dr. Saeb Erekat today at the age of 65 after losing a very difficult battle with COVID .
As you noted , he ’ s had a previous lung transplant and was obviously in a very difficult condition to try to fight off this virus .
You know , as I think about the life and contributions of Saeb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others certainly had differences with him in terms of political vision and strategy , but one must really reflect and admire the tireless commitment he had to communicating the Palestinian cause as he best saw fit , and really reflect on the longevity of the career and the important voice that he brought to the conversation at a time when many people around the world had not really heard from Palestinians , particularly Palestinians living in Palestine , on the ground , effectively communicating about the Palestinian cause in the English language .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ program that he was on as early as 1988 with ABC ’ s Ted Koppel at the time on Nightline doing a special on the situation on the ground in Palestine — of course , that time during the Intifada that was taking place , really gripping the world as it turned its eyes to Palestine for the first time in quite some time .
And he , along with Hanan Ashrawi and others , represented this generation of Palestinian leaders , educators , intellectuals , civil society figures who were communicating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very , very important time .
So , his passing , obviously , his career , in speaking for Palestinians and about Palestinians globally , only continued on from there .
And I think this moment and his passing really represent something of a moment of transition from that generation and from that time .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Yousef , in terms of — it ’ s especially tragic that he passed from COVID .
Could you talk about the situation in Palestine , in the West Bank and Gaza , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YOUSEF MUNAYYER : Absolutely .
You know , obviously , this is a disease — I know your last guest was on talking about the vaccine , and we all hope that there may be some light at the end of the tunnel here .
But this is a virus that has impacted the entire world significantly .
And on top of the challenges that countries around the world are facing in trying to combat this virus , Palestinians are doing that with the added layer of dealing with military occupation and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a disease like COVID , which makes acute cases particularly difficult to treat even in the most advanced health infrastructure settings , as we ’ ve seen here in the United States with over 230,000 deaths now , Palestinians are at a particular disadvantage when cases especially get to that advanced stage .
In the Gaza Strip , for example , they have a very small number of ventilators , very underequipped and underresourced ICU units .
And so , the approach there and elsewhere throughout Palestine has really been to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures and through social distancing .
And while there was , I think , some early success , we are seeing now a growing number of cases in Gaza and in the West Bank .
And I have to emphasize , again , the difficulty of trying to combat this virus with that added layer of military occupation and discrimination .
You know , Palestinians often have to struggle to get the kind of access to healthcare that most people in Israel and here in the United States take for granted , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the denial of freedom of movement and the restrictions , and so on .
And , you know , the unfortunate reality is that most Palestinians are probably unlikely to be able to access the level of care that , thankfully , Dr. Erekat was able to access .
But the reality of occupation means that those prospects are very much limited for the average Palestinian .
And the military occupation , these policies of discrimination are a added comorbidity that most people around the world will not really be able to fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we want to thank you for being with us , Palestinian American analyst with the Arab Center Washington DC , on the news of the death of the Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat .
He died of COVID-19 .
This is Democracy Now !
When we come back , President Trump refuses to concede .
Republicans are continuing to support him .
Now the Justice Department has gotten involved , supporting President Trump .
Stay with us .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
The veteran Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, has died at the age of 65 after he became infected with COVID-19. Erekat was a key Palestinian negotiator, involved in peace talks for over three decades. He famously showed up at the 1991 Madrid Conference proudly wearing a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian nationalism. He stood in staunch opposition to Trump’s Middle East plan, which he called the “fraud of the century,” and condemned recent agreements normalizing relations between Israel and Gulf nations. This is Saeb Erekat speaking in 2018.
SAEB EREKAT: I think, as Palestinians, we have defined our interest, as no one benefits more from achieving peace than us, and nobody stands to lose more in the absence of peace more than us.
AMY GOODMAN: Erekat is survived by his wife, four children and eight grandchildren. The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Erekat a “great fighter who had a great role in raising the banner of Palestine high and defending the rights of our people … in all international forums,” unquote. Abbas has declared three days of mourning in Palestinian Authority-ruled areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
For more, we’re joined by Yousef Munayyer, the Palestinian American analyst, senior nonresident fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC.
Welcome back to Democracy Now!, Yousef. Can you talk about the significance of the death of Saeb Erekat of COVID-19 — he lived in the West Bank; he had had a lung transplant here in the United States in, what, 2017, was extremely vulnerable — and the loss of what it means politically?
YOUSEF MUNAYYER: Yeah. Good morning, Amy. And thank you for having me on.
Let me just begin by extending my condolences to the entire Erekat family, who lost Dr. Saeb Erekat today at the age of 65 after losing a very difficult battle with COVID. As you noted, he’s had a previous lung transplant and was obviously in a very difficult condition to try to fight off this virus.
You know, as I think about the life and contributions of Saeb Erekat, I note that I and others certainly had differences with him in terms of political vision and strategy, but one must really reflect and admire the tireless commitment he had to communicating the Palestinian cause as he best saw fit, and really reflect on the longevity of the career and the important voice that he brought to the conversation at a time when many people around the world had not really heard from Palestinians, particularly Palestinians living in Palestine, on the ground, effectively communicating about the Palestinian cause in the English language. You know, I note a important program that he was on as early as 1988 with ABC’s Ted Koppel at the time on Nightline doing a special on the situation on the ground in Palestine — of course, that time during the Intifada that was taking place, really gripping the world as it turned its eyes to Palestine for the first time in quite some time. And he, along with Hanan Ashrawi and others, represented this generation of Palestinian leaders, educators, intellectuals, civil society figures who were communicating the Palestinian cause to the world at a very, very important time. So, his passing, obviously, his career, in speaking for Palestinians and about Palestinians globally, only continued on from there. And I think this moment and his passing really represent something of a moment of transition from that generation and from that time.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Yousef, in terms of — it’s especially tragic that he passed from COVID. Could you talk about the situation in Palestine, in the West Bank and Gaza, in terms of the COVID pandemic?
YOUSEF MUNAYYER: Absolutely. You know, obviously, this is a disease — I know your last guest was on talking about the vaccine, and we all hope that there may be some light at the end of the tunnel here. But this is a virus that has impacted the entire world significantly. And on top of the challenges that countries around the world are facing in trying to combat this virus, Palestinians are doing that with the added layer of dealing with military occupation and the discriminatory policies of Israeli apartheid. And with a disease like COVID, which makes acute cases particularly difficult to treat even in the most advanced health infrastructure settings, as we’ve seen here in the United States with over 230,000 deaths now, Palestinians are at a particular disadvantage when cases especially get to that advanced stage. In the Gaza Strip, for example, they have a very small number of ventilators, very underequipped and underresourced ICU units. And so, the approach there and elsewhere throughout Palestine has really been to try to aggressively contain this through public health measures and through social distancing. And while there was, I think, some early success, we are seeing now a growing number of cases in Gaza and in the West Bank.
And I have to emphasize, again, the difficulty of trying to combat this virus with that added layer of military occupation and discrimination. You know, Palestinians often have to struggle to get the kind of access to healthcare that most people in Israel and here in the United States take for granted, because of the military occupation, because of the denial of freedom of movement and the restrictions, and so on. And, you know, the unfortunate reality is that most Palestinians are probably unlikely to be able to access the level of care that, thankfully, Dr. Erekat was able to access. But the reality of occupation means that those prospects are very much limited for the average Palestinian. And the military occupation, these policies of discrimination are a added comorbidity that most people around the world will not really be able to fully understand.
AMY GOODMAN: Yousef Munayyer, we want to thank you for being with us, Palestinian American analyst with the Arab Center Washington DC, on the news of the death of the Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat. He died of COVID-19.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, President Trump refuses to concede. Republicans are continuing to support him. Now the Justice Department has gotten involved, supporting President Trump. Stay with us.


democracynow--2020-11-10--"We Are Committing Mass Suicide": Laurie Garrett on Danger of Overturning ACA During Pandemic

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : Finally , 10 seconds , Laurie .
Today , the Supreme Court takes up the Affordable Care Act .
Tens of millions of people , if they vote to eviscerate it , to take it down , could lose their healthcare in the midst of this pandemic .
Your comment ?
LAURIE GARRETT : Well , obviously , that would be dreadful , horrible , awful .
And none of those people would have the financial wherewithal to turn to another source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just for them , the individuals and their families , but for everybody they have contact with .
And so , in a way , we ’ re committing mass suicide .
This is an incredibly self-destructive thing for American people to do , to deny healthcare to millions of Americans in the middle of a pandemic and leave them on their own to potentially carry disease forward into the community , into their workplaces , and so on , without any treatment , any help , any assistance .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laurie Garrett , we want to thank you for being with us , Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer , former senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations .
Her new piece , we will link , in Foreign Policy , “ The Vaccine News Is Good .
Here ’ s the Bad News.
” When we come back , we look at the death of Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat .
He ’ s died of the coronavirus .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : “ Thousand Finger Man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percussionist died Saturday at his home in the Bronx at the age of 99 .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Finally, 10 seconds, Laurie. Today, the Supreme Court takes up the Affordable Care Act. Tens of millions of people, if they vote to eviscerate it, to take it down, could lose their healthcare in the midst of this pandemic. Your comment?
LAURIE GARRETT: Well, obviously, that would be dreadful, horrible, awful. And none of those people would have the financial wherewithal to turn to another source to get healthcare. This has implications not just for them, the individuals and their families, but for everybody they have contact with. And so, in a way, we’re committing mass suicide. This is an incredibly self-destructive thing for American people to do, to deny healthcare to millions of Americans in the middle of a pandemic and leave them on their own to potentially carry disease forward into the community, into their workplaces, and so on, without any treatment, any help, any assistance. That’s just insane.
AMY GOODMAN: Laurie Garrett, we want to thank you for being with us, Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer, former senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations. Her new piece, we will link, in Foreign Policy, “The Vaccine News Is Good. Here’s the Bad News.”
When we come back, we look at the death of Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat. He’s died of the coronavirus. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “Thousand Finger Man” by Cándido. The legendary Cuban percussionist died Saturday at his home in the Bronx at the age of 99.