dailykos--2020-05-01--Ohio Primary Adds New Worry for Fall: Rejected Provisional Ballots, by Steven Rosenfeld

Untold thousands of mail-in ballots and in-person provisional ballots are likely to be disqualified before the counting is over .
This article was produced by , a project of the Independent Media Institute .
Ohio ’ s Democratic presidential primary winner was never in doubt , but its voting process was .
The April 28 primary , the second statewide vote-by-mail contest since the pandemic interrupted the 2020 election , highlighted new facing voters if the nation shifts to mostly absentee voting this fall .
In addition to postal delivery delays possibly hundreds of thousands of ballots—as was in Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw legally registered voters who waited until the eleventh hour to vote wrestle with the vote-by-mail process and get prevented from casting a ballot that would be counted .
“ I went on Twitter and discovered that I could vote [ using ] a provisional ballot and demand it from them [ county election officials ] , ” said Sarah Schoeppner , a grocery worker who recounted her and her father ’ s experience during a briefing by the , which runs the nation ’ s largest election protection hotline .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us , but that it would probably not be counted because we didn ’ t get the absentee ballot application in on time.
” “ We believe that Sarah ’ s experience is one encountered by thousands of people across Ohio who are very confused about the deadlines that apply for absentee balloting , ” said , Lawyers ’ Committee president and executive director .
“ We are also very concerned about officials who may have discouraged people like Sarah from casting a provisional ballot in person today.
” Ohio is the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapidly shift to voting by mail in response to the pandemic .
( In 2018 , 21 percent of Ohio ’ s 8 million registered voters absentee ballots . )
But unlike a in Maryland ’ s seventh House district that was also held on April 28 , where Maryland voters who did not receive ballots in the mail PDFs online of their ballot and had in-person voting options , Ohio ’ s primary voters faced more restrictive rules .
Gov .
Mike DeWine , a Republican , the March 17 primary at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Initially , Secretary of State Frank LaRose , also a Republican , wanted to send all voters an absentee ballot application and reschedule the vote in June .
However , the GOP-majority legislature those plans and imposed a regime where almost all voters had to cast an absentee ballot .
There were short timetables to apply for a mail-in ballot , to receive it in the mail , and to return it with a postmark no later than April 27 .
“ There were a number of restrictions that were in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Clarke said .
“ First , absentee applications were not automatically distributed to voters .
The absentee ballot applications did not include postage-paid envelopes .
There was an unnecessarily restrictive deadline imposed for the return of the absentee ballot .
There were no in-person voting opportunities today [ April 28 ] except for people with disabilities and people who were homeless.
” Clarke explained that voters who had applied in time for an absentee ballot , but did not receive it in the mail , were entitled to vote by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registration form and a ballot .
These voters and ballots are reviewed and authorized before being counted .
Even though Ohio counties only had a single in-person voting site , there was widespread confusion over these back-up ballots .
“ There was a lot of confusion around this and there were some voters who were told that if they did not request a provisional ballot [ when applying for a mail-in ballot ] , that they shouldn ’ t bother trying to vote today , ” Clarke said .
“ That instruction from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which allows all voters who believe they are eligible the right to participate in a federal election .
And we are looking closely at this.
” To make matters worse , as the Ohio primary approached , which also had local elections on the ballot , LaRose to his state ’ s congressional delegation that the U.S .
Postal Service was not delivering ballots in time .
A scenario was emerging where some volume of voters , already burdened with having to apply for a second time to vote—to obtain an absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then had to go to limited numbers of in-person voting centers if they wanted to vote .
Thus , like Wisconsin ’ s fraught April 7 primary , where nearly 1.3 million voters requested an absentee ballot and ballots did not meet delivery deadlines and were not counted , Ohio ’ s election officials for 517,000 of the 1.98 million ballots they sent out to be delivered as of April 27 , when they had to be postmarked to count .
“ We have 1.4 million ballots cast .
There are still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in , ” said Mike Brickner , Ohio director for , at the Lawyers ’ Committee briefing on primary day .
“ There ’ s a lot of concern that many of those ballots may not reach voters in time , and many [ voters ] do not want to go to the boards of elections today because they have health concerns or other issues.
” But unlike Wisconsin , Election Day voter registration and still had some in-person voting options ( though vastly curtailed due to poll worker shortages ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictive rules that raise additional red flags if the pandemic ’ s voting regime continues in the general election .
In addition to untold tens of thousands of mail-in ballots being delayed by postal delivery and possibly disqualified , thousands of provisional ballots may also be in play as Ohio ’ s verification process unfolds after Election Day—where they are the last votes to be counted .
( In 2018 , nearly Ohioans cast provisional ballots , the U.S. Election Assistance Commission reported .
Only California and New York cast more . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mail-in ballots postmarked up to one day ( April 27 ) before the election can arrive up to 10 days later ( May 8 ) and still count .
County election boards have one additional day ( May 9 ) to validate provisional ballots before counting them .
Disqualifications and delays of hundreds of thousands of ballots could undermine the public ’ s acceptance of the outcome of the fall ’ s general election , the nation ’ s leading scholars in election law , politics and media said in a just-issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a University of California , Irvine , law and political science professor .
“ Even before the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States , close observers of American democracy worried about the public ’ s faith and confidence in the results of the upcoming November 2020 U.S. elections , ” said the of “ Fair Elections During a Crisis : Urgent Recommendations in Law , Media , Politics , and Tech to Advance the Legitimacy of , and the Public ’ s Confidence in , the November 2020 U.S.
Elections.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ granted that election losers will concede a closely-fought election after election authorities ( or courts ) have declared a winner , ” it continued .
The report ’ s first legal recommendation sought to avoid what has been seen in Wisconsin and Ohio , the first two statewide vote-by-mail elections since the pandemic .
“ States should adopt reforms to improve the absentee ballot and provisional ballot processes—both in terms of access and security , ” it .
“ In particular , states should reduce… counting delays that could cause significant shifts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on election night.
” Mass disqualifications of ballots and counting delays could accelerate disinformation where candidates claim victory based on early and incomplete results , and then the counting while arguing in court that they should be declared the winners .
“ Incendiary rhetoric about rigged or stolen election is on the rise , and unsubstantiated claims of rigged elections find a receptive audience especially among those who are on the losing end of the election , ” the scholars .
“ American elections are highly decentralized , leaving pockets of weak election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the process .
The COVID-19 pandemic , which hit the United States hard beginning in March 2020 , has only exacerbated concerns about the fairness and integrity of the 2020 elections.
” But the first two statewide elections embracing the go-to solution for voting in a public health crisis , voting-by-mail , in Wisconsin and Ohio , show that tilting of the rules by the most partisan Republicans in swing states is not merely a concern .
It is a fact .
“ We believe that Ohio is an example of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said the Lawyers ’ Committee ’ s Clarke .
“ It most certainly appears that Ohio is on pace to have one of the lowest turnout rates for a presidential primary election in modern times.
” Steven Rosenfeld is the editor and chief correspondent of , a project of the Independent Media Institute .
He has reported for National Public Radio , Marketplace , and Christian Science Monitor Radio , as well as a wide range of progressive publications including Salon , AlterNet , the American Prospect , and many others @

rss@dailykos.com (Independent Media Institute)

Untold thousands of mail-in ballots and in-person provisional ballots are likely to be disqualified before the counting is over.
By Steven Rosenfeld
This article was produced by Voting Booth , a project of the Independent Media Institute.
Ohio’s Democratic presidential primary winner was never in doubt, but its voting process was.
The April 28 primary, the second statewide vote-by-mail contest since the pandemic interrupted the 2020 election, highlighted new complexities facing voters if the nation shifts to mostly absentee voting this fall.
In addition to postal delivery delays possibly disqualifying hundreds of thousands of ballots—as was seen in Wisconsin’s April 7 primary—Ohio’s saw legally registered voters who waited until the eleventh hour to vote wrestle with the vote-by-mail process and get prevented from casting a ballot that would be counted.
“I went on Twitter and discovered that I could vote [using] a provisional ballot and demand it from them [county election officials],” said Sarah Schoeppner, a grocery worker who recounted her and her father’s experience during a briefing by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , which runs the nation’s largest election protection hotline. “They said that they would give it to us, but that it would probably not be counted because we didn’t get the absentee ballot application in on time.”
“We believe that Sarah’s experience is one encountered by thousands of people across Ohio who are very confused about the deadlines that apply for absentee balloting,” said Kristen Clarke , Lawyers’ Committee president and executive director. “We are also very concerned about officials who may have discouraged people like Sarah from casting a provisional ballot in person today.”
Ohio is the second state with mostly polling place-based voting to rapidly shift to voting by mail in response to the pandemic. (In 2018, 21 percent of Ohio’s 8 million registered voters cast absentee ballots.) But unlike a special election in Maryland’s seventh House district that was also held on April 28, where Maryland voters who did not receive ballots in the mail were sent PDFs online of their ballot and had more in-person voting options, Ohio’s primary voters faced more restrictive rules.
Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, canceled the March 17 primary at the last minute due to the pandemic. Initially, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, also a Republican, wanted to send all voters an absentee ballot application and reschedule the vote in June. However, the GOP-majority legislature overrode those plans and imposed a regime where almost all voters had to cast an absentee ballot. There were short timetables to apply for a mail-in ballot, to receive it in the mail, and to return it with a postmark no later than April 27.
“There were a number of restrictions that were in place in Ohio that made voting incredibly difficult,” Clarke said. “First, absentee applications were not automatically distributed to voters. The absentee ballot applications did not include postage-paid envelopes. There was an unnecessarily restrictive deadline imposed for the return of the absentee ballot. There were no in-person voting opportunities today [April 28] except for people with disabilities and people who were homeless.”
Clarke explained that voters who had applied in time for an absentee ballot, but did not receive it in the mail, were entitled to vote by a provisional ballot . That back-up option combines a voter registration form and a ballot. These voters and ballots are reviewed and authorized before being counted. Even though Ohio counties only had a single in-person voting site, there was widespread confusion over these back-up ballots.
“There was a lot of confusion around this and there were some voters who were told that if they did not request a provisional ballot [when applying for a mail-in ballot], that they shouldn’t bother trying to vote today,” Clarke said. “That instruction from officials may be in violation of the Help America Vote Act , which allows all voters who believe they are eligible the right to participate in a federal election. And we are looking closely at this.”
To make matters worse, as the Ohio primary approached, which also had local elections on the ballot, LaRose wrote to his state’s congressional delegation that the U.S. Postal Service was not delivering ballots in time. A scenario was emerging where some volume of voters, already burdened with having to apply for a second time to vote—to obtain an absentee ballot—were not poised to receive that ballot and then had to go to limited numbers of in-person voting centers if they wanted to vote.
Thus, like Wisconsin’s fraught April 7 primary, where nearly 1.3 million voters requested an absentee ballot and nearly 200,000 ballots did not meet delivery deadlines and were not counted, Ohio’s election officials were waiting for 517,000 of the 1.98 million ballots they sent out to be delivered as of April 27, when they had to be postmarked to count.
“We have 1.4 million ballots cast. There are still 500,000 that have not yet been reported back in,” said Mike Brickner, Ohio director for AllVotingIsLocal.org , at the Lawyers’ Committee briefing on primary day. “There’s a lot of concern that many of those ballots may not reach voters in time, and many [voters] do not want to go to the boards of elections today because they have health concerns or other issues.”
But unlike Wisconsin, which has Election Day voter registration and still had some in-person voting options (though vastly curtailed due to poll worker shortages), Ohio’s all-mail primary had more restrictive rules that raise additional red flags if the pandemic’s voting regime continues in the general election.
In addition to untold tens of thousands of mail-in ballots being delayed by postal delivery and possibly disqualified, thousands of provisional ballots may also be in play as Ohio’s verification process unfolds after Election Day—where they are the last votes to be counted. (In 2018, nearly 101,000 Ohioans cast provisional ballots, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission reported. Only California and New York cast more.)
For Ohio’s April 28 primary, mail-in ballots postmarked up to one day (April 27) before the election can arrive up to 10 days later (May 8) and still count. County election boards have one additional day (May 9) to validate provisional ballots before counting them.
Disqualifications and delays of hundreds of thousands of ballots could undermine the public’s acceptance of the outcome of the fall’s general election, the nation’s leading scholars in election law, politics and media said in a just-issued report coordinated and produced by Richard Hasen, a University of California, Irvine, law and political science professor.
“Even before the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States, close observers of American democracy worried about the public’s faith and confidence in the results of the upcoming November 2020 U.S. elections,” said the executive summary of “Fair Elections During a Crisis: Urgent Recommendations in Law, Media, Politics, and Tech to Advance the Legitimacy of, and the Public’s Confidence in, the November 2020 U.S. Elections.” “Americans can no longer take for granted that election losers will concede a closely-fought election after election authorities (or courts) have declared a winner,” it continued.
The report’s first legal recommendation sought to avoid what has been seen in Wisconsin and Ohio, the first two statewide vote-by-mail elections since the pandemic.
“States should adopt reforms to improve the absentee ballot and provisional ballot processes—both in terms of access and security,” it said . “In particular, states should reduce… counting delays that could cause significant shifts in vote margins after in-precinct results are reported on election night.”
Mass disqualifications of ballots and counting delays could accelerate disinformation where candidates claim victory based on early and incomplete results, and then seek to disrupt the counting while arguing in court that they should be declared the winners.
“Incendiary rhetoric about rigged or stolen election is on the rise, and unsubstantiated claims of rigged elections find a receptive audience especially among those who are on the losing end of the election,” the scholars said . “American elections are highly decentralized, leaving pockets of weak election administration which can further undermine voter confidence in the process. The COVID-19 pandemic, which hit the United States hard beginning in March 2020, has only exacerbated concerns about the fairness and integrity of the 2020 elections.”
But the first two statewide elections embracing the go-to solution for voting in a public health crisis, voting-by-mail, in Wisconsin and Ohio, show that tilting of the rules by the most partisan Republicans in swing states is not merely a concern. It is a fact.
“We believe that Ohio is an example of the way not to run a vote-by-mail system,” said the Lawyers’ Committee’s Clarke. “It most certainly appears that Ohio is on pace to have one of the lowest turnout rates for a presidential primary election in modern times.”


dailykos--2020-05-02--Biden May Have His Own “But Her Emails” Situation Over Archived Documents

In an his exchange with Mika Brzezinski during his appearance on MSNBC ’ s Morning Joe , Joe Biden called for the release of any personnel records from the National Archives relating to Tara Reade ’ s written complaint about an alleged incident of harassment in 1993 when she was a member of his Senate staff .
She said she filed the complaint through the proper channels established in the senate at that time and addressed it with her supervisors .
Those documents are unaccounted for and the senior staff members Reade cited have denied her account .
Ms. Brzezinski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his time in the Senate housed in the archives at the University of Delaware .
Biden seemed to bristle at the notion that he might open these for inspection as they contain his conversations with foreign leaders and could be taken out of context .
Republicans quickly seized on this with calls for these records to be released and accusations that Joe Biden is hiding something from the American people .
Sound familiar ?
It has been reported that Ms. Reade will provide a statement over the weekend and there is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican argument that all Senate records should be released , including those at the University of Delaware .
The “ what is Joe hiding ” meme has already started circulating and there is a headline story on Politico on Saturday www.politico.com/… Additional outlets such as NPR , PBS and CNN have similar stories questioning if his interview hasn ’ t created a new set of problems for the Biden campaign given one of his themes is transparency and accountability .
It ’ s important to remember that the story of Hillary Clinton ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up momentum until it dominated all other considerations about her candidacy in both print and cable news .
We learned that the public can be easily led toward assumptions of wrongdoing if they are under the impression that something is being kept from them .
Republicans are going to beat this drum very hard , just as they with did the Clinton emails and once again it looks like they will have willing allies in the press .

In an his exchange with Mika Brzezinski during his appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Joe Biden called for the release of any personnel records from the National Archives relating to Tara Reade’s written complaint about an alleged incident of harassment in 1993 when she was a member of his Senate staff. She said she filed the complaint through the proper channels established in the senate at that time and addressed it with her supervisors. Those documents are unaccounted for and the senior staff members Reade cited have denied her account.
Ms. Brzezinski then asked Biden about the documents relating to his time in the Senate housed in the archives at the University of Delaware. Biden seemed to bristle at the notion that he might open these for inspection as they contain his conversations with foreign leaders and could be taken out of context. Republicans quickly seized on this with calls for these records to be released and accusations that Joe Biden is hiding something from the American people. Sound familiar?
It has been reported that Ms. Reade will provide a statement over the weekend and there is a good chance she will be echoing the Republican argument that all Senate records should be released, including those at the University of Delaware. The “what is Joe hiding” meme has already started circulating and there is a headline story on Politico on Saturday www.politico.com/… Additional outlets such as NPR, PBS and CNN have similar stories questioning if his interview hasn’t created a new set of problems for the Biden campaign given one of his themes is transparency and accountability.
It’s important to remember that the story of Hillary Clinton’s email server started small and picked up momentum until it dominated all other considerations about her candidacy in both print and cable news. We learned that the public can be easily led toward assumptions of wrongdoing if they are under the impression that something is being kept from them. Republicans are going to beat this drum very hard, just as they with did the Clinton emails and once again it looks like they will have willing allies in the press.


dailykos--2020-05-03--I Can Watch Donald Trump Now

I Can Watch Donald Trump Now

My hatred for Donald Trump has always been visceral , a venom that flows through my bloodstream whenver he appears before me .
I ’ ve harbored an intense aversion to the man since 2011 , when he began to openly question President Obama ’ s place of birth and legitimacy because of his roots in Kenya .
My father was born and raised in Nigeria before immigrating to the United States in 1975 .
I was born in Denver , Colorado on December 8 , 1976 , the first and only son of immigrants .
Trump has and always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like me .
On election night 2016 , as the cocksure and tanned Trump strutted onto the stage as the newly elected president of the United States , I acted on my instincts , which was to grab both of my tennis shoes from beneath my bed and toss them at the television screen .
A few weeks after millions of hearts were broken by the election of Donald Trump , Dave Chappelle opened Saturday Night Live with a monologue .
In it he urged disapproving Americans to give Donald Trump a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself to do it .
For I was unable to watch Trump on the television set without feeling the urge to hurl the digested contents of my stomach in his direction .
Trump continued to dominate the airwaves in the ensuing year , comfortable and snug in the privilege that comes with being a wealthy , powerful , and less than mediocre white man in America .
It ’ s probably what I detest the most about the man , a chronic underachiever who failed up to the highest echelon of power .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a brilliant , serious , educated , and talented black man who cared , Americans thought it would be wise to usher in a new era by electing a lying , raping , radical , racist , and reprobate conman .
Trump ’ s lies are blatant and open enough for anyone to see through , and he is obviously ill-suited for the job he holds .
And yet , forty to forty-five percent of the country continues to swear by him .
After watching Trump forcefully defend violent white nationalists before a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August 2017 riots in Charlottesville , where a young woman died and a young black man was savaged to within an inch of his life by multiple nationalist goons , I knew I ’ d had enough , and went on to make a pact with myself .
I would no longer watch the man spew his filth on the television set .
Every time a news program would air footage of Trump as he spoke , which was often , I would immediately grab the remote control to change the channel .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump bloviate on air , I kept on studying the news and politics of the day .
I read thousands of articles detailing the atrocities Trump sanctioned and committed against refugees , women , and people of color , experienced helplessness and depression as Mitch McConnell , the republican leader of United States Senate , steamrolled unqualified Trump judges to lifetime appointments on the courts , and fretted over his rise in the polls in the wake of his sham of an impeachment trial .
The exoneration of the president Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election was all that my sister and I could talk about over the phone for hours on a Sunday afternoon .
“ I guess we both knew that the acquittal was going to happen , ” I said .
I don ’ t know why I ’ d hoped things would be different.
” “ He ’ s going to win again , ” my sister said .
“ You mark my words.
” My jaw dropped for two reasons .
First , little sister is an incisive and wise black woman who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ascendancy four years ago .
She seemed certain of her prediction and it came true .
What if she was right once again ?
Second , I was shocked by her pessimistic tone .
If we are going to beat the man , then we have to believe that we can .
“ I know it , Eze , ” she said .
“ I wish that I thought differently .
But my gut tells me that he is going win a second term.
” “ No .
Nope , ” I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections in 2018 .
And lots of people are really angry and anxious this time .
We didn ’ t think he could win before and slacked off .
Sister , his win was a fluke .
I don ’ t think it will happen again.
” As the coronavirus began to overwhelm America in March and April , sparking widespread fear and panic buying of toilet paper and other supplies , Donald Trump ’ s aggregate poll numbers began to inch higher with the passage of each distressing day before reaching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to 538.com .
Although still historically low when compared to other presidents at the same point in their terms , Trump ’ s increasing poll numbers gave me bouts of indigestion .
Because I knew that Americans tend to fall in line behind their president during periods of acute crisis .
After terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center in 2001 , Americans rallied behind President George W. Bush in the ensuing months — his approval was nearly universal at ninety percent .
Bush became a wartime president , leveraging his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iraq in 2003 .
Then he rode the wave to secure a second term in 2004 .
Donald Trump began referring to himself as the wartime president , his desire for his blind supporters to see him as someone who could face down the deadly Covid-19 disease and win was all consuming .
I found his assertion to be laughable , for it was Trump who ’ d ignored multiple warnings from medical professionals and advisors for months before the number of coronavirus cases began to spike within our shores .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the danger this virus posed to the entire country and began reporting on it , Trump put forth another one of his outlandish theories , insisting that the virus was a hoax being perpetrated by those dastardly democrats .
The conservative media had their president ’ s back , flooding publications and airwaves with Trump ’ s conspiracy theories at first , and then insisting that the coronavirus was no worse than the common cold or flu .
But when the number of cases grew to include many thousands , when stories of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bodies being stacked in trucks stationed outside of nursing homes began to drown out the cacophonous noise being emitted from the conservative arm of the media , Trump had no choice but to pay attention .
So the Trump Administration put together a coronavirus task force led by Vice President Mike Pence .
This task force would be responsible for coordinating the response to the outbreak and providing guidance to the American people .
Bush had been slow to act before Osama Bin Laden used planes to stab the country in the heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisive in the aftermath .
Could Donald Trump do the same thing ?
I wondered .
Could the orange conman put one over on seventy percent of the American people and push forward to an easy reelection in November ?
I believe the answer to those questions is a resounding no .
The trajectory of Donald Trump ’ s poll numbers have not coincided with the rise in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths .
He remains mired near the fortieth percentile , and the public remains soured on his response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this crisis represents a perfect distillation of a life replete with failures that he ’ s never been able use to become better , and now our country is suffering beneath his tenure as president .
Trump thought it would be a good idea to stand behind the lectern in the presidential briefing room , where before an assemblage of journalists , he would go on to ramble for hours about the coronavirus and…nothing .
No one who watched the press conferences got anything constructive out of them , except for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to step to the lectern and speak .
The reporters in the room seemed unimpressed by Trump ’ s performance ; and the pundits — everyone except for the reporters from Fox News — were aghast the next morning .
They were throwing around words like “ disappointment ” , “ failure ” , and “ incompetent ” , audibly sighing and shaking their heads in shock and disillusionment .
When I read the story of how Donald Trump suggested that people inject themselves with disinfectants and light to combat the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dave Chapelle ’ s advice four years after he ’ d given it .
I would give Donald Trump a chance to prove that he was not a complete ignoramus .
As I watched the infamous press conference on my cell phone , I shook my head and laughed at the show .
Trump actually turned to a horrified Dr. Birx , a leading infectious disease expert , and suggested that she look into the prospect of injecting coronavirus victims with disinfectant and UV light .
What a failure .
What a fool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States is a stumbling , bumbling , and overmatched fool .
After I finished watching the entirety of the video , I came to a startling conclusion .
Trump may singlehandedly expose the theory of white primacy for what it is , a form of mental illness .
I want to witness it as it happens .
I let out a slow exhale and said , “ I can watch you now .
”

My hatred for Donald Trump has always been visceral, a venom that flows through my bloodstream whenever he appears before me. I’ve harbored an intense aversion to the man since 2011, when he began to openly question President Obama’s place of birth and legitimacy because of his roots in Kenya. My father was born and raised in Nigeria before immigrating to the United States in 1975. I was born in Denver, Colorado on December 8, 1976, the first and only son of immigrants. Trump has and always will be an existential threat to people like me. On election night 2016, as the cocksure and tanned Trump strutted onto the stage as the newly elected president of the United States, I acted on my instincts, which was to grab both of my tennis shoes from beneath my bed and toss them at the television screen.
A few weeks after millions of hearts were broken by the election of Donald Trump, Dave Chappelle opened Saturday Night Live with a monologue. In it he urged disapproving Americans to give Donald Trump a chance. But I couldn’t convince myself to do it. For I was unable to watch Trump on the television set without feeling the urge to hurl the digested contents of my stomach in his direction.
Trump continued to dominate the airwaves in the ensuing year, comfortable and snug in the privilege that comes with being a wealthy, powerful, and less than mediocre white man in America. It’s probably what I detest the most about the man, a chronic underachiever who failed up to the highest echelon of power. After eight years of being governed by a brilliant, serious, educated, and talented black man who cared, Americans thought it would be wise to usher in a new era by electing a lying, raping, radical, racist, and reprobate conman. Trump’s lies are blatant and open enough for anyone to see through, and he is obviously ill-suited for the job he holds. And yet, forty to forty-five percent of the country continues to swear by him.
After watching Trump forcefully defend violent white nationalists before a shocked nation in the wake of the August 2017 riots in Charlottesville, where a young woman died and a young black man was savaged to within an inch of his life by multiple nationalist goons, I knew I’d had enough, and went on to make a pact with myself. I would no longer watch the man spew his filth on the television set. Every time a news program would air footage of Trump as he spoke, which was often, I would immediately grab the remote control to change the channel.
****
Even though I could not tolerate watching Trump bloviate on air, I kept on studying the news and politics of the day. I read thousands of articles detailing the atrocities Trump sanctioned and committed against refugees, women, and people of color, experienced helplessness and depression as Mitch McConnell, the republican leader of United States Senate, steamrolled unqualified Trump judges to lifetime appointments on the courts, and fretted over his rise in the polls in the wake of his sham of an impeachment trial.
The exoneration of the president Trump in the face of overwhelming evidence and the upcoming election was all that my sister and I could talk about over the phone for hours on a Sunday afternoon.
“I guess we both knew that the acquittal was going to happen,” I said. I don’t know why I’d hoped things would be different.”
“He’s going to win again,” my sister said. “You mark my words.”
My jaw dropped for two reasons. First, little sister is an incisive and wise black woman who’d warned me of Trump’s ascendancy four years ago. She seemed certain of her prediction and it came true. What if she was right once again? Second, I was shocked by her pessimistic tone. If we are going to beat the man, then we have to believe that we can.
“I know it, Eze,” she said. “I wish that I thought differently. But my gut tells me that he is going win a second term.”
“No. Nope,” I said. “We crushed the midterm elections in 2018. And lots of people are really angry and anxious this time. We didn’t think he could win before and slacked off. Sister, his win was a fluke. I don’t think it will happen again.”
As the coronavirus began to overwhelm America in March and April, sparking widespread fear and panic buying of toilet paper and other supplies, Donald Trump’s aggregate poll numbers began to inch higher with the passage of each distressing day before reaching the apex for his presidency: forty-six percent according to 538.com. Although still historically low when compared to other presidents at the same point in their terms, Trump’s increasing poll numbers gave me bouts of indigestion. Because I knew that Americans tend to fall in line behind their president during periods of acute crisis.
After terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center in 2001, Americans rallied behind President George W. Bush in the ensuing months — his approval was nearly universal at ninety percent. Bush became a wartime president, leveraging his enduring popularity to start an illegal war in Iraq in 2003. Then he rode the wave to secure a second term in 2004.
Donald Trump began referring to himself as the wartime president, his desire for his blind supporters to see him as someone who could face down the deadly Covid-19 disease and win was all consuming. I found his assertion to be laughable, for it was Trump who’d ignored multiple warnings from medical professionals and advisors for months before the number of coronavirus cases began to spike within our shores. When the American news media caught wind of the danger this virus posed to the entire country and began reporting on it, Trump put forth another one of his outlandish theories, insisting that the virus was a hoax being perpetrated by those dastardly democrats. The conservative media had their president’s back, flooding publications and airwaves with Trump’s conspiracy theories at first, and then insisting that the coronavirus was no worse than the common cold or flu. But when the number of cases grew to include many thousands, when stories of lungs being shredded by pneumonia and dead bodies being stacked in trucks stationed outside of nursing homes began to drown out the cacophonous noise being emitted from the conservative arm of the media, Trump had no choice but to pay attention. So the Trump Administration put together a coronavirus task force led by Vice President Mike Pence. This task force would be responsible for coordinating the response to the outbreak and providing guidance to the American people.
Bush had been slow to act before Osama Bin Laden used planes to stab the country in the heart, but rebounded to appear strong and decisive in the aftermath. Could Donald Trump do the same thing? I wondered. Could the orange conman put one over on seventy percent of the American people and push forward to an easy reelection in November?
I believe the answer to those questions is a resounding no.
The trajectory of Donald Trump’s poll numbers have not coincided with the rise in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths. He remains mired near the fortieth percentile, and the public remains soured on his response to the pandemic. Trump’s performance in this crisis represents a perfect distillation of a life replete with failures that he’s never been able use to become better, and now our country is suffering beneath his tenure as president.
Trump thought it would be a good idea to stand behind the lectern in the presidential briefing room, where before an assemblage of journalists, he would go on to ramble for hours about the coronavirus and…nothing. No one who watched the press conferences got anything constructive out of them, except for the instances when the scientists and doctors were allowed to step to the lectern and speak. The reporters in the room seemed unimpressed by Trump’s performance; and the pundits — everyone except for the reporters from Fox News — were aghast the next morning. They were throwing around words like “disappointment”, “failure”, and “incompetent”, audibly sighing and shaking their heads in shock and disillusionment.
When I read the story of how Donald Trump suggested that people inject themselves with disinfectants and light to combat the coronavirus, I decided that I would take Dave Chapelle’s advice four years after he’d given it. I would give Donald Trump a chance to prove that he was not a complete ignoramus.
As I watched the infamous press conference on my cell phone, I shook my head and laughed at the show. Trump actually turned to a horrified Dr. Birx, a leading infectious disease expert, and suggested that she look into the prospect of injecting coronavirus victims with disinfectant and UV light. What a failure. What a fool. This supposed paragon of white supremacy in the United States is a stumbling, bumbling, and overmatched fool. After I finished watching the entirety of the video, I came to a startling conclusion. Trump may singlehandedly expose the theory of white primacy for what it is, a form of mental illness. I want to witness it as it happens.
I let out a slow exhale and said, “I can watch you now.”


dailykos--2020-05-04--"When Care Remembered" Pt. 7

"When Care Remembered" Pt. 7

Hello again , friends .
This is the seventh , more or less weekly , installment of `` When Care @ @ @ @ @ the Time of Covid-19 , '' a series of video reports .
All last week @ @ @ @ @ mattered .
This one is more explicitly political than usual , because the news 'round @ @ @ @ @ news elsewhere : Republicans are trying to drag the debate on easing restrictions from health @ @ @ @ @ the realm of political spin and sniping .
Normally , I enjoy message-jocking as much @ @ @ @ @ , but when the counters are lives , the game loses its charm .
Thanks @ @ @ @ @ watching , sharing , etc .
Take good care .
If you ca n't see @ @ @ @ @ browser , a direct link via YouTube is HERE .
Earlier episodes , such as @ @ @ @ @ HERE .

Hello again, friends. This is the seventh, more or less weekly, installment of "When Care Remembered: New Orleans in the Time of Covid-19," a series of video reports. All last week's news that might have mattered.
This one is more explicitly political than usual, because the news 'round here is similar to the news elsewhere: Republicans are trying to drag the debate on easing restrictions from health and ecnomic issues and into the realm of political spin and sniping. Normally, I enjoy message-jocking as much as the next political animal, but when the counters are lives, the game loses its charm.
Thanks, as always, for watching, sharing, etc. Take good care.
If you can't see the embedded video in your browser, a direct link via YouTube is HERE.
Earlier episodes, such as they are, are collected HERE.


LIVE FREE TO DIE?

“ One gains the impression that the frustrated derive as much satisfaction—if not more—from the means a mass movement uses as from the ends it advocates….In their fanatical cry of ‘ all or nothing at all ’ the second alternative echoes perhaps a more ardent wish than the first.
” In April , 2020 , the MAGA faithful displayed Hoffer ’ s point , literally and in full view .
Carrying signs including New Hampshire ’ s state motto , “ Live Free or Die , ” they demonstrated against the suspension ( due to the coronavirus ) of general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their Constitutional rights to freedom of assembly , claiming the right to risk their lives by going to work and play , they went out in public and breathed on one another in protest of intrusive governmental regulations .
Return to normal life—at a time when life from here on will be anything but what we once thought was normal—is their publicly stated desire .
But is it really ?
Their demonstrations seem more like a last-ditch effort to escape , to “ change their fate ” in the old parlance of Gulag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or die ” suggests only two polar opposite positions .
Led on in their protests by Donald Trump ( who is also nominatively President of the United States ) , these folks are ready to carry on as if the coronavirus pandemic had never occurred , or to lose their lives in a noble cause—in this case business as usual despite all health risks .
While living on these principles sounds insane to some of us , to the true believers of MAGA , it makes perfect sense .
We have reached a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sides perceive a reality which is irreconcilable to the other side .
Anybody who hopes to endure this crisis and emerge into anything resembling decent society needs to start from that fact of life .
The conflict between social responsibility and personal freedom goes way back , probably to late neolithic times , meeting head-on in this pandemic .
The drastic shutdown of general society , unpleasant to all , is a desperate measure from our civic leaders , hoping to curtail the spread of this microscopic threat before it cripples civilization .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with woefully insufficient testing available to find out who actually has it , this virus could , according to the best estimates of medical science , sicken and kill on an unpredictable yet gigantic scale .
The other side , led by Trump , believes the danger can not be that great , that some deaths are worthwhile to keep the economy humming along , that business as usual is worth the risk .
Some of this crowd even believe we old people ought to be willing to sacrifice our lives to free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone else—maybe the rich .
If that idea seems somewhat unsound if not absolutely insane , you are not in the “ Live Free or Die ” crowd .
To those in that group , if “ living free ” means continuing to work at current jobs , then the other option must be quite desirable .
We are not dealing with good sense here .
Those who , having succumbed to mass hysteria , believe the coronavirus is just another germ , are not getting their information from scientific and medical professionals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his sycophantic followers in the Republican Party , promoted by the right-wing news media .
In the religion of capitalism , profits are more important in all situations than anything else , so good business sense is equal or superior to scientific knowledge .
The true believers can deny scientific evidence about climate change , so why not ignore science in this pandemic ?
With ten or twenty years to go before global warming becomes irreversible , the timeline might be too slow .
With coronavirus , going out in a fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another pillar of the religion of unhindered capitalism is social Darwinism : that the losers in the game of life need to pass quickly so the winners can get richer , making all humanity healthier , wealthier and wiser .
Concerning coronavirus , “ herd immunity ” will thin the human herd down to its strongest members , passing along those strong genes to future generations , thus making the pandemic a good thing .
Astonishingly , this survival of the fittest dogma goes along with the “ God is on our side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convinced that they have divine protection from this bug , making their gatherings in protest a new practice of faith healing .
God and Mammon are in unlikely partnership once again , but in reality God and Mammon have always gotten along ; all people need do is pick the right God , one who likes Mammon .
How else do we explain the incredible bravery of these people , gathering together to protest society ’ s feeble efforts to protect them from a new and untested deadly threat ?
Pointing out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is useless ; their theory need not make sense .
It spurs them into wild , collective action , which promises more than just business as usual—the same action which got them joyously attending MAGA rallies in the first place .
In all situations they convince each other , over and again , that they are flawlessly right , fighting for a holy cause : an America of the vague past , when all was well , when men worked sick or well from sunup till sundown for low wages , willing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enterprise .
They intend to get that greatness back or die in a blaze of glory ; why else would they take such risks ?
To be fair , practically nobody wants to face the restrictions we have in this pandemic .
But must we choose from only two fates : total freedom from societal control , or total freedom from the confines of this planet ?
Some of us believe the scientists about the threat of this disease , and are willing to curtail the things we like and need to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s breakdown is past .
The MAGA people hold that individual freedom is sacred even when society is threatened .
In fairness once more , some people can always come up with reasons for restricting just about any behavior , and many of these people are in positions of authority .
A couple centuries and more ago , Americans set up a governing system that allows us to freely exchange information and ideas , that we might sort out the real threats from the superficial ones so people can live with the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always argue the need for this rule or that , just as we can argue for more individual freedoms .
But hopefully , our arguments and decisions will be made based on facts .
And since this pandemic is obviously a public health problem , it is vital that we take into consideration scientific and medical facts .
People who ignore information from these sources are making decisions based on purposeful ignorance .
When MAGA protesters demonstrate together , getting into action to “ take the country back ” , vanquishing all who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gain the collective strength and elation of a mob .
“ IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
” That the expressed ends these protesters seek : reverence for personal freedom , beatification of the individual , are celebrated in collective action , would be an interesting oddity , if not for the serious threat they present not only to themselves , but to the rest of us , to society as a whole .
We watch them embrace the prospect of their own deaths merely to prove their faith , though as yet we know of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ susceptibility to the disease .
We know they could die .
So do they .
What is truly frightening is they do not seem to care .
That blaze of glory is all that matters .
When we deal with true believers , we must never lose sight of their goals .

“One gains the impression that the frustrated derive as much satisfaction—if not more—from the means a mass movement uses as from the ends it advocates….In their fanatical cry of ‘all or nothing at all’ the second alternative echoes perhaps a more ardent wish than the first.”
Eric Hoffer, THE TRUE BELIEVER
In April, 2020, the MAGA faithful displayed Hoffer’s point, literally and in full view. Carrying signs including New Hampshire’s state motto, “Live Free or Die,” they demonstrated against the suspension (due to the coronavirus) of general commerce and industry. Claiming violation of their Constitutional rights to freedom of assembly, claiming the right to risk their lives by going to work and play, they went out in public and breathed on one another in protest of intrusive governmental regulations. Return to normal life—at a time when life from here on will be anything but what we once thought was normal—is their publicly stated desire. But is it really? Their demonstrations seem more like a last-ditch effort to escape, to “change their fate” in the old parlance of Gulag. The dilemma, “live free or die” suggests only two polar opposite positions. Led on in their protests by Donald Trump (who is also nominatively President of the United States), these folks are ready to carry on as if the coronavirus pandemic had never occurred, or to lose their lives in a noble cause—in this case business as usual despite all health risks. While living on these principles sounds insane to some of us, to the true believers of MAGA, it makes perfect sense. We have reached a point in our public dialog when both sides perceive a reality which is irreconcilable to the other side. Anybody who hopes to endure this crisis and emerge into anything resembling decent society needs to start from that fact of life.
The conflict between social responsibility and personal freedom goes way back, probably to late neolithic times, meeting head-on in this pandemic. The drastic shutdown of general society, unpleasant to all, is a desperate measure from our civic leaders, hoping to curtail the spread of this microscopic threat before it cripples civilization. With no known resistance among humans, with woefully insufficient testing available to find out who actually has it, this virus could, according to the best estimates of medical science, sicken and kill on an unpredictable yet gigantic scale. The other side, led by Trump, believes the danger cannot be that great, that some deaths are worthwhile to keep the economy humming along, that business as usual is worth the risk. Some of this crowd even believe we old people ought to be willing to sacrifice our lives to free up Social Security and Medicare funds for someone else—maybe the rich. If that idea seems somewhat unsound if not absolutely insane, you are not in the “Live Free or Die” crowd. To those in that group, if “living free” means continuing to work at current jobs, then the other option must be quite desirable. We are not dealing with good sense here.
Those who, having succumbed to mass hysteria, believe the coronavirus is just another germ, are not getting their information from scientific and medical professionals. They get it instead from Trump and his sycophantic followers in the Republican Party, promoted by the right-wing news media. In the religion of capitalism, profits are more important in all situations than anything else, so good business sense is equal or superior to scientific knowledge. The true believers can deny scientific evidence about climate change, so why not ignore science in this pandemic? With ten or twenty years to go before global warming becomes irreversible, the timeline might be too slow. With coronavirus, going out in a fight for freedom could happen right away.
Another pillar of the religion of unhindered capitalism is social Darwinism: that the losers in the game of life need to pass quickly so the winners can get richer, making all humanity healthier, wealthier and wiser. Concerning coronavirus, “herd immunity” will thin the human herd down to its strongest members, passing along those strong genes to future generations, thus making the pandemic a good thing. Astonishingly, this survival of the fittest dogma goes along with the “God is on our side” belief. The true believers seem convinced that they have divine protection from this bug, making their gatherings in protest a new practice of faith healing. God and Mammon are in unlikely partnership once again, but in reality God and Mammon have always gotten along; all people need do is pick the right God, one who likes Mammon. How else do we explain the incredible bravery of these people, gathering together to protest society’s feeble efforts to protect them from a new and untested deadly threat?
Pointing out to the protesters the illogic in their argument is useless; their theory need not make sense. It spurs them into wild, collective action, which promises more than just business as usual—the same action which got them joyously attending MAGA rallies in the first place. In all situations they convince each other, over and again, that they are flawlessly right, fighting for a holy cause: an America of the vague past, when all was well, when men worked sick or well from sunup till sundown for low wages, willing to sacrifice all on the alter of free enterprise. They intend to get that greatness back or die in a blaze of glory; why else would they take such risks? To be fair, practically nobody wants to face the restrictions we have in this pandemic. But must we choose from only two fates: total freedom from societal control, or total freedom from the confines of this planet? Some of us believe the scientists about the threat of this disease, and are willing to curtail the things we like and need to do, until the danger of society’s breakdown is past.
The MAGA people hold that individual freedom is sacred even when society is threatened. In fairness once more, some people can always come up with reasons for restricting just about any behavior, and many of these people are in positions of authority. A couple centuries and more ago, Americans set up a governing system that allows us to freely exchange information and ideas, that we might sort out the real threats from the superficial ones so people can live with the most freedom possible considering circumstances. We can always argue the need for this rule or that, just as we can argue for more individual freedoms. But hopefully, our arguments and decisions will be made based on facts. And since this pandemic is obviously a public health problem, it is vital that we take into consideration scientific and medical facts. People who ignore information from these sources are making decisions based on purposeful ignorance. When MAGA protesters demonstrate together, getting into action to “take the country back”, vanquishing all who do not share their beliefs, they gain the collective strength and elation of a mob. “IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.”
That the expressed ends these protesters seek: reverence for personal freedom, beatification of the individual, are celebrated in collective action, would be an interesting oddity, if not for the serious threat they present not only to themselves, but to the rest of us, to society as a whole. We watch them embrace the prospect of their own deaths merely to prove their faith, though as yet we know of no gods who have chosen sides concerning susceptibility to the disease. We know they could die. So do they. What is truly frightening is they do not seem to care. That blaze of glory is all that matters. When we deal with true believers, we must never lose sight of their goals.


dailykos--2020-05-05--Finding Our Way at Sea in a Turbulent World - GNR, Bluesday May 5th, 2020

For many of us the most troubling aspect of what ’ s happening around us is the absence of credible information from our national government and the lack of a tangible plan for moving forward that doesn ’ t make things worse .
Uncertainty is hard to cope with .
Having a self-absorbed , colossally stupid bumbling idiot squatting on the reins of power is several steps beyond excruciating .
Because the republican party has made fecklessness into a prime republican virtue , it looks like we are stuck with the significantly less than ideal and openly corrupt blowhard until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curb in November .
We have to watch him make bad choice after bad choice without any real recourse except the promise of a rapidly approaching comeuppance .
In addition to his bungling the pandemic response , it bothers us all that he ’ s a malicious festering braggart doing everything he can to eat away at the moral core of our nation .
We give thanks that he ’ s so stunningly bad at it .
Most of the country wakes up every morning and checks to see if that bile duct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploded yet and are deeply disappointed that he ’ s still with us .
Of course , all this is exacerbated because the republican elite are not in the least interested in principles of good governance .
Their idea of a perfect society appears to include “ Everyone is on there own , ” “ money is the root of all happiness , ” and “ my gun is bigger than your gun ” as core operating principles .
They ’ ve been pushing this pablum relentlessly for 60 years and these misbegotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the republican political class .
They can ’ t respond effectively to any crisis requiring a unified cohesive approach because the don ’ t know how .
It ’ s in their regressive DNA .
The idea that 40 % of the population still fully supports this disaster of a faux leader and his active enablers is disturbing .
It ’ s also not true .
Sure there ’ s a cult full of ranting lunatics and Fox hosts ( that ’ s redundant , isn ’ t it ) slobbering at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ malignant ego .
But , half of the wrong wing supporters are naively following along because they either aren ’ t paying close attention , are thoroughly wrong wing media bamboozled , are in thrall to a nutjob evangelical ( looking at you Paula White ) , or simply vote that way out of inherited habit .
The thing is we don ’ t need to reach them .
Sure , it ’ s nice every time we flake off a few of them and doing so makes our jobs easier .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and motivated right now to overcome their dirty tricks and voter suppression efforts in the fall .
We saw it in 2017 .
We saw it in 2018 .
We saw it in Wisconsin in March and we ’ ll continue to see it moving forward .
We just have to be patient a little longer .
We just have to slog on through for a few more months .
Pandemic panic is not productive .
Giving up is not an option .
Our strength is in our commitment and our community .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not be defeated .
We made it through the Revolution .
We made it through the Civil War .
We made it through the First World War ( and the Spanish flu ) .
We made it through the Second World War .
We made it through Vietnam and the Cold war .
We made it through Nixon and Reagan and the Bushes .
We ’ ll make it through this .
Here ’ s a righteous rant about the lack of testing to get your blood flowing and your dander up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ 23:13 ] and we ’ re on to the News The corruption burns deep in the empty space where a soul would be if the republicans hadn ’ t sold all theirs to the first huckster ( Huckabeester ? )
who offered them a nickel for them .
While corruption isn ’ t good news in itself , exposing it is .
And there sure is a lot to expose .
Business Insider : New York reportedly paid $ 69 million for ventilators to an engineer with no background in medical supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus task force The New Republic : The Pandemic ’ s Shameless Profiteers Openly flaunting the law for personal political gain is something that tRump does all the damn time .
Getting called out for it is something we need to do more of .
Him complaining about being treated worse than Lincoln during his liddle event was not a good look .
Plus , I bet he hated having to look at those giant hands .
They Are Getting Really Good at Tone Deafness These two Rolling Stone articles point up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the tRump administration excels at .
In this administration , there ’ s no gender discrimination in at least one area .
They are all dickheads .
Rolling Stone : With Kayleigh McEnany , the White House Isn ’ t Even Pretending the Truth Matters Only in the most broken of systems would Kayleigh McEnany get to be White House press secretary , but that ’ s where we are .
Donald Trump ’ s campaign for the White House was premised on the fact that these moments proved that all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bullshit .
That the reality is everyone was a liar , looking out only for themselves .
That nobody actually believed in the imaginary rules of the game , so there was no sense in following them .
And when Kayleigh McEnany took the podium for the first time , it was clear that all the pretense of the past was long gone and that the game had changed , maybe for good .
Her Friday briefing was the first time any press secretary had held a televised press conference in over 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was from an Associated Press White House reporter who looked like every hopeless TV character who has ever had to deal with a narcissistic protagonist in asking , “ Will you pledge to never lie to us ?
” Rolling Stone : No Matter the Pandemic , Department of Education Still Seizing Wages From Student Loan Borrowers , Suit Claims They Aren ’ t Laughing with Him , They ’ re Laughing at Him He is an international laughing stock .
He is the butt of all the jokes .
He is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sucks .
Raw Story : ‘ Catastrophic and ridiculous ’ : Journalist explains how Trump got the whole world ‘ laughing ’ at him On April 30 , the Chinese news agency Xinhua released a video mocking President Donald Trump ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Journalist Anne Applebaum , in The Atlantic , describes the video as “ crude propaganda ” and “ shameless propaganda.
” But she also acknowledges that there is some truth to it , lamenting that China is hardly the only country where Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject of mockery and ridicule .
Propaganda , Applebaum explains , “ works best in a vacuum , when there are no competing messages , or when the available alternative messengers inspire no trust .
Since mid-March , China has been sending messages out into precisely this kind of vacuum : a world that has been profoundly changed not just by the virus , but by the American president ’ s simultaneously catastrophic and ridiculous failure to cope with it.
” Applebaum goes on to note that countries where Trump ’ s coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism or mockery range from France to Indonesia to South Africa to Peru .
France ’ s Le Monde , for example , published an article with the headline “ The Rantings of ‘ Doctor ’ Trump ” ( “ Les Élucubrations du ‘ Docteur ’ Trump ” ) — and Peru ’ s El Comercio noted how embarrassing it was for Dr. Deborah Birx when Trump , at an April 23 White House press briefing , suggested that perhaps household disinfectants could be injected to treat coronavirus .
There is so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of this for the next six months .
I find Bill Maher to be cringe worthy about half the time .
The other half of the time he ’ s saying stuff like this .
The Wrap : Bill Maher Says Mike Pence Didn ’ t Wear a Mask at the Mayo Clinic Because He Wanted to Tell ‘ Barefaced Lies ’ On Tuesday , Pence toured the Mayo Clinic to get a look at how it is dealing with coronavirus patients , but the vice president inexplicably did not wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by sick people .
Face masks are of course mandatory at the clinic , but Pence claims no one told him of this fact .
There are some problems with that account , however .
First , the Mayo Clinic has since said that Pence was definitely told about the policy in advance .
And second , at least one journalist who accompanied Pence has said they were all told about the policy and instructed to comply with it .
Pence was apparently so unhappy with that disclosure , that the reporter was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks in retaliation , according to the Washington Post .
“ You know who else is not popular this week ?
Mike Pence .
Not popular , ” Maher said about that .
“ Went to the Mayo Clinic .
Everyone was wearing a mask , of course , it was the Mayo Clinic , or everywhere .
And he did not have a mask .
Mike Pence said , ‘ No it ’ s okay .
I ’ ve been tested .
And besides , they ’ re called barefaced lies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dumb Speaks Out If they only had a brain between them .
Just one .
Just one little brain .
There should be a law against allowing people this transparently mendacious into positions of responsibility .
Rolliing Stone : In One Interview Pompeo Says COVID-19 Came From Wuhan Lab , Then Says It Didn ’ t , Then Again Suggests It Did Enough of the When They Look Bad We Look Good for Today There are a boatload more examples of the tRump administration trying continuously to step on their tiny inadequate man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough .
I suspect you had enough several articles ago .
Here are a couple of palate cleansers to get the stench of tRump out of your nostrils .
Good News Network : Anonymous Donor Gives $ 1 Million Gift to Hospital So It Can Be Divided Between Every Single Employee Here ’ s some useful information that might keep you away from the store for a few more days and if you click through to the article , there is a long list of interesting recipes with pictures attached at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Expiration Dates You Can Probably Ignore If you were expecting some news about Cinco de Mayo , you ’ ll have to read tonight ’ s Shade if I manage to wake up in time to write it .
I couldn ’ t choose just one .
Playing for Change makes social distancing work across continents .
This space is reserved for WineRev ’ s daily history lesson He ’ s a Paphlagonian* style huckster .
A man of small wit and smaller accomplishments .
Were he elected to a position based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely would have won the job of septic tank wallower .
The country , the world and the universe will be better without him .

For many of us the most troubling aspect of what’s happening around us is the absence of credible information from our national government and the lack of a tangible plan for moving forward that doesn’t make things worse. Uncertainty is hard to cope with. Having a self-absorbed, colossally stupid bumbling idiot squatting on the reins of power is several steps beyond excruciating.
Because the republican party has made fecklessness into a prime republican virtue, it looks like we are stuck with the significantly less than ideal and openly corrupt blowhard until we kick his sorry ass to the curb in November. We have to watch him make bad choice after bad choice without any real recourse except the promise of a rapidly approaching comeuppance.
In addition to his bungling the pandemic response, it bothers us all that he’s a malicious festering braggart doing everything he can to eat away at the moral core of our nation. We give thanks that he’s so stunningly bad at it.
Most of the country wakes up every morning and checks to see if that bile duct he uses instead of a heart has exploded yet and are deeply disappointed that he’s still with us.
Of course, all this is exacerbated because the republican elite are not in the least interested in principles of good governance. Their idea of a perfect society appears to include “Everyone is on their own,” “money is the root of all happiness,” and “my gun is bigger than your gun” as core operating principles. They’ve been pushing this pablum relentlessly for 60 years and these misbegotten ideals have become articles of faith among the republican political class. They can’t respond effectively to any crisis requiring a unified cohesive approach because the don’t know how. It’s in their regressive DNA.
The idea that 40% of the population still fully supports this disaster of a faux leader and his active enablers is disturbing. It’s also not true. Sure there’s a cult full of ranting lunatics and Fox hosts (that’s redundant, isn’t it?) slobbering at the opportunity to massage their leader’s malignant ego. But, half of the wrong wing supporters are naively following along because they either aren’t paying close attention, are thoroughly wrong wing media bamboozled, are in thrall to a nutjob evangelical (looking at you Paula White), or simply vote that way out of inherited habit.
The thing is we don’t need to reach them. Sure, it’s nice every time we flake off a few of them and doing so makes our jobs easier. But, there are enough of us angry and motivated right now to overcome their dirty tricks and voter suppression efforts in the fall. We saw it in 2017. We saw it in 2018. We saw it in Wisconsin in March and we’ll continue to see it moving forward.
We just have to be patient a little longer. We just have to slog on through for a few more months. Pandemic panic is not productive. Giving up is not an option. Our strength is in our commitment and our community. We will not be silenced. We will not be defeated.
We made it through the Revolution.
We made it through the Civil War.
We made it through the First World War (and the Spanish flu).
We made it through the Second World War.
We made it through Vietnam and the Cold war.
We made it through Nixon and Reagan and the Bushes.
We are America.
We’ll make it through this.
Up the Resistance!
Here’s a righteous rant about the lack of testing to get your blood flowing and your dander up — John Oliver — This Week Tonight [23:13]
x YouTube Video
and we’re on to the News
The Grifters Gotta Graft
The corruption burns deep in the empty space where a soul would be if the republicans hadn’t sold all theirs to the first huckster (Huckabeester?) who offered them a nickel for them. While corruption isn’t good news in itself, exposing it is. And there sure is a lot to expose.
Business Insider: New York reportedly paid $69 million for ventilators to an engineer with no background in medical supplies at the recommendation of the White House coronavirus task force
New York state paid $69 million for ventilators to a man with no background in medical supplies after he tweeted at President Donald Trump and the White House coronavirus task force recommended him as a vendor, BuzzFeed News reported on Wednesday. The ventilators never arrived, the report said. On March 27, as the novel coronavirus was surging through the US, Trump urged Ford and General Motors on Twitter to "START MAKING VENTILATORS, NOW!" Yaron Oren-Pines, an electrical engineer in Silicon Valley, replied: "We can supply ICU Ventilators, invasive and noninvasive. Have someone call me URGENT."
The New Republic: The Pandemic’s Shameless Profiteers
While hucksters and quacks try cash in on the crisis, the coronavirus is fast becoming a windfall for those already on top. To treat the Black Death, some doctors in the Middle Ages recommended ingesting “potable gold,” a vile tonic of gold compounds dissolved in ether. One might think that we had progressed past such bogus remedies, but in the age of the coronavirus, quacks and pseudoscientists are now pushing colloidal silver, long touted in wellness circles for its antimicrobial properties. (Gwyneth Paltrow, for instance, once said she sprays a little in her mouth and around her seat on planes to fend off germs.) One day after the World Health Organization designated the coronavirus a pandemic, New York’s attorney general sent a cease-and-desist letter to a number of vendors hawking colloidal silver as a treatment. They included the Silver Edge Company, whose Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator ($250) had already sold out, and the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, whose special silver toothpaste, he promised, would obliterate “the whole SARS-corona family at point-blank range.” Other coronavirus remedies still available from various “holistic” practitioners include oil of oregano and “Spirit Dust,” an “adaptogenic” concoction of powdered mushrooms and roots from the LA cult brand Moon Juice.
The Ego-in-Charge Breaks Another Law
Openly flaunting the law for personal political gain is something that tRump does all the damn time. Getting called out for it is something we need to do more of. Him complaining about being treated worse than Lincoln during his liddle event was not a good look. Plus, I bet he hated having to look at those giant hands.
Raw Story: Trump’s Fox News event was deemed ‘a core governmental function’ to bypass federal prohibition
On Monday, The New York Times reported that Interior Secretary David Bernhardt exploited the coronavirus pandemic to bypass a federal rule that would prohibit President Donald Trump from holding an event inside the Lincoln Memorial. “While Mr. Trump and many other presidents have hosted inauguration concerts and gatherings on the memorial’s steps, any event meant to draw an audience inside the interior near Daniel Chester French’s sculpture of a seated Lincoln is prohibited. The area beginning with the marble staircase where the columns start constitutes a boundary protected by federal law,” reported Katie Rogers. “So on Sunday, when the president sat down with two Fox News anchors at Lincoln’s marbled feet during a coronavirus-focused virtual ‘town hall,’ it was because a directive issued by David Bernhardt, the secretary of the interior, had allowed them to do so.” “Given the extraordinary crisis that the American people have endured, and the need for the president to exercise a core governmental function to address the nation about an ongoing public-health crisis,” wrote Mr. Bernhardt in a government order, “I am exercising my authority to facilitate the opportunity for the president to conduct this address within the Lincoln Memorial.”
They Are Getting Really Good at Tone Deafness
These two Rolling Stone articles point up the mind-numbing level of being stupid in public that the tRump administration excels at. In this administration, there’s no gender discrimination in at least one area. They are all dickheads.
Rolling Stone: With Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Isn’t Even Pretending the Truth Matters
Only in the most broken of systems would Kayleigh McEnany get to be White House press secretary, but that’s where we are. Donald Trump’s campaign for the White House was premised on the fact that these moments proved that all of these Washington norms and mores were performative bullshit. That the reality is everyone was a liar, looking out only for themselves. That nobody actually believed in the imaginary rules of the game, so there was no sense in following them. And when Kayleigh McEnany took the podium for the first time, it was clear that all the pretense of the past was long gone and that the game had changed, maybe for good. Her Friday briefing was the first time any press secretary had held a televised press conference in over 100 days. The third question she got was from an Associated Press White House reporter who looked like every hopeless TV character who has ever had to deal with a narcissistic protagonist in asking, “Will you pledge to never lie to us?”
Rolling Stone: No Matter the Pandemic, Department of Education Still Seizing Wages From Student Loan Borrowers, Suit Claims
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has continued the practice of garnishing the wages of student loan borrowers who are in default, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday. The suit, brought by a New York woman on behalf of about 285,000 borrowers, claims that DeVos and her department have not halted collection practices even though the secretary made an official announcement, on March 25, stating that the seizure of wages and tax refunds will automatically stop. Devos also promised a refund of approximately $1.8 billion of all wages seized since March 13. In the late March announcement the secretary wrote, “These are difficult times for many Americans, and we don’t want to do anything that will make it harder for them to make ends meet or create additional stress.”
They Aren’t Laughing with Him, They’re Laughing at Him
He is an international laughing stock. He is the butt of all the jokes. He is the worst president in our history. He sucks.
Raw Story: ‘Catastrophic and ridiculous’: Journalist explains how Trump got the whole world ‘laughing’ at him
On April 30, the Chinese news agency Xinhua released a video mocking President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Journalist Anne Applebaum, in The Atlantic, describes the video as “crude propaganda” and “shameless propaganda.” But she also acknowledges that there is some truth to it, lamenting that China is hardly the only country where Trump’s response to the pandemic has been the subject of mockery and ridicule. Propaganda, Applebaum explains, “works best in a vacuum, when there are no competing messages, or when the available alternative messengers inspire no trust. Since mid-March, China has been sending messages out into precisely this kind of vacuum: a world that has been profoundly changed not just by the virus, but by the American president’s simultaneously catastrophic and ridiculous failure to cope with it.” Applebaum goes on to note that countries where Trump’s coronavirus response has been the subject of vehement criticism or mockery range from France to Indonesia to South Africa to Peru. France’s Le Monde, for example, published an article with the headline “The Rantings of ‘Doctor’ Trump” (“Les Élucubrations du ‘Docteur’ Trump”) — and Peru’s El Comercio noted how embarrassing it was for Dr. Deborah Birx when Trump, at an April 23 White House press briefing, suggested that perhaps household disinfectants could be injected to treat coronavirus.
The Ads Cut Deep
There is so much material. We are going to see a lot of this for the next six months.
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Bill Maher Said Something Funny
I find Bill Maher to be cringe worthy about half the time. The other half of the time he’s saying stuff like this.
The Wrap: Bill Maher Says Mike Pence Didn’t Wear a Mask at the Mayo Clinic Because He Wanted to Tell ‘Barefaced Lies’
On Tuesday, Pence toured the Mayo Clinic to get a look at how it is dealing with coronavirus patients, but the vice president inexplicably did not wear a face mask, despite being surrounded by sick people. Face masks are of course mandatory at the clinic, but Pence claims no one told him of this fact. There are some problems with that account, however. First, the Mayo Clinic has since said that Pence was definitely told about the policy in advance. And second, at least one journalist who accompanied Pence has said they were all told about the policy and instructed to comply with it. Pence was apparently so unhappy with that disclosure, that the reporter was banned from Air Force Two for two weeks in retaliation, according to the Washington Post. “You know who else is not popular this week? Mike Pence. Not popular,” Maher said about that. “Went to the Mayo Clinic. Everyone was wearing a mask, of course, it was the Mayo Clinic, or everywhere. And he did not have a mask. Mike Pence said, ‘No it’s okay. I’ve been tested. And besides, they’re called barefaced lies.'” Zing!
The Secretary of Dumb Speaks Out
If they only had a brain between them. Just one. Just one little brain. There should be a law against allowing people this transparently mendacious into positions of responsibility.
Rolliing Stone: In One Interview Pompeo Says COVID-19 Came From Wuhan Lab, Then Says It Didn’t, Then Again Suggests It Did
During an appearance on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was all over the map while answering an extremely important question — was the coronavirus man-made in a laboratory in Wuhan, China? “There’s enormous evidence that that’s where this began… I can tell you that there is a significant amount of evidence that this came from that laboratory in Wuhan,” Secretary Pompeo told host Martha Raddatz when asked if he’s seen anything that gives him “high confidence” that COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan laboratory. The secretary’s initial answer to Raddatz flies in the face of what the U.S. intelligence community announced just this week.
Enough of the When They Look Bad We Look Good for Today
There are a boatload more examples of the tRump administration trying continuously to step on their tiny inadequate man parts, but I’ve had enough. I suspect you had enough several articles ago.
Here are a couple of palate cleansers to get the stench of tRump out of your nostrils.
Good News Network: Anonymous Donor Gives $1 Million Gift to Hospital So It Can Be Divided Between Every Single Employee
The staffers at this California hospital are rejoicing after receiving a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor who asked for the money to be divided amongst the employees. The donation was made this week to the Dignity Health Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California. Although the donor opted to remain anonymous, they did include a note with their financial gift saying: “Thank you for standing up (and staying up!) to care for our community. This human kindness is what makes you heroic.” As per the donor’s wishes, the donation will be distributed amongst each and every one of the hospital staffers who have worked at the facility for at least one year—from the security guards and lab technicians to the janitors and mailroom workers.
Here’s some useful information that might keep you away from the store for a few more days and if you click through to the article, there is a long list of interesting recipes with pictures attached at the end.
Yahoo News: 6 Foods With Expiration Dates You Can Probably Ignore
The ongoing coronavirus lockdown is limiting everyone’s access to grocery stores, so responsible shoppers are making fewer trips to the store and buying larger quantities than usual. Having extra boxes of pasta and cartons of milk seems like a great plan, but when the “sell by” dates on these items go by, fully stocked households may throw away food products that haven’t actually gone bad, creating unnecessary food waste. But are there times when it’s OK to eat foods after their marked expiration dates? We asked a group of food safety experts, and they gave us an explanation — and a list of six foods that don’t go bad as quickly as you think.
If you were expecting some news about Cinco de Mayo, you’ll have to read tonight’s Shade if I manage to wake up in time to write it.
Musical Interlude
I couldn’t choose just one. Playing for Change makes social distancing work across continents.
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WineRev’s History Lesson
This section is the work of fellow gnusie, WineRev. It is promoted from today’s comment section.
Hello and good morning NotNowNotEver! I see you turned on the sound system and stage lights, made sure everything had been dusted and vacuumed and then blinked the lights out in the lobby so we would all come into the Good News RoundUp auditorium with our Pellegrino waters in hand and the candied almonds to share while you ran down what needs to be run down. (And THOSE PEOPLE running things deserve to be chased down, put down, dressed down, thrown down, downed by ground flak, and generally hounded down by prosecutors and neighbors every last one of their sorry days.) Nicely done and I’m glad to read through all of these.
>>>History matters…..which is why I’ve been a student of it all my life and enjoy posting nuggets like I do here. And then there are moments when history REMINDS us of human history, the history of people being human. In the mid-1830s the US government forcibly relocated thousands of Native peoples from their (often) Mid-South homes and lands to “Indian Territory” (the future Oklahoma.) One of the tribes so relocated were the Choctaw Nation, mostly living in northern MS. They were trying to rebuild their lives and culture when, in 1847, came news that shocked the world: the Irish potato famine. The suffering was immense, the British governmental response was…..poor, and thousands of Irish died of starvation, while thousands of others managed to flee to America.
There were fundraisers and charity efforts to help the Irish. Someone came and asked the Choctow to help. Even though they had probably never met an Irish person and had little or no idea who they were, they helped. They sent a contribution in cash.
The Irish did not forget. And NOW, with the Native peoples suffering and dying of Covid-19 in disproportionate numbers, this ARTICLE reports a funding drive in Ireland has raised $1.3million for the relief of the Choctaw and Navaho and other tribal nations…..because there was a debt to be repaid. And THIS is why we have a Good News Round Up!
May 5s and the Good and Goofy News that Happened THEN for our Education and Smiles NOW
1741 Churchville, MD Birth of John Archer, physician and Congressman. Graduated from Princeton, then studied at the new Medical College in Philadelphia (opened in 1765, as noted here on Saturday the 3rd). He received the 1st medical diploma issued on US continent in 1768. Served in the Revolution on the staff of General Anthony Wayne. Elected to 3 terms in the US House as a Democratic-Republican (ie Jefferson’s party.)
1792 Paris. Astronomer and scientist Jean Baptiste Delambre was commissioned to measure the meridian between Dunkerque to Rodez and calculate accurate length of the new standard of measurement, the meter.
1864 Cochran’s Mills, Pennsylvania (just outside Pittsburgh) Birth of Elizabeth Cochran (Seaman) writer and journalist. When she was 15 a Pittsburgh newspaper ran a column headlined “What Girls are Good For” and answered by saying giving birth and keeping house. Elizabeth wrote a feisty letter back signing it “Lonely Orphan Girl”. The editor liked the style and ran an ad asking her to come forward. She did and he asked her (despite her youth) to write another letter under her pen name. She did, condemning the effect of divorce on women and the need to reform divorce laws. The editor was so taken he offered her a full-time job, which she accepted. Since in the times women writing for newspapers rarely/never wrote under their own names (for better circulation) the editor assigned her a pseudonym of “Nellie Bly”, after the title character from a Stephen Foster song. She started writing stories of factory working women until factory owners complained. When the editor put her on “women’s stories” instead, she asked to become a foreign correspondent and spent 6 months in Mexico, writing stories about what she saw, both good and bad. The Mexican police thought she was making the country look bad and threatened to arrest her. Later did an undercover story/expose posing as a mental patient to describe asylums from the inside. She took the Jules Verne story “Around the World in 80 in 80 days” and made it her own, actually traveling one global lap in 72 days. A crusading and daring life!
1870 The British and Foreign Society for Improving the Embossed Literature of the Blind adopts Braille (developed by Frenchman Louis Braille) as best format for blind people
1891 New York City. At 57th Street and 7th Ave. The Music Hall (later known for its patron as Carnegie Hall) opens for its first ever concert. Renowned to this day for its acoustics. The opening was a week-long music festival. On Friday night the 8th, Peter Tchaikovsky (!) was present as he conducted his own ‘Nine Sacred Pieces’ and ‘Legenda’ (Op. 54) for their United States’ premieres.
1921 Paris. Fashion designer and celebrity Gabrielle Chanel, known by her stage name of “Coco,”whose breakthrough fashion designs spelled the end of the corset era, is presented by chemist Ernest Beaux with about 25 glass vials of prototype perfumes for her fashion house. She best liked the fifth one, launching Chanel #5 into legend for the next 99 years. (My Mom had a little bottle, and only wore it for the most important occasions. If Dad was ever stuck for a gift idea, he could always get her a fresh bottle for a sure-fire hit.)
1927 Berlin. World premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich’s 1st Symphony.
1961 Cape Canaveral, FL. Months after Yuri Gagarin of the USSR orbits the earth as the first human in space, America’s Alan Shepard becomes 1st American in space (aboard capsule Freedom 7). His trip was not designed to go into orbit and did not; a ballistic ranging shot but America’s first effort.
1973 Lexington, KY. The 99th Kentucky Derby. Jockey Ron Turcotte aboard Secretariat wins in 1:59.4, the fastest Kentucky Derby ever. This sub-2-minute record still stands. Also, during that race, Secretariat did something unique in Triple Crown races (The Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont) for each successive quarter mile of the Derby, his times were faster ….meaning he was speeding up the entire race.
May all your News be Good, comforting and inspiring.
Shalom.
On the Lighter Side
He’s a Paphlagonian* style huckster. A man of small wit and smaller accomplishments. Were he elected to a position based on his skills and aptitudes, he most likely would have won the job of septic tank wallower. The country, the world and the universe will be better without him.
*see Aristophanes — The Knights


dailykos--2020-05-05--Let's See Your Furry Best Friends!

Let's See Your Furry Best Friends!

I know this isn ’ t a normal political blog post , but I just felt like lightening the mood @ @ @ @ @ love animals in our house , but our dog Issy has always hated cats .
@ @ @ @ @ do with furry felines of any variety .
That is , until one day this @ @ @ @ @ at our house .
We thought for sure Issy would dislike this cat just the @ @ @ @ @ but something was different .
They immediately bonded with one another .
Issy treats little @ @ @ @ @ She protects her , cleans her , snuggles her and loves her .
They are @ @ @ @ @ Just watch Issy taking care of her baby !
paulajean.com/… Does your dog have a @ @ @ @ @ let us see your furry best friends !

I know this isn’t a normal political blog post, but I just felt like lightening the mood a little bit.
We love animals in our house, but our dog Issy has always hated cats. She wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with furry felines of any variety. That is, until one day this little black cat showed up at our house. We thought for sure Issy would dislike this cat just the same as all others, but something was different. They immediately bonded with one another. Issy treats little Loretta like her puppy. She protects her, cleans her, snuggles her and loves her. They are the best of friends. Just watch Issy taking care of her baby! paulajean.com/…
Does your dog have a cat? Comment below and let us see your furry best friends!
U.S. Senate - Paula Jean Swearengin
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