dailykos--2020-11-25--Good News Roundup for Wednesday, November 25, 2020 — Giving thanks in a thankless time

Thanks to hpg ’ s daily series “ President Elect Joe Biden , ” we ’ re being kept up to date about our new President ’ s appointments and other initial actions , so I won ’ t repeat them here .
Instead , let ’ s indulge in some post-election schadenfreude .
You love to see it !
Roger Stone-Tied Group Threatens GOP : If Trump Goes Down , So Does Your Senate Majority Mrmuni12 mentioned this briefly in his annex to yesterday ’ s roundup , but I wanted to give you as many juicy details as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw the story in the Daily Beast , but it ’ s now behind a paywall .
Here ’ s all I could copy from their brief summary : Further sleuthing led me to an unreadably illiterate article on “ Dodo Finance ” that did reward me with the URL for the website of the PAC behind this new self-destructive Rethug effort , the Committee for American Sovereignty ( they always go for pretentious names ) .
Here ’ s their website message in full : Ugh .
But setting aside the yuck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their noses to spite their faces is truly a joy to behold .
Please proceed , guys !
And now Bill Kristol has joined in the fun : Trump threatens to wreak havoc on GOP from beyond the White House President Donald Trump has spent the three weeks since he lost the election savaging a pair of GOP governors for not backing his claims he was robbed .
Republicans are worried it ’ s just the start of what ’ s in store from the soon-to-be-former president .
Trump ’ s intrusions into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case for how he might use his stranglehold on the conservative base to control the party long after he leaves the White House .
Never mind that Trump will no longer be in power : Cross him , and you will pay .
“ The president ’ s jabs at Govs .
Kemp and DeWine could invite primaries , and that ’ s exactly the chatter he wants to start , ” said Republican strategist Mike DuHaime , who oversaw Chris Christie ’ s successful New Jersey gubernatorial campaigns .
“ The power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to his strength among GOP primary voters in every state and district right now .
He may be able to make or break candidates in GOP primaries for years to come , ” added DuHaime , who formerly served as a senior adviser to the Republican Governors Association .
And the Loser-in-Chief just keeps on losing .
Sad .
Judge Orders DOJ To GTFO Of Trump 's Rape We Mean Defamation Case The earth is healing !
Well , eventually .
But in the meantime , please enjoy this delightful order from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department to GTFO of E. Jean Carroll 's defamation suit against our soon-to-be-ex president .
After the author went public with her story of being sexually assaulted by Trump in a department store decades ago , the president used his bully pulpit to call her a liar who was too ugly to rape .
Carroll sued for defamation , and after six months of Trump ducking the process server and trying to assert some magical cloak of presidential immunity , the New York State court finally ordered him to submit to discovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be matched to male genetic material on the dress Carroll says she wore the day of the assault .
But then Bill Barr swooped in like an avenging angel and moved to substitute the government as defendant on the grounds that calling women un-rapable liars is just part of the president 's job .
Because of the vagaries of federal law , the attorney general was able to remove the case to federal court .
But once there , he slammed right into the wall of Southern District of New York Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support for the Barr gambit by immediately forcing the government to re-caption the case — the DOJ had attempted to docket it as Carroll v. United States , but the court ordered it be refiled with its original caption , Carroll v. Trump .
In October , the judge ruled that Trump was neither an employee of the federal government nor acting within the scope of his `` employment '' when he talked shit about Carroll .
And on Friday the court continued its smackdown , declining the Justice Department 's offer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking over for his private lawyers .
Godspeed , Ms. Carroll .
Grab him by the process !
TriMet plans to create a pilot program for a mobile crisis response team , a proposed alternative to sending police or security personnel to respond to transit users experiencing a mental health crisis .
TriMet staff unveiled the crisis response program plan to the TriMet Board of Directors … during the board 's annual retreat , introduced as one of 25 different steps the agency can take to increase public transit safety in the Portland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transit officers .
These steps are the result of a “ reimagining public safety ” planning process TriMet began this summer , inspired by racial justice protests sparked when Minneapolis police killed George Floyd .
TriMet board member Kathy Wai said Thursday that the list of recommendations was “ huge ” for TriMet , adding that the commitment to exploring alternatives to policing was a chance to “ learn—and unlearn—a lot of things society has taught us.
” The crisis response team would likely share some commonalities with the Portland Street Response , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was supposed to launch ... this year , but was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
That plan will substitute mental health professionals and social workers for police when responding to some 911 calls .
But John Gardner , TriMet ’ s director of equity , inclusion , and community affairs , said that it likely would differ from other crisis response teams because “ we ’ re building a transit-focused model.
” The timeline presented Thursday calls for TriMet to have a more detailed plan in 9 months , and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next two years .
As usual , Portlanders are stepping up to help each other .
Here ’ s a story about a food cart that gave away turkeys on Sunday : Trap Kitchen Is Giving Out Free Turkeys to Families in Need And in a rare gift of normalcy during this up-ended holiday season , Portland will keep its beloved tradition of the Christmas ship parade down the Willamette River .
Portland ’ s Christmas Ships Parade Will Navigate the Waters Again This Year , Even During a Pandemic [ Oregon ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Six Months and Start Reimbursing Landlords for Lost Rent State legislators are concerned about the over-exposure of mugshots .
Currently , most law enforcement jurisdictions in the state post booking information and arrest photos in a searchable database online , and generally remove them within a week .
The Oregon Legislature ’ s Joint Committee on Transparent Policing and Use of Force Reform has drafted a bill that would prohibit law enforcement from publishing those images online by default .
Under the new bill , agencies could only release “ mugshots ” under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement agencies or officers , if police are looking for a suspect and request the public ’ s assistance or by media request if the individual ’ s arrest is determined to be of public interest .
“ I look at this from a broad perspective , ” Manning told The Skanner .
“ One is that , when you see pictures of people with an allegation made of them , it ’ s flashed all over the television .
Those allegations sometimes come up to be inaccurate .
The chances of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once it ’ s out there in the universe , especially the technological universe ?
You can never retrieve that.
” The bill is part of an effort to prevent “ doxing , ” the practice of publishing identifying information about an individual , often on social media or online in general , and often as a form of retaliation .
Doxing came under increased scrutiny in September when several Black Lives Matter protesters alleged conservative activist Andy Ngo had posted their mugshots to Twitter , putting their safety at risk .
Good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After First Diabetes Breakthrough , Canadian Scientists Believe They ’ ve Found a Cure Scientists at the University of Alberta just cured diabetes in mice , opening the floodgates for research on adapting this cure for humans .
The potential cure is a landmark moment in preventing the growing prevalence of diabetes in our society , a disease which , according to WHO , burdens 422 million people worldwide .
The process involves a stem cell application that reverse-engineers insulin islets out of blood cells—this cured mice of the disease .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients with diabetes , winding those cells from the blood back in time so that they can be changed , and then we ’ re moving them forward in time so that we can turn them into the cells we want , ” explains the procedure ’ s pioneer Dr. James Shapiro to CTV , who famously developed the “ Edmonton Protocol ” —another diabetes treatment , in the 1990s .
Like any good scientist , Shapiro won ’ t move beyond the phrase “ more research is needed , ” but hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he can prove the science is the same in humans .
“ There needs to be preliminary data and ideally a handful of patients that would demonstrate to the world that this is possible and that it ’ s safe and effective , ” said Shapiro .
Maternal Center of Excellence to open in Sierra Leone Falkland islanders celebrate being landmine free - after nearly 40 years NASA Uses Powerful Supercomputers and AI to Map Earth ’ s Trees , Discovers Billions of Trees in West African Drylands Scientists from NASA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maryland , and international collaborators demonstrated a new method for mapping the location and size of trees growing outside of forests , discovering billions of trees in arid and semi-arid regions and laying the groundwork for more accurate global measurement of carbon storage on land .
Using powerful supercomputers and machine learning algorithms , the team mapped the crown diameter – the width of a tree when viewed from above – of more than 1.8 billion trees across an area of more than 500,000 square miles , or 1,300,000 square kilometers .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage , and density varied depending on rainfall and land use .
Mapping non-forest trees at this level of detail would take months or years with traditional analysis methods , the team said , compared to a few weeks for this study .
The use of very high-resolution imagery and powerful artificial intelligence represents a technology breakthrough for mapping and measuring these trees .
This study is intended to be the first in a series of papers whose goal is not only to map non-forest trees across a wide area , but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – vital information for understanding the Earth ’ s carbon cycle and how it is changing over time .
Carlos Martins , a highly acclaimed Brazilian classical pianist , was considered one of the 20th century ’ s greatest interpreters of Bach .
After injuries and a botched operation , he became unable to play at all with his right hand and stopped playing Bach .
This year , a Brazilian industrial designer made bionic gloves for him .
This video shows his emotional reaction to being able to play his favorite music @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals An Indigenous Effort to Return Condors to the Pacific Northwest Nears Its Goal The Yurok Tribe plans to soon reintroduce North America 's largest bird to northern California , where the raptor has n't soared for a century .
The Yurok Tribe is now on the eve of launching their own condors into flight next year , restoring one of the longest-living raptors to part of its historic range , which overlaps with the Yurok ’ s ancestral lands along the Klamath River .
The program is a partnership with 16 different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wildlife organizations , and the Yurok Tribe to bring condors back to the U.S. northwest .
The Yurok Tribe is waiting on one final decision by the federal government before they ’ ll be in the clear to begin building condor-release facilities in Redwood National Park .
It will be the first time a tribal nation has reintroduced the California Condor , and the end of a long wait—a century since the imposing birds were seen soaring across northern California skies .
The return of the condor , says [ Tiana ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the tribe ’ s wildlife department ] , comes at the same time as a larger Yurok revival , which includes language revitalization , reclamation of water rights , the largest dam removal in the United States , and a continued effort to buy back ancestral territory .
Kopenhagen Fur , the world ’ s largest fur auction house , will close its doors within the next two to three years in what could signal the beginning of the end for the global fur trade .
Much of the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ auction houses .
Founded in 1930 , Kopenhagen Fur acts as a broker for pelts produced in Denmark and around the world , including fox , chinchilla and karakul .
Just hours before the announcement , the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ( ECDC ) published its new report Rapid Risk Assessment : Detection of new SARS-CoV-2 variants related to mink , highlighting concerns that the evolution of the virus in mink has potential implications for COVID-19 diagnosis , treatment and vaccine development , and could undermine the effectiveness of future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe said “ The ECDC risk report and the announcement by Kopenhagen Fur that it will cease trading could very well signal the beginning of the end of the worldwide fur trade .
Fur farms are not only the cause of immense and unnecessary animal suffering , but they are also ticking time bombs for deadly diseases , potential virus factories capable of churning out mutations of COVID-19 and even undermining medical progress towards reliable treatments .
...
Governments must end the cruel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead on supporting fur farmers as they move to humane , safe and economically viable livelihoods .
”

Greetings!
Greetings to all you Gnusies, Gnewbies, occasional drop-ins, silent regulars, and first-timers! Come sit with us to find and share messages of hope and to celebrate all the ways good people are triumphing over evil-doers. The task we have set ourselves here in Gnuville is to search out hope no matter how difficult the situation might be. We have learned over the past four years that hope can be found even in the darkest days, and now, as we come to the end of the collective nightmare of this maladministration and celebrate the coming Biden era, hope is everywhere!
This is a collaborative effort. After you read a Good News Roundup, we warmly encourage you to add your own good news finds in our comment section, The Best Comment Section on the Internet™, where sanity reigns, Gloomy Guses and Debbie Downers are encouraged to see the light, and pie fights are forbidden.
Let’s get started!
Introduction
I chose as my theme today “giving thanks in a thankless time” because so many of us are not only struggling with the difficulty of finding a reasonable way to celebrate Thanksgiving with our loved ones in the midst of an out-of-control pandemic and an insanely dysfunctional lame duck government but also struggling with the very concept of thankfulness. All of our individual circumstances are different, so I won’t presume to offer any advice. And I certainly don’t want to trivialize the profound pain of so many Americans this holiday season who are among the over 250,000 families who have lost loved ones or the over 88,000 families whose loved ones are currently in the hospital with COVID.
But I can share my own experience about giving thanks, which is that finding things to be grateful/thankful for is the best way I’ve found to regain my emotional balance. And science backs me up — “How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain” is just one research study among many that come to the same conclusion. I try to take some time before falling asleep each night to think of all the things in my life that I’m thankful for.
And on my daily walks in the neighborhood, I try to find at least one beautiful or fascinating thing to be grateful for. It can be something as simple as rain drops on some autumn leaves.
James Hamblin in The Atlantic has some specific suggestions for tomorrow’s celebration:
Take the opportunity to think about what you love most about the day. Focus on how to re-create that, and even build on it. Maybe learn to cook one of the dishes that someone else usually brings to dinner. Think of the people you actually look forward to seeing, and call them. Think of the people you don’t look forward to seeing, and don’t call them.
The Atlantic also introduced me to this wonderful poem by Black American poet Ross Gay in a newsletter titled “9 Poems for a Tough Winter.” Its theme of gaining perspective and even joy from the world around us resonates strongly with me. Our day-to-day lives are rich in opportunities for gratitude.
Sorrow Is Not My Name by Ross Gay No matter the pull toward brink. No matter the florid, deep sleep awaits. There is a time for everything. Look, just this morning a vulture nodded his red, grizzled head at me, and I looked at him, admiring the sickle of his beak. Then the wind kicked up, and, after arranging that good suit of feathers he up and took off. Just like that. And to boot, there are, on this planet alone, something like two million naturally occurring sweet things, some with names so generous as to kick the steel from my knees: agave, persimmon, stick ball, the purple okra I bought for two bucks at the market. Think of that. The long night, the skeleton in the mirror, the man behind me on the bus taking notes, yeah, yeah. But look; my niece is running through a field calling my name. My neighbor sings like an angel and at the end of my block is a basketball court. I remember. My color's green. I'm spring. One of my long-time favorite expressions of that same theme of being thankful for everyday life is this passage from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, describing Scrooge’s first walk in his neighborhood after his epiphany: He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. And regarding the Thanksgiving holiday, I’ll give the final word to chef and Oglala Sioux tribal member Sean Sherman, quoted in Time magazine: The thing is, we do not need the poisonous “pilgrims and Indians” narrative. We do not need that illusion of past unity to actually unite people today. Instead, we can focus simply on values that apply to everybody: togetherness, generosity and gratitude. And we can make the day about what everybody wants to talk and think about anyway: the food. People may not realize it, but what every person in this country shares, and the very history of this nation, has been in front of us the whole time. Most of our Thanksgiving recipes are made with indigenous foods: turkey, corn, beans, pumpkins, maple, wild rice and the like. We should embrace this. ✂ No matter where you are in North America, you are on indigenous land. And so on this holiday, and any day really, I urge people to explore a deeper connection to what are called “American” foods by understanding true Native-American histories, and begin using what grows naturally around us, and to support Native-American growers. There is no need to make Thanksgiving about a false past. It is so much better when it celebrates the beauty of the present. Now on to today’s good news! * * * * *
One of my favorite documentaries is “Obit,” about the NY Times obituary writers. The message of the film is that obituaries are about life, not death, and that the best ones introduce you to people you wish you’d had a chance to meet. Here’s a recent gem:
Viola Smith, ‘Fastest Girl Drummer in the World,’ Dies at 107
From the NY Times:
Viola Smith, who played a giant 12-piece drum kit and was billed as the “fastest girl drummer in the world” — and who wrote a widely read essay during World War II advocating for big bands to hire female musicians in place of the male ones who had been drafted — died on Oct. 21 at her home in Costa Mesa, Calif. She was 107. ✂ Ms. Smith became the first female star of jazz drumming. She performed at President Harry S. Truman’s inauguration gala, and she worked with Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb. When people called her the “female Gene Krupa,” she corrected them: Krupa, she said, was the male Viola Smith. ✂ [In an interview published] earlier this year, ...Ms. Smith said, “Maybe it’s the drums that have kept me spry, or the wine, or going to the casino.” The article described a trip Ms. Smith had taken a few years earlier with some friends to pick up musical equipment. A young woman helped them out, paying little notice to that petite centenarian. As it happened, Tom Tom magazine had recently run a piece about Ms. Smith, and that very issue was sitting on the shop’s counter. When the young employee started flipping through the magazine, and one of Ms. Smith’s friends casually mentioned the article, she quickly became star-struck. “You’re Viola Smith?” she said. “Every woman drummer knows who you are.”
Wondering what to do if you forget your mask?
x YouTube Video
Baking a pie for Thanksgiving? Check out Lauren Ko’s pies!
x YouTube Video
* * * * *
Two minutes of calm and beauty
x YouTube Video
* * * * *
Hot lynx
www.motherjones.com/… What’s Next for the #Resistance Now That They Don’t Have Trump to Kick Around Anymore? The president propelled many women to join the liberal resistance. Now they’re determined to remake their communities.
www.newyorker.com/...Will Trump Burn the Evidence? Jill Lepore puts Trump’s unwillingness to preserve records into historical context, and suggests that some records are being saved despite his efforts.
www.wired.com/...These Rare Seeds Escaped Syria's War—to Help Feed the World. A long and fascinating article about the effort to preserve the contents of a seed bank in Syria threatened by war and the subsequent effort to distribute those seeds to farmers around the world.
* * * * *
Closing music
x YouTube Video
❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
I’m thankful for each and every Gnusie — for your smarts, your hearts, and your faithful attendance at our daily Gathering of the Herd.
❤💙 RESIST, PERSIST, REBUILD, REJOICE! 💙❤


dailykos--2020-11-26--Trump’s Last Chance –
Pence Counts the Electoral Votes

The last avenue available to Trump for winning the election is using the Electoral Count Act of 1877 .
This law puts Pence in the driver ’ s seat .
Conservative journalist Geraldo Rivera told Fox News on Sunday , Nov. 22 , that he had talked to President Donald Trump the previous week .
He described Trump as a realist and a proud person who will finally concede once all the avenues to reversing the results of the election have been closed .
The catch , however , is that his vice president , Mike Pence , could keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win .
It would seemingly be legal and playing by the rules .
It would also violate our democratic norms but , as I have written elsewhere , Trump ’ s politics discards them — to the detriment of our republic ’ s stability .
The last avenue available to Trump is using the Electoral Count Act of 1877 .
This law mandates how electoral votes are counted by Congress following a presidential election .
It would allow Pence to throw the election to Trump .
It would be the final ploy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges and rogue Republican legislatures — are failing .
His first strategy was to get Biden ’ s vote count reduced through court rulings .
So far , Trump ’ s lawsuits have failed to overturn Biden ’ s popular votes in any states .
Trump has lost or withdrawn 22 challenges to the voting procedures in courts around the country .
He has slowly retreated from pursuing legal cases in five swing states that Biden won : Nevada , Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin .
The remaining lawsuits are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recently decided one that challenged Pennsylvania ’ s election results .
There , the conservative District Judge Matthew Brann — who was a former chair of the county Republican Committee and active in the Federalist Society and the National Rifle Association — wrote in his decision that Trump ’ s campaign had used “ strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations ” in trying to negate the millions of Pennsylvania votes that had already been counted .
Trump ’ s second strategy was more convoluted and even less likely to succeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in key states to conclude that Biden ’ s majority popular vote in their state was a result of fraud and therefore not legitimate .
The Trump Campaign had hoped to replace Biden ’ s electors with ones supporting Trump .
But Republicans in at least Michigan , Georgia , and Arizona legislatures , at this writing , have rejected Trump ’ s allegations of massive fraudulent voting .
The leaders of these legislatures have all maintained that their elections were as fair as any in the past , and that Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , these defeats have not deterred Trump from still claiming he won the election .
On Monday Nov 23 , after he allowed Emily Murphy , head of the General Services Administration , to finally gave Biden access to the normal transition information that a president-elect would receive , he tweeted , “ Our case STRONGLY continues , we will keep up the good fight , and I believe we will prevail !
” There is only one path left for Trump to win .
It depends on the fact that Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joint session of both Congressional houses on Jan. 6 , 2021 .
His task under the Electoral Count Act is to announce the electors from each state that have been won by each presidential candidate .
This procedure occurs in every presidential election and is usually a mere formality .
However , the Electoral Count Act describes how that count should proceed when there are competing slates of electors being sent to Congress from one or more states .
The law has never really been tested .
Commentators throughout history have considered it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” a law that “ invites misinterpretation , ” its language “ turgid and repetitious ” and finally with central provisions that “ seem contradictory.
” The best example of the act ’ s inability to deal with what could become a major constitutional fight is its ambiguity as to the solution when multiple slates of electors are sent from a state .
In that case , the House and Senate are expected to vote separately on which slate to accept .
But the two bodies may or may not agree on whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count or that no slate should count .
To make matters worse , the law states that in the joint session it would take only one representative and one senator to object to a state ’ s slate of electors .
If the two bodies do not agree , it ’ s an open question whether the presiding officer ( i.e.
, Pence ) of the reconvened joint session could break the tie .
Other details of what is required are not spelled out in the law .
For instance , if there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternate slate of electors proposed and who would have the standing to propose them ?
Could there simply be an objection asserting that no slate from a particular state be recognized due to an irreconcilable voting irregularity ?
The parliamentarian could rule on these procedures , but that ruling could end up going to the Supreme Court , where conservatives hold a 6–3 majority .
The bottom line is that , if Trump truly does not care if the Republican leadership wishes him to concede defeat , he could still tie up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a couple of supporters within Congress to object to the elector slates in enough states to deny Biden 270 electoral votes .
Is this a far-fetched scenario ?
Perhaps , but then again , have we ever had an incumbent president string out an election when losing by such a large margin in both the popular and electoral votes ?
The answer is no .
This would have been unthinkable .
But here we are .
Nick Licata is author of Becoming A Citizen Activist , and has served 5 terms on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ municipal official of the year by The Nation , and is founding board chair of Local Progress , a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials .
Subscribe to Licata ’ s newsletter Citizenship Politics

The last avenue available to Trump for winning the election is using the Electoral Count Act of 1877. This law puts Pence in the driver’s seat.
Conservative journalist Geraldo Rivera told Fox News on Sunday, Nov. 22, that he had talked to President Donald Trump the previous week. He described Trump as a realist and a proud person who will finally concede once all the avenues to reversing the results of the election have been closed.
The catch, however, is that his vice president, Mike Pence, could keep one last avenue open for a Trump win. It would seemingly be legal and playing by the rules. It would also violate our democratic norms but, as I have written elsewhere, Trump’s politics discards them — to the detriment of our republic’s stability.
The last avenue available to Trump is using the Electoral Count Act of 1877. This law mandates how electoral votes are counted by Congress following a presidential election. It would allow Pence to throw the election to Trump. It would be the final ploy, as his two other strategies — court challenges and rogue Republican legislatures — are failing.
His first strategy was to get Biden’s vote count reduced through court rulings. So far, Trump’s lawsuits have failed to overturn Biden’s popular votes in any states. Trump has lost or withdrawn 22 challenges to the voting procedures in courts around the country. He has slowly retreated from pursuing legal cases in five swing states that Biden won: Nevada, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The remaining lawsuits are likely to face the same fate as the recently decided one that challenged Pennsylvania’s election results. There, the conservative District Judge Matthew Brann — who was a former chair of the county Republican Committee and active in the Federalist Society and the National Rifle Association — wrote in his decision that Trump’s campaign had used “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations” in trying to negate the millions of Pennsylvania votes that had already been counted.
Trump’s second strategy was more convoluted and even less likely to succeed. He appealed to Republican-controlled state legislatures in key states to conclude that Biden’s majority popular vote in their state was a result of fraud and therefore not legitimate. The Trump Campaign had hoped to replace Biden’s electors with ones supporting Trump. But Republicans in at least Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona legislatures, at this writing, have rejected Trump’s allegations of massive fraudulent voting. The leaders of these legislatures have all maintained that their elections were as fair as any in the past, and that Biden’s win should be certified.
Nevertheless, these defeats have not deterred Trump from still claiming he won the election. On Monday Nov 23, after he allowed Emily Murphy, head of the General Services Administration, to finally gave Biden access to the normal transition information that a president-elect would receive, he tweeted, “Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail!”
There is only one path left for Trump to win. It depends on the fact that Mike Pence will be the presiding officer of a joint session of both Congressional houses on Jan. 6, 2021. His task under the Electoral Count Act is to announce the electors from each state that have been won by each presidential candidate. This procedure occurs in every presidential election and is usually a mere formality.
However, the Electoral Count Act describes how that count should proceed when there are competing slates of electors being sent to Congress from one or more states. The law has never really been tested. Commentators throughout history have considered it “very confused, almost unintelligible,” a law that “invites misinterpretation,” its language “turgid and repetitious” and finally with central provisions that “seem contradictory.”
The best example of the act’s inability to deal with what could become a major constitutional fight is its ambiguity as to the solution when multiple slates of electors are sent from a state. In that case, the House and Senate are expected to vote separately on which slate to accept. But the two bodies may or may not agree on whether the slate certified by the governor should count or that no slate should count.
To make matters worse, the law states that in the joint session it would take only one representative and one senator to object to a state’s slate of electors. If the two bodies do not agree, it’s an open question whether the presiding officer (i.e., Pence) of the reconvened joint session could break the tie.
Other details of what is required are not spelled out in the law. For instance, if there is an objection, must there be alternate slate of electors proposed and who would have the standing to propose them? Could there simply be an objection asserting that no slate from a particular state be recognized due to an irreconcilable voting irregularity? The parliamentarian could rule on these procedures, but that ruling could end up going to the Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a 6–3 majority.
The bottom line is that, if Trump truly does not care if the Republican leadership wishes him to concede defeat, he could still tie up the electoral counting process. All he needs are a couple of supporters within Congress to object to the elector slates in enough states to deny Biden 270 electoral votes. Is this a far-fetched scenario? Perhaps, but then again, have we ever had an incumbent president string out an election when losing by such a large margin in both the popular and electoral votes? The answer is no. This would have been unthinkable. But here we are.
Nick Licata is author of Becoming A Citizen Activist, and has served 5 terms on the Seattle City Council, named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation, and is founding board chair of Local Progress, a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials.
Subscribe to Licata’s newsletter Citizenship Politics


dailykos--2020-11-28--tRump Losing is a great holiday gift but it could be better

The holiday season is just starting up now that Thanksgiving has passed and with so many holidays between now and Biden taking the office in 52 days , and tRump losing again and again with each of his bogus lawsuits it is a wonderful gift to people who have had to deal with his bigotry and hatred for the last 4 years .
Lets just think of all the gifts the election at the beginning of the month has given us .
The future departure of Trump from the White House , hopefully by force so we can watch him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No more Betsy DeVos attempting to ruin the education of our next generation .
No more homophobic and transphobic Pence lurking in the background like a creeper .
The removal of his interim , never appointed members to positions they lack the ability to understand .
A slow return to sanity .
Yet there are still more gifts we can hope for .
I ’ m hoping for a Georgia flip .
The eventual prosecution of tRump for his many crimes .
The country taking steps out of these dark days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster , the affronts on civil liberties , and ending the bigotry of the tRump era .
Biden introducing a single payer health care system .
Or even letting trans individuals return to military service should they choose to .
I ’ m also hoping that as tRump goes away , many of those brainwashed by his cult eventually realize that he was a monster , as I have friends and family that fell into that cult and I want them to return to who they used to be .
Hopefully they one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they call us aren ’ t attempting to get rid of holidays or any of the other bullshit the far right has been pushing .
I have always believed that people as a whole want to be better , we want to be good , but many are easily swayed .
I have a dream of a perfect gift for this country and even for the world .
Of one day the world working together to make things better , to understand each other .
Of people like me being able to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are freaks .
I know its a pipe dream , but a girl can dream .

The holiday season is just starting up now that Thanksgiving has passed and with so many holidays between now and Biden taking the office in 52 days, and tRump losing again and again with each of his bogus lawsuits it is a wonderful gift to people who have had to deal with his bigotry and hatred for the last 4 years. Lets just think of all the gifts the election at the beginning of the month has given us.
The future departure of Trump from the White House, hopefully by force so we can watch him be “escorted” from the premises. No more Betsy DeVos attempting to ruin the education of our next generation. No more homophobic and transphobic Pence lurking in the background like a creeper. The removal of his interim, never appointed members to positions they lack the ability to understand. A slow return to sanity.
Yet there are still more gifts we can hope for. I’m hoping for a Georgia flip. The eventual prosecution of tRump for his many crimes. The country taking steps out of these dark days. Proper attention given to fix the climate disaster, the affronts on civil liberties, and ending the bigotry of the tRump era. Biden introducing a single payer health care system. Or even letting trans individuals return to military service should they choose to.
I’m also hoping that as tRump goes away, many of those brainwashed by his cult eventually realize that he was a monster, as I have friends and family that fell into that cult and I want them to return to who they used to be.
Hopefully they one day realize “the libs” as they call us aren’t attempting to get rid of holidays or any of the other bullshit the far right has been pushing.
I have always believed that people as a whole want to be better, we want to be good, but many are easily swayed. I have a dream of a perfect gift for this country and even for the world. Of one day the world working together to make things better, to understand each other. Of people like me being able to go outside without bigots treating them like they are freaks.
I know its a pipe dream, but a girl can dream.


dailykos--2020-11-30--Stop Falling for Wedge Issues

Stop Falling for Wedge Issues

There ’ s a great diary out telling how Trump got played but let ’ s go a bit further .
The American public has been played for decades now .
The primary tools that the oligarchs of this nation have used to seize and control nearly all the political and financial power have been wedge issues .
Let me name some of them below .
In every case we have righteously gone on the defensive as we ’ ve been played on each and every one of them while those power brokers have been stealing us blind .
1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s still legal and widely used across the nation and not just by liberals .
In all likelihood the worst of the deplorables have probably accounted for more abortions performed by a large percentage .
The male ruling class think them just peachy .
They also know that the issue , as long as it ’ s contentious , is probably the simplest way of getting large numbers of us voting against our own best interests .
They can let the churches do their marketing for them .
The absolute worst thing they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the abortion issue .
They have had the numbers to do so at many times during the last few decades and if you notice , it always came down to a squeaker of a vote nationally .
Now regionally of course some of the acts succeed ... for awhile until they are ruled unconstitutional .
As long as so many Americans belong to religions that view the issue as black and white , that fight will go on .
2 .
HEALTH CARE ( the ACA ) .
Let ’ s remember @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( which has done far more good than bad ) was written by the Republicans under the direction of the health care insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies .
While it ’ s a wonderful bad guy to scream about for the GOP , in reality the oligarchs love it .
A bunch of the burden of them providing insurance for their workers got subsidized by public money .
Public cash poured into the health insurance , health provider , and pharmaceutical industries and you ’ ll find all their boards of directors and investors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are raking in the profits .
The last thing in the world they want is for their cash cow to stop .
Once again the GOP has had the numbers in both Congress and the Supreme Court to destroy the funding source for this and each time it came down to a squeaker vote .
“ Oh we put up a great fight but were almost there….. ” .
I know it ’ s against popular opinion here but I ’ ve always believed John McCain ’ s thumbs down was just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history .
John Roberts decisive vote stopping the defunding case ?
Same thing .
He answers to corporate masters not some conscience .
3 .
LGBTQ rights issues .
Once again legitimate causes for us to take on but we are also being played on emotion here .
It , like abortion , works best for the GOP if they never “ solve ” it .
They won ’ t ban gay marriage but they ’ ll sure act like they want to .
They ’ ll keep their fire and brimstone preachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but once again the oligarchs don ’ t give a fuck one way or the other .
They just want people ’ s votes to be about single issues .
Plus , I think we all know that probably a good percentage of the male GOP leadership are closeted gay .
Once again , they have had the numbers to stop the progress we have been making but any action they threatened was always just not quite enough .
4 .
RELIGION .
Boy what a powerhouse of a wedge issue this one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be ?
In any of the major democratic SECULAR nations .
Anyone that has watched my posts know how strongly I believe that the thing holding us back more than anything in this nation is Christianity and its dominance here .
I can write a post clearly condemning some extreme sect or group within the Christian faith and the defensiveness of people I view as extremely rational in all other issues goes up to 11 .
Of course it goes along with the other wedge issues I ’ ve listed above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues , and even the ACA where ridiculous assertions come out that certain religious groups be immune to some of its regulations .
5 .
UNIONS .
Reagan started the assault on them and the GOP have been in power for decades since and yet they are still around although greatly weakened .
Of course not all of them .
Police unions are stronger than ever .
The GOP would never want that union destroyed .
Here ’ s our mistake on unions .
I love their basic concept .
When they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no better tool to keep management from exploiting workers and stealing all the wealth coming from the production of the workers .
However , just like any other organization that grows in strength , they are subject to overreach and corruption themselves .
I worked for a government agency that was at the mercy of such a union that cared only about enriching their senior members at the expense of logic and the greater good of the public .
The GOP has been brilliant in their anti-union marketing in that they only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good and potential .
Just like all the other wedge issues though unions will never go away .
They are too emotional for us and their opponents .
So how do we fight against this obviously successful tactic of the right and their “ owners ” ?
We change the subject .
We start controlling the narrative ( as much as the corrupt media allows us ) .
Turn our outrage not against the trolls these oligarchs throw at us to divide and distract .
Go after those very people at the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Mercers , Adelstein , the remaining Koch , the people on the boards of all the right wing organizations .
All of the people on our hate list work for them .
Now for the specifics about the wedge issues I mentioned above .
The topic goes to abortions , we need to stop with this over the top claim that the right will outlaw them .
They won ’ t .
Call their bluff and change the topic .
Instead scream and yell about how well family planning and birth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate into one about ALL of the rights of women not just this one narrow part .
Change the subject .
Until we get a secular nation , this issue brought to the forefront is a loser for us .
The topic goes to the ACA , admit its flaws but acknowledge you don ’ t mind the insurance companies making profits from it as long as the greater good happens .
Be honest about that part of the cost .
But at the same time keep harping about how in a system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a robust public option is great for the competition .
That ’ s a capitalist ideal — competition .
Marketplace .
Let ’ s all get involved .
Obviously our eventual goal is everyone moving to that public option but this whole M4A bullshit isn ’ t going to sell here .
That said , I adore the UK ’ s NHS but guess what .
UK citizens can still purchase additional private insurance .
When the topic goes to LGBTQ stuff I think the best strategy is one of avoidance to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and change is massive and can ’ t be stopped .
Don ’ t give them their wedge issue .
Look at entertainment today as just an example .
LGBTQ people are heavily involved in the industry even in corporations largely controlled by the GOP .
While they pretend this war is still undecided they have lost .
Support unions and the workers they represent but make sure those unions have the same oversight on them as the corporations they are in contention with .
They should be advocating for all their members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was successful back then because many of the large unions were corrupt and overbearing and did a disservice to the ones that were not .
Some of the Trump supporters I met were people that had worked for massive corporations all their lives and came out of it with a disdain for union overreach .
They were full of shit in the big picture but we have to understand how going to extremes hurts us in the long run .
Socialism is a core PIECE of any successful democracy .
It can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a losing issue .
The last advice is to educate people about religion , not just what your little sect cherry picks out of your founding text .
I ’ m talking about the history of how it came about .
We are not a secular nation because frankly we suck at world history .
We have been living for the most part terribly spoiled and safe from the worst of the consequences of a deeply divided religious population .
All of the other nations that were once at the stage of national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time deeply ingrained in religion and they all suffered horribly with the contention it caused .
They lived it .
They saw both the good and the bad and the most successful democracies pushed that part of their history back into more a place of pageantry and celebration , certainly not as some basis for how they built and designed their modern governments or derived their national ethics .
Of course the right and their handlers up above will continue to utilize our Christian majority here as the primary wedge against us .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this game is to destroy the toe hold of the major sects here in America .
Stop this generation after generation passing on of religious faith and start telling youth to think for themselves , to study history and science and derive their ethics from common sense and a basic golden rule .
To a large extent they are doing that but it must be , in my opinion , our number one focus in the years ahead for America to survive .
Let me put this disclaimer because I know how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuff like this ( if it even gets read ) .
I fully acknowledge that there are horrors within each of these issues , outliers to everything I brought up , and I am not dismissing them .
I ’ m only talking big picture strategy here .
I left out race because that is a huge subject worthy of many diaries on its own but it is certainly one of the major wedge issues .

There’s a great diary out telling how Trump got played but let’s go a bit further. The American public has been played for decades now.
The primary tools that the oligarchs of this nation have used to seize and control nearly all the political and financial power have been wedge issues. Let me name some of them below. In every case we have righteously gone on the defensive as we’ve been played on each and every one of them while those power brokers have been stealing us blind.
1. ABORTION. Hey, it’s still legal and widely used across the nation and not just by liberals. In all likelihood the worst of the deplorables have probably accounted for more abortions performed by a large percentage. The male ruling class think them just peachy. They also know that the issue, as long as it’s contentious, is probably the simplest way of getting large numbers of us voting against our own best interests. They can let the churches do their marketing for them. The absolute worst thing they can do politically is to “solve” the abortion issue. They have had the numbers to do so at many times during the last few decades and if you notice, it always came down to a squeaker of a vote nationally. Now regionally of course some of the acts succeed...for awhile until they are ruled unconstitutional. As long as so many Americans belong to religions that view the issue as black and white, that fight will go on.
2. HEALTH CARE (the ACA). Let’s remember that the main engine for this legislation (which has done far more good than bad) was written by the Republicans under the direction of the health care insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies. While it’s a wonderful bad guy to scream about for the GOP, in reality the oligarchs love it. A bunch of the burden of them providing insurance for their workers got subsidized by public money. Public cash poured into the health insurance, health provider, and pharmaceutical industries and you’ll find all their boards of directors and investors have a predominance of GOP members who are raking in the profits. The last thing in the world they want is for their cash cow to stop. Once again the GOP has had the numbers in both Congress and the Supreme Court to destroy the funding source for this and each time it came down to a squeaker vote. “Oh we put up a great fight but were almost there…..”. I know it’s against popular opinion here but I’ve always believed John McCain’s thumbs down was just as scripted as the rest of his voting history. John Roberts decisive vote stopping the defunding case? Same thing. He answers to corporate masters not some conscience.
3. LGBTQ rights issues. Once again legitimate causes for us to take on but we are also being played on emotion here. It, like abortion, works best for the GOP if they never “solve” it. They won’t ban gay marriage but they’ll sure act like they want to. They’ll keep their fire and brimstone preachers blasting out about the evils of it but once again the oligarchs don’t give a fuck one way or the other. They just want people’s votes to be about single issues. Plus, I think we all know that probably a good percentage of the male GOP leadership are closeted gay. Once again, they have had the numbers to stop the progress we have been making but any action they threatened was always just not quite enough.
4. RELIGION. Boy what a powerhouse of a wedge issue this one is. You know where it wouldn’t be? In any of the major democratic SECULAR nations. Anyone that has watched my posts know how strongly I believe that the thing holding us back more than anything in this nation is Christianity and its dominance here. I can write a post clearly condemning some extreme sect or group within the Christian faith and the defensiveness of people I view as extremely rational in all other issues goes up to 11. Of course it goes along with the other wedge issues I’ve listed above. Clearly abortion, certainly the LGBTQ issues, and even the ACA where ridiculous assertions come out that certain religious groups be immune to some of its regulations.
5. UNIONS. Reagan started the assault on them and the GOP have been in power for decades since and yet they are still around although greatly weakened. Of course not all of them. Police unions are stronger than ever. The GOP would never want that union destroyed. Here’s our mistake on unions. I love their basic concept. When they are kept small, pure and focused there is no better tool to keep management from exploiting workers and stealing all the wealth coming from the production of the workers. However, just like any other organization that grows in strength, they are subject to overreach and corruption themselves. I worked for a government agency that was at the mercy of such a union that cared only about enriching their senior members at the expense of logic and the greater good of the public. The GOP has been brilliant in their anti-union marketing in that they only highlight those abuses and ignore the vast good and potential. Just like all the other wedge issues though unions will never go away. They are too emotional for us and their opponents.
So how do we fight against this obviously successful tactic of the right and their “owners”? We change the subject. We start controlling the narrative (as much as the corrupt media allows us). Turn our outrage not against the trolls these oligarchs throw at us to divide and distract. Go after those very people at the top. Shine the spotlight on the Waltons, the Mercers, Adelstein, the remaining Koch, the people on the boards of all the right wing organizations. All of the people on our hate list work for them.
Now for the specifics about the wedge issues I mentioned above.
The topic goes to abortions, we need to stop with this over the top claim that the right will outlaw them. They won’t. Call their bluff and change the topic. Instead scream and yell about how well family planning and birth control work for all. Turn every debate into one about ALL of the rights of women not just this one narrow part. Change the subject. Until we get a secular nation, this issue brought to the forefront is a loser for us.
The topic goes to the ACA, admit its flaws but acknowledge you don’t mind the insurance companies making profits from it as long as the greater good happens. Be honest about that part of the cost. But at the same time keep harping about how in a system with private insurance at the core, a robust public option is great for the competition. That’s a capitalist ideal — competition. Marketplace. Let’s all get involved. Obviously our eventual goal is everyone moving to that public option but this whole M4A bullshit isn’t going to sell here. That said, I adore the UK’s NHS but guess what. UK citizens can still purchase additional private insurance.
When the topic goes to LGBTQ stuff I think the best strategy is one of avoidance to the debate. The societal pressure of acceptance and change is massive and can’t be stopped. Don’t give them their wedge issue. Look at entertainment today as just an example. LGBTQ people are heavily involved in the industry even in corporations largely controlled by the GOP. While they pretend this war is still undecided they have lost.
Support unions and the workers they represent but make sure those unions have the same oversight on them as the corporations they are in contention with. They should be advocating for all their members not just a privileged elite. Reagan was successful back then because many of the large unions were corrupt and overbearing and did a disservice to the ones that were not. Some of the Trump supporters I met were people that had worked for massive corporations all their lives and came out of it with a disdain for union overreach. They were full of shit in the big picture but we have to understand how going to extremes hurts us in the long run. Socialism is a core PIECE of any successful democracy. It cannot be the only part. That is a losing issue.
The last advice is to educate people about religion, not just what your little sect cherry picks out of your founding text. I’m talking about the history of how it came about. We are not a secular nation because frankly we suck at world history. We have been living for the most part terribly spoiled and safe from the worst of the consequences of a deeply divided religious population. All of the other nations that were once at the stage of national evolution we are at, were one time deeply ingrained in religion and they all suffered horribly with the contention it caused. They lived it. They saw both the good and the bad and the most successful democracies pushed that part of their history back into more a place of pageantry and celebration, certainly not as some basis for how they built and designed their modern governments or derived their national ethics. Of course the right and their handlers up above will continue to utilize our Christian majority here as the primary wedge against us. Our only hope to beat them at this game is to destroy the toe hold of the major sects here in America. Stop this generation after generation passing on of religious faith and start telling youth to think for themselves, to study history and science and derive their ethics from common sense and a basic golden rule. To a large extent they are doing that but it must be, in my opinion, our number one focus in the years ahead for America to survive.
Let me put this disclaimer because I know how the single issue folks on DailyKos react to stuff like this (if it even gets read). I fully acknowledge that there are horrors within each of these issues, outliers to everything I brought up, and I am not dismissing them. I’m only talking big picture strategy here. I left out race because that is a huge subject worthy of many diaries on its own but it is certainly one of the major wedge issues.


dailykos--2020-11-30--Donald Trump a Devine Eulogy.

Donald Trump a Devine Eulogy.

America is synonymous with war ; no other country profits more from warfare .
Martin Luther King called the United States the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today .
With Donald Trump as president , the corporate beasts of war were salivating for the Trump war .
Trumps ' hostility , racism , and profound lies make him a war savant .
In 2017 Trump dropped 50 plus missiles into Syria , Fareed Zakaria of CNN went into heat .
Zakaria stated , `` I think Donald Trump became president of the United States last night . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the first time really as president , he talked about international norms , international rules , about America 's role enforcing justice in the world . ''
In 2020 Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani .
The corporate war pigeons called upon the George W Bush war criminals from the Iraq war for a massive war orgy .
Alas , Trump 's war escapades were more like a burlesque show , lots of teasing but no money shot .
Donald took the proverbial US war almanac and shredded it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump for his crimes , including being the worst bioterrorist in the world 's history , due to his COVID-19 response .
I prefer to judge from the afterlife .
America has a history of taking the most notorious characters and giving them a media makeover .
Richard Nixon was the most corrupt president in US history until Trump came along .
However , Nixon received a presidential library .
He received a eulogy from the pre-impeached but equally sleazy Bill Clinton .
John McCain was the chaplain of bloodlust .
Remember his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran . ''
Obama helped with the Mccain swerve and delivered a eulogy casting Mccain as a benevolent statesman .
Barbara Ann told me she slapped McCain in his face due to the offense .
Even though he is still alive , Henry Kissinger is the world 's worst living war criminal .
You can be sure he will receive a eulogy that will turn him into Gandhi .
Trump 's COVID-19 diagnosis gave us a look into the hypocrisy that would be his eulogy .
They called for prayers for the notorious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the overtly racist Trump .
Joe Biden wished him well and a speedy recovery .
Trump was directly responsible for his COVID-19 infection .
Worst of all , he is responsible for the deaths of 250 000 Americans who had died from COVID-19 .
Donald Trump called General Soleimani a monster .
No shortage of cheerleaders pronounced the world is a better place without the general .
When `` W '' invaded Iraq , we were told Saddam gassed his people , and the world is better off without him .
On June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gassed his people peacefully protesting on the property of the lord .
Donald Trump is the worst bioterrorist in humanity .
I can safely say the world would have been better off if he died from COVID-19 .
Trump is a despicable human being .
The hypocrisy of the American corporate media is culturally embedded ; it requires a constitutional amendment .
Upon his death , the media and all qualified liars will find praise for Trump .
The dove of war lost the 2016 election to Trump .
In 2011 she showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Having said all of that , I will time capsule Trump 's eulogy .
Donald Trump was unsuccessful in bringing the country together .
He was considered a flawed human being .
Today I will attest he was more than an inarticulate , greedy liar .
Donald was a simpleton and a despot in training .
Donald failed at owning casinos and flying machines .
Selling alcohol , water , steaks all flopped for Donald .
Donald was an adulterer ; fittingly , he was also weak and limp in this capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evangelical , I recognized Donald was not of this world .
Look into his beady eyes , examine the way he bares his teeth like a rabid wolverine .
Donald was more than a mere human being .
He was the one who would pave the way for the return of Jesus as prophesied in the Book of Revelation .
And I looked , and behold a pale horse : and his name that sat on him was Death , and Hell followed with him .
And power was given unto them over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to kill with sword , and with hunger , and with Death , and with the beasts of the earth .
Yes , my brothers and sisters , Donald is the rider of the pale horse .
His name is Death .
He has spread disease across the American landscape , creating the foretold hellscape .
And I stood upon the sand of the sea , and saw a beast rise out of the sea , having seven heads and ten horns , and upon his horns ten crowns , and upon his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know we are all here with heavy hearts to honor Donald but do not despair .
Jesus is associated with animals such as lamb , dove , and fish .
As a gatekeeper to the return of Christ , Donald made his spirit appear in the animal kingdom .
I am here to pronounce Donald is that beast that will rise from the sea when the time is right .
Until then , Donald 's current spirit resides in a cuttlefish .
Why a cuttlefish , you ask ?
Not to sound overly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without peer .
As a conservative marine biologist , I recognized Donald 's cuttlefish characteristics ; without a doubt , I knew he was more than a spectacular imbecile .
When it comes to changing one 's skin color , the cuttlefish outshines even the chameleon , in both degree and kind .
The cuttlefish can also use muscles in its dermis to change its skin texture from smooth to rough .
Donald possessed the exact attributes with his skin .
I assure you , brother Donald did n't use makeup as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us with his mystical cuttlefish spirit .
The cuttlefish relies on its specialized fins for simple mobility and maintaining consistent speeds .
The muscular fin can maneuver the cuttlefish in nearly any direction : backward , forward , even in circles , with such movement being more energetically efficient than jetting .
As a faithful fundamentalist messenger , Donald regularly provided signs of his divine powers .
The cuttlefish has one of the largest brain-to-body size ratios of any invertebrate , perhaps even more extensive than that of the octopus .
I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
My superior mind allows me to understand high-level tactics .
Donald exemplified how to utilize your brain to its fullest .
It was apparent Donald has the cerebral qualities of the mystic cuttlefish .
I earned a Ph.D. in zoology from Wallace University of Science and Seminary ( WUSS ) .
Therefore I am best suited to interpret Donald 's prophecy and spiritual connection to the cuttlefish .
Because the female cuttlefish often accepts more than one mate , the male sometimes sprays water through his mantle funnel into the female 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' spermatophores .
Donald 's prophecy ca n't be more obvious .
`` With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication , and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication . ''
Donald showed me the sign he would usher in the whore of Babylon as described in Revelation 17 .
He did n't merely have an extramarital affair ; it was the work of the lord .
The harlot Donald chose for his experience was Stormy Daniels .
Stormy or a storm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms. Daniel 's profession as a fornicator is not coincidental .
The prophecy of Donald Trump should uplift us .
He single-handedly promoted the spread of a global pandemic .
He was the leader of the free world .
Donald Trump is the beast that gives way to the Alpha and Omega .
Finally , who would have imagined evangelicals , conservatives , neo-cons , proud boys , fiscal conservatives , social conservatives , and religious fundamentalists supporting Donald ?
Suburban women , rural voters , working-class voters , hard-working militia members , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also coalesced around Donald .
We heard Donald 's message loud and clear the silent majority will no longer stay silent .
I give thanks and praise to Donald .
Maybe one day , the media will acknowledge who we are and drop the various labels .
We are racists , and Donald Trump was the leader we needed .
PostScript .
All references to the cuttlefish provided by

Donald Trump was the US president the world needed. Trump vaporized the best propaganda America had to offer. The American corporate media spew methane phrases such as the leader of the free world. American exceptionalism. The greatest democracy in the world. We (Americans) are better than this. Our man Donald blew that shit up.
Due to Trump's innate belligerence, no amount of propaganda can hide the truth the current American president is "The ugly American." By definition, this is an American who is loud, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless, ignorant, and ethnocentric abroad and at home. (Wikipedia.)
The American corporate media is also well suited to create endless euphemisms. They went into overdrive for Donald. The media told us about the social, evangelical, fiscal, white, rural conservatives that support Trump. Your typical conservative in American politics means a racist. Put another way, social, evangelical, fiscal, white, and rural racists support the blatantly racist Donald Trump.
Trump would say a proven lie; however, the media would report he used misleading language. He would say something explicitly racist, but the press would say Trump used controversial language. Donald burned out the centrifuge of the euphemism machine.
The following article demonstrates the lengths a reporter will avoid using the word racist for Trump supporters. Replace the terms evangelical and white with the term racist. The context doesn't change. At best, it proves the nature of America's unrelenting racism.
"All three are evangelical Christians. All say their support for Mr. Trump has grown even stronger since they voted for him four years ago. And all represent the white, Christian core of Mr. Trump's base that he needs to hold in order to win on Tuesday, just as they pushed him to a surprise victory in 2016."
(Most Conservative Christians Support Trump; By Elizabeth Dias.)
Ms. Dias couldn't avoid the conservative euphemism for racist in her headline. Mr. Trump has earned the right from the media to write his narratives correctly as a racist.
America is synonymous with war; no other country profits more from warfare. Martin Luther King called the United States the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.
(MLK speech Beyond Vietnam.)
With Donald Trump as president, the corporate beasts of war were salivating for the Trump war. Trumps' hostility, racism, and profound lies make him a war savant.
In 2017 Trump dropped 50 plus missiles into Syria, Fareed Zakaria of CNN went into heat. Zakaria stated, "I think Donald Trump became president of the United States last night."
He went on to say, "for the first time really as president, he talked about international norms, international rules, about America's role enforcing justice in the world."
In 2020 Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani. The corporate war pigeons called upon the George W Bush war criminals from the Iraq war for a massive war orgy.
Alas, Trump's war escapades were more like a burlesque show, lots of teasing but no money shot. Donald took the proverbial US war almanac and shredded it.
I am not here to judge Donald Trump for his crimes, including being the worst bioterrorist in the world's history, due to his COVID-19 response.
I prefer to judge from the afterlife. America has a history of taking the most notorious characters and giving them a media makeover.
Richard Nixon was the most corrupt president in US history until Trump came along. However, Nixon received a presidential library. He received a eulogy from the pre-impeached but equally sleazy Bill Clinton.
John McCain was the chaplain of bloodlust. Remember his hit song "Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran." Obama helped with the Mccain swerve and delivered a eulogy casting Mccain as a benevolent statesman. Barbara Ann told me she slapped McCain in his face due to the offense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7s5pT3Rris
Even though he is still alive, Henry Kissinger is the world's worst living war criminal. You can be sure he will receive a eulogy that will turn him into Gandhi.
Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis gave us a look into the hypocrisy that would be his eulogy. They called for prayers for the notorious misogynist. Jesse Jackson also prayed for the overtly racist Trump. Joe Biden wished him well and a speedy recovery.
Trump was directly responsible for his COVID-19 infection. Worst of all, he is responsible for the deaths of 250 000 Americans who had died from COVID-19.
Donald Trump called General Soleimani a monster. No shortage of cheerleaders pronounced the world is a better place without the general. When "W" invaded Iraq, we were told Saddam gassed his people, and the world is better off without him.
On June 1, 2020, the tangelo menace gassed his people peacefully protesting on the property of the lord.
Donald Trump is the worst bioterrorist in humanity. I can safely say the world would have been better off if he died from COVID-19.
Trump is a despicable human being. The hypocrisy of the American corporate media is culturally embedded; it requires a constitutional amendment. Upon his death, the media and all qualified liars will find praise for Trump.
The dove of war lost the 2016 election to Trump. In 2011 she showed us how to rejoice when he dies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlz3-OzcExI
Having said all of that, I will time capsule Trump's eulogy.
Donald Trump Eulogy; By Mr. M. T. Promise.
Donald Trump was unsuccessful in bringing the country together. He was considered a flawed human being. Today I will attest he was more than an inarticulate, greedy liar.
Donald was a simpleton and a despot in training. Donald failed at owning casinos and flying machines. Selling alcohol, water, steaks all flopped for Donald. Donald was an adulterer; fittingly, he was also weak and limp in this capacity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ji8i7Wy4mo
As a racist, I mean evangelical, I recognized Donald was not of this world. Look into his beady eyes, examine the way he bares his teeth like a rabid wolverine.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-blames-obama-for-nationwide-coronavirus-test-kit-shortage.
Donald was more than a mere human being. He was the one who would pave the way for the return of Jesus as prophesied in the Book of Revelation.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with Death, and with the beasts of the earth.
(Revelations 6:8)
Yes, my brothers and sisters, Donald is the rider of the pale horse. His name is Death. He has spread disease across the American landscape, creating the foretold hellscape.
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
(Revelations 13:1)
I know we are all here with heavy hearts to honor Donald but do not despair. Jesus is associated with animals such as lamb, dove, and fish. As a gatekeeper to the return of Christ, Donald made his spirit appear in the animal kingdom.
I am here to pronounce Donald is that beast that will rise from the sea when the time is right. Until then, Donald's current spirit resides in a cuttlefish. Why a cuttlefish, you ask? Not to sound overly evangelical, my ability to reason is without peer.
As a conservative marine biologist, I recognized Donald's cuttlefish characteristics; without a doubt, I knew he was more than a spectacular imbecile.
When it comes to changing one's skin color, the cuttlefish outshines even the chameleon, in both degree and kind. The cuttlefish can also use muscles in its dermis to change its skin texture from smooth to rough.
Donald possessed the exact attributes with his skin. I assure you, brother Donald didn't use makeup as the ignorant media professed. Donald was teasing us with his mystical cuttlefish spirit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVyDYV-9HOw
The cuttlefish relies on its specialized fins for simple mobility and maintaining consistent speeds. The muscular fin can maneuver the cuttlefish in nearly any direction: backward, forward, even in circles, with such movement being more energetically efficient than jetting.
As a faithful fundamentalist messenger, Donald regularly provided signs of his divine powers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF5TGQgQJeA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFl6uC4om4w
The cuttlefish has one of the largest brain-to-body size ratios of any invertebrate, perhaps even more extensive than that of the octopus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FoXolEFins
I'm the leader of my local militia group. My superior mind allows me to understand high-level tactics. Donald exemplified how to utilize your brain to its fullest. It was apparent Donald has the cerebral qualities of the mystic cuttlefish.
I earned a Ph.D. in zoology from Wallace University of Science and Seminary (WUSS). Therefore I am best suited to interpret Donald's prophecy and spiritual connection to the cuttlefish.
Because the female cuttlefish often accepts more than one mate, the male sometimes sprays water through his mantle funnel into the female's buccal area to wash out other males' spermatophores.
Donald's prophecy can't be more obvious.
"With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."
Revelation 17:2
Donald showed me the sign he would usher in the whore of Babylon as described in Revelation 17. He didn't merely have an extramarital affair; it was the work of the lord. The harlot Donald chose for his experience was Stormy Daniels. Stormy or a storm is related to water and turmoil. Ms. Daniel's profession as a fornicator is not coincidental.
The prophecy of Donald Trump should uplift us. He single-handedly promoted the spread of a global pandemic. He was the leader of the free world. Donald Trump is the beast that gives way to the Alpha and Omega.
Finally, who would have imagined evangelicals, conservatives, neo-cons, proud boys, fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, and religious fundamentalists supporting Donald?
Suburban women, rural voters, working-class voters, hard-working militia members, the Christian right, and the right-wing also coalesced around Donald.
We heard Donald's message loud and clear the silent majority will no longer stay silent.
I give thanks and praise to Donald. Maybe one day, the media will acknowledge who we are and drop the various labels. We are racists, and Donald Trump was the leader we needed.
PostScript. All references to the cuttlefish provided by
Nova: Kings of Camouflage