James Hohmann of the Washington Post gathered interesting post-debate happenings.
Joe Biden left Cleveland on a chartered Amtrak train and made a six-city whistlestop trip through areas of Ohio and a Pennsylvania that Trump won in 2016.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to face negative responses and from Republican leaders, silence, due to his inability to denounce white supremacists, and his dog whistle that inspired the violent rightwing “Proud Boys,” which the Anti-Defamation League calls a hate group.
Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes make it one of the most critical battlegrounds, and Biden predicted that over the next month he will be able to win over more Trump 2016 voters in rural counties like the ones he visited on Wednesday. “Even if we just cut the margin, it makes a gigantic difference,” Biden said at the airport named for Murtha. “A lot of White working-class Democrats thought we forgot them and didn’t pay attention. I want them to know – I mean sincerely – that I’m going to be your president. I hear them. I listen to them. I get it. I get their sense of being left behind…”
Trump promised in 2016 to fight for “the forgotten man,” reviving a term that President Franklin Roosevelt had used during the New Deal. “But once he got into office, he forgot about them,” Biden said everywhere he went on Wednesday.
During his speech in Johnstown, Biden spoke directly to former Democrats who have perhaps grown disillusioned. He said that the debate showed that Trump is “a self-entitled, self-serving president who thinks everything is about him.”
“The truth is he never respected us,” Biden said. “Behind closed doors, it’s been reported he calls his own supporters disgusting. He looks down his nose at working families just trying to do the right thing. And it’s been confirmed by multiple sources that he thinks that those of you who sign up to put their lives on the line for our country — our veterans and service members — are just a bunch of ‘suckers’ and ‘losers.’ It’s despicable. It’s not how I was raised, and I bet it’s not how any of you were raised either.”
Biden recounted how his mom used to always say to him, “Joey, nobody’s better than you, but everyone is your equal.”
“Donald Trump may think there ought to be a different set of rules for him and his rich buddies: rules that let him get out of his taxes, get out of his responsibilities and get out of the consequences for every one of his mistakes,” Biden said. “I don’t. I think it’s about time we start rewarding work in this country, not wealth. I think it’s time working families get a break and the super wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share. They’re still going to be doing just fine.”
The Democratic nominee framed the race as a choice between Park Avenue and Scranton, Pa., where he grew up. “Look, I’ve dealt with guys like Trump my whole life,” Biden told the crowd. “Guys who look down on you because they’ve got a lot of money. Guys who think they’re better than you. Guys who might let you park their car at the country club – but would never let you in. Guys who inherited everything they ever got in life – then squandered it.”
Biden said he will never raise taxes on anyone who makes less than $400,000 a year. “Maybe you didn’t believe me that we could do it without raising taxes on the middle class, but I bet that was before you found out Donald Trump paid just $750 in income tax,” Biden said. “If Donald Trump and his Park Avenue pals start paying their fair share, we’ll have more than enough to finally build an economy that works for everyone…”
Biden accused Trump of caring more about the strength of the Dow Jones Industrial Average than the numbers of jobless claims. “He doesn’t have a plan to help you get back on your feet or deliver relief to the people who most need the help,” Biden said in Johnstown. “He’s too busy planning his next big tax give away to the 100 richest folks in the country.”
During the debate, Trump said everyone tries to pay as little in federal tax as possible “unless they are stupid.” He even tried to blame Biden for creating the tax credits not closing the loopholes in the tax code that allowed him to reduce how much he paid. “I don’t want to pay tax,” Trump said. “Like every other private person, unless they’re stupid, they go through the laws, and that’s what it is.”
Hohmann points out that Trump got his deductions due to claims of massive losses, which undercuts his claim to be a business genius.
Meanwhile, extremists took Trump’s advice to “stand by” as encouragement for election day trouble.
The president’s “stand by” remark has already become a galvanizing movement for the reactionary right. “By Wednesday morning, the hashtag #WhiteSupremacy was trending on Twitter in the United States,” Derek Hawkins, Cleve Wootson Jr. and Craig Timberg report. “Trump’s comments were enshrined in memes, including one depicting Trump in one of the Proud Boys’ signature Fred Perry polo shirts.
Another meme showed Trump’s ‘stand by’ quote alongside an image of bearded men carrying American flags and appearing to prepare for a fight. … One prominent Proud Boys supporter on Parler said Trump appeared to give permission for attacks on protesters, adding that ‘this makes me so happy.’ … For many members, the president’s remark was the validation they craved, quickly turning into a fundraising and recruitment drive while, experts worried, legitimizing the group’s violent tactics.”
“Trump’s debate-stage call for volunteers to stand watch at voting locations has prompted an enthusiastic response from known neo-Nazis and right-wing activists, leading many state election and law enforcement officials to prepare for voter intimidation, arrests and even violence on Election Day,” Amy Gardner, Joshua Partlow, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Josh Dawsey report.
“The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee for months have promised to recruit as many as 50,000 poll watchers to monitor voting locations on Election Day. The campaign’s ‘Army for Trump’ website has contributed to that effort. … But more-extremist supporters appeared to be joining that effort Wednesday, raising the prospect for confrontation and intimidation at polling locations. ‘I got shivers,’ Andrew Anglin, the founder of the neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer, wrote in a post Wednesday. ‘I still have shivers. He is telling the people to stand by. As in: Get ready for war.’ …The Oath Keepers, a militia group that formed more than a decade ago that comprises current and former law enforcement and military members, also has pledged to have ‘volunteer security teams’ at Trump rallies and out on Election Day. …
And Hohmann added this bit of good news:
Former RNC chairman and Montana governor Marc Racicot announced he will vote for Biden. In an interview with Yellowstone Public Radio, Racicot spoke of the need for a president to have patience, decency and openness to contrary opinion, “qualities Racicot suggested are absent in the Trump administration,” the Missoulian reports.
“Senate Republicans just blocked a unanimous vote on a resolution condemning white supremacy. It passed the House unanimously. They said that after 9 months of the legislation languishing that the committees of jurisdiction needed to look at it and consider their “equities.”
Somehow, I don’t recall Trump caring much about the “religious liberty” of Muslims. Islam is a religion. Trump has banned Muslims from coming into the States from a number of countries and falsely said that he saw thousands of them cheering on 9/11.
Certain religions are better than others and the absolute best religion is one that worships Trump. /s
……………………..
“News” from the WH:
Defending international religious freedom is a cornerstone of U.S. diplomacy and a key policy priority for President Trump. | Fox News
More than 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries with high or severe restrictions on religious freedom
By Callista L. Gingrich | Fox News
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will discuss the importance the Trump administration places on religious freedom globally when he speaks Wednesday to a symposium titled Advancing and Defending International Religious Freedom Through Diplomacy.
Defending international religious freedom is a cornerstone of U.S. diplomacy and a key policy priority for President Trump. From day one, the Trump administration has taken concrete action to safeguard this fundamental human right at home and abroad.
During his first year in office, the president included religious freedom in our country’s 2017 National Security Strategy. He signed executive orders upholding religious liberty and the right to engage in religious speech…
https://fxn.ws/3kWX9Wr
William Barr was standing within inches of Kellyanne Conway during the Barrett super spreader event. Conway has Covid despite the alternative fact that “nobody gets covid”.
In the debate Biden’s message to the militia groups was that they should cease and desist. Trump fans the flames of violence in both subtle and overt ways. Trump’s behavior has emboldened these radical right wing groups that stir up trouble in cities where there are protests. Trump sees them as his own personal thug squad. In the debate Trump tried to get Biden to condemn antifa, but Biden had done his homework. Biden said antifa is not a group; it is an ideology. We do not need right wing extremists carrying automatic weapons at the polls intimidating black and brown voters.
retired teacher:Trump’s behavior has emboldened these radical right wing groups that stir up trouble in cities where there are protests.
This is what is totally missing. Peaceful protests sometimes turn wild and Trump’s people are very likely the ones causing the trouble. This gives all the Trump supporters a reason to elect Trump, the one who will stop all the demonstrators who are destroying Democratically run cities. Democrats don’t know how to control their mobs.
As one Trump lover said, she was thinking of getting a gun because she lived in a suburb south of Chicago and was worried that these people would start trashing the suburbs.
Trump Calls on Extremists to ‘Stand By’
By Nicholas Kristof
Opinion Columnist
Instead of condemning violent groups, the president marshals them.
…Look, violence is a right-wing problem and a left-wing problem. A careful study by the Center for Strategic & International Studies concluded that “right-wing extremists perpetrated two-thirds of the attacks and plots in the United States in 2019.”…
Trump keeps trying to create a narrative in which the protesters cause most of the problems. However, most of the violence in Portland and elsewhere is coming from the militia that live outside the city. I do think that a curfew at night would help to reduce the violence. Trump keeps trying to paint a picture of lawless blue cities.
The “blue cities violence” meme plays in Trump-core rural areas where they never see any kind of protests. They wouldn’t know a peaceful protest if they walked through one: to them, ‘protest’ = violence & looting. They loathe/ fear the urbs. (Trust me, I was raised in rural NYS). To them the urbs mean: black people! (the other): welfare, violence & crime. Many of these folks believe tax is govt theft of labor, that one survives by one’s wits regardless of what fate dishes out [never examine who’s dishing out what & why, that’s above their pay grade]—no concept of public good [hence no protests]. So, working the underground cash economy is what smart people do [hence agreement w/Trump’s “suckers” & “losers” lines, & admiration for his outsmarting tax law]. They believe any taxes they reluctantly turn over are squandered on city blacks elsewhere in the state, livin’ it up on welfare. Blinking at their own pockets of squalor where the barely-employed lie around high on alcohol, meth & opioids while collecting govt bennies. There are elements of tribalism but it’s mostly survivalism, the pathology of rural generational poverty.
Trump has his private militia. He could also call Eric Prince, brother of Betsy DeVos, who has a private army.
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/10/22/trump-law-order-praetorian-guard
As I wrote here a while ago, the deployment of federal policemen around the country on contrived grounds to quell peaceful protests was an audition. Those who passed it will be in DC in the vicinity of the White House no later than the evening of Nov 2. And they will be enthusiastically prepared. And we can count on militias of 2nd amendment fetishists (see [he who shall not be named who murdered people on the streets of Kenosha]) to join them and be given water and Gatorade when they want it.
WaPo
“Red State Army” – Ryan McCarthy, Trump’s Secretary of Army, is prominent in the story.
A website, the Presidential Prayer Team, has photos with the labeling, Leaders for Prayer. Those included are Ryan McCarthy, Callista Gringrich, Rep. Bob Latta (Ohio),… It calls itself a Christian Ministry. At the site, there’s a list of often-used right wing phrasing about religious freedom, abortion statistics, law and order, etc.
Democracy surviving the rise of politicized American religion?
Reblogged this on Lloyd Lofthouse and commented:
If you are an American citizen and believe in The U.S. Constitution’s Preamble that introduces the document that defines our freedoms and the limits of our government, then vote on November 3rd.
This election offers two choices:
One: the malignant narcissist, con man and fraud, The Emperor of Lies Donald Trump
TWO: The U.S. Constitution.
We can only vote for one of the two. That is why I am voting for Biden who will preserve the U.S. Constiution.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Trump’s Bizarro World Reading of the Constitution
By calling the impeachment inquiry unconstitutional, Trump has ignored reality to place himself above the law.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/10/09/trumps-impeachment-unconstitutional-229838
Trump is desperate. He doesn’t want to go to jail.
This isn’t relevant to this post, but I haven’t seen much discussion about school reopenings here in a while, so I thought I’d leave this here. More encouraging news in terms of the risk of Covid to students, which increasingly appears to be very low.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/covid-children-deaths/2020/09/25/9df39bf4-fdad-11ea-8d05-9beaaa91c71f_story.html
This comes from CDC:
Children aged <10 years can transmit SARS-CoV-2 in school settings, but less is known about COVID-19 incidence, characteristics, and health outcomes among school-aged children (aged 5–17 years) with COVID-19.
During March 1–September 19, 2020, a total of 277,285 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in school-aged children were reported in the United States, including 101,503 (37%) in children aged 5–11 years and 175,782 (63%) in adolescents aged 12–17 years (Table). Overall, 50.8% were in females (aged 5–11 years = 49.4%; aged 12–17 = 51.6%). Among 161,387 (58%) school-aged children with COVID-19 and complete information on race/ethnicity, 42% were Hispanic/Latino (Hispanic), 32% were non-Hispanic White (White), and 17% were non-Hispanic Black (Black). Hispanic children accounted for 46% of cases among younger children and 39% among adolescents; White children accounted for 26% of cases in younger children and 36% in adolescents.¶¶ Weekly incidence among school-aged children increased from March 1, peaking at 37.9 cases per 100,000 the week of July 19 (aged 5–11 years = 25.7; aged 12–17 years = 51.9), plateaued at an average of 34 per 100,000 during July 26–August 23, decreased to 22.6 per 100,000 the week of September 6, and rebounded to 26.3 per 100,000 the last week for which data are available (Figure 1)
With respect, we know plenty about the health outcomes of Covid on school aged children. About 100 people under 18 have died with Covid in the US, out of 200,000. This has been clear since March or earlier, and it gets clearer every day.
People who discount the severity of Covid and ignore safety protocols should sign a waiver for medical care for themselves and their loved ones should they become infected with Covid. It isn’t fair to medical workers to be exposed to the risk that others assumed willingly. And, taxpayers shouldn’t foot the medical bills for those who act in a manner consistent with libertarianism.
This is positive confirmation of early low stats on child complications & deaths, which is welcome. I have been skeptical all along of those trying to guilt-trip reopening schools as endangering children’s health, as it doesn’t square with the data. To me, the issue with resuming in-person classes has always been about community spread. Adults spread it to kids – who seem to suffer few ill consequences – but do spread it to other adults. There is little science suggesting they don’t spread it, & lots that they do. So as I say, to hear that kids indeed don’t seem to suffer much from covid-19 is a relief to hear, but doesn’t address the issue.
My 7-year-old grandson started in-school instruction two days a week, and he is ecstatic. His parents even moreso.
Here are some of the reactions to Trump’s debate performance from Fox and friends:
Contributor Dan Bongino: “Trump’s strategy tonight was executed brilliantly.” …“Trump is an apex predator. He’s the lion king. Trump went out there tonight and did what Trump does. He’s the shark in the ocean and he acted like it. He lost no one from his base, no one.”
Fox host Sean Hannity offered praise: “I actually prefer a new style of debate. Maybe we will have it in the future one day and that is let him go. Just, like, you know, we like to watch football, warriors and gladiators in the octagon and boxers box, let them go, let them have at it and let the American people decide.”
Contributor Charlie Hurt: Trump is, “the most strategic political thinker we’ve had in the White House in our lifetime. He’s a very strategic thinker.”
Host Laura Ingraham was unhappy about interruptions in the debate: “There was a lot of interrupting going on, on Biden’s part, that didn’t get checked …You just can’t do that. That makes everyone uncomfortable.”
Before the debate, Fox News, including chief political anchor Bret Baier, pushed the Trump’s campaign narrative that Joe Biden might use a secret transmitter in his ear during the debate.
News anchor Martha MacCallum suggested that that the Biden campaign colluded with The New York Times for the bombshell story on Trump’s taxes.
CNN’s Rick Santorum attacked Mike Wallace for asking Trump to condemn white supremacists.
More at https://www.mediamatters.org/murdoch-family/murdochs-fox-news-and-new-york-post-go-all-biden-earpiece-conspiracy-theory
But the topper comes from Trump. Just two hours ago he announced did not need to follow any rule changes in the forthcoming debates because he WON the first one. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1311731462589292544
AAAAHHHHHHGGGGGGHHHHH! (Pulling hair out, banging head against wall, followed by closing eyes and putting fingers in my ears and squawking, LALALALAAAAH, over and over again.) These examples are why I remain scared *hitless.
Daily Beast reports Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, has Covid. Bridget Kelly may see it as Karma.
Have William Barr and Christie been around the Trump team since the Barrett super spreader event?
David Koresh. Colin Ferguson. John Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo. John Gacy. Jim Jones. Jeff Fort. Jeffery Dahmer. Joanne Cunningham & AJ Freund Sr. Dylan Roof. Gangs. Patty Hearst. Charles Manson. And many more. ☹️✔️
Anyone, of any group, can be a terrorist, because it’s freewill. ☹️
Crime is very high, all over the city of Chicago. ☹️
Weird. I think I’m seeing a high-anxiety point by Dems leading up to 11/18 election, settling down after incoming blues were elected to House, & now a high-anxiety point among Reps as polls show Trump is not guaranteed re-election? Maybe this ‘violence is OK’ response is a pent-up concern anticipating that their voices won’t be heard.
People like Lloyd are responsible for the increase in the blue bar and pulling people like me along.
Meant to add 🙃 to that.
Yes, Diane, the need for a president to have openness to contrary opinion is imperative.
? I’ve watched every presidential and vice presidential debate since the first one in 1960, between Nixon and Kennedy, and there’s never been anything approaching this. Trump is so incredibly rude! I would never have allowed someone to behave as Donald did in my classroom. No teacher could, and keep his job. Bedlam. Anarchy. Out of control. For once I felt sorry for Chris Wallace, the “moderator.” Some of the Founders were reportedly worried about people voting for any dangerous or crazy guy who promised “the moon.” Hamilton is reported to have said, “Jefferson, your ‘people’ is a great beast!” In those days, lots of folks couldn’t read, there was no radio or TV or internet—and the newspapers were all owned by wealthy guys.
When you were kids and you were at a party or somewhere—or on the playground– and someone interrupted everything someone said, there’d be a fight for sure. Grade school stuff! One guy felt inferior, so just got rude, like “I did not…you did it too…you’re one too.” Etc. Then they’d be rolling on the ground, fighting. Except Joe Biden kept his dignity. Wow! He showed a lot of cool, and kept on message, saying sensible stuff, about health care and so on. I don’t think most of us could have done what Joe Biden did last night, with a loudmouth bully, and a “moderator” in over his head.
former teacher of social studies & English
Exactly, Mr. Burgess.
Dear Nancy Pelosi:
Please call for a vote on an indictment of Don the Con on one of the MANY other crimes that he has committed. This will prevent the vote on the Supreme Court nominee from being taken.
Then, after the new Congress is seated on Jan. 3, with a Democratic majority in the Senate, impeach Trump again, try him in the Senate, and remove him from office.
It’s an important symbolic gesture.
cx: Please initiate another round of impeachment proceedings against Trump. Then, take a vote immediately after the new Congress is seated, including a Democratic Senate. You will have 17 days, from the seating of the new Congress to the swearing in of President Biden to vote to indict Trump and then, in the Senate, to convict him.
“We have it totally under control. . . . It’s going to be just fine.”
“We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment–five. And those people are all recuperating successfully.”
“The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. . . . Stock market starting to look very good to me.”
“We have very few people with it, and the people that have it are . . . getting better. They’re all getting better. . . . As far as what we’re doing with the new virus, I think that we’re doing a great job.”
“And again, when you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done.”
“Fake News MSDNC (Comcast) & @CNN are doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus [sic] look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible.”
“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle. It will disappear.”
“One of my people came up to me and said, ‘Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia.’ That did not work out too well. They could not do it. They tried the impeachment hoax. . . .They tried anything. … And this is their new hoax.”
‘We had a great meeting today with a lot of the great companies, and they’re going to have vaccines, I think relatively soon.”
“Anybody that needs a test, gets a test. They’re there. They have the tests. And the tests are beautiful.”
“And I like this stuff. You know, my uncle was a great person. He was at MIT. He taught at MIT I think for like a record number of years. He was a great super genius. Dr. John Trump. I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand. Everyone of these doctors they say, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have been that instead of running for President.”
“So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common flu. . . . Nothing is shut down. Life and the economy go on.”
“And we’re prepared, and we’re doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.”
“It’s going to go away. . . . The United States, because of what I did and what the administration did with China, we have 32 deaths at this point. . . . When you look at the kind of numbers that you’re seeing coming out of other countries, it’s pretty amazing when you think of it.”
“Federal Government is working very well with the governors and state officials. Good things will happen!”
“I’ve always known this is a real–this is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic . . . always viewed it as very serious.”
“No, I’ve always viewed it as very serious. There was no difference yesterday from days before.”
“We’re going to be opening very soon. . . . We’re opening up this incredible country. . . . I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter. . . . churches full of people.”
I saw the headline and, [I’m bad], NOW maybe Trump will START to think this virus is something to be concerned about. I’m SICK of his totally ignoring it’s spread all over the U.S. and still does not tell his followers to wear a mask. I’m SICK of his claim that he knows as much as scientists. I’m SICK of his ideas on how to cure COVID-19 that scientists say are worthless.
Think about the number of people who have no healthcare or live crowded together because they are poor. Think about the teachers and adults who are now in opened schools because it is what you demanded. Think about your loyal followers who got sick coming to your rallies while you stayed safely away from them.
NOW, Mr. Trump, start doing something to help the people of the United States. Do what scientists know has to be done to bring down the number of dead and the number who have caught this terrible virus and will be permanently disabled.
Be concerned about US!!!!! [It’ll never happen.]
Trump Tests Positive for the Coronavirus
The president’s result came after he spent months playing down the severity of the outbreak that has killed more than 207,000 in the United States and hours after insisting that “the end of the pandemic is in sight.”
WASHINGTON — President Trump revealed early Friday morning that he and the first lady, Melania Trump, had tested positive for the coronavirus, throwing the nation’s leadership into uncertainty and escalating the crisis posed by a pandemic that has already killed more than 207,000 Americans and devastated the economy.
Mr. Trump, who for months has played down the seriousness of the virus and hours earlier on Thursday night told an audience that “the end of the pandemic is in sight,” will quarantine in the White House for an unspecified period of time, forcing him to withdraw at least temporarily from the campaign trail only 32 days before the election on Nov. 3.
The dramatic disclosure came in a Twitter message just before 1 a.m. after a suspenseful evening following reports that Mr. Trump’s close adviser Hope Hicks had tested positive. In her own tweet about 30 minutes later, Mrs. Trump wrote that the first couple were “feeling good,” but the White House did not say whether they were experiencing symptoms. The president’s physician said he could carry out his duties “without disruption” from the Executive Mansion…
None of the Trump family members wore masks at the debate.
Bob Shepherd: Will Trump’s getting COVID-19 have any affect on his loyal followers whom he encouraged to ‘boo’ at the thought of wearing a mask?
Trump has shown disdain for masks at every turn, despite the evidence that they help inhibit transmission of the airborne virus. White House and Trump campaign aides rarely wear them, as the practice became so political that packed-together supporters at recent rallies in New Hampshire and Ohio booed the mere mention of masks.
My reaction to this news, Carol:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/migrant-children-face-more-serious-health-risks-longer-detentions-groups-n1045031
Bob Shepherd: There are so many adults and children who are suffering because of the narrow-mindedness and bigotry of Trump. He claims to be a Christian but I don’t think Jesus said it’s okay to hurt children.
I read this comment and had to pass it on:
Maybe if he wouldn’t have tested, he wouldn’t have it. Oh well, it is what it is.
I agree with you. 🙂
I understand schools are locally controlled, so they really aren’t required to listen to Trump. 😐
Eddie: I understand schools are locally controlled, so they really aren’t required to listen to Trump.
I agree, but how many administrators are Trump lovers? They determine, along with the board of directors, what schools will do. If they are mostly composed of Trump lovers, school will meet in-person, very likely.
Trump does affect the judgements of too many administrators and board members.
“It affects virtually nobody.”
–Donald J. Trump
Bob, Now I understand it. Trump is a nobody!!!!
Well, one hopes that the President will not waste any time and get on the phone right away with Sean Hannity, the My Pillow Guy, and the demon seed doc for medical advice.
carolmalaysia, thanks, it’s something to think about. I hope, no school district listens to Trump. Cook County, IL public schools are closed. 😐
About Amy Coney Barrett-
The Guardian, “Religious Group Scrubs All References to Amy Coney Barrett from its Website”
From NCRon-line, “”Raising questions about Amy Barretr’s beliefs (and, corroborating behaviors) is not an anti-popery riot…Religious conservatives want it both ways, to have their cake and eat it too…They say we should bring our faith into the public square” but, their representatives in the judiciary can’t be asked about it. It’s a scam that is amplified by those who claim the questioning will cost Dems votes.
It’s the same scam that public education faces. Catholic schools take the public’s money and want no oversight. If the absurdity is questioned, they cry anti-Catholic. They eagerly trash public schools (Massachusetts Catholic Conference) but, criticizing their schools is verboten, even the Cristo Rey school chain in 17 states. They team up with the Koch network for rallies in the state capitols but, to identify that practice is anti-Catholic.
You can’t have it both ways. There are politically powerful religious leaders fronting for the GOP and there is opposition to them in the churches. But, beware that the “thinking” congregants will abandon their principles and switch from Democratic voting to GOP voting if the plots of the bishops are exposed.
Yeah, I think the scrubbing is very suspicious, too. If there is nothing to hide, then just be excited to talk about it. Don’t have your shills demand that it not be mentioned in hearings.
I also agree they are going to EXTREME effort to push the propaganda that the Dems should not ask about any of this “for their own good”.
Sadly, the one thing the right wing is brilliant at is propaganda. It is amazing how that view has now become “decided fact” among many people here!
I seriously think that if people substituted Satmar Judaism for People of Praise and looked at the over the top endorsements of Satmar Judaism as simply a regular religion that churns out brilliant and thoughtful students who excel at critical thinking, and demanded that asking questions of anyone who was a devoted follower of the Satmar Judaism leaders is akin to attacking Judaism itself, they would be more suspicious of pro-Amy Barrett propaganda masquerading as “helpful advice”.
Your second paragraph nails it.
Republican extremism unless its racist is overlooked. But, Dems are forced to defend themselves for being on the left where they share company with most Americans if policy positions are factored in instead of propaganda.
Trump continues to be SUPERS SPREADER #1!! He takes a statin drug to control his high cholesterol and an aspirin to prevent heart attacks. He is obese at 244 pounds eats junk food, doesn’t exercise and now has contacted COVID-19, the Democratic ‘hoax’.
The list keeps growing of who has gotten this virus:
1.] Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien. He was in a closed-door preparation with the president and a half dozen other aides and advisors on Sat., Sun., Mon. and Tues.
2.] Three Republican Senators: Wisconsin Ron Johnson, Utah’s Mike Lee and N. Carolina’s Thom Tillis
3.] Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s former advisor after attending an event with several other who have come down with the virus
Not wearing a mask does have consequences. How many people have died because they have believed Trump’s lies that COVID-19 is like the flu, or Rush L’s comment that it’s like a common cold? I thought warm weather was going to eradicate this disease. /s
It should be gone by April but Trump didn’t say which year.
4.] Republican National Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel who attended a White House event where Trump revealed his Supreme Court nominee last Saturday
5.]New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who assisted Trump in preparing for Tuesday’s presidential debate
Mike Pence, chair of the coronavirus task force, confidently asserted last spring that the pandemic would be over by Memorial Day. He didn’t say which year.