There has never been an election in the United States like this one.
Donald Trump continues to insist that the election was stolen and that he is the rightful winner, even though his opponent Joe Biden has 6-7 million votes more than Trump does and even though Biden will register 306 votes in the Electoral College today, the same as Trump called “a landslide” when he won in 2016. In every presidential election in recent memory, the loser conceded defeat before the Electoral College met. Not Trump. He vows to continue his fight. Some commentators think that he is “fighting” because he is collecting millions of dollars from small donors, which he may use to pay his legal fees after leaving the White House or to pay off bank loans.
About three-quarters of Trump voters believe what he says, despite the Trump campaign’s failure to win in any consequential court, despite 50 losses in state courts, and two rejections by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Among his supporters are people prone to violence. James Hohmann writes in the Washington Post that the Michigan state capitol was locked down to protect the members of the state’s Electoral College.
Michigan’s 16 electors will convene at 2 p.m. Eastern inside a heavily guarded state capitol in Lansing to cast their ballots for Joe Biden to become president and Kamala Harris to become vice president.
A spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R) said in a statement overnight that the entire capitol complex will be closed to the public based on “recommendations from law enforcement” amid “credible threats of violence.” Police will escort each of the electors from their cars amid what’s expected to be a large “Stop the Steal” protest outside.
This certainly sounds like the prudent call, but it is nevertheless lamentable that the closures – combined with coronavirus precautions – will strip some of the pomp and circumstance from a sacred American tradition that is typically pro forma.
Ugly events this weekend – from Washington, D.C., to Washington state and Minnesota to Kentucky – showed that violence is not hypothetical. This is an especially dangerous development in a democracy that depends upon losers accepting the results of free and fair elections.
Police in Olympia, Wash., arrested an armed right-wing protester and charged him with shooting a counterdemonstrator during protests on Saturday night.
In the nation’s capital, at least four people were stabbed, including someone who is now in critical condition, and 33 more were arrested, after rallies supporting President Trump descended into chaos fueled by white nationalists. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham estimates that as many as 700 Proud Boys and their confederates roamed downtown streets looking to start fights, clashing with about 200 anti-Trump protesters.
Many photographs show the Proud Boys carrying Confederate flags. If they want to secede from the Union, let them go. It is never too late.
Are they Confederates or fascists or both?
Can Trump be impeached retroactively for betraying his oath of office? For attacking the Constitution? For sedition?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
To paraphrase a quote familiar to all of us:
If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the ,,,election machinations and threatening situations… that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. (or coup)
I am sure that CERTAIN PEOPLE (you know who, the resident scold) will say that we should just ignore Trump, the KKK, the Proud Boys and all the other proto-fascists/Nazis and they will all go away and wither on the vine. By talking about or discussing Trump and his zombie followers, we liberals/progressives are supposedly empowering them even further. Those assertions by CERTAIN PEOPLE are absurd and nonsense. Ignoring Trump, Alex Jones and all the other wing nuts will not make them go away, we ignore them at our own peril.
This is unprecedented that a sitting president still has not conceded the election at this late date and is encouraging his followers to resort to violence and insurrection. I am sure that the resident scold will say that the Democrats are just as bad so shut up already.
Well, no, the Democrats are not just as bad and in fact too many GOPers are encouraging and/or going along with Trump’s attempted coup and too many other GOPers are remaining silent. I should add that there are exceptions and a decent number of GOPers are not going along with Trump’s claims and denial of reality.
Jews were scolded to “just ignore” Hitler. By people who knew their privilege protected them from those who they said to “ignore”.
BLM protesters were told to “just ignore” the bad apples in policing. Public school supporters were told to “just ignore” the charter folks lying about their results. Civil Rights protesters were told to “just ignore” the people who discriminated against them because of their race.
There is no difference between “just ignore” and being complicit. The Republicans “just ignore” when Trump foments violence.
AOC doesn’t “just ignore” when people lie about her. She calls them out. She fights back. She responds to tell the truth.
Those who condemn AOC because she doesn’t “just ignore” when she is attacked are not progressives. They are complicit with the far right.
Aren’t we called Democratics? 🙂
Joe Jersey, aren’t we called Democratics? I learned that word from you. 🙂
Thanks for the laugh. I like the term Democratics, funny. But, now that you brought it up, it is called the Democratic Party NOT the Democrat party. The GOP uses the Democrat Party usage to demean and put down the Democrats. There’s no such thing as the Democrat Party, it’s called the Democratic party. -ic, -ic, -ic, -ic.
I agree, Joe Jersey, that Democrats is a disparaging term. ☹️
Retroactive impeachment is one path, another state and local district attorneys.. he will be defending against indictments and law suits for the remainder of his days .. he may flee to Saudi Arabia .. and disappear
Not a lawyer but I would pleased to seem him “impeached retroactively for betraying his oath of office, for attacking the Constitution, for sedition, in addition to anything else that can be conjured to assert NEVER again such mendacity.
I hope everyone is enjoying their visit to the 18th Century …
Feels more like Germany in the early 1930s
First time in my life I ever watched a conclave of State Electors …
First time in my life I ever felt like I had to …
It was actually kind of awe-inspiring in a quaint sort of way … everyone masked up like a Court of the Star Chamber …
Hurrah! Georgia’s electors cast all 16 of the state’s votes for President-elect Joe Biden! Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Trump.
And nothing better than seeing Stacey Abrams as one of the electors!!!
YES. Let us hope that the work of Stacey Abrams makes a Democratic House majority possible.
I read this morning that Trump is launching his own Electoral College and his allies in GOP-controlled states that Trump lost are selecting delegates in those states that will vote for Trump.
Then on January 6th, 2021, Trump’s Electoral College delegates will attempt to have their votes accepted by Congress to replace the U.S. Electoral College votes that followed the procedure outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
Pundits are already saying this will fail since the Democrats hold the majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate will probably also not go along with this illegal ploy.
Lincoln opposed the secession of the southern school are’s on the basis of suggestion that those opposed to secession needed relief from the rebellion. In these times, a sizable, unrepresented minority in the trump states is held hostage to those who disagree with them. Government that aids the people is prevented by voting super majorities. And yet, bowing to the will of the local majority, this minority tolerates its political opposition with grace that keeps society functioning.
Let us agree that we should take the proud boys to a ship where they can sail around alone.
This comes from Newsmax. My brother listens/reads this media because Fox is getting to liberal. Stephen Miller is leading this disaster.
………………
Stephen Miller: ‘Alternative Electors’ Will Send Trump Votes to Congress
By Sandy Fitzgerald | Monday, 14 December 2020 01:41 PM
The Electoral College’s vote will not end President Donald Trump’s hopes for reelection, as his allies are planning to send an “alternative” slate of electors to Congress, senior White House adviser Stephen Miller argued Monday as electors gathered nationwide to cast their votes.
“The only date in the Constitution is Jan. 20,” Miller said on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” “We have more than enough time to right the wrong of this fraudulent election result and certify Donald Trump as the winner of the election.”
Miller added that “as we speak, an alternate slate of electors in the contested states is going to vote and we’re going to send those results up to Congress. This will ensure that all of our legal remedies remain open. That means that if we win these cases in the courts, we can direct that the alternate state of electors be certified.”
Miller said Trump supporters will be acting as “alternates” in the contested states of Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania and submit their own unofficial results.
If Trump’s campaign succeeds in any of its continued legal efforts in those states, the “alternate” electors would be recognized by a joint session of Congress when it convenes on Jan. 6 to count the electoral votes and officially declare the winner of the election, Miller said.
The Washington Post reports that technically, alternative electors can meet and cast their own votes, as electors are picked for each candidate before the election is held. If their votes are then submitted to Congress, it must consider them.
If both chambers of Congress vote individually to accept Biden’s electors, the dispute is considered as being resolved. If the chambers do not agree and each chamber identifies a different slate of electors, a tiebreaker using a certificate of ascertainment from a state comes into play.
A state executive has already certified Biden’s win in each of the four states Trump is contesting, reports the Post.
Miller, however, argued that if “you just cured three simple constitutional defects, Donald Trump is the winner of this election.”
He said signature matching rules in Georgia were “illegally changed as a result of a consent decree without the legislature’s approval.”
Miller further claimed there were “hundreds of thousands of improperly cast ballots in Wisconsin, absentee voters who never actually submitted the request for an absentee ballot,” and that in Pennsylvania, there was the “clear equal protection violation when Democrat ballots were cured in advance of Election Day.”
Miller’s role in stirring up this mischief, Trump’s moon shot, is being reported on MSNBC with a picture of Miller so there is no doubt about who is pushing this exotic and last ditch hope from Trumpsters to steal the election. Miller seems to be lip-syncing the words of Rudy Giuliani.
As is expected, Trump is giving himself praise. Only HE could have made sure that the vaccine was created. He, in all of his brilliance, cut red tape to have it all happen. He has accomplished the impossible. /s
“News” from the WH:
Today, medical workers administered the first COVID-19 vaccine doses in the United States–a feat that earlier this year many experts claimed would take a miracle.
“This spring, experts predicted that a vaccine was at least a year or year-and-a-half away,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said. “Yet, within a year, we have one vaccine authorized—millions of doses being shipped—and another vaccine under review by the FDA.”
Accomplishing the “impossible” has defined President Trump’s Administration. When the Coronavirus came to our shores, the President cut Washington red tape and mobilized both the public and private sectors to develop a safe, effective vaccine. The nationwide manufacturing and distribution systems created under Operation Warp Speed constitute the largest mobilization of American industry since World War II.
As President Trump says, this pandemic started in China—but America will end it.
🎬 WATCH: We can see light at the end of the tunnel
On top of clearing unnecessary barriers to get a vaccine to the American people in record time, President Trump just signed an executive order to ensure that U.S. citizens are the first in line for it. President Trump always puts our country first. The delivery of the Coronavirus vaccine is no different.
None of this success would be possible without both our courageous frontline medical workers and our incredible United States military. Today is a momentous victory for all Americans—and the rest of the world—in defeating this terrible virus.
📖 Secretary Azar: The end of this pandemic is in sight
🎬 Dr. Slaoui: Within 3 months, we expect 100 million vaccine doses
Trump did not fund the Pfizer vaccine.
This episode encapsulates the entire life of the Idiot. He takes credit for other’s people accomplishments on everything deemed to be positive and is nowhere to be found when it is negative. Operation Warp Speed–which as you correctly note had nothing to with develop Pfizer vaccine–was funded with other peoples money, in other words, that of the taxpayers. While he was on the golf course and ignoring the pandemic and the suffering it continues to cause, scientists in the trenches did the work. But he still wants to call it [the Idiot] vaccine. Ann Richards famously noted that GHW Bush was born on third base and claimed to have hit a triple. The Idiot did one better. He claimed to hit a home run but never left the dugout. The scorekeeper was paid off and scared into giving him all credit for all the runs in a 126-0 blowout.
Any Congressman (not Congresspersons – it’s all white males so let’s call it what is) who would vote for an “alternate” elector or process should be brought up on charges of treason and ejected for violating the Oath.
There is no evidence. Over 50 courts have denied the charges of fraud. The Attorney General said the election is certified and the SUPREME COURT has rejected the appeals on the false claims.
If THAT is not checks-and-balances we are doomed.
And, if Congress would allow these “fake” electors’ votes, then they are essentially saying these states are attempting to secede and are allowing it (which is illegal … which means… civil war).
It’s a tough choice for these guys but…
Treason?
Sedition?
Secession?
Shut up and sit down?
Not all congresspeople are White males.😟
Eddie, the comment said not that all members of Congress are white males but that those who are part of Trump’s “alternate electors” are. I expect most of them are white males. Maybe some white females. I doubt there will be many who are not white.
Dianne, then I misunderstood the post. ☹️
I think, the WordPress censorship on James K. Polk is dumb, because he is almost forgotten. 😐
You are right, Eddie, but your comment went into moderation again because of your mention of Polk
I will try to say Jimmy Polky. 🙂
He was a member of the Democratic Party and an advocate of Jacksonian democracy.
Yes, Jimmy Polky was a good Democratic. 🙂
Eddie,
It’s ok to write Jimmie Polkie.
It is forbidden to write James Polk.
Jimmie Polkie.
Jimmy Polky.
😁
WordPress is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. WordPress works in mysterious ways known only to a select few in another alternate universe. WP holds up some of my comments for reasons beyond any ordinary human comprehension. You could refer to JKP as president #11? Maybe?
When you run WordPress on your own server, you can configure the program to filter messages any way you want. So it’s reallu puzzling why they do not let their customers filter any way they want.
Two Catholic schools in Mich. filed suit against the state for Covid health orders.
The suits cite the Great Barrington Declaration’s author, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford. His study was widely criticized and it was subsequently revealed that there was funding from JetBlue’s founder. The study was sponsored by the libertarian think tank, AIER which has a local network of Bastiat Society chapters that link with Koch-funded groups. (Wikipedia)
Michigan state representative Gary Eisen (R) who is endorsed by Right to Life of Michigan was sanctioned today by Michigan GOP House leaders because he hinted at disruption of the electoral college process. Allegedly, Eisen’s interview contributed to the decision to lock down the legislature.
trump is evil.
Whole Health Chicago:
I was pleased with the election of Joe Biden, not least because we might end (and start reversing) the more than 100 pollution rollbacks that the Trump administration has initiated in favor of corporate polluters.
However, I was genuinely disheartened to learn that his current EPA lackeys recently finalized a rule that will sabotage any of President-elect Biden’s efforts to reverse the damage. The latest EPA rules specifically state that any reversal of an environmental hazard will be based on evaluating all potential economic costs but will disregard benefits such as health or death risk.
Emily Davis, senior attorney in the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Climate & Clean Energy Program, stated:
“This is an egregious 11th-hour attempt to handcuff the incoming administration and undercut the benefits of clean air—in the worst days of a global health crisis. Our country is struggling to address racial injustice and a deadly pandemic magnified by pollution, which all heavily impact Black, Latino, and low-income people.
“The Biden administration should deep-six this dishonest and dangerous rule—and allow EPA to re-embrace its core mission, which is to protect public health and our environment. We’ll use every tool, and look forward to working with the Biden team, to ensure that healthier future for all.”
This final pro-pollution Trump rule comes during the worst moments of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Early research tied air pollution to a heightened risk of dying from Covid-19, which by the time you read this will have killed more than 300,000 people in the US, just about the entire population of Pittsburgh.
Death by pollution
But even in the absence of this pandemic, two Harvard social scientists writing in JAMA estimated that 80,000 people will die unnecessarily every decade because of the Trump administration’s repeal of clean air regulations, with another 80,000 deaths caused by the more recent repeal of clean water rules.
If you ask a Trump supporter about this, you’ll likely get an answer like “More jobs.” Well, yes, perhaps, but waiting for someone to die or become disabled because of pollution so a spot opens up for you seems like a pretty callous way to secure employment, not to mention poisoning your children in the process.
The Covid-19 pandemic has many of us thinking about our chemical-laced foods and we appear to be talking with our wallets. Organic food sales jumped 25 percent for the four-month period ending in June among all retailers, from Whole Foods and Kroger to Walmart. Surveys by the food industry confirm that the public believes “healthy food is important” to keeping their bodies in shape to fight against the virus.
People are right to be worried about the chemicals in our food, air, and water. The number of chemicals pouring into our bodies is mind-boggling: we intentionally add 2,500 chemicals to food as additives, preservatives, and coloring agents. A shocking 12,000 chemicals find their way into our food supply via processing, packaging, pesticide residues, and drugs given to animals….
Be well,
David Edelberg, MD
Biden will reverse all these last-minute rules. And the bureaucracy will identify any Trump Moles who burrowed in.
“Joe Biden has 6-7 million votes more than Trump does ”
To be exact
Biden 81,283,495
Trump 74,223,755 votes
The difference is 7,059,740, so over 7 million. In percentages, Biden has 51.4% of the votes and Trump has 46.9 which is a 4.5% difference.
The above data is from Fox. The difference in every place I looked is at least 7 million and 4.5%.
Poor Turtle. I’m sure this isn’t what he wanted to say. Will this mean that more GOP’ers in Congress will grow some spine?
………………….
The New York Times
BREAKING NEWS
Senator Mitch McConnell congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his victory after weeks of silence, saying the “Electoral College has spoken.”
Tuesday, December 15, 2020 10:27 AM EST
“Many of us hoped that the presidential election would yield a different result, but our system of government has processes to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20,” Mr. McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor.
He also congratulated Senator Kamala Harris of California as the vice president-elect.
There was no protest at the Michigan Capitol yesterday.
In fact, local news outlets produced photos of lots of reporters hanging around the front steps of the Capitol, waiting for a story. But no camo-clad, AR-15 toting protestors. The Republicans did send a dozen or so ‘alternative electors’ who were calmly turned away by the State Police at the side door.
Why? (And this is important) Because the Republican House and Senate representatives who have been calling the shots on all these so-called spontaneous demonstrations didn’t want the visuals of another out-of-control mob in Lansing.
Since the first demonstration in April, the one where folks were just supposed to create a traffic jam and stay safely in their cars, but couldn’t resist strugging around, unmasked and armed, the Repubs have quietly been directing these protests. They have been furious since the election of 2018, where the top five statewide offices were won by Democratic women (strong, articulate Democratic women) and MI also passed an anti-gerrymandering act and an anti-voter suppression act that allowed anyone to vote by mail.
Republicans, through gerrymandering and threats of violence (yup, it was our governor they planned to kidnap, take to a ‘secure location’ and execute), have had control of Michigan for a long time. They see the end coming.
In spite of yesterday’s peaceful Electoral College ceremony, I am certain that the R’s have something up their sleeves. My own Congressman and my MI House Rep both signed on to disenfranchise their own constituents. We have lots of work to do.
“They see the end coming.”
No doubt.
It would be great to see the tide turn in Michigan starting with the ouster of Rep. Gary Eisen.
Taking back Michigan’s public universities for the people would be a great 2nd step. When the Ed. Dept. at Michigan State took John Arnold ‘s money and then worked to implement DeVos’ K-12 privatization plans, it reflected a dark chapter in the school’s history.
This insight comes from a Canadian publication.
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Where might Donald Trump run, in a bid to avoid prison?
Shannon Gormley: Our complex scoring system points to one perfect place
By Shannon Gormley
December 14, 2020
Donald Trump Seems Particularly Ill-Suited To Prison Life. Although Self-Awareness Is Not Often Cited Among His Greatest Attributes, He Most Likely Grasps This Singular, Essential Fact About Himself: He Would Not Care For Jail And Jail Would Not Care For Him. He Can Be Expected To Do Anything To Avoid It—Anything, That Is, But Avoid Illegal Activities Of The Kind That Ordinarily Lead To Prison Time.
It appears he may have done a fair amount of illegal activitizing, in fact, and enough of it appears to fall so far outside the scope of a presidential self-pardon that various New York prosecutors are ready to charge him the moment he vacates that poor Resolute desk. And so, in an era of ceaseless, unremitting firsts, for the first time in history, the president of the United States might soon find himself on the lam.
Although it is difficult to conceive of the leader of the free world joining the ranks of the various aging Nazis, ousted despots, retired mobsters and deadbeat ex-husbands currently circling the globe in search of a hideout, once presidential immunity is lost it is hard to see what alternative he would have. The president has given us one hint, so subtle as to be nearly imperceptible, that he may have to leave the country: at a recent political rally, he said, “Maybe I’ll have to leave the country.”
To determine the foreign country to which the president of the United States would be most likely to abscond, we will apply a complex scoring system, taking into account the factors that would be most likely to enter into his considerations, weighted according to the importance he would be likely to attach to each.
Ten points are awarded, first of all, if Trump’s new prospective home has no extradition treaty with the United States; nine, if it has a history of failing to honour its extradition treaty with the United States.
The country must of course receive Trump in the style to which he has grown accustomed: golf courses are worth five points; very garish, very tall buildings another five. Other attractions would include being Russia-friendly (11 points), hosting Trump-owned pieces of real estate or businesses (five points), and offering a tax environment for billionaires who prefer to pay in the $750 range (five points). A country may earn a maximum of 41 points…
Prediction: If the President of the United States becomes an international fugitive, he will seek sanctuary in Dubai, U.A.E. Of course, that assumes he responds to defeat by actually leaving office. Which would require that he follow the law. Which, you know…
https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/in-a-bid-to-avoid-prison-where-might-donald-trump-run/