"Trump’s attack on election is about his fear of losing" by Alexander Burns New York Times, July 30, 2020
For several years, it has been the stuff of his opponents’ nightmares: that President Trump, facing the prospect of defeat in the 2020 election, would declare by presidential edict that the vote had been delayed or canceled.
Related:
"Local news outlets also reported that the government was considering postponing the election by as much as a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, although prodemocracy lawmakers argued it would be a naked attempt to avoid a loss at the polls....."
You can send your vote in on a postcard as Trump pitches fear to the suburbs, but the mail backlog is raising fears of delays in ballot delivery and I'm sure the whole thing will end up in court.
Never mind that no president has that power, that the timing of federal elections has been fixed since the 19th century and that the Constitution sets an immovable expiration date on the president’s term. Given Trump’s contempt for the legal limits on his office and his oft-expressed admiration for foreign dictators, it hardly seemed far-fetched to imagine he would at least attempt the gambit, but when the moment came Thursday, with Trump suggesting for the first time that the election could be delayed, his proposal appeared as impotent as it was predictable — less a stunning assertion of his authority than yet another lament that his political prospects have dimmed amid a global public health crisis. Indeed, his comments on Twitter came shortly after the Commerce Department reported that US economic output contracted last quarter at the fastest rate in recorded history, underscoring one of Trump’s most severe vulnerabilities as he pursues a second term.
That will be his legacy, a failure of leadership.
The most powerful leaders in Congress immediately shot down the idea of moving the election, including the top figures in Trump’s own party.
“Never in the history of the country — through wars, depressions and the Civil War — have we ever not had a federally scheduled election on time, and we’ll find a way to do that again this Nov. 3,” Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said in an interview with WNKY television in Kentucky. “We’ll cope with whatever the situation is and have the election on Nov. 3 as already scheduled.”
Trump’s tweet about delaying the election put a self-pitying exclamation mark on a phase of his presidency defined not by the accumulation of executive power but by an abdication of presidential leadership on a national emergency.
Fuck reading this crap anymore.
Faced with the kind of economic wreckage besieging millions of Americans, any other president would be shoulder-deep in the process of marshaling his top lieutenants and leaders in Congress to form a robust government response. Instead, Trump has been absent this week from economic relief talks, and any other president confronted with a virulent viral outbreak across huge regions of the country would be at least trying to deliver a clear and consistent message about public safety. Instead, Trump has continued to promote a drug with no proven efficacy, hydroxychloroquine, as a potential miracle cure and demand that schools and businesses reopen quickly — even as he has also claimed that it might be impossible to hold a safe election.
Basically, he has absolutely no power, he is nothing but a figurehead, and he has already checked out and is going through the motions. He knows he is losing in November.
Beyond that, I can no lo0nger read this slop "journali$m," sorry. The pre$$ gets worse by the day, and I have basically had it with the stinking Bo$ton Globe. Fuck them.
Trump has attacked the legitimacy of US elections before. Even after winning the Electoral College in 2016, Trump cast doubt on the popular vote and postulated baselessly that Hillary Clinton’s substantial lead in that metric had been tainted by illegal voting.
With that as precedent, there has never been much doubt — certainly among his opponents — that Trump would attempt to undercut the election if it appeared likely he would lose it. While Trump does not have the power to shift the date of the election, there is ample concern among Democrats that his appointees in Washington or his allies in state governments could make a large-scale effort to snarl the process of voting.
Opposition leaders expressed outrage, but most agreed, in public and private, that Trump’s outburst should be treated as a distress call rather than a real statement of his governing intentions.
Now they are armchair psychologists, and those who agree are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful Democrat in government, Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, a Republican who is up for reelection, and even Trump’s campaign.
The timing of Trump’s tweet, as much as the content, highlighted the extent to which he has become a loud but isolated figure in government and in the public life of the country. In addition to failing to devise a credible national response to the coronavirus pandemic, he has made no attempt to play the traditional presidential role of calming the country in moments of fear and soothing it in moments of grief.
Honestly, I am no fan of Trump and feel totally betrayed by him; however, I am also tired of the everyday knifing and savagery that comes from the piece of $hit pre$$.
Never was that more apparent than Thursday, when Trump spent the morning posting a combination of incendiary and pedestrian tweets, while his three immediate predecessors — Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton — gathered in Atlanta for the funeral of John Lewis, the congressman and civil rights hero.
UGH!
Related:
"In death, John Lewis, a giant of Congress and the civil rights era whose courageous protests guaranteed him a place in American history, drew a bipartisan crowd, including former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, although President Trump did not attend. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and dozens of members of Congress were also at the three-hour service, presided over by the Ebenezer Baptist Church’s pastor, the Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, who is running as a Democrat for a Senate seat. Bush gave a short, warm speech in which he praised Lewis’s Christian faith and recalled working with him to establish the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington. Clinton called Lewis “a man I loved for a long time” and someone who was “on a mission that was bigger than personal ambition.”
Un-f**king real.
Somehow that mass-murdering war criminal that lied us into Iraq and that $cumbag Bill Clinton are above it all.
Also see: Herman Cain, former Republican presidential hopeful, dies at 74 of coronavirus
Every death is by COVID now, and he didn't get nearly the props that Lewis did.
The co-lead was the Flynn case, which "has energized the president and his supporters who say President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn was set up by anti-Trump investigators in the FBI, but many current and former Justice Department officials view the reversal as a troubling sign of the department bending to pressure from Trump to protect his close advisers and friends."
Once again, reality is turned on its head by the pre$$. The exact opposite is so often the truth.
As for Flynn, he was forced out and is being attacked because as NSA adviser, he knew about all the Clinton criminality and intended to do something about it in Trump's White House.
As mourners assembled at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Trump had other matters on his mind, like hypothetical election fraud and, as it happened, Italian food.
“Support Patio Pizza and its wonderful owner, Guy Caligiuri, in St. James, Long Island (N.Y.),” the president tweeted, referring to a restaurateur who said he faced backlash for supporting Trump. “Great Pizza!!!”
Oh, he referred to pizza, huh?
How utterly odd.
President Trump visited the American Red Cross headquarters in Washington Thursday. He did not go to the funeral of Representative John Lewis, which was attended by his three immediate predecessors. Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool/Pool The New York Times via AP
Look at him giving the thumbs-up regarding his enslavement as he masks his true feelings, the two-faced bastard.
--more--"
Honestly, who gives a fuck about the next election?
What one does notice in today's Globe is that there is absolutely no word on the Epstein document dump, and don't believe the woman despite the flight logs!
I mean, Trump is no savior but he apparently had nothing to do with Epstein’s sex-trafficking.
Related:
"California Pizza Kitchen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Houston on Wednesday, becoming the latest restaurant chain to try to cut debt as it grapples with the pandemic. The company, which operates more than 200 restaurants in the United States and abroad, has reached an agreement with a majority of its senior creditors on a restructuring plan. It’s looking to reduce its debt by $230 million, more than half of the total, and raise additional funding from existing lenders to buttress its balance sheet, according to court filings. Casual dining chains have been struggling to stay afloat as lockdown measures force them to close restaurants. Pizza Hut franchisee’s NPC International, the holding company of Chuck E. Cheese and the US arm of Le Pain Quotidien have sought bankruptcy protection since the pandemic started. Founded in 1985 in Beverly Hills, California Pizza Kitchen was acquired by private equity firm Golden Gate Capital in 2011."
"Grubhub saw its average daily orders jump 32 percent in the second quarter but swung to a loss as it spent heavily to prop up restaurants and protect drivers as the pandemic shut in consumers. The Chicago-based restaurant delivery company lost $45 million in the April-June period, down from a profit of $1.3 million in the same period a year ago. Grubhub announced a $7.3 billion merger with Just Eat Takeaway.com last month. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021."
"A top official at the Naval War College in Rhode Island has been put on leave after an e-mail sent on his behalf to all faculty contained a link to a pornographic image. Provost Lewis Duncan blamed the link, which was supposed to be a link to a faculty survey, on a hack of his home computer....."
After eating you can sit down and watch some TV:
"Moonbug Entertainment Ltd. is building a kids media empire for the YouTube generation. The London-based company has acquired two of the most popular kids brands on YouTube: Cocomelon, an animated show that is the most-viewed channel on the entire site, and Blippi, a program hosted by entertainer Stevin John. Moonbug will now operate the largest network of kids channels on YouTube, encompassing 235 million subscribers and generating more than 7 billion views a month."
JooTube is a hunting ground for pedophiles.
So was this network:
"For 21 years, Nickelodeon has relied on ‘‘SpongeBob SquarePants’’ to draw young viewers to TV. Now, the cable network wants its underwater character to lure tots and their parents to the Internet. ViacomCBS, which owns Nickelodeon, is adding the entire catalog of ‘‘SpongeBob SquarePants’’ to its CBS All Access streaming service on Thursday, and will release ‘‘Kamp Koral,’’ a spinoff show, on the service early next year. ‘‘Kamp Koral’’ will arrive around the same time a new ‘‘SpongeBob’’ movie appears on All Access, making it the online home for one of the most popular kids’ franchises."
It's a murky area for the pre$$, and who knows what it produced.
Is it just me, or does the pre$$ exist to protect the ruling cla$$ pedophiles, rapists, and war criminals?
At least no movies are being made:
"The coronavirus pandemic took a toll on Comcast in the second quarter as movie theaters closed, theme parks shut down, and advertisers cut back. The company reported Thursday that its NBCUniversal TV, film, and theme park divisions, as well as its Sky unit in Europe, all suffered steep drops in revenue in the April-June quarter, but period was not all grim news. The Philadelphia-based company added US Internet customers and 10 million people have signed up for its new Peacock streaming service since April."
Click.
"Nestle will include Juneteenth as a US holiday starting next year, becoming one of the first European companies to commemorate the formal end of slavery in the country in 1865 as protests over racial injustice rage on. The Swiss food giant joins the likes of Nike and Twitter in adding June 19 to its corporate holiday calendar for the first time. Juneteenth quickly became more widely known this year amid Black Lives Matter demonstrations and outrage over an initial plan by President Trump to hold a campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., that day."
Also see:
New Mo. prosecutor rules officer in Brown's death will not be charged
Fla. man charged after falsely detaining teenager
Police cleared in February death of man in Arkansas
NAACP plans local events to accompany online convention
Dramatic change in tone in Portland
Black Lives Matter mural to be washed away in Tulsa
That was washed away the very next day the Tsarnaev death sentence ruling and overturning.
"The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to reinstate a rule that has required women to visit a hospital, clinic, or medical office to obtain an abortion pill during the COVID-19 pandemic. A federal judge in Maryland agreed earlier this month to temporarily block enforcement of the rule....."
"In a historic, unanimous, and bipartisan vote Thursday, the Ohio House ousted its Republican speaker as the chamber’s top leader following his indictment in an alleged $60 million bribery scheme. Representative Larry Householder is the first Ohio House speaker ever removed by the chamber, according to the Ohio History Connection. His name tag was unscrewed from the speaker’s dais shortly after the vote, but he still retains his seat in the GOP-led Legislature....."
Related: House votes to reprimand David Schweikert for 11 ethics violations
There really is no accountability for any of the ruling cla$$ thieves and criminals, is there?
That's American JU$TU$ in the 21st-century!
"The two top Senate leaders on Thursday exchanged the most biting criticism yet of each other’s coronavirus relief proposals as negotiations continued to flounder — clouding the prospects of even a short-term deal as millions of Americans confront a sudden loss of expanded unemployment benefits. The dueling speeches on the Senate floor appeared to be aimed at setting up political blame as Congress remained on the cusp of failure to reach a deal as expanded jobless benefits for about 20 millions Americans were set to expire Friday. The approaching deadline amounts to a financial cliff for consumers that could send the economy reeling. Republicans have increasingly talked up a potential short-term extension of the jobless benefits as negotiations continue on a larger deal, but Democrats have refused that option....."
We know what that is all about, and it isn't to help you!
Markey noses ahead of Kennedy in latest Senate Dem primary poll
That came after Markey launched ads featuring AOC, and it will be women’s vote that decides it.
"The nomination of a retired general for a senior civilian position in the Trump administration was cast into doubt Thursday when his confirmation hearing was canceled just before it was scheduled to begin amid signs that he did not have enough Republican votes. Anthony J. Tata, who was nominated by President Trump to be undersecretary of defense for policy, has faced opposition from Democrats for inflammatory past remarks that included calling President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader.”
Homeland Security seized $2 billion from travelers, but most were never charged with a crime, report says
Nothing like organized crime, 'er, the government gaining a cash flow into government coffers to fatten their budgets in this era of lower tax revenues due to lockdown.
Meanwhile, look who endorsed Joe Biden:
"The United Nations advised Southeast Asian nations to tackle inequality and green their economies to build a more resilient and inclusive future as they strive to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy report released Thursday said other critical missions for the region’s governments should be bridging the digital divide and upholding human rights and good governance practices. “One pathway could lead to a prolonged, deep recession, exacerbated by closed borders and characterized by rising social tensions, vulnerabilities and a return to environmentally unsustainable development,” the report said. “The second pathway involves adopting globally and regionally coordinated policies that recognize the imperative of an inclusive, resilient and sustainable approach to development.” It said the pandemic has highlighted problems in Southeast Asia despite the region’s strong economic performance before the pandemic hit. It cited high inequality, low social protections, a large informal working sector, regressions in justice and governance, and environmental concerns like biodiversity loss and air quality. “The current situation is leading to recession and social tensions,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said in a video accompanying the report."
The brief carried the tile "UN urges Southeast Asia to build back better from crisis," as Gutteres cries crocodile tears.
{@@##$$%%^^&&}
Time to turn to COVID:
Three states see record-high in new deaths
Wisconsin governor orders masks statewide amid virus surge
"Brazil’s first lady and a fifth member of President Jair Bolsonaro’s Cabinet have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said Thursday. Science and Technology Minister Marcos Pontes wrote on Twitter that he tested positive after experiencing flu-like symptoms and headache. The 57-year-old is now in isolation. The presidency’s press office said in a statement later that Michelle Bolsonaro, 38, also tested positive. The statement said she appeared to be in good health but would follow established protocols. President Bolsonaro told reporters on July 7 he had been diagnosed with the coronavirus and was then confined to the presidential palace in the capital for more than two weeks. He announced he tested negative on Saturday and participated in his first public event on Wednesday, to recognize rural women workers, along with his wife. Last week, Citizenship Minister Onyx Lorenzoni and Education Minister Milton Ribeiro announced they tested positive. In March, two other Cabinet members were infected."
The tests are crap, and I'm tired of the damn ma$$ media lies, sorry.
Justin Trudeau goes before parliament to face questions on charity scandal
I'm told he is “not controlling the agenda on any of this,” but still, the country’s general satisfaction with the government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis has remained high, at 73 percent, according to one poll this week -- despite the “very sloppy pattern,” of management according to Janice Stein, the founding director of the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and if I really want to know what is going on in Canada I have more trustworthy sources to consider.
Sorry, Globe!
"The Trump administration will allow the existing Keystone pipeline to carry more oil-sands crude into the Midwest and Gulf Coast while the conduit’s decade-old expansion project faces renewed legal hurdles. A White House permit issued Wednesday raises the cross-border shipping limit for the TC Energy Corp. line to 760,000 barrels a day, from 590,000 under a previous presidential permit, company spokesman Terry Cunha said in an e-mail. The White House decision came after President Trump’s earlier approval of TC Energy’s proposed Keystone XL expansion project was hampered by a federal court decision that blocked most construction."
At least the lobsters will be safe even if the beaches are closed to swimmers, and you
can still get a bucket of chicken and an ice cream.
"With COVID-19 cases climbing on Nantucket amid the crush of summer tourists, restaurants that serve alcohol for on-site consumption will have to close at midnight starting Friday. Town officials voted Thursday during a joint meeting of the Nantucket Board of Health and Board of Selectmen to mandate the midnight closing, with an 11:30 p.m. last call for alcohol. The order does not apply to restaurants that don’t serve alcohol; however, the order also says the Board of Health will revisit the issue next week....."
It's the last call for the reopening we never really had, although I agree with the bar-closings:
"Former US Marine Trevor Reed was convicted of endangering Russian police with violence and sentenced to nine years in prison by a Moscow court Thursday, over a drunken incident he says he does not remember. Reed, 29, traveled to Moscow last summer to spend time with his girlfriend and to study Russian. He attended a party on Aug. 15 where he was encouraged to drink a large amount of vodka, according to his family. Reed, a student at the University of North Texas, told journalists the case was ‘‘clearly political.’’
Isn't everything?
Now blow!
"The death toll from confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Massachusetts rose by 15 to 8,375, state officials reported Thursday, and the number of confirmed cases climbed by 304, bringing the total to 109,400. It was the second day in a row the state has reported more than 300 new cases; however, the Department of Public Health wrote in its daily report that the total was inflated by delayed reporting....."
All the numbers have been inflated and distorted, readers.
Baker cites a number of large social gatherings as a recipe for coronavirus disaster
The A$$HOLE also warned residents that “we’re going to have to make some changes” if the positive test rate continues to move up, but not one word regrading the goddamn protests!
Oh, for a planet where there are no masks and plenty of oxygen.
Readers, I have often felt like a loud and lonely man here, screaming at the top of my lungs, but I think that is coming to an end. The Globe bull$hit and lies are simply becoming unreadable.
