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babylonsister
babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
December 17, 2020
Over 100,000 Who Didn't Vote In Presidential Election Have Requested Ballots For Georgia Senate Runo
Election 2020|Dec 16, 2020,01:50pm EST|134,763 views
Over 100,000 Who Didn’t Vote In Presidential Election Have Requested Ballots For Georgia Senate Runoffs
Nicholas Reimann
Business
I'm a news reporter for Forbes, primarily covering the U.S. South.
Updated Dec 16, 2020, 05:52pm EST
Topline
More than 100,000 Georgia voters who didn’t cast a ballot at all in the state’s hotly contested presidential race have now asked for a mail-in ballot to vote in the critical U.S. Senate runoffs, according to state vote tracker georgiavotes.com, bringing the potential for major impacts in a state where the presidential race was decided by around 12,000 votes.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, 102,609 Georgians who didn’t vote in the presidential race had requested a mail-in ballot, making up about 6.5% of all mail-in requests.
The demographics of those voters skew toward more traditionally Democratic groups compared with those who requested ballots after voting in the presidential race.
Non-white voters make up over 60% of the ballot requests among those who didn’t vote in the presidential race, while white voters make up a majority (52%) of mail-in requests among those who voted for president.
More than 28% of ballot requests from those who didn’t vote in the presidential race have come from voters age 39 or younger, compared with 18% of the requests from those who did vote.
more...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/12/16/over-100000-who-didnt-vote-in-presidential-election-have-requested-ballots-for-georgia-senate-runoffs/?
December 17, 2020
Good to see he's tackling the important things. 
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/satisfy-trump-energy-dept-finalizes-foolish-showerhead-policy-n1251383
To satisfy Trump, Energy Dept finalizes foolish showerhead policy
There is no reason to do this. There's no evidence of public demand for such a change, and it serves no policy purpose to abandon the existing standards.
Dec. 16, 2020, 10:03 AM EST
By Steve Benen
The Trump administration only has five weeks remaining, but officials throughout the executive branch are hardly taking a passive approach to the outgoing president's preferences. Reuters reported late yesterday, for example, on a new regulatory policy designed to make Donald Trump happy.
snip//
The Associated Press had a related report, noting that consumer and conservation groups believe changing the existing standards is "silly, unnecessary and wasteful, especially as the West bakes through a historic two-decade-long megadrought." The same article explained the practical implications of the change:
There is no reason to do this. Indeed, there's no evidence of public demand for such a change, and it serves no policy purpose to abandon the existing standards.
But in an era of post-policy Republican governance, this is how Trump and his team operate.
To satisfy Trump, Energy Dept finalizes foolish showerhead policy
Good to see he's tackling the important things.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/satisfy-trump-energy-dept-finalizes-foolish-showerhead-policy-n1251383
To satisfy Trump, Energy Dept finalizes foolish showerhead policy
There is no reason to do this. There's no evidence of public demand for such a change, and it serves no policy purpose to abandon the existing standards.
Dec. 16, 2020, 10:03 AM EST
By Steve Benen
The Trump administration only has five weeks remaining, but officials throughout the executive branch are hardly taking a passive approach to the outgoing president's preferences. Reuters reported late yesterday, for example, on a new regulatory policy designed to make Donald Trump happy.
The U.S. Energy Department on Tuesday finalized two rules easing energy standards on consumer fixtures and appliances, including one on shower heads after President Donald Trump complained some showers don't adequately rinse his hair. The rules are part of Trump's last-minute efforts to roll back rules that limit production or consumption of oil, gas and coal as part of his "energy dominance" policy.
snip//
The Associated Press had a related report, noting that consumer and conservation groups believe changing the existing standards is "silly, unnecessary and wasteful, especially as the West bakes through a historic two-decade-long megadrought." The same article explained the practical implications of the change:
Since 1992, federal law has dictated that new showerheads shouldn't pour more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute (9.5 liters). As newer shower fixtures came out with multiple nozzles, the Obama administration defined the showerhead restrictions to apply to what comes out in total. So if there are four nozzles, no more than 2.5 gallons total should come out between all four. The new proposal Wednesday would allow each nozzle to spray as much as 2.5 gallons, not just the overall showerhead. With four or five or more nozzles, "you could have 10, 15 gallons per minute powering out of the showerhead, literally probably washing you out of the bathroom," said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the energy conservation group Appliance Standards Awareness Project.
There is no reason to do this. Indeed, there's no evidence of public demand for such a change, and it serves no policy purpose to abandon the existing standards.
But in an era of post-policy Republican governance, this is how Trump and his team operate.
December 17, 2020
Posted on Wed, Dec 16th, 2020 by Jason Easley
Mitch McConnell And Senate Republicans Cause Poverty To Grow At Highest Level Since 1960s
New real-time research revealed that poverty jumped 2.4% in five months, which is the highest annual increase since the 1960s.
New research from economist Bruce Meyer, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, and James Sullivan of the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Economics and the Lab For Economic Opportunities (LEO) showed that poverty is increasing to levels not seen in nearly 60 years.
The findings for November paint a dire picture of a struggling nation:
House Democrats passed the HEROES Act on May 15. Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans have refused to vote on the bill. Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are the reason why poverty is growing at a rate that has been seen in decades in the United States.
McConnell and his Republican caucus are causing a poverty epidemic in the nation, and the small pre-Christmas deal will not be enough to undo the damage that Republicans have done by blocking real COVID relief for months.
Mitch McConnell And Senate Republicans Cause Poverty To Grow At Highest Level Since 1960s
https://www.politicususa.com/2020/12/16/mitch-mcconnell-poverty.htmlPosted on Wed, Dec 16th, 2020 by Jason Easley
Mitch McConnell And Senate Republicans Cause Poverty To Grow At Highest Level Since 1960s
New real-time research revealed that poverty jumped 2.4% in five months, which is the highest annual increase since the 1960s.
New research from economist Bruce Meyer, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, and James Sullivan of the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Economics and the Lab For Economic Opportunities (LEO) showed that poverty is increasing to levels not seen in nearly 60 years.
The findings for November paint a dire picture of a struggling nation:
– Poverty rose by 2.4 percentage points from 9.3 percent in June to 11.7 percent in November, adding 7.8 million to the ranks of the poor since June.
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– The 2.4 percentage point rise in poverty in the five months since June is nearly double the largest annual increase in poverty since the 1960s.
– Poverty has risen each month since June, even though the unemployment rate has fallen by 40 percent (from 11.1 percent to 6.7 percent) over this period.
– With Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) due to expire this month and near all-time high coronavirus cases continuing to strain the economy, poverty is likely to continue to rise in the absence of additional relief.
-The rise in poverty over the past five months is most noticeable for certain disadvantaged groups such as Blacks (poverty up 3.1 percentage points) and those with a high school education or less (poverty up 5.1 percentage points).
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– The 2.4 percentage point rise in poverty in the five months since June is nearly double the largest annual increase in poverty since the 1960s.
– Poverty has risen each month since June, even though the unemployment rate has fallen by 40 percent (from 11.1 percent to 6.7 percent) over this period.
– With Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) due to expire this month and near all-time high coronavirus cases continuing to strain the economy, poverty is likely to continue to rise in the absence of additional relief.
-The rise in poverty over the past five months is most noticeable for certain disadvantaged groups such as Blacks (poverty up 3.1 percentage points) and those with a high school education or less (poverty up 5.1 percentage points).
House Democrats passed the HEROES Act on May 15. Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans have refused to vote on the bill. Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are the reason why poverty is growing at a rate that has been seen in decades in the United States.
McConnell and his Republican caucus are causing a poverty epidemic in the nation, and the small pre-Christmas deal will not be enough to undo the damage that Republicans have done by blocking real COVID relief for months.
December 16, 2020
The many strange long-term symptoms of Covid-19, explained
Long Covid “is a phenomenon that is really quite real and quite extensive,” Anthony Fauci said earlier this month.
By Lois Parshley Dec 15, 2020, 4:20pm EST
snip//
On December 3, the National Institutes of Health held a two-day seminar on what has come to be called long Covid, or long-haul Covid — cases of lingering symptoms that can last for weeks or months after an initial infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently created a list of some of the persistent symptoms patients are experiencing, which include chest pain, brain fog, fatigue, and hair loss — with patients reporting many others as well.
Because these patients don’t all have the same symptoms, they will need different kinds of post-Covid care. And the NIH made clear that there are still many more questions than answers — including whose symptoms might linger for months, and how to treat them.
Almost a year into the pandemic, there have not yet been thorough, large-scale studies to determine the true prevalence of long Covid. But preliminary research suggests that somewhere between 10 percent and 88 percent of Covid-19 patients will experience at least one symptom for many weeks or months. Some of these can be life-altering; one study found that 50 percent of non-ICU patients reported a significant change to their cognitive functioning.
Doctors at the seminar said they were surprised by the scope of long Covid and its potential socioeconomic impacts. “This is a phenomenon that is really quite real and quite extensive,” said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who spoke at the event.
Even if the prevalence ends up being on the lower end of the 10 to 88 percent range, the sheer volume of people getting sick means there are already millions of Americans who have, and will soon have, long Covid. Despite the staggering numbers, “we’re a hidden group of people,” Brown says. This can make getting treatment from skeptical physicians challenging. Long-Covid patient Anthony Campbell, for example, had a doctor refuse to sign a work disability form unless he was treated for anxiety rather than for his persistent symptoms.
more...
https://www.vox.com/22166236/long-term-side-effects-covid-19-symptoms-heart-fatigue
The many strange long-term symptoms of Covid-19, explained
The many strange long-term symptoms of Covid-19, explained
Long Covid “is a phenomenon that is really quite real and quite extensive,” Anthony Fauci said earlier this month.
By Lois Parshley Dec 15, 2020, 4:20pm EST
snip//
On December 3, the National Institutes of Health held a two-day seminar on what has come to be called long Covid, or long-haul Covid — cases of lingering symptoms that can last for weeks or months after an initial infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently created a list of some of the persistent symptoms patients are experiencing, which include chest pain, brain fog, fatigue, and hair loss — with patients reporting many others as well.
Because these patients don’t all have the same symptoms, they will need different kinds of post-Covid care. And the NIH made clear that there are still many more questions than answers — including whose symptoms might linger for months, and how to treat them.
Almost a year into the pandemic, there have not yet been thorough, large-scale studies to determine the true prevalence of long Covid. But preliminary research suggests that somewhere between 10 percent and 88 percent of Covid-19 patients will experience at least one symptom for many weeks or months. Some of these can be life-altering; one study found that 50 percent of non-ICU patients reported a significant change to their cognitive functioning.
Doctors at the seminar said they were surprised by the scope of long Covid and its potential socioeconomic impacts. “This is a phenomenon that is really quite real and quite extensive,” said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who spoke at the event.
Even if the prevalence ends up being on the lower end of the 10 to 88 percent range, the sheer volume of people getting sick means there are already millions of Americans who have, and will soon have, long Covid. Despite the staggering numbers, “we’re a hidden group of people,” Brown says. This can make getting treatment from skeptical physicians challenging. Long-Covid patient Anthony Campbell, for example, had a doctor refuse to sign a work disability form unless he was treated for anxiety rather than for his persistent symptoms.
more...
https://www.vox.com/22166236/long-term-side-effects-covid-19-symptoms-heart-fatigue
December 16, 2020
Election denial, Covid denial — press has no idea how to cover deranged GOP
Off the rails
Eric Boehlert
1 hr ago
Hurtling down a path of denialism that has no precedent in mainstream American politics, today's Republican Party represents an unwieldy challenge for the press, as the GOP wantonly sets out to invalidate election results and simultaneously endanger the masses during a public healthy crisis by deliberately misinforming Americans about the Covid-19 pandemic.
That election denial married with the Covid denial means one of our two major political parties has unchained itself from reality. It's now a marauding movement determined to cause harm to the country and our democracy — and the press has no idea how to cover it. Unwilling to be clear and blunt about what's happening and the national risk the GOP represents, the press seems determined to keep portraying the Republican Party as a center-right outlet.
The shocking election and Covid denial now on display means the press has to find a new way to deal with the GOP. The problem is, the Beltway media have been reluctant to change in the face of the Trump onslaught over the last four years. He arrived in Washington, D.C., as the most radical and dangerous president in our 240-year history, and the press made no wholesale changes in terms of how it covers the Trump White House — unless you count cable news channels deciding to air every second of every White House press briefing, and treating every Trump utterance as Breaking News.
In terms of dramatically altering the way it deals with a chronic liar in the Oval Office, in terms of how it deals with an authoritarian figure who despises the democratic process, the Beltway press has made very few adjustments, and instead has often covered Trump as if he were merely an eccentric player — he's not an unstable, pathological liar, he's somebody who "traffics in falsehoods."
more...
https://pressrun.media/p/election-deniers-covid-deniers-press
Eric Boehlert: Election denial, Covid denial -- press has no idea how to cover deranged GOP
https://pressrun.media/p/election-deniers-covid-deniers-pressElection denial, Covid denial — press has no idea how to cover deranged GOP
Off the rails
Eric Boehlert
1 hr ago
Hurtling down a path of denialism that has no precedent in mainstream American politics, today's Republican Party represents an unwieldy challenge for the press, as the GOP wantonly sets out to invalidate election results and simultaneously endanger the masses during a public healthy crisis by deliberately misinforming Americans about the Covid-19 pandemic.
That election denial married with the Covid denial means one of our two major political parties has unchained itself from reality. It's now a marauding movement determined to cause harm to the country and our democracy — and the press has no idea how to cover it. Unwilling to be clear and blunt about what's happening and the national risk the GOP represents, the press seems determined to keep portraying the Republican Party as a center-right outlet.
"It’s impossible to escape the fact the GOP no longer supports democracy. At every level they are supporting nullifying a free and fair election," former Clinton White House press secretary Joe Lockhart recently tweeted. "They are not sliding toward fascism, they’re already there." Don't look for news coverage to match that accurate appraisal.
The shocking election and Covid denial now on display means the press has to find a new way to deal with the GOP. The problem is, the Beltway media have been reluctant to change in the face of the Trump onslaught over the last four years. He arrived in Washington, D.C., as the most radical and dangerous president in our 240-year history, and the press made no wholesale changes in terms of how it covers the Trump White House — unless you count cable news channels deciding to air every second of every White House press briefing, and treating every Trump utterance as Breaking News.
In terms of dramatically altering the way it deals with a chronic liar in the Oval Office, in terms of how it deals with an authoritarian figure who despises the democratic process, the Beltway press has made very few adjustments, and instead has often covered Trump as if he were merely an eccentric player — he's not an unstable, pathological liar, he's somebody who "traffics in falsehoods."
more...
https://pressrun.media/p/election-deniers-covid-deniers-press
December 16, 2020
Dr. Jill Biden deserves her title. Saying otherwise demeans teachers and community colleges.
Education is often belittled as a profession and — more insidiously — as an academic discipline, implying that how we instruct future generations doesn't merit intellectual respect.
Dec. 15, 2020, 7:53 PM EST
By Tonya Russell, culture and wellness writer
snip//
If we don't take much else from 2020, we can take with us a better understanding of the role of teachers and how their jobs aren't child's play. Because of the pandemic, they've been criticized this year by parents, as well as by political talking heads, most of them men, as they fought for their own safety while trying to ensure that children received pedagogically sound instruction.
Suddenly, nonteachers have become experts on what students need, spouting platitudes about children's development without having played active roles in it themselves. Many parents have become lax about the structure of their children's virtual school days, but teachers have had to figure out how to manage their instructional schedules while thinking of every way to engage, educate and inspire students from behind computer screens.
Yet teaching is still often belittled both as a profession and — perhaps more insidiously — as an academic discipline, as if the way we prepare our future engineers and doctors to absorb information, think critically and process the world around them doesn't merit the same intellectual respect and scholastic prestige as other advanced fields. Nothing demonstrates this condescension better than a recent op-ed in The Wall Street Journal calling on first lady-to-be Jill Biden to drop "Dr." as her title.
snip//
There has been a shift in education this year unlike in any other time in modern history. Instead of disparaging educators, we could just as easily praise those who have the cojones to take on the job — most of whom are women; the profession at the grade school level is 76 percent female.
Still, here we are, degrading working women who fought hard for their degrees in education, whether at the community college level or higher, and chose to grow in their roles by obtaining Ph.D.s or Ed.D.s. Instead of mocking those who've gotten the highest education that a teacher can get, let's honor them for being patron saints of patience and innovation, whether or not they can deliver a baby.
Dr. Jill Biden deserves her title. Saying otherwise demeans teachers and community colleges.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/dr-jill-biden-deserves-her-title-saying-otherwise-demeans-teachers-ncna1251321Dr. Jill Biden deserves her title. Saying otherwise demeans teachers and community colleges.
Education is often belittled as a profession and — more insidiously — as an academic discipline, implying that how we instruct future generations doesn't merit intellectual respect.
Dec. 15, 2020, 7:53 PM EST
By Tonya Russell, culture and wellness writer
snip//
If we don't take much else from 2020, we can take with us a better understanding of the role of teachers and how their jobs aren't child's play. Because of the pandemic, they've been criticized this year by parents, as well as by political talking heads, most of them men, as they fought for their own safety while trying to ensure that children received pedagogically sound instruction.
Suddenly, nonteachers have become experts on what students need, spouting platitudes about children's development without having played active roles in it themselves. Many parents have become lax about the structure of their children's virtual school days, but teachers have had to figure out how to manage their instructional schedules while thinking of every way to engage, educate and inspire students from behind computer screens.
Yet teaching is still often belittled both as a profession and — perhaps more insidiously — as an academic discipline, as if the way we prepare our future engineers and doctors to absorb information, think critically and process the world around them doesn't merit the same intellectual respect and scholastic prestige as other advanced fields. Nothing demonstrates this condescension better than a recent op-ed in The Wall Street Journal calling on first lady-to-be Jill Biden to drop "Dr." as her title.
snip//
There has been a shift in education this year unlike in any other time in modern history. Instead of disparaging educators, we could just as easily praise those who have the cojones to take on the job — most of whom are women; the profession at the grade school level is 76 percent female.
Still, here we are, degrading working women who fought hard for their degrees in education, whether at the community college level or higher, and chose to grow in their roles by obtaining Ph.D.s or Ed.D.s. Instead of mocking those who've gotten the highest education that a teacher can get, let's honor them for being patron saints of patience and innovation, whether or not they can deliver a baby.
December 16, 2020
"Georgia On My Mind” is the charity single sung by Broadway for Georgia, an all-star group of artists who started their careers in the theater. The single was created to bring awareness to the Senate run-off happening January 5th, 2021.
100% of the profits from the sale of the song will benefit FAIR FIGHT, Stacey Abrams’ voting rights organization rooted in Georgia.
You can purchase the song at iTunes or BroadwayRecords.com.
The single was produced by Joseph Joubert, Audra McDonald, Michael McElroy, Seth Rudetsky, James Wesley and Schele Williams, with a new arrangement by Joseph Joubert and Michael McElroy.
Rock the Runoff: Broadway for Georgia performs "Georgia On My Mind"
"Georgia On My Mind” is the charity single sung by Broadway for Georgia, an all-star group of artists who started their careers in the theater. The single was created to bring awareness to the Senate run-off happening January 5th, 2021.
100% of the profits from the sale of the song will benefit FAIR FIGHT, Stacey Abrams’ voting rights organization rooted in Georgia.
You can purchase the song at iTunes or BroadwayRecords.com.
The single was produced by Joseph Joubert, Audra McDonald, Michael McElroy, Seth Rudetsky, James Wesley and Schele Williams, with a new arrangement by Joseph Joubert and Michael McElroy.
December 16, 2020
Democrats see stimulus checks as winning issue in Georgia runoffs
By Naomi Jagoda - 12/16/20 06:00 AM EST
Stimulus checks have emerged as a key issue in the runoffs for two Senate seats in Georgia that will determine which party controls the upper chamber.
The two Democratic candidates, Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, are both arguing that Congress needs to include direct payments to Americans in coronavirus relief legislation. Ossoff in particular is emphasizing the topic, while drawing attention to comments that his opponent, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), has made in the past that are critical of direct payments.
Stimulus payments have been popular with the public, and Democrats are hoping that highlighting the issue could help them with voter turnout.
snip//
more...
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/530382-democrats-see-stimulus-checks-as-winning-issue-in-georgia-runoffs
Democrats see stimulus checks as winning issue in Georgia runoffs
Democrats see stimulus checks as winning issue in Georgia runoffs
By Naomi Jagoda - 12/16/20 06:00 AM EST
Stimulus checks have emerged as a key issue in the runoffs for two Senate seats in Georgia that will determine which party controls the upper chamber.
The two Democratic candidates, Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, are both arguing that Congress needs to include direct payments to Americans in coronavirus relief legislation. Ossoff in particular is emphasizing the topic, while drawing attention to comments that his opponent, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), has made in the past that are critical of direct payments.
Stimulus payments have been popular with the public, and Democrats are hoping that highlighting the issue could help them with voter turnout.
snip//
“David and Kelly should be in Washington delivering $1,200 checks for every single Georgian, and $500 for every child in this state, because people are hurting and we need help now,” Ossoff said at a rally on Tuesday that also featured Biden.
“We're fed up with @KLoeffler's failure. I will vote for direct stimulus checks to Georgians,” Warnock tweeted on Saturday.
more...
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/530382-democrats-see-stimulus-checks-as-winning-issue-in-georgia-runoffs
December 15, 2020
Why it matters that a sitting congressman is abandoning the GOP
The GOP's democratic attacks should leave a stain that lingers. Paul Mitchell's resignation is a small part of what should be a larger rebuke.
Dec. 15, 2020, 8:40 AM EST
By Steve Benen
snip//
In an interview with CNN, Mitchell said last week was the breaking point: nearly two-thirds of the House Republican conference signed their names to an anti-democracy lawsuit, asking the Supreme Court to reward Trump with power he did not earn.
Mitchell is the third lawmaker to change his party affiliation over the last year and a half, following Michigan's Justin Amash, who left the GOP in July 2019, and New Jersey's Jeff Van Drew, who joined the GOP exactly one year ago this week.
By all accounts, yesterday's announcement was far more unexpected than the other two. While there are occasional rumors about assorted members and their commitments to their parties, Paul Mitchell represents Michigan's most Republican congressional district, which he's served by voting with Trump more than 95% of the time.
If Capitol Hill observers were drawing up a list of GOP members likely to jump ship and disassociate themselves with Republican politics, Mitchell isn't one of the names that would likely come up. And yet, here we are.
more...
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/why-it-matters-sitting-congressman-abandoning-gop-n1251240
Why it matters that a sitting congressman is abandoning the GOP
Why it matters that a sitting congressman is abandoning the GOP
The GOP's democratic attacks should leave a stain that lingers. Paul Mitchell's resignation is a small part of what should be a larger rebuke.
Dec. 15, 2020, 8:40 AM EST
By Steve Benen
snip//
In an interview with CNN, Mitchell said last week was the breaking point: nearly two-thirds of the House Republican conference signed their names to an anti-democracy lawsuit, asking the Supreme Court to reward Trump with power he did not earn.
"As I saw that amicus brief, as well as the discussions over the weekend in the national media, it became clear to me that I could no longer be associated with the Republican Party," the Michigan congressman explained. He added, "I've had enough."
Mitchell is the third lawmaker to change his party affiliation over the last year and a half, following Michigan's Justin Amash, who left the GOP in July 2019, and New Jersey's Jeff Van Drew, who joined the GOP exactly one year ago this week.
By all accounts, yesterday's announcement was far more unexpected than the other two. While there are occasional rumors about assorted members and their commitments to their parties, Paul Mitchell represents Michigan's most Republican congressional district, which he's served by voting with Trump more than 95% of the time.
If Capitol Hill observers were drawing up a list of GOP members likely to jump ship and disassociate themselves with Republican politics, Mitchell isn't one of the names that would likely come up. And yet, here we are.
more...
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/why-it-matters-sitting-congressman-abandoning-gop-n1251240
December 15, 2020
https://thetriad.thebulwark.com/p/everyone-trump-touches-dies-the-list
Everyone Trump Touches Dies: The List
And it's a heckuva list indeed!
Everyone Trump Touches Dies: The List
He revealed people for what they really were.
Jonathan V. Last
Bill Barr? He gone.
Barr began the Year of Our Lord 2016 as a well respected member of the conservative legal establishment. He concludes 2020 with his reputation destroyed, destined to be remembered as the most dishonorable attorney general in a century. The fact that he tried to salvage his legacy in the closing weeks of his tenure looks less like a man standing up and more like Meat Loaf.
He would do anything for Trump. But he won’t do . . . that.
A wise man once prophesied that everything Trump touches dies. And while this turns out not to be as reliable as a law of thermodynamics, it works just fine as a general rule of thumb.
Every presidential administration chews up and spits out one or two people. There are always guys who enter an administration looking like normal, upstanding citizens and exit having been revealed as hucksters, frauds, or criminals. G. Gordon Liddy. Pat Buchanan. Cap Weinberger. John Poindexter. Sometimes the people who get rendered by a president are good guys who catch a bad break, like Mike Espy.
But the sheer number of people who had their lives and/or careers destroyed over four years of swimming in Donald Trump’s slipstream is kind of staggering.
So let’s take a walking tour through the human wreckage of the Trump years.
Because, with just a few important exceptions—most notably the Republican Senate majority—pretty much everyone Trump touched, died.
They Lost Everything
(1) Paul Manafort was an anonymous conservative consultant who had parlayed his years as a political operative into untold riches. Until he took a call from Donald Trump and agreed to become his campaign manager. That was June 20, 2016. Manafort was fired on August 17, 2016.
Because of the 58 days he spent working for Trump, Manafort wound up losing everything. He lost his license to practice law. He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to 47 months in jail. In separate charges, he pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and witness tampering, and for this was fined $22 million and had an additional 30 months tacked on to his sentence. Probably not worth it. (Unless the alternative was getting whacked by some Russian mobsters, I guess).
more...
Because of the 58 days he spent working for Trump, Manafort wound up losing everything. He lost his license to practice law. He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to 47 months in jail. In separate charges, he pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and witness tampering, and for this was fined $22 million and had an additional 30 months tacked on to his sentence. Probably not worth it. (Unless the alternative was getting whacked by some Russian mobsters, I guess).
more...
https://thetriad.thebulwark.com/p/everyone-trump-touches-dies-the-list
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