October Surprise: Didn’t Have COVID-19 on the Bingo Card [UPDATE-2]
[NB: Check the byline, thanks! Updates, if any, will appear at the bottom of the post. / ~Rayne]
So…back on August 22, I asked folks to offer their best bets on what Team Trump would pull for an October Surprise given the long history of such election gaming in American presidential politics.
I suspected Team Trump would try to force both the Durham investigation to announce a skewed finding, and development of a COVID-19 vaccine through testing and approval by some time in October.
But I didn’t have Trump testing positive for COVID-19 on the bingo card of possible surprises.
President Trump says he and his wife, Melania, have tested positive for coronavirus https://t.co/aJPmxqSaEb
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 2, 2020
Only one community member, Terrapin, saw that as a possibility (and not with a good outcome).
But after all the squirrelly reporting around Hope Hicks’ positive test earlier on Thursday, it wasn’t clear when Trump and his wretched wife were tested and with what kind of test.
Is this being gamed, too?
Trump managed to shoot himself in the foot politically again by blaming military personnel as the source of Hicks’ infection:
… Trump suggested Hicks could have contracted it from members of the military or law enforcement.
“It is very, very hard when you are with people from the military, or from law enforcement, and they come over to you, and they want to hug you, and they want to kiss you because we really have done a good job for them,” the president said. “You get close, and things happen. I was surprised to hear with Hope, but she is a very warm person with them. She knows there’s a risk, but she is young.” …
Exposure to COVID-19 didn’t cause that kind of stupid.
The situation is annoying no matter how much anyone may like/dislike Trump. He’s still the White House’s occupant, still the president and commander-in-chief even if the means by which he came to those roles has been in question since day one. The American people deserve better transparency about the health of the person occupying the White House and whether he is or isn’t incapacitated at any time.
The other challenge before us: After mocking his opponent for wearing a mask, Trump was on stage this week with Joe Biden, and neither wore masks during their debate. Trump spent a lot of time pushing aerosols as he spoke and may have been contagious.
A whole host of other problematic scenarios emerge:
Just noted on MSNBC by @JonLemire: Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, who is around Trump often, has spent time in the last 24 hours or so with Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Might Meadows and Barrett have to quarantine? If so, what would that mean for the confirmation hearings?
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 2, 2020
The October Surprise may be one we never thought of or planned for in August.
What other fresh surprises should we expect this month before the election?
~ ~ ~
UPDATE-1 — 12:00 P.M. 02-OCT-2020 —
No, fuck no. This Brit needs to do some basic research, like reading the U.S. Constitution before flapping off like this.
Why postponing the US election would now be a good idea | Sean O’Grady https://t.co/aO7AbYXoXi
— The Independent (@Independent) October 2, 2020
Trump tried to float this same lead balloon back in April. Not going to happen; that’s why he attacked the U.S. Post Office to damage its capacity to handle ballots on a timely basis.
Rick Hasen has already written about the possibility Trump leaves office due to illness or death before the election, and how that might be handled.
LOL GMTA
For some time, commentators have routinely discussed what would be “the October surprise.” Now it is here, and it involves something truly alarming––the state of the President’s health, and what it all will mean for the governance of the United States. https://t.co/mh3Zugmjpn
— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) October 2, 2020
Just wish I knew how they’re going to wrap up this season — will it be a series finale?
the 2020 writers’ room lost us with the murder hornets but oh baby they back
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) October 2, 2020
Would be nice to know how to hedge this. My retirement fund is getting seasickness from all the ups and downs.
~ ~ ~
UPDATE-1 — 7:00 P.M. 02-OCT-2020 —
Trump has been taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. His doctor says he’s been given Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody infusion — a drug cocktail which is still in testing phase. Earlier reports said Trump was running a low grade temperature.
Look, it’s time for media people to do a better job of reporting by which I mean GET THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS.
Did the temperature come on before/after going to Walter Reed?
Was the infusion administered before/after going to Walter Reed?
Do you see what I’m getting at?
Going through Twitter I can piece together part of the answers:
Mid-day — Trump did not attend a conference call for which he was scheduled; VP Pence attended in his place a planned discussion about COVID-19 support for at-risk seniors.
4:11 p.m. — Press Sec McEnany released via Twitter a copy of a memo from Trump’s physician, Sean P. Conley. Conley wrote that Trump received the Regeneron infusion as a precautionary measure.
4:18 p.m. — NBC News reported President Trump has a low-grade fever.
5:19 p.m. — CNN reported Trump would be transported to Walter Reed.
6:17 p.m. — CNN’s Jim Acosta reported Trump didn’t take questions as he walked to helicopter Marine One.
Based on what little I pulled together, it looks like Trump received an experimental drug administered by IV at the White House, that he continued to experience symptoms typical of COVID-19 including a temperature, and that he was then moved to Walter Reed.
Something is still missing in this tick-tock. Why did the President of the United States receive an experimental drug? When was it administered today, or was it administered last night before/immediately after the positive test was reported? Why was he moved to Walter Reed after the infusion rather than before it was administered?
Were they waiting for the goddamned market to close before they revealed he received this drug therapy? Or that they decided to move him to Walter Reed?
Pay attention to the timing.
And note the black holes: there’s no mention of hydroxychloroquine, no mention of Gilead’s remdesivir (though this may not be administered this early in the illness and only to more seriously ill patients).
Thanks for burning the midnight oil and posting about this latest news.
This sentence brings up a couple points: “The American people deserve better transparency about the health of the person occupying the White House and whether he is or isn’t incapacitated at any time.”
First, it is a long tradition that serious conditions are withheld from the public, throughout our short history – emergency cancer surgery on ships, strokes, heart attacks, polio and imminent death (FDR). This time is different as a riled-up press is, on aggregate, is doing its best work ever. (Including you, Rayne.)
Second, which Americans ‘deserve’ anything? The 60 some odd million who voted for the Orange á Tan, or the half of the country these yahoos think are a not ‘real Americans.’
I’d argue that all deserve to know. Even the Trumpalos.
David Priess’s piece on Lawfare points out that none of us will get to know, if it can be prevented, deserving or otherwise. And if you give the Trumpalae factual information, what will they do with it? (Run it through a QAnon filter, is one obvious answer, and none of us deserve to be exposed to the kaleidoscopic logic that results.) So I have my reservations about what they deserve to know… or just plain deserve. my 2c, no refunds.
Thank you, Rayne. Pasting this from old post thread to here (discussing whether news was real or not):
This reinforces that the news is real: before it was announced (12:54am POTUS tweet), we had a show of force on our coasts:
Carl T. Bergstrom: “Possibly relevant to the timing of when POTUS tested positive: [QT below; see also rest of thread]”
https://twitter.com/CT_Bergstrom/status/1311915190674309120
Tim Hogan: “RT There’s an E-6B Mercury off the east coast near DC. I looked because I would expect them to pop up if he tests positive. It’s a message to the small group of adversaries with SLBMs and ICBMs. [image; thread]”
12:19 AM · Oct 2, 2020
https://twitter.com/TimInHonolulu/status/1311883569086623744
Tim Hogan: “Here’s another E6-B that just popped up visible on MLAT on the west coast. IMO Stratcom wants them to be seen. [image]”
…
Tim Hogan [in reply to question why this matters]: “@barney1776 @HardTruthonLife It’s the plane that has the ability to order the killing of everyone on earth if someone attacks the US with nukes in a first strike. It can talk to our missile subs under water even if DC is gone.”
An interesting factoid. Thanks for sharing it.
I had to look it up:
Couldn’t help but think when I first heard the news that this was a sympathy ploy that also gives an excuse to back out of any more debates.
I give it a 50/50 chance DJT actually had a positive test.
I wouldn’t even be sure Hope Hicks had a real positive, but the fact that this was spring by the press instead of announced by the WH makes me think hers is real.
With that getting announced, I expect there were then discussions about how to play it, and turn it to the campaign’s advantage.
Not sure if Melania got added too because of the Melania Christmas tapes that got released.
These are the first thoughts because the administration has lied so much and so often, it’s now lost all credibility. Boy who cried wolf and all…
The most disgusting thing is that, if not ending up in an ICU, by becoming a victim and then a “survivor”, it does change the game.
They were also reporting yesterday that she was symptomatic, and was quarantined on the flight back from Minnesota. Figure exposure was week before last.
Turns out Trump was, at least mildly, too on that same flight. Which puts what Marcy ruminated on a little more front and center. Who infected who?
I commented down a bit further that a WH reporter noted there were a few cases 15 days ago:
https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/10/02/october-surprise-didnt-have-covid-19-on-the-bingo-card/#comment-859842
My wife and I give it 50/50 too. Great way to change the subject from the debate, create busy work for media so they don’t get into the Biden/Logan Act/fake date scandal, keep Mrs Trump’s recording of her whining off the airwaves, give an excuse to cancel further debates, get sympathy and have a speedy ‘recovery’ and say that’s proof Covid is no big deal.
As of 3:00 a.m. ET the U.S. has had 7,309,028 confirmed COVID-19 cases — plus two more.
There have been 207,699 deaths due to COVID-19.
There are 32 days until the election.
“What other fresh surprises should we expect this month before the election?”
I got US$5 on a V.P. Pence scandal.
Also, the revelation that the hydroxychloroquine really doesn’t work too well.
Dems are crazy if they haven’t gamed out the possibility of Pence taking over, and kept a juicy revelation or two for just such an occasion.
Rayne said, “[I]t wasn’t clear when Trump and his wretched wife were tested and with what kind of test. Is this being gamed, too?”
He has been running extra boatloads crazy color up the flagpole, lately. But . . . I don’t see how quarantine fits the berserker image Trump wants The Proud Boys to salute.
And, admit it or not, Trump is still in two of the more at risk segments of the population. Hospitalization is a definite possibility for Trump.
Besides, he’s been triple-dog daring the virus to infect him the whole way through. What was he thinking??
Wait. I forgot. Trump truly thought the tanning bed was going to save him from the virus. Didn’t he? How’s that song go?
“Serve you right to suffer, Babe. Serve you right to be alone.”
Ain’t no sunshine in poorly-applied* Bronx Colors, my fren.
*Again, the surest sign that nobody loves him, that they let him leave the house that way…
The folks in whose house I live claim that any way I leave the house is a fine way for me to leave the house.
If I come back looking that way, OTOH . . . Wait. Did I bring my house keys with me? Yes. Thank heavens.
President Trump has three co-morbidities, two are being treated prior to his current illness. Newsweek confuses the POTUS’s health in their report June 20, but here are the key sentences:
President Donald Trump, who has a penchant for fast food and relies on golf for exercise, is obese and has elevated blood pressure, according to results from his annual physical exam the White House released Wednesday.
Trump takes three medications daily: rosuvastatin for cholesterol; finasteride, which is used to treat baldness; and aspirin.
At his age, he probably shouldn’t be taking finasteride. (My grandfather was bald – just a fringe at the edges. He wore a hat outside. One of his uncles was bald by his mid-thirties, and good-looking too.)
IANAD Finasteride is used to treat men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
I heard on the CBS national radio news that DJT is being injected with “an experimental cocktail” of antivirals. So, even now the WH has no idea what they’re doing. Others have noticed that there was no call into Faux News, and on the one calendar item today (as noted elsewhere here) Pence stood in for DJT, so it seems pretty clear this is 1) quite serious and 2) probably been going on for some time but being kept secret until Hicks’ positive had been published in the press.
It is also apparent that there was collateral damage in terms of exposure and positive tests, so far it seems all are GOP.
Where is the hydroxychloroquine when you need it?
One other thing that sits weirdly: the identification of dear Hope Hicks as the public face ‘source’ of the disease, because they have a history of publicly identifying females close to toxic males as COVID ‘sources’ (like Katie Miller) (IMO, then, that was a PR gambit. Not whether she had it, but where she got it/like she was the only West Winger with it/ all press focused on her). It’s a response-softener, and they’ve never met a Fox-y, manipulative ploy that they didn’t like.
Let’s hope they are compliant with contract tracing efforts (after thwarting our national security in so many ways with their foolishness).
Kimberly Guilfoyle was the other main female-adjacent-to-prominent-toxic-male I was thinking of, whose dx they pushed out to the press.
Well, remember Kimberly had her own little press disclosue last evening:
“Fox News paid Kimberly Guilfoyle’s former assistant $4 million after sexual harassment accusations, New Yorker reports”
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/01/media/kimberly-guilfoyle-fox-allegations/index.html
Ooh, I remember when @Yashar broke this story and got hammered for it. Lots of stories coming back full circle lately…
Jane Mayer story
https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1311853990825521153
10:22 PM · Oct 1, 2020
Today’s report is by Jane Mayer, not the self promoting Yashar trying to step on it.
Mayer credits Ali herself in the article:
It’s quite a long paragraph.
And Ali credits Mayer in the tweet I reproduced above.
He is still an asshole
Fine.
The New Yorker does not like private browsing mode, so I’ve only read a snippet of Mayer’s story so far (the rest will have to wait until I am up for browser wrangling, lol).
[Yashar broke the sexual harassment allegations as part of the real story of Guilfoyle leaving Fox in 2018 in HuffPo, I was referring to. Mayer has substantially updated it, as I understand.]
ETA: overlapped/didn’t see the additional comments. Anyway, that was just my point about things coming full circle, as seems the case with a lot of other reporting these days.
Thank goodness it is not the flu.
lol!
Rayne is right, there is a realistic chance it’s a scam. Could be he wants to ‘prove’ a miracle cure in a couple days, or maybe his strategists want to get the microphones away from the bleeding, open wound that is his mouth?
Eh, I dunno. If Trump merely wanted to step back and away from the next debate, the exposure to known carrier Hope Hick alone would have been sufficient basis. Trump and Melania personally testing positive is a bad look for him, so my guess is it is probably real.
I agree. He is not faking. It would be like faking failure on that cognitive evaluation he endlessly bragged about.
There was no emotional investment for him in the bone spurs result. This is a con he could not accept. I think, if anything, he would deny an asymptomatic result for as long as possible.
We simply cannot believe any words that Donald Trump speaks, tweets or sneezes.
This is the best way possible for a coward to back out of the remaining debates. Go to oval office and entrench full time with Roger Stone, proud boys, and other co-conspirators.
What other president of the United States of America has ever received a get well soon telegram from Putin???
To wit: “I am certain that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with this dangerous virus,” Putin said, according to Russian media.
**good spirits and optimism** ???
Give me a break. **grumble**
There is a pattern to his lies. Faking a medical result is consistent, he’s been doing it all his life.
But faking a positive COVID result makes as much sense as faking a positive Hepatitis C result. If he wanted out, it would be something else.
“ We simply cannot believe any words that Donald Trump speaks, tweets or sneezes.”
Like Mary McCarthy said about Lillian Hellman:
every word she writes is a lie, including “And” and “The”
Here’s a transcript of Trump talking with Hannity about Hicks:
https://twitter.com/brikeilarcnn/status/1311851618820911106
10:12 PM · Oct 1, 2020
[AUDIO with photos of Hicks scrolling]
The timeline of the rollout, and of their actions during this period is really troubling.
[And that is the case whether or not anyone actually tested positive.]
THIS is actually the correct link to the audio…[OY!]
https://twitter.com/ccadelago/status/1311848981111214080
10:02 PM · Oct 1, 2020
“and they come over to you and they, they wanna hug you and they wanna kiss you because we really have done a good job for ‘em. And, you get close and things happen.”
Just curious. Has Trump EVER heard of consent before hugging and kissing?
Trump thinks that’s more imaginary than unicorns.
Here’s the exchange from the debate:
Here’s Trump’s announcement:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1311892190680014849
12:54 AM · Oct 2, 2020
Here’s a screenshot of the doctor’s note:
https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/1311895947211935760
1:09 AM · Oct 2, 2020
Dr.’s note [transcribed] via AP:
He’ll have so much more time to watch Fox and send out lying tweets.
Inveterate spin. “Convalescence” usually describes the period after the illness has run its course, and one is on the mend. To use the word of persons who have only just begun the race is kinda specious, but clearly the doctor is under orders to suggest that Trump the Mighty has already beaten back the virus (as Canute turned back the tide).
Via Laura Rozen, a Brazilian journalist:
https://twitter.com/Rkrahenbuhl/status/1311908617612857348
1:59 AM · Oct 2, 2020
Links to:
https://twitter.com/Rkrahenbuhl/status/1306243228631527425
10:47 AM · Sep 16, 2020
Some other things that happened yesterday:
1] https://twitter.com/ScottMStedman/status/1311749435395772416
3:26 PM · Oct 1, 2020
2] The Secret History of Kimberly Guilfoyle’s Departure from Fox
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-secret-history-of-kimberly-guilfoyles-departure-from-fox Jane Mayer
October 1, 2020
Melania on AUDIO:
3] https://twitter.com/mattmfm/status/1311835962410967044
9:10 PM · Oct 1, 2020
Melania also complains about having to celebrate Christmas.
I’m inclined to agree with Melania about the “Christmas stuff” which starts going on sale right after Labor Day and seems to get more crappy and overblown every year. Plus, who really needs to be bombarded with two months of canned Christmas songs everywhere you go? But that’s a whole other topic.
Yes.
But the point is when
Trump lied, cheated and stole his way into the POTUS position,
Melania was relegated to the FLOTUS position.
And decorating the WH goes with that.
Besides, it’s an OUTRAGE that
MELANIA is a soldier in the WAR ON CHRISTMAS?
lol!
Neighbor has already put out a (brightly lit) Christmas wreath. ‘Tis the season?
{Really just makes it seem like this past year FLEW by.)
It feels like we should already have had Christmas at least once, this year has been so long.
It’s more for me that summer is gone (so fast!) and we are back to scary winter again.
It still seems quite summer like here. Funny thing is, so much of the media ruminates over concern that there will be an uptick on Covid because winter will horde people indoors and into closer quarters, the opposite is true here. It may not be here yet, but soon enough the cooler weather will mean people can get out of their air conditioned environs and out in the open. This is actually a huge thing as outdoor dining will finally be doable.
But whoo boy, allergy season is descending fast, and that always sucks.
We are deep into summer here in the Bay Area. It has been in the 90’s all week. And really smoky
90s sounds nice, even with the smoke. It’s 107 in my neighborhood – fourth day of over-100.
Temps are wildly vacillating here — even had some nights in the 40s/50s before back to AC weather, then neutral. *But the dew point is sometimes a reasonable number*, which is the best. Goldenrod & ragweed galore, tho.
That’s one of the more frustrating aspects of this pandemic, that MSM is always leaving some (huge) part of the country out of their hard narratives. Or they center on a couple of states, erasing the rest (even within a given storyline). The real stories will take some time to tell, assuming it all doesn’t get reduced further from the distilled highlights of what’s “true” or “happening”.
Be careful with that outdoor dining, there is a + risk even there with non-household members. Not to be a buzzkill… enjoy your fresh air! In lonely isolation, though.
I’m hoping winter here won’t be as bad as anticipated (doesn’t mean I won’t be on edge over it, though) (hospitals are already packed with overflow into the ERs like how flu season is, I assume due to catch-up care for other things. That _does_ concern me for sake of HCW. Flu-season-like censuses are not sustainable for long periods. I hope they catch a break before any real flu/COVID season). Plus Biden’s National Mask Mandate is looking a lot more appealing now, I bet.
A couple of our favorite local places have huge and open outdoor patios where we would probably feel pretty safe. But, yeah, I hear you.
Allergy season ending soon here. Frost and snow have a way of knocking down allergens.
https://www.upmatters.com/local-news-2/first-snow-of-the-season-falls-in-the-upper-peninsula/
Lol, we can’t even get rain lately.
https://twitter.com/CfaAlan/status/1289558236907966465?s=20
John Oliver on “Stupid Watergate”
”Four days ago, which is equivalent to 150 years in 2017 time…“
“I really don’t care. Do you?” – Melania’s Jacket
Be Best.
Better yet, Be Bested in the upcoming election.
I thought it was interesting how poor her English is (“they are being teached” twice in one conversation) except when she’s cursing.
Sen. Chris Murphy raising the alarm:
4] https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1311772832234385409
4:59 PM · Oct 1, 2020
5] The RatFvcker / Proud Boy / Parscale [etc] SAGA continues apace.
Next installment:
The Florida director of a pro-Trump Latino group is the chairman of the Proud Boys
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/us/elections/the-florida-director-of-a-pro-trump-latino-group-is-the-chairman-of-the-proud-boys.html
Oct. 2, 2020, 7:53 a.m.
6] ALSO, there’s the continuing New York Times serial
“REVEALED: Trump Cheats on his Taxes”
…or maybe TRUMP DEF
eUNDS AMERICA…Karma! Next October surprise could be Trump dies from this Covid, and Pence is elected President.
Yeah, let’s not go there on this blog, mmkay?
I’m originally from Indiana, and Pence was horrible. I was not implying that Pence would be better than Trump. No way. Biden for President! I was just answering Rayne’s question about another surprise for October.
There is something about Pence; can’t stand looking at him. So rigid in manner, too rigid, self righteous; a Stepford Husband.
As Bill the Cat would say “**Aacckk**”
Pence always reminds me of The Man from Glad.
IF TRUMP is elected, it wouldn’t be surprising if Christie, a formal prosecutor, is named Attorney General. Gingrich would be perfect as Trump’s full-time attack dog.
You aren’t the only one…
http://www.davidmaril.com/index.php?post_id=16&title=%E2%80%8Bdonald-trump-picks-‘the-man-from-glad’-as-his-running-mate
Mike Pence and the Man From Glad: which is which?
The last thing we need is St. Donald the MAGA-Martyr.
That would be truly awful.
But, because we don’t know if he actually has tested positive,
we won’t know if he actually recovers…
but they’ll CROW about it anyway:
“STRONGEST.RECOVERY.EVER!”
MAGA
On the other side of that, a mild illness, Trump will crow and tout the benefits of taking hydroxy chloroquine.
Actually, as a statement on how dishonest this WH is, I wouldn’t put it past the campaign to have come up with this report as a reason to cancel the other two debates without making DJT look like a chicken for doing so. It’s in line with how they do things, and there is no bottom for WH or GOP conduct. As noted above, the first thing DJT did when Hope Hicks tested positive was to blame the military and law enforcement personnel (almost as a reflex) as the source.
Arguing against the idea of a rope-a-dope play here is that IIRC we have had reports dribbling out of Secret Service members being positive, Mar-A-Lago people, some lower level WH types, etc. all coming up positive, including Stephen Miller’s new wife Katie. So, there has been a buzzing around of flies for a while in the WH.
As for Pence, let’s remember that even as a GOP governor in deep-red Indiana he was so unpopular in 2016 that he didn’t even run for re-election at all, and that was well before DJT named him to the ticket. No one outside of the Dominionists likes Pence.
But, I’ll bet there is a
Pence / Amy Coney-Barrett Mutual Admiration Society.
POSITIVE at NOTRE DAME
https://twitter.com/jackmjenkins/status/1312068942157025280
12:36 PM · Oct 2, 2020
Here’s one PHOTO showing some of the people at the Rose Garden announcement that day: https://twitter.com/Zachary_Cohen/status/1309970004809519104
5:36 PM · Sep 26, 2020
New at WaPo:
Supreme Court nominee diagnosed with coronavirus this summer but has since recovered
https://twitter.com/scotusreporter/status/1312077859742248962
1:11 PM · Oct 2, 2020
Kyle Cheney has a photo showing Jenkins on Saturday and his relative location to Mike Lee:
https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1312072475497435143
Here’s NYCSouthpaw with VIDEO and more info:
https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/1312064332306542592
12:18 PM · Oct 2, 2020
Welp, this is one of those ‘where were you when’ this moment in history happened…
Glad you all are here.
Likewise, Eureka! :-)
“moment” is doing a lot of work here. Like about 7 months that feels like 7 years worth of work. Still, if you have to live through such a “moment”, you couldn’t ask for better company.
lol, Ken, I’ve put tildes to harder work than that. Call it a culmination … but as long as we’re counting, let’s make that nine months (with seven months more of a social experience).
For some weird reason, this is giving me a panic attack. Yes, this feels branded in the memory cells now. I’m trying to decide which would calm me down more: cutting the grass or taking a shower. Oof!
But I’m so glad all of you are here!
That’s not weird!, (((Savage Librarian)))
(I can’t believe that would even be a choice! lol!)
“choice” meaning “mower or shower.”..
Only mow the lawn if you’re well hydrated and have sturdy-toed shoes — (if so, ) then you have the shower, after, too!
I’ve decided to forgo sleep and type stuff on the internet under the influence of antihistamines — high allergy season!
Ha, ha, I wore my sturdy toe shoes! Now I’m too pooped to panic. The benefits of grass cutting: I get to use the weed whacker; the aromatherapy enhancement; the elimination of the need to pay fees to the gym for exercise; the ability to save some cash for that rainy day; free vitamin D; the satisfaction of crossing off something on my to-do list.
Whew! Shower next! Thank y’all.
Probably little chance that the first couple’s COVID-19 positive status will reverse, or at least tamp down, trump’s not so subtle efforts to make voting by mail as difficult as possible.
Here’s a better place for it, but pestilence is one of the ways that the Lord teaches the law to kings (wars being another). Or, karma has struck. Anyhow it was first reported as Hope Hicks only, but Kayleigh exposed reporters yesterday knowing she had been exposed. This makes it intentional and IIRC from the AIDS crisis, one can be prosecuted for knowingly exposing others to diseases.
As for scandals involving Pence, they are there to be found given how much he has lied to the American people and let’s not forget he is the one responsible for Education Secretary DeVos by being the tiebreaking vote if you want one focus point.
They are all going to vote by mail, and long have.
Trump is just working on furthering the ‘Herd Mentality’ (sic) in the White House.
Incubation period for COVID-19 is between 2-14 days. It would be interesting to contact trace Hicks and Trump. Hicks might be the most likely vector to Trump, but they do mingle in similar campaign circles. And even if you can’t trace the disease path from Hicks (or Trump) backwards at least you can ID a LARGE quarantine set. The most recent fundraiser mingle is a no brainer.
Most photos show them without masks or social distancing.
In 2017, I heard news people saying that it wasn’t a good idea for Trump to attach the intelligence community – they have lots of ways of getting even. I thought that even if Trump/Barr pull off an October surprise, another scandal would instantly appear implicating Trump. It’d be an “Access Hollywood” in reverse. And not just the IC, but other branches of government will be leaking in October. We’ll have more leaks as damning as he Russian Bounties scandal, or the “suckers & losers” scandal, etc..
Covid I did not anticipate. One of the things I hate most in the age of Trump is that conspiracy theory thinking is easier. I suspect the covid story is true, but I can understand why people might think it’s a distraction. Nobody would’ve thought that about Eisenhower’s heart attack.
It will be interesting to see if this results in a bump in the polls for Trump. If you really wanted to get conspiracy-minded, you might wonder whether the WH staff planned to deliberately expose the President to COVID-19 as a way of getting him into quarantine and away from any more public venues such as the first debate where he made such a poor showing. But no, the risks would be too great.
Pence Tests Negative For The Coronavirus After Trump’s Positive Case
https://www.npr.org/sections/latest-updates-trump-covid-19-results/2020/10/02/919454264/pence-tests-negative-for-the-coronavirus-after-trumps-positive-case
Pence needs to quarantine and continue to get tested for the next 14 days, according to all the talking stethoscopes on TV
Trump’s test sparks fears of spread: Here’s who he met in last week
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/519310-trumps-test-sparks-fears-of-spread-heres-who-he-met-in-last-week
NBC “Breaking News”: Trump has “Mild symptoms” (that news had been dribbling out earlier, not sure their basis for “Breaking” just now 9:44am)
Added NBC “Breaking:”
Ronna Romney McDaniel Positive, along with another of her family members: she is in MI.
re: McDaniel 927am:
Maggie Haberman:: “BREAKING – Ronna McDaniel, the RNC chairwoman, tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, multiple sources say. She has mild symptoms. She was last with POTUS last Friday and has been in Michigan since then.”
https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1312021288894988289
927am re Trump:
AP Politics: “BREAKING: President Trump is experiencing “mild symptoms” of COVID-19 after revealing that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus. A White House official said the president was working from the White House residence. [link]”
https://twitter.com/AP_Politics/status/1312026370529255424
Not any substantive info/details scanning that article; Dilanian live on MSNBC now, will update if any new info.
Also looks like NYT was first to report this, so maybe more there:
838am:
Maggie Haberman: “Trump is said to have minor symptoms. He was lethargic at the Bedminster fundraiser, per an attendee. As of last night, officials were discussing treatment options as well as options for addressing the nation. [link]”
https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1312009038775955457
First, adjusting the tinfoil…consider this speculative but remember there is no bottom for GOP conduct.
So, from this report it seems that DJT was symptomatic before releasing the info. Given the 2-14 day incubation period, he may have been infected before Tuesday’s debate (and since he wasn’t symptomatic yet as far as we know) he may (may) have kept it secret so no one would say “I told you so”. I do recall several rallies where DJT’s lack of mask wearing was a topic for the press, and being told then that his testing and distance from the (also non-masked) crowd meant he was safe. I think the theory that the purpose was to fluster Biden explains why the debate went ahead anyway, and that failed. Biden’s had too much experience dealing with GOP idiots in Congress to be fazed by anything DJT tossed out there. So, now DJT needed a reason to torpedo the remaining debates (and is Pence-Harris still on for Wednesday?) and this was tailor made to rebuff charges of cowardice which is in line with DJT’s reluctance in going to Vietnam.
After the debate, the slow rollout that DJT was infected began with Hope Hicks and now DJT and Melania. FWIW, I think Melania is being set up for some kind of blame with the release of the Christmas tapes noted by others here but I really can’t think of what that blame might be since she’s generally less likely to hobnob with the LEOs and military DJT blamed for Hicks’ infection.
I’ve heard similar speculation from several sources, ie that Trump wants to avoid the debates and is faking illness. If what I’ve read is true, he’s expected to quarantine in the WH residence. I fail to see how that furthers his interests, since remaining in relative isolation for 2 weeks at least would be disastrous for his campaign.
Also, the book Melania’s former aide wrote was published in September. The timing is probably pure coincidence.
Damn it. I wonder where Romney McDaniel was before she was with POTUS last Friday. If she’d been in Michigan, will Trump find some way to blame his COVID on “that woman in Michigan” though her handling of the pandemic has saved many lives.
(Lost track of which say was which with this: if she wasn’t at Saturday SCOTUS annoucement, that *might* tip focus away from her (but I know, they’ll propagandize vs Whitmer any way they can)
^ botched edit: anyway, I see your concern, esp. given their track record for blaming women (as COVID ‘sources’, and as targets, period). Heck, I could even see RRMcD “taking” the blame/piloting the story. But I think at this point, with all the facts, that such a ploy wouldn’t stick this time (besides with the MAGAs and gun nuts who actually caused these problems).
—
*^ 148p which “day” not “say”
bmaz links to Piers Morgan, writing:
Links to:
https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1311910278800584704
2:05 AM · Oct 2, 2020
AND they’re also no worse than he is, Piers.
See this from exactly [!!] 4 years ago today:
https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/782673397952094208
4:07 PM · Oct 2, 2016
I also note that RATFVCKER was promoting this approach GREATLY at the time.
Piers is a disgrace to journalism and the UK as a prototypical upper class twit. Monty Python had a sketch on it. He carries less weight than Farage in public opinion.
It really doesn’t matter.
His role is to Propagate the Propaganda to Rile the Religious.
Countryside, a definition: the killing of Piers Morgan
That was one of Stephen Fry’s contributions to “Uxbridge English Dictionary” which is a regular segment of the BBC radio show, “I’m Sorry, I Haven’t a Clue.” The show dates back to 1973 and featured regulars Graham Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor (RIP – taken from us by COVID), Barry Cryer, Willie Rushton (RIP) and Humphrey Lyttleton (RIP). The show has continued on with guests taking panel spots of now deceased regulars and Jack Dee was installed as chairman following the loss of Humph.
Edit: Forgot to mention the piano accompaniment of Colin Sell.
Here’s a (broken by spaces) link to a recent episode:
https://www. bbc.co.uk /sounds/play/m0001hkc
Recently broadcast, but recorded before the dreaded ‘Rona virus.
I guess this news confirms crotch to hand transmission of Covid-19
It is not clear to me, was Trump tested for the debate? If so, was the testing done by the Cleveland Clinic?
No President, much less Trump, would ever allow outside third party medical testing.
I asked because local media addressed protocols set by the debate comission and The Cleveland Clinic but there was never clarification how candidates protocols were carried out:
https://www.cleveland.com/open/2020/09/required-coronavirus-test-for-all-media-covering-clevelands-presidential-debate-a-sign-of-pandemic-times.html
Seriously? An honor system?
https://mobile.twitter.com/AndrewKirell/status/1312121190597586944
“Chris Wallace just said on Fox that Trump arrived too late in Cleveland to have been tested by the clinic and that there was an “honor system” for the candidates to have arrived after already testing negative.”
At this point there is no evidence that the Trumps are either positive or negative for Covid-19. While we may learn the truth eventually, it’s the same old story with this crew. We will have to wait until either verifiable sources provide the information or somebody ends up on a ventilator.
Keep in mind, Parscale has bombed out of the campaign and the guy who has taken his place cooked up Bridgegate.
Christie and Giuliani were on Trump’s debate prep team whose strategy appeared to be less discuss the issues than create enough distraction and disruption to force Biden to stutter, stammer, lose his train of thought or temper so they could run disparaging ads about Biden’s fitness for office. (The irony!) That didn’t work.
So bring in the clowns: Stepien, Christie, Trump, and Giuliani.
Don’t bother, they’re here.
That Trump is giving up his superspreader events for 10-14 days does lead one to believe there’s some truth to the diagnoses.
Tell me, exactly what benefit would it be to Trump to announce this if not true?
If there was a strategy for fake medical test results, there are a million he could choose that were less potentially damaging for him.
He could fake a broken ankle and spend October in the Rose Garden yelling into TV cameras before a crowd of adoring fans.
This is a real result, and if anything the fact that he is admitting anything means it is potentially serious.
I’m wondering if the attending at WRMC will do a comprehensive adjustment to his meds (whatever they really are). He sure needs it!
The freedom brigade would get a huge boost if their manly president was to contract covid and successfully keep it at bay. A huge win for the “open everything and get back to work” Governors and their supporters. But it would work better if everyone around him wasn’t also infected, especially his wife, so I doubt it’s fake.
As a grift, though, there’s definitely a play that could be made.
This is exactly what he’ll try to do anyway. However, even with mild symptoms, he’s going to be tired and lethargic, and probably ache-y, for a good two-to-three weeks. That takes us to within 14 days of the election. As well, even a partial recovery will (hopefully) bleed off some of the sympathy vote, putting things back where they stood before. It also gives some voters time to think about the disease itself, and the way in which the Administration has responded to it, compared to the rest of the world.
I remain skeptical about the public’s response. We only need to look at the UK and how they responded to Boris Johnson coming down with COVID; Britons didn’t rally to remove him after his own gross mishandling caused his own illness and the deaths of so many Britons.
I think so many voters have already figured out where they stand that this doesn’t move percentages much one way or the other. Short of going into a hospital in a week with an uncertain recovery, it reinforces what they already know or think they know.
Exactly!
Seriously, what mental processes has someone got going on when they are currently “undecided” about their choice between Trump and Biden?
If he is a rational person, very little. But for the Republican party a lot. Suppose those reports of former Vice President Biden’s commanding and widening lead are close to what would happen on election day, along with the accompanying blue wave of senate and house seats. The party has to hope for a miracle in 2022 to keep from being devastated. This way, President Trump is sidelined and the party can try to rebound.
Well I can think of one, in Pa the Republicans are trying to pass an “Election Integrity Board” giving them a subpoena power to examine ballots During the election as brought out on Rachel Maddow last night. She also said many Red states are waiting on the Pennsylvania result and could similarly enact their own “Integrity” Boards. So if you want to detract from such a story, or other similar stories of R’s trying to influence the election, you create a distraction. Not saying this is the case, but you can’t rule it out, because the PA story suddenly isn’t in the news and that works for the R’s, in either case, whether it was a matter of design or simply dumb luck that it happened this way.
Naw, that is not enough. They are doing that kind of stuff everywhere, and have been for quite a while.
As things have evolved, the positive is true, so now the question goes to who knew what and when.
Yep.
Marcy:
https://twitter.com/emptywheel/status/1312007776164511744
8:33 AM · Oct 2, 2020
Does this mean that it was actually TRUMP
hugging those BIG MILITARY and POLICE GUYS
who are always crying when they meet him
because he makes them FEEL SO HAPPY?
This is what I’m talking about, but I guess maybe all those tears haven’t yet been cried by Military and Police:
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1311644171241951233
8:28 AM · Oct 1, 2020
As somebody pointed out before, this sounds like the line-up of the Village People.
“It’s fun to go to the Y-M-C-A!” – -Trump Campaign Song
And…”In the Nay-Veee”
Well I would like to care but I don’t. Then on the bright side he can try all those hair brain cures he threw out to his true believers.
Yep. Bleach injections and UV light enemas for the lot of them. STAT!
I’m sure Dems in Washington are working on how bad news for this administration could be become good news for our country if those involved in the nomination process of Ms Barrett are included in the list of people exposed?
from the CNN timeline: “Wednesday, September 30: Visit to Minnesota
The President and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met in the Oval Office Wednesday morning. Mnuchin then went to Capitol Hill and meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in person for 90 minutes”
crap crap crap
Mnuchin has tested negative.
Testing negative does not mean much. A PCR test administered to early will not catch the virus, and even timely tests have high fale-negative rates. NO test is universally reliable, which is one of many reasons why the more testing we do, the more we know; and as long as the virus maintains its dominion in this country, we must continue rational mitigation policies.
However, redundant, daily testing does in that even if you have a 20% false negative on any given test, testing even 3 times means 1 chance in 125 that all three are negative.
Or, one can look at it using a geometric distribution model (looking for a first signal) where the expected value for first positive is really the first sample, and no later than the second.
However, I was just reading today on CNN that test accuracy and frequency aside, the infection can wait some 14 days to become detectable. This goes to GdiB’s point about, a “test administered too* early will not catch the virus”.
*fixed that
CRAP!
At least Pelosi is pretty good about wearing a mask regularly. I hope she and her staff have been skeptical all along about the risk of exposure from executive branch personnel.
Tillis has tested positive.
“It is what it is because you are who you are” – – BIDEN [to TRUMP]
The Bedminster Bigwigs:
https://twitter.com/schwartzbCNBC/status/1312044438429073408
10:59 AM · Oct 2, 2020
Bedminster Township is in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, which since 2018, for the FIRST TIME in more than 30 years, is being represented by a Democrat: Tom Malinowski.
THIS is how his Legacy Opponent, Junior Tom Kean and the NRCC are attacking Malinowski:
https://twitter.com/Malinowski/status/1311350377594474497
1:01 PM · Sep 30, 2020
This turn of events is completely terrifying.
[Meant to tell you I’d seen something the other day on the horrible ads you’d mentioned]
—
Also saw in threaded reply to first tweet that you posted (@1112a) that the RNC appears to be in *no hurry* to return the Bedminster bigwigs’ calls.
It is what it is…
Malinowski / Riggleman Resolution passes in The House:
https://twitter.com/Malinowski/status/1312106156043591680
3:04 PM · Oct 2, 2020
More detail:
https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1312068697981423616
^^^^ That’s the same NRCC Chair EMMER who ordered the ad in the first place!
See:
QAnon Amplified A Republican Attack On This Member Of Congress. Now He’s Facing Death Threats.
The House Republican campaign committee [EMMER] falsely accused Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski of protecting sexual predators. “They knew exactly what they were doing,” he said. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/sarahmimms/malinowski-qanon-republican-ad-false-sexual-predator-claims Last updated on September 30, 2020
“the House voted 371-18 to pass my resolution condemning QAnon”
There were 18 sitting Congresscritters that voted against condemning the Q lunacy. May they reap as they sow. A$$holes
The Malinowski / Riggleman Resolution against QANON and the conspiracies they spread passed in the House.
More here:
https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1312068697981423616
12:35 PM · Oct 2, 2020
“GOP Leaders McCarthy, Scalise, Cheney and NRCC Chair Emmer all voted Yes”
EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE THE ONES STARTING THE CONSPIRACIES!!!
Malinowski’s Republican counterpart Denver Riggleman [Va] was primaried out of his seat in June by Bob Good who bills himself as a “Biblical conservative”.
Here’s an article from 9/1 about how he’s spending his campaign money, and how it regurgitates the toxicity of the RNCC’s ads., slightly different focus.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-condemn-bob-good-ad-showing-opponent-cameron-webb-against-images-of-rioting-as-racist-dog-whistle/ar-BB18By5z
In the “things that are being drowned out while Trump might be sick” file: Yesterday the Michigan Attorney General indicted that wackadoodle scammer, Wurfel (sp?) and his pal for a fraudulent phone scam in which they robocalled selected (meaning “non-white”) neighborhoods to fraudulently deter voting by warning that voting by mail would be used to decipher voter personal info and increase the risk of ICE, warrant enforcement and/or other generally scary and adverse consequences. Truly shameful — with an emphasis on how these geniuses put their own name on the robocalls and claimed they were being set up, but Michigan law enforcement happened to have a “robocall division” in place which tracked the calls to their own phones, and have identified more than 85,000 calls. And over multiple states, not just in Michigan.
Question: Where is the United States Department of Justice? The “multiple states” bit makes this an absolute gimme for Federal wire fraud charges, doesn’t it? Is there no member of the DOJ with enough integrity to aid in publicly shutting down and prosecuting such a widespread attack upon the integrity of a national election? Where is the letter from Congress to William Barr, demanding action — and threatening impeachment should he refuse to act? How can the DOJ defend inaction in the face of this? The Michigan AG, when interviewed and asked what these fraudsters were thinking responded, in essence, that it looked like they were this brazen because there had been no real consequence to any of their litany of stupid deceptions, so they just figured they could get away with anything. Are they right, Mr. Barr? A month before an election it’s not worth weighing in against this type of voter deterrence (and these guys apparently did the same thing in 2016, calling/threatening more potential voters than the ultimate margin of Trump’s 2016 electoral victory in Michigan, by the way).
Trump can remain sick, Trump can get well. But while time elapses to the finish line, maybe the people charged with running the Federal government can pretend they care if campaigns and elections are conducted with some degree of integrity.
Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman. I could never remember their names either, even after lo! these many scams, until these two geniuses helpfully put them right on the script for this one. Now I can only pray to live long enough to forget them.
I do find AG Barr’s lack of interest in Wohl and Burkman’s wire fraud to be (ahem) curious like I do about Project Veritas’ antics. However, it will be the states of California and Michigan that will lock up these bozos (no offense intended to Bozo himself apparently Willard Scott did him for 3 years, as well as Ronald McDonald) unless of course AG Barr intervenes to preempt them with a federal case of interstate fraud.
Certainly he can be prosecuted by state authorities. But it’s the United States Department of Justice that has nationwide responsibilities to the United States Constitution here. It’s Congress that has responsibilities to the United States Constitution here and oversight responsibilities over the DOJ.
Sure, Wohl (sorry Mr. Wurfel, whoever you may be, for the mistake) was just a funloving ratfucker scandalous fraudster lying to and threatening voters — like Don Segretti for Nixon, right? But Donald Segretti was prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice during Watergate, did time in Federal prison for violating Federal criminal statutes to interfere with a Presidential election. Even though he worked during the reign of an Attorney General who himself did time in Federal prison for contemporaneous crimes. So I wonder about resigning ourselves to the presumption that this era’s John Mitchell — Bill Barr — can’t be called upon to enforce federal law because he might not do it because he believes he’s above the law and he believes it’s his right to ignore criminal activity that he judges to be in the President’s best interests. That’s the point. That’s why every Republican on the Hill should have the opportunity to sign a letter demanding he do so, and asked to explain themselves if they won’t on these current facts. Just my opinion. The opportunity to exhibit some backbone here should be afforded to our illustrious representatives, even as the President’s helicopter is moving him to Walter Reed, and even if that’s only to finish up that partial physical exam.
I saw on Twitter that Jacob Wohl is out on bond for a case in California and this new incident violates his bond.
IANAL, so I’m not sure if that is accurate, but I emailed the Riverside, CA district attorney’s office just in case.
I’m interested to see what happens
In many jurisdictions (for instance here in AZ state courts), commission of another felony while on release/bond for a prior felony case is a violation of release and you presumptively get remanded to custody. Although I have practiced in CA a bit, never encountered this issue, but this seems to be the applicable statute.
I seem to recall hearing about cases in CA where someone was released and promptly committed another felony, getting taken back into custody. There was one earlier this year, where someone who was released because of the virus promptly got caught again (for the same crime they’d been in jail for).
That is a pretty common standard. Mandatory some places. I just can’t say for sure in CA.
What a time to be alive… I’m so glad I didn’t die in my sleep last night. The crazypants ceo of the company I work for pals around with these people too.
Odds that Trump declares himself completely cured in two weeks by Trump© brand hydroxocloroquin?
TrumpBleach or TrumpLights, maybe using those LED hats I’m seeing on late night TV for curing baldness?
Mmmm, are they insertable into the body?
Asking for a president …
Define “good outcome”? My mileage may vary…
Trump on the corona-virus September 21st: “But it affects virtually nobody.”
add Sen. Mike Lee to the list (per his tweet 1142am– it’s a screenshot of text):
https://twitter.com/SenMikeLee/status/1312055257992753152
Can’t read this tweet with the link given. Don’t know what you mean by “add to the list”, but…it’s just been reported that Mike Lee has just revealed a postive test diagnosis.
The link works fine for me, just re-checked it. “Add to the list” of positive cases cascading through the news.
Speaking of same, here is another positive individual exposed to their social network (an attendee of the Saturday SCOTUS announcement):
Eric Feigl-Ding: “BREAKING: SCOTUS announcement attendee, Notre Dame President Reverend John Jenkins, who attended WH rose garden announcement on Saturday, tests #COVID19 positive now too. Like many others at #SCOTUS nom event, did not wear a mask and shook hands with many people. [screenshot; thread]”
https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1312071252132200448
Eric Feigl-Ding thread cont:
“2) Others in attendance:
Hope Hicks (POSITIVE)
Donald Trump (POSITIVE)
Melania Trump (POSITIVE)
Senator Mike Lee (POSITIVE)
Amy Coney Barrett (NEGATIVE)
Other WH staff at the #SCOTUS event??? #COVID19”
—-
Adding: text of that separate Mike Lee tweet:
Yesterday morning, I was experiencing symptoms consistent with longtime
allergies. Out of an abundance of caution, I sought medical advice and
was tested for Covid-19. Unlike the test I took just a few days ago while
visiting the White House, yesterday’s test came back positive. On advice of
the Senate attending physician, I will remain isolated for the next 10 days.
Like so many other Utahns, I will now spend part of 2020 working from
home. I have spoken with Leader McConnell and Chairman Graham, and
assured them I will be back to work in time to join my Judiciary Committee
colleagues in advancing the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy
Coney Barrett in the Committee and then to the full Senate.
MIKE LEE
US SENATOR for UTAH
I can read the link now, but couldn’t twice before, so something mysteriously cleared up.
Michael Moore was busy on his podcast spinning theories about how Trump can take advantage of his new diagnosis. Among the more paranoid ones was that he’ll have to postpone the election because now he’s unable to campaign…
Did Moore clarify that the conspiracy theory that Trump could delay the election has already been debunked? I find Moore to be more harm than help since 2008.
No he didn’t, and this was just one of a few strands of spaghetti he was throwing out there.
Doesn’t mean Trump won’t give it a try anyway.
What did Moore do in 2008 that causes you to feel that way?
My fear of the moment is that Trump will have mild symptoms which will resolve quickly and will lend more strength to his “it’s not a big deal” deflection.
BTW, just reported that Biden has tested negative. As noted below, it’s early and he (and everyone else who tests negative) will need to test again after some time passes…
Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story was okay, but there were a couple HUGE opportunities right smack in the middle of the film which he never picked up and ran with after making the film as the foreclosure crisis deepened. One of the story arcs in his film was framed on an Indiana family who lost their home. As I watched the film in the theater I damned near yelled out loud when a screen shot of mortgage documents came up — the foreclosure was likely fraudulent along with the mortgage itself. And nothing happened. He made a film featuring their pain and he did nothing but observe it and make money off their loss. Fuck Moore.
Yeah, sadly that is starting to go around again. Michael Moore is a pain in the ass; like Bill Maher, I wish he would just go away.
I will say this though, I do not expect it will come into play, but there is no method for substituting a different candidate on the ballot, especially when voting is already substantially underway.
People need to remember there are 50+ elections — each state + territories.
The jungle drums in my network report that AGs are already preparing for numerous potential issues — mail weirdness, ballots delayed, voters feeling threatened… The A.G.s are not going to roll over for the clown parade rolling out of the WH.
And Bill Barr can’t do much about the fact that A.G.s are **state** officers. They don’t answer to Barr; they answer to their own state constituents. Moore needs to grasp that and explain it to his listeners.
(Good luck being an A.G. who can’t protect the voting process in your own state. How would you hope to be re-elected if you couldn’t even protect the basic voting rights of your citizens — who pay your salary? That dog may hunt in Georgia, but it won’t hunt in most other states.)
Meanwhile, I haven’t seen news today of Trump paying only $750 in income tax.
I just want to now that there are enough GOP Senators tested positive to not be able to vote for Barrett
WaPo now reporting that Coney Barret had it over the summer
111pm:
https://twitter.com/costareports/status/1312077786744532992
Hey this is a first, I had to delete a post that was going through the 5-minute wait when I read this.
This certainly begs the question now of how easy it is to get reinfected…
It has certainly been proven quite possible. And even if the antibodies afford some protection, it is not clear yet how long that would maintain. Also why a one time only vaccination is extremely unlikely to ever be perfected.
MORE news from NOTRE DAME here:
https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/10/02/october-surprise-didnt-have-covid-19-on-the-bingo-card/#comment-859968
And two reporters and a WH staff member.
All of the people reporting positive were there last Saturday, at the Barrett wingding in the Rose Garden. Without masks or social distancing.
The Amy Covid Barrett super spreader SCOTUS-GLOATUS event. Goes to show you don’t have to be positive yourself to be ground zero of contagion.
SCOTUS-GLOATUS…
that’s great! :-)
And Thom Tillis. He and Lee are both on the Senate Judiciary committee.
Jack Jenkins on Twitter: 12:36 PM · Oct 2, 2020
BREAKING: Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins, who was at the WH SCOTUS announcement on Saturday and was criticized for not wearing a mask and shaking hands, has tested positive for COVID-19.
This was just sent out to the campus.
Unclear if he had it during the WH event
https://twitter.com/jackmjenkins/status/1312068942157025280
Notre Dame president has virus. Senator leaves Atlanta faith conference to quarantine
https://religionnews.com/2020/10/02/notre-dame-president-has-virus-senator-leaves-atlanta-faith-conference-to-quarantine/
One also wonders whether the timing of the release was gamed to help DJT and his cronies in the market since there’s been a big sell-off today.
This IS part of the basis of the drop, as is the terrible jobs report.
Aside from the Disney and airline layoffs (not entirely unexpected when the stage 4 stimulus died on McConnell’s desk) the release of this information could be timed to maximize the value of the puts on the affected industries. Since we know from the NYT that DJT really needs money, we also know from the non-stop Emolument Clause violations that no nickel will be left behind by TrumpOrg. So, it’s a pattern that works for DJT and his cronies, and the SEC is held back by Mnuchin from looking at it, much less punishing what is really insider trading.
“no nickel will be left behind”:
Time to dig out this oldie-but-goody:
– – Donald Trump has put our National Security at risk.
– – The Trump Administration has put our National Security at risk.
– – The Republican Party has put our National Security at risk.
– – Elected and non-elected Republicans have put our National Security at risk.
– – FOX News, OAN, The Federalist [etc] have put our National Security at risk.
It’s like they’ve CONSPIRED to put our National Security at risk.
when someone tells us who they are, over and over, we have to teach ourselves to listen:
**The Muckraker Who Tormented Trump**
Wayne Barrett died the day before the inauguration of a man whose rise he labored for decades to prevent.
By MICHAEL KRUSE
January 20, 2017
A nice quote about Wayne Barrett — from Politico [link https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/wayne-barrett-obituary-reporter-village-voice-trump-first-214669 ] :
“He was the most Christian, in the best sense of the word, of any journalist I ever met,” D’Antonio told me Thursday night. “He believed in comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. You were OK with Wayne if you were doing good, honest work.”
“He planted a flag on the history of Donald Trump that can’t be ignored,” O’Brien said. “And given the fact that Trump is now a historical figure, his work will ride along with that.”
“We are all,” Blair said, “in his debt.”
~~~~~~~~~~
[I’ve got to read Barrett’s book.]
Chris.EL, thanks for the link. Good article. I too plan to read Barrett’s book. Unfortunately, it wasn’t required reading years ago. If Barrett knew Trump was a “predator” many others in NYC knew too. Ugh.
I am very afraid we’ll have a very bad outcome of all this because, in part,
we have lacked the WILL to even IMAGINE what the next mutation of DEPRAVED is.
I think it not depravity nor a lack of imagination. The political system in vogue now is based on control, in turn based on personal and party agendas. Every political party wants to control the behavior of the country in a specific way for specific party goals. The Constitution is manipulated to achieve those ends at the national level and I imagine similarly at state and local levels.
There has always been yin and yang between primacy of Constitutional/DoI ideals and primacy of personal/party ideals. The personal/party primacy is ascendant right now. As long as that is the situation and a compelling dominant personality in a digital communication world can take advantage, we are going to revisit what we have now. Conditioning being the behavioral force it is, the real job is to re-condition fidelity to the ideals of the Constitution/DoI as more important than entrenched personal beliefs and related demands of others. Very hard task, but not impossible if the impact of the RBG/Floyd/Blake deaths are any indication.
Lol, this has always been the case. What a load of pablum.
What is “Dol”?
Declaration of Independence is my guess.
Thanks, never woulda guessed (on this day, anyway. I though it was an “L” — Dept of Labor?!?!).
Or Department of the Interior? I’ll admit, I had to think about it when I first read it.
It’s not pablum at all, just a bit over-wrought perhaps. “The personal/party primacy” is built in to the winner-takes-all system, that is what has to change – how has been known for 150 years: ).
The only hard task is to get the pols to pass it, a big majority always putting the preservation of their jobs above the country; ’twas ever thus. Nevertheless, one would have thought with three current global catastrophes fanned by the Trump administration, climate, the pandemic, the third being the Trump government itself – quite apart from George Floyd and BLM – even the most obtuse pol would sober up. If not now when? (But first Biden must win..).
Mangled the link at end of 1st para: Fair Representation
https://twitter.com/AndrewKirell/status/1312121190597586944
This is kind of what I meant by my comment above.
Trump and his entourage arrived LATE in Cleveland…too late to receive a Covid-test. There was, Chris Wallace said, an “honor system” [lol!] for the campaigns to have already tested negative.
How could the Cleveland Clinic and Fox News
not have prepared for this highly probable occurrence
after ALL.THIS.TIME. ???
We MUST SEE and ANTICIPATE circumstances
the way they exist in reality…
not the way we wish they were.
Cleveland clinic could have done non-invasive temperature check at a minimum!
Hate to pull the conspiracy card, but Trump does have a bigly desire to HURT others, but never really directly.
Wonder if Putin’s get well soon telegram is code for I’m ready to go ahead with our plan.
Are we seeing key people suddenly getting sick too?
~~~~~~~~
Really scary the way that Republican Governors sent their national guard troops immediately upon Trump’s request.
Democrat Governors basically asked why do we need to do that? Well, we need them to help our state!
Utah was first to comply!
Mark Meadows just said in a presser that Trump has “mild symptoms”, so – not asymptomatic. First question by reporters to Meadows: “why aren’t you wearing a mask?” Because of course he wasn’t…
Ah, Meadows.
Who was shepherding the new SCOTUS nominee around to GOP Senate offices this week….who could not manage to negotiate with Pelosi over a period of five months…
Carry on ;^}
That idiot Corey Lewendowski is being interviewed by that idiot Chuck Todd, and he is wearing an American flag on his lapel that is the size of two postage stamps. He is trying to justify wandering around the White House without a mask, and questioning the reliability of the Abbott tests.
He stated that Hope Hicks tested negative before they left for the debate.
I wish I saw that segment (really). Intolerable host-parasite aside, I’d love to hear how they have *heretofore*, then, justified balancing our national security on the pinhead of what they now whine to be an unreliable test. All the while galavanting round like a maskless Mardi Gras.
It’s only October 2. There will be many more October suprises as the month goes on. Remember, on COVID19 time, every month feels like it lasts a year too.
Just picked this up from the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/02/fears-joe-biden-may-have-been-exposed-after-trump-tests-positive-for-covid
“The White House uses the Abbott ID Now test, which has been found to produce a significant percentage of false negatives.”
Terrifying realization: Chuck Grassley is behind Nancy Pelosi in the line of succession !!!
Pelosi wears a mask. I don’t know if Grassley even thinks about it.
Thanks Rayne.
January CDC confirms first case of corona virus. Trump said “country has it under control.” February – “it’s going to go away.” March – “the risk is very very low.” April – “it will go away with the heat and be gone by Easter.” September – “the virus affects virtually nobody.” October – tested positive.
To believe or not to believe. This White House is consistent with misinformation, confusion and lies. Kayleigh McEnany can’t name the river where Trump said votes were dumped. She said it was a ditch in Wisconsin. Then she states Amy Coney Barrett was a Rhodes scholar. The press corrected her stating, Barrett went to Rhodes College.
All this makes my head spin. I am pouring another glass of wine.
Fact-Checking the First 2020 Presidential Debate | NowThis
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tplMC4cqNbg)
Really? Over the past four years this idiot has spouted around twenty thousand lies and now this one, this time, he is telling us the truth. Riiiight! I’m waiting for a few of the faithful to drop dead first.
It’s the +20,000 lies over 3-1/2 years which make it difficult to take anything Trump says at face value.
E of H is MIA ?
Been wondering about that too. Waiting for/looking forward to his perspective on this situation.
Yes!
Has he gotten his Lysol shot yet?
Jim Acosta: “New info from WH doctor on Trump’s condition and treatment [screenshot]”
https://twitter.com/Acosta/status/1312123874494959616
414pm
Dr. Conley’s statement [text body] transcribed:
Proof-read with bleary eyes, check the screenshot.
NPR just said that Trump has a mild cough and a low grade fever.
Doc on Nicole Wallace is very wisely saying that he is uncomfortable that they are trying to manage this in the White House, they should be doing it at Walter Reed under controlled circumstances with better monitoring, staff, equipment, and to avoid an unstable transfer in the middle of the night (people crump fast). He is the POTUS, this is a national security issue.
POTUS has low-grade fever.
Breaking: they are now taking him to Walter Reed.
Expected to depart 5:30pm via Marine One.
Precautionary measure for better monitoring, as the interviewed Doc had been fretting about.
Yeah, but that is from Kayleigh McEnany, and she is as big of a congenital liar as Trump. I trust he is going to Walter Reed. That it is purely precautionary I am not sure I trust.
Yeah I’m giving it the eyeball test — what does he look like exiting WH to Marine One? Ambulatory? Shielded?
I’m thinking a stretcher is coming up, his pride be damned.
Also betting (an easy bet) that his O2 sats are moving (given PJ’s comment below, that he looked bad in a photo yesterday, seems he is more advanced than they let on/ or his course is moving quickly).
He is apparently going to walk to the help. He would probably use every ounce of his limited energy to do so for appearances sake. He is supposed to be gone already though, and is not.
^ “quickly” meaning initial phase (for a disease that can be multiphasic) and being a relative term. (Like he could go to WR, return to WH, end up back in WR — or not — over many many days. Not trying to imply a timeframe.)
This is so surreal, every camera and most eyeballs are waiting on Donald J. Trump, his dream come true.
Adding: I am imagining him fighting with them over putting his makeup on before going outside…his hair and makeup. JHC.
Latest:
Robert McCartney@McCartneyWP
https://twitter.com/McCartneyWP/status/1312191372808445953
(links to tweet by Tom Sherman, with a screenshot of CNN: chyron “Source: Trump having some trouble breathing, very tired and very fatigued at Walter Reed”)
Wow, thanks, PJ. Explains everything (or confirms my biases, anyway).
I will note that — learned off the backs of thousands^ of the people he caused to be sickened, among other things — there are better non- and pre-vent (should things escalate) methods these days for his benefit.
recently saw photo of Trump’s hand held near his face. Struck me, that’s a remarkably well-hydrated looking hand for a dude his age. (Consequently, wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been taking IVs (prophylactically) with electrolytes, vitamins, etc. I mean the man will spend $70,000 ON HIS HAIR!!!! so he is special.)
Saw a pic from yesterday morning, and he looked bad then. (When I felt like he looked, I called in sick.)
I haven’t seen any recent pix, thanks for the info.
4:30 PM News Update
1] Cleveland Clinic: 11 positive cases related to set-up/planning [“most from out of state”]
2] WHCA Third member of press positive “The individual was at the White House on Saturday in the Rose Garden and Sunday, in the in-town pool vans and briefing room. The individual began experiencing minor symptoms late Wednesday.”
3] PELOSI tests negative
4] Not just NJ BIG WIGS: https://twitter.com/schwartzbCNBC/status/1312124077373448192
Reckless with the economy.
RECKLESS with our National Security.
RECKLESS with the lives and well-being of OTHERS.
Reckless….RECKLESS…RECKLESS
Including not contacting the Biden campaign.
Including the fact reported by Chris Wallace today with Faux News’ Hemmer that because DJT was so late arriving for the debate in Cleveland has was let on stage on his honor that he wasn’t positive, so we don’t have a test to confirm and a suspicion that DJT already knew he was positive but hoped he would be able to hide it.
If this is true it would make his blustering, spitting, and projectile shouting at Biden attempted murder.
Joe is carrying on now in Grand Rapids. Isn’t that the belly of the beast? Good for him. He is talking with his mask on. This is guaranteed to bring Trump out with a few dozen tweets right?
It was a hell of an excellent speech. Really good.
Go! Joe! Go!
Go! Joe! Go!
Go! Joe! Go! and Kamala too!!
In better news, Biden’s giving a heck of a pep-speech in Grand Rapids rn. And he is wearing a mask at the outdoor podium.
News pop up from Wash Post. They are taking him to Walter Reed. That doesn’t sound good.
If there is a 1% risk, that’s what they would do, but it’s still alarming for sure
I have to correct the antiviral to an antibody cocktail in my earlier note, which makes it even more “experimental” than before.
Not good.
It’s definitely experimental.
I find the timing of this particular article about Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail interesting. https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/29/health/regeneron-covid-19-early-antibody-treatment-results/index.html
I read about it elsewhere, is it the timing or something else abt the terms catching your eye?
If you can find the article you read I’d be interested in knowing when it was published. The publication of the article on Regeneron which I linked was 29-SEP, three days after the ACB nomination-super-spreader event on 26-SEP, and then another three days later Trump has had an infusion of the Regeneron drug still in Phase II testing. It’s just too tidy, hitting all the marks.
And then the whole intravenous dispense of a Phase II drug for a current president…Jesus. Could be just as risky as the virus.
Oh mine was just the 9-30 Science write up, so not timeline altering or anything (but citing the 29th announcement, among other things):
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/provocative-results-boost-hopes-antibody-treatment-covid-19
However, I’d noted the parts about how we are paying for it; Americans will get N free doses — where max dose is TBA, so N of free doses is therefore TBA, and I note Trump got the top 8g, which was less efficacious in separate Lily trial IIR which one correctly; also how Regeneron is trying to push lots of additional costly impossible testing (like titre-ing) to go with it because of indications it might work better in those with no/low antibodies (whereas Lily is more pragmatic, just dose people).
I got on a roll and can tell I lost track of my parens — long day.
Several of the talking stethoscopes have commented on the timing of giving him the cocktail so ‘early’.
I think he was already beginning to have symptoms at the debate; he looked worse than he usually does though there weren’t any obvious signs like sniffing or coughing. The way Team Trump acted about masks at the event, their general off putting attitude toward their hosts, makes me think they were circling the wagons and hoping to get him through the debate. The weirdness of how Hope Hicks’ COVID positive status was reported also makes me think Team Trump were trying to hide other exposures including Trump.
Which tells me that Trump was in iffy shape yesterday, not today and may have had the cocktail this morning because he’d already had 24 hours of symptoms. I’m surprised they went with the still-experimental drug rather than trying plasma with antibodies.
EDIT: wrt “their general off putting attitude” I mentioned above — this sure seems deliberate: https://twitter.com/MeidasTouch/status/1312129925692813312
I heard a lot of comments today about the uneven levels of antibodies in the plasma? I agree with you that he looked rougher than usual at the debate. My money is on him having been spreading Covid for awhile.
They have started him on Remdesavere (sp?)
re the uneven (unknown, really) levels of antibodies in convalescent plasma: that was a huge problem in earlier studies especially, still somewhat today.
However some institutions (major medical centers offering it as treatment, not necess as part of a study, either) do measure and standardize -ish for antibody presence. So if this comes up as relevant in your life, ask their protocol.
It at least has a safety track record, if a variable (and sometimes unimpressive) one for efficacy (which I believe was Rayne’s point in contrasting it with the Regeneron).
Stepian has now tested positive.
Campaign Chair Bill Stepien was separated by a woman from Senator Bill Lee at the Rose Garden Super Spreader event.
See the photo in my post at 10:32pm 10/2
I thought that was Stepien (maskless) between Thom Tillis (masked) and Ben Sasse (masked) in the second row. ??
Maybe so !
NBC says the same about Walter Reed
Sounds like the President will be on a diet of crow instead of fast food for the next little while.
I’m assuming they feed him healthy meals, instead of fast food, cake, and ice cream.
Karma.
We got lots of surplus karma around here these days.
With bacon? Everything’s better with bacon.
Josh Jordan @NumbersMuncher
https://twitter.com/NumbersMuncher/status/1312147488602640384
Here’s the video statement POTUS put out [he is not orange]:
AprilDRyan: “The President speaks about his move to Walter Reed Hospital for #COVID19 treatment.”
https://twitter.com/AprilDRyan/status/1312159842950291456
Donald J. Trump: “[video clip]”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1312158400352972800
Realtalk, tho — staffers suddenly in masks:
Harry Paul (he/him): “WHAT ABOUT THEIR CO2”
https://twitter.com/_HarryPaul_/status/1312158810123857921
…
“THE FACE ACNE”
“DID THEY FAINT”
Where is Alexander Haig in our moment of need?
Lurking
Doing whatever it is that vicars do.
And now Tom Tillis.
That makes four who can’t or won’t vote for Barrett. Tillis and Lee, will be out of commission for at least two weeks, and Murkowski and Collins (purportedly) to vote against. A couple more senators for good measure and Barrett’s nomination could be torpedoed.
Oh no, Tillis is too fresh, but Lee has already said he would show.
Jennifer Rubin says that she fully expects the Physician of the Senate to enforce CDC recommendations that anyone who came within 6 feet of Lee for 15 minutes in the Rose Garden must self isolate till Oct. 15 according to the Washington Post.
I don’t see them being allowed to show up in the Senate.
The GOP-T seems to have a bad habit of ignoring rules they don’t like.
Lindsey said he’s doing a virtual hearing, so if the nomination has been formally forwarded to the SJC (get that in writing) then the Ds can deny a quorum there. Apparently the rules require at least two of the minority.
Can the US Senators vote remotely, or have they continued in person only voting?
Separately, if (a big if) Trump were to temporarily transfer presidential power to Pence, can Trump be indicted for federal election law crimes like his co-conspirator Mike Cohen?
Under current rules, I don’t think so, but am far from any expert. Do think McConnell could change the rules with a majority vote. Also think certain Senators might be able to come in piecemeal for a vote. Ask @KagroX
Thanks, bmaz.
We can probably blame the Gassy Knoll (aka Individual-1) for the conspiracy theories.
bmaz, In the past you had said that Katie Porter should be the replacement for Kamala Harris in the event that Biden wins. I had said I thought Adam Schiff should. Well I just saw Katie Porter in full attack on a pharmaceutical CEO. You are right:
https://twitter.com/Public_Citizen/status/1311380433939189760
And Gavin Newsom retweeted this and captioned it “watch this immediately”
I also would not mind her replacing Pelosi as Speaker. But, yeah, she is exactly that good. Even better than that actually. She needs to be in top leadership somewhere.
LOVED watching the CEO squirm and turn increasingly red. Schadenfreude
And she is that same piercing intellect in person too from what I could tell. Think I told before about the somewhat chance meeting in Irvine when I was there. Maybe 5-8 minutes, but, damn, she was seriously all that.
Katie Porter is the real deal!
LOVE LOVE LOVE Katie Porter!
I hadn’t seen her in action before. This video clip was great!
Literally mentored by Liz Warren. And mentored quite well.
As somebody above, think Harpie, said, Porter is great and the real deal.
Here they are together!
https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1311710918447960064
12:53 PM · Oct 1, 2020
This house is a Katie Porter fan club, spouse loves her, is up to date on all of her hearing feats, wants her in top leadership like you’d (I think) said above.
ETA: TY harpie 1025p
We could have both Schiff and Porter if Feinstein were to retire. She’s 87 now and her term ends January 2025.
I’m counting on that. I think she will retire if Biden wins.
the phrase “out of an abundance of caution” got truncated by one word: tape
Well, this ought to be interesting: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/exclusive-house-opens-probe-of-dangerous-hhs-rapid-test-deployment-after-tpm-report
The letter is at the link, but this refers to HHS deployment for nursing homes. However, I could also see this expand into the current test regimes.
They just announced KAC positive. Not a shocker.
MSNBC announced this on air, unattributed, but all I see is a 1001p update re Claudia’s TikToks (e.g.):
Spencer Althouse: “Claudia Conway just revealed on TikTok that her mom, Kellyanne Conway, has COVID: “She told me not to post this but I’m so furious please wear your masks guys” …”
https://twitter.com/SpencerAlthouse/status/1312211105813458944
Adding again: KAC has tweeted this now, MSNBC now attributes 10:22pm
Amy Siskind: “Barr and Pence are literally surrounded by positive cases.” [overhead photo above in thread]
https://twitter.com/Amy_Siskind/status/1312217827001200640
Adding to Molly below: CNN has a great photo of KAC & Barr close talking, too
https://twitter.com/Susan_Hennessey/status/1312192748523417600/photo/1
This photo is VERY interesting. Kellyanne Conway is sitting directly behind Melania. Tillis and Lee are behind Barr, Meadows, Tiffany, and the Pences.
I. Am. Very. Concerned. For. Barr.
Really
Such a shame that Herman Cain had to miss the nomination party.
Neighbor with DT flag and signs removed them today and put up a Biden sign.
And he started wearing a face mask. #achangeinohio
Wow, that’s the most inspiring story I’ve heard all day.
OK breaking now, oddly they’ve got him on remdesivir (‘mixed’, effectively, with the pca earlier today).
CNBC Now: “BREAKING: President Trump is receiving “Remdesivir therapy” for coronavirus, White House physician says. “He has completed his first dose and is resting comfortably.” [new Dr letter- he is not on O2 but not much info]”
https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/1312235480302448643
11:38 PM · Oct 2, 2020
And he’s got a hippy-dippy tweet out that made me wish I hadn’t omitted an aside about so-called happy hypoxia (not that I’m saying he has it, at all — it was a riff…).
Donald J. Trump: “Going welI, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1312233807991496704
11:31 PM · Oct 2, 2020
I just read that they’re classifying his case now as “moderate”.
https://twitter.com/JustSchmeltzer/status/1312206394200739840
( https://twitter.com/Metl_Mann/status/1312209036297728001 down thread)
Thanks for the update. And that WaPo looks interesting; glimpses of palace intrigue can be helpful.
Quote from 1032p article:
“And White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said he was bracing for additional infections among administration officials.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-virus-spread-white-house/2020/10/02/38c5b354-04cc-11eb-b7ed-141dd88560ea_story.html
Politico is reporting that Bill Stepien has the virus.
https://twitter.com/politicoalex/status/1312237003795238912
Jeebus Bill Stepien positive now, they could at least announce this stuff while the edit window is still open.
https://twitter.com/GeoffRBennett/status/1312173111916199936
7:30 PM · Oct 2, 2020
The Bennett thread links to:
https://twitter.com/kabarkoff/status/1312170524793925633
7:20 PM · Oct 2, 2020
We talked about this more that FIVE months ago [!!!], here:
https://www.emptywheel.net/2020/04/22/brian-kemp-suggests-workers-at-nail-salons-dont-own-their-own-lives/#comment-839445
Dr. Rick Bright responds to Bennett:
https://twitter.com/RickABright/status/1312211391625928705
10:02 PM · Oct 2, 2020
I can’t remember if anyone has mentioned this: The Biden Campaign was NEVER alerted!
https://twitter.com/Yamiche/status/1312035990240985091
10:25 AM · Oct 2, 2020
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1312173056945655808
7:30 PM · Oct 2, 2020
.
Ted Boutrous Retweeted https://twitter.com/matthewjdowd/status/1312178189574176768
7:50 PM · Oct 2, 2020
Sarah Kendzior argues:
https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/1312162905102536705
6:49 PM · Oct 2, 2020
The Obama’s
1] https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1312153799222390785
6:13 PM · Oct 2, 2020
2] https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1312154745176375296
6:17 PM · Oct 2, 2020
NYCSouthpaw responds about Obama’s message, via NBC:
“We’re all Americans and we’re all human beings,
and we want to make sure everybody is healthy.”
https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/1312163720315895808
6:53 PM · Oct 2, 2020
1] https://twitter.com/murshedz/status/1312202246730383360
9:26 PM · Oct 2, 2020
2] https://twitter.com/justinhendrix/status/1312202661932933120
9:27 PM · Oct 2, 2020
1] https://twitter.com/seungminkim/status/1312184139827703808
8:14 PM · Oct 2, 2020
2] https://twitter.com/justinhendrix/status/1312185937317646336
8:21 PM · Oct 2, 2020
In theory, or in practice, for that matter, the Trump campaign could plausibly use their collective bout with COVID-19 as a perfectly legitimate excuse for losing the 2020 election for President.
If they did, then they wouldn’t necessarily have to plunge the country into any such nuclear-armed civil war, or whatever else their alternative Plan B might be.
What if they give Trump the Nobel prize just for having contracted the virus??
Hi folks, this comment section is simply getting too large and difficult to navigate, so I opened a new stub to continue the same rolling discussion in a less unwieldy fashion. Please head over there and continue apace.
The “team” at Walter Reed and his personal doc just gave an update. Sorry but it makes me think the whole thing was bullshit. YMMV. Phony.