The Commentariat -- April 14, 2020

Afternoon Update:

Actual President Endorses Vice President Biden to Succeed Him:

Joe has the character and the experience to guide us through one of our darkest times and heal us through a long recovery. The other side has a massive war chest, the other side has a propaganda network with little regard for the truth. On the other hand, pandemics have a way of cutting through a lot of noise and spin to remind us of what is real and what is important. This crisis has reminded us that governments matter. -- President Barack Obama, in his endorsement of Joe Biden ~~~

~~~ Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "... with calibrated stealth, Mr. Obama has been considerably more engaged in the campaign's denouement than has been previously revealed. For months, he had kept in close contact with senior party officials, in hopes o preventing a repeat of the protracted and nasty 2016 primary race. Then, in the weeks after it became clear that Mr. Biden was the party's near-certain nominee, Mr. Obama -- telling a friend he needed to 'accelerate the endgame' -- had at least four long conversations with his former vice president's remaining rival, Senator Bernie Sanders. Mr. Obama's efforts to ease the senator out of the race played a significant role in his decision to end his bid and, on Monday, endorse Mr. Biden, according to people close to the Vermont independent.... Now, with the primary campaign over, Mr. Biden and his aides are eager to deploy the former president as quickly as possible, especially on fund-raising, as they race to compete with President Trump's small-donor juggernaut." ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Martin of the New York Times: "It may have taken a once-in-a-century pandemic, but the Democrats are not in disarray. After presidential primary races in 2008 and 2016 that stretched across all 50 states, the 2020 contest ended on an altogether tidy note on Monday as Senator Bernie Sanders appeared on a live stream with Joseph R. Biden Jr. and told him: 'We need you in the White House.' The endorsement was quick in the making, full-throated in nature and offered a vivid illustration of how differently this election is unfolding from the often bitter last two Democratic nominating contests. 'The way Bernie did this was really helpful,' said former Gov. Howard Dean of Vermont. 'There is clearly no animosity between the two of them and this will definitely make it easier for Bernie's supporters to vote for Biden.'"

Fauci States the Obvious as Trump Remains Delusional & Irresponsible. Lauran Neergaard & Julie Pace of the AP: "Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, said Tuesday the U.S. does not yet have the critical testing and tracing procedures needed to begin reopening the nation's economy, adding a dose of caution to increasingly optimistic projections from the White House. 'We have to have something in place that is efficient and that we can rely on, and we're not there yet,' Fauci said in an interview with The Associated Press.... Donald Trump has floated the possibility of reopening some areas by May 1 and said he could announce recommendations as soon as this week. Fauci said a May 1 target is 'a bit overly optimistic' for many areas of the country. Any easing off the strict social-distancing rules in place in much of the country would have to occur on a 'rolling' basis, not all at once, he said, reflecting the ways COVID-19 struck different parts of the country at different times."

Michael Shear & Annie Karni of the New York Times weigh in on Trump's propaganda extravaganza: "President Trump turned Monday's daily coronavirus task force briefing into an aggressive defense of his own halting response to the pandemic and used a campaign-style video to denounce criticism that he moved too slowly to limit the deadly spread of the virus. For nearly an hour, Mr. Trump vented his frustration after weekend news reports that his own public health officials were prepared by late February to recommend aggressive social distancing measures, but that the president did not announce them until several weeks later -- a crucial delay that allowed the virus to spread. Mr. Trump broadly mischaracterized an article on his response to the coronavirus, published over the weekend in The New York Times, repeatedly insisting that the United States had very few cases of the virus in early January -- six weeks earlier -- and angrily mocking a suggestion that was never made: that he should have ordered all schools and businesses shut that month."

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "More than 80 percent of the benefits of a tax change tucked into the coronavirus relief package Congress passed last month will go to those who earn more than $1 million annually, according to a report by a nonpartisan congressional body expected to be released Tuesday. The provision, inserted into the legislation by Senate Republicans, temporarily suspends a limitation on how much owners of businesses formed as 'pass-through' entities can deduct against their nonbusiness income, such as capital gains, to reduce their tax liability. The limitation was created as part of the 2017 Republican tax law to offset other tax cuts to firms in that legislation. Suspending the limitation will cost taxpayers about $90 billion in 2020 alone, part of a set of tax changes that will add close to $170 billion to the national deficit over the next 10 years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), the nonpartisan congressional body." Emphasis added.

David Folkenflik of NPR: "Michael Bloomberg's short-lived presidential bid reignited a long-simmering dispute over the widespread use of nondisclosure agreements at American corporations -- especially at his own. His namesake company, Bloomberg LP, has used nondisclosure agreements broadly to conceal allegations and silence complaints from employees of sexual harassment or a hostile work environment, as published reports have documented. The story of one Bloomberg reporter and his wife showcases the widespread use of such legal restraints at the company -- and how far their reach can extend. Six years ago, Bloomberg News killed an investigation into the wealth of Communist Party elites in China, fearful of repercussions by the Chinese government. The company successfully silenced the reporters involved. And it sought to keep the spouse of one of the reporters quiet, too." You'll have to read on for the details.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Monday are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The Washington Post's live updates for Tuesday are here.

When somebody's the President of the United States, the authority is total. -- Direct from the Horse's Ass, White House press propaganda briefing, Monday (no link) ~~~

~~~ Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump on Monday used the White House briefing room to lash out at critics of his response to the coronavirus outbreak, rattling off a litany of grievances about press coverage and airing a reel of cable news footage that portrayed his actions in a positive light. The president sought to use a briefing ostensibly intended to inform the American public about the latest developments in the battle against the virus to frame his handling of the pandemic as a success. He bristled at any criticism and picking a fight with journalists in the room before experts delivered any update on the disease that has killed more than 22,000 people in the U.S.... Monday's press briefing marked a striking extension of his defense, using the briefing room to air a campaign-style clip and complaining repeatedly that he has not received a fair amount of praise in news stories. 'The press has not treated these incredible people who have done such a great job -- they haven't treated them fairly. They're way off. We were way ahead of schedule,' Trump said. 'Everything we did I was criticized because I was too early.'... The White House's promotional video highlighted only one administration action in the whole month of February, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shipped its first testing kits.... The apparent blurring of White House business with campaign promotion promptly drew the attention of ethics watchdogs." ~~~

~~~ Rachel Sandler of Forbes: "... the president on Monday deviated from the normal White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing to play a campaign-style video montage defending his coronavirus response and afterward lashed out at reporters for questioning his actions. Interspersed with clips from media outlets and graphics, the text of the video, which was played on screens behind the podium, read: 'The media minimized the risk from the start, while President Trump took decisive action, even as partisans sniped and criticized. Bipartisan governors recognize the president's support.' The video used a Fox News segment from a March 26 episode of 'Hannity' that showed guests on CBS and NBC saying the coronavirus was not an immediate threat to the U.S. in January. After the section on the media, the video cuts to a timeline, highlighting Trump's January 31 travel ban on Chinese foreign nationals and his March declaration of a national emergency. The timeline skips over February entirely and when asked by a reporter what actions he took in that month, Trump said 'a lot' and called the reporter a 'fake.'... When asked who produced the video, Trump said it was put together by staff inside the White House." ~~~

~~~ Ted Johnson of Deadline: "CNN and MSNBC cut away from Donald Trump's coronavirus press briefing on Monday, with anchors protesting that the White House was using the time to air a campaign-style 'propaganda' video to defend and praise the president's response to the crisis.... On CNN, John King said, 'To play a propaganda video at taxpayer expense in the White House briefing room is a new -- you can insert your favorite word here -- in this administration.'... [Both networks] eventually returned to the briefing as Trump took questions from reporters.... The video appeared to have been motivated by a New York Times report over the weekend -- He Could Have Seen What Was Coming: Behind Trump's Failure On the Virus [also linked here Sunday]. Trump sent out multiple tweets throughout Sunday bashing the Times for the report.... The video featured clips that tried to highlight where Trump took decisive action during the crisis, as well as quotes of praise for his response coming from political figures such as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and California Governor Gavin Newsom. But the clips were cherry picked. They did not include moments in January and February where the president downplayed the threat of the virus.... After CNN cut away from the briefing, John King ran through a list of dates where Trump minimized the impact of the virus....

"Trump sparred with CBS News White House correspondent Paula Reid, who pressed him on what the administration did through the month of February. 'The entire month of February, your video has a complete gap,' she said. 'What did your administration do in February in the time that your travel ban bought you?' 'We did a lot,' Trump responded, before telling her, 'Look, you know you're a fake. You know that the whole network, the way you cover it is fake.' He also called her 'disgraceful.'" ~~~

~~~ Toluse Olorunnipa, et al., of the Washington Post: "The White House sought to tamp down speculation Monday that President Trump would fire the nation's top epidemiologist in the middle of the pandemic, but concern over an Easter presidential retweet attacking Anthony S. Fauci continued to reverberate as many of the president's allies and critics warned that such a move would be counterproductive.... On Monday, Trump dismissed those concerns as if he had not initially sparked them when he retweeted a message Sunday night that included the hashtag #FireFauci. 'Today I walk in and I hear I'm going to fire him,' Trump said during the White House daily press briefing. 'I'm not firing. I think he's a wonderful guy.'... At the news briefing, Fauci appeared to back away from some of the comments about the coronavirus response that had drawn Trump's scorn -- describing his Sunday remarks to CNN as 'a poor choice of words.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Isn't it odd how Trump can't seem to remember blasting somebody yesterday but is the elephant who never some perceived slight someone laid on him years ago? ~~~

~~~ Susan Page of USA Today: "President Trump late Monday turned a White House briefing on the coronavirus into a fervent defense of his actions to respond to the deadly pandemic and an attack on reporters who posed skeptical questions.... The extraordinary performance came amid signs of a looming showdown between the White House and some of the nation's governors about when it will be safe to reopen business and schools.... He blasted the news media for what he called unfair accounts that had raised questions about his leadership. He said that 'nobody' had asked for ventilators, an inaccurate claim." ~~~

~~~ Ashley Parker of the Washington Post: "... in the middle of this deadly pandemic that shows no obvious signs of abating, the president made clear that the paramount concern for Trump is Trump -- his self-image, his media coverage, his supplicants and his opponents, both real and imagined.... Trump has always had a me-me-me ethos, an uncanny ability to insert himself into the center of just about any situation. But Monday's coronavirus briefing offered a particularly stark portrait of a president seeming unable to grasp the magnitude of the crisis -- and saying little to address the suffering across the country he was elected to lead." The article is free to nonsubscribers. Mrs. McC: Worth reading because Parker reproduces a few of key exchange with reporters. ~~~

~~~ Daniel Dale, et al., of CNN: "... Donald Trump delivered another litany of false and misleading claims on Monday at a White House coronavirus briefing during which he repeatedly accused the media of dishonesty. Trump delivered an indignant screed about claims that he was slow in responding to the coronavirus outbreak, repeatedly citing the travel restrictions on China he announced in late January and began in early February. Yet his defense did not address his public downplaying of the virus into March, how his administration was slow to deploy the tests experts believe might have helped contain the outbreak, or how the administration waited critical weeks to make large orders of critical equipment. Trump also falsely claimed he has 'total' authority over states' coronavirus restrictions, falsely claimed he had inherited broken coronavirus tests, falsely claimed ... Joe Biden apologized for having called him xenophobic, falsely claimed that governors have stopped talking about a need for ventilators, and falsely claimed he banned travel from Europe. Here's our preliminary rundown of his claims and the facts that go with them." ~~~

~~~ "L'état, C'est Moi." Jeremy White of Politico: "... Donald Trump, hours after governors on both coasts announced regional plans for reopening their states, asserted 'total authority' over decisions about when and how to emerge after coronavirus shutdowns. 'When somebody's president of the United States, the authority is total,' Trump said at a press briefing Monday when asked about the governors' plans. 'And that's the way it's got to to be. It's total. It's total. And the governors know that.... They can't do anything without approval of the president of the United States,' Trump said at the briefing." ~~~

~~~ Tim Craig & Brady Dennis of the Washington Post: "President Trump declared Monday that he has 'total' authority and 'calls the shots' when it comes to deciding how and when to lift the pandemic restrictions and reopen the economy, even as [groups of] governors on both coasts proceeded with their own plans and asserted their own powers.... [Trump] also suggested that if a governor declined to go along, he or she would pay a price. 'If some states refuse to open, I would like to see that person run for election,' Trump said.... [Gov. Andrew] Cuomo [D-NY] said he would challenge the White House in court if Trump pushes to reopen businesses without enough safeguards to protect public health. Earlier in the day, Cuomo was joined via phone by governors from New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island as they formed a pact to coordinate on an eventual end to their states' restrictions. Later, Cuomo announced that Massachusetts, led by Gov. Charlie Baker (R), was joining the group.... On the West Coast, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington also announced a pact to work together to tamp down the ongoing outbreak and carefully restart the economy in their states." The article is free to nonsubscribers. A CNN story is here. ~~~

~~~ Morgan Chalfant of the Hill: "President Trump on Monday claimed that he, not state governors, has the ultimate authority to loosen restrictions on states as the coronavirus outbreak eases, an assertion disputed by legal experts. 'For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect,' Trump tweeted Monday morning. 'It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons. With that being said, the Administration and I are working closely with the Governors, and this will continue,' Trump continued. 'A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!' However, legal experts who spoke to The Hill said that, while Trump can issue federal regulations to prevent the spread of diseases, he does not have the authority to reverse a public health restriction put in place at the state or local level." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: This may sound strange coming from the leader of the states' rights/Tenther party, but it is not the stretch it might appear to be. Rather, Trump's assertion is a subset of the controlling principle, "I have an Article II right to do whatever I want." Update: And the president* who claims his "authority is total." The other key to the Trump doctrine is that while his "authority is total," he takes no responsibility at all. He has variously blamed China, the Obama administration and, of course, governors for his screw-ups.

Trump: "I Am the Oversight." Neil Barofsky in a New York Times op-ed: "More than $2 trillion is about to head out the door, committed in a single news release last week by the Federal Reserve Board. In that release, the Federal Reserve announced how it and the Treasury Department intend to leverage just a portion of the $454 billion that Congress gave the department in the ... CARES Act, with the potential of trillions more in lending to come.... We need to ensure that this government aid is not being stolen, wasted or given to political cronies. And we need to make sure that the public is aware of how and to whom those trillions are distributed. In short, we need watchdogs.... Congress has leverage -- and must use it.... For the CARES Act, Congress demanded the same watchdog function within Treasury -- but so far, that dog is still in the pound.... President Trump included a signing statement to the CARES Act that suggested he would limit the ability of the new inspector general to reveal to Congress efforts by his administration to obstruct or impede his inquiries. Some are also raising questions about the president's intended nominee for the job, Brian Miller." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Sarah Ferris & Heather Caygle of Politico: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi lashed ... Donald Trump during a private call with her caucus Monday, saying he was putting Americans in grave danger if he rushes to reopen the economy at the end of this month. Pelosi sharply criticized Trump's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, telling Democrats it was 'almost sinful' how his administration had failed to live up to promises to make testing available to all Americans and quickly address the mask, gown and glove supply shortage in hospitals across the country.... Pelosi's criticism of Trump comes as White House officials have signaled they are hoping to reopen the economy as early as May 1 -- a timeline that has alarmed Democrats and public health experts alike.” ~~~

~~~ Heather Caygle & Sarah Ferris: "As ... Donald Trump beams into American homes with his daily coronavirus briefings, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decided the best way to counter him is to be everywhere -- even if that means doing so from her San Francisco kitchen. Almost daily, Pelosi pops up on one network or another -- even cycling through the late-night talk show junket -- dropping in for interviews from a computer propped up on a dining room table that sits just off her West Coast kitchen. For Pelosi, leading the counterprogramming is the most effective antidote to Trump's nearly daily briefings. Since first joining the news conferences a month ago, Trump has been repeatedly criticized for peppering his appearances with falsehoods during the briefings, which often stretch beyond two hours. And even as former Vice President Joe Biden becomes the presumptive Democratic nominee, it's Pelosi who remains the most prominent face of opposition against Trump."

Cristina Cabrera of TPM: "The Navy announced on Monday morning that a crew member on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the ship formerly led by Captain Brett Crozier before his ouster, had died from COVID-19 earlier in the day. The sailor, whose name is currently being withheld, tested positive for the coronavirus on March 30 and was moved to the ICU on Naval Base Guam last Thursday, according to the Navy. On the day the sailor had tested positive, Crozier wrote a letter to Navy leadership pleading for assistance on the outbreak of COVID-19 on his ship, which had infected more than 100 members of his crew at that point." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Florida. Samantha Gross of the Miami Herald: "Count professional wrestling among the essential businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies that can stay open despite coronavirus-related restrictions statewide. WWE will continue taping and airing live from the empty WWE Performance Center near Orlando even during the state's month-long 'shelter-in-place,' which Gov. Ron DeSantis announced April 1." --s ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: This is insane. Late-night entertainment teevee isn't an essential business, either, but most of the late-night figured out a way to punt -- while still sheltering in place and maintaining social distance. Unless the WWE performers are going to wrestle with their consciences instead of their fake opponents, they are going to have nearly as much social contact as sex workers & their partners. ~~~

~~~ The Very Rich Are Different from You and Me. Charles Rabin & Aaron Leibowitz of the Miami Herald: "Fisher Island -- an exclusive enclave of multimillion-dollar condos and homes and one of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the country -- has purchased thousands of rapid COVID-19 blood test kits from the University of Miami Health System for all of its residents and workers. The private island, set along Government Cut and nestled between Miami and Miami Beach and accessible only by boat or helicopter, worked out a deal with UHealth to make the tests available to the 800 or so families that live there, and all the workers who maintain the property and patrol its streets. The purchase and availability of the testing are in sharp contrast to much of the rest of the state, where only about 1 percent of the population has been tested for the deadly virus that has caused a global pandemic. Most people who want a test have to meet certain criteria during a screening. Then an appointment must be set up, which generally means a lengthy wait in line. Those without vehicles can't even access drive-thru testing sites." The article is free to nonsubscribers. Mrs. McC: The rest of you shlubs can console yourselves sitting home & watching wrestlers give each other Covid-19.

Illinois. Mary Ann Ahern of NBC 5 Chicago: "A poll worker who was stationed at a Chicago voting site on election day died from the coronavirus, the Chicago Board of Elections said Monday. The person was a city employee who was working the March 17 election at the Zion Hill Baptist Church in the city's 17th Ward, officials said Monday. City officials identified him as Revall Burke. The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said Burke, 60, died on April 1. He was a 'hardworking, health-conscious ex-Marine,' Patch reported.... Voters and polls workers who were at the polling place ... received letters informing them that a person who voted there in person on election day tested positive for the coronavirus.... [Gov. J.B.] Pritzker [D] and the Chicago Board of Elections traded barbs on election day ... over the Board's claim that he denied its request to postpone the election or move to all mail-in ballots."

"South Dakota Is Not New York City." Griff Witte of the Washington Post: "As governors across the country fell into line in recent weeks, South Dakota's top elected leader stood firm: There would be no statewide order to stay home. Such edicts to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Kristi L. Noem said disparagingly, reflected a 'herd mentality.' It was up to individuals -- not government -- to decide whether 'to exercise their right to work, to worship and to play. Or to even stay at home.' And besides, the first-term Republican told reporters at a briefing this month, 'South Dakota is not New York City.' But now South Dakota is home to one of the largest single coronavirus clusters anywhere in the United States, with more than 300 workers at a giant pork-processing plant falling ill.... The company was forced to announce the indefinite closure of the facility Sunday, threatening the U.S. food supply... [Despite pleas that she impose a shelter-in-place order], she used a media briefing Monday to announce trials of a drug that President Trump has repeatedly touted..., despite a lack of scientific evidence. 'It's an exciting day,' she boasted, repeatedly citing her conversations with ... Jared Kushner."

Virginia. Hemant Mehta, the Friendly Atheist: "The last time Bishop Gerald O. Glenn delivered a sermon at Richmond, Virginia's New Deliverance Evangelistic Church, which he founded, he proudly proclaimed how full the church was despite the threat of COVID-19. He didn't give a damn that gatherings were supposed to be limited to 10 people. 'I firmly believe that God is larger than this dreaded virus...,' he said, repeating it a second time to claps, saying that 'people are healed' in his church. On Sunday, the church announced that Glenn had died of COVID-19.... The church has removed his final sermon from YouTube." Glenn's widow is ill with the virus. Emphasis original.

Wisconsin's Supreme GOP Hypocrites. Daniel Bice of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "When the state Supreme Court took up ;Gov. Tony Evers' last-minute order to delay the April 7 election, they didn't have to worry about one possible consequence of their decision. No matter what, they wouldn't be joining thousands of other voters standing in line at the polls the next day. That's because all seven justices had already voted absentee, either by going in early and voting in person or by mailing in ballots.... In the previous five elections, a majority of the justices voted in person at the polls on election day.... The justices voted along ideological lines, with the four conservative opposing Evers' order and the two liberals voting to uphold it. Justice Daniel Kelly [a Scott Walker appointee,] did not participate in the case because he was on the ballot, running for a full 10-year term against Dane County Judge Jill Karofsky, a liberal."

2020 Elections

** Felicia Sonmez & Michael Scherer of the Washington Post: “Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont who ended his White House bid last week, said Monday that he is endorsing former vice president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Sanders made the announcement on a live stream hosted by Biden examining the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic. 'Joe, I know that there is an enormous responsibility on your shoulders right now, and it is imperative that all of us work together,' Sanders said on the live stream. Biden responded: 'Your endorsement means a great deal. ... I look forward to working with you. And I am going to need you badly.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Benjamin Swasey of NPR: "Joe Biden has won the Wisconsin Democratic primary, The Associated Press projects. The former vice president was already the party's presumptive presidential nominee, after Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign last week.... Sanders had [Mrs. McC: decisively] won the Wisconsin primary in 2016 over eventual nominee Hillary Clinton." ~~~

~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: According to Google, with about 99 percent reporting, Biden won about 63 percent of the vote to Sanders' 32 percent, with the rest of the vote going to other candidates. I believe Steve Koranacki said on MSNBC last night that Biden won every Wisconsin county.

Eric Bradner of CNN: "Democrats claimed victory Monday in a Wisconsin Supreme Court election that Republicans insisted on holding last week despite the coronavirus pandemic. Liberal Dane County Judge Jill Karofsky defeated conservative Justice Daniel Kelly, an incumbent backed by ... Donald Trump, in a race for a 10-year seat on the state's Supreme Court. Karofsky declared victory and Kelly conceded Monday evening as votes were still being counted in the close contest. The outcome is an embarrassment for state and national Republicans, who had blocked Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' bid to postpone the election or have it conducted entirely by mail and had fought in court against rules that would have made it easier to cast absentee ballots -- leaving Wisconsin the only state to go forward with in-person voting in April. A federal judge had ordered Wisconsin to wait six days before counting the votes cast last Tuesday, giving absentee ballots that were postmarked by election day time to arrive at clerks' offices." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Forcing the six-day waiting period also would have reduced the number of live coronavirus organisms. ~~~

~~~ Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "The victory, by upward of 120,000 votes as of Monday night, came as a shock to Republicans and Democrats alike in Wisconsin, where contests for president, governor and the state's high court in the last four years have all been decided by about 30,000 votes or less.... The decisive Democratic win offered a signal that the party, highly energized and mobilized heading into 2020, could organize and execute a winning get-out-the-vote program against strident Republican efforts to limit voter turnout in a narrowly divided state widely expected to be crucial in this fall's presidential election." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. ~~~

~~~ Jim Rutenberg & Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times outline how the confederate Supremes, led by Brett Kavanaugh, "curtailed the right to vote in Wisconsin." Mrs. McC: The Supremes' decision was a feature, not a bug of some ideological preference of conservojustices.

Phoning It In. Fadel Allassan of Axios: "The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments via teleconference in May, it announced Monday.... It's the first time the court will hear cases remotely -- and it'll allow the media to listen in as well -- marking a huge step for the notoriously technophobic branch of government amid the coronavirus crisis. The 10 cases on the docket, which were previously indefinitely postponed, will now take place on May 4-6 and 11-13." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Josh Smith of Reuters: "South Korea reported on Monday that at least 116 people initially cleared of the new coronavirus had tested positive again, although officials suggested they would soon look at easing strict recommendations aimed at preventing new outbreaks.... Officials are still investigating the cause of the apparent relapses But Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), has said the virus may have been reactivated rather than the patients being re-infected. Other experts said faulty tests may be playing a role, or remnants of the virus may still be in patients' systems but not be infectious or of danger to the host or others. The 116 cases is more than double the 51 such cases South Korea reported a week earlier." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: What worries me the most about Trump's "reopening America" is that something like 90% of Americans -- myself probably included -- have never been exposed to the coronavirus; ergo, the vast majority of Americans could not have built up immunities. Since I have no medical training, perhaps my concern is exaggerated or baseless, but I see no end to the danger until a vaccine is widely available (and we can look forward to a mad rush to get the vaccine when the first vials roll off an assembly line). (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marc Lipsitch, an immunologist, has an interesting opinion piece in the New York Times on research into immunity from the novel coronavirus & other viruses. He also explains the phenomemon of "herd immunity": "As more and more people become immune to the virus, an infected individual has less and less chance of coming into contact with a person susceptible to infection. Eventually, herd immunity becomes pervasive enough that an infected person on average infects less than one other person; at that point, the number of cases starts to go down. If herd immunity is widespread enough, then even in the absence of measures designed to slow transmission, the virus will be contained -- at least until immunity wanes or enough new people susceptible to infection are born." Mrs. McC: Me, I'm still thinking bubonic plague.

** Matthew Cole & Alex Emmons of The Intercept: "Erik Prince, founder of the private security firm Blackwater and a Trump administration adviser, has sought in recent months to provide military services to a sanctioned Russian mercenary firm in at least two African conflicts, according to three people with knowledge of the efforts. Prince, who is the brother of Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, met earlier this year with a top official of Russia's Wagner Group and offered his mercenary forces to support the firm's operations in Libya and Mozambique, according to two people familiar with Prince's offer.... 'The conflicts of interest are deep and threaten democracy when you have a free agent going between the U.S. and its main power rivals,' said [Sean] McFate [a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council]. 'It would never clear an intelligence community background check. This is a dangerous thing for any democracy.'" --s (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Jesse Eisenger of ProPublica: "Walmart, a defendant in the massive lawsuit brought by states and municipalities around the country that accuses a broad range of companies of lax controls over opioid sales, failed to reveal that it had been under criminal investigation for similar conduct, according to plaintiffs in the case. Linda Singer, a partner at Motley Rice, which represents multiple states, counties and municipalities in the litigation..., cited a recent ProPublica article that revealed that the U.S. attorney of the Eastern District of Texas sought to charge the company criminally for its opioid dispensing practices. Walmart, which denies any criminality, avoided the charges by appealing to Trump appointees at the Justice Department, who repeatedly overruled the Texas prosecutors." --s

Comments

[Ken Winkes]

An omen?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/us/politics/wisconsin-primary-results.html

Judge Kelley should have voted, twice.

[Ken Winkes]

The fate of the Virginia reverend who tangled with Covid-19 and lost might be considered a libertarian's wet dream come true.

BTW, I do wish his wife a full recovery, even if she then goes on the circuit to praise Jesus and pass the collection plate...

[unwashed]

I'm happy to read under Infotainment that Anderson Cooper decided to stay in the city rather than escape to his summer house.

A few years ago he bought a small place, just down the road a piece from me, in Litchfield, CT. He's got a couple acres with the obligatory amenities - stone patio, tennis court, outdoor pool, and formal gardens. He's even got a house for his caretaker! Not a bad place, but I'm glad I don't have to pay the bill for winter heating oil (although I would like to see his boiler room).

Even if he had come up, he and his partner would have enough space to maintain their proper social distancing.

[PD Pepe]

@Ken: And let's add the "governor's pact" action to your two examples of what some would call Karma and others, like me, just celebrate the results (although the Reverend's death and his missus' illness should just stick to the Karma category). When we scream in frustration at the ineptness and corruptness, feel helpless at not being able to change this theater of the absurd, a Democrat judge win in Wisconsin and some governors, including one Republican, forming a unified coalition to deal with this pandemic gives us that little light that will lead the way to a clear path of sanity.

Meanwhile the Great Pretender is still pretending, is still lying, is still insulting, is still... and when all this is over, that goose that is on ice waiting to be cooked will, indeed, be presented–- slightly burned on top (with a strange orangie glow) but throughly cooked to perfection.

[Marie Burns]

@unwashed: Cooper also has a shack in Brazil. I surmise he sold his places in the Hamptons. Apparently he passed on Mom's "18,504-square-foot townhouse" in Manhattan.

And you know what? He seems like a really nice guy.

[PD Pepe]

@unwashed: Good to know you live in CT. although much too far away from me––can't borrow any sugar and eggs from you––but fun to know we are neighbors.

And yes, Marie, always thought Anderson was "a really nice guy"–-he has so often shown empathy when dealing with sorrows–-recall his interviews after the Sandy Hook shootings. His film featuring time with his mother was quite wonderful, I thought. The other thing I like about him is his sense of humor plus he has this giggle that is delightful.

[PD Pepe]

P.S. I find myself looking out of the window–- that's upstairs a few feet away from my desk–– quite often; I just gaze out mindlessly as though trying to catch the moments of random thoughts not related at all to the awfulness of everything else. I then remembered something Updike said about solitude at the beginning of his book of essays and criticism, "Hugging the Shore."

"Solitude and small quarters are great inciters of literacy. Also, as it happened in this land of fragmentation held together by legalities, the payment for a monthly review roughly balanced a monthly alimony payment that was mine to make. At the beginning of those eight years, I had left a big white house with a view of saltwater. an inland interim of reconsolidation followed , and now I live again in a big white house with a view of saltwater. I keep looking out the window, The clean horizon beckons. All sorts of slivery shadows streak the surface of the sea. Sailboats dot it, some far out. It looks like literature. What a beautiful sight!”

[Akhilleus]

There is intellectual dishonesty, there is ridiculously disingenuous twaddle, there is bald-faced mendacity, and then there is Trump.

The Orange Menace, whose single ability (in addition to scamming Americans, murdering democracy, and filling his pockets) is his quotidian and Herculean assault on the truth, finds ever new ways to lie about pretty much everything. Reminds me of that scene in “The Exorcist” where the older priest, realizing the increasing angst of his younger assistant being sucked in by the devil’s taunts, warns him to lend no credibility to the demon*. “Do not listen. He is a liar!”

It would be enormously therapeutic for Americans to be reminded, every day, that Trump too is a liar.

And he surrounds himself with liars and manipulators. The blind bard, Milton, could have done worse than replacing his cast of demons in “Paradise Lost” with those surrounding the Lord of the Lies.

And they lie about EVERYTHING. So the other day, Fatty picks up on a tweet from one of his slavish followers demanding that the only competent member of Trump’s hopelessly ignorant coronavirus task force, Dr. Anthony Fauci, be fired for the unforgivable sin of disagreeing with one of Fatty’s myriad mendacities. He retweet’s the “Fire Fauci” attack. Then, he, and his testicle cozy courtiers scream that the “Fire Fauci” blast was all the doings of Democrats and the horrid media. Sooo...let’s see. He retweeted the “Fire Fauci” attack but he had nothing to do with it and the ensuing brouhaha is all the doings of the media. He’s not responsible for anything though, remember?

In truth (a quality as oft seen as in the Trump Debacle as the Dodo bird), Dr. Fatty is no leader. He is the ultimate follower. Rather than put himself out there and be a man and say “I don’t like this Fauci guy and I’m getting rid of him”, he runs this tweet up the flagpole so he can see what Fox and Friends and Vice President Hannity say about it. This way he can disavow all responsibility, comme d’habitude.

Leaders don’t act this way. He simply gloms on to whatever toxic turds float to the top of the confederate cesspool.

A liar and a mewling stooge for whatever is currently in vogue among the dung beetles.

Still, I hope Americans can exorcise this demon. In the meantime, America, do not listen. He is a liar.

*You May recall that Fr. Karras, once he is taken over by the Trump, I mean, the devil, throws himself out a window and kills himself. This is currently happening to all the MAGA morons dying from the Trump virus.

[unwashed]

@Bea, I am aware of his other places, both former and current, but Rye House is closer to home. I also agree that AC seems like a nice guy, at least on the TV clips I've seen. I've never had any personal interaction with him so I can't say for sure.

I have had interaction with other well-known individuals who have residences in my area. The vast majority are very pleasant and I hope it's because they realize they're just people too. The size of his house doesn't really impress me, either. I've been to other places that make his look like it's the caretaker's cottage.

I commend him staying-in-place where he was, because many didn't. Others got out of Dodge while they could, potentially spreading the infection to their new location. Some went with only a car load of essential stuff, meaning they had to stock up on household items and groceries after arrival.

I was told of one such carload. Four people drove up together from The City, one of them feeling sick, the others not. They went directly to their house to drop off the sick one, then the other three went out to buy groceries at the local market. That store is now taking temperatures of every employee and customer before entry.

The influx from other areas was such that my local paper felt they needed a special piece to help educate our new guests. Guidelines about local government, schools, medical, trash, roads, and more. Things are small, even our local hospital with only 78 "general" beds. Services are limited.

As you know, some are considered essential and have to stay open. I have family members who are in that position. Some are in trades that require that they go into people's homes, risking contact. They've had to implement new protocols to determine their level of risk, asking questions, like:
Have you recently traveled?
From where?
When did you arrive here?
Is anyone in your household ill?
Have you self-quarantined for 14 days?
Does you basement have an outside entrance?
...

Keep in mind that some of the people have never lived in a house. They don't know the first thing about boilers or furnaces, wells, septic tanks and other things that homeowners deal with. When the toilet doesn't flush they call the Super. Here you call the plumber (or heater) who has to go inside a potentially contaminated space. I worry for them.

My wife works for an essential business. They also have taken steps to protect their front line workers. Those workers are stressed. Even though my wife isn't on the front line, she still has to interact with those those who are, and has to pass through the same space as the essential customers. She's stressed. I'm stressed, too, wondering if she'll ever bring it home.

Her family's had a tradition of weekly family-night dinner that began 2 generations ago. The fifth generation is now participating. The dinners could get quite large. In these times they've become virtual with everyone logging in on their devices. Since they can't get together right now, at least they can still talk and see each other as regularly scheduled. Zoom didn't work so well, so we've switched to use my GoToMeeting subscription which does work well. It may be for only an hour a week but it helps make them happy at this point.

I've been watching the case count-by-town daily. My town had 0 recorded a week ago. Then came one. Then another. This morning it went up to 4. Still low, I know, but you can't help but wonder - where did they come from? How did it spread? For the foreseeable future I'm afraid I'll view all out-of-state license plates as suspect. But then, I guess, everyone will be unless proven otherwise.

One thing this experience highlights is the difference between the haves and the have-nots, the essential and the non-essential. The haves have the means to escape. The have-nots are stuck. The non-essential can work from home. The essential have to go to work, until they get sick.

It'll be interesting to see what type of "societal re-alignment" will take place in the future. That is, if I survive.

[Marie Burns]

@unwashed: I appreciate your take on intruders from New Yawk City. When I lived in Manhattan, I had a cottage in the mountains about 35 miles east of Binghamton. Had I still been in that situation this year, I would have moved by mid-February to my upstate cottage, even though I would have had to endure at least six weeks with no running water (I pumped water up from the lake through a pipe that ran along the ground). I would have had to drill a hole in the ice to get water for washing myself & the dishes. I would have had to keep a fire going 24/7.

I would have had to grocery-shop at Wegman's in Binghamton & made other purchases there in the relative boonies, too. I would have had to leave my car on the side of the road & schlep the groceries into the cottage about a 1/4-mile on a sled. I would have been totally alone as nobody goes to those cottages in the winter. With any luck, I could have got my phone, TV & internet connections reactivated.

I don't think I would have felt guilty. Rather, I would have thought of myself as being relatively prudent -- one more person who got herself as far out of harm's way as possible, one more person not likely to contract the virus & spread it to others.

[Cowichan's Opinion]

With the news that the EU is starting to relax anti-coronavirus restrictions as a beginning of return to normality, the pressure on trump to open the US up to business will be irresistible. To be beaten by the socialists is inconceivable!

[NJC]

Today Tom Malinowski (D.N.J.), Justin Amash (I. Mich.) and Dean Phillips (D. Minn.) introduced a Resolution short + sweet: "When someone is the president of the United States their authority is not total." Malinowski added in a Tweet, "We can only pass things with unanimous consent these days, so I'm curious if anyone will object."

[Bobby Lee]

Well, it's Flori-duh again. The state surgeon general whisked off stage after contradicting the party line on ending the shut downs.

As the Miami Herald said: "What Florida needs now is a governor".

[Ken Winkes]

Pretender's scapegoating talent (he does have some) on display:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/14/trump-calls-for-halt-to-us-funding-for-world-health-organization-amid-coronavirus-outbreak.html

If I read it right, he's mad at them because they were only five or six weeks smarter than he is, and that leaves him plenty of room to say WHO is really stupid.

[citizen625]

Trump is a master shell game artist: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/politics/trump-school-nutrition-rule.html. Court Strikes Down Trump Rollback of School Nutrition Rules. These guys are so evil, I can't even make stuff up this evil. In additional to all of President Bone Spurs other faults, he targets school lunch programs with his shit. The modern tobacco business profit-maximizing, damn the torpedos (our fellow citizens) mindset has morphed into food in a big way. I always watch what the Orange blob's other, quiet hand is doing. With Sonny Perdue as USDA head, expect cheap, cut rate everything.

[Ken Winkes]

Thanks for the NYTimes reference, Citizen.

Read it with pleasure and found this buried in it. "Another proposed rule, unveiled on Mrs. Obama’s birthday, would weaken nutrition standards for fruits and vegetables in school and summer meal programs."

I'm guessing the Pretender knew more about the timing of this proposed rule's announcement than he still knows about Covid-19.

What a mean bastard. File him under "petty."

[Procopius]

@Ken Winke, @PD Pepe: I saw an article about that Virginia pastor. He and his wife seem to have picked up the virus in New Orleans, or at least the pastor did. They went down to play music and preach during Mardi Gras, and I guess it's something they've been doing every year for a while. Despite their identification as Evangelicals or Charismatics, they seem to have been reasonably nice people, and may have actually tried to live a Christian life. They seem not to have gotten rich from their preaching, and drove to New Orleans rather than taking a plane. To me that's the biggest tell, whether or not they live modest lives.

[Ken Winkes]

Procopious,

Thanks for the additional information.

I was likely too cavalier about the pastor's death. I have not completely shed my own Catholic, and I felt a little guilty at the time I wrote my comment.

Still, nice or sincere or not, whether the pastor's reported behavior arose from political or theological roots, it still endangered his parishioners, which suggests a short-sightedness difficult to distinguish from the stupidity I often associate with True Believers of any stripe.

Thus my criticism.