The Commentariat -- April 15, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Hey, Let's Create an Unnecessary Constitutional Crisis During a National Crisis! Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump on Wednesday called on the Senate to either confirm his nominees to vacancies across the administration or formally adjourn, threatening to use executive power to try and force both chambers of Congress to adjourn. The president offered a lengthy diatribe against what he described as congressional obstruction in confirming his nominees, which he argued was more urgent than ever amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Senate ... is not expected to return until May 4 but has been conducting pro forma sessions in the meantime, preventing Trump from making recess appointments.... The president threatened to use his 'constitutional authority' to adjourn both chambers of Congress, which would allow him to make recess appointments to vacant positions.... Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution grants Trump with the power to 'on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper.'" ~~~

~~~ Colby Itkowitz & Erica Werner of the Washington Post: "[Trump] spent several minutes [Mrs. McC: at the top] of his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday blaming Senate Democrats for blocking his nominations, even though most of the vacancies in the federal government are because Trump hasn't selected anyone to fill them. Several of his nominees haven't been given a confirmation hearing yet in the Republican-led Senate. Trump cited a never-exercised power the Constitution grants the president to adjourn Congress if leaders of the House and Senate can't agree on whether to adjourn."

~~~ Sarah Burris of the Raw Story: Trump's impeachment lawyer, Jonathan Turley, wrote on Twitter, "The President just said that he may unilaterally adjourn Congress. This seems to be a reference to Article II, Section 3, which gives a president in 'extraordinary occasions' to convene or adjourn the Houses. This power has never been used and should not be used now.... The power to adjourn only applies 'in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment.' Pro forma sessions have been used by both Democratic and Republican houses to prevent recess appointments. I have long been a critic of such recess appointments. Senators of both parties should vote to support the congressional control over adjournment. Absent a 'disagreement' there is no presidential power to adjourn under Article II. A pandemic should not be an invitation for pandemonium. Indeed, we need regular order now more than ever." ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Mrs. McCrabbie: Trump "reinstated" the other Constitutional crisis he created Monday -- saying he has "absolute control" over when and how states open up elements of their economies, a position he backed off Tuesday, but reiterated Wednesday. I'll get up a print story on this when one becomes available. You just can't have too many Constitutional crises during an actual existential crisis.

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Wednesday are here. "Dr. Robert R. Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heaped praise on the World Health Organization Wednesday morning, saying that questions about what the group did during the pandemic should be left until 'after we get through this.' His comments on the 'CBS This Morning' program were at odds with President Trump's announcement Tuesday evening that he has ordered a freeze on American funding of the W.H.O., accusing the organization of a 'China-centric' bias and of contributing to deaths by covering up the spread of the virus.... His comments underscore the clash between Mr. Trump and his health care professionals." ~~~

~~~ Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times: "Thousands of Americans would be alive today if President Trump had spent more time listening to the World Health Organization instead of trying to destroy it. Trump's announcement that he will halt American funding for the W.H.O. just as the world is facing a raging pandemic is a dangerous attempt to find a scapegoat for his own failings. It is like taking away a fire department's trucks in the middle of a blaze.... [Trump's] own pandemic preparedness plan, which he characteristically has failed to implement, called for building support for the W.H.O. -- because it's a critical player to keep Americans safe. Yes, some of the complaints about the W.H.O. are valid.... But it has still managed the coronavirus crisis far better than the Trump administration.... Trump's main complaint about the W.H.O. is that it is too close to China, and there's some truth to that -- but Trump himself fawned over China's response to the pandemic.... If Trump insists on holding people accountable..., he can gaze in the mirror."

Lucia Mutikani of Reuters: "U.S. retail sales suffered a record drop in March as mandatory business closures to control the spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak depressed demand for a range of goods, setting up consumer spending for its worst decline in decades.... Retail sales plunged 8.7% last month, the biggest decline since the government started tracking the series in 1992.... Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales tumbling 8.0% in March. Compared to March last year, retail sales dropped 6.2%." --s ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: The NYT's live updates, linked above, describes the drop in U.S. retail sales as "by far the largest in the nearly three decades the government has tracked the data."

Jennifer Hiller & Liz Hampton of Reuters: "Oil fields from Texas and New Mexico to Oklahoma and North Dakota are going quiet..... Fuel demand has plunged by as much as 30 million barrels per day (bpd) - or 30% - as efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic have grounded aircraft, reduced vehicle usage and pushed economies worldwide toward recession.... The governments of global oil producers and consumers are seeking to make unprecedented cuts to overall supply of some 19.5 million bpd. U.S. President Donald Trump heralded the deal to cut supply as one that would save hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs. But oil prices fell again this week, dropping as much as 10% on Tuesday, because even those cuts may fail to stem the glut.... Across the United States, up to 240,000 oil-related jobs will be lost this year[.]" --s

Annie Karni & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "President Trump stood in the Rose Garden on Tuesday evening and recited a list of dozens of prominent business and labor leaders who he said would be advising him in deciding when and how to reopen the country's economy.... Mr. Trump was vague about whether those on his list had all agreed to serve on the task force his administration has been struggling to put together over the past week. Some business leaders have been hesitant to attach their names to it in the middle of intense discussions in the White House about who would serve on a formal council, and what its mandate would be. It was also not clear if all of the companies and executives Mr. Trump mentioned had been asked in advance if they would serve in advisory roles to the White House. At least one person on the president's list, who asked not to be identified for fear of angering the White House, said that no request had been made to join the list and that there had been no advance notice of an announcement." Mrs. McC: Maybe you should check; your name may be on it.

George Conway in a Washington Post op-ed: "Among Donald Trump's many flaws as president is one that's as fundamental as any: He simply doesn't understand his job.... Trump made this clear during his briefing Monday, with an extraordinary series of statements about presidential power -- well, perhaps extraordinary for anyone but him.... Trump took a solemn oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. After his years in the job, he ought to know something about that document.... In our federal system the states aren't under Washington's control, the way a corporate subsidiary might be owned by, say, the Trump Organization. It's not just federalism that Trump misapprehends. It's grade-school-level civics that the president carries out laws.... Justice Hugo L. Black, then the court's leading textually oriented conservative, wrote [in Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952)], 'The President's power, if any, to issue the order must stem either from an act of Congress or from the Constitution.'" ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Chait: “When Congress enacted an emergency plan to send $1,200 checks to every American adult, Republicans joked that President Trump would want to sign his name on the checks. A few weeks later, after the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was exploring this outlandish desire, a reporter asked, '... Do you want to sign those checks?' Trump denied it: 'No. Me sign? No.' Last night, the Washington Post reported that Trump's name will be displayed on every check.... Trump's presidency has largely consisted of outrageously corrupt notions proceeding from fearful accusation to accepted reality.... Trump has never respected any meaningful distinction between the federal government and the Trump Organization. He expects every federal employee, especially its law-enforcement agents, to advance his personal political agenda. He has functionally mixed its budget with his own by having the government pour money into his properties, and he has treated its official powers as if they are his own personal chits. The authority he has gained through the emergency response to the coronavirus has vastly expanded the potential for corruption, and every sign indicates that Trump is already engaging in systemic abuse." Read on.

James Hohmann of the Washington Post: "A draft national strategy to reopen the country in phases, developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasizes that even a cautious and phased approach 'will entail a significant risk of resurgence of the virus.' The internal document, obtained by The Washington Post, warns of a 'large rebound curve' of novel coronavirus cases if mitigation efforts are relaxed too quickly before vaccines are developed and distributed or broad community immunity is achieved." Underlying WashPo story linked below. ~~~

~~~ David Lim of Politico: "The number of coronavirus tests analyzed each day by commercial labs in the U.S. plummeted by more than 30 percent over the past week, even though new infections are still surging in many states and officials are desperately trying to ramp up testing so the country can reopen. One reason for the drop-off may be the narrow testing criteria that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last revised in March. The agency's guidelines prioritize hospitalized patients, health care workers and those thought to be especially vulnerable to the disease, such as the elderly. Health providers have been turning away others in part due to shortages of the swabs used to collect samples.... After being overwhelmed for weeks, commercial labs say they are now sitting with unused testing capacity waiting for samples to arrive."

Aaron Gregg, et al., of the Washington Post: "An emergency loan program intended to get money swiftly into the hands of small businesses has all but collapsed under an unprecedented crush of applications and a shortage of funds, overwhelming agency officials and prompting urgent calls for action on Capitol Hill. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, or EIDL, a long-standing program run by the Small Business Administration (SBA), is separate from the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses that is the subject of a political fight on Capitol Hill. The federal government normally doles out EIDL loans to small businesses hurt by tornadoes and wildfires. On March 12, the SBA expanded the program to help entrepreneurs hurt by the coronavirus, offering low-interest loans of up to $2 million."

Jenna McLaughlin of Yahoo! News: "The White House is still refusing to give Congress a reason for firing Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, as required by law, missing a deadline set by a bipartisan group of senators." --s

Bill & Don's Excellent Adventure. Erin Banco & Lachlan Cartwright of the Daily Beast: "In a series of conversations last September, senior Department of Justice officials worked with representatives of the Australian government to hammer out an arrangement to win the release of a pair of Australian bloggers imprisoned in Tehran. At the same time those talks were taking place, Attorney General Bill Barr and his lieutenants were speaking to the Australians about ... getting their help as the Department of Justice looked into the origins of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Barr's ... review has been widely seen as an attempt to discredit the Mueller investigation.... Just days before the culmination of talks in September -- which coincided with an official Australian state visit -- Trump himself pushed Prime Minister Scott Morrison to help Barr with this inquiry.... According to four sources ... the American government agreed to help facilitate the release of the Australian bloggers, in part by agreeing to pull back from pursuing the extradition of an Iranian scientist held in Australia.... The discussions between Washington and Canberra raise questions about why the Department of Justice engaged in a behind-the-scenes effort to help win the release of Australian hostages from Iran and whether the president's request to have the country assist in Barr's Russia inquiry influenced the department's decision-making." Via safari.

Presidential Race. Maggie Astor & Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts endorsed Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Wednesday, the latest in a string of prominent endorsements for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.... She left the timing of her announcement up to Mr. Biden's team, according to people familiar with the matter. There was no holdup or demand for concessions, these people said.... Since Ms. Warren ended her own campaign, she and Mr. Biden have spoken multiple times about policy issues, including Mr. Biden's plan to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. 'One thing I appreciate about Joe Biden is that he will always tell you where he stands,' Ms. Warren said in her endorsement video. 'When you disagree, he'll listen -- not just listen, but really hear you and treat you with respect, no matter where you're coming from. And he has shown throughout this campaign that when you come up with new facts or a good argument, he's not too afraid or too proud to be persuaded.'" Emily Stewart of Vox has the story here.

~~~~~~~~~~

Actual President Endorses Vice President Biden to Succeed Him, Says Placeholder Sucks:

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 of 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." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ 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.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The New York Times' live updates for Tuesday's coronavirus developments in the U.S. are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Tuesday are here.

Lisa Mascaro & Laurie Kellman of the AP: "As ... Donald Trump spoke during his daily coronavirus briefing Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a stark warning for Americans to 'ignore the lies' and 'insist on the truth' while the U.S. assesses next steps in the crisis.... She [wrote in a letter to House Democrats] the president ignored early warnings about the virus and took 'insufficient' action that 'caused unnecessary death and disaster.' Because of his 'incompetent' reaction, she said, the economy is now a 'disaster.' 'The truth is a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility,' she wrote. It was a stunning missive from the California Democrat who typically reserves her most harsh criticisms of the president for private settings. The two are essentially no longer on speaking terms. 'The truth is, from this moment on, Americans must ignore lies and start to listen to scientists and other respected professionals in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones,' she wrote to colleagues. 'Our future will be healthy and prosperous if we no longer tolerate lies and deceit,' she wrote."

As the Chest Puffs & the Lips Flap

Projection AND Deflection. Michael Shear of the New York Times: "For weeks, President Trump has faced relentless criticism for having overseen a slow and ineffective response to the coronavirus pandemic, failing to quickly embrace public health measures that could have prevented the disease from spreading.... So on Tuesday, the president tried to shift the blame elsewhere, ordering his administration to halt funding for the World Health Organization and claiming the organization made a series of devastating mistakes as it sought to battle the virus. He said his administration would conduct a review into whether the W.H.O. was responsible for 'severely mismanaging and covering up' the spread. 'So much death has been caused by their mistakes,' the president told reporters during a White House briefing. In effect, Mr. Trump was accusing the world's leading health organization of making all of the mistakes that he has made since the virus first emerged in China and then spread rapidly around the world.... He said the W.H.O. 'willingly took China's assurances to face value' and 'pushed China's misinformation.' But it was Mr. Trump himself who went out of his way to publicly and repeatedly praise the Chinese government for its handling of the virus at a time at the beginning of the year that his administration was negotiating a trade deal with China." An AP story is here. ~~~

~~~ Amber Philips of the Washington Post: "When Trump first floated cutting WHO funding last week, he acknowledged it might not be the best thing to do in a pandemic. But on Tuesday, he displayed no such hesitation." ~~~

~~~ Trump Threatened to Walk Out of His Own Press Briefing Because Press Asked Questions. Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "Following ... Donald Trump's aggressive attacks on the World Health Organization at Tuesday's coronavirus press briefing, several reporters pointed out that the WHO wasn't responsible for key failures of the U.S. government, including the ongoing shortage of COVID-19 tests in many regions of the country. The president quickly grew angry in response to the questioning -- and ultimately threatened to leave the press conference. 'It's up to the governors,' said Trump. 'It hasn't been up to the federal government.' One reporter pointed out that the governors 'are following your lead,' at which point Trump started shouting, 'If you keep talking I'll leave and you can have it out with the rest of these people ... just a loudmouth.'" ~~~

~~~ Trump Realizes It's Hard to Blame Governors for Covid-19 Deaths if He Pretends to Exercise "Absolute Power." Jill Colvin & Zeke Miller of the AP: "... Donald Trump said Tuesday he's open to some states 'reopening' before federal social distancing guidelines expire at the end of month, as he appeared to back off his claim of absolute authority to decide when the time was right to act. Hours after suggesting that the bipartisan concerns of governors about his assertion of power would amount to an insurrection, Trump abruptly reversed course, saying he would leave it to governors to determine the right time and manner to revive activity in their states. Trump said he would be speaking with governors, probably on Thursday, to discuss his plans. 'The governors are responsible,' Trump said Tuesday. 'They have to take charge.' Still, he insisted, 'The governors will be very, very respectful of the presidency.'... In a departure..., Trump ended his daily briefing without turning the mic over to federal health experts, who have cautioned against moving too quickly to restart economic activity..... Earlier Tuesday, Trump initially indicated he was relishing the fight with state officials -- particularly Democrats in hard-hit states -- who have voiced fears that the president's ambitious timetable could lead to a resurgence of a virus that is still killing more than 1,000 Americans a day.... Still, Trump warned [at his briefing] that he would be monitoring the performance of governors, and signaled he might blame them if he believes their actions slow the pace of what he hopes will be a robust economic recovery. 'If they don't do a good job we're going to come down on them hard,' Trump said."

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Notice that Trumpty-Dumpty never says, "I was wrong to assert absolute power.” He just pretends he will magnanimously allow governors to try to control movement in their own states. What a dick.

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." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Philip Rucker, et al., of the Washington Post: "Impatient with the economic devastation wrought by social distancing and other mitigation measures -- and fearful of the potential damage to his reelection chances -- Trump has been adamant in private discussions with advisers about reopening the country next month.... Inside the White House, it has been clear to officials since last week that there is no longer much of a debate -- at least with the president -- about starting the reopening process May 1.... 'Our country has to get open, and it will get open, and it'll get open safely and hopefully quickly -- some areas quicker than other areas,' Trump said at a Rose Garden news conference.... Trump&'s advisers are trying to shield the president from political accountability should his move to reopen the economy prove premature and result in lost lives, and so they are trying to mobilize business executives, economists and other prominent figures to buy into the eventual White House plan, so that if it does not work, the blame can be shared broadly, according to two former administration officials familiar with the efforts." Emphasis added. ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: The moment I heard Trump was planning to assemble an "economic task force" to "help" him reopen the economy, I thought anyone dumb enough to add his name to the group would be blamed for participating in the high-profile death squad. ~~~

~~~ Matt Stieb of New York: "On March 13, the day that he announced social distancing measures after essentially ignoring the emerging crisis for over a month, President Trump responded to a question about accountability for the federal government's failure, saying, 'I don’t take responsibility at all.' Over 25,000 American deaths later, the president appears to be sticking to that philosophy. According to a report from the Washington Post, Trump's strategy for re-opening the economy involves bringing in several unofficial advisers so he can spread the blame around if the plan to reopen results in an immediate second outbreak and unnecessary death."

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." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ Peter Baker & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "There once was a time when President Trump made clear that governors were the ones mainly responsible for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. But that was Sunday. On Monday, he declared that he was really in charge and would make the decision about when and how to reopen the country. The president's reversal raised profound constitutional questions about the real extent of his powers and set him once again on a potential collision course with the states. For weeks, he sought to shift blame to the governors for any failures in handling the virus, presenting himself as merely a supporting player.... Asked what provisions of the Constitution gave him the power to override the states if they wanted to remain closed, he said, 'Numerous provisions,' without naming any.... '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,' he wrote Monday morning on Twitter. 'Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect. It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons.'... Less than 24 hours before his decision-by-me tweets, he was still putting the onus for the pandemic response on the states.... Even at Monday's daily news briefing, he took further jabs at the governors. 'Many of them didn't do their jobs,' he said. 'We helped some of the ones who didn't know what they were doing.'" ~~~

~~~ Meagan Flynn & Allyson Chiu of the Washington Post: "When President Trump was asked during Monday's news briefing what authority he has to reopen the country, he didn't hesitate to answer. 'I have the ultimate authority,' the president responded, cutting off the reporter who was speaking.... Not only does the power Trump asserted have no basis in reality, experts said, but it's also completely antithetical to the Constitution, the concept of federalism and separation of powers -- whether during a time of emergency or not.... 'You won't find that written in the Federalist Papers anywhere,' Robert Chesney, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, told The Washington Post.... 'Nope,' [Steve] Vladeck[, also of UT Law,] wrote [on Twitter], 'That would be the literal definition of a *totalitarian* government.'... Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at the South Texas College of Law Houston..., [said] there is no 'emergency clause' in the Constitution for presidential power.... Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) tweeted the full text of the 10th Amendment, which says any powers not specifically delegated to the federal government in the Constitution are reserved to the states. The federal government, she said, 'does not have absolute authority.' Appearing on CNN, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) ... [said] 'You don't become king because there's a federal emergency.'" An NPR story is here.

Mnuchin Caves Again to President* Me-Me-Me. Lisa Rein of the Washington Post: "The Treasury Department has ordered President Trump's name be printed on stimulus checks the Internal Revenue Service is rushing to send to tens of millions of Americans, a process that is expected to slow their delivery by several days, senior agency officials said. The unprecedented decision, finalized late Monday, means that when recipients open the $1,200 paper checks the IRS is scheduled to begin sending to 70 million Americans in coming days, 'President Donald J. Trump' will appear on the left side of the payment. It will be the first time a president's name appears on an IRS disbursement.... The decision is another sign of Trump's effort to cast his response to the pandemic in political terms. Trump had privately suggested to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who oversees the IRS, to allow the president to formally sign the checks.... But the president is not an authorized signer for legal disbursements by the U.S. Treasury. It is standard practice for a civil servant to sign checks issued by the Treasury Department to ensure that government payments are nonpartisan.... Chad Hooper..., president of the IRS's Professional Managers Association..., said he was appalled by what he called 'an abuse of government resources.'" ~~~

AND Akhilleus has some thoughts on the Dear Leader's name being engraved upon the paper checks going to some who survived the Trumpandemic:

First, [Trump] had nothing to do with those stimulus checks. Zip. Zero. Nada. He was too scared of being in the same room with Nancy Pelosi so he stayed in his room watching imbeciles on Fox tell him he';s great. Second, if he had his way, that money would be going to him and his criminal, mooching family, not to people who need it. There is no bottom to this loathsome swine. -- Akhilleus, in today's thread

If some politician's name belongs on the checks (and it does not, largely because the checks are drawn on the accounts of millions of today's and tomorrow's U.S. taxpayers), then it would be Nancy Pelosi's name, or Chuck Schumer's, or Bernie Sanders' or Andrew Yang's or or or. -- Mrs. Bea McCrabbie     

A Plan Is in the Works. What a Concept! Lena Sun, et al., of the Washington Post: "A team of government officials -- led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- has created a public health strategy to combat the novel coronavirus and reopen parts of the country. Their strategy, obtained by The Washington Post, is part of a larger White House effort to draft a national plan to get Americans ... back to work. It gives guidance to state and local governments on how they can ease mitigation efforts, moving from drastic restrictions such as stay-at-home orders in a phased way to support a safe reopening. CDC and FEMA officials have worked on the public health response for at least the past week, and the resulting document has been discussed at the White House, including by members of the coronavirus task force.... President Trump wants a final plan on reopening the country ready within days so he can issue suggestions for some states to reopen May 1, officials said. 'The plans to reopen the country are close to being finalized,' Trump said at a White House briefing Tuesday.... The president has not committed to following the guidelines delineated in the draft." The report includes some recommendations in the draft plan.

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. (Also linked yesterday.)

GOP Congressman Will Sacrifice Your Life for Trumponomics. Paul LeBlanc of CNN: "An Indiana congressman said Tuesday that letting more Americans die from the novel coronavirus is the 'lesser of two evils' compared with the economy cratering due to social distancing measures. Speaking with radio station WIBC in Indiana, Republican Rep. Trey Hollingsworth asserted that, while he appreciated the science behind the virus' spread, 'it is always the American government's position to say, in the choice between the loss of our way of life as Americans and the loss of life, of American lives, we have to always choose the latter.'... Hollingsworth's comments echo a growing desire among some Republicans -- including President Donald Trump -- to begin to ease the guidelines that have shuttered businesses and kept workers at home." Mrs. McC: Hollingsworth is 36 years old, appears fit, & is the 12th richest MoC. So probably not at a high-risk for complications from the coronavirus.

Ariana Cha of the Washington Post: "About 9,000 ... American health-care workers ... have had positive coronavirus tests as of April 9, according to a ... CDC analysis released Tuesday that provides an early snapshot of infections in health-care workers across the country. They are mostly white, female and in their 40s, the report found. Although most were not sick enough to be hospitalized, 27 died, the CDC said. As with the rest of the U.S. population, most of the deaths occurred among those age 65 or older. These numbers are believed to be a gross undercount of infections due to the continuing lack of available tests in many areas. Some regions and institutions are no longer testing health-care workers, reserving kits for the sickest patients." The story is free to nonsubscribers.

New York. Karen Matthews, et al., of the AP: "The official death toll from the coronavirus soared in New York City on Tuesday after health authorities began including people who probably had COVID-19, but died without ever being tested. Officials reported 3,778 'probable' deaths, where doctors were certain enough of the cause of death to list it on the death certificate, and 6,589 confirmed by a lab test. Combined, that would put the total fatalities in the city over 10,000. The change in the city's accounting of deaths came after officials acknowledged that statistics based only on laboratory-confirmed tests were failing to account for many people dying at home before they reached a hospital or even sought treatment."

"There's no value in" watching @realDonaldTrump's press briefings, @realDonaldTrump's press briefings, @NYGovCuomo says. "It could be a comedy skit..." -- Jesse McKinley, in a tweet @8:33 am ET Monday

Cuomo's been calling daily, even hourly, begging for everything, most of which should have been the state's responsibility, such as new hospitals, beds, ventilators, etc. I got it all done for him, and everyone else, and now he seems to want Independence! That won't happen! -- Donald Trump, in a tweet @10:07 am ET Monday

Not all that funny, but some good clips:

Lola Fadulu of the New York Times: "A federal court has struck down a 2018 Agriculture Department rule that reversed nutrition standards for sodium and whole grains in school meal programs once championed by the former first lady Michelle Obama. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland vacated the rule, concluding that it violated the Administrative Procedure Act because the 2018 rule differed significantly from the administration's 2017 interim rule setting up the final standards. The school breakfast and lunch rule is only the latest in a series of Trump administration regulations that have been struck down for violating the legal procedures that Congress set out for approving new regulations." Thanks to citizen625 for the link.

Richard Burr, Notorious Crook. Robert Faturechi of ProPublica: "The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr, has come under fire in recent weeks for unloading stock holdings right before the market crashed on fears of coronavirus and for a timely sale of shares in an obscure Dutch fertilizer company. Now the North Carolina Republican's 2017 sale of his Washington, D.C., home to a group led by a donor and powerful lobbyist who had business before Burr's committee is raising additional ethical questions. Burr sold the small townhouse, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, for ... $900,000 -- to a team led by lobbyist John Green. That is tens of thousands of dollars above some estimates of the property's value by tax assessors, a real estate website and a local real estate agent. The sale was done off-market.... In 2017, the year of the sale, Green lobbied on behalf of a stream of clients with business before Burr's committees.... The legality of this sale hinges on whether the home was purchased for fair market value. If it was purchased for more than that, it would be considered a gift. Gifts of significant value from lobbyists are generally banned by Senate ethics rules, and those that aren't are typically required to be publicly disclosed. Neither Burr nor Green disclosed any such gifts. Gifts that are intended to influence official actions are illegal."

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. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Comments

[Akhilleus]

Fatty looks forward to fighting with Democratic governors who are doing what he is incapable of accomplishing, keeping Americans alive.

One should never assume that this wretched creature has gone as low as he can in his never ending quest for supreme assholery. As thousands of people lay dying because of his stunning indolence and rank incompetence, the best things he can think to do are picking fights with governors and reporters who are too busy to play “Donnie is My Hero”, and make sure his giant, childish scrawl is plastered across stimulus checks as if the money is coming from him personally.

First, he had nothing to do with those stimulus checks. Zip. Zero. Nada. He was too scared of being in the same room with Nancy Pelosi so he stayed in his room watching imbeciles on Fox tell him he’s great. Second, if he had his way, that money would be going to him and his criminal, mooching family, not to people who need it.

There is no bottom to this loathsome swine.

[Akhilleus]

So I see that a bishop who went out of his way to endanger congregants by flouting coronavirus public safety measures has died from that virus. “Fuck your public safety bullshit. I can do whatever I want. God will take care of me.”

And so he did.

Ya know, if I were the supreme being I’d be awfully tempted to smite me some douchebags who constantly invoke my name to do dangerous and stupid shit. And I’d start with a certain orange headed fat man.

[Akhilleus]

Little donnie trumpy: chess master

One of the first things beginning chess players learn is how not to put yourself in check (ie, how not to make stupid moves). The idea is that you carefully consider every move to ensure first, that your king is protected, and second, that your move will advance your game strategy. Complete neophytes often make rash moves in hopes of surprising their opponent. In nearly all cases, however, they are the one surprised when they lose important pieces or find themselves in untenable positions which require a hasty retreat. Players with no idea how to formulate a real strategy end up bumbling along making moves with no idea what they’re doing until their opponent puts them out of their misery.

This is Trump every day. He is constantly making head-shakingly stupid moves, putting himself in check, which demands that he instantly retreat. Claiming supreme authority but then realizing this move completely undermines your standard game plan of blaming everyone else is a perfect example.

There’s a situation, rarely seen among even relatively inexperienced players, called Fool’s Mate, in which black can win the game in only two moves after white makes two ridiculously thoughtless moves.

This is Trump. He’s lucky, however, because Republicans, and most of the media, are always there to allow him a do over. Otherwise it would be Fool’s Mate every day.

[Patrick]

Seven months to Dump Day. Is it to soon to put the "Trumpus delenda est" logo back on the masthead?

[Patrick]

Or too soon?

[Marie Burns]

Not two soon, although at this point I'm saving it for special occasions. (Yes, one could argue convincingly that Trump provides a special occasion nearly every day.) MAG created the version I use.

[Bobby Lee]

Will the Trump autographed stimulus checks be accompanied by a re-election flyer? Nothing is to brazen to this crew.

[Marie Burns]

Because I'm usually working in another room when the Daily Trump Propaganda Briefing starts, I can't always instantly pop up & turn off the tube or change to HGTV or something equally non-Trumpish. So I have heard the first few minutes of several of Trump's recent propaganda extravaganzas. Then sometimes I watch clips of the Q&A where Trump is lambasting a reporter or offering up a stupid answer to a reporter's question.

And what I have noticed in my very nonscientific and spotty observations is that at the beginning of the briefings, Trump always seems to be wheezing, while this is not the case later in the day's lie-a-thon.

This causes me to suspect Trump finds it difficult to walk from the Oval Office or the residence to the press room or to the Rose Garden, if it's the site of the show.

[citizen625]

FYI: I saw the lede with Barry O endorsing Joe B. My question then became, what's the NYTimes.com say? Word check the front page for Biden is two hits and Obama none. When the Orange monster pulls money out of WHO, he sucks all the oxygen out of the discussion, too. This is his shell game artistry: people look at the WHO decision and not at his opponents actions to gain strength. What is President Bone Spurs other hand doing?

[PD Pepe]

Lily Thomlin had a bit that she called "Life in the Little Lane" in which she played a little girl who presented herself in an oversized rocking chair pontificating on various topics. Someone should copy that procedure by playing Donny T. –-a tub of lard yakking away–-doing his own "tale of a tub" incoherently with bumptious brio.

His so called briefings have taken the place of his rallies and we know his rallies were the shot in the arm he needed to confirm his place in the sun. Poor man is now displaying withdrawal symptoms and since he doesn't know how to lead ––fails to understand what decent leadership involves–-he's floundering and drowning in his own withdrawals.

Someone once asked, I imagine, what it would be like to have a looney tunes president and cabinet in the time of a real crisis.

We no longer have to imagine.

[NiskyGuy]

republican senators held up the relief bill because they thought $600 a week in additional unemployment pay was too extravagant, but they managed to slip a pass-through tax rule revision into the "relief" bill that will cost the Treasury $90,000,000,000 ($90 Billion) in 2020 alone (Jeff Stein article linked above).

Let's do the arithmetic. The BLS says there were 7.1 Million people on unemployment at the end of March, 4.4%. I have seen "real" unemployment numbers as high as 20%, so let's say we're really looking at 30 million checks, if little Scalia stays out of the way.

If the chiselers got their way and reduced the additional payment to $400/week, that's a "savings" of $200. It takes 15 weeks of payments to 30 million people to get you to that $90 Billion amount that is designed strictly to comfort the comfortable. For many people, that $200 is huge. For me, we're on solid footing, and that money is going back out the door to food banks.

[Ken Winkes]

Taking the liberty of bringing this one forward from late yesterday since the Times article to which it refers is linked above today.

"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'."

Will add today: I have been calling him the Pretender for more than three years now for all the reasons we have sensed there's something essential missing from the presidential role he attempts to play. Goodness knows, there are many such reasons. His vast ignorance, all the evident symptoms of NPD, his penchant for punching down while displaying cowardice in the face of opposition, his unashamed embrace of corruption, etc.

There's all that and much more, but what strikes me as the most disqualifying feature of this president is his how small-minded he is.

Being the anti-Obama alone guided him through the first three years. Flail about. Withdraw from this. Wreck this, destroy that, have another tantrum, blame someone else, and call it leadership.

The thread that runs through it all, it's organizational principle, is the personal and the petty. He likes this one. He hates that one. This one is nice to him. That one is nasty. Leaders of other countries. Governors. News organizations. The White House's own revolving door. How each person treats him is all that matters.

There is no vision for the country or its future. There can't be. No plan or policy that distracts him from how he's feeling at the moment. Who made him feel good. Who made him feel bad. Who's paying him to do this. Who's getting in his way.

The Pretender's world is all friends or enemies...and it'son full display day after day on twitter, formerly at his rallies, now on his disjointed and angry rally substitutes, the essential emptiness of our very petty Pretender.

[PD Pepe]

@Ken: The thing that raises my blood pressure every time we go through all the failures and ineptness of this guy is that we on this site along with a few reporters and pundits "called it" back in 2017–-and NOTHING has been done–-and not for lack of trying–-to get rid of this vile creature. So one must conclude–-and we have––that HIS reign is benefiting the power players in some way or other. Our only hope, in this time of the pandemic, is that eyes that have been closed will open wide and see finally what Trump has wrought. If this doesn't do the trick––nothing will.

[NiskyGuy]

Indiana Representative trey hollingsworth says Americans should go back to work, that getting back to work is "the best decision" for most people.

Tell me, Representative, how many of your relatives are health care workers? Will you visit them in the ICU in person?

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/indiana-congressman-says-he-s-willing-let-more-americans-die-n1184036

(link via Steve Benen at maddowblog)

[safari]

Fat Donny delaying relief checks a few days so he can get his name scribbled on checks reminds of the extreme conflict that Mnuchin whined about with changing out Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the $20, plans that seemed to have already been well in the works.

I hope the next Democratic President puts Tubman's face into circulation in the first few years in office.

[Rockygirl]

Anyone notice that the GOP push to “reopen the country” is coming just as money will actually have to be paid to people Who Aren’t Them?

[Marie Burns]

In the past two days, I have been to the Post Office and a local grocery store, which is part of a chain. Both outfits were well-set up to get customers to follow social-distancing rules, and almost every customer wore a mask.

But none or almost none of the employees wore masks. Since the employees are probably more likely than customers to have come in contact with coronavirus carriers, shouldn't the USPS & the grocery chain be providing employees with obligatory masks?

[unwashed]

@Bea, Stop & Shop did just that, effective today. See the entry at 11:20 am.

[PD Pepe]

I also heard that testing can now be done with just spitting in a vial–-it's safer, easier and results can be gotten much sooner than before. I can't remember what state is doing this but it's done by signing up, getting into your car, waiting in long lines, and at the testing area giving your info packet to the health care person who gives you the vial to spit in which then goes into that info packet. Sounds like a plan to be put in place all over.

[Marie Burns]

@PD Pepe: There is a saliva test, developed by Rutgers, but it is available at only a few sites in New Jersey.

Quite a number of different tests are "promising," but the problem is that they aren't being widely administered, often because part of the supply chain is unavailable: sites where people can go to get the test (without having to make appointments and wait in lines for hours), personnel to administer the tests, PPE for the administrators, the tests themselves, the equipment to administer them (swabs, vials), labs & personnel to process & report the tests.

Also, the CDC is limiting eligibility for the tests. If you'd like to be tested because you're experiencing light symptoms (as I have been for three weeks) or just to reassure yourself that you're healthy & not infecting others, good luck.

On most tests, there is also a question as to their reliability.

In addition, with all these different tests, there is a lack of uniformity. One hospital could be using one kind of test with low reliability with the hospital next door using another test with better reliability. And of course, she shouted, THERE'S NO FEDERAL COORDINATION.

In addition, millions and millions of a different kind of test -- one that checks for the presence of virus antibodies rather than for the presence of the virus itself -- have to be administered & processed to "open the economy."

Trump keeps touting the latest tests, but if the tests aren't being administered, processed and recorded en masse, they're more theoretical than actual.

[Ken Winkes]

Bea,

At our local PO in our unincorporated community where residents have no home delivery and thus have to have a PO Box--free to those in the area with no home delivery service--our postmistress wears a mask and a shield has been installed at the counter. Don't know if this is de rigueu across the country (apparently not)--it otta be-- or under local some local bureaucratic control.

[Ken Winkes]

On the latest news:

WOW!

Looks like time for Article 25. I'm guessing it's being seriously discussed.

The guy is bedbugs.

Wonder if Mitch is having second.....or fiftieth thoughts about the stability of the horse he's been riding.