The Commentariat -- August 22, 2020

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Rachel Bade & Donna Cassata of the Washington Post: "The House voted Saturday on legislation to provide $25 billion to the U.S. Postal Service and explicitly prohibit any operational changes amid widespread Democratic fears that the Trump administration is trying to disenfranchise millions of Americans casting mail ballots this November. The 257-to-150 vote was largely along party lines as Republicans accused Democrats of manufacturing 'baseless conspiracy theories' about delays in postal deliveries to undermine President Trump's reelection bid. The Republican-led Senate is unlikely to act on the legislation, which the White House has threatened to veto. Shortly before the vote, Trump tweeted: 'Vote NO to the Pelosi/Schumer money wasting HOAX which is taking place now.' Twenty-six Republicans broke ranks with Trump and the GOP leadership and joined Democrats in backing the bill. ~~~

~~~ "Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the House Oversight panel, released internal U.S. Postal Service documents Saturday that show steeper declines in on-time deliveries than lawmakers had previously been told about. The drop in service standards since early July is across all categories of mail, including priority mail, periodicals, marketing and first class, the documents show." The Hill's story is here.

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Saturday are here. The Washington Post's live updates for Saturday are here.

Trump's War on Science, Ctd. Orion Rummler of Axios: "President Trump on Saturday baselessly accused the Food and Drug Administration -- which he likened to the 'deep state, or whoever' -- of making it harder for drug companies to distribute coronavirus treatments and vaccines.... Trump's tweet comes on the heels of a policy change by the Department of Health and Human Services to block the FDA's ability to regulate lab-developed tests, including for the coronavirus -- which has public health experts worried that unreliable COVID-19 tests could go to market."

Ken Vogel, et al., of the New York Times: "In early February, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin invited two Republican members of the Postal Service's board of governors to his office to update him on ... the search for a new postmaster general. Mr. Mnuchin had made clear before the meeting that he wanted the governors to find someone who would push through the kind of cost-cutting and price increases that President Trump had publicly called for and that Treasury had recommended in a December 2018 report as a way to stem years of multibillion-dollar losses.... Since 1970, the Postal Service had been an independent agency, walled off from political influence.... The postal chief is picked by a board of governors, with seats reserved for members of both parties, who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate for seven-year terms. Now, not only was the Trump administration ... involving itself in the process for selecting the next postmaster general, but the two Democratic governors who were then serving on the board were not invited to the Treasury meeting.... In interviews, documents and congressional testimony, Mr. Mnuchin emerges as a key player in selecting the board members who hired the Trump megadonor now leading the Postal Service and in pushing the agenda that he has pursued."

John Walton of the Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star: State "Sen. John McCollister of Omaha said Friday he's joining a number of fellow Republicans in deciding to formally endorse Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in his bid to unseat ... Donald Trump. Biden would be 'a real president,' McCollister said, 'not the disaster' that occupies the White House today."

Meghan Roos of Newsweek: "Vermont Governor Phil Scott said Friday that he has decided he will not vote for ... Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Scott, a Republican, has been a vocal critic of Trump for years and said previously that he did not vote for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, according to the Associated Press.... 'I have not decided at this point whether to cast a vote for former Vice President Biden,' Scott said. 'But it's something that I would consider. I just haven't made that decision at this point.' Earlier this year, Scott said that he believed Trump 'shouldn't be in office,' according to the Associated Press.... 'I believe that the president abused his powers,' Scott said when asked about the impeachment inquiry during a news conference in February."

Today's Trumpy Distraction. Colleen Long of the AP: "TRUMP: 'The Democrats took the word GOD out of the Pledge of Allegiance at the Democrat National Convention. At first I thought they made a mistake, but it wasn't. It was done on purpose. Remember Evangelical Christians, and ALL, this is where they are coming from-it's done. Vote Nov 3!' -- tweet Saturday. THE FACTS: That's a misleading accusation. The central programming of the convention featured the entire pledge, complete with 'under God.'... 'Under God' was in each rendering. The convention also devoted a segment to showcasing Biden's religious faith. During two caucuses before the evening conventions started, the Muslim Delegates and Al lies Assembly and the LGBTQ Caucus meeting, both Tuesday, left out 'under God,' from the pledge. The party's series of caucus meetings was livestreamed but not part of the prime-time convention broadcast." Mrs. McC: Do you think Trump was watching livestreams of the Muslim & LGBTQ caucuses?

Jonathan Lemire of the AP: "The White House Rose Garden has been spruced up in time for its moment in the campaign spotlight. First lady Melania Trump will deliver her Republican National Convention speech Tuesday night from the garden.... The three weeks of work on the garden, which was done in the spirit of its original 1962 design, were showcased to reporters on Saturday. White House officials said the renovations were paid for by private donations. They declined to reveal the cost of the work. The location of the first lady's speech will be just one of the ways that the Republican National Convention will break with political norms. Federal rules prohibit the White House from being the setting for expressly political events.... Donald Trump will deliver his speech Thursday night from the White House's South Lawn, where a stage was being constructed over the weekend." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs McCrabbie: No need to listen, especially if you heard \Michelle Obama's remarks at the Democratic convention. As Akhilleus pointed out a few days ago, Melanie lifts all her best material from Michelle.

Ronald Hanson of the Arizona Republic: "Sen. Martha McSally jokingly suggested to supporters to 'fast a meal' and use the savings to donate to her campaign, but the move drew guffaws on Friday from the left, who cast it as a sign of fundraising desperation. McSally, R-Ariz., made the pitch at a campaign event in northern Arizona that made plain a financial reality that has dogged her throughout her race against Democrat Mark Kelly: McSally is way behind in campaign money and is trailing in the polls.... The comment drew instant ridicule and bewilderment on social media."

Mark Pazniokas of the Connecticut Mirror (Aug. 18): "A recount Tuesday flipped the results of the Republican primary in Connecticut's 2nd Congressional District, giving Justin Anderson an 81-vote victory over Thomas Gilmer, the party-endorsed candidate arrested last week on domestic violence charges. The results spare the party an awkward debate over how to fill the vacancy expected had Gilmer won a primary roiled by news that broke as voters went to polls a week ago: Gilmer had been arrested the previous night, and he intended to decline the nomination if victorious. Anderson, whose only previous elective experience was winning a spot on the Planning and Zoning Commission in East Haddam, began the day as the loser by fewer than 20 votes. It ended with him the official winner by less than one-half of a percentage point, 9,483 to 9,402[.]" ~~~

~~~ This Is Perfect. Cassandra Basler of Connecticut Public Radio: "A high-powered Manhattan lawyer with ties to ... Donald Trump tried to keep abuse allegations against Connecticut Republican congressional candidate Tom Gilmer from getting out. Gilmer stopped his campaign for Connecticut's eastern shoreline congressional district after he was arrested on domestic violence charges. Marc Kasowitz represented Gilmer and used to be ... Donald Trump's personal lawyer, according to the New York Times."

Stephanie Mencimer of Mother Jones: "On Friday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed a controversial bill that enhances penalties for certain crimes related to political protests and makes it a felony to illegally camp on state property. In Tennessee, a felony conviction automatically revokes an individual's right to vote. The law also increases penalties for assaulting a first responder, obstructing emergency vehicles, and rioting. The bill follows two months of anti-racism protests in Nashville, during which activists have camped outside the state capitol building in an effort to secure a meeting with Lee. According to the Associated Press, state legislators claimed the law was needed after some protesters set fire to a courthouse in May. But civil libertarians were quick to criticize the measure as detrimental to free speech and criminal justice reform in a state that already uses felon disenfranchisement laws to bar large numbers of Black residents from voting."

Storytime: Rachel Maddow reads excerpts from Brian Stelter's new book Hoax. Maddow's interview of Stelter is here. Thanks to PD Pepe for the lead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Presidential Race, Etc.

Katie Glueck of the New York Times: "After nearly five decades in national politics and in his third run at the presidency, Joseph R. Biden Jr. accepted his party's nomination on Thursday with one of the most forceful speeches of his career -- given to a dark and empty room here, save for a smattering of journalists who watched him live as he addressed the nation by camera. It was a final, surreal scene in an extraordinary virtual Democratic convention week that showcased a party unified around Mr. Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris -- even as sharp differences remain below the surface. Here are seven key takeaways from an unprecedented gathering[.]"

Tom McCarthy of the Guardian: "... Joe Biden 'hit a home run' with an 'enormously effective' speech that blew 'a big hole' in Donald Trump's efforts to paint him as a mentally faltering captive of his party's left wing. And that was to hear Fox News hosts Dana Perino and Chris Wallace tell it. 'It was a very good speech,' added Karl Rove, a Republican strategist respected and reviled on either side of the aisle.... The Trump campaign deployed Vice-President Mike Pence on five morning shows, where he argued that Biden, a known quantity in Washington for 50 years, was a lurking socialist. 'It's a choice between President Trump's record and agenda of freedom and opportunity, versus a Democrat agenda driven by the radical left and Joe Biden's vision that will result in socialism and decline for America,' Pence told Fox News.... 'The president keeps telling us the virus is going to disappear,' Biden said in his speech. 'He keeps waiting for a miracle. Well, I have news for him, no miracle is coming.' Pence told CNN: 'We think there is a miracle around the corner.'"

Maureen Dowd's column, which is a bit scattershot, has its moments. It's titled, "Joe's Fearsome Weapon Against Trump: Simple Decency."

Several media have stories about Braydon Harrington, the 13-year-old boy who endorsed Joe Biden on the final night of the Democratic National Convention. Here's one by Will Weissert of the AP. CNN's story, by Kate Sullivan, is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Eric Bradner of CNN: "Joe Biden's campaign, the Democratic National Committee and their joint fundraising committees raised $70 million over the party's four-day convention this week, Biden's campaign told CNN on Friday. The haul comes the week after raising $48 million in the first two days after Biden selected Sen. Kamala Harris of California as his running mate, setting up August to become an enormous fundraising stretch for Democrats after Biden in recent months all but eliminated ... Donald Trump's cash-on-hand advantage."

Dan Merica & Sarah Mucha of CNN: "Democrats hope to convince voters around next week's Republican National Convention that the only thing ... Donald Trump has accomplished is sowing chaos, using a series of ads, television appearances and briefings to counter-program the convention. It's a difficult task: Conventions dominate coverage and Trump has shown a unique ability to control the conversation -- for better or for worse -- happening across the country. But the party hopes to use momentum from a well-reviewed convention to diminish the Republican counterpart."

Trump's Threat to Intimidate Voters, Ctd. Rosalind Helderman, et al., of the Washington Post: "Nearly 30 years ago, a Republican Party program that dispatched off-duty police officers to patrol polling places in heavily Black and Latino neighborhoods in New Jersey triggered accusations of voter intimidation, resulting in a federal agreement that restricted for decades how the national GOP could observe voting. Now, two years after [a federal judge revoked a 1982 RNC consent decree]..., President Trump has revived the idea of using law enforcement officers to patrol polling places, invoking tactics historically used to scare voters of color.... 'We're going to have everything,' the president said. 'We're going to have sheriffs, and we're going to have law enforcement, and we're going to hopefully have U.S. attorneys and we're going to have everybody, and attorney generals....' Trump's remarks are part of a pattern of comments in which he has suggested he is willing to take actions to impede how people cast their ballots this fall.... Sheriff's deputies and police officers are commanded at the local level, and a federal law bars U.S. government officials from sending 'armed men' to the vicinity of polling places. But civil rights advocates said they feared Trump's words could inspire local officials to act on his behalf." Mrs. McC: Another reminder that it ain't just Trump; Republicans have long tried to keep you from voting. ~~~

~~~ "It Was Great." Nolan McCaskill of Politico: "In a private meeting inside Trump Tower days before his inauguration, Donald Trump told a group of civil rights leaders ... [that] lower turnout among Black voters did, in fact, benefit him in the 2016 presidential election. 'Many Blacks didn't go out to vote for Hillary 'cause they liked me. That was almost as good as getting the vote, you know, and it was great,' the president-elect said, according to an audio recording of the meeting shared with Politico. Three-and-a-half years later, those comments take on new weight, as Democrats and Republicans battle over restrictions on voting.... At one point, Trump left the room to take a call. 'Off the record, that was your friend Barack (Obama),' he told attendees upon his return. "We actually have a very good relationship....'"

Sam Levin of the Guardian: "Donald Trump's campaign failed to produce any evidence of vote-by-mail fraud in Pennsylvania after a federal judge ordered it do so, according to a 524-page court filing obtained by the Guardian. The order came from US district judge Nicholas Ranjan, a Trump appointee, earlier this month amid a lawsuit in Pennsylvania over several voting policies. The Trump campaign is suing to block the widespread use of official ballot dropboxes in the state in locations other than an election office, and to allow poll watchers to work in counties other than the ones they live in. The campaign also wants to block election officials from counting mail-in ballots if a voter forgets to put their mail-in ballot in a secrecy sleeve within the ballot return-envelope. The campaign argued in court that the current practices will lead to voter fraud without these changes."

Miriam Khan of ABC News: "The House is set to vote on a bill related to the ailing U.S. Postal Service in an unusual Saturday session amid an ongoing political controversy over mail-in voting. The chamber will vote on the 'Delivering for America Act,' which would provide $25 billion in new funding for the agency, and it would explicitly prohibit any operational changes made this year. The bill would also require that all official election mail be treated as 'first-class mail,' prohibit the removal of mail sorting machines and mailboxes, and reverse any already implemented changes that could delay mail delivery."

Nicholas Fandos & Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "Louis DeJoy, the embattled postmaster general whose cost-cutting and operational changes have prompted widespread concern about mail-in voting, said on Friday he was 'extremely, highly confident' the Postal Service could handle the largest vote-by-mail program in American history. He said it was 'outrageous' for Democrats to suggest that he might intentionally slow ballot delivery to help President Trump.... Under intense pressure from Democrats, however, he refused to reverse ... steps like removing hundreds of blue mailboxes and mail-sorting machines, that he said his predecessors had initiated in response to a steady decline in mail volume. He told senators that he did not know about the machine removal when it began, saying it was 'not a critical issue within the Postal Service.' And he was unable to offer many specifics about how the Postal Service would ensure on-time delivery of ballots this fall...." ~~~

~~~ Sam Levin of the Guardian: "America's postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, conceded on Friday he had implemented recent changes that led to mail delays at the United States Postal Service (USPS) but said he would not reverse the decision to remove mail equipment ahead of the election." ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post live-updated of Louis DeJoy's testimony before a Senate Committee Friday. The Guardian's live updates are here. The Guardian's coverage is pretty good. For instance, here's the final entry: "The Senate hearing with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has just concluded, and the Republican chairman of the Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee, Ron Johnson, ended it on a distinctly partisan note. Johnson said many of the constituent calls he has received about the US Postal Service have sounded 'very highly scripted.' 'This could be a very well organized effort, which doesn't surprise me in the slightest,' Johnson said. In reality, there have been nationwide reports about slow mail services, resulting in late prescription deliveries and rent payments, among other issues." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Andrew Desiderio, et al., of Politico: "Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Friday defended his proposed changes to the Postal Service amid an onslaught of scrutiny from congressional Democrats, warning that the U.S. Postal Service faces a dire financial situation and is an operational mess. In lengthy prepared remarks before the GOP-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, DeJoy acknowledged several concerns lawmakers have raised in recent weeks, including the significant delivery delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic." (Also linked yesterday.)

Mike Isaac & Sheera Frenkel of the New York Times: "Facebook ... is getting ready in case President Trump interferes [with vote-counting after the November election]. Employees at the Silicon Valley company are laying out contingency plans and walking through postelection scenarios that include attempts by Mr. Trump or his campaign to use the platform to delegitimize the results, people with knowledge of Facebook's plans said. Facebook is preparing steps to take should Mr. Trump wrongly claim on the site that he won another four-year term, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Facebook is also working through how it might act if Mr. Trump tries to invalidate the results by declaring that the Postal Service lost mail-in ballots or that other groups meddled with the vote, the people said." Mrs. McC: It is stunning that a private corporation, albeit a huge one, must arm itself against anticipated bad acts of a crooked U.S. president*.

The New York Times' live updates of coronavirus developments Friday are here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Trump's Empty "Orders." "Jeff Stein & Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "... two weeks after President Trump approved executive actions aimed at bypassing stalled stimulus negotiations with Congress, only one state has said it is paying new jobless benefits, few evictions have been paused, and leading employers have made clear that workers will not benefit from the president's new payroll tax deferral.... Trump's directives have so far produced limited economic relief for Americans hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, despite promises by top White House aides that help would come within weeks. By Friday, only Arizona had started sending the extra $300 to its residents.... Trump and his economic team have repeatedly suggested that the executive actions largely render talks with Congress unnecessary, with the president saying that they would 'take care of pretty much this entire situation.'" Mrs. McC: Luckily for Trump, he really doesn't care if you and your two-year-old are forced to live in your 2005 Honda Civic & dine on canned beans from the local food bank.

The Crime Family Trump, Ctd.

Kara Scannell & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "A federal appeals court denied ... Donald Trump's attempt to halt the enforcement of a subpoena [issued to accounting firm Mazars USA] for his financial records but at the same time set a rapid schedule for oral arguments in the case, leaving a window of several days where prosecutors could seek to obtain the President's tax returns. The ruling from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals came hours after the President's lawyers requested an emergency stay, or hold, on the subpoena. Under a previous arrangement, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance agreed not to enforce the subpoena until seven days after the district court ruled. That deadline would expire next week. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals scheduled oral arguments on whether to grant a 'stay' for September 1, raising the possibility that Trump's financial records and tax returns could be turned over to prosecutors before the hearing -- unless the President takes the case up to the Supreme Court or Vance's office agrees to hold off for the appeals' court decision."

Trump Has to Pay Stormy. Again. Evan Simko-Bednarski of CNN: "A California Superior Court judge has ordered ... Donald Trump to pay $44,100 to Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, to reimburse her attorneys' fees in the legal battle surrounding her nondisclosure agreement. The judge's order was issued Monday but posted online Friday by Clifford's attorneys.... In his decision this week, Judge Robert Broadbelt III ruled that Clifford was entitled to legal fees, finding her the 'prevailing party' under California law, despite the case having been dismissed. Broadbelt also rejected an argument by Trump's attorneys that the President was not liable for the fees because he had not signed the NDA."

Andrew Kaczynski & Nathan McDermott of CNN: "... Kris Kobach said in an interview last year that he had spoken with the President three times about the private border wall project that is currently at the center of a federal fraud investigation, and that Trump was 'enthusiastic' about the project and it carried his blessing.... Trump said Thursday he didn't like the project, citing a tweet from last month criticizing it, and said he knew nothing about it other than what he had read. The White House falsely claimed in a statement on Thursday the President did not know people involved in the project when he knows the majority of the board members.... Speaking on an episode of the 'We Build The Wall' show in May 2019, Kobach, both the general counsel and a board member for the project, said he periodically spoke to the President to give him updates on progress of the project.... In another video from the group in March of 2019, Kobach said he met with the president twice about the project.... Kobach, a staunch ally of the President, served on Trump's voter fraud commission in 2017 and was endorsed by the president during his 2018 run for governor of Kansas, a race he lost in the deeply red state." ~~~

     ~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: It's hard to believe that either of these fine fellows is a bald-faced liar, but obviously at least one of them is.

Tom McCarthy of the Guardian: Depending on how -- and whom -- you count, [Steve] Bannon was the seventh former close Trump adviser to be arrested, face charges, plead guilty or to be convicted of a crime since the 45th president took office. 'I believe it unprecedented in any US administration for so many of the closest circle of persons around the president to have been shown to be conmen, grifters and base criminals,' said Patrick Cotter, a former federal prosecutor.... 'While previous administrations had their share of those trying to personally profit and those willing to break the law to serve the political interests of the president, what is unique about the Trump administration is the large number of people in direct contact with the president, often for years, who are revealed to be out-and-out fraudsters for whom crime is apparently part of their lifestyle and character.... So when I see a swarm of conmen buzzing around one particular man, in this case Trump, my experience suggests that it is because they recognize one of their own. And in selecting them to be his confidants, the president also recognized kindred spirits.'... As his re-election campaign enters full swing, Trump has made an effort to brand himself as the president of 'law and order'. But Trump himself has at times appeared to sail within dangerous distance of criminal legal hazards."

Another of Trump's Crooked Cronies Has a Bad Week. Ben Smith of the New York Times: "David J. Pecker, the tabloid media titan who drew the scrutiny of federal investigators for his alleged role in Donald J. Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, is out as the leader of the parent company of The National Enquirer, Us Weekly and other publications, according to a company announcement on Friday. At the same time, American Media, the company led by Mr. Pecker since 1999, has a new name, A360Media, and will be merged with a sibling company, Accelerate 360. Both are controlled by the hedge fund Chatham Asset Management.... Accelerate said Mr. Pecker, 68, the chief executive and president of American Media, would take on a new role, executive adviser." A Daily Beast story is here.

Shane Harris & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "Former CIA director John Brennan was interviewed for eight hours Friday by the federal prosecutor specially assigned by Attorney General William P. Barr to review how the U.S. intelligence community and law enforcement apparatus handled investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, answering questions on a 'wide range' of topics, including the intelligence community's assessment that Russia intended to help Donald Trump become president, a Brennan adviser said. In a statement, Nick Shapiro, Brennan's former deputy chief of staff, said U.S. Attorney John Durham informed Brennan he was 'not a subject or a target of a criminal investigation' but rather 'a witness to events that are under review.'"

Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "A former Army Green Beret captain was accused on Friday of violating espionage laws after federal investigators said they uncovered evidence he joined the military at the behest of Russian intelligence operatives and had betrayed the United States for years. The suspect, Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, of Gainesville, Va., was arrested on a conspiracy charge of providing national defense information to Russia in an elaborate spying operation that appeared to begin in 1996, prosecutors said. He turned over sensitive military information and the names of fellow service members so Russia could try to recruit them.... Mr. Debbins is the second former government official in recent days to be charged with espionage. A former C.I.A. officer who went on to work on contract as an F.B.I. translator, Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, was arrested last week on charges of giving classified information to the Chinese government." Task & Purpose has a story here.

Kate Taylor of the New York Times: "... a federal judge ordered [actor Lori] Loughlin to serve two months behind bars for her role in the [college] admissions scandal.... Ms. Loughlin, who has acknowledged conspiring to pass her daughters off as rowers so they would be admitted to the University of Southern California, tearfully apologized.... Ms. Loughlin and her husband, the fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, had both pleaded guilty to fraud. Prosecutors have said that they paid $500,000 as part of the scheme, although on Friday one of the couple's lawyers suggested that the money was Mr. Giannulli's alone. Prosecutors said Mr. Giannulli took a more active role in the fraud than Ms. Loughlin did, and the judge sentenced Mr. Giannulli on Friday to five months in prison." Mrs. McC: Here's the part I don't get: (1) It's not all that hard to get into U.S.C. (I've done it myself); and (2) U.S.C. is no more prestigious than any community college to which the daughters might have beem granted admission without any costly greasing of palms.

Way Beyond the Beltway

Melissa Eddy & Andrew Kramer of the New York Times: "A prominent Russian opposition figure was flown to Germany for treatment of suspected poisoning on Saturday, his spokeswoman said, after a day of delays in which Russian doctors offered a variety of reasons to block his transfer. The opposition leader, Aleksei A. Navalny, who had been in a coma since Thursday, was flown from the Siberian city of Omsk to Berlin on a Challenger 604 air ambulance arranged by the foundation of a movie producer based in the German capital. The evacuation came after a team of German doctors, who had arrived in Omsk on the air ambulance, stated unequivocally on Friday that it was safe for him to travel. Mr. Navalny's personal doctor, Anastasia Vasilyeva, said in an interview Friday that she believed the Russian authorities had tried to delay his departure long enough for the poison in his system to diminish and become difficult or impossible to identify." The Guardian's story is here. ~~~

~~~ Kylie Atwood of CNN: "The Trump administration has not made any substantial statement on the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition leader, Alexey Navalny, in sharp contrast to European reaction, despite ... Donald Trump saying Thursday his Secretary of State was looking into it. 'We're looking at it and Mike's going to be reporting to me soon,' Trump said yesterday at the White House, referring to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was in the room with him. Trump also said that the US has not determined if Navalny was poisoned or not. 'We haven't seen it yet,' Trump said when asked if the US government had determined Navalny, who was hospitalized Thursday, had been poisoned."

News Ledes

Guardian: "Wildfires in California have killed at least six people and forced tens of thousands from their homes, with few signs of reprieve in sight, as firefighting resources strain under the vastness of dozens of infernos raging across the state. More than 771,000 acres have burned so far, an area greater than the state of Rhode Island, California's governor Gavin Newsom said at a press conference Friday. He said the scope and ferocity of the fires has stretched thin the state's capacity to respond in an 'unprecedented moment' in California's history, adding that he anticipated mutual aid support coming from Arizona, Oregon, Washington state, Texas, Nevada and elsewhere." A New York Times story is here.

Guardian: "Joseph James DeAngelo, better known as the Golden State Killer, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, four decades after he terrorized the suburbs of Sacramento and stalked neighborhoods in southern California, breaking into homes to rape and torture women and girls, and killing couples and young women in their beds. His crimes left a trail of destruction that has haunted survivors and their families. The sentencing -- which took place in Sacramento on Friday, on the 40th anniversary of two of the murders -- follows three days of testimony from dozens of women and men who survived DeAngelo's crimes, as well as family members of those who did not."

AP: "A tropical storm and a tropical depression at opposite ends of the Caribbean were projected to possibly become hurricanes, major storms which could hit the US simultaneously after drenching much of the region. The US mainland has not been hit by two tropical storms simultaneously since September 1933, in the midst of the Great Depression. Then, a category 3 hurricane hit Brownsville, Texas, while a tropical storm came ashore at Cedar Key, Florida."

Comments

[Akhilleus]

We’re absolutely, one hunnerd pacent sure, but we don’t know anything about it...

Somewhere, Logic is reaching for the ipecac.

So here’s Fatty saying that Qanon is full of fine people and he’s happy to be their leader and help them in their made up bullshit cause, but he really doesn’t know anything about who or what they are or what they stand for (all of which is a lie, but the “logic” of this statement still rattles the synapses).

Then, here’s Fatty’s flunky, the smarmy, insulting charlatan, Louie DeJoy admitting that the post office has been stripped down, sorting machines dismantled, which will not be put back together, but don’t worry, everything will be fine. Mail in ballots will be taken care of (those last three words need quotation marks—“taken care of”...yeah, I’m sure...), but he doesn’t know how. So everything thing is jake. But he can’t say why.

Jesus. Oh, but the suggestion that he’s trying to weaponize the USPS to help Trump steal the election is Outrageous!! Um, but Louie. That’s your job description, isn’t it?

Then, Trump, when asked about his old pal Steve Bannon’s arrest for fraud and money laundering, launched into a round of frantic, splenetic sputterings about how he don’t know nothin’. Nothin’ about nothin’. Bannon? Who’s he? Haven’t seen him in about thirty years. Wall? What wall? Who? What? I never...

He sounds like the kids who made off with a truckload of turkeys denying it to the parish priest: “We din steal dem toikeys faddah! You don’t see no fedders on us, do ya?”

As someone pointed out yesterday, the whole administration is nothing but a racket. And Trump gets a piece of all the action.

[Ken Winkes]

Don't have my fingers on the pulses of American universities these days, tho' it appears Covid has most of them barely beating, but back in the day those in my circle called U.S.C. the University of Spoiled Children.

It had something to do with the academic requirements for admission, but there was an element of pot and kettle in it, too, since we were also well-treated snots--and because they had the better football team were fully capable of resentment.

[PD Pepe]

From the Hartford Courant: A Ridgefield, Ct.'s High School English teacher's testimony of what she will have to sacrifice when she goes back to in-school teaching. It's as grim as it gets!
https://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-kilbourn-teaching-covid-separation-family-0819-20200819-pjtg5iuxhrbvhn74kw2bo2aaoy-story.html

Last night Rachel had Brian Stelter, author of "HOAX"––a revealing look into Fox's anti-democratic network and cites numerous examples of how Fatty used their suggestions for his own. But behind the scenes it appears that Fox is playing Trump; Stelter claims many on Fox, including Hannity, think Trump is bonkers–-"a very sick man"––"He's bat shit crazy." It looks as if Fox would lose if Trump loses the election and starts his own network––they have to keep the base happy even if they are ginning up the output. Sounds complicated and I guess one has to read the book to get the particulars.

But what I find interesting are the words that those in close proximity to Trump have used to describe him which boil down to serious mental deficiencies. And yet he was allowed to continue–-politics over country by those who value their thin skins rather than the greater good. And now we see one more of his goons get caught in that network of greedy grabbies otherwise known as CRIMES. The fact that Fatty tries to once more claim these "boys in the hood" are not his buddies, doesn't know them, or "was only with me for a short time" has ceased to wash–––we KNOW the truth. My god, Bannon set the stage for destruction while he was sitting in that chair next to the president's desk scattering Cheetos all over the rug. If ever there was a Svengali it was Bannon.

Let us see how this "sick man" handles the Alexey Navalny situation. My bet––he will say "why would Putin want to poison that person? He has denied having anything to do with that."

[Akhilleus]

PD,

It’s not beyond the realm of possibilities that Trump, or one of his congressional testicle cozies (Ron Johnson?) might help Putin out by suggesting that Hunter Biden had Navalny poisoned. Why? Becaaaaauuuse, um, let’s see, becaaauuuse, I dunno. He just did! So there.

[Jeanne]

It all boggles what's left of my mind. DeMisery was plainly lying to everyone on Friday and trying to wiggle out of any blame. He had help-- Enzi, who was sarcastically trying to say that it wasn't DeMisery's fault since he had only been there 60 days, then segued into the usual postal aggravations... And stupid Ron Johnson, etc. No one was fooled. No, of course he has had no discussions with Dumpsterfraud-- they have "people" for that sort of thing. I'm sure the orders were set in stone weeks and maybe months ago. If they can't win an election fairly, let the cheating be ramped up-- Most of Charlie's commenters are waiting in anticipation of DeMisery under the questioning by Katie Porter on Monday...

In other news, Penn State is so disappointed at the discovery that the students...are having big parties! They are still in operation, so far, and the admonishments are mostly "don't make me turn this car around"-style-- now kiddies, use your inside voices outside, and mask up, and stay six feet apart. Yeah. Like young people are always concerned with the welfare of others...

I am getting political ads on Instagram now, and the comments underneath are so vitriolic from the right that reading them is a danger to my health. The next 70+ days will be horrendous. I am grateful that others have a stronger stomach and will watch the crap from Charlotte and DC next week-- I just can't. I'm not even sure I want reports. It already makes me sick to see how we pay for every move made by those people, every invasion into DC's monuments and traditions, and now I hear on NPR that WE get to maybe pay for the $17 mil that Charlotte spent preparing for the RNC...WTAF???? Shouldn't the RNC pay for everything??

See, I can't even have a nice walk listening to NPR anymore...

[Ken Winkes]

@Jeanne

DeMisery. Perfect.

Hope to hear that cognomen at Monday's hearing. Probably won't, but I'll still be hearing it in my head.

[RAS]

Note to Nancy Pelosi, this is what most of your responsible Republicans look like, "Vermont Governor Phil Scott said Friday that he has decided he will not vote for ... Donald Trump" but 'I have not decided at this point whether to cast a vote for former Vice President Biden,' Scott said." Scott thinks that Trump abused his power and should not be in office. But that is not enough for him to actually do his patriotic duty and vote Trump out by casting a ballot for the Democratic candidate. The other week I saw a story about S.E. Cupp saying that she doesn't want Trump in office, but she would only Consider voting for Biden if he picked Harris instead of Rice as his VP. Time and time again I have seen Republicans say they would not vote for Trump, but when asked if they would vote for Biden many obfuscate. Biden was supposed to be the Democratic candidate that they could put out there to appease the constitution loving party into casting a some votes their way. But time and again many conservatives are unwilling to commit to voting Trump out instead of just giving us empty words of their dislike of him. It shows how well the propaganda machine on the right has worked to demonize All Democrats even in the minds of somewhat reasonable Republicans. Even now many of these reasonable Republicans would rather risk another four years of Trump and his destruction than to actually pull the lever for a single Democrat in a single race now matter how moderate that person may be.

[Anonymous]

I would like to see Trump volunteer himself for the vaccine being touted by Russia. I'm sure it would curry great favor with Putin and move the bromance to the next level. The next level may, however, be a coma of no return.

[Ken Winkes]

News Flash!

Insurrection, or Workers Give a Damn:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielcassady/2020/08/22/washington-postal-workers-defy-usps-orders-and-reinstall-mail-sorting-machines/#7eeb2af75f80

What's the opposite of sabotage?

Was dreaming of something like this happening. Didn't think it woud. Should have had more faith.

I'm thinking the postal union might have known something about it...