Reasons #9 - #85 Trump Should be Reelected

Number 9, number 9, number 9 - Slow Joe Biden. Sundance at CTH: Mr. Bumbles – Candidate Joe Biden Attempts Teleprompter Briefing on Coronavirus…



If you can't get through a 1 minute scripted mock press conference?

Numbers 10 - 85, Paul Bedard at WaEx has assembled this List: 74 actions taken by Trump to fight virus and bolster economy, none of which you would hear of from the Washington Post.

WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

• President Trump declared a national emergency, inviting States, territories, and tribes to access over $42 billion in existing funding.
• Trump signed legislation securing $8.3 billion for coronavirus response.
• Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, ensuring that American families and businesses impacted by the virus receive the strong support they need.
• To leverage the resources of the entire government, the president created a White House Coronavirus Task Force to coordinate response.
• Vice President Pence named Dr. Deborah Birx to serve as the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator.
• The president has held multiple teleconferences with our nation’s governors to coordinate response efforts and offer his full support.
• The president has approved major disaster declarations for impacted states like New York, Washington, and California.

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

• In January, Trump reacted quickly to implement travel restrictions on travel from China, buying us valuable time to respond to the virus.
• The president has announced further travel restrictions on global hotspots, including Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and Iran.
• American citizens returning from travel-restricted countries are being routed to specific airports, where they can be screened and isolated as needed.
• The United States reached mutual agreements with Mexico and Canada to restrict non-essential travel across our northern and southern borders.
• The administration announced it will expeditiously return aliens who cross between ports of entry or are otherwise not allowed to enter the country, as the facilities in which these aliens would be held cannot support quarantine for the time needed to assess potential cases.
• The administration raised travel warnings to their highest level for other hot spot locations, like Japan and South Korea.
• The president has expanded airport screenings to identify travelers showing symptoms and instituted mandatory quarantines.
• The State Department issued a global level 4 travel advisory, urging Americans to avoid all international travel due to the coronavirus outbreak worldwide.

EXPANDING TESTING ACCESSIBILITY

• The FDA issued emergency approval for new commercial coronavirus tests to significantly expand testing across the country.
• The president secured legislation that will ensure Americans are able to be tested for free.
• The administration is working with state and local partners and the private sector to open up drive-through testing sites.
• The administration is working with the private sector to develop a website that Americans can utilize to determine whether they need a test and, if so, where to get it.
• HHS is providing funding to help accelerate the development of rapid diagnostic tests for the coronavirus.
• The FDA cut red tape to expand testing availability.
• Admiral Brett Giroir – the Assistant Secretary for Health and head of the Public Health Service – has been appointed to coordinate coronavirus testing efforts.
• The FDA is empowering states to authorize tests developed and used by laboratories in their states.
• The Department of Defense has set up 15 coronavirus testing sites worldwide.
• The president signed legislation requiring more reporting from state and private labs to ensure our public health officials have the data they need to respond to this outbreak.
• DoD and HHS worked to airlift hundreds of thousands of swabs and sample test kits from Italy to the United States.

SUPPORTING IMPACTED BUSINESSES

• The Small Business Administration has announced disaster loans which provide impacted businesses with up to $2 million.
• SBA relaxed criteria for disaster assistance loans – expanding small businesses’ access to economic assistance.
• The president directed the Energy Department to purchase large quantities of crude oil for the strategic reserve.
• Trump has held calls and meetings with business leaders from the pharmaceutical industry, airlines, health insurers, grocery stores, retail stores, banks, and more.
• The Treasury Department approved the establishment of the Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility to provide liquidity to the financial system.

HELPING FAMILIES AND WORKING AMERICANS

• The administration negotiated legislation which will provide tax credits for eligible businesses that give paid leave to Americans affected by the virus.
• The administration took action to provide more flexibility in unemployment insurance programs for workers impacted by the coronavirus.
• The Treasury Department moved tax day from April 15 to July 15.
• Trump signed legislation providing funding and flexibility for emergency nutritional aid for senior citizens, women, children, and low-income families.
• USDA announced new flexibilities to allow meal service during school closures.
• USDA announced a new collaboration with the private sector to deliver nearly 1,000,000 meals a week to students in rural schools closed due to the coronavirus.
• The administration is halting foreclosures and evictions for families with FHA-insured mortgages.
• The Department of Labor announced up to $100 million in dislocated worker grants in response to the coronavirus national health emergency.
• The White House worked with the private sector to launch a central website where families, students, and educators can access online education technologies.
• Trump signed legislation to provide continuity in educational benefits for veterans and their families who attend schools that have had to switch from in-person to online learning due to the coronavirus.
• The Department of Education has given broad approval to colleges and universities to allow them to more easily move their classes online.
• The Department of Education set interest rates on all federally-held student loans to 0% for at least 60 days.
• The Department of Education announced borrowers will have the option to suspend their payments on federally-held student loans for at least two months.
• The Department of Education is providing waivers for federal testing requirements to states that have had to close schools.

INFORMING THE PUBLIC

• The administration launched a website – coronavirus.gov – to keep the public informed about the outbreak.
• The president launched a partnership with the Ad Council, media networks, and digital platforms to communicate public services announcements about the coronavirus.
• The president announced guidelines for Americans to follow and do their part to stem the spread of the virus.
• The Task Force is holding nearly daily press conferences to provide the American people with the latest information.
• The Task Force has recommended mitigation strategies to heavily impacted communities, like those in New York, Washington, and California.
• CMS announced guidance to protect vulnerable elderly Americans and limit medically unnecessary visits to nursing homes.

SUPPORTING PATIENTS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

• In January, the administration declared the coronavirus to be a public health emergency.
• The president donated his fourth-quarter 2019 salary to the Department of Health and Human Services for coronavirus response efforts.
• The president took action to give HHS authority to waive rules and regulations so that healthcare providers have maximum flexibility to respond to this outbreak.
• CMS is giving flexibility to Medicare Advantage and Part D plans to waive cost-sharing for coronavirus tests and treatment.
• CMS created new billing codes for coronavirus tests to promote better tracking of the public health response.
• The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy coordinated with the NIH, the tech industry, and nonprofits to release a machine readable collection of 29,000 coronavirus-related research articles, which will help scientists discover insights to virus’ genetics, incubation, treatment, symptoms, and prevention.
• The administration announced that health plans with health savings accounts will be able to cover coronavirus testing and treatment without co-payments.
• CMS dramatically expanded telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries, ensuring more patients can access their doctors remotely while avoiding exposure.
• HHS lifted HIPAA penalties to enable healthcare providers to expand telehealth access for patients.
• The VA established 19 emergency operations centers across the country and put in place visitation restrictions to limit patients’ exposure.
• CMS and the VA are working to limit nonessential, elective medical procedures to free up healthcare resources.
• The Navy will be deploying two medical ships to help support impacted areas.
• The president announced Carnival Cruise Lines will be making ships available for hospitals to use for non-coronavirus patients.

STRENGTHENING ESSENTIAL MEDICAL SUPPLIES

• The president announced he is invoking the Defense Production Act.
• The president signed a memorandum directing his Administration to make general-use face masks available to healthcare workers.
• HHS announced it will be purchasing 500 million N95 respirators for the Strategic National Stockpile.
• The Department of Defense announced it will be providing 5 million respirator masks and 2,000 specialized ventilators to assist.
• The president signed legislation removing restrictions that prevented manufacturers from selling industrial masks – which can readily protect healthcare workers – directly to hospitals.

DEVELOPING VACCINES AND THERAPEUTICS

• The administration is working to help accelerate the development of therapeutics and a vaccine to combat the coronavirus.
• The FDA is evaluating existing drugs that could serve as potential therapeutics for coronavirus patients.
• The administration is actively working with drug manufacturers to monitor any potential drug supply chain issues.
• The administration is expanding research and consulting with experts to better understand the transmission of coronavirus.
• The National Institutes of Health has announced the beginning of a clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine candidate.

Note to Slow Joe Biden, first on the list under Strengthening Essential Medical Supplies,  The president announced he is invoking the Defense Production Act.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in today's If All You See…

Russiagate: It's Dead, Jim!

Not a single article I can find even remotely related to Russiagate. WuFlu used all the oxygen.



I'm sure it will resurrect itself once things calm down.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Elle MacPherson and FMJRA 2.0: Back In The Saddle For One Night Only! up at The Other McCain on time and under budget.

Wet Wednesday

Back by popular demand:

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Elle MacPherson and FMJRA 2.0: Back In The Saddle For One Night Only! up at The Other McCain on time and under budget.

Not Available Locally, Alas

Not that Georgia would allow it:



Note that this was mentioned in this mornings Sex and the WuFlu.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Elle MacPherson up at The Other McCain on time and under budget.

A Tuesday Beach Report

Spring is muddling along, with shades of green showing showing here and there. The small yellow flowers are on Spice Bush, best known as one of the few plants eaten by the caterpillar of the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly:

Spicebush is a deciduous shrub growing to 6–12 feet (1.8–3.7 m) tall. It has a colonial nature and often reproduces by root sprouting, forming clumps or thickets. The leaves are alternately arranged on the stem, simple, 6–15 cm (2–6 in) long and 2–6 cm (1–2 in) broad, oval or broadest beyond the middle of the leaf. They have a smooth edge with no teeth and are dark green above and paler below.  The leaves, along with the stems are very aromatic when crushed with a spicy, citrusy smell, hence the common names and the specific epithet benzoin. In the fall the leaves turn a very bright and showy yellow color.

The yellow flowers grow in showy clusters which appear in early spring, before the leaves begin to grow. The flowers have 6 sepals and a very sweet odor.The ripe fruit is a red, elipsoidal, berrylike drupe, rich in lipids, about 1 cm (1⁄2 in) long and is eaten by several bird species. It has a "turpentine-like" taste and aromatic scent, and contains a large seed. Spicebush is dioecious (plants are either male or female), so that both sexes are needed in a garden if one wants drupes with viable seeds. 

50 F out, with a bit of a north wind. Social distancing was easy on the beach, which was nearly deserted. We found 16 teeth, but nothing photo worthy.

Russigate in Name Only

Really, there's not much real Russiagate left. Sure, Devin Nunes is still trying to figure out who to sue to get his reputation back, More Nunes media lawsuits, DHS's Michael Bars to NSC, Massachusetts still ballot canvassing (WaEx), but courts are closing down, and who knows when they'll open up. I just rescheduled a Medicare "Wellness" visit until June, but I'm not optimistic that it will occur then.

Meanwhile at WaPoo, Justice Department’s coronavirus considerations rankle civil liberties advocates

Collectively, the measures seem to suggest that the department under Attorney General William P. Barr will not be content to let operations lapse and defendants go free as more court operations are shuttered amid the intensifying public health crisis — even if it means roiling criminal justice reform advocates and civil libertarians. Appearing for the first time Monday at the White House’s regular coronavirus briefing, Barr said his department was keeping enforcement efforts “at full throttle.”
. . .
“This doesn’t help anything. There is nothing that this [proposed] law does to make us safer. What it allows for is a sweeping suspension of critical rights for people in the criminal legal system,” said Jeffery Robinson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Trone Center for Justice and Equality. “I think this is a transparent attempt to grab power and make it easier for the government to wield its authority.”

Many of our basic civil liberties evolved at a time plagues and other epidemics (like smallpox) were pretty common; they should survive this. Sen. Mike Lee, 'OVER MY DEAD BODY': DOJ's request for new 'emergency powers' over coronavirus met with swift condemnation (Da Blaze)

OVER MY DEAD BODY https://t.co/B8BRbvRDDa

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) March 21, 2020

Robert Barnes at RT, I am an American constitutional lawyer – and I see our government using Covid-19 to take away our fundamental rights. Bongino, DOJ Request For New ‘Emergency Powers’ Faces Bipartisan Criticism. Behind the Black, Power is what the COVID-19 government panic is really about.

Remember, this is essentially the same Justice Department that for the past three years has worked hard to misuse the FISA court in an effort to overthrow the legal election of a president they don’t like, even as they abused their power to put several people in prison and ruin the lives of others for relatively minor process crimes that would not have even existed without their fake investigation.

You think they won’t misuse these new powers, should Congress give such to them? And in what way do any of these totalitarian and unconstitutional powers contribute in any way to overcoming COVID-19?

Never let a good crisis go to waste. 

Sex and the WuFlu

Molly Simmons, a big no!

BottomBuzzfeed, Sex Workers Are Facing Increasingly Risky Conditions As The Coronavirus Spreads

Sex workers are facing dire financial and personal circumstances as fear of the coronavirus extends into every corner of life, with some under pressure to work in increasingly risky conditions.

Escorts, strippers, dominatrixes, and an intimacy coach told BuzzFeed News they had lost thousands of dollars due to canceled conferences, travel restrictions, and clients’ fears of being in public spaces.

Porn performers have been advised to stockpile video content to release in the event that the industry shuts down, but the most vulnerable sex workers face the threat of exploitation and homelessness.

“Anytime there’s this type of panic,” said sex worker and activist Molly Simmons, “clients understand that as a shift in power.”

As public health departments recommend "social distancing," the sex workers whom BuzzFeed News spoke to explained how they’re planning to continue to support themselves while trying to protect their health in the midst of a global pandemic.

Some said they are turning to online work like sexting and video calls, putting wish lists of food and other goods on Amazon, asking questions about their clients’ travel history, and relying on trusted clients to make ends meet.

Giselle Palmer

What? Get honest jobs? Maybe it's not that desperate yet. SF Gate Will the Porn Industry Be Disrupted by Coronavirus?

For the past two years, Giselle Palmer has been shooting adult films in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, the epicenter of the porn industry. Then at the beginning of this year, she started hearing about the coronavirus. It was, she says, a large part of her decision to move away from L.A. back home to Texas and stop shooting scenes for a while.

“I’ve shifted my focus to content platforms and streaming; things I can do with no physical contact with other performers. And I’m pretty happy with that decision,” she tells Rolling Stone. “I think I’m gonna wait until we have a better idea of how this will play out.”

NYPo, Sex doll companies trying to cash in on coronavirus

Sex doll companies have an important public service message: Self-isolating can be fun and safe at the same time.

Abyss, the maker of sex robots RealDolls, assured potential buyers that its dolls are free of COVID-19 in an Instagram post.

“Self-isolating doesn’t have to be the worst! All RealDolls are made from Platinum Grade Silicone and are naturally antibacterial and nonporous! Want one?” the company’s caption reads.

An online publication that reviews sex dolls also offered a blog post trying to combat myths regarding sex dolls and the coronavirus.

“Sex doll industries have been greatly affected as most of these products were made and delivered from China,” according to the post at realsexdollreviews.com.

 Sex doll maker Silicon Wives has also tried capitalizing on the pandemic, with a giveaway contest for free sex dolls “to help with the coronavirus quarantine,” according to its website.

“Are you stuck inside with nothing to do for the Corona virus [sic] quarantine? We’re giving away free sex dolls to ease your ‘social distancing,’” the website reads.

Da Star Sex robot firm selling 'anti-bacterial' dolls for coronavirus self-isolation

With scores of people facing agonising sexless spells, RealDoll told existing or potential customers that there is hope.

The message on Instagram read: "Self isolating doesn’t have to be the worst. "All RealDolls are made from Platinum Grade Silicone and are naturally antibacterial and nonporous."

It follows a landmark period for RealDoll, who is unleashing a range of futuristic models onto the market.
Earlier this year it released a video of its new AI-driven dolls that convey "human expression".

Three dolls talk to the camera, explaining AI functions and then replicating the expressions.

They tell the camera: "We are AI-driven robotic dolls and we are here to become your perfect companion.

Not until they can make a sammich.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Elle MacPherson up at The Other McCain on time and under budget.

This Is Your Bay on WuFlu

It's pretty clear that EPA resents all the attention being given to WuFlu, and directed away from their pet issues. The Bay Journal, Climate, environment come up short in MD legislative session curtailed by the coronavirus

In a legislative session cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, Maryland lawmakers approved a ban on an agricultural pesticide and passed a handful of other environmental bills before hurrying home Wednesday.

But the General Assembly’s first work stoppage since the Civil War stalled dozens of bills that looked highly likely to pass. That number encompassed several environmental and climate change-related measures that will have to wait until a possible special session during the last week of May.

The Maryland General Assembly failed to pass any major climate-related legislation during its shortened session.

“I don’t think this is a session like anybody has ever seen,” said Kristen Harbeson, political director for the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. “There were a lot of things we were hoping to get done that we just weren’t able to.”

Many bills that conservationists supported sailed through one chamber or the other. But as lawmakers and a skeleton staff rushed to finish the state’s business during the session’s final days, some of that legislation got left behind, groups say.

Those legislators chose to save their own lives first, dammit!

Chesapeake crab industry remains crippled by visa shortage, coronavirus

Responding to employers’ calls, including those of crab meat processing companies in Virginia and Maryland, the federal government announced March 5 that it would release an additional 35,000 temporary visas for foreign workers.

That still may not be enough to quench the Chesapeake Bay seafood houses’ demand for temporary workers, according to the trade group that represents the industry. And they may still arrive too late to help much or perhaps get stuck on the other side of the border, as the United States today closed its Mexican border for unessential travel because of coronavirus concerns.

Several seafood company owners and watermen had implored the Trump administration to issue 64,000 more visas, the cap set by Congress.

Jack Brooks, co-owner of J.M. Clayton Seafood Co. in Cambridge, MD, and president of the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association, said he expects a worker shortfall, despite the government’s action.

Initially, the Department of Homeland Security doled out 33,000 work visas, which are in effect for six months beginning April 1. With the added 35,000 visas, the total still falls well short of the 100,000 slots that U.S. employers nationally had sought to fill.

The agency will likely conduct a lottery to determine which companies obtain visas, Brooks said.

“It’d be great to think that all of [the crab houses] get lucky and win, but I don’t think the odds are great that they all get staffed up,” he said.

The temporary visas, known as H-2B visas, are made available annually to workers in seafood, landscaping, construction and other seasonal fields. To be eligible, employers must prove there aren’t enough domestic workers willing or able to fill the positions.

Only three of the county’s nine picking houses had received their workers during the first visa release, businesses say.

Now, because of the sweeping coronavirus pandemic, it’s unclear if and when the additional 35,000 workers will arrive, said Amanda Wright, CEO of Virginia-based Phoenix Labor Consultants.

Releasing those visas “is not even being talked about now” at the federal government, said Wright, whose clients include Chesapeake seafood processors.

Mexico is one of the main sources of seafood workers. Its likely they will be considered essential workers, but the United States has shuttered its embassy consulates in Mexico, which threatens to halt the visa application process.

Quick, let's let in a bunch of Mexicans in the midst of the epidemic! What could go wrong? They won't get sick, will they?

Reason #8 Trump Should be Reelected

New York Wouldn't Spend $500 Mil on Ventilators, Willing to Spend $500 Mil On Illegals

Priorities. It's all about priorities.

Several years ago, after learning that the Empire State’s stockpile of medical equipment had 16,000 fewer ventilators than the 18,000 New Yorkers would need in a severe pandemic, state public-health leaders came to a fork in the road.
They could have chosen to buy more ventilators to back up the supplies hospitals maintain. ­Instead, the health commissioner, Howard Zucker, assembled a task force for rationing the ventilators they already had.
In 2015, that task force came up with rules that will be imposed when ventilators run short. ­Patients assigned a red code will have highest access, and other ­patients will be assigned green, yellow or blue (the worst), ­depending on a “triage officer’s” decision.
In truth, a death officer. Let’s not sugar-coat it. It won’t be up to your own doctor.
In 2015, the state could have purchased the additional 16,000 needed ventilators for $36,000 apiece, or a total of $576 million.

It's okay. New York had better uses for that money.

New York legislators are pushing a new law to have the cash-strapped state spend more than $500 million to provide virtually free, taxpayer-financed health care to more than 400,000 adult illegal immigrants.
The just-introduced legislation by state Sen. Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) would require Albany to cough up at least $532 million to allow undocumented adult residents to enroll in the state’s “Essential” or “Basic” public health-insurance plan.

Priorities.

I think the reason is obvious; ventilators don't vote.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Patriotic Pinup and links.

Viral News

Via Stacy McCain. Finally: Encouraging News From Italy

The curve finally appears to be flattening:

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has risen by 651 to 5,476, officials said on Sunday, an increase of 13.5% but down on Saturday’s figure when some 793 people died.
The total number of cases in Italy rose to 59,138 from a previous 53,578, an increase of 10.4%, the Civil Protection Agency said — the lowest rise in percentage terms since the contagion came to light on Feb. 21.
Of those originally infected nationwide, 7,024 had fully recovered on Sunday compared to 6,072 the day before.

Italy has now been on a nationwide lockdown since March 9, so this diminution of the number of daily deaths was to be expected. The number of diagnosed cases continues to increase, but the people have been effectively quarantined for nearly two weeks, which necessarily is limiting the spread of the disease. The most vulnerable populations — the elderly and those with underlying health problems — have certainly been taking precautions, and so the pandemic appears to be losing its momentum. Let’s hope the trend continues.

and Democrats show their true colors, as Nancy Pelosi Blocks $1.8 Trillion #Coronavirus Bill. Why? Abortion! and demands cancellation of all college debt. Sundance at CTH, Pelosi and Schumer Block $1.6 Trillion Emergency Economic Bill – DOW Futures Collapse…

There are two main points Pelosi is targeting. First, because COVID-19 creates a MASSIVE SPENDING opportunity, Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to include the elimination of college debt, literally wipe out student loans – which ironically and intentionally were created under Obamacare, in the coronavirus bill.

This move has nothing to do with the economic impacts of coronavirus, but it allows: (a) a political win to get the Bernie AOC crowd behind the Democrat candidate; and (b) will allow more government funding to ideological college interests by wiping out the debt problem.

Secondly, Speaker Pelosi wants unilateral control over which companies will receive any financial assistance or loans to survive the crisis. As was the case with the 2008 Bank Bailouts, 2009 ARRA (stimulus plan) and Auto-Bailout, Pelosi wants control to select companies for assistance that are owned and operated by Democrat donors; and to scuttle any businesses or corporations who are led by republican donors. This was a big part of Obama’s stimulus program and GM bailout scheme. You might remember the dealerships helped were based on party registration.

WASHINGTON DC – Two ugly truths about any epic economic crisis are that not all businesses will survive, and government interventions help determine which businesses will survive.
As coronavirus crushes the economy, Washington policymakers are scrambling to figure out who to bail out, a responsibility that one veteran of the 2008 financial rescue morbidly but accurately compared to the frantic triage work that doctors are currently doing in overcrowded Italian hospitals.
[…] As Congress rushes to assemble an enormous stimulus package to try to slow the freefall or at least pad the landing, it’s becoming clear that a lot of federal dollars will be sent straight to American taxpayers, but also that a lot of federal dollars will go straight to the companies that employ them.
Washington’s last epic bailout, the $700 billion Wall Street rescue of 2008, was wildly unpopular but ultimately quite successful—and while a financial panic is a different kind of crisis than a viral pandemic, it has some lessons for today about when companies should get help and how that help should be delivered. (read more)

The difference between Nancy’s prior exploits (in 2008 /2009) and today is that previously she had President Obama to support all of her political schemes. Now she could be up against President Trump who might use his considerable platform to call attention to the partisan spending…. Key words “could” and “might”.

Meanwhile, in Italy, Israeli doctor in Italy: We no longer help those over 60. I hope we do better than Italy. Not good news to someone 68.

Via Insty:

the west is screwed we need culture change on mask wearing pic.twitter.com/B0nPvRm63n

— William (@William70823696) March 21, 2020

Russiagate Not Dead Yet

I had thought it might go into a coma for today, but at the last minute it showed signs of life.

From Chuck Ross at Da Caller, DNC Responds To Carter Page Lawsuit, Claiming Steele Dossier Is ‘Substantially True’ in the sense that the words that it uses are really words.

Lawyers for the Democratic National Committee claimed in court filings this week that the Steele dossier’s statements regarding Trump campaign aide Carter Page were “substantially true,” a defense that is at odds with the findings of the Justice Department’s inspector general.

“Here, the ‘gist’ of the complained-of statements — that Page coordinated with Russian government contacts as an adviser to the Trump campaign — aligns with Page’s own description of his conduct,” the DNC lawyers asserted in a court filing on Monday.
. . .
The FBI relied heavily on Steele’s information to obtain four warrants to conduct electronic surveillance on Page. The special counsel and Justice Department inspector general (IG) have since poured cold water on Steele’s allegations of a Trump-Russia conspiracy.

The special counsel said that investigators found no evidence that any Trump associates, including Page, conspired with Russia, or were involved in hacking or releasing Democrats’ emails.

The inspector general found numerous problems with the dossier. According to a report from the IG, Steele’s primary source for his dossier told the FBI in January 2017 that the ex-spy exaggerated some of the information in the salacious document, including about Page.

"Adam Mill" at AmGreat take the Mueller team to task for their aborted charging of Russians with election interference:  Government Disgrace in Marquee Russian ‘Election Interference’ Case

The case is a disgrace. It’s a stain on the American justice system. At it’s very inception, the Department of Justice attempted to make it a crime for foreigners to buy ads expressing opinions about politics. That’s speech. And if you’re not willing to protect the speech of dastardly Russians, then don’t expect your speech to get protected when you offend the Department of Justice.

Streiff at Red State,  The Washington Post Runs a Shameless CIA Authored Hit Piece to Blame President Trump for the Spread of Wuhan Virus

What these clowns, and by clowns I mean the Eric Ciaramella squad that is still ensconced in the Intelligence Community and who regularly use their duty position to impress credulous reporters into writing hit pieces on President Trump, are trying to do is to recreate the smear directed against President George Bush over 9/11. They use the exact same tactic as they did to blame Bush for 9/11. Nebulous and non-specific warnings are issued that include nothing that is even vaguely actionable…here the warnings are alleged to have taken place…and they even use the exact same language from the 9/11 Commission Report, I recognize it from the title of the very first diary I wrote for RedState.

Sue the bastard! Dan Chaitin at WaEx, Not forgotten: Devin Nunes exploring 'legal remedies' after Adam Schiff released phone records 

"I'm in California, so for sure, state law, you cannot release somebody's phone records," Nunes said. "So, for sure, that right has been violated. But, we also have to look at the constitutional aspects of this, and do all the members of Congress have a right to privacy, and can just one member, because he doesn’t like someone and he’s a political opponent of someone, can that member just subpoena records and then release just to embarrass or to create a distraction or to build whatever fantasy-land narrative that they continue to build?"
. . .
A conservative watchdog group, Judicial Watch, filed a lawsuit to gain access to the subpoenas, which Schiff is fighting to keep secret.

Nunes told O'Connor it is an "unprecedented" situation, "especially for a party who claims they're for protecting people's civil liberties. These people are a bunch of phonies, they're frauds, and they're dangerous to America, along with 90% of the media hacks that are out there that essentially just work for billionaire Democrats."

Jazz Shaw at Hot Air finds himself wobbling over defending the DOJ in it's request for permission to jail people indefinitely as a result of the WuFlu, The Justice Department Is Asking For Emergency Powers

But there are limits to how much Joyner is willing to tolerate in terms of keeping the criminal justice machinery running. He gives a firm “hell no” to the idea of indefinite detention without access to counsel and the courts. He feels we must protect any defendant’s right to a fair and speedy trial, even if we have to modify our definition of “speedy” a bit while the pandemic runs its course.

I tend to agree. Surely we can help the Department of Justice keep the wheels from coming off entirely without sacrificing essential rights. Perhaps we could ask the courts to defer prosecution of minor crimes until the backlog is cleared and focus only on the most serious violent crimes and criminals who would be most likely to present a credible threat to public safety if they were simply cut loose. It’s not an ideal situation, but as Joyner points out, we can’t have the cops simply stop enforcing the law. At that point, civilization as we know it effectively breaks down and the country goes into full Mad Max mode. In order to avoid that potential outcome, some adjustments in how the courts process their caseloads may be required.

Eric Boehm at Reason gives a big Hell No, Justice Department Reportedly Asks Congress for Indefinite Detention Powers To Fight Coronavirus - "Congress should loudly and unanimously reject this insanity."

Perhaps the Justice Department is attempting to find out whether there are any libertarians in a pandemic. The right to see a judge and seek release from detention after an arrest—known in legal lingo as habeas corpus—is one of the fundamental building blocks of a democratic society, one in which the state cannot deprive individuals of their freedom without due process. The times in American history when that right has been suspended or circumvented are some of the darkest. We should not be seeking to repeat them.

"The DOJ proposal is deeply troubling and would raise a whole host of constitutional concerns," says Scott Bullock, president and general counsel for the Institute for Justice, a libertarian law firm. "History demonstrates again and again that governments use a crisis to expand power and violate vital constitutional principles. And when the supposed emergency is over, the expanded powers often become permanent."

Clark Neily, vice president for criminal justice at the Cato Institute, says the Justice Department should not be trusted with more expansive powers.
"If history is any indication, it's a near certainty that these powers will be abused and that DOJ will try to hide those abuses when they occur," says Neily. "This is simply not an agency that has earned the kind of trust implied by these requests for increased authority and discretion."

It's also unclear how allowing indefinite detention would help fight the coronavirus outbreak. It seems more likely that the DOJ is learning from members of Congress and the president that the crisis provides a convenient excuse to ask for things it already wanted in the first place.

Muddy Monday

And it really is; it looks like rain most of the day.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Elle MacPherson up at The Other McCain on time and under budget.

Don't Worry!

A note from Facebook from my friend, Col. Dziengeleski:

It’s time to tamp down on the conspiracy theorists.

The National Guard is being employed by the Governors to conduct a number of COVID-19 missions. The soldiers and airmen are delivering food and medical supplies, they are starting to look at alternate locations for additional hospital capacity, they are ensuring test kits get to the right place and time.

There is no plan for a national shutdown - is it possible in the future? Sure, but as of now, it’s not being considered.

The National Guard isn’t enforcing martial law, it hasn’t been declared by any of the Governors or the President.

So if you see a Guardsman/woman on the street, tell them Thanks while maintaining your social distancing! They are first responders just like police, fire fighters, doctors and nurses.

He's had a promotion since this video was made:

Linked in the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.23.20

Russiagate in Remission?

We seem to have slight revival of Russiagate issues. Is this the period before it gets better, or before it becomes critically ill?

The intelligence chiefs who plotted against Trump are now upset that he is removing their handpicked embedded successors from the agencies. WaPoo, Joseph Maguire, John Brennan, Michael Leiter, Matthew G. Olsen, Nicholas Rasmussen, Andrew Liepman, Geoffrey O'Connell, Michael, V. Hayden and James Clapper,  Former intelligence chiefs: Trump’s removal of experts is deeply destructive to our nation’s safety

Insty, FROM THE SAME INTEL CLOWNS WHO CLAIMED RUSSIA STOLE THE 2016 ELECTION:

Today’s Washington Post front page features a sensational story claiming the intelligence community was warning President Trump and Congress way back in January that coronavirus was going to be a worldwide pandemic.
But closely reading the key graph shows it to be based on one anonymous source, plus the opinions of anonymous “others:”

“Intelligence agencies ‘have been warning on this since January,’ said a U.S. official who had access to intelligence reporting that was disseminated to members of Congress and their staffs as well as to officials in the Trump administration, and who, along with others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive information.”

And. on the opinion page (or do I repeat myself?), what is this but “nine former intelligence chiefs” warning that:

“We cannot let the covid-19 pandemic be a cover for the deeply destructive path being pursued by the Trump administration. The most recent illustration of this unprecedented attack is the continuing dismissal of career intelligence professionals — officers who have ably served both Republican and Democratic administrations regardless of their personal political stripe.”

Translation: Trump is remaking the leadership of the intelligence community, displacing the entrenched bureaucrats – careerists and career political operators – who tried to sell us the Russia hoax, the Mueller probe and the quid pro quo. So in response, they are weaponizing the coronavirus.

Althouse, "President Trump has taken historic, aggressive measures to protect the health, wealth and safety of the American people — and did so, while the media and Democrats chose to only focus on the stupid politics of a sham illegitimate impeachment."

"It’s more than disgusting, despicable and disgraceful for cowardly unnamed sources to attempt to rewrite history — it’s a clear threat to this great country."

Said a White House spokesman statement, quoted in The Washington Post, which sought a response for its article, "U.S. intelligence reports from January and February warned about a likely pandemic." From the article, published last night:

The intelligence reports didn’t predict when the virus might land on U.S. shores or recommend particular steps that public health officials should take.... But they did track the spread of the virus in China, and later in other countries, and warned that Chinese officials appeared to be minimizing the severity of the outbreak....
But despite that constant flow of reporting, Trump continued publicly and privately to play down the threat the virus posed to Americans. Lawmakers, too, did not grapple with the virus in earnest until this month....

To be fair, "lawmakers" were very preoccupied with the impeachment of the President.
. . .
Just so you know the timeline: Trump was caught up in an impeachment trial and was not acquitted until February 5th. He had the obligation to perform all his duties as President while dealing with the impeachment, but it sounds as though the White House was working on the virus throughout January, whether Trump did personal meetings with Azar or not.

WaPo quotes some of Trump's early public statements about the virus, and, indeed, he did express optimism. He's still doing optimism. How that correlates to serious protective action for us is another matter.

Politico notes how DOJ seeks new emergency powers amid coronavirus pandemic

The Justice Department has quietly asked Congress for the ability to ask chief judges to detain people indefinitely without trial during emergencies — part of a push for new powers that comes as the coronavirus spreads through the United States.

Documents reviewed by POLITICO detail the department’s requests to lawmakers on a host of topics, including the statute of limitations, asylum and the way court hearings are conducted. POLITICO also reviewed and previously reported on documents seeking the authority to extend deadlines on merger reviews and prosecutions.

I would be more sanguine about it if I thought DOJ would let go of those powers after the virus passes. Sundance at CTH has a full on conniption fit: Bill Barr Goes Rogue – DOJ Asks Congress to Expand Legal Authorities to Circumvent Pesky Civil Liberties…

The Deep State is playing COVID-19 perfectly. With the intention to create/instill extra fears amid center-right Americans; and timed to emphasize the center-left narrative of authoritarian Trump; U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr steps in to execute his role.

U.S. AG Bill Barr asks legislators to empower him with more legal authority to take actions within the justice department amid the crisis known as the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic.
. . .
Perfectly timed to ignite a week before AG Barr goes before the House Judiciary Committee for testimony March 31st. Strong execution game by the deep state.

Democrats will position themselves a pearl-clutching civil libertarians, and AG Barr will respond by framing the Trump administration as authoritarian. Everyone has a role to play in the political framework and purposing of COVID-19 as a snowball rolling downhill gathering speed…

The state is operating to protect itself, by any means necessary.

And Judicial Watch is still on watch,  FBI Finds New Clinton Emails, Including Discussion about Benghazi and Additional Classified Material

Judicial Watch today released 80 pages of new emails recently found by the FBI that further document how former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used her unsecure, non-government email to transmit classified and other sensitive government information. The documents include 11 new Clinton email documents. The emails include an email sent by Mrs. Clinton a month after the Benghazi terrorist attack referencing a “Benghazi security” issue. The emails also include talking points, which are redacted, for a meeting with President Obama. (This is the second release from the batch of Clinton emails the FBI inexplicably found late last year.)

The State Department previously claimed it had produced all releasable Clinton emails, including emails recovered by the FBI that Hillary Clinton tried to destroy or withhold. The State Department initially claimed all responsive emails had been produced in 2018, but then found more emails, which were produced for the first time early this year.

Palm Sunday

Another celebrity edition, for some values of the word celebrity:

Melissa Riso

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Elle MacPherson up at The Other McCain on time and under budget.

I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)

Sean Penn Had His 67 Guns Made Into a ‘Dark Totem-Like’ Sculpture to Please Charlize Theron

Members of the Civilian Disarmament Industrial Complex were all atwitter back in 2015 when news broke that Charlize Theron had persuaded Sean Penn to dump all of his guns. And why not? Celebrities are never targets of criminals.

As artnet.com reports . . .

Penn, now 59, made the decision to give up his guns at the behest of fellow Oscar-winning actor Charlize Theron, whom he dated from 2013 to 2015. (The 44-year-old South African actress’s anti-gun beliefs were formed as a teenager, when her abusive father drunkenly shot at her and her mother. Theron’s mother fired back in self-defense and killed him.)
“I’m a self-proclaimed alpha male who owns 67 firearms,” Penn told a star-studded crowd at his 2014 “Help Haiti Home Gala” in Beverly Hills, as reported by the Daily Mail. “But I’ve had my mind changed about guns by a strong woman, a beautiful South African woman.”

 Seems to me should value the right to self defense.

What’s a once-popular Hollywood star to do with all of his gats when his then-significant other decides she can’t live with them in the house? Simple. Commission a sculpture.

Penn auctioned off the guns for charity (Anderson Cooper was the high bidder) and then hired sculptor Jeff Koons to create, well, a thing made of all of the unwanted firearms welded together into one tall hunk of metal. And it’s named Uli.

Or as artnet.com calls it, a dark totem-like statue.

What a maroon. . .

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Elle MacPherson up at The Other McCain on time and under budget.

A Tough Choice

Polar Bears or WuFlu? Polar bears prowling Newfoundland come on top of coronavirus fears

On Tuesday 17 March 2020, several polar bears were reported in and around the community of St. Anthony on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, adding another threat on top of coronavirus concerns in the province. . . .

There have been no reports of trouble but locals will have to stay vigilant to remain safe, which since 2008 has been a common concern from late winter to early spring. In 2012 in this area, a bear was shot after it destroyed homes and attacked livestock; another bear was shot the next week in the same area. And in 2016 and 2017, a bear had to be shot to protect residents. Bears at this time of year are in hunting mode, which is why my polar bear attack thriller novel, EATEN, is set in March. . . .

I think I'll take my chances with WuFlu, like I have a choice.

Reason #7 Trump Should be Reelected

To screw with the media. Hot Air WaPoo: Biden Wasn’t “Lying.” He Just “Described His Stance Inaccurately.”

Earlier this week, we discussed Joe Biden’s crazy, over-the-top promises regarding the oil and gas industry during the last Democratic debate. He vowed that there would be “no new fracking” after he takes office. He doubled down from there saying that there would be “no ability for the oil industry to continue to drill, period. Ends.” That’s a pretty definitive statement, wouldn’t you say?

Well, obviously somebody pulled Joe aside after the debate and let him know that he’d basically just given the election to Donald Trump. His aides quickly got to work walking the statement back and when reporters began asking about it, they were informed that Uncle Joe’s position was unchanged. He only opposed new fracking or drilling on public lands. So was he lying during the debate to make his platform look closer to where the far-left base lives? Not according to the Washington Post’s fact checker. He simply “described his position inaccurately.” (Free Beacon)

A Washington Post fact-checker ruled Thursday that Joe Biden hadn’t lied when he said he supported a fracking ban during Sunday’s Democratic presidential debate. Rather, Biden had simply “described his fracking stance inaccurately.”
The Post gave Biden “Zero Pinocchios” for saying during the most recent Democratic debate that he opposed fracking entirely. Instead, the paper pointed to the Biden campaign’s explanation that the candidate had “misspoken” and that “his position was the same as ever,” opposing fracking only on public lands.
Meanwhile, the Post criticized those who quoted Biden’s remarks verbatim.

You can read the WaPo’s “zero Pinocchio” verdict from Salvador Rizzo here. He accused Biden’s critics of “pouncing.” (That never gets old, does it?) Rizzo then went on to cite “clarifications” from Biden’s staff after the debate and coverage in other outlets including the Wall Street Journal saying that his position remained the same as how it’s listed on the campaign website. No new drilling permits on public lands or waters. As a result, there were no Pinocchios awarded because Biden simply “described his fracking stance inaccurately.”

Seeing the Washington Post rush in to save Joe Biden’s bacon probably won’t come as a surprise to many people. But when they’re this obvious about it, things start to get a bit uncomfortable. It’s always possible that someone might “misstate” somebody else’s position. But if you can’t convey your own position correctly, you’re either lying or you lack the mental faculties remember what you’ve been saying for the past year.

Embrace the healing power of  "and."

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.

The Gambler He Broke Even

Kenny Rogers, country music icon, dies at 81

Kenny Rogers, a longtime star of country music, died Friday night, according to a statement posted by his family. He was 81.

Known for such hits as “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Islands in the Stream,” and “Lucille,” Rogers died peacefully at home in Sandy Springs, Ga., of natural causes at 10:25 p.m., the statement said.

In all, Rogers had 24 No. 1 hits and was the winner of six CMA Awards and three Grammys, the family's statement said.

Russiagate, Privilege for Me but Not For Thee

Russiagate is barely clinging to life, with WuFlu dominating the news. Nevertheless, I persist.

Judicial Watch: House Lawyers for Adam Schiff Assert Privilege over Schiff Subpoenas of Impeachment Phone Records

Judicial Watch announced today that Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) and the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to dismiss the lawsuit against them for the controversial impeachment-related subpoenas for phone records, including those of Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s lawyer. Schiff and the Committee are being represented by the Office of General Counsel for the House of Representatives.

The phone records led to the publication of the private phone records of Giuliani, Congressman Devon Nunes, journalist John Solomon, Trump attorney Jay Sekulow, attorney Victoria Toensing, and other American citizens.

In their 14-page motion Schiff and the Committee claim “sovereign immunity;” “Speech or Debate Clause” privilege; immunity from FOIA and transparency law; that the records are secret; and that Judicial Watch and public do not need to see them.

Judicial Watch filed its lawsuit under the public’s common-law right of public access to examine government records after it received no response to a December 6, 2019, records request (Judicial Watch v. v Adam Schiff and U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (No. 1:19-03790)):

• All subpoenas issued by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on or about September 30, 2019 to any telecommunications provider including, but not limited to AT&T, Inc., for all records of telephone calls of any individuals
• All responses received to the above subpoenas.

Schiff is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, currently serving as chairman of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Schiff is being sued in his capacity as Chairman of that committee.
. . .
“Schiff’s new court filing to try to avoid disclosing his abusive subpoenas of confidential phone records suggests he and Congress can secretly subpoena and publish the phone records of any American with zero accountability under law to the people,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Speaker Pelosi and every House member should be asked if they agree that they are above the law and can spy on any American.”

Just The News (JTN, henceforth), Schiff claims 'immunity' in bid to keep impeachment phone subpoenas secret

In the motion, lawyers from the Office of General Counsel for the House of Representatives assert four reasons for dismissing the case, including protection under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause.

“First, the doctrine of sovereign immunity deprives the Court of jurisdiction over the House Defendants, and no express and unequivocal waiver exists,” the argument says. “Second, given that the records sought by Plaintiff involve matters pursued and obtained by the House Defendants as part of the House-authorized impeachment inquiry, they are absolutely protected by the Speech or Debate Clause.”

“Third, Plaintiff fails to state a claim because Congress has created a comprehensive scheme for the review of government records—the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)—that preempts the common law right sought to be vindicated by this litigation,” the lawyers write. “Finally, under governing case law, the records Plaintiff seeks to review are not 'public records' and, therefore, are not subject to the common law right of public access. And even if the records are 'public records,' Plaintiff has not demonstrated that the public interest in disclosure outweighs the House Defendants’ interest in non-disclosure.”

How about a good old fashioned leak?