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Reports of protests are overblown. A few incidents around the country, but nothing major.

5 (45.5%)

A few major incidents in capitals, but nothing much in DC.

5 (45.5%)

A major incident in DC, but nothing much around the country.

0 (0%)

More than 10 capitals have major upheavals, but nothing much in DC.

0 (0%)

A major incident in DC plus more than 10 capitals with significant upheavals.

1 (9.1%)

More than half the capitals around the country have problems with protesters, but DC is quiet.

0 (0%)

DC has major problems, while more than half the capitals around the country also have considerable trouble with protesters.

0 (0%)

Huge disruption to the day.

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 9

Voting closed: January 19, 2021, 10:49:21 PM

[Yankguy1]

Here's a paragraph from Matt Taibbi article on Bernie,  in Rolling Stone:

. They’ve smeared him as a racist, sexist dupe for Putin, an amateur and back-bencher who doesn’t understand power and can’t “get things done.” 

Now here's Redward's second paragraph...

In the process they have  smeared Bernie as a racist, sexist dupe for Putin, an amateur and back-bencher who doesn’t understand power and can’t “get things done.”   

That Tom Lehrer song about Lobachevski comes to mind.  "Plagiarize!   Let no one's work escape your eyes! "

Poor Red. How hard it must be to let others do your writing for you.

LOL!

Red finds plagiarism amusing.

[josh]

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/07/trump-coronavirus-management-style-123465?fbclid=IwAR3lof2cPSEtsDZS_SVXias20D_ytFxxq2kAJBPhujsFBQnZhA4x-stdxUs

“Do I want to bring all those people off? People would like me to do it,” Trump admitted at a press conference at the CDC later on Friday. “I would rather have them stay on, personally.”

“I don't need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn't our fault,” Trump added, saying that he ultimately empowered Pence to decide whether to evacuate the passengers.

For six weeks behind the scenes, and now increasingly in public, Trump has undermined his administration’s own efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak — resisting attempts to plan for worst-case scenarios, overturning a public-health plan upon request from political allies and repeating only the warnings that he chose to hear.
...
“It always ladders to the top,” said one person helping advise the administration’s response, who noted that Trump’s aides discouraged Azar from briefing the president about the coronavirus threat back in January. “Trump’s created an atmosphere where the judgment of his staff is that he shouldn’t need to know these things.”

There I go, taking liberties with the facts by sharing them instead of following the Trump team's lead and keeping them from Kid.

[facilitatorn]

I have been in a casino.  No telling who was a carrier there.


Ooooooooo....

sorry - choosing not to be concerned right now.  Still no fever.

Swimming deep down in pools of shit is libel to make you quite sick. Judging by what you post, swimming around in shit is pretty much all you do. You may not feel it yet, but it’s for certain that you are one sick fuck.

[bodiddley]

"Do face masks help?"

“Surgical masks will not prevent your acquiring diseases,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, and the medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

Will not prevent.  True. 
But can prevent and provide a fair degree of protection against airborne pathogens.

The idea that people will touch their faces more due to wearing a mask improperly is kinda silly.  Also, it's mainly touching your mouth, nose which a mask helps prevent.  Eyes are on their own.

For most wearing a mask will remind one not to touch their face.  And probably remind folks to be careful and wash their hands.  That is, once you are actively taking one precaution you remember to engage in others, such as handwashing.

I have allergies resulting in sometimes leaky eyes and sniffling nostrils.  And for me, the mask has helped me remember to always rub my nose with a tissue instead of my hand.  I've also on a few occasions put on my thin winter gloves when in the grocery store and a big box Carrefour.  As an extra precaution.  Some folks in SH wear goggles in public, which I consider a bit of overkill, but again provides a layer/degree of protection.

So I'd add that wearing a mask instills an awareness to take other precautions -- handwashing, not touching one's face, gloves, etc. that can also help prevent disease acquisition.

[bodiddley]

Bernie's message comes from the dark times of the 1930's.

And the Bush Depression.

[bodiddley]

More perfect competence from the Trumpeters:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/nurses-blast-government-and-hospital-responses-to-coronavirus/ar-BB10NYxY

Members of the union National Nurses United said they have faced shifting guidelines and a shortage of supplies as the tally of known infections has increased. They called on the Centers for Disease Control to quickly increase testing for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, and demanded that federal officials implement emergency standards for hospitals and clinics around the country.

“The CDC has been behind the ball at almost every step of the way,” said Jane Thomason, an industrial hygienist for the union.

test kits are still in short supply, and local health agencies say they are being overwhelmed by the demand.

Heckuva job, Pencey!

[bodiddley]

The changing rationales on not needing to use face masks is suspicious.
First it was the masks were needed by health care pros and there weren't enough to go around
Then masks were said to be ineffective.
And maybe you'd touch your face more if you wore a mask.
Or perhaps people will wear the masks incorrectly and get little benefit.

A lot of straining to say masks shouldn't be worn.
But I think the first explanation was the real one.

the U.S. Health and Human Services says the U.S. only has 10% of face masks needed for a full-blown virus pandemic. They estimate the U.S. would need at least 3.5 billion medical-grade N95 masks.

The other sketchy explanations help paper over the fact that the US was under-prepared.
The CDC helpfully recommends not being near anyone infected, but since that's hard to know, it makes sense to wear a mask in crowds, around people who seem sick, and if you are sick. 

In fact, it's a courtesy to wear a mask if you have a cough, of a fever regardless if the coronavirus ever materialized.  For a long time I thought too many people go to work sick and infect their coworkers.  happens in sports locker rooms too.  Sick people should isolate themselves until their cough or fever subsides.  And wear a mask when they do go out while sick.

I think the Trump Admin is afraid of the optics and potential panic if/when everyone starts wearing facemasks.  But it's pretty clear that politics (and unpreparedness) has resulted in asking people not to take reasonable precautions.

There were only 44 reported new cases in China.  Who knows how accurate that is, but it's only a matter of days before the number of new cases in the US passes the number of new cases in China.  I'll call Tuesday.

Of course, China could get hit by a 2nd wave, but for now the abundant precautions including face masks for all in public seems to be working well.

Right now, I'd say there's a 40/60 chance Pence is blamed when the virus expands greatly in the US, and Trump picks a new running mate.  Though maybe Trump merely blames Pence and keeps him around in the doghouse.  Having a Midwesterner is good for Trump and not really sure Trump cares much who his Veep is.  Besides who else would Trump select, a general?

[bodiddley]

Pence has a record of handling public health issues.  Including bungling an HIV outbreak in Indiana.

Pence was also a tobacco defender when the gov't threatened to regulate the industry:

"Time for a quick reality check. Despite the hysteria from the political class and the media, smoking doesn't kill," -  Pence

And this sounds a lot like the Trump Admin's position on facemasks:
"Frankly, condoms are a very, very poor protection against sexually transmitted diseases," Pence said.

The Trump administration seems to be dealing with COVID-19 more as a PR issue than a public health one.

[Hairy Lime]

Kamala Harris Endorses Joe Biden For 2020 Democratic Presidential Nomination
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kamala-harris-endorses-joe-biden-2020-democratic-nomination_n_5e64e3b2c5b6670e72f97f73

Potential Veeps lining up.

[bodiddley]

I like Kamala and thought she'd be a good VP candidate.
But CA isn't in play.  Biden already has the black vote locked up.
And a midwesterner would make the most sense.

My Dem order was: Warren, Harris, Sanders ... with Biden near last.

[LarryBnDC]

The declaration, signed Friday night and announced Saturday, comes with the disease more prevalent than ever in the country and production delays undercutting the government’s initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine could be available by mid-October.




Production delays

Under Obama

Imagine that.

Thanks for the link, Larry

As Paul Harvey used to say, “And now the rest of the story...”


“On April 26,[2009] the administration declared swine flu a public health emergency, allowing the shipment of roughly 12 million doses of flu-fighting medications from a federal stockpile to states in case they eventually needed them. At the time, there were 20 confirmed cases in the U.S. of people recovering easily. There was no vaccine against swine flu, but the CDC had taken the initial step necessary for producing one.

“As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic,” Obama wrote in Saturday’s declaration.”

So with that experience in this Administration’s rear view mirror how in the hell did they get caught with their asses hanging out?

Because Trump fired the Psndemic Response team in 2018 AFTER Obama learned from his experience and set up the processes to deal with our present situation.

Trump fucked up.

As usual.

[LarryBnDC]

I like Kamala and thought she'd be a good VP candidate.
But CA isn't in play.  Biden already has the black vote locked up.
And a midwesterner would make the most sense.

My Dem order was: Warren, Harris, Sanders ... with Biden near last.

Taking the ‘black vote’ for granted after Roberts gutted the VRA  (which is why Clinton lost three EC states by 77k total votes) is a strategic mistake.

[josh]

I like Kamala and thought she'd be a good VP candidate.
But CA isn't in play.  Biden already has the black vote locked up.
And a midwesterner would make the most sense.

My Dem order was: Warren, Harris, Sanders ... with Biden near last.

Taking the ‘black vote’ for granted after Roberts gutted the VRA  (which is why Clinton lost three EC states by 77k total votes) is a strategic mistake.

Having the Black vote "locked up" means Biden will get 90+ percent of it, but it doesn't mean they will turn out as much for him with Pete Buttigieg as VP as they would for Kamala Harris or Stacey Abrams as VP, or even Julian Castro (for example). The ticket needs to be more than just more white men. And adding Liz Warren, while better than nothing, does little to help the party with the future, for all that it would be very symbolic. (Also... two New Englanders would still be a bad move.)

We cannot take anybody for granted. Too much at stake, even if it were not simply wrong to start with.

[barton]

Klobucharting a course to veep is never easy.  Klobu-Chartres wasn't built in a day.   

[bodiddley]

Turnout will be important.
Especially getting Bernie backers to vote for Biden (assuming Biden wins).
I wouldn't take any voting block for granted.
But the focus will be on WI, OH, MI, VA, FLA and secondarily NC, PA.
I haven't looked at an electoral map ina while, but there aren't that many states in play, and the midwest is key, where Trump broke through (by slim margins).