ELECTION 2020

[HairOfTheDog]

(continued)

Virginia just became a no excuse vote-by-mail state.  New Hampshire just revised its regulations to allow 'infection concerns' as a legitimate excuse to vote-by-mail in November.  

Michigan and Pennsylvania, two key battleground states, also recently enacted no-excuse absentee voting, though they're historically high in-person voting states and have little experience or infrastructure to pull it off.

Democrats secured $400 million for election security/safety measures in the coronavirus relief bill passed by Congress a few weeks back, but were unable to get Republican support for the additional funds needed in the latest relief bill passed late last week.  The U.S. Post Office is also reportedly still in need of funding and additional staff from the federal government. There are some serious challenges aside from those as well.

However, the time line is narrowing and secretaries of states and other election officials across the country have begun meeting/conferring with those from established vote-by-mail states (Colorado, Washington, Utah, Oregon, Hawaii) to leverage their processes and be as prepared as possible.  

More/Story:  https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/25...rge-207596

[cannongal]

I heard she has quite a set of lungs and can be heard from all the way across the white house.

[Rootilda]

What'd he say? No really, I can't figure it out.

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1254869376538468355

[Maggot]

The left............. always trying to say "well look what Trump said" after Biden or Pelosi or Cuomo swallows their tongue. It's funny in a Pee-wee way

[Maggot]

Has anyone ever watched the sign language person at any of Biden's speeches? It's funny as all hell when they don't get what he said and their faces get all scrunched up. 

[Carsman]

Has anyone ever watched the sign language person at any of Biden's speeches? It's funny as all hell when they don't get what he said and their faces get all scrunched up. 

That's because they don't have "sign" for WTF?!

[HairOfTheDog]

Biden to Address Sexual Assault Allegation

Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to address a recent allegation of sexual assault for the first time on Friday when he appears on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Against the backdrop of the #MeToo allegations, the allegation by Tara Reade (pictured middle and left) is that Biden, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, inappropriately touched her in the early 1990s. 

The Biden campaign has avoided public questioning about the allegations, instead referring reporters to a statement from Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager and communications director.

“Vice President Biden has dedicated his public life to changing the culture and the laws around violence against women,” Bedingfield said in the statement. 

“He authored and fought for the passage and reauthorization of the landmark Violence Against Women Act. He firmly believes that women have a right to be heard — and heard respectfully. Such claims should also be diligently reviewed by an independent press. What is clear about this claim: it is untrue. This absolutely did not happen.”

Full piece:  https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/30...nse-227319

[Rootilda]

April Ryan tweeted that Biden's been vigorously screened for the job of VP and spent 8 years in a job under the most scrutinized president in history (up to that point, anyway) and McConnell sure as hell wouldn't have sat on it if there was something there.

She makes a good point.

[Maggot]

Morning Joe...........I'm sure he will be asking all the "tough" questions.    Staged.

[Clang McFly]

Morning Joe...........I'm sure he will be asking all the "tough" questions.    Staged.

At least he won't answer the "tough" questions with "Ya Nasty" like Trump.

[Rootilda]

"What do you say to Americans that are scared?"

"I say you're a terrible reporter."

Yeah, those gotcha questions are really out of line.

[Duchess]

 McConnell sure as hell wouldn't have sat on it if there was something there.

Damn straight. While President Obama was being sworn in, Bitch McConnell was blocks away telling his people it was their job to make sure Obama was a one term president. He would have done pretty much anything to keep a black man out of the White House and if there had been any skeletons in the closet they would have been found years ago.

It's finally getting through to people that these are probably the final months of trump's presidency. HaHaFuckinHa.

[HairOfTheDog]

On Morning Joe today, Joe Biden said that the sexual assault that former staffer Tara Reade is alleging, "unequivocally never happened".

Reade's story has changed several times.  When she came forward initially, she said that Biden's touchiness made her uncomfortable when she worked for him 27 years ago.  She did not mention sexual assault.

Recently, she claimed that he fingered her in the hallway of the Senate and said she filed a complaint back then (no record of that complaint has materialized).  She then filed a criminal complaint, which she acknowledges can't be prosecuted because it's way past the statute of limitations.

One of Reade's friends says Reade told her about the alleged assault at the time.  There's also a video of a woman who is reported to be Reade's mother calling Larry King years ago and claiming her daughter had a problem with a very prominent senator (no name given).

(continued)

[HairOfTheDog]

Biden said that he doesn't know what her motive is, but she has a right to be heard and he's not going to attack her. Her claims should be investigated, he said, but "it never happened".
 
When asked why Democrats believed Dr. Ford when she accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of assaulting her way back in college but don't believe Reade's allegations against Biden.............Biden said Ford had a right to be heard and have her claims investigated, as does Reade.

Biden also called on the National Archives to release "any record of the complaint she alleges she filed and make available to the press any such document. If there was ever any such complaint, the record will be there."

In the lengthy statement released before his MSNBC appearance, Biden said "responsible news organizations should examine and evaluate the full and growing record of inconsistencies in her story, which has changed repeatedly in both big and small ways." 

Overview of the allegation: https://www.vox.com/2020/3/27/21195935/j...allegation
Biden interview this morning:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seu_C08yAAM

[HairOfTheDog]

New Third Party 2020 Presidential Candidate?



Michigan Representative Justin Amash, 40, is launching an exploratory committee.  

He left the GOP/Republican party after voting in favor of Trump's impeachment.  He's now an Independent and has joined the Libertarian party.

Amash was originally part of the Tea Party leadership.  He differed from others in that group in that he wasn't fixated on destroying Obama, but instead felt that George W. Bush had greatly damaged the party and opened the door for Obama to become president.

Amash was a leader in the ultra conservative group of Tea Party peeps that morphed into the House Freedom Caucus.  

After Trump was elected, Amash reportedly came to the conclusion that most of his Caucus colleagues were frauds who didn't care about the ideals and issues they'd been protesting/advocating, but rather only cared about gaining and holding on to power at any cost.

(continued)

[HairOfTheDog]

Pundits, analysts, and passionate voters are concerned that an Amash candidacy would do nothing but cause disruption since Amash has virtually no chance of victory.

Republicans are concerned that Amash could take votes away from Republicans and Independents who don't necessarily like Trump but won't vote for Biden. 

And, Democrats are concerned that Amash could take votes from Democrats, weary Republicans, and Independents who aren't confident in Biden but won't vote for Trump.

As far as I'm concerned, it's Amash's decision and right to throw his hat in the ring if he chooses.  If he does, it's on Trump and Biden to try to win over voters who would seriously consider Amash the best option.

I'll be surprised if Amash actually ends up running this year; it's very late in the game.  But his decision should be known fairly soon.

Ref:  https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2...ump-225147

[Duchess]

Amash reportedly came to the conclusion that most of his Caucus colleagues were frauds who didn't care about the ideals and issues they'd been protesting/advocating, but rather only cared about gaining and holding on to power at any cost.

It's true and it cost them their party. There is no traditional republican party any more. It's trumpian now and most, if not all, have chosen to go down with the ship.

[Duchess]

There is so much bullshit everyday that I had forgotten about this. It's a crazy, opportune time for it to be dark, huh. There isn't an eyeroll big enough.

The FEC is now enduring the longest period in the agency’s history without a quorum, without which it cannot craft new rules, give legal advice to candidates, or fine those who break the law. Last year, a report from the FEC’s Inspector General called the lack of a quorum at the FEC the “most significant management and performance challenge” facing the agency. 

It’s up to the president to nominate, and the Senate to confirm, new commissioners. So far, President Donald Trump has nominated just one new commissioner, Texas attorney Trey Trainor, for whom the Senate Rules Committee held a confirmation hearing in March and whose qualifications Issue One has repeatedly raised concerns about.

https://www.issueone.org/fec-continues-t...-counting/

[Maggot]

Did I just hear Biden say there are 600,000 deaths in the U.S.?

[HairOfTheDog]

Did I just hear Biden say there are 600,000 deaths in the U.S.?

Yeah, Biden said "600,000" instead of "60,000" in his Morning Joe interview this morning.

When Joe Scarborough corrected him, Biden said he'd misspoken.