Trump VS COVID-19 Threat

[lpetrich]

Stay-at-home orders: Anti-quarantine protesters are a minority - Vox

But continued vigilance is required. Trump will keep trying to divide Americans ahead of the election this fall. Fox will continue to air images that make the anti-social-distancing movement look mainstream. Well-funded conservative groups will gin up more events.

This is the same playbook that worked in 2009 when the conservative machine sparked the Tea Party, which shaped American policy for a decade. Tea Party politics delayed the recovery from the Great Recession, hobbled attempts to expand health care coverage that is desperately needed right now, and left the medical-supply stockpile under-funded, putting medical providers in grave danger as they fight to save the lives of Covid-19 patients.

The stakes are too high to fall for the same pantomime. Social-distancing supporters are the dominant movement. And the country needs to remember it.

Trump’s approach to the pandemic has been to crow about his administration’s imaginary successes while blaming governors for everything that’s gone wrong.

On Friday, he escalated his message, endorsing the anti-stay-at-home protests cropping up across the country — specifically the protests in battleground states run by Democratic governors.

What a sleazy jerk.

Trump won in 2016 in part because of his success with rural white voters in states Barack Obama won and he’s ratcheting up his strategy to do it again.

The clearest example is in Michigan, where Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s in-state popularity has soared to 15 percent higher than Trump’s. Nationally, her profile is on the rise. Her name is being floated as a possible vice presidential pick.

Right-wing organizers are trying to create the appearance of a big movement, as they did with the Tea Party a decade ago.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Nguyen #fbpe #fbr on Twitter: "GOP Governor Larry Hogan bought test kits from South Korea. Trump isn’t happy about it
Trump wants "the states to take the lead, and we have to go out and do it ourselves, and that’s exactly what we did,” Hogan said https://t.co/dD1oKSo1Lo" / Twitter
Trump attacks Gov. Hogan for following his coronavirus testing advice - Vox

Governor Larry Hogan on Twitter: "On Saturday, First Lady Yumi Hogan and I stood on the tarmac at @BWI_Airport to welcome the first ever Korean Air passenger plane, carrying a very important payload of LabGun #COVID19 test kits which will give MD the capability of performing half a million coronavirus tests. https://t.co/Elf0ADIRnJ" / Twitter

Governor Larry Hogan on Twitter: "Each part of this international collaboration was unprecedented, and required an amazing team effort. I want to sincerely thank our South Korean partners for assisting us in our fight against this common, hidden enemy. https://t.co/X2CrTM1vL8" / Twitter

Governor Larry Hogan on Twitter: "The most critical building block of our recovery plan for Maryland is the ability to do widespread testing. The incredible success of this operation has not only put us on track to achieve that goal, but it will literally help save the lives of thousands of Marylanders." / Twitter

Good to see a Republican act responsible and sound responsible. So unlike the big baby in the White House.

Aaron Rupar on Twitter: ""The governor of Maryland didn't really understand. He didn't really understand what was going on" -- Trump begins the April 20 #TrumpPressBriefing by attacking Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, who has been critical of the federal coronavirus response. https://t.co/OTMwj6v5Sp" / Twitter

Hogan has been awesome. And his wife, a native of South Korea, helped make the deal through SK’s ambassador to the USA.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Maybe we could announce Fox News is having a huge anti-quarantine event at the RCA dome in Indianapolis... and we just lock the doors?

 

[lpetrich]

Matt Whitlock on Twitter: "After today, Small Business workers and employees aren’t going to get a paycheck to feed their families because of the Democrats.
But here’s a video Nancy Pelosi’s team put out of her showcasing a (very fancy) freezer full of ice cream and a house full of chocolate. https://t.co/265mKC7q9v" / Twitter

Peter J. Hasson on Twitter: "This is a brutal ad. What an optics disaster that ice cream segment was for Speaker Pelosi https://t.co/1KGPV38h8y" / Twitter - a Trump ad showing NP's ice-cream extravagance.

Shahid Buttar won the primary against NP, and he'll be going against her in the main election.
Shahid Buttar for Congress on Twitter: "@UncleSamRage @Jacksonlzz I won’t lie: for most of the ad, I was excitedly wondering where this came from...until the end, when my heart sank.
Democrats allowing Trump to outflank them in claiming economic populism presents a profound danger—not only to the Democratic Party, but also to our democracy." / Twitter

Kody Koberstein on Twitter: "@ShahidForChange @UncleSamRage @Jacksonlzz Trump rhetorically outflanked Hillary from the Left and will do the same to Biden in this election. It’s pathetic." / Twitter

Here's the sort of thing that Democrats should be doing:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Take it from NY14, the most COVID-impacted community in America:
There is a clear reason our communities are hit hardest by COVID: the vast, systemic inequalities that were growing pre-COVID are now determining who lives or dies in this pandemic.
It’s time for Medicare for All. https://t.co/P5imObmNp1" / Twitter

AOC seems much more plebeian in it than NP did with her super freezer and fancy ice cream. She and her assistants dress like ordinary New Yorkers and look like ordinary New Yorkers, and we see them distributing food donations. She even talks to a family's little kid.

 

[lpetrich]

Shahid Buttar for Congress on Twitter: "I don’t hold against @SpeakerPelosi her appreciation for ice cream.
It’s her unawareness of what working Americans endure that offends me.
As a constituent, I’ve long missed having a voice in Congress aligned with our city’s needs.
Now, I’m ready to fill that gap. Join us! https://t.co/Js8b3Z2T8e" / Twitter

Shahid Buttar for Congress on Twitter: "Corporate Democrats have so deeply internalized the norms of conservatives that they run the risk of letting Trump outflank them, claiming economic populism again in 2020, as he did in 2016.
His new ad—characterizing Pelosi as an out-of-touch plutocrat—also describes himself. https://t.co/Ic4bWv0fCr" / Twitter

The Progressive Michigander on Twitter: "Nancy Pelosi is trying to defraud people into donating to her campaign by suggesting that she is running against a Republican.
Please fight back by sharing this video debunking her ad and donating to Shahid Buttar if you can in these fraught times. https://t.co/605tmJIQFa" / Twitter https://t.co/jFrXBT7UKE

 

[hyzer]

Nguyen #fbpe #fbr on Twitter: "GOP Governor Larry Hogan bought test kits from South Korea. Trump isn’t happy about it
Trump wants "the states to take the lead, and we have to go out and do it ourselves, and that’s exactly what we did,” Hogan said https://t.co/dD1oKSo1Lo" / Twitter
Trump attacks Gov. Hogan for following his coronavirus testing advice - Vox

Governor Larry Hogan on Twitter: "On Saturday, First Lady Yumi Hogan and I stood on the tarmac at @BWI_Airport to welcome the first ever Korean Air passenger plane, carrying a very important payload of LabGun #COVID19 test kits which will give MD the capability of performing half a million coronavirus tests. https://t.co/Elf0ADIRnJ" / Twitter

Governor Larry Hogan on Twitter: "Each part of this international collaboration was unprecedented, and required an amazing team effort. I want to sincerely thank our South Korean partners for assisting us in our fight against this common, hidden enemy. https://t.co/X2CrTM1vL8" / Twitter

Governor Larry Hogan on Twitter: "The most critical building block of our recovery plan for Maryland is the ability to do widespread testing. The incredible success of this operation has not only put us on track to achieve that goal, but it will literally help save the lives of thousands of Marylanders." / Twitter

Good to see a Republican act responsible and sound responsible. So unlike the big baby in the White House.

Aaron Rupar on Twitter: ""The governor of Maryland didn't really understand. He didn't really understand what was going on" -- Trump begins the April 20 #TrumpPressBriefing by attacking Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, who has been critical of the federal coronavirus response. https://t.co/OTMwj6v5Sp" / Twitter

Hogan has been awesome. And his wife, a native of South Korea, helped make the deal through SK’s ambassador to the USA.

Agreed, Hogan has been fantastic. I could actually vote for him, and did.

 

[Emily Lake]

https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2020/04/20/baystate-health-hospital-mask-order-coronavirus

What the chief physician at a Massachusetts hospital had to do to make sure his order of PPE's weren't confiscated by the Feds.

Upon arriving at the airport, Artenstein says he and his team were “jubilant” to arrive to see pallets of respirators and masks being unloaded. However, before they could transfer the money for the order (more than fives times the usual amount for such a shipment), Artenstein says two FBI agents — apparently concerned the masks could be headed to the black market — arrived and began questioning him.

“I tried to convince them that the shipment of PPE was bound for hospitals,” Artenstein wrote in the NEJM article. “After receiving my assurances and hearing about our health system’s urgent needs, the agents let the boxes of equipment be released and loaded into the trucks.”

But they still weren’t in the clear; after several hours of waiting, Artenstein told WBUR that he learned the Department of Homeland Security was considering utilizing their option to redirect the order — forcing him to make some “quick calls” to their congressman, Rep. Richard Neal, to prevent its seizure.

Honestly, the seizing and botched distribution of PPE right now is sickening to me.

 

[lpetrich]

Shahid Buttar for Congress on Twitter: "@WaywardWinifred San Francisco has a choice for a new voice in Congress.
As an immigrant who has overcome housing insecurity and earned my college degree mostly at night, I understand the challenges confronting working Americans.
Trump & Pelosi were both born with silver spoons in their mouths. https://t.co/XlAKzh5hIp" / Twitter

Back to you-know-who.
Trump claims he will temporarily suspend immigration into US due to coronavirus fears - CNNPolitics

As a result of coronavirus and attempts to curtail its spread, immigration to the United States has been largely cut off: Refugee resettlement has been put on hold, visa offices are largely closed and citizenship ceremonies aren't happening. Trump didn't offer details Monday on what he intends to do to further restrict immigration in the face of coronavirus.

Immigrant advocates immediately pushed back against the tweet.

"This is not about the policy. It is about the message the president wants to send. He wants people to turn against 'the other.' And, regardless of the valuable contributions immigrants are making to the response and recovery, he sees immigrants as the easiest to blame," Ali Noorani, the executive director of the National Immigration Forum, said on Twitter.

Trump's surprise immigration ban expected to include major exemption - POLITICO

... And, according to three industry representatives familiar with the decision, the upcoming ban will exempt seasonal foreign farm worker visas, one of the largest sources of immigration at the moment.

... Cutting off all immigration would bolster Trump’s standing with his hardline conservative base, but anger the business community, which wants Trump to ease restrictions on temporary worker visas. Conversely, if Trump chooses to exempt any temporary workers from his immigration ban, he’ll bolster his standing with the business community but risk creating a backlash among his more conservative base.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Today on Jebus Fucking Christ!

President Donald Trump said during a press briefing Monday evening that his administration is aiming to shield corporations from legal responsibility for workers who contract the novel coronavirus on the job, a move that the Chamber of Commerce and right-wing advocacy groups are aggressively lobbying for as the White House pushes to reopen the U.S. economy against the warnings of public health experts.

"We are trying to take liability away from these companies," Trump said in response to a reporter's question on the subject. "We just don't want that because we want the companies to open and to open strong. But I'll get you a legal opinion on that."

OMFG!

We can't guarantee the safety for the nation's workers, so we want to remove legal liability from the corporations because we need to make money... and make money now. Our return to work will be the 21st Century storming of the beaches of Normandy. The soldiers for Allies knew some of them wouldn't make it, just like the cashiers at Best Buy, but they were on the boats as they approached the beaches and stormed them. Some made, some didn't, but we won the war! The sacrifices the associates at stores and salons and theaters will be worth it, they'll know that they gave their lives so we could return to normalcy.

And as long as we ignore the consequences that the balloon of cases will have for the health care system, we will pull through this, stronger, leaner... much much leaner, and free! *cue patriotic music*

 

[Half-Life]

Today on Jebus Fucking Christ!

President Donald Trump said during a press briefing Monday evening that his administration is aiming to shield corporations from legal responsibility for workers who contract the novel coronavirus on the job, a move that the Chamber of Commerce and right-wing advocacy groups are aggressively lobbying for as the White House pushes to reopen the U.S. economy against the warnings of public health experts.

"We are trying to take liability away from these companies," Trump said in response to a reporter's question on the subject. "We just don't want that because we want the companies to open and to open strong. But I'll get you a legal opinion on that."

OMFG!

We can't guarantee the safety for the nation's workers, so we want to remove legal liability from the corporations because we need to make money... and make money now. Our return to work will be the 21st Century storming of the beaches of Normandy. The soldiers for Allies knew some of them wouldn't make it, just like the cashiers at Best Buy, but they were on the boats as they approached the beaches and stormed them. Some made, some didn't, but we won the war! The sacrifices the associates at stores and salons and theaters will be worth it, they'll know that they gave their lives so we could return to normalcy.

And as long as we ignore the consequences that the balloon of cases will have for the health care system, we will pull through this, stronger, leaner... much much leaner, and free! *cue patriotic music*

There won't be many more cases if we return to work. There's tons of people who most likely have the virus but are asymptomatic.

Tell me, what happens when a bunch of people who are asymptomatic go to work with a bunch of other people who are asymptomatic?

Companies are also allowing people not to come to work if they cite "fear of coronavirus" as a reason. So all those grocery store workers are choosing to go to work. They don't have to. They are free to take a leave of absence whenever they want. I know someone who works at Amazon and they said one of their co-workers hasn't been to work in over a month because he doesn't want to catch the virus. He hasn't been fired.

 

[blastula]

There won't be many more cases if we return to work. There's tons of people who most likely have the virus but are asymptomatic.

You're fake news. Millions in total across the nation have likely been infected, but still no more than 5% right now. And asymptomatic doesn't mean not infectious nor never symptomatic.

Tell me, what happens when a bunch of people who are asymptomatic go to work with a bunch of other people who are asymptomatic?

That would cause a lot more people to become infected and symptomatic, Dr. Halfie PhD, the D is for Dunning-Kruger.

 

[Half-Life]

There won't be many more cases if we return to work. There's tons of people who most likely have the virus but are asymptomatic.

You're fake news. Millions in total across the nation have likely been infected, but still no more than 5% right now. And asymptomatic doesn't mean not infectious nor never symptomatic.

Tell me, what happens when a bunch of people who are asymptomatic go to work with a bunch of other people who are asymptomatic?

That would cause a lot more people to become infected and symptomatic, Dr. Halfie PhD, the D is for Dunning-Kruger.

Choices. If people choose to go to work knowing the consequences, then they can go to work. Grocery workers have been doing it for over a month now. Don't see grocery stores shutting down because all the employees contracted it from each other from being around each other all day.

Telling people you're scared to death to go back to work while grocery workers have been doing it non-stop makes you look weak.

 

[ronburgundy]

I recommend going back the start of this thread to see how well early critiques and defenses of Trump have aged, along with claims that fear of a US outbreak were irrational overreactions.

 

[lpetrich]

Stacey Abrams slams Georgia governor over decision to reopen businesses this week

“There's nothing about this that makes sense," Abrams said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” "The mayors of Atlanta, Albany and Savannah have all questioned the wisdom of doing this. And the fact is the governor didn't consult with mayors before making this decision.”

‘There’s nothing about this that makes sense’: Georgia Democrats rail against Kemp’s move to reopen state - POLITICO

The mayor’s remarks came after Kemp said earlier Monday that certain businesses in Georgia shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic — including bowling alleys, gyms, hair salons and tattoo parlors — could reopen as early as Friday if owners adhere to stringent social-distancing and hygiene requirements. Next Monday, movie theaters may also reopen and restaurants will be allowed to return to limited dine-in service.

Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, Mayor Kelly Girtz said Tuesday those “high-contact environments” are “exactly the kind of places that we need to have maintain closure for the moment,” and told CNN he was urging his constituents not to follow the governor’s advice for reopening.

 

[lpetrich]

Trump tones down the hydroxychloroquine hype - POLITICO

This lack of followup suggests that it is not as good against COVID-19 as he had claimed.

Chuck Schumer believes 'we have a deal' on $450 billion coronavirus relief package - CNNPolitics

Schumer told CNN that he, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin negotiated over the phone "well past midnight" Monday and "came to an agreement on just about every issue."

Of the $310 billion for the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program, $125 billion will be sent "exclusively to the unbanked, to the minorities, to the rural areas, and to all of those little mom and pop stores that don't have a good banking connection and need the help," Schumer said.

According to Schumer, the deal also includes $30 billion for national coronavirus testing and another $75 billion for hospitals.

Money for states and localities didn't make it in, but it may make it into the next aid bill.

 

[Half-Life]

And now it turns out De Blasio is SHOCKED released inmates due to corona are committing crimes! Wow, exactly what conservatives warned! Boy, I hate being right all the time!


NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio is shocked that released criminals are committing more crimes
https://www.theblaze.com/news/nyc-de-blasio-unconscionable-criminals


"Responding to the story on Twitter, conservative political analyst Ben Shapiro wrote: "De Blasio being surprised that criminals commit crimes is just pure 100% uncut De Blasio."

"The Washington Free Beacon's Brent Scher added: "It's almost like we had them in prison for a reason!"

The stupidity of Democrats knows no bounds.

 

[Emily Lake]

Choices. If people choose to go to work knowing the consequences, then they can go to work.

I'm going to try to be really patient with this explanation, as I think it's very important.

Choices, in this case, aren't choices about oneself. They're choices about oneself and everyone around one.

A drunk person might be willing to take the risk of driving themselves home after downing five whiskeys. All of the other people that the drunk person endangers, however, haven't been given the chance to weigh in on their choice. Similar for this. A person might be willing to risk their own health, and that of their family, by returning to work. But if they catch the virus, and even worse if they're asymptomatic or are presymptomatic for an extended period, they're making the choice to risk the health of everyone they come into contact with, as well as everyone that comes into contact with those people.

 

[Half-Life]

Choices. If people choose to go to work knowing the consequences, then they can go to work.

I'm going to try to be really patient with this explanation, as I think it's very important.

Choices, in this case, aren't choices about oneself. They're choices about oneself and everyone around one.

A drunk person might be willing to take the risk of driving themselves home after downing five whiskeys. All of the other people that the drunk person endangers, however, haven't been given the chance to weigh in on their choice. Similar for this. A person might be willing to risk their own health, and that of their family, by returning to work. But if they catch the virus, and even worse if they're asymptomatic or are presymptomatic for an extended period, they're making the choice to risk the health of everyone they come into contact with, as well as everyone that comes into contact with those people.

That's why I said it's a choice. People understand if they go to work they could come into contact with someone who has it and catch it. It is their personal choice to take that risk.

I know some people have the mentality of, "I'd rather live free and die young than live scared and die old." Not everyone of course, but a lot of people do think this way.

 

[crazyfingers]

It's all about ME! All about ME! ME! ME! ME!

Sound familiar?

 

[Elixir]

That's why I said it's a choice. People understand if they go to work they could come into contact with someone who has it and catch it.

Ah, yes. And anyone who drives on public roads knows damn well that there are drunks out there, and one of them could rear-end them or t-bone them or get them head on. It is their personal choice to take that risk.
SO WHY ARE YOU INFRINGING ON MY FREEDOM, TELLING ME NOT TO DRINK AND DRIVE?! YOU FUCKING NAZI! 2ND AMENDMENT!