Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa

[faberryman]

The guy is now on indefinite suspension without pay for doing what he thought was  the right thing.  I would be surprised if he gets his job back.  A two tour Ex Marine gets his suspension letter on Vets day.  How fitting.

There seems to be some question about whether he did the right thing or the wrong thing.

[Alan Klein]

Biden Covid advisor says U.S. lockdown of 4 to 6 weeks could control pandemic and revive economy

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/11/biden-covid-advisor-says-us-lockdown-of-4-to-6-weeks-could-control-pandemic-and-revive-economy.html?__source=twitter%7Cmain

KEY POINTS
Dr. Michael Osterholm, a coronavirus advisor to President-elect Joe Biden, said a nationwide lockdown would help bring the virus under control in the U.S.

He said the government could borrow enough money to pay for a package that would cover lost income for individuals and governments during a shutdown.

“We could really watch ourselves cruising into the vaccine availability in the first and second quarter of next year while bringing back the economy long before that,” he said.

Another medical expert who is economic and business expert in his spare time. 

[Alan Klein]

Is there massive dead people voter fraud?

Well, they're not talking.

[TechTalk]

When someone deletes part of a post it really says the just don’t want to talk about it.  Just sayin. 

And sometimes, when someone changes the subject, it's because they're uncomfortable with the topic at hand and are looking for a way out.

[faberryman]

This hypocrisy means I no longer look at these measures in good faith and will refuse to follow them for it.

I gathered that. Are you going to Florida for Thanksgiving?

[digitaldog]

Italy, resisting another coronavirus lockdown, shows peril of piecemeal restrictions
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/covid-italy-second-wave/2020/10/26/467c5f0e-123f-11eb-a258-614acf2b906d_story.html%3foutputType=amp
The initial, two-month lockdown succeeded in slowing the virus, and it opened the door for a summer in which Italy had one of the lowest infection rates in Europe. But it also left a devastating mark on the economy, which is predicted to shrink more than any other in Europe.

[faberryman]

I hope the republicans gerrymander the shit out of districts next year so I can just read you complain about it.

That’s the spirit.

[Alan Klein]

Italy, resisting another coronavirus lockdown, shows peril of piecemeal restrictions
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/covid-italy-second-wave/2020/10/26/467c5f0e-123f-11eb-a258-614acf2b906d_story.html%3foutputType=amp
The initial, two-month lockdown succeeded in slowing the virus, and it opened the door for a summer in which Italy had one of the lowest infection rates in Europe. But it also left a devastating mark on the economy, which is predicted to shrink more than any other in Europe.

You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[Craig Lamson]

There seems to be some question about whether he did the right thing or the wrong thing.

Are we back again?  I’d asked what did he have to gain by coming out with his statement.  He’s out of a job, some are questioning his honesty and the US government appears to be pressuring him to change his story.  The guys a simple mail carrier.  Why lie?

[Craig Lamson]

And sometimes, when someone changes the subject, it's because they're uncomfortable with the topic at hand and are looking for a way out.

Or maybe the subject is simply played out.  Like the two ballots.

[TechTalk]

Italy, resisting another coronavirus lockdown, shows peril of piecemeal restrictions
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/covid-italy-second-wave/2020/10/26/467c5f0e-123f-11eb-a258-614acf2b906d_story.html%3foutputType=amp
The initial, two-month lockdown succeeded in slowing the virus, and it opened the door for a summer in which Italy had one of the lowest infection rates in Europe. But it also left a devastating mark on the economy, which is predicted to shrink more than any other in Europe.

I couldn't get past the subscription page from your link. So here is the Google cached version.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/coronavirus-europe-italy-second-wave-lockdown/2020/10/25/

[faberryman]

Are we back again?  I’d asked what did he have to gain by coming out with his statement.  He’s out of a job, some are questioning his honesty and the US government appears to be pressuring him to change his story.  The guys a simple mail carrier.  Why lie?

I don’t know if he lied or told the truth in his affidavit or not. I don’t know if he recanted or not. We’ll have to see. If we are going to investigate voter fraud, we should also investigate voter fraud fraud.

I take it we are done with massive dead people voter fraud.

[digitaldog]

You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Yes but one results in death and suffering.

[Craig Lamson]

I don’t know if he lied in his affidavit or not. I don’t know if he recanted or not. We’ll have to see. If we are going to investigate voter fraud, we should also investigate voter fraud fraud.

I take it we are done with massive dead people voter fraud.

I agree we should look at the claims of fraud, some of those might be fraud as well.  None of it should happen.

No, let’s stay with dead people voting. Tucker had a very nice list of Dead people who voted this year.  Which brings us back to, is a little bit of fraud ok?    The thing is this year we really invited attempts for fraud. Massive unrequested ballots.  Eliminating the need for postmarks.  Reducing or eliminating signature verifications.  Extended ballot deadlines.  It’s like an open invitation to cheat.    There is a lot of talk about the Dominion software as well, but that’s a can of worms to open.   Trumps team filed a suit about Wayne County with a couple of hundred of affidavits about fraud in that county. 

The dead people may be just the surface, but for me the larger picture is if people are willing to cheat on a small level what keeps them from doing it on a large scale.  Maybe we are just supposed to accept what the man wants us to accept.

[digitaldog]

Karl Rove (remember him and his chops?) wrote today in that left wing rag ”The Wall Street Journal”:
There are only three statewide contests in the past half-century in which recounts changed the outcome: the 1974 New Hampshire Senate race, the 2004 Washington governor’s contest, and the 2008 Minnesota Senate election. The candidates in these races were separated, respectively, by 355, 261 and 215 votes after Election Day.
These margins aren’t much like today’s. Mr. Biden led Wednesday in Wisconsin by 20,540 votes, Pennsylvania by 49,064, Michigan by 146,123, Arizona by 12,614, Nevada by 36,870 and Georgia by 14,108. To win, Mr. Trump must prove systemic fraud, with illegal votes in the tens of thousands. There is no evidence of that so far.
Once his days in court are over, the president should do his part to unite the country by leading a peaceful transition and letting grievances go.
Will he do so? History suggests; not a chance but I would love to be proven wrong.

[James Clark]

I agree we should look at the claims of fraud, some of those might be fraud as well.  None of it should happen.

No, let’s stay with dead people voting. Tucker had a very nice list of Dead people who voted this year.  Which brings us back to, is a little bit of fraud ok?    The thing is this year we really invited attempts for fraud. Massive unrequested ballots.  Eliminating the need for postmarks.  Reducing or eliminating signature verifications.  Extended ballot deadlines.  It’s like an open invitation to cheat.    There is a lot of talk about the Dominion software as well, but that’s a can of worms to open.   Trumps team filed a suit about Wayne County with a couple of hundred of affidavits about fraud in that county. 

The dead people may be just the surface, but for me the larger picture is if people are willing to cheat on a small level what keeps them from doing it on a large scale.  Maybe we are just supposed to accept what the man wants us to accept.

No one thinks fraud is ok.  Everyone acknowledges that there are isolated cases, and that they don't correlate to party affiliation.   

This isn't the problem.   The problem is that one group of people is using the specter of MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD to cast Biden's win as illegitimate. They're doing it without evidence.  As of this morning 12 cases had been thrown out of court.  But the seems not to matter, because even without evidence, legislatures are being pressured to ignore the legal mechanism for selecting electors and literally (this time for real) *steal the election*.   Secretaries of state are being pressured to resign by prominent members of their own party because they won't publicly embrace the fiction.  Fox News tonight said that red-staters are so angry (presumably because they ignorantly believe that Biden's win was illegitimate, and that there's evidence of the sort of fraud that would change the outcome) that state officials will find it "hard to certify the election results."  To which the in-studio anchor replied, "Well wouldn't that be interesting?"

No, dammit, it wouldn't be "interesting." 

*This is not normal*  Or OK.  Why can't you see that?

[faberryman]

I agree we should look at the claims of fraud, some of those might be fraud as well.  None of it should happen.

No, let’s stay with dead people voting. Tucker had a very nice list of Dead people who voted this year.  Which brings us back to, is a little bit of fraud ok?    The thing is this year we really invited attempts for fraud. Massive unrequested ballots.  Eliminating the need for postmarks.  Reducing or eliminating signature verifications.  Extended ballot deadlines.  It’s like an open invitation to cheat.    There is a lot of talk about the Dominion software as well, but that’s a can of worms to open.   Trumps team filed a suit about Wayne County with a couple of hundred of affidavits about fraud in that county. 

The dead people may be just the surface, but for me the larger picture is if people are willing to cheat on a small level what keeps them from doing it on a large scale.  Maybe we are just supposed to accept what the man wants us to accept.

I believe I have said that I do not think a little fraud is okay. Let’s see how this plays out.

[Alan Klein]

Interesting finish for a guy who for 5 years criticized Trump including his sexual picadillos.  I hope Toobin reads the magazine with both hands.

Jeffrey Toobin
@JeffreyToobin
"I was fired today by @NewYorker after 27 years as a Staff Writer. I will always love the magazine, will miss my colleagues, and will look forward to reading their work.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/business/media/jeffrey-toobin-fired-new-yorker.html

[Alan Klein]

Yes but one results in death and suffering.

Both do.

[Robert Roaldi]

Here is an article about the possible misuse of Electoral College votes, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/11/the-completely-insane-electoral-college-strategy-436156. Many people have argued that from time to time the US has worked to destabilize democratic regimes around the world, thereby not respecting the wishes of those voters. But it's a bit surprising that they'd try to do the same at home.