Tracker

A deepening democracy crisis: More than 70 percent of Trump voters distrust the best-run election in years Angela Clark-Smith, a lawyer, started learning about the intricacies of observing elections when she was a member of the same sorority as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. In 2020, three decades later, she was deployed by the Georgia Democratic Party to observe the presidential election and, most recently, the processing of returned absentee ballots in its Senate runoffs. "There's a process. It is very straightforward," Clark-Smith said during a break at an early voting center in an Atlanta suburb, where she praised poll workers and the process of verifying signatures on ballot envelopes and flagging problems for follow-up with voters. "Watching it was like watching a work of art." Elections in Georgia are better run than those in many blue states. But as the state has become a national battleground following Joe Biden's narrow win there and during Senate runoffs that could return control of Congress to the Democrats, the artful process that Clark-Smith has seen and praised has become a "circus," she says. Clark-Smith witnessed the turmoil that is tearing apart American democracy: where partisans do not understand the process; do not know what they are seeing as they view election administration up close for the first time; and are part of a tidal wave—nearly three-fourths of Republicans, according to an NPR poll conducted in early December—who don't trust that the 2020 election results are accurate. A deepening democracy crisis: More than 70 percent of Trump voters distrust the best-run election in years - Alternet.org (Putin's agenda has been fulfilled and America has been primed for a dictatorship)

Trump has managed to combine the worst of both Nero's and Caligula's reigns. He is determined to punish America for rejecting him and does not care who gets hurt or goes hungry.

And you are not alone in that view.

Truth be told, Trump does less harm when he is on the golf course.

Was hoping for a sub-200 number.

Jared's father is as amoral and corrupted as Trump. FYI- Charles Kushner was convicted of fraud and tax evasion, due, in part, to the testimony of his brother and business partner. As revenge, Charles hired an expensive hooker to seduce his brother and had the tryst filmed. Charles then showed the encounter at a family gathering. Classy. No wonder that Jared and Ivanka are so good a fit for each other- they are both cut from the same cloth. Scum begets scum.

Military on 'red alert' that Trump may invoke martial law to stay in power: report A series of pardons, post-election protests claiming voter fraud that has never been proven, and one man's probable mental illness at the head of the nation are adding up to a "red alert" in what has normally been a quiet time of the year for many: the holidays. But not this year. "Pentagon and Washington-area military leaders are on red alert, wary of what President Donald Trump might do in his remaining days in office," Newsweek reported on Thursday. One officer who spoke with Newsweek on the condition of anonymity said the inaugural and transitional planning is being kept out of sight of the White House and Trump loyalists in the Pentagon for fear that it would be shut down. "I've been associated with the military for over 40 years and I've never seen the discussions that are being had right now, the need for such discussions," said the retired flag officer, who is currently a defense contractor. He was granted anonymity in order to speak without fear of reprisal. "Right now, because of coronavirus," one retired judge advocate general said, "the president actually has unprecedented emergency powers, ones that might convince him—particularly if he listens to certain of his supporters—that he has unlimited powers and is above the law." Military on 'red alert' that Trump may invoke martial law to stay in power: report - Alternet.org

A young Buddhist monk sought out the wisest of the order to ask a question. "Master," he said," Which is most important- the destination or the journey?" The master smiled and replied," The most important thing is not the destination, nor the journey, but who you travel with." To all here who share this part of the journey, may we forget this year, but not the learnings, and may we all journey together again in 2021 on a smoother road. Thanks for the companionship.

Wasn't it banned because of excessive violets?

Unless Trump is pardoned by Pence, or tries to pardon himself, he is still subject to criminal prosecution as there is a lot of evidence that he has committed both treason and sedition, not to mention a host of other criminal acts.

I was referring to Trump being hauled before a judge that he has maligned.

Because post-apocalyptic chaos and the brutality of slavery lend themselves so well to musical renditions..

There has to be a consequence for all this crap, and severe one. The question is: do the Democrats have the cojones to (legally) prosecute these weasels to the hilt?

Yet, Australia did it. I have no doubt that the cost to the country (not to mention the cost in human suffering) was much lower because of the apparently harsh measures. The staff who were affected were compensated, BTW.

The Australian statistics were skewed by a several private for-profit care homes in one province who were not following government regulations. The care homes who were either government-run or not-for-profit or were for-profit and following regulations were much, much better. The rules are very simple: one resident per room, a two-week total lockdown as soon as COVID was reported in the area, strict PPE adherence and absolutely no staff working in more than one facility.

Mike Pence accidentally admits the real reason Republicans hate Democrats so much The grassroots organization People for Bernie on Tuesday advised the Democratic Party to take a page from an unlikely source—right-wing Vice President Mike Pence—after Pence told a rally crowd in Florida that progressives and Democrats "want to make rich people poorer, and poor people more comfortable." "Good message," tweeted the group, alerting the Democratic National Committee to adopt the vice president's simple, straightforward description of how the party can prioritize working people over corporations and the rich.

When I was working in the healthcare system, I had occasion to speak to administrators who were responsible for geriatric service. They told me that about a third of patients in hospitals and residents in care facilities could do better (have fewer medical crises/needs, report feeling more comfortable and cost the system less) in their own homes. The problem is that there would have to be a boost in resources in home care immediately until the patient crest moved from the hospitals and care hofacilities. This would take about two years where the number of healthcare workers would be sharply higher and then there would be a reduction in hospital and care facility staffing as home care service assumed more of the load. But that would mean significantly greater funding for that two year period, and therein lies the rub. Its like the Guaranteed Annual Income program that was introduced in Dauphin some time back. It worked well and reduced operating costs of service delivery as well as overall costs, but politicians did not know how to get past the perception of "the government is giving away free money" and it was scrapped despite its success.

We could adopt the Australian model, which has been dramatically effective.

It appears that the money was siphoned off during the campaign, so that ought to make it easier to prosecute.

Once you accept that China is run by a dictatorship who have no regard for the powerless, it is a lot easier to understand.

Loved it! Thanks for the reminder that beauty in the world is not yet extinguished. And here's back atcha: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=flash+mob+nessun+dorma&docid=608000596087278257&mid=17B0DD2D3ABB18D9107417B0DD2D3ABB18D91074&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Does anyone in the Democratic party besides Bernie and Elizabeth give a damn about the average and working poor Americans?

That ought to tick off the corporate donors, if not the public ones and should be money laundering if not fraud. In Donald's case, the apple did not fall from the tree.

In new court filing, Bill Barr accused of arresting impeachment witnesses to shield Trump Lev Parnas, an indicted former associate of Rudy Giuliani, alleges his arrest was part of a plot to protect Trump Lev Parnas, a former business associate of Rudy Giuliani, made explosive allegations against outgoing Attorney General Bill Barr in a federal court filing on Tuesday. Parnas, who is under indictment for campaign finance violations and fraud charges, has accused Barr of timing his arrest last fall in order to prevent him from testifying at House impeachment hearings last fall. The motion was filed in the Southern District of New York by attorneys for Parnas, a Ukrainian-born businessman who in 2018 and 2019 ran political errands in Ukraine on behalf of Giuliani and Trump. Parnas argues that his indictment last October was part of an intervention by Barr "to protect the President and thwart [Parnas'] potential testimony in the impeachment inquiry." In new court filing, Bill Barr accused of arresting impeachment witnesses to shield Trump | Salon.com