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Trump Claims He's Taking Hydroxychloroquine

Donald Trump said today he is taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure to ward off COVID-19.

First question: Is he telling the truth? If not, he's putting people in danger by encouraging use of a drug that has not been proven to be effective in treating COVID-19, let alone preventing it. And Second question: If he is telling the truth, why would he take this drug given his advanced age and it's unproven benefit to coronavirus patients.

Trump is 72, and has elevated cholesterol for which he takes rosuvastatin(Crestor). It is risky to take both of them because irreversible nerve damage can occur. [More...]

Using hydroxychloroquine together with rosuvastatin may increase the risk of nerve damage, which is a potential side effect of both medications.

In medical terms:

The risk of peripheral neuropathy may be increased during concurrent use of two or more agents that are associated with this adverse effect. Patient risk factors include diabetes and age older than 60 years. In some cases, the neuropathy may progress or become irreversible despite discontinuation of the medications.

From his comments, it seemed like Trump asked to take hydroxychloroquine and the White House doctor approved it. But the latest research study by Columbia University's Irvine Medical Center says cornonvirus patients fared no better with it than without it.

It helps lupus patients and some people with rheumatoid arthritis. The FDA cautioned against its use for fighting cornonavirus-diseases.

Are there other possibilities? Like he's taking it because he or someone closer to him than his valet tested positive? Does he own stock in its maker? Not surprisingly, the New York Times reported he did:

Mr. Trump himself has a small personal financial interest in Sanofi, the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil, the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine.

Hospitals in Sweden stopping administering the drug due to "unpleasant side effects".

"The risk we see from our side is that it is a preparation that has very unpleasant side effects, including sudden cardiac death," she says.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Nancy twists the blade (5.00 / 6) (#2)
    by Yman on Mon May 18, 2020 at 09:51:09 PM EST
    Pelosi, expressing concern over Trump taking  this medication, says it's not a good idea, especially since Trump's morbidly obese.

    D@mn she's good.


    Nancy Smash! (5.00 / 2) (#19)
    by smott on Tue May 19, 2020 at 02:28:13 PM EST
    Too good

    Parent
    Ha ha (5.00 / 4) (#33)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 19, 2020 at 05:27:46 PM EST
    Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) defended her comment claiming that President Trump could be at greater risk of complications from taking an unproven coronavirus treatment because he is "morbidly obese," adding that she didn't anticipate he would be "sensitive" about his appearance, The Hill reports.

    Said Pelosi: "I didn't know that he would be so sensitive. He's always talking about other people's... their weight, their pounds."



    Parent
    Good point by George Conway (5.00 / 5) (#8)
    by MO Blue on Tue May 19, 2020 at 10:28:25 AM EST
    On Twitter Conway asked "So how do we tell if it's affecting him?" when possible side effects of hydroxychloroquine were listed as paranoia,  hallucinations and psychosis.

    How is it even possible (none / 0) (#17)
    by Peter G on Tue May 19, 2020 at 01:53:53 PM EST
    that that man remains married? Love is such a mysterious thing.

    Parent
    Not love, my friend. (none / 0) (#18)
    by MKS on Tue May 19, 2020 at 01:59:31 PM EST
    A student asked the supermodel if she would still be with Donald Trump if he was not rich.

    "If I weren't beautiful, do you think he'd be with me?" she quipped.

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/melania-trump-summed-up-her-tragic-marriage-in-one_b_592444eee4b07617 ae4cbfa2"

    Parent

    I think (none / 0) (#24)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 19, 2020 at 03:32:52 PM EST
    Kelly Ann.

    Parent
    yes, that's my point, how do those two (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by Peter G on Tue May 19, 2020 at 04:45:13 PM EST
    stay married?

    Parent
    Yes, did get it, but your comment (none / 0) (#30)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 19, 2020 at 05:15:59 PM EST
    went off the track unto the Melania one, which poses yet another question. As for the other matrimony, probably a different definition of marriage for George and Kelly Ann... although I do think such very unsame sex marriages should be recognized by the Supreme Court.

    Parent
    I like to think (none / 0) (#32)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 19, 2020 at 05:25:21 PM EST
    The s€x is amazing.

    Makes as much sense as anything.

    Parent

    I think I just ... (5.00 / 1) (#34)
    by Yman on Wed May 20, 2020 at 06:30:11 AM EST
    ... threw up in my mouth, a little.

    Makes as much sense as any other theory, but I just couldn't do it.  If I was guessing, I'd say it was for the kids.

    Parent

    What's Love (none / 0) (#20)
    by smott on Tue May 19, 2020 at 02:28:53 PM EST
    Got to Do With It?

    Parent
    I (none / 0) (#25)
    by FlJoe on Tue May 19, 2020 at 04:28:09 PM EST
    keep getting the feeling these two are running some kind of long con, just a strange hunch.

    The real question to me is how does Kellyanne still have a job?

    Parent

    because the idiot media (none / 0) (#29)
    by smott on Tue May 19, 2020 at 05:03:48 PM EST
    Keeps giving her a platform to protect Trump.

    Parent
    Loyal (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by FlJoe on Tue May 19, 2020 at 05:23:48 PM EST
    boot-lickers are a dime a dozen, tRump's "loyalty" to her seems so out of character for him.

    Parent
    As far as I know, (none / 0) (#44)
    by Zorba on Wed May 20, 2020 at 04:08:16 PM EST
    James Carville and Mary Matalin are still married.  So there is that.

    Parent
    Well, Z, my point was not to marvel at a marriage (5.00 / 2) (#46)
    by Peter G on Wed May 20, 2020 at 05:35:07 PM EST
    in which the partners have opposing political views that they each hold passionately and in good faith, as with Carville and Matalin. It is George Conway's persistent, public, and vicious (albeit well-founded) attacks on the particular person that his wife serves loyally every day as public flack (and ostensible counselor/adviser). That situation seems orders of magnitude more tense.

    Parent
    I know (5.00 / 1) (#49)
    by Zorba on Thu May 21, 2020 at 08:53:23 AM EST
    I was sort of joking around.  ;-)

    Parent
    President Tweety (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 19, 2020 at 01:49:40 PM EST
    Biden's nickname for Trump.  Works for me.

    "Pol POTUS" n/t (5.00 / 1) (#47)
    by Repack Rider on Wed May 20, 2020 at 05:57:53 PM EST
    I want more... (none / 0) (#23)
    by desertswine on Tue May 19, 2020 at 02:58:05 PM EST
    Humpity Trumpity, His Royal Obesity, Mad Donald, President Chump, c'mon something.

    Parent
    Being Biden (none / 0) (#26)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 19, 2020 at 04:34:20 PM EST
    Perhaps his reach should not exceed his grasp.

    President Tweety is good.

    Parent

    Home (5.00 / 2) (#35)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 20, 2020 at 09:15:14 AM EST
    Brew!
    President Donald Trump's staunchest fans are so bent on taking hydroxychloroquine they're sharing recipes for making their own.
    Own the Libs!
    Tell everyone you're taking it. Even if you're not. Say you're taking it via enema. A high colonic with a twist of lime. You're bathing in it. Say you're having clothes made with fibers soaked in HCQ. Name your dog HCQ. Tattoo it on your forehead. Drive these idiots nuts.
    Funny how I don't feel owned...please proceed.

    Maybe we could start "worrying" (5.00 / 1) (#36)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 20, 2020 at 10:39:56 AM EST
    About other Covid treatments.  Like Arsenic or Radio Active Iodine.

    I heard RoundUp prevents covid the other day if it's taken internally.  Tho "huffing it" also works.

    But of course these are only expiermental and we would be very very upset if anyone decided to self medicate with them.

    Parent

    I really like (5.00 / 1) (#43)
    by MO Blue on Wed May 20, 2020 at 01:50:15 PM EST
    The idea of them tattooing it on their foreheads. New fashion trend for both men and women trumpers.

    Parent
    Good (none / 0) (#80)
    by FlJoe on Sat May 23, 2020 at 10:30:24 AM EST
    news for the Q-anon crowd, they only have to pay for two extra letters.

    Parent
    OH SWEET MOTHER OF GOD (5.00 / 1) (#37)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 20, 2020 at 12:02:57 PM EST
    Meanwhile, on Earth 1 (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 20, 2020 at 01:04:17 PM EST
    A new Quinnipiac poll finds Joe Biden leads Donald Trump in the presidential race nationally, 50% to 39%.



    Parent
    So good (5.00 / 1) (#38)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 20, 2020 at 12:49:21 PM EST
    these must be made (none / 0) (#40)
    by leap on Wed May 20, 2020 at 01:22:36 PM EST
    just for the eyeballs and brain worms of Don Coronaleon, because I have no idea who Brad Pascale Parscale, whatever, is.

    Parent
    There has been stuff recently (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 20, 2020 at 01:32:37 PM EST
    About how he is conning Donald.  He won last time.  Donald, apparently,  thinks he can do it again.

    While Brad blows smoke up Donalds butt about winning and Deathstars.
    (PS This expects the "mark" has not seen the StarWars movies since the Death Star, well... )
    and buys property.

    This is VERY smart.  IMO

    And yes.  For an audience of 1

    Parent

    Google (none / 0) (#41)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 20, 2020 at 01:24:24 PM EST
    You will laugh

    Parent
    Daughter in law's (5.00 / 6) (#84)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat May 23, 2020 at 05:00:40 PM EST
    covid test came back negative today. Yay!!!

    So true (5.00 / 1) (#114)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 25, 2020 at 08:34:01 AM EST
    Tom Nichols: "Since his first day as a presidential candidate, I have been baffled by one mystery in particular: Why do working-class white men--the most reliable component of Donald Trump's base--support someone who is, by their own standards, the least masculine man ever to hold the modern presidency?"

    "The question is not whether Trump fails to meet some archaic or idealized version of masculinity. The president's inability to measure up to Marcus Aurelius or Omar Bradley is not the issue. Rather, the question is why so many of Trump's working-class white male voters refuse to hold Trump to their own standards of masculinity--why they support a man who behaves more like a little boy."

    Yeah that, plus he uses more makeup and hairspray than all their female relatives combined AND

    does this

    Back (none / 0) (#117)
    by FlJoe on Mon May 25, 2020 at 10:01:56 AM EST
    in the day in this neck of the woods, the mixture of rednecks, hippies and surfers that I hung and worked with all agreed  a loud mouthed New Yorker like tRump was the vilest of creatures.

    Now many of them idolize him, I can understand some of them holding their nose and voting for him, but the near worship of him remains baffling to me.

    Parent

    Feels like more distraction (none / 0) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 18, 2020 at 08:59:45 PM EST
    the White House put out a statement from the president's doctor saying that their medical team had determined the benefits of hydroxychloroquine "outweighed the relative risks."

    But commenters on social media couldn't help noticing one thing the letter did not contain: An actual confirmation that the doctor prescribed hydroxychloroquine for the president.

    link

    I don't believe it.  He's to fond of himself to take a dangerous untested drug into the drug and alcohol free temple that is his body.   But he would totally tell his followers to take it if it made money for him.

    Some analysts have been predicting he would turn on his supporters once it was clear he was losing.  Turn on them for not being loyal enough to save him.

    Sounds completely crazy and totally possible.  Literal Trump koolaid.

    If it's a (another) distraction (none / 0) (#6)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 19, 2020 at 08:54:48 AM EST
    Lawerence just said (none / 0) (#3)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 18, 2020 at 09:52:36 PM EST
    He said he was taking it because of the whistle blower complaint.  Which is about that drug.

    I had not thought of that but it makes total sense.

    That's (none / 0) (#7)
    by FlJoe on Tue May 19, 2020 at 10:11:26 AM EST
    the magic of tRump (and the failure of the media), his insanity causes an unending storm of distraction. I find it hard to believe that it is any way planned but it certainly works.

    tRump is incapable of admitting he was wrong about anything, I think this is another example of that. It is just a sad state of affairs where he can say the stupidest thing possible and end up paying little or no political price.

    Parent

    This may be (none / 0) (#9)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 19, 2020 at 11:10:32 AM EST
    accentuation more than distraction.  By beating this tired horse he, once again, spotlights his failures and follies.  Trump may have been trying to counter Dr. Bright's 60 minutes recap of his whistleblowing on the misuse of hydroxychoroquine but it came across as another whopper or an irresponsible drug frolic.   Yes, the media loves it, for this news cycle--- but not in a good way for him.  All a part of the Trump Coronavirus Scandal.

    Parent
    Is anybody (none / 0) (#45)
    by Zorba on Wed May 20, 2020 at 04:10:45 PM EST
    Calling it Coronagate yet?

    Parent
    And yet (none / 0) (#10)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 19, 2020 at 11:54:33 AM EST
    The reported time line coincides nicely with the cases of Corona in the West Wing.

    I also think it's entirely possibly that he is in fact taking it.

    At this point it's worth considering, and hard to avoid, what happens now if he gets really sick.

    I'm not saying I hope he gets it, and I'm not saying I don't, but what would it do to this story if he became very sick either from this virus or from the drug cocktail.

    It calms me to meditate on that thought.

    They would surely try to hide it.  It would not work.  But trying to hide it would make it an even bigger story.

    Parent

    Yes, these (5.00 / 2) (#11)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 19, 2020 at 12:21:03 PM EST
    thoughts are like taking a "calmative"  (as Mary Hartman might say, speaking from a fetal position under her kitchen sink).  Maybe, he chose his own poison after being freaked out by Pence (has there been any recent sightings) and the lovely bride of the fascist-adjacent Stephen Miller.  

     If neither Trump nor Pence could carry-on, in keeping with provisions of the 25th Amendment, the office moves to Nancy.  Pleasant thoughts for a Tuesday.


    Parent

    They work best (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 19, 2020 at 12:34:31 PM EST
    Combined with a calmative.

    Parent
    Political Wire (none / 0) (#13)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 19, 2020 at 12:52:44 PM EST

    President Trump is attending a Senate Republican buffet lunch today in the Capitol.



    Parent
    Buffet lunch, you say? (none / 0) (#14)
    by leap on Tue May 19, 2020 at 01:23:21 PM EST
    Hoo, boy... And whooo-peee!

    Parent
    If (none / 0) (#22)
    by FlJoe on Tue May 19, 2020 at 02:49:09 PM EST
    it walks like a death cult and talks like a death cult...

    Parent
    And has anyone (none / 0) (#21)
    by smott on Tue May 19, 2020 at 02:31:59 PM EST
    Seen Pence lately?

    Parent
    SITE VIOLATOR (none / 0) (#5)
    by jmacWA on Tue May 19, 2020 at 07:29:59 AM EST


    A lot of willpower (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 19, 2020 at 01:34:07 PM EST
    To not click on that

    Parent
    Sweet Jesus (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 19, 2020 at 04:38:23 PM EST
    Trump Calls Leading In Virus Cases a `Badge of Honor'

    May 19, 2020 at 5:14 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 83 Comments

    President Trump said the United States having the most coronavirus cases in the world is "a badge of honor," CNN reports.

    Said Trump: "I don't look at that as a bad thing. I look at that, in a certain respect, as being a good thing. Because it means our testing is much better."



    No one could have predicted this (none / 0) (#48)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 20, 2020 at 06:39:08 PM EST
    Trouble in paradise (none / 0) (#50)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 22, 2020 at 07:24:14 AM EST
    there is this new FOX poll that has Biden 13 points ahead with indies  and 17 ahead with 65+

    And there is this

    The Coronavirus Invades Trump Country

    May 22, 2020 at 7:47 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 31 Comments

    Axios: "For the last four weeks, counties newly designated as having a high prevalence of coronavirus cases -- meaning at least 100 cases per 100,000 people -- were more likely to have voted for President Trump than Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to a recent analysis by the Brookings Institution."

    And these

    Donald J. Trump
    @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    17h
    Many will disagree, but
    @FoxNews
     is doing nothing to help Republicans, and me, get re-elected on November 3rd. Sure, there are some truly GREAT people on Fox, but you also have some real "garbage" littered all over the network, people like Dummy Juan Williams, Schumerite Chris...

    Donald J. Trump
    @realDonaldTrump
    ·
    17h
    ....Hahn, Richard Goodstein, Donna Brazile, Niel Cavuto, and many others. They repeat the worst of the Democrat speaking points, and lies. All of the good is totally nullified, and more. Net Result = BAD! CNN & MSDNC are all in for the Do Nothing Democrats! Fox WAS Great!




    No joke (none / 0) (#51)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri May 22, 2020 at 08:46:58 AM EST
    My future daughter in law works in a nursing home in Pickens County Ga. You can google to find out how rural it is if you want. She called last night and said she had handled a covid patient on Friday and the nursing home did not tell her that the patient was a carrier until Monday. In the meantime over the weekend she and my son came over. So my son cannot work until Thursday of next week. Monday when she found out she neglected to tell any of us. So apparently I'm now almost a week into possible exposure most the time unknown to me. We are all waiting on pins and needles for her to get her covid test results back which here in GA takes 3 TO 5 days for healthcare workers and 5 TO 7 DAYS for everybody else. As we say elections have consequences and having an incompetent governor has made this more of a nightmare.

    If you want to know why it is ravaging nursing homes well, they apparently do not do regular testing on their employees. They only test the residents and then when a resident tests positive do they test the nurses.

    Parent

    God that's terrifying (5.00 / 1) (#52)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 22, 2020 at 09:04:34 AM EST
    There are bad things happening in my state.  We are now in the handful of states with new alarming increases.

    And masks are now completely politicized.  Which honestly apart from every other criminally stupid thing the Orange Monkey has done, is the most insane and needlessly dangerous.

    Places are opening up and people are going.  I am not.

    So sorry to hear this.   Take care.

    Parent

    Kemp (5.00 / 1) (#82)
    by smott on Sat May 23, 2020 at 02:33:19 PM EST
    Should be in prison.
    And I hope a Dem DOJ puts him there.

    Parent
    So this is an acknowledgement (none / 0) (#55)
    by Chuck0 on Fri May 22, 2020 at 09:48:35 AM EST
    that he believes Fox News is (or should be) an arm of his campaign? He believes they are not a news outlet?

    This national nightmare has to come to an end. I will not survive another term of this.


    Parent

    Someone said if his mouth is moving (none / 0) (#56)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 22, 2020 at 09:53:35 AM EST
    he is either confessing, projecting or saying the quite part out loud.

    Parent
    Pravda (none / 0) (#72)
    by Zorba on Fri May 22, 2020 at 09:04:23 PM EST
    That's what he seems to believe Fox should be.  And that's why he gets so furious when some of them don't toe the Trump Party line.

    Parent
    Of course Juan Williams is a "dummy" (none / 0) (#58)
    by Peter G on Fri May 22, 2020 at 11:39:20 AM EST
    He's a dark-skinned Caribbean-American immigrant (born in Panama). That outweighs his degrees from a top-ten college (same great place where I went), two honorary doctorates, and his eight published books (at least two of them award winners, including a biography of Thurgood Marshall and the book version of Eyes on the Prize).

    Parent
    What (none / 0) (#53)
    by FlJoe on Fri May 22, 2020 at 09:30:30 AM EST
    have you got to lose?
    Seriously ill Covid-19 patients who were treated with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine were more likely to die or develop dangerous heart arrhythmias, according to a large observational study published Friday in the medical journal The Lancet.

    Researchers analyzed data from more than 96,000 patients with confirmed Covid-19 from 671 hospitals. All were hospitalized from late December to mid-April, and had died or been discharged by April 21.

    Who wins?
    Retail sales of the anti-malarial drug President Donald Trump has promoted as a potential coronavirus cure -- and claims to be taking himself -- have been soaring.

    The drug, hydroxychloroquine, has been around for decades but was thrust into the spotlight this spring when Trump began mentioning its name dozens of times during coronavirus briefings. While it had not been approved for this use, and still hasn't, he urged Americans to "try it."
    Amid the growing public attention on the medication, its sales doubled from March 2019 to more than $50 million in March of this year,

    Who knows, CNN "Investigates" never gets around to that.

    I was reading that what often happens (none / 0) (#54)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 22, 2020 at 09:46:40 AM EST
    Is the stuff effects the heart and you just drop dead.

    I have opined I would consider the possibility there is a god.....under certain circumstances.  As this seems more likely I have decided to moved the goalposts.  I will only do this if it's ON CAMERA.

    Parent

    Plenty (none / 0) (#57)
    by FlJoe on Fri May 22, 2020 at 09:55:07 AM EST
    to chew on here
    A conservative "dark money" group that received funding from the pharmaceutical industry's largest trade organization pushed President Donald Trump to use unproven antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 and make it more widely available.

    Last month, the conservative nonprofit group Job Creators Network collaborated with health care nonprofit Physicians for Reform to launch an online petition, a series of Facebook ads and a mass text message campaign urging Trump to make hydroxychloroquine available to treat patients battling COVID-19, Sludge reported. These groups do not disclose their sources of funding.



    Parent
    Not gonna link (none / 0) (#59)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 22, 2020 at 12:20:33 PM EST
    But I just read that in "remarks from the president" he said Nancy Pelosi was "dancing in the streets of Chinatown" because of the spread of Corona.

    I guess we will at least learn if there is a bottom.

    There is (5.00 / 2) (#60)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri May 22, 2020 at 01:58:51 PM EST
    no bottom.

    Parent
    Only 19% of democrats (none / 0) (#61)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 22, 2020 at 03:43:07 PM EST
    I'm so proud

    new Yahoo News/YouGov poll finds 44% of Republicans believe that Bill Gates is plotting to use a mass coronavirus vaccination campaign as a pretext to implant microchips in billions of people and monitor their movements. Just 26% of Republicans correctly identify the story as false.

    In contrast, only 19% of Democrats believe the same spurious narrative about Gates while a majority recognize that it's not true.



    Parent
    Surely, we are doomed. As many as (5.00 / 2) (#62)
    by Peter G on Fri May 22, 2020 at 03:56:27 PM EST
    19% of Democrats say they believe that? I am incredulous.

    Parent
    I envy you (none / 0) (#63)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 22, 2020 at 04:02:13 PM EST
    I ask again. (none / 0) (#73)
    by Chuck0 on Fri May 22, 2020 at 10:51:10 PM EST
    How the he11 did we get here? How did political quackery reach this level? Peter  G is glomming my own words. We are doomed. (But then I got the general idea from Hunter Thompson. Doom is one his favorite descriptors.)

    Parent
    Fox News (5.00 / 2) (#74)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat May 23, 2020 at 09:05:51 AM EST
    and Talk Radio and people who are unable to discern fact from fiction IMO. The combination has been deadly.

    Parent
    I just texted my fundie evangelical brother (none / 0) (#64)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 22, 2020 at 05:17:21 PM EST
    And asked about Trumps church thing.

    He replied with one word, terrible.

    What happened to that great (none / 0) (#65)
    by fishcamp on Fri May 22, 2020 at 05:34:25 PM EST
    American principle `separation of Church and state'?

    Parent
    Where ever it is (5.00 / 1) (#66)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 22, 2020 at 05:49:58 PM EST
    It's probably with "rule of law", "separation of powers" and  "checks and balances"

    About that comment, if my brother was with one of his friends he would have said `that was my liberal hippy brother asking about Trumps church thing'.

    Parent

    What happened to that Trumpian princeple (none / 0) (#67)
    by Towanda on Fri May 22, 2020 at 06:01:29 PM EST
    that the governors, not the feds, do the job.

    Parent
    Our governors down here (none / 0) (#68)
    by fishcamp on Fri May 22, 2020 at 06:17:58 PM EST
    have never been able to do the job, yet there's a cabal of them up there making decisions.

    Parent
    Everyday (none / 0) (#69)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri May 22, 2020 at 06:46:07 PM EST
    it's a competition between your governor and ours to see who can lie the most or act the most incompetent. Some days I feel sorry for you guys. Then other days I'm too focused on the incompetence right in front of me.

    Parent
    2 things (none / 0) (#70)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 22, 2020 at 07:15:28 PM EST
    Bill Barr's DOJ gets involved in GOP lawmaker's suit to gut Illinois' stay-at-home order

    Half the Accounts Tweeting on `Reopening' May Be Bots

    May 22, 2020 at 7:26 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 55 Comments

    Carnegie Mellon University researchers have discovered that much of the discussion around the pandemic and stay-at-home orders is being fueled by misinformation campaigns that use convincing bots.

    Said professor Kathleen Carley: "We're seeing up to two times as much bot activity as we'd predicted based on previous natural disasters, crises and elections."



    He should (none / 0) (#71)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri May 22, 2020 at 07:51:15 PM EST
    read the politico article about GA. Despite our late closing and early reopening the economic situation is dire in GA with unemployment actually going up since we reopened.

    They can huff and puff but the only reason they care about IL is because it is such a large part of the economy. I'm sure they know that Trump is never going to carry IL.

    Parent

    GA in play (none / 0) (#76)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 23, 2020 at 09:10:46 AM EST
    Harry Enten: "Democrats have Georgia on their minds. When former Vice President Joe Biden's team presented their electoral strategy in mid-May, Georgia was one of three states, along with Arizona and Texas, that they believed they could compete in, even though those places haven't voted for a Democratic presidential nominee in at least 20 years."

    "A look at the statistics tell us that Biden's team isn't bluffing. Georgia is definitely in play in the 2020 presidential election, even if it isn't as strong a pickup opportunity for Democrats as some other states."

    CNN

    Parent

    I tell (none / 0) (#77)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat May 23, 2020 at 09:57:51 AM EST
    people this but nobody wants to believe me. If Biden can take Georgia away from the GOP it makes it a lot harder for Trump.

    Parent
    I think it's not just GA (none / 0) (#78)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 23, 2020 at 10:03:20 AM EST
    I think unless they manage to stop or completely screw the election with suppression the Nov election will be the most historic wave ever.

    GA, TX all kind of places.

    And people.  Mitch will lose.  Lindsey will lose.

    It will be a rout

    I think they agree with me and this is why we are in great danger of another failure of imagination because most people won't believe it.  Until it happens.  Rather like President Trump.

    I'm really worried.  But not about losing the election.

    Parent

    And btw (none / 0) (#79)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 23, 2020 at 10:06:35 AM EST
    Mitch's manic rush to confirm as many right wing judges as is physically possible is both part of it and a kind of backup plan to help them hold on to power even if they are voted out for decades.

    Parent
    Times (none / 0) (#86)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 23, 2020 at 06:16:25 PM EST
    New York Times: "The G.O.P. has tightened its ranks; its reliable voters, hovering at around 40 percent of the electorate, tend to approve of almost anything President Trump does. Yet throughout his term, from the 2017 battles over health care and tax cuts to his impeachment and subsequent acquittal early this year, very few people from outside the party have been coming aboard."

    "Mr. Trump has led the charge, but his effects are being felt far down the ballot. Two years after Democrats swept the midterm House elections by a historically wide margin and with historically high turnout, polling suggests they have a shot at a similar showing this year."

    "And in the high-stakes Senate, G.O.P. incumbents in swing states have struggled to disentangle their numbers from Mr. Trump's stubbornly minoritarian status. That is putting Democrats in a strong position as they look to take back the Senate in the midst of a pandemic."



    Parent
    Independent (none / 0) (#87)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 23, 2020 at 08:20:47 PM EST
    More (none / 0) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 23, 2020 at 12:38:56 PM EST
    May 23, 2020 at 11:47 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 126 Comments

    President Trump's advisers are increasingly concerned about Sen. Kelly Loeffler's (R-GA) campaign in Georgia, a newly competitive state where the president's own poll numbers have tightened against Joe Biden, the New York Times reports.

    "Because the field is so crowded, Georgia officials expect no candidate to get a majority, forcing a runoff. And the president's team is planning to stay out of the race until the runoff approaches, which wouldn't be until January 2021."



    Parent
    Loeffler (none / 0) (#83)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat May 23, 2020 at 05:00:02 PM EST
    is toast. She is burnt toast. She is polling at like 11%. Collins is going to be the GOP candidate. Apparently they don't think Collins can win the seat. I'm not so sure. I think Perdue is more vulnerable than Collins.

    My gut tells me the same thing you are saying. It would be nice to see some polling in every state.

    Even Jones may end up being safe after the knock down drag out fight they are having in Alabama.

    Parent

    24 States Have Uncontrolled Coronavirus Spread (none / 0) (#75)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 23, 2020 at 09:08:21 AM EST
    Deep dive into Covid data.

    State-level tracking of COVID-19 in the United States

    There is no good news here

    Names (none / 0) (#85)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 23, 2020 at 06:12:04 PM EST
    Warren rising (none / 0) (#88)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 08:20:36 AM EST
    CNN

    Biden is now talking about a bolder presidency, with ambitions stretching beyond the restoration of pre-Donald Trump normalcy.
    And there is a growing sense in Democratic circles, particularly among the progressive wing of the party, that there is one sure way to show he means it: Make Elizabeth Warren his running mate.
    The Massachusetts senator has mostly been regarded as a vice presidential dark horse more likely destined, if progressive dreams were answered, for a top cabinet position. But that calculation could be shifting as the factors influencing Biden's decision evolve in the face of a mushrooming catastrophe. Over the past month, the pair have forged a deeper personal connection, following the death of Warren's brother, and begun to sharpen their focus on common political ground as Biden publicly shifted on an issue that famously divided them nearly two decades ago.
    Joe Biden's running mate list is shorter than you might think -- for now, at least
    Joe Biden's running mate list is shorter than you might think -- for now, at least
    Biden spent much of the Democratic primary locked in on a pledge to revive decency in American political culture. Warren ran on a call for "big, structural change" that launched her to the top of the polls in the summer of 2019, but didn't translate into success this year. The heart of Biden's appeal remains steady, but as the coronavirus fallout deepens, he has also begun to telegraph a desire to strike out with a more ambitious policy agenda -- a political enterprise, in scope and scale, that many Warren allies believe she is uniquely qualified to shepherd through the mazy, grinding gears of government.



    And (none / 0) (#90)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 08:28:00 AM EST
    Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whose full-throated opposition to high-dollar fund-raising events was a central tenet of her presidential campaign, has agreed to host such a gathering of donors for Joe Biden, who is considering her to be his running mate, the New York Times reports.



    Parent
    Gotta say (none / 0) (#94)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 09:51:10 AM EST
    Any of the women mentioned would be fine with me.  And while I think it's fine, good even, that he commit to picking a female VP I do not think he should commit to picking a black female.  Any more than he should commit to picking a white female.

    I do worry this latest foot in mouth about black voters might put pressure on him to pick a black woman.  IMO the choice should not be made that way.

    And while I'm on the subject, there is the fact that whoever he picks is quite likely to be the nominee in 24.  So picking someone almost as old as him might not be the best idea.

    Parent

    My top 2 in order of preference (none / 0) (#103)
    by MO Blue on Sun May 24, 2020 at 06:32:02 PM EST
    Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.

    Parent
    If only Warren were not (none / 0) (#104)
    by Peter G on Sun May 24, 2020 at 06:55:16 PM EST
    also 70 years old.

    Parent
    In 2024, (5.00 / 1) (#106)
    by MO Blue on Sun May 24, 2020 at 08:06:52 PM EST
    She will still be younger than Biden's current age and the powers that be in the party don't seem to have a problem with his advanced age. If selected as VP, IMO, good combo in 2024, would be Warren in the top spot and younger candidate like Julian Castro as VP.  

    Parent
    May not be a problem (none / 0) (#105)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun May 24, 2020 at 06:58:58 PM EST
    if you figure we're probably going to have a free for all in 2024 anyway.

    Parent
    I will be surprised if it's either of them (none / 0) (#107)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 08:44:23 PM EST
    But either would be ok with me.  If not my first choice.  Or second.

    Parent
    Who (none / 0) (#109)
    by MO Blue on Sun May 24, 2020 at 09:57:12 PM EST
    Would you prefer?

    Parent
    Someone younger (none / 0) (#110)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 10:11:26 PM EST
    Someone who will help Biden where he needs it.  Which I think is a younger demo.  

    That's as far as Warren.  I also think Warren will hurt as much as she helps which has always been my take on Warren..  I just don't think it will be Kamala.  For other reasons.

    I don't really think it matters much as far as winning.  I think the pick should help set up a future for the party.  I think they agree with that.  

    But the fact is your guess is as good as mine.

    I think all this window shopping is theater.  I expect they have known for a while who it is likely to be.

    Parent

    I think he could do a lot worse (none / 0) (#111)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 10:19:33 PM EST
    That Gretchen Whitmer

    Parent
    I love (none / 0) (#112)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon May 25, 2020 at 07:22:09 AM EST
    #BigGretch! She is nothing short of awesome standing up the insane clowns in MI.

    Parent
    Trump may have raised Abrams profile (none / 0) (#113)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 25, 2020 at 08:04:49 AM EST
    By this in his epic Twitter breakdown this weekend

    In one tweet taking a swipe at Abrams's appearance, later retweeted by Trump, Stahl wrote: "We just got a look at the official portrait for the self proclaimed Governor of Georgia. She fought a tough race, kissed a lot of babies and visited every buffet restaurant in the state. Joe will be a racist if he doesn't pick her."

    FTR I have always thought and still think she is probably the best choice.

    It's starting to look like the more he circles the drain the uglier it will get.  I won't repeat things he said about favs Hillary and Nancy but insulting comments about another's weight is just.......words fail me.

    Starting to look like he's saying, "you think I was a nasty piece of work before?  You ain't seen nothin"

    Can't wait.

    Parent

    Well, I disagree (none / 0) (#118)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon May 25, 2020 at 10:59:38 AM EST
    I don't know who is the best choice really but Abrams is not a good choice. The narratives are already it's a rerun of McCain Palin with the old guy and the young inexperienced woman. We will definitely hear about her tax problem again and again.

    Parent
    If you want to talk about motivated women (none / 0) (#120)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 25, 2020 at 11:08:17 AM EST
    Of any color, Cheeto making fun of her weight is as good as it gets.

    If you want to talk about the "free for all" in 24, she will be in it.

    With or without Biden's help.  

    I believe she will do great things.

    Parent

    I wish (none / 0) (#123)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon May 25, 2020 at 11:52:01 AM EST
    that were true but it's not. Attacking women's appearance is completely acceptable with too many women in this country.

    I think her legacy is in voting rights ending the ridiculous laws the GOP has instated or passed regarding voting.

    Parent

    They call it "worst case" (none / 0) (#89)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 08:25:49 AM EST
    I think I can come up with worser ones

    New York Times: "In October, President Trump declares a state of emergency in major cities in battleground states, like Milwaukee and Detroit, banning polling places from opening."

    "A week before the election, Attorney General William P. Barr announces a criminal investigation into the Democratic presidential nominee, Joseph R. Biden Jr."

    "After Mr. Biden wins a narrow Electoral College victory, Mr. Trump refuses to accept the results, won't leave the White House and declines to allow the Biden transition team customary access to agencies before the Jan. 20 inauguration."

    "Far-fetched conspiracy theories? Not to a group of worst-case scenario planners -- mostly Democrats, but some anti-Trump Republicans as well -- who have been gaming out various doomsday options for the 2020 presidential election. Outraged by Mr. Trump and fearful that he might try to disrupt the campaign before, during and after Election Day, they are engaged in a process that began in the realm of science fiction but has nudged closer to reality as Mr. Trump and his administration abandon longstanding political norms."



    I (none / 0) (#91)
    by FlJoe on Sun May 24, 2020 at 09:14:19 AM EST
    have gamed out plenty in my head, some are more subtle some are definitely worse.

    There is absolutely no doubt there will be vote suppression in the urban areas but it will be broad based, likely aided by  the Russians and other actors. That could range from social media manipulations to fkng with the power grid on election day. I even worry about some of the armed kooks resorting to violence.  

    Parent

    War (none / 0) (#95)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 09:58:38 AM EST
    North Korea, Iran, fill in the blank.

    Parent
    I have said (none / 0) (#92)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun May 24, 2020 at 09:30:08 AM EST
    from the beginning that it did not matter who we nominated because they would be "under criminal investigation".

    And the closing the polls thing is probably why he is no incensed about voting by mail.

    Parent

    Without a doubt (none / 0) (#93)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 09:46:21 AM EST
    Trumps mail in voting krap is laying the groundwork to challenge the election results.

    Parent
    Good news , bad news on Covid (none / 0) (#96)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sun May 24, 2020 at 12:15:08 PM EST
    Look at that... (5.00 / 3) (#97)
    by desertswine on Sun May 24, 2020 at 02:19:22 PM EST
    a pig just flew out my butt!

    Parent
    It's a sampling problem (5.00 / 1) (#98)
    by Yman on Sun May 24, 2020 at 02:19:29 PM EST
    Wouldn't want anyone to get the false impression that the virus is simply "disappearing".

    Parent
    You (5.00 / 1) (#100)
    by FlJoe on Sun May 24, 2020 at 03:44:36 PM EST
    do know things don't actually disappear when you stick your head in the sand
    The global health agency said 106,000 new cases had been reported in 24 hours, a new record for the Covid-19 outbreak.


    Parent
    At a starting point, (none / 0) (#99)
    by KeysDan on Sun May 24, 2020 at 03:42:45 PM EST
    the answer to whether or not a safe and effective vaccine for this virus is possible is unknown.  But, what is known is that development of a vaccine is a long and difficult endeavor.

    The effectiveness of compliance with public health measures are slowing down the rate of infection.  This may impact the necessary statistical demonstration of a vaccine's safety and effectiveness. thereby inserting yet another factor into the customary testing procedures.

    Phase I studies, evaluate for safety, Phase II for effectiveness of dose and formulation, and Phase III for both---and demonstration of the later requires much larger groups of people.

    A successful vaccine may require an approach other than live, attenuated  virus or inactivated virus. Genetically engineered DNA or RNA may be necessary and such a vaccine for human use would be a break-through.

    It sure would be great if the virus just disappeared and would be gone forever. However, the circumstance suggested by the referenced researchers is more likely another difficulty in Covid-19 vaccine development with the added measure of possibly not being able to draw statistically valid conclusions for safety and efficacy.

    In my view, unless and until a safe and effective vaccine is developed, the treatment will remain public health measures. And, that a pharmacological treatment will soon emerge.

    Parent

    I think the worst case would be a vaccine (none / 0) (#108)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 08:47:06 PM EST
    That doesn't work or god forbid bad side effects.

    It would legitimize the stupid antivaxers and set us back years

    Parent

    Agreed. (none / 0) (#124)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 25, 2020 at 12:47:51 PM EST
    Some anti-vaccine groups are gloming onto those containment protestors (or may be one in the same) to challenge restrictions aimed at protecting public health.

    The anti-vaxxers have had a few set-backs recently as states strengthened immunization laws in response to measles outbreaks.  This gives their movement a fresh coat of paint.

    Short-cuts in vaccine development may bring vaccine problems that would feed their movement. They have been trying to re-brand themselves as medical freedom fighters.

    Parent

    How sweet would it be if (none / 0) (#101)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 24, 2020 at 04:12:36 PM EST
    The Orange Monkey was banned from Twitter?  Just think about that for a second.

    You may have seen this yesterday


    Trump mulls forming panel to investigate anticonservative bias on social media: report

    Turns out that might be because he is about to be banned from Twitter

    Brzezinski says she arranged call with Twitter CEO to discuss banning Trump

    She used the word libel
    Not a lawyer but it sounds close to me.  Even republicans are begging him to stop.

    please stop.  It's killing us.

    Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) called on President Trump to stop promoting "the completely unfounded conspiracy" theory regarding the death of an intern for MSNBC "Morning Joe" anchor and former Florida lawmaker Joe Scarborough.

    The president on Sunday morning urged his followers in a tweet to read an article from conservative website True Pundit, which claimed evidence showed foul play in the death of Lori Klausutis, 28, in 2001.

    "Just stop," Kinzinger responded said. "Stop spreading it, stop creating paranoia. It will destroy us."

    No rallies and no Twitter.  Oh my.

    I believe (none / 0) (#102)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun May 24, 2020 at 04:34:06 PM EST
    the True Pundit website has also been identified as a Russian propaganda site.

    Parent
    Hey Peter (none / 0) (#115)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 25, 2020 at 09:38:08 AM EST
    Hope you are having a good holiday

    Question for you.  I have been reading some think Trumps behavior will continue to get worse as his fortunes fade and he becomes more angry and bitter.  Mentioned before the thing I read comparing him to Hitler in the final days when he turned on his followers for not being strong enough to give him victory.

    But the question.  They say, Trump himself has said, he can do pretty much anything and he has the ultimate get out of jail free card.  He thinks he can pardon himself.  He believes it.  Aparrently he's been told this.

    Do you think he can?  Can get away with it not can he do it.  I would almost bet on him doing it.   Can't think of a better person to ask

    A one word answer (none / 0) (#116)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 25, 2020 at 09:58:55 AM EST
    Works for me

    :)

    Parent

    The official position of the US Dept of Justice (none / 0) (#119)
    by Peter G on Mon May 25, 2020 at 11:04:39 AM EST
    (from the Office of Legal Counsel, which answers difficult legal questions for the Attorney General and for any other federal agency needing an authoritative opinion) -- rendered in August 1974 (that is, just before Nixon resiged) -- was No. As further explicated by Prof. Tribe in an op-ed co-authored with the chief White House ethics advisers to Presidents Bush (HGWB) and Obama. And here is another article also offers a variety of well-informed opinions, including a typically intriguing one from my good friend, Margaret Love (former Pardon Attorney of the U.S., and pardon-power scholar). As to whether Tr*mp could "get away with it" if he tried to issue a pardon to himself, the rubber could meet the road on that in either of two (or maybe more) ways: First, would a purported self-pardon lead to another impeachment and/or a rebellion among Republicans that would force his resignation; and second, would a prosecutor then indict him for one of his many apparent criminal offenses, forcing him to set up the "pardon" as a defense and thus putting a judge in a position to rule on its validity (so that an appeal could go to the Supreme Court for final resolution).

    Parent
    What about (none / 0) (#121)
    by Zorba on Mon May 25, 2020 at 11:39:10 AM EST
    this scenario, if he loses in November:  he makes a deal with Pence, resigns as President, and Pence is sworn in as President and immediately issues a pre-emptive pardon.
    (Not sure if Pence would agree to this, though).

    Parent
    That would be lawful, as long as (5.00 / 1) (#122)
    by Peter G on Mon May 25, 2020 at 11:46:03 AM EST
    there is no corrupt side-deal made (not unlike Nixon-Ford in other words). But of course don't forget that a pre-emptive presidential pardon blocks federal prosecutions; it does not affect state charges.

    Parent
    If this were to happen, (none / 0) (#125)
    by Zorba on Mon May 25, 2020 at 02:29:24 PM EST
    I think New York could be counted on to keep state charges going.
    I'm not sure if Trump would resign, though, if he loses.  He's done so many loopy things, I could imagine him insisting the election was rigged and refusing to leave.  And then having to be dragged out of the White House by the Secret Service, who will no longer be working for him but for the new administration.

    Parent