COVID19 Update - Day 3

US Tests: 17,892
US Cases: 2,182
US Deaths: 49
Worldwide Cases: 145,374
Worldwide Deaths: 5,429

So Trump finally declared a national emergency, only 6 weeks after the WHO declared the virus to be a global emergency.  Great work, Donnie.

And not only that, Trump & Co. continued to lie about stuff, like the great coronavirus testing website from Google that Trump promised, but which doesn't exist.  Good Lord.  Why does anyone listen to a word coming out of his mouth?

On a more personal note --- yesterday, I forgot to include the fact that the annual banquet for my daughter's dance team has been cancelled.

Also --- I'm wondering about dating in the age of the COVID19 pandemic.  You may have picked up on the fact that I'm a single guy (and I'm a catch!) --- but dating now seems kind of futile.  Best case scenario, you end up kissing a stranger.  Who wants that, with the threat of COVID19 hanging over your head?  It gives a whole new meaning to the term 'safe sex'.

So --- I don't know.  I don't think celibacy is what people are referring to when they talk about social distancing.  But it kind of seems like the right thing to do.

COVID19 Update - Day 2

US Tests: 13,953
US Cases: 1,583
US Deaths: 38
Worldwide Cases: 128,343
Worldwide Deaths: 4,720

After last night's embarrassing national address from Trump, for which he was rightly excoriated, presumptive Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden showed America the kind of speech a real president gives:

For their part, the Republicans demonstrated that they don't care about the human cost of the pandemic, by:

• The White House continued to advocate for a $9.5 billion cut in the budget of the CDC, the Center for Disease Control (this actually happened on Tuesday, the day before Trump's awful national address).
• Senate Republicans blocked a House bill which, among other things, would have guaranteed free COVID19 testing to anyone who thinks they might be infected, and paid sick leave for all affected Americans.  Then, instead of offering any alternative legislation of their own, they left town for a 3-day weekend (although he did cancel a planned week-long recess).

To be fair, Republicans WERE quick to bail out the constituency most important to them, however:

In the latest sign that even the soberest of American economic policymakers are freaked out by the coronavirus, the Federal Reserve announced on Thursday it's going to drop an extra $1.5 trillion on the financial system. The Fed actually made an emergency cut of 0.5 percentage points to its interest rate target just the other week.

So to summarize: Republicans are willing to loan $1.5 trillion to banks to combat an economic slowdown, but not a dime to the people actually suffering from the virus.  And they actually want to CUT funding for the main federal agency tasked with responding to the pandemic.

Remember this in November.

At least there was ONE bright spot.  U.S. Representative Katie Porter (D - CA45), the first Democrat to represent Orange County in quite a long time, got the director of the CDC to commit to FREE coronavirus testing for all Americans.

I did the math: a full battery of coronavirus testing costs at minimum $1,331.

I also did the legal research: the Administration has the authority to make testing free for every American TODAY.

I secured a commitment from a high-level Trump official that they’d actually do it. pic.twitter.com/RmolCtmNbG

— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) March 12, 2020

Remember this in November, too.  And maybe show Katie some thanks.  Even in this political climate, a Democrat in Orange County faces an uphill climb to win re-election.

On a more personal note, the pandemic is affecting my life in numerous ways.  In just the past two days:

• My alma mater, Grinnell College, decided to ask students to leave campus when spring break starts, and not to return.  Classes will be conducted online for the rest of the semester.  This affects me personally in that I had planned to take my daughter to campus for a prospective student visit, and that visit was cancelled --- which left me on the hook for a non-refundable hotel room reservation.
• Grinnell is also considering cancelling commencement and reunion --- and my college reunions are some of the most enjoyable events in my life.
• My son's college, University of Minnesota at Morris, has also decided to conduct classes online until at least April 1, although students may still choose to attend classes on campus.
• A college friend of mine was supposed to be a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Morris, and I was planning to go out in a few weeks to visit her and my son.  But Morris has cancelled her appointment due to the pandemic.
• My daughter's long-planned school trip to France has been postponed.
•  Just today, my scrum master made a point of telling everyone on our team to be sure to take their laptops home with them every night, 'in case' the office shuts down and we need to work remotely for the foreseeable future.

This is going to get much worse before it gets better.

COVID19 Update - Day 1

When we look back on this time in years hence, I expect that March 11, 2020 will be identified as the day the country first really started to take COVID19 seriously.

If you've come here looking for information about COVID19 and how best to respond --- then you're really bad at doing internet research.  Nevertheless, here are two resources I recommend:

• FlattenTheCurve - information about what all of us can do to minimize the impact of the pandemic.
• Suggestions about how you can network with your neighbors to support each other through what are likely to be grim times ahead.

Donald Trump --- the most embarrassing politician in U.S. history --- kicked things off with probably the least inspiring presidential address in U.S. history:

Notably, Trump did NOT do the one thing which might have been the most effective in blunting the impact of the virus on America --- declaring a national emergency.

A bit more than an hour after his speech, US markets, which were already in freefall, were anything but reassured:

In the category of 'you can't make this up' --- almost contemporaneously with Trump's address, the previous holder of the title of America's most embarrassing politician, former half-term Alaska governor Sarah Palin, was bouncing around like an idiot on the reality TV show The Masked Singer:

Personally, I am anticipating that most Americans will ultimately be infected, including myself, my ex-wife, and my children.  We're all under the age of 60, and so the expectation is that we will all survive --- although there's no telling how severe our symptoms will be when we get sick.

All four of our parents (mine and my ex-wife's) are still alive, although obviously they are elderly.  My ex-wife's parents in particular are in ill health.  My parents are already in a senior living facility, and I hope the people in charge there take all appropriate precautions to prevent spread of the virus, in which case they have a better than average shot at surviving.  The same cannot be said for my former in-laws.

This is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) ordeal which will leave an indelible mark on those who survive it for the rest of their lives.  So I'm making use of the blog to chronicle events as much for my own sake as for the entertainment of any internet travelers who may trip over it.

Take Her Out

The latest in a long list of Trump's transgressions seems more than usually explosive:

A recording reviewed by ABC News appears to capture President Donald Trump telling associates he wanted the then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch fired while speaking at a small gathering that included Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman -- two former business associates of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani who have since been indicted in New York.

. . .

"Get rid of her!" is what the voice that appears to be Trump’s is heard saying. "Get her out tomorrow. I don't care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. OK? Do it."

It is utterly baffling that ABC presents this as Trump wanting Yovanovitch fired.  As numerous Trump supporters have pointed out since this news became public, all U.S. ambassadors serve "at the pleasure of the president", as they used to say on the West Wing, and so if Trump wanted her removed, all he needed to do was call HER and fire her.

Moreover, Parnas and Fruman are not U.S. civil servants, or government employees in any way.  It seems fairly clear that Trump's instruction to "take her out" can't possibly refer to firing her.  And if Trump wasn't ordering Parnas and Furman to fire her, we are forced to conclude that Trump's intent was more sinister.

As unthinkable as it is that a sitting U.S. president would demand that private citizens do harm to a U.S. ambassador, it is completely consistent with Trump's approach to 'governance' (for lack of a better term).  He has a long, colorful history of dehumanizing rhetoric and promoting violence.  Consider:

• He took out full-page ads in four separate newspapers demanding the death penalty for five young men accused of gang-raping a woman in Central Park.  Trump continued to insist the 'Central Park Five' were guilty long after DNA evidence and a confession from another man proved them innocent.
• Trump kicked off his presidential campaign by insisting that Mexican immigrants tend to be 'rapists' bringing 'drugs' and 'crime' to the U.S.  Three years later, he doubled-down on that belief, saying "These aren't people. These are animals."
• His hatred for people of color and immigrants isn't exclusive to Mexicans, as he frequently talks about 'infestation' when discussing predominantly black cities, and referring to 'shithole countries'.
• This isn't just talk.  Trump actually treated illegal immigrants as animals, showing no remorse even in the face of sexual abuse and death in detainment facilities.
• His rhetoric isn't limited to name-calling.  He explicitly campaigned, in part, on a promise to 'take out their families' --- innocent people, mind you --- as a way to combat terrorism.  Does that phrase sound familiar?
• He openly encourages violence against the media, including praising a GOP congressman who literally assaulted a reporter.
• He similarly encouraged law enforcement to physically abuse suspects (so much for 'innocent until proven guilty').
• If you're inclined to believe that Trump is all bark and no bite, recall that even Pentagon officials were stunned by Trump's bloodlust.  When presented with several options for handling Iran, Trump made the most extreme choice (assassinating Soleimani), even though that option was only presented to him to make other choices seems moderate.

This is a watershed moment in Trump's presidency.  Republicans in the Senate are on the verge of turning a blind eye to his behavior, which seems incredibly dangerous.  An acquittal will be a green light to Trump to give in to his worst instincts, and there's every reason to believe that those instincts are violent.  If the Senate doesn't remove Trump from the White House now, it is more likely than not that he will only leave in a body bag (death either by natural causes or as a result of some violent upheaval).

As awful as Trump's reign has been up to now, it is likely to be small potatoes compared to Trump unchained.  In fact, Trump has already given Senators a small taste of what they can expect:

CBS News reported late Thursday that a “Trump confidant” had issued a warning to wavering Republican Senators: “Vote against the president, and your head will be on a pike.”

Yes, this is just a metaphor --- but if Trump survives this trial, it is likely to be closer to reality than most are willing to imagine.

Demand a #FairSenateTrial

First, Trump released a damning transcript of his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming that it exonerated him.  This is what prompted impeachment hearings in the House.

Those hearings made it clear not only that Trump was demanding that Ukraine announce a bogus investigation into Joe Biden and his son in exchange for $400 million in foreign aid which had already been approved by Congress, but that he and his administration were working to cover it up.  At this point, GOP defenses for Trump have all been laughable, such as:

• We can't remove such a great president - this is self-evidently absurd
• Trump's impeachment is unconstitutional - Article II of the Constitution disagrees
• Trump committed no crime in withholding congressionally-approved funds in exchange for Ukraine's interference in the 2020 election - This sounds reasonable at first blush.  But the truth is that there is a deeply-grounded understanding in western law that non-criminal acts can be impeachable.  And then a few days ago, the Government Accountability Office concluded that Trump's actions were criminal anyway.

Despite the fact that this is an open-and-shut case to anyone who hasn't drunk the Trump Kool-Aid, multiple key players in the Senate have committed to willful ignorance, including most shamefully Lindsey Graham, who was one of Trump's few GOP critics 4 years ago; and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

And McConnell isn't content to remain in ignorance all by himself.  McConnell and most (all?) other Republicans are so afraid of the truth that they don't want to hear witness testimony.  This clearly coordinates nicely with the Trump administration strategy of ignoring all House subpoenas.

The situation was already set up to be a laughable kangaroo court, before Lev Parnas went on the Rachel Maddow show on Wednesday, January 15 and directly implicated Trump in the criminal act.  He also implicated Mike Pence, Attorney General Bill Barr, and Republican congressman Devin Nunes.

In a sane world, Parnas would have been the first witness called by the Senate.  Actually, in a sane world, Mitch McConnell would already have traveled to the White House with Nancy Pelosi to explain to Trump that a vote for his removal is inevitable, and that he should resign immediately for the good of the country.

But of course, there is no honor among thieves, and there is no honor in the Republican party.  They still won't commit to hearing witness testimony, including alleged 'moderates' like Susan Collins of Maine.  Martha McSally of Arizona, who was actually defeated in her Senate race last fall, then appointed to John McCain's vacant seat, displayed Trumplike immaturity when, in response to a reporter's question about witnesses, called him a 'liberal hack' and slammed the door in his face. (Predictably, the Cult of Trump is applauding McSally's temper tantrum).

Obviously, Republicans are cowards who are afraid to cross Trump.  But the main reason they don't want to cross Trump is because they want to keep their seats in the Senate.  If appeals to common sense, the rule of law, or the Constitution were enough to make Republicans do the right thing, they would have done it by now.

So we need to use the only tool we have left: Make it clear to them that pledging allegiance to Trump instead of the country comes with a price.  Specifically, let them know that their cowardice will put money in their opponents' pockets.

Below, I have listed the 22 Republican senators up for re-election this year, and (where known) their Democratic opponents.  I'm urging everyone to donate what they can to these Democrats, and then let the Republicans know that the donations will keep coming unless they demand a #FairSenateTrial.

I have included contact information for the Republicans.  However, since most Senators filter out email from people who don't live in their state, I have also included their Twitter handles, so you can @ them directly.

State	Candidates	Notes
Alaska	Incumbent: (R) - Dan Sullivan @SenDanSullivan
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Arizona	Incumbent: (R) - Martha McSally @SenMcSallyAZ	McSally was appointed to John McCain's Senate seat last year after losing an election to Kyrsten Sinema 50.0% to 47.6%, and so faces an uphill battle
	Challenger: (D) - Mark Kelly Donate
Arkansas	Incumbent: (R) - Tom Cotton @SenTomCotton
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Colorado	Incumbent: (R) - Cory Gardner @SenCoryGardner	Hickenlooper is a very popular former governor, so Gardner is likely toast
	Challenger: (D) - John Hickenlooper Donate
Georgia	Incumbent: (R) - David Perdue @sendavidperdue
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Georgia	Incumbent: (R) - Kelly Loeffler @kloeffler	Loeffler was appointed to fill Johnny Isakson's seat, and has been in office less than a month. Georgia has been trending purple, so there's a decent chance of a Dem pickup here
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Idaho	Incumbent: (R) - Jim Risch @SenatorRisch
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Iowa	Incumbent: (R) - Joni Ernst @SenJoniErnst
	Challenger: (D) - Theresa Greenfield Donate
Kansas	Incumbent: (R) - Pat Roberts @SenPatRoberts	Roberts is retiring --- but still prefers Trump to the Constitution
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Kentucky	Incumbent: (R) - Mitch McConnell @senatemajldr
	Challenger: (D) - Amy McGrath Donate
Louisiana	Incumbent: (R) - Bill Cassidy @SenBillCassidy
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Maine	Incumbent: (R) - Susan Collins @SenatorCollins
	Challenger: (D) - Sara Gideon Donate
Mississippi	Incumbent: (R) - Cindy Hyde-Smith @SenHydeSmith	This is a rematch of a 2018 special election, where Hyde-Smith defeated Espy 53.6% - 46.4%
	Challenger: (D) - Mike Espy Donate
Montana	Incumbent: (R) - Steve Daines @SteveDaines
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Nebraska	Incumbent: (R) - Ben Sasse @BenSasse
	Challenger: (D) - ???
North Carolina	Incumbent: (R) - Thom Tillis @SenThomTillis	We don't know yet who will challenge Tillis, but ActBlue is taking donations and holding them until the Democratic nominee is determined
	Challenger: (D) - ??? Donate
Oklahoma	Incumbent: (R) - James Inhofe	Inhofe might be retiring --- but still prefers Trump to the Constitution
	Challenger: (D) - ???
South Carolina	Incumbent: (R) - Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC
	Challenger: (D) - Jaime Harrison Donate
South Dakota	Incumbent: (R) - Mike Rounds @SenatorRounds
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Tennessee	Incumbent: (R) - Lamar Alexander	Alexander is retiring --- but still prefers Trump to the Constitution
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Texas	Incumbent: (R) - John Cornyn @JohnCornyn
	Challenger: (D) - MJ Hegar Donate
West Virginia	Incumbent: (R) - Shelley Moore-Capito @SenCapito
	Challenger: (D) - ???
Wyoming	Incumbent: (R) - Michael Enzi @SenatorEnzi	Enzi is retiring --- but still prefers Trump to the Constitution
	Challenger: (D) - ???

I have made donations to all of the challengers listed here.  I urge you to do the same, and let all of these Republican Senators know that the contributions will continue unless they allow to hear witness testimony and conduct a #FairSenateTrial!

Don't Feed the Trolls

We've been through this before, but it seems like a good time for your periodic reminder:

It's about to get really deep out there.  So when wading through social media, remember a few things:

1. Just because someone says they support Bernie (Biden, Warren, Buttigieg, etc.), don't take them at their word.  Especially if they're a non-verified account you don't know.  They could easily be lying to make that candidate (or their supporters) look bad.
2. Aside from their standard dirty tricks (voter suppression, etc.), the primary weapon Trump and his team will use to try to win in 2020 is to divide the opposition.  It worked just well enough in 2016 to get him across the finish line; we CANNOT let them do it again.  So be skeptical of any accounts like this one claiming 'Candidate X is corrupt/dishonest/a drug dealer/whatever'.  And no matter what your personal feelings are about the Democratic candidates who aren't your favorite, NEVER reinforce the Trumpian narrative that they're somehow corrupt!
3. On July 16 next year, the Democrats will select their nominee, and no matter who you personally support, the odds are that it won't be your candidate.  So we all need to be prepared to put our differences aside and fight like hell for 4 months to get that nominee elected, no matter who it turns out to be.

It's bad enough that the Republican noise machine has their own supporters lapping up lies about Democrats.  Don't let them poison the Democratic nomination contest as well.

Buckle In, It's Going to be a Bumpy Ride

I now declare campaign 2020 officially kicked off.  And to start it off right, I'm providing my initial list of candidates to donate money to.

Without question, the two biggest targets for Democrats in 2020 need to be --- no, not Trump, believe it or not --- but the two most powerful Republicans in the Senate, Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham.

They have already made a farce out of the eventual impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate, promising a kangaroo court with a predetermined acquittal.  First, here's the current head (laughably) of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham:

I am trying to give a pretty clear signal I have made up my mind. I’m not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here.

If a potential juror in a criminal trial anywhere in America said this, he'd be dismissed.  Unfortunately, such brazen devotion to subverting justice to their Dear Leader is par for the course for Republicans these days.  For example, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell makes Graham sound downright ethical:

During an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, the Majority Leader said that "everything" he does "during this, I'm coordinating with the White House counsel. There will be no difference between the president's position and our position as to how to handle this, to the extent that we can."

And that's the bad news: the Republican party has given up any pretense that they care about the Constitution, checks and balances, or the rule of law.

The good news is: Both of these bastards are up for re-election in 2020, and they're vulnerable.  A recent poll showed Graham leading his likely Democratic opponent by just 2 points, with only 38% of voters 'definitely' or 'probably' planning to for him.  And while there is currently no independent polling data for McConnell's race, the Democrats just won the Governor's seat in Kentucky, a state Trump won by 30 points in 2016.

So I'm starting out the 2020 cycle by making generous donations to Graham's opponent, Jaime Harrison, and McConnell's opponent, Amy McGrath.  I urge your to do the same, and start setting money aside.  There will be lots of opportunities to influence close races in 2020.