Archives for 2020

Former President Barack Obama, talking privately to ex-members of his administration, said Friday that the “rule of law is at risk” in the wake of what he called an unprecedented move by the Justice Department to drop charges against former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, Yahoo News reports.

In the same chat, Obama also lashed out at the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as “an absolute chaotic disaster.”

He added: “That’s why, I, by the way, am going to be spending as much time as necessary and campaigning as hard as I can for Joe Biden.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats should hold their convention in a huge stadium, The Hill reports.

Said Pelosi: “So my suggestion to Mr. Perez was get a gigantic stadium and put people six feet apart. So maybe instead of having 80,000 people there, you would have 16,000 people there and just do it all in one day… have your platform and then nominate your vice president, nominate the president, have your speeches and everyone go home.”

“With unemployment at its worst rate since the Great Depression, and deaths from COVID-19 still rising in most of the country, President Trump argued Friday that Americans should not hold him responsible for the calamity on his watch,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“Less than six months before Election Day, Trump’s new campaign message — don’t blame him — is a risky bet that voters will credit his efforts to fight the pandemic and revive the moribund economy, and not hold him accountable for the administration’s much-criticized response and the 75,000 U.S. deaths so far, the most of any country.”

Washington Post: “Campaign officials, who declined to respond to Trump’s jibe Friday, have not yet signaled when Biden plans to leave his property.”

“Instead, the team is mapping a strategy that continues to emphasize virtual campaigning — effectively creating a contrast with Trump, who is eager to portray a sense that the country is returning to normal.”

“President Trump is thirsting to hold campaign rallies again. And among his campaign and White House advisers, a possible solution has been discussed that could allow for such MAGA gatherings even in the midst of a global pandemic: the mostly defunct, rural tradition of the drive-in movie theater,” the Daily Beast reports.

“Trump aides and operatives have spent weeks exploring alternatives to the standard Trump 2020 rally that could allow for social distancing while still allowing for a modest number of attendees. Much of the focus has been on sprawling outdoor venues, such as large fields. And one of the top ideas for this coronavirus-era workaround that is currently being floated would rely on repurposing drive-ins for a political gathering.”