Розділ: Політика
GOP Candidates Balance Pros, Cons of Running with Trump
President Donald Trump is hitting the road again. And while a campaign event with a president who draws TV cameras and raucous crowds can be gold for down-ballot candidates, these days its value can be debatable.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, facing a competitive North Carolina reelection contest, “is looking forward to campaigning” with Trump, Tillis’ spokesperson said. GOP Sen. Steve Daines tweeted, “Montana can’t wait to have you back, Mr. President!” after Trump promised to help him battle a strong Democratic challenger.
Yet a spokesperson said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in the reelection fight of her life, “was at work in Washington” recently as Trump visited her state to open a marine conservation area to commercial fishing. The Senate wasn’t in session that day.
And while GOP Senate candidate John James appeared with Trump in May in Michigan, where polls have trended against the president, James demurred when asked about his 2017 comment that he backs Trump “2,000%.” James said he supports Trump, adding, “I’m looking forward to running my own race, being my own man.”
Trump is the GOP’s unrivaled beast, commanding the unswerving fealty of nearly all its voters. While some Republican candidates yanked their support late in his 2016 campaign after a decade-old video showed him boasting about groping women, he’s since proved that crossing him can be politically fatal.
Yet Trump’s divisive law-and-order response to protests against police killings of African Americans, the untamed coronavirus pandemic and the worst economy in decades have wounded him. His job approval rating dipped to a dangerously low 39% in the latest Gallup poll.
That’s jeopardized his November reelection, endangered the GOP’s Senate control and made a Republican House takeover highly unlikely. It’s also left nervous Republicans debating whether congressional candidates in tight races should link hands with him or create distance.
For most, there’s little question that homage to Trump is smartest. Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, seeking reelection in states Trump will likely carry, have no incentive to rebel.
Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., is also not straying. “Bring it on,” Perdue spokesperson Casey Black said of any efforts to attack his closeness with Trump.
Distancing from Trump would be “a stupid strategy,” said GOP pollster Neil Newhouse. “If the base sees you’re turning your back on the president, they will cut you off.”
Others Republicans face tougher choices. Tillis, Collins, and Sens. Cory Gardner in Colorado and Martha McSally in Arizona are from states Trump could well lose.
Republican candidates are “hostages,” said Trump critic Tim Miller, an aide to past GOP presidential contenders including Jeb Bush. But he said Trump’s recent problems, like retweeting a false conspiracy theory about an elderly Buffalo, New York, protester shoved to the ground by police, offer an opening.
“I’m not asking them to become Twitter trolls,” Miller said. “But I don’t see why they don’t take opportunities to put a little distance between themselves and the president.”
Trump has pushed his Capitol Hill allies to keep rank-and-file Republicans in line and vowed to retaliate against defectors, said three White House and campaign officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss private conversations.
White House aides bridled when Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Trump ally, tweeted support for Gen. Mark Milley. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had publicly defied Trump, saying it had been a “mistake” to participate as the president was photographed holding a Bible outside a church after peaceful demonstrators were forcibly cleared away.
After GOP Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska criticized Trump’s tweet about the manhandled Buffalo demonstrator, he unleashed his wrath at them on Twitter. Neither is running for reelection this year.
Colorado’s Gardner and Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, both in tough races, were among Republicans who didn’t answer reporters’ questions about Trump’s tweet.
“Anyone who wants to win in November should be running with the president,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Erin Perrine.
As Trump continues prodding the country to a partial reopening from coronavirus restrictions, he’s announced live rallies in Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, Arizona and North Carolina.
The White House will watch whether candidates attend and look for other signs of discontent, such as coded distancing in ads saying they’ll stand up to both parties.
No one expects Republicans to break drastically with Trump because of the price they’d pay with the party faithful. But some may feel freer to strike contrasts with him once they clear primaries, which Trump voters dominate. More candidates could stray if polling shows his prospects are bleak as Election Day nears.
With swelling public sympathy for the Black Lives Matter movement, some Republicans have opposed Trump’s refusal to remove Confederate leaders’ names from military bases. And some are preparing legislation changing policing practices, despite uncertainty over his support, .
In the House, Democrats hope to use allegiance to Trump that GOP candidates touted in primaries against them in general elections. That’s likely in suburban districts in states like California, Pennsylvania and Texas, in which voters tend to be more moderate.
Underscoring how candidates tailor their messaging, Tillis ran ads before his North Carolina primary emphasized his endorsement by Trump. Now, his most recent spot emphasizes the battered economy as he tells the camera, “My job is fighting for your job.”
Arizona’s McSally has appeared with Trump often and shown no signs of distancing from him. Instead, she’s focused on accusing her Democratic challenger Mark Kelly, the former astronaut, of being soft on China, whom she blames for the pandemic.
It’s battleground state candidates like McSally whose tactics prompt debate about handling Trump.
He’s caused “heartburn” for Republicans, “but that doesn’t change his political control over the party,” said Scott Jennings, a GOP consultant.
Countered former Virginia Rep. Tom Davis, another Republican tactician, “Some of these senators have to be more than Trump’s twin brothers to win.”
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By Polityk | 06/15/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Activists Cite Tabulation Flaw in Georgia Mail-In Ballots
Faulty software or poorly calibrated vote-tabulation scanners used to count mailed-in ballots in this week’s chaotic Georgia primary may have prevented thousands of votes from being counted, election officials and voting integrity activists said.The issue was identified in at least four counties, DeKalb, Morgan, Clarke and Cherokee, according to officials who discovered them, including activists who have sued the state for alleged election mismanagement.“The fact that it is in multiple counties tells me that it’s probably systemic,” said Richard DeMillo, a Georgia Tech computer scientist who has testified for the plaintiffs, because identical scanners and software were used to count all absentee ballots across the state. DeMillo said the only way to know for sure is through audits.A top Georgia voting official, voting implementation manager Gabriel Sterling, said Friday that he had seen no evidence yet of the issue and found it difficult to believe the reports were “an active description of what is happening on the ground.”“These are activists who have an ax to grind,” he said.Nearly 1.1 million Georgians voted by mail for Tuesday’s primary, which had been delayed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic.In-person voting Tuesday was beset by cascading failures. Voters waited up to five hours to cast ballots at some polling places due to equipment problems, poll worker unfamiliarity with a new voting system and social distancing measures taken because of the virus. Many voters also showed up to vote in person because absentee ballots they requested never arrived by mail.People vote at voting booths in the Georgia’s primary election at Park Tavern on June 9, 2020, in Atlanta.The scanners and ballot-marking devices used in all 159 Georgia counties Tuesday are part of a voting equipment package the state purchased for $120 million from Dominion Voting Systems after a federal judge ordered it to scrap an outdated, untrustworthy system.In post-election reviews Wednesday, election panels in all four counties detected unregistered votes while examining ballot images flagged by the vote-tallying scanner’s software for anomalies.In Morgan County, Republican-dominated and just southeast of Atlanta, panelists discovered at least 20 votes on scanned ballot images that the program had not recorded, said Jeanne Dufort, a Democrat on the panel. She said it appeared the votes did not register because ovals that were supposed to be filled in were instead checked or marked with X’s.All three panelists agreed to add the unregistered votes to the electronic tally, said Dufort. But on Thursday, the county elections board voted 3-2 not to audit the rest of the roughly 3,000 absentee ballots. The other two panelists, both Republicans, did not return emails and phone calls seeking comment.“It is a head-in-the-sand approach,” Dufort complained.In Clarke County, vote review panelist Adam Shirley estimated at least 30 ballots out of about 300 flagged for anomalies had votes that “the system had not marked at all, that had not processed at all.”Shirley, a Democrat, recommended a review of all 15,000 absentee ballots.In an email Friday to fellow board members, county election board chair Jesse Evans said the problem should be addressed before results are certified.People wait in line to vote in the Georgia’s primary election at Park Tavern on June 9, 2020, in Atlanta.He quoted Shirley as saying “it’s not just possible but probable that a ballot whose voter had clearly but not completely marked their vote would not have its votes counted by the software” and that he was disturbed the software did not flag the uncounted votes.“We only noticed them by sheer luck as we were adjudicating other, flagged contests on ballots,” Shirley wrote to Evans.In Cherokee County, the problem was detected in less than 5 percent of the flagged ballots, said an elections official who spoke on condition they not be further identified, citing fear of political harassment. The official said the number of flagged ballots was in the hundreds.In DeKalb, County, review panel member Elizabeth Burns estimated finding between 20-50 uncounted votes on 530 flagged ballots and said her team had so far only reviewed half its 100,000 absentee ballots. Like Shirley, she said her team had stumbled upon the issue. She said she wondered if other counties were even aware of it.“Maybe not everyone has been as thorough as us and noticed this,” she said.“The detection of this major problem was only because of diligent citizen oversight. The officials charged with the duty to fully test the equipment recklessly failed to responsibly do so, or to audit it,” said Marilyn Marks, executive director of the Coalition for Good Governance, which is demanding in court that the state scrap the ballot-marking devices.Dominion spokeswoman Kay Stimson referred questions to the state but said in an email that her company’s systems “are designed to support robust post-election audits, and we support them as a recommended best practice for elections.”A Cobb County absentee ballot is seen May 5, 2020, in Kennesaw, Georgia.Sterling, the state official, said authorities are willing to consider audits if merited.Voting security expert Harri Hursti said inadequate preelection testing may be the cause of the issue. A fix could be as simple as adjusting the contrast settings in the image-capturing software. Or it could be a different coding issue.Amber McReynolds, CEO of the nonprofit Vote at Home that promotes voting by mail, said it may have been possible to avoid the unregistered vote issue by placing the software at the highest sensitivity for discerning markings. The Dominion election system used in Georgia is used in many states with tough standards like Colorado, she said.It was, however, denied certification by Texas, which cited “multiple hardware and software issues” identified by state-appointed examiners. They cited a complex installation process and one called the suite “fragile and error prone.”The system is proprietary, however, and Hursti said it has never been subjected to an independent security review.
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By Polityk | 06/14/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Ukraine Alleges $5M Bribe Over Burisma, No Biden Link
Ukrainian officials on Saturday said they were offered $5 million in bribes to end a probe into energy company Burisma’s founder, but said there was no connection to former board member Hunter Biden, whose father is running for the U.S. presidency.The Ukrainian company was thrust into the global spotlight last year in the impeachment inquiry into whether U.S. President Donald Trump improperly pressured Kyiv into opening a case against former Vice President Joe Biden, his rival in the November election race, and Biden’s son.Artem Sytnyk, head of Ukraine’s national anti-corruption bureau (NABU), said three people had been detained, including one current and former tax official, over the bribe offer.The money was the largest cash bribe ever seized in the country, NABU said. It was put on display during a press briefing, brought by masked men in see-through plastic bags.Founder now abroadBurisma said in a statement it had nothing to do with the matter. It did not respond to a request for comment from the company’s founder, Mykola Zlochevsky, a former ecology minister now living abroad.“Let’s put an end to this once and for all. Biden Jr. and Biden Sr. do not appear in this particular proceeding,” Nazar Kholodnytsky, head of anti-corruption investigations at the prosecution service, told Saturday’s briefing.The bribe related to a case of embezzling state money given to a bank, officials said. Some $5 million was offered to anti-corruption officials and a further $1 million was intended for an official acting as a middleman, Sytnyk said.The suspects were in a hurry to pay the bribe because they wanted to end the case against Zlochevsky in time for his birthday on Sunday, “to close the criminal proceedings and ensure the return of Mr. Zlochevsky to Ukraine,” he said.No evidence of Biden wrongdoing foundThe country’s former prosecutor general told Reuters in June that an audit he commissioned while in office of thousands of old case files had found no evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden while he worked for Burisma.Hunter Biden joined Burisma in 2014, one of several high-profile names to join what the private company said was an attempt to strengthen corporate governance.His role has been attacked as corrupt without evidence by Trump and congressional Republicans in Washington. The Bidens deny any wrongdoing, and Democrats said Trump was trying to help his re-election prospects.
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By Polityk | 06/14/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump to West Point Grads: ‘We Are Ending the Era of Endless Wars’
President Donald Trump, facing criticism in recent days for plans to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from Germany, told West Point’s graduating class on Saturday that their job will be to defend “America’s vital interests” and not fight “endless wars” in faraway lands.
Trump’s reported plans to withdraw 9,500 troops from Germany, one of America’s strongest allies, and relocate them to Poland and elsewhere has drawn the ire of German officials and raised concerns in the U.S. Congress about a retreat from the world stage.
At West Point, Trump Stresses Unity, Nation’s Core ValuesHis commencement speech at the US Military Academy emphasized unity at a time when the commander in chief’s relationship with military leaders has become strained and questions have arisen about the role of soldiers in a civil societyIn his commencement address to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Trump told more than 1,000 graduating cadets, arrayed in a social-distancing pattern, that the job of the American soldier is not to rebuild foreign nations but “defend, and defend strongly, our nation from foreign enemies.”“We are ending the era of endless wars,” Trump said. It is not the job of American forces “to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have not even heard of,” he said.
As president, Trump has pulled troops from Syria and pushed U.S. allies worldwide to pay more for the commitment of American forces to defend them.
In relatively rare criticism from his own party, 22 Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee wrote to Trump saying a troop cut in Germany would hurt national security and could encourage Russian Aggression.
Trump came to West Point at a time of tension with U.S. military leaders over whether the military should be used to quell nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by police on May 25.
U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley said on Thursday he should not have joined Trump as he walked from the White House to a nearby church for a photo opportunity after authorities cleared the way of protesters using tear gas and rubber bullets.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper also split with Trump over whether active duty troops should be deployed to gain control of cities convulsed by protests.
Trump has since expressed confidence in Esper and brushed off Milley’s comments.
In his remarks on Saturday, Trump only touched obliquely on the debate over racial injustice in the United States, saying the cadets were examples of America’s diversity.
“You have come from the farms and the cities, from states big and small, and from every race, religion, color, and creed. But when you entered these grounds, you became part of one team and one family, proudly serving one American nation,” he said.
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By Polityk | 06/14/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
At West Point, Trump Stresses Unity, Nation’s Core Values
President Donald Trump on Saturday highlighted the diversity of West Point’s graduating class and appealed for America’s newest officers to uphold the country’s core values, a speech emphasizing unity at a time when the commander in chief’s relationship with military leaders has become strained and questions have arisen about the role of soldiers in a civil society.Trump also told them that under his administration, American soldiers no longer will be responsible for rebuilding foreign nations.”It is not the duty of U.S. troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of,” he said. “We are not the policeman of the world, but let our enemies be on notice: If our people are threatened, we will never, ever hesitate to act. And when we fight, from now on, we will only fight to win.”Trump Threatens Wide Use of Military Force Against ProtestersDeclaring ‘acts of domestic terror’ have been committed by violent demonstrators, president vows to end ‘riots and lawlessness’ that has spread throughout countryTrump’s commencement speech came as arguments rage over his threat to use American troops on U.S. soil to quell protests stemming from the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.To an audience of more than 1,100, he said members of the Class of 2020 “come from the farms and the cities, from states big and small, and from every race, religion, color and creed. But when you entered these grounds, you became part of one team, one family, proudly serving one American nation.:The president said they “became brothers and sisters pledging allegiance to the same timeless principles, joined together in a common mission: to protect our country, to defend our people, and to carry on the traditions of freedom, equality and liberty that so many gave their lives to secure.” Tensions between the White House and the military have escalated since nationwide protests began over the death of Floyd, a black man who was pinned by the neck by a white police officer for several minutes despite saying he couldn’t breathe.Trump seemingly alluded to the protests, saying: “What has made America unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment. When times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring and eternal.”He said that from the U.S. Military Academy came “the men and women who fought and won a bloody war to extinguish the evil of slavery within one lifetime of our founding.”Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, the West Point superintendent and the first African American to hold the post, told the cadets that their “challenges ahead will require moral and physical courage.”In the past two weeks, Trump yelled at Defense Secretary Mark Esper for publicly opposing Trump’s call to use active-duty troops to crack down on the demonstrations. Trump then shut down Esper’s attempt to open a public debate on removing the names of Confederate Army officers from military bases.Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, further risked Trump’s ire Thursday by declaring it had been “a mistake” for him to accompany Trump on a June 1 walk through Lafayette Square. The trip ended with the president holding up a Bible and posing for the news media outside St. John’s Church, which was damaged by fire during the unrest.Milley’s comments amounted to an extraordinary expression of regret by Trump’s chief military adviser, who said his appearance led to the perception of the military becoming embroiled in politics, which in his view — one shared by Esper — is a threat to democracy.The events have stirred debate within the military and among retired officers. More than 500 West Point graduates from classes spanning six decades signed an open letter reminding the Class of 2020 of its commitment to avoid partisan politics.The letter, published this week on Medium, also alluded to the problems Esper and Milley encountered at the White House after Floyd’s death.Esper, who did not attend the graduation, told cadets in a video address that he expects them “to remain committed to our core values — loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. These principles will guide you in challenging times and in the face of new and emerging threats.”Trump’s appearance had been criticized as a political move that would put the graduates at risk in order to put Trump on a grand stage in a picturesque part of New York, the one remaining military service academy where he had yet to give a graduation address. Historic West Point is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) up the Hudson River from New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak. Army officials defended the move, saying the cadets would have had to brave the health risks of traveling back to campus anyway for their final medical checks, equipment and training. The cadets had been home since spring break in early March, just before the coronavirus was declared a pandemic and Trump announced a national emergency. They returned to campus in late May. A group called Veterans For Peace announced a protest outside West Point’s main gate Saturday against what it called “Trump’s dangerous narcissistic Photo-Op Stunt at the West Point Graduation.”The recently commissioned second lieutenants wore masks as they marched onto West Point’s parade field, instead of into Mitchie Stadium, the longtime commencement venue. They sat 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart, in keeping with federal guidelines to practice social distancing during the outbreak. They removed the masks when the ceremony began. Instead of shaking hands with the president, graduates stepped up on a platform before the main dais and saluted. Guests were not allowed; family and friends had to watch online.The graduating class immediately underwent coronavirus testing when they returned to campus in late May. More than 15 class members who tested positive were isolated for two weeks before they were allowed to rejoin their classmates.
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By Polityk | 06/13/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Latest Battles in US Culture War Take Aim at Southern History
Amid weeks of protests over systemic racism triggered by the death of a black man in the custody of a white police officer in Minneapolis, the U.S is facing a renewed culture war over symbols of the Confederacy – 11 states in the American South that wanted to preserve slavery in a Civil War that almost tore the country apart more than 150 years ago. A statue of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, in Richmond, Virginia, and a statue of the Confederacy’s most honored general, Robert E. Lee, in Montgomery, Alabama, have been removed along with dozens of other Confederate monuments. Others have been vandalized.NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, an organization that has celebrated its Southern roots since its inception 72 years ago, announced Wednesday it is banning the Confederate flag at its events and properties, declaring it “runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment.” FILE – The car for driver Bubba Wallace has a Black Lives Matter logo as it is prepared for a NASCAR Cup Series auto race in Martinsville, Va., June 10, 2020.In another area of American culture, citing “ethnic and racial prejudices,” streaming service HBO Max has removed “Gone With the Wind,” a 1939 Oscar-winning film for “racist depictions” that “were wrong then and are wrong today” of the antebellum South and slavery, the service said in a statement.Now 10 military bases that bear the names of Confederate Army officers, including Fort Bragg, Fort Hood and Fort Lee are front and center. Earlier this week, a Pentagon official said that Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy were “open to a bipartisan discussion” of removing Confederate names from the bases. This came as the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps announced each would ban the Confederate flag from installations. On Wednesday, the Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to the annual defense policy bill backed by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts that would require the Pentagon to scrap Confederate names and symbols from all military assets.“This is the right time for it. And I think it sends the right message,” Mike Rounds, Republican senator from South Dakota, said.President Donald Trump has threatened a veto, tweeting that his administration will not even consider the renaming of “these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.”It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) The “Appomatox” statue at the corner of South Washington Street and Prince Street in Alexandria, Virginia, honored the city’s Confederate war dead. It was removed on June 2, 2020. (Photo: Diaa Bekheet)“There’s just something very visceral about having to look at the glorification of the people and the symbols that really wanted to have you, your people, people who look like you, held in chattel slavery,” said Steve Phillips, founder of A street sign of Black Lives Matter Plaza is seen near St. John’s Episcopal Church, as the protests against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd continue, in Washington, U.S., June 5, 2020.Despite this changing political landscape, critics say Trump is responding to events in the past few weeks, since Floyd’s death, by stoking racial division to motivate his base. Trump sees race as a wedge issue that can be used to his advantage for reelection, Brandon Byrd, assistant professor of African American History at Vanderbilt University, said.Byrd said the president has revived the so-called Southern Strategy, a Republican electoral plan to increase political support among white voters in the South with racially coded appeals targeting blacks, other minorities and immigrants.While the results of the November election remain to be seen, Byrd said, “the groundswell of dissent” may mean Trump does not have the political advantage he thinks he does.Still a president who takes sides in a culture war will likely deepen polarization among voters. While politics is about compromise and finding middle ground, culture is ultimately about the things that are sacred and we don’t want to compromise. “Because culture is driving our politics, these ideological divisions, our political polarization is going to be with us for quite some time,” Hunter, of the University of Virginia, said.
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By Polityk | 06/13/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Biden’s VP List Narrows: Warren, Harris, Susan Rice, Others
Joe Biden’s search for a running mate is entering a second round of vetting for a dwindling list of potential vice presidential nominees, with several black women in strong contention.Democrats with knowledge of the process said Biden’s search committee has narrowed the choices to as few as six serious contenders after initial interviews. Among the group still in contention: Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California, as well as Susan Rice, who served as President Barack Obama’s national security adviser.Those with knowledge declined to name other contenders and said the process remains somewhat fluid. Additional candidates may still be asked to submit to the extensive document review process now underway for some top contenders. Those familiar with Biden’s search spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the process.The campaign dismissed the idea of a shortened list as early speculation. “Those who talk don’t know and those who know don’t talk,” said Andrew Bates, a Biden spokesperson.Calls for a woman of colorBiden, who has already said he will pick a woman as his running mate, is facing increased calls from Democrats to put a woman of color on the ticket — both because of the outsize role that black voters played in Biden’s road to the nomination and because of the reckoning over racism and inequality roiling the nation following the death of George Floyd. The black Minneapolis man died after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck for several minutes, an episode that was captured on video.Terry McAuliffe, the former Virginia governor and former Democratic National Committee chairman, said that while Biden’s choice was likely to be “all about personal chemistry,” it would be “exciting for the party” to have a black woman on a major party presidential ticket for the first time.The campaign’s list includes several black women, including Harris and Rice. Advisers have also looked closely at Florida Rep. Val Demings and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, both of whom are black, and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Latina.Biden’s vetting committee had conversations with a larger group of women earlier this spring; those continuing on in the process have been asked to turn over financial records, past writings and other documentation. Biden has had various public and private interactions with many of the women his vetting committee has considered thus far but has not yet had any formal one-on-one interviews expressly to discuss the No. 2 spot on the ticket. Those aren’t expected for several weeks.Rice, who worked closely with Biden during his time as vice president, has emerged as a favorite among some former Obama administration officials and is personally close to the former president. She has never held elected office but has extensive foreign policy experience, including as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She’s also been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration since leaving the White House and considered running for U.S. Senate in Maine.Rice has long been a target of Republicans, including for statements she made after the deadly 2012 attacks on Americans in Benghazi, Libya. Republicans have also accused her of spying on Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser, though records declassified by the Trump administration show no evidence of Rice improperly accessing any information.A surprising bondHarris and Warren have been seen as top contenders for the No. 2 spot since ending their own presidential campaigns.Warren and Biden have forged a surprising bond in recent months and talk regularly about the progressive policy ideas the Massachusetts senator put at the forefront of her campaign. Biden already has adopted her proposed bankruptcy law overhaul. And now, with the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic slowdown elevating the nuts-and-bolts of governing, some Democrats see Warren’s policy credentials as an asset to the ticket.A Biden-Warren pairing would mean both Democrats on the ticket are white and in their 70s. Biden is 77, and Warren is 70.Harris is the lone black contender who has won statewide office, notable experience given Biden’s emphasis on wanting a partner “ready to be president.” She and Biden have also demonstrated a comfortable manner with each other in online fundraisers. Harris is an expert voice in discussions of criminal justice, but some black progressives view her background as a prosecutor skeptically.One contender whose standing does appear to have fallen is Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who was a prosecutor years ago in the county that includes Minneapolis. During that period, more than two dozen people — mostly minorities — died during encounters with police.While the people with knowledge of Biden’s vetting process did not rule Klobuchar out, she is widely viewed among Democrats with close ties to the Biden campaign as less likely to be tapped given recent events.
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By Polityk | 06/13/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Changes Juneteenth Rally Date
U.S. President Donald Trump has changed the controversial date of his first political rally since large portions of the country were locked down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.In a late night tweet Friday, the president said the Tulsa, Oklahoma, event will instead be held on June 20 instead on June 19.June 19, also known as Juneteenth, is the date in 1865 when slaves in Texas were informed they were free, nearly 2½ years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. It is celebrated around the country as the end of slavery in the U.S.“Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out… of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests,” Trump posted on Twitter.The president has been widely criticized for both the date and the location of the rally because they are significant in the history of brutal racism that African American have faced in the United States.This month’s rally takes place as protests around the country are decrying systemic racism in the U.S.Black Wall StreetIn 1921, there was a vicious attack by whites in Tulsa on what had become known as Black Wall Street, an affluent African American section of the city. Historians now say at least 300 people were killed. For years, the official death toll hovered around 30.Sherry Gamble Smith, the president of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce, had said Trump coming to Tulsa on June 19 was a “a slap in the face.” She suggested that he should come the following day.Sen. Kamala Harris of California, a former Democratic candidate to oppose Trump in November’s election, had posted on Twitter that the June 19 rally in Tulsa was not “just a wink to white supremacists – he’s throwing them a welcome home party.”’Very near and dear’White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Thursday that the African American community is “very near and dear” to the president’s “heart.”Black leaders say Trump has not championed the rights of African Americans. While many people are now calling for the names of military bases named after Confederate military leaders to be changed, Trump has not given the move any consideration.Trump was the rallying force behind the birther movement during former President Barack Obama’s administration, saying that the country’s first African American president was not born in the United States.In the 1980s, Trump called for reinstatement of the death penalty for five teenage black boys who were falsely accused of raping a Central Park jogger.The rally will be held at Tulsa’s BOK Center, which seats nearly 20,000 people. Meghan Blood, the site’s marketing director, told the Associated Press Thursday that she had not been informed of any social distancing plans or any other coronavirus precautions.A disclaimer has been issued on the ticket registration website for the president’s gathering absolving the Trump’s campaign of any liability for any exposure to COVID-19 and any illness.The president’s own public health officials have warned against large gatherings as COVID-19 deaths continue to climb and have urged people to at least wear masks in public, something Trump has refused to do.
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By Polityk | 06/13/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Black Lives Matter Protests Push Congress to Act on Police Reform
U.S. lawmakers this week remembered the life of George Floyd, the black man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. Continuing nationwide protests over Floyd’s death have kept the pressure on the U.S. Congress to address racial discrimination in American policing. VOA Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on the possibilities of Democrats and Republicans finding common ground on this controversial issue.
Produced by: Katherine Gypson
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By Polityk | 06/12/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Black Lives Matter Protests Push Congress to Police Reform Action
U.S. lawmakers this week remembered the life of George Floyd, the black man who died while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. Continuing nationwide protests over Floyd’s death have kept the pressure on the U.S. Congress to address racial discrimination in American policing. VOA Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on the possibilities of Democrats and Republicans finding common ground on this controversial issue.
Produced by: Katherine Gypson
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By Polityk | 06/12/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump to Give Acceptance Speech in Florida
U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver his nomination speech in Jacksonville, Florida, in August, the Republican National Committee announced Thursday.The Republican National Convention had been scheduled for Charlotte, North Carolina, but the national committee said Thursday that some convention activities, including Trump’s acceptance speech, will be moved to Florida.Trump has said that he wants his speech delivered in a fully attended arena, without social distancing and without people wearing masks, measures widely used around the world to stop the spread of the coronavirus.Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement Thursday that the Republicans “are thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion in the great city of Jacksonville.” She added that Florida “is crucial in the path to victory in 2020” and the Republicans are looking forward “to bringing this great celebration and economic boon to the Sunshine State.”The office of North Carolina Gov. Ray Cooper, who is a Democrat, had tried to work out a plan with the Republicans that included coronavirus considerations in staging the convention.Some events will remain in North Carolina, however, because of contractual agreements.The U.S. has more than 2 million COVID-19 cases, and more than 113,000 people have died from the disease.
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By Polityk | 06/12/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Calls for Unity to Confront Bigotry, Prejudice
After weeks of civil unrest in America, President Donald Trump is promising that his administration will aggressively pursue economic development in minority communities and confront health care disparities in those areas. The White House, without releasing details, said this is part of a four-point plan “to build safety, opportunity and dignity.” Speaking Thursday at an event on race and policing in a church in Dallas, Texas, the president said that as part of the plan he will sign an executive order calling for police to meet the most current professional standards for the use of force. “We have to work together to confront bigotry and prejudice wherever they appear,” Trump said. “But we’ll make no progress and heal no wounds by falsely labeling tens of millions of decent Americans as racist.” People walk past barricades on a street near Cal Anderson Park, inside what is being called the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” in Seattle, June 11, 2020.Trump also rejected criticism of his earlier remarks about the need for law enforcement to dominate the streets amid the unrest. “I’ll stick with that,” he said. Trump is taking note of this week’s sustained protests on the streets of Seattle in the state of Washington. Earlier in the day, he demanded the city’s mayor and the state’s governor immediately take back the city “from ugly anarchists” or “if you don’t do it, I will.” Radical Left Governor @JayInslee and the Mayor of Seattle are being taunted and played at a level that our great Country has never seen before. Take back your city NOW. If you don’t do it, I will. This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stopped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Protesters hold placards near Gateway Church Dallas Campus as U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a roundtable with faith leaders and small business owners in Dallas, Texas, June 11, 2020.The expected main opponent of Trump in the general election, former Vice President Joe Biden, criticized the president’s trip to Dallas. “For weeks we’ve seen President Trump run away from a meaningful conversation on systemic racism and police brutality,” the Democratic Party presumptive nominee said in a statement. “Instead, he’s further divided our country. Today’s trip to Texas won’t change any of that. President Trump is more interested in photo-ops than offering a healing voice as our nation mourns.” In the Dallas church, Trump sat on a stage at a long semicircular table behind a presidential seal and against a backdrop dotted with American flags and printed with the words “Transition to Greatness.” US economyThe president is predicting a huge economy recovery following disastrous months of business shutdowns and job losses because of the coronavirus pandemic. Just before Trump made his remarks in Dallas, U.S. stocks suffered huge drops with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing down nearly 7%. Investors, according to market watchers, were spooked by increases in coronavirus cases in states that have loosened social distancing restrictions, as well as a warning from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that the economy faces “a long road to recovery.” Earlier in the day, Trump rejected Powell’s pessimistic forecast. “The Federal Reserve is wrong so often. I see the numbers also and do MUCH better than they do. We will have a very good Third Quarter, a great Fourth Quarter, and one of our best ever years in 2021. We will also soon have a Vaccine & Therapeutics/Cure. That’s my opinion. WATCH!” Trump said on Twitter. The Federal Reserve is wrong so often. I see the numbers also, and do MUCH better than they do. We will have a very good Third Quarter, a great Fourth Quarter, and one of our best ever years in 2021. We will also soon have a Vaccine & Therapeutics/Cure. That’s my opinion. WATCH!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2020
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By Polityk | 06/12/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump to Accept Republican Nomination in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida, has been selected to host the celebration marking President Donald Trump’s acceptance of his party’s nomination for reelection, the Republican National Committee chairwoman said Thursday. Ronna McDaniel made the announcement a day after saying that Jacksonville was a front-runner to hold the event. The governor of North Carolina, the official host of this summer’s Republican National Convention, had balked at promising Trump a full-blown convention in Charlotte free from social distancing measures during the coronavirus pandemic. “We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion in the great city of Jacksonville,” McDaniel said. “Not only does Florida hold a special place in President Trump’s heart as his home state, but it is crucial in the path to victory in 2020. We look forward to bringing this great celebration and economic boon to the Sunshine State in just a few short months.” McDaniel said the event would be held at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, which holds 15,000 people. She said more details would be released in the coming weeks. The party’s more mundane business, including discussions over the platform, will still be held in Charlotte because of contractual obligations. The RNC had spent the last week scouting locations after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper rejected Trump’s demand that the convention be allowed to take place Aug. 24-27 without social distancing measures. The Jacksonville area, home to a major military base, has a population of about 1.5 million. Mayor Len Curry is a former chairperson of the state Republican Party, and the area is the home base of GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, a key Trump ally. “Florida is honored to host this special event where we will celebrate the re-nomination of President Donald J. Trump,” DeSantis said in a statement Thursday. “Jacksonville is a great city that will showcase Florida’s energy, facilities, entrepreneurship and commitment to bring together the delegates of the Republican Party at a historic time in our nation’s history.” Curry called the announcement “a huge win” for Jacksonville. “The opportunity to highlight all our city has to offer and the tremendous economic impact is one I enthusiastically welcome, and we look forward to hosting an exciting event for all delegates and guests to enjoy,” Curry said in a statement provided by the RNC. Florida’s prize of 29 electoral votes is considered crucial to Trump’s bid for a second term. That celebration could generate at least $100 million in revenues for the host city, perhaps more. But Ben Frazier, a black activist with the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville, said the event would be disruptive to the city during a time of racial tension and a pandemic. “I only see this exacerbating these problems,” he said. “The mayor’s concerned about the money the city could make. We’re concerned about the lives of people here in Jacksonville more than anything else. We don’t simply need to be concerned about dollars and cents.”
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By Polityk | 06/12/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Sanctions ICC Officials Probing Alleged US Wrongdoing in Afghanistan
U.S. President Donald Trump imposed new travel and property sanctions Thursday on International Criminal Court officials, attempting to penalize them for investigating alleged wrongdoing by U.S. military personnel and intelligence operatives fighting against terrorism in Afghanistan over the past 18 years.
Trump declared a national emergency, calling the ICC investigation at The Hague “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”
Trump’s order blocks an untold number of unnamed ICC officials from entering the U.S., and it keeps them from carrying out financial and property transactions in the U.S.
Trump and his top aides all emphasized the U.S. is not a party to the Treaty of Rome that created the ICC and would not allow the international body to investigate and prosecute American military and intelligence personnel.
Attorney General William Barr told a news conference at the State Department that the U.S. is “also concerned that foreign powers like Russia are manipulating” the ICC investigation into alleged U.S. wrongdoing to hurt American standing in the world.
The ICC began its probe into alleged U.S. war crimes and crimes against humanity in 2017 and said last year it had received about 700 complaints from alleged victims. FILE- In this November 7, 2019, image the International Criminal Court, or ICC, is seen in The Hague, Netherlands.
Trump, in his order, said the ICC had made “illegitimate assertions of jurisdiction over personnel of the United States and certain of its allies,” which he said “threatens to subject current and former United States Government and allied officials to harassment, abuse, and possible arrest.”
He said the U.S. “remains committed to accountability and to the peaceful cultivation of international order,” but that the ICC “must respect the decisions of the United States and other countries not to subject their personnel to the ICC’s jurisdiction, consistent with their respective sovereign prerogatives.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the news conference, “We stand for our government. We stand for our citizens.”
He posed a possible scenario resulting from the ICC investigation.
“Imagine an American soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or an intelligence officer’s on leave with his or her family, maybe on a beach in Europe,” Pompeo said. “And over the course of two decades or more, this soldier honorably defended America in Bahar province and Kandahar taking down terrorists. Then suddenly that vacation turns into a nightmare. The European country’s national police takes that soldier into custody, detaining him or her on politically motivated charges.
“A prison sentence abroad is a distinct possibility, a spouse behind bars for defending freedom, a son or daughter robbed of their mom or dad. All on the initiative of some prosecutor in the Netherlands,” the top U.S. diplomat suggested.
“Making sure this doesn’t happen is the essence of America First foreign policy. Sadly, this isn’t a hypothetical. This nightmare could become reality if the International Criminal Court follows through with its ideological crusade against American service members,” Pompeo said.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper called the ICC probe an “illegitimate investigation” and said the U.S. has never shied from investigating alleged wrongdoing by its military and intelligence personnel. He said 800,000 U.S. personnel had served in the fight against terrorism over the past 19 years, with 2,000 Americans losing their lives.
National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien called the ICC “ineffective and unaccountable. We know there is corruption at the highest levels of the ICC. We will never allow our American soldiers to be subject to it.”
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By Polityk | 06/12/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Scott’s Challenge: Uniting Senate GOP Behind Police Overhaul
The GOP is looking for an answer on how to respond to national outrage over the police killing of George Floyd. And they are looking to Sen. Tim Scott to provide it.
The question is whether Scott, the lone black GOP senator, will be able to pull Republicans behind legislation in the roiling aftermath of Floyd’s death. That challenge is steep enough in a mostly white party led by self-proclaimed “law and order” President Donald Trump. But Scott also is batting back at members of the black community accusing him of allowing Republicans to use him in an election year to right racial wrongs.
Scott, who has kept lines of communication open with Trump even after the president called white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, “good people,” is asking critics: Who better?
“Not surprising the last 24 hours have seen a lot of ‘token’ ‘boy’ or ‘you’re being used’ in my mentions,” Scott tweeted Wednesday. “Let me get this straight … you DON’T want the person who has faced racial profiling by police, been pulled over dozens of times, or been speaking out for YEARS drafting this?”
Not surprising the last 24 hours have seen a lot of “token” “boy” or “you’re being used” in my mentions. Let me get this straight…you DON’T want the person who has faced racial profiling by police, been pulled over dozens of times, or been speaking out for YEARS drafting this?
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) June 10, 2020Floyd’s killing at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked painful upheaval and protests against systemic racism in the United States. But it also posed a stark test for the white Republicans who control the Senate. As Floyd’s funeral was held in Houston on Tuesday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell struck a new tone and acknowledged that almost all Senate Republicans, unlike Democrats, are white.
“None of us have had the experience of being an African American in this country and dealing with this discrimination,” McConnell, who is up for reelection alongside Trump, told reporters. “I think the best way for the Senate Republicans to go forward on this is to listen to one of our own, who’s had these experiences.”
McConnell spoke after Scott finished briefing Senate Republicans on the legislation, which in part would establish a national database for police misconduct. Floyd’s brother, Philonise, challenged Congress on Wednesday to “stop the pain” with police reforms. Scott said he was talking with the White House, but not Trump so far, to agree on a package of legislation.
The 54-year-old former House member describes himself as “the son of a son of a son of a slave,” a descendant of a West African family who arrived in the U.S. aboard a slave ship, probably in Charleston, South Carolina, two centuries ago.
“For all of my life and for all of my family’s heritage, we had tried to avoid being confrontational,” Scott writes in “Opportunity Knocks: How Hard Work, Community and Business Can Improve Lives and End Poverty.” “Always, we believed, the primary aim should be to find common ground in order to move forward.”
In September 2017, Trump summoned the senator to the Oval Office to discuss Scott’s criticism of the president’s response to the race riots in Charlottesville, Virginia — notably, Trump’s description of the white supremacists involved as being among the “very fine people on both sides.” Scott writes that the president was gracious — and that he walked out with the president’s commitment to opportunity zones for poverty-stricken cities. The proposal passed as part of the tax cut bill signed into law that year.
The police killings of Floyd, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, and others have made problems with police conduct and accountability hard for Republicans to ignore. Scott’s legislation is part of a burst of GOP-written bills on the subject. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky wants to stop sending surplus U.S. military equipment to local law enforcement. And Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah is backing several bipartisan bills to change police practices.
But the challenge is different for Scott, in part because of the trust issues between the black community, the Republican Party and McConnell. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said in a telephone interview that Scott will have succeeded if he “produces a good product.”
“I think that Tim has the background, he has the experiences that are necessary to bring Republican senators to the realization that this law enforcement issue is real and needs to be dealt with,” Clyburn said in a telephone interview. “I would hope that he would engage with enough of the other members to make sure that whatever he comes up with will have buy-in from others in his conference.”
There are signs that they’re listening. GOP senators, who risk losing control of the chamber in the November election, are distancing themselves from Trump’s provocative response as the Black Lives Matter movement gains support.
On Tuesday, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Scott had told their Bible study group that he’d been stopped by police in Charleston multiple times, even as a public official, for being black at the wrong place and the wrong time.
“During these last few days I’ve been thinking a lot about what Tim Scott told us,” Alexander said on the Senate floor. “One result of George Floyd’s killing is that black Americans are telling more stories like Tim Scott’s.”
At the political intersection, Scott on Wednesday addressed his critics in the black community who chafed at his role.
“Don’t throw ‘you’re the only black guy they know’ at me either,” Scott tweeted. He’s one of three black members of the Senate, he noted, the others being Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California. “Stop pretending there’s some huge racial diversity gap in the Senate.”
It is true, though, that the GOP’s constituency and Trump’s base of support are overwhelmingly white. And though Trump insists he’s done more for black Americans than any other president, his rhetoric often carries racial overtones. Last year, Trump tweeted that four female House members of color, known as the “squad,” should “go back” to where they came from. All four are American citizens.
Scott on Wednesday called himself an optimist.
“History is a teacher,” he said. “The president has been receptive the last three years on the priorities that I’ve brought to him,” he added. “Hopefully he’ll have the same approach.”
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By Polityk | 06/11/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Milley Says he was Wrong to Accompany Trump on Church Walk
Army Gen. Mark Milley, the nation’s top military officer, said Thursday he was wrong to accompany President Donald Trump on a walk through Lafayette Square that ended in a photo op at a church. He said his presence “created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.””I should not have been there,” the Joint Chiefs chairman said in remarks to a National Defense University commencement ceremony.Trump’s June 1 walk through the park to pose with a Bible at a church came after authorities used pepper spray and flash bangs to clear the park and streets of largely peaceful protesters demonstrating in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minnesota in police custody.Milley said his presence and the photographs compromised his commitment to a military divorced from politics.”My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics,” Milley said. “As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it.”His statement risked the wrath of a president sensitive to anything hinting of criticism of events he has staged. It comes as Pentagon leaders’ relations with the White House are still tense after a disagreement last week over Trump’s threat to use federal troops to quell civil unrest triggered by Floyd’s death. After protesters were cleared from the Lafayette Square area, Trump led an entourage that included Milley and Defense Secretary Mark Esper to St. John’s Episcopal Church, where he held up a Bible for photographers and then returned to the White House.Esper had not said publicly that he erred by being with Trump at that moment. He told a news conference last week that when they left the White House he thought they were going to inspect damage in the Square and at the church and to mingle with National Guard troops in the area.Milley’s comments at the National Defense University were his first public statements about the Lafayette Square event on June 1, which the White House has hailed as a “leadership moment” for Trump akin to Winston Churchill inspecting damage from German bombs in London during World War II.The public uproar following Floyd’s death has created multiple layers of extraordinary tension between Trump and senior Pentagon officials. When Esper told reporters on June 3 that he had opposed Trump bringing active-duty troops on the streets of the nation’s capital to confront protesters and potential looters, Trump castigated him in a face-to-face meeting.Just this week, Esper and Milley let it be known through their spokesmen that they were open to a “bipartisan discussion” of whether the 10 Army bases named for Confederate Army officers should be renamed as a gesture aiming to disassociating the military from the racist legacy of the Civil War. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted that he would never allow the names to be changed, catching some in the Pentagon by surprise.The Marine Corps last week moved ahead with a ban on public displays of the Confederate Army battle flag on its bases, and the Navy this week said plans a similar ban applied to its bases, ships and planes. Trump has not commented publicly on those moves, which do not require White House or congressional approval.Milley used his commencement address, which was prerecorded and presented as a video message in line with social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, to raise the matter of his presence with Trump in Lafayette Square. He introduced the subject to his audience of military officers and civilian officials in the context of advice from an Army officer and combat veteran who has spent 40 years in uniform.He said all senior military leaders must be aware that their words and actions will be closely watched.”And I am not immune,” he said, noting the photograph of him at Lafayette Square. “That sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society.” He expressed regret at having been there and said the lesson to be taken from that moment is that all in uniform are not just soldiers but also citizens.”We must hold dear the principle of an apolitical military that is so deeply rooted in the very essence of our republic,” he said. “It takes time and work and effort, but it may be the most important thing each and every one of us does every single day.”Milley also expressed his outrage at the Floyd killing and urged military officers to recognize as a reflection of centuries of injustice toward African Americans.”What we are seeing is the long shadow of our original sin in Jamestown 401 years ago,” he said, referring to the year in which the first enslaved Africans arrived on the shores of colonial Virginia.Milley said the military has made important progress on race issues but has much yet to do, including creating the conditions for a larger proportion of African American officers to rise to the military’s senior ranks. He noted that his service, the Army, has just one African American four-star general, and mentioned that the Air Force is about to swear in the first-ever African American service chief.
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By Polityk | 06/11/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
North Korea Issues Veiled Threat on US Election
North Korea is urging the United States to “keep its mouth shut” about worsening inter-Korean relations, saying such silence will be beneficial if the U.S. wants to hold a successful presidential election in November. The statement published Thursday in the state-run Korean Central News Agency was issued by a relatively low-level official in North Korea’s foreign ministry. But the comment is still notable, since it appears to be a threat to influence or interfere in the U.S. vote. North Korea has been unilaterally ramping up tensions with South Korea. This week, it said it will cut off all lines of official communication with the South. The U.S. State Department said it was “disappointed” in Pyongyang’s decision. For North Korea, that comment amounted to interference in its internal affairs, according to Kwon Jong Gun, who heads the North Korean foreign ministry’s North America department. “It would be good to keep your mouth shut,” Kwon added. “This will not only be in the United States’ interest, it will also be beneficial for a successful presidential election right in front of your nose.” Before now, North Korea has not explicitly threatened to interfere in the U.S. election, set for November 3. But Pyongyang has signaled bigger provocations are ahead. In January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the world would soon witness a “new strategic weapon.” But since then, the North has only continued to periodically test less provocative, short-range weapons. Trump, who has portrayed his outreach to Kim as a major foreign policy victory, has at times directly linked North Korea with his 2020 re-election chances, despite little if any evidence suggesting it will be a major issue for U.S. voters. “(Kim) knows I have an election coming up. I don’t think he wants to interfere with that, but we’ll have to see,” Trump said in early December. Empty threat? It’s not clear how seriously North Korea’s latest comments should be taken. The North Korean foreign ministry is not seen as influential in the country’s decision-making process. And, it has a history of issuing threats that were not carried out.FILE – In this undated file photo provided by the North Korean government on April 12, 2020, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects an air defense unit in western area, North Korea.In December, North Korea’s vice foreign minister, Ri Thae Song, threatened an ominous “Christmas gift” if the U.S. didn’t make greater concessions in stalled nuclear talks. The U.S. did not give any ground, and the North didn’t engage in any major provocations. Inter-Korean tension North Korea’s latest threat to the U.S. comes as it also generates a diplomatic crisis with South Korea. This week, North Korea announced it would halt all communications channels with the South, which it referred to as its “enemy.” As an apparent pretext for its decision, North Korea cited recent activities by South Korean activists who occasionally float anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North. Kim Yo Jong, the increasingly powerful sister of Kim Jong Un, called the activists, many of whom are North Korean defectors, “human scum.” North Korean state media have shown pictures of anti-defector rallies in North Korea. It isn’t clear why North Korea chose this moment to express outrage about the launches, which have occurred for years. Nonetheless, the move to cut off inter-Korean communication lines was a blow to the South Korean government, which desperately wants to improve ties with the North. South Korea has aggressively but unsuccessfully attempted to placate North Korea’s concern about the leaflets. The South Korean government has said it will legislate a ban on the launches. Local police have blocked groups from conducting launches on at least two occasions this month. On Wednesday, the Unification Ministry announced it will file a legal complaint against two groups that distribute the leaflets. Rights groups and conservative activists have accused South Korean President Moon Jae-in of sacrificing democratic ideals, and letting North Korea dictate South Korean policy, in order to improve ties with the North. Moon, who has two years left of a five-year presidential term, is making a final push to improve inter-Korean relations. But it is not clear how far he can go, since most inter-Korean projects are barred by international sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear program. U.S.-North Korea nuclear talks have been stalled since February of last year, when Trump and Kim failed to reach an agreement at a summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.
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By Polityk | 06/11/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Considering Actions to Address Issues Raised by Protesters
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet with faith leaders, law enforcement officers and small business owners Thursday in Dallas, Texas, as he considers potential responses to nationwide protests that followed the death in police custody of African American man George Floyd.The White House said the roundtable discussion would cover “solutions to historic economic, health and justice disparities in American communities.”White House spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Wednesday that both legislative proposals and executive orders are under consideration, and that the administration is looking to deliver them “in the coming days.”One proposal Trump does not support is altering the so-called qualified immunity doctrine that helps shield law enforcement officers from civil lawsuits.“That’s a nonstarter in the Democratic legislation,” McEnany said.Leaders in the majority-Democrat House of Representatives have introduced legislation seeking overhauls in the country’s policing laws, aiming to broaden police accountability, track officers through a national police misconduct registry and end the practice of transferring military equipment to police departments across the nation.The Republican-led Senate is working on its own package, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold a hearing on the issue next week.Protesters block a street outside the police station June 10, 2020, in Florissant, Mo. Several hundred protesters were calling attention to a video that appears to show a Florissant police detective hitting a man with his police car.The House Judiciary Committee held its own hearing Wednesday, at which Floyd’s brother, Philonise, urged lawmakers to approve legislation restricting the use of force by police.City and state leaders have already instituted their own changes, including banning the use of chokeholds, pledging to shift funding from police departments to community programs, and setting up commissions to review complaints of police misconduct.Crowds marched Wednesday in Boston, Oakland and elsewhere to voice their demands for defunding city police departments and reallocating the money for other programs.Protesters assembled peacefully Wednesday in Seattle, the northwestern city where there had been repeated clashes between demonstrators and police in the earlier days of the protests.Trump called the Seattle protesters “domestic terrorists” in a late Wednesday tweet repeating his often-used phrase “LAW & ORDER!” and threatened federal action as he criticized city and state leaders.“Take back your city NOW. If you don’t do it, I will. This is not a game,” Trump said.Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan responded to the president with her own tweet: “Make us all safe. Go back to your bunker. #BlackLivesMatter”More changes also came Wednesday in the city of Buffalo, New York, where Mayor Byron Brown announced he is introducing a Public Protection Unit to replace the police Emergency Response Team.Members of the ERT were suspended after being seen on video shoving a 75-year-old protester who had to be hospitalized. Buffalo will also stop arresting people for minor, non-violent offenses such as marijuana possession and make it easier for members of the public to see the video taken by body cameras worn by officers.“We will shift policing in Buffalo away from enforcement and to a restorative model that promotes stronger community bonds, civic engagement and an end to young black men, black people, being caught in a cycle of crime and incarceration by consciously limiting their negative engagement with police,” Brown said at a news conference.The popular car racing series NASCAR announced a ban on the flag of the Confederate States of America, the breakaway group of Southern states that seceded from the country and lost the Civil War of the 1860s.Many Americans see the flag as a symbol of oppression and slavery. It has endured mainly in the South among those who view it as a source of pride and remembrance of those who died fighting for the Confederacy.Philonise Floyd, a brother of George Floyd, arrives to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on proposed changes to police practices and accountability on Capitol Hill, June 10, 2020, in Washington.“The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry,” NASCAR said in a statement.Protesters in Richmond, Virginia, which was the Confederate capital, tore down a statue of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, on Wednesday night.Earlier in the day, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for the removal of 11 Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol, including one of Davis, his vice president Alexander Stephens, and military leader Robert E. Lee.“The statues in the Capitol should embody our highest ideals as Americans, expressing who we are and who we aspire to be as a nation,” Pelosi wrote. “Monuments to men who advocated cruelty and barbarism to achieve such a plainly racist end are a grotesque affront to these ideals. Their statues pay homage to hate, not heritage. They must be removed.”There have also been calls for renaming of multiple U.S. military installations named after Confederate leaders, including Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy have indicated they are open to a bipartisan discussion about the issue, but Trump is sharply opposed.“My Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations,” he tweeted Wednesday. “Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military!”
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By Polityk | 06/11/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Trump Closer to Resuming Rallies That Were Halted by Virus
President Donald Trump is aiming to resume campaign rallies in the coming weeks, though the locations and coronavirus precautions still are being worked out. Trump’s rallies stopped three months ago when the COVID-19 pandemic largely shuttered the nation, but the president has been eager to get back on the campaign trail and resume them. The president’s eagerness to return to rallies comes as internal and public surveys show his reelection campaign against Democrat Joe Biden is struggling. He’s also looking for a campaign reset as the nation tries to adjust to a new normal after contending with the virus, a teetering economy and weeks of nationwide protests against racial injustice. “Americans are ready to get back to action and so is President Trump. The Great American Comeback is real and the rallies will be tremendous,” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said Monday in a statement. “You’ll again see the kind of crowds and enthusiasm that Sleepy Joe Biden can only dream of.” Campaign officials said the format and locations for the rallies remain to be determined, as many states — and federal guidelines — still caution against holding mass gatherings, particularly in enclosed spaces. It was unclear what precautions would be implemented to protect the 73-year-old president and attendees from the potential spread of the coronavirus at rallies.FILE – Supporters cheer as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, February 28, 2020, in North Charleston, South Carolina.Trump rallies traditionally pack tens of thousands of people into arenas or outdoor amphitheaters in conditions that would not meet federal social distancing guidelines. Trump announced last week that he was pulling the public portions of the 2020 GOP convention from Charlotte after North Carolina would not guarantee that he would be allowed to fill an arena with mask-less supporters. GOP officials are visiting other cities to determine if they could host the president’s acceptance speech when he is renominated. Some Trump aides have tried to temper the president’s enthusiasm for holding events before large crowds, warning of negative media coverage should any attendees subsequently come down with the virus. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The coronavirus has killed more than 110,000 Americans in a matter of months. Trump is set to resume campaign fundraisers this week, with smaller high-dollar events in Dallas and at his private club in New Jersey. The roughly two dozen attendees at each fundraiser will be administered COVID-19 tests before entering the events, which will also benefit the Republican National Committee.
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By Polityk | 06/11/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
White House Defends Trump Questioning Protester Shoving Incident
The White House on Wednesday said President Donald Trump was raising “questions that need to be asked” when he shared an unfounded conspiracy theory suggesting that an older protester police pushed to the ground last week in Buffalo, New York, could have been an anti-fascist “provocateur” trying to disrupt police communications.“In every case we can’t jump on one side without looking at all the facts at play,” White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told the “Fox & Friends” show. Trump Shares Conspiracy Theory on Protester Being Shoved to the GroundUS president shares unfounded conspiracy theory suggesting that older protester police pushed to the ground last week in Buffalo, New York, could have been anti-fascist ‘provocateur’ trying to disrupt police communicationsShe said 75-year-old Martin Gugino, who remains hospitalized with a concussion, had made “some very questionable tweets, some profanity-laden tweets about police officers.“Of course, no one condones any sort of violence,” she said. “We need the appropriate amount of force used in any interaction,” while adding, “There are a lot of questions in that case.”She noted that after two police officers, Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe, were charged with assaulting Gugino, 57 of their colleagues on the Buffalo police department’s Emergency Response Team resigned from the unit in a show of support for them.“So I think we need to ask why those police officers resigned, what happened, what facts were on the ground and the president was just raising some of those questions,” McEnany said.Gugino was knocked to the ground after he approached police trying to clear a Buffalo street of demonstrators last Friday who were protesting against the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after he was held face down by a white police officer who pressed his knee on his neck even as protested that he could not breathe. The policeman, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with second-degree murder in the incident.After two weeks of coast-to-coast protests about his death, some of them violent, the 46-year-old Floyd was buried Tuesday after a funeral in Houston, Texas, where he lived much of his life. McEnany, the Trump spokeswoman, did not answer a question in the Fox interview whether it was appropriate for the president to tweet about the Gugino case on the day of Floyd’s funeral. She said Trump “has acknowledged so many times” the injustice of Floyd’s death.Trump was widely rebuked Tuesday about his tweet repeating a conspiracy theory he heard on the Trump-leaning One America News Network that Gugino “could be” an anti-fascist “provocateur.” Trump said Gugino “was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment.”Trump added, “I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?”A lawyer for Gugino quickly condemned Trump’s tweet, saying it was “a dark, dangerous and untrue accusation” that the man had been part of a “set up” coordinated by anti-fascist demonstrators.“Martin has always been a PEACEFUL protester because he cares about today’s society,” attorney Kelly Zarcone said. “He is also a typical Western New Yorker who loves his family. No one from law enforcement has suggested otherwise.”Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee against Trump in November’s national election, said his father used to say that abuse of power was the “worst sin there is.””Whether it is a police officer injuring a peaceful protester or a president defending him with a conspiracy theory seen on television (…) We cannot accept either,” Biden said.New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also condemned Trump’s tweet.“There’s no fact to any of it. He should apologize for that tweet. How reckless, how mean, how cruel,” Cuomo said.Gugino staggered backward and fell on the sidewalk, suffering a concussion. Video showed numerous officers from the Buffalo Police Department’s Emergency Response Team walking past him as he lay motionless and bleeding. Torgalski and McCabe have pleaded not guilty in the incident. News outlets reported that Gugino is a longtime peace activist in upstate New York, a member of PUSH Buffalo, which focuses on affordable housing, and the Western New York Peace Center, a human rights organization. He is also active in the Catholic Worker Movement and has frequently criticized Trump on social media.Trump has often blamed Antifa, an anti-fascist movement, as a domestic terrorist organization and said with scant evidence that they have been responsible for the violence that erupted in some of the coast-to-coast protests after Floyd’s death. In recent days, the protests have been largely peaceful with few arrests.
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By Polityk | 06/11/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Romney Says He’ll ‘Stay Quiet’ on His 2020 Presidential Vote
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney declined again Monday to endorse President Donald Trump’s reelection, saying he would “stay quiet” about whom he’ll be supporting in November. Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, told reporters on Capitol Hill, “I’m not going to be describing who I’ll be voting for.” His open acknowledgment that he would not support Trump comes after former Trump defense secretary Gen. James Mattis and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski aired criticism of the president’s handling of ongoing protests against the police killings of black Americans. In 2016, Romney said publicly that he would support neither Trump nor Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. He later said he had cast his vote for his wife, Ann. He told The Atlantic in February that he wouldn’t vote for Trump in November and would “probably” choose his wife again. FILE – Then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 9, 2004.Retired Gen. Colin Powell, who served as President George W. Bush’s secretary of state, took a stronger step away from Trump, telling CNN on Sunday that he would support presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden this November. Powell had said he voted for Clinton in 2016. The relationship between Trump and Romney is acrimonious. Romney was the only GOP senator to support removing Trump from office after the president’s impeachment trial earlier this year. Trump has derided him as a “fool” and a “failed presidential candidate.” After the senator attended a march for racial justice on Sunday, declaring that “black lives matter,” Trump tweeted sarcastically about Romney’s “sincerity.” Romney shrugged off that dig Monday, saying that Trump has “got time to do whatever he feels is appropriate” and that “I would presume” the president would consider supporting a police reform measure, given his public expressions of concern about the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man, while in police custody in Minneapolis.
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By Polityk | 06/11/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Facing Electoral Headwinds, Trump Brings Back his 2016 Team
As anyone who has ever heard him speak knows, President Donald Trump loves to relive 2016. He recycles old attack lines once aimed at Hillary Clinton. He recounts the drama of election night, complete with impersonations of stunned news anchors putting state after state (Pennsylvania! Wisconsin!) in the Republican’s column. FILE – Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speak during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Oct. 9, 2016.At other times, in private calls from the White House residence, he reminisces about the camaraderie of those days, turning nostalgic as he remembers being surrounded by a rag-tag team of campaign staffers as his private plane flew from one city to another. Now, Trump is getting the band back together again. The president in recent days has signed off on hiring a number of his 2016 veterans for his 2020 campaign, a reenlistment of loyalists that follows the return of other members of his original team to the West Wing. A creature of habit who demands loyalty and trusts few, Trump is trying to recreate the magic of his original team five months before he faces voters again. But 2020 is not 2016. Trump’s advisers are increasingly worried about the state of the campaign as the president faces multiple crises, from the health and economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic to the mass protests that have swept across the nation. “It’s fantastic to have the 2016 group back together, but the facts are the facts. He barely won and he has done nothing at all to grow out his support,” said Sam Nunberg, who advised Trump early in his first campaign. “He can’t win on nostalgia. It’s not the same race. This is not going to be about slogans or themes, it’s going to be about what you did for me and why I should reelect you based on your record,” said Nunberg, an informal adviser who will not be rejoining the campaign. “He can’t just fight the last war. It’s time to adapt or die.” The reinforcements are arriving as Trump comes to terms with the idea that he cannot run the type of campaign he had planned for years — one that looked feasible as recently as January, according to three campaign and White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations. FILE – Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Pittsburgh, June 11, 2016.Trump had expected to run on the back of a strong economy before the pandemic crippled it. He had hoped to revive a number of culture war and “deep state” accusations while facing a Democrat from the liberal wing of the party whom he could try to paint as socialist. He wasn’t expecting the more moderate Joe Biden. Though outwardly confident, Trump has privately told advisers he cannot believe polls that show him trailing, and he has angrily snapped at campaign manager Brad Parscale over the state of the race, according to the officials. The campaign, which has far greater infrastructure and staffing than the slipshod operation of four years ago, played down the idea that the return of the 2016 veterans was influenced by the state of the race or reflected a lack of confidence in Parscale. “For over three years now, Brad has been building the biggest and best political campaign in history,” said Tim Murtagh, the campaign’s communications director. “Our latest staff additions are making Team Trump even stronger and solidify Brad’s leadership.” FILE – Jason Miller, a senior adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, speaks to media at Trump Tower, Nov. 16, 2016, in New York.In the past week, the Trump campaign hired Jason Miller, communications director in 2016, to focus on strategy and coordinate between the campaign and the White House. Miller has co-hosted a pro-Trump podcast with the president’s former campaign chief executive, Steve Bannon. Boris Epshteyn, who after 2016 became a commentator for the conservative Sinclair Broadcast network, came back to be a strategic adviser for coalitions. Bill Stepien, a top adviser in 2016, was recently promoted to deputy campaign manager. Justin Clark, another longtime aide, has led the Trump campaign’s legal efforts. “Every president who has successfully run a first go-around looks to add on people who were in that effort to the reelect,” said Miller. “But this is the Starship Enterprise as opposed to a rusted fishing boat we used in the first campaign.” Familiar faces have also returned to the White House. FILE – Former White House communications director Hope Hicks departs after a closed-door interview with the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 19, 2019.Hope Hicks was Trump’s original campaign spokeswoman before becoming one of his most trusted West Wing aides. She left the White House in 2018 only to return two years later and was one of the driving forces behind the president’s controversial photo op with a Bible after he walked through Lafayette Square last week to a nearby church once the area was cleared of protesters. Johnny McEntee, who served as Trump’s personal aide before being fired by then-chief of staff John Kelly in 2018, returned in January and has been focusing on staffing the administration with loyalists. While Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s first campaign manager, and David Bossie, a trusted aide, have both remained officially outside the campaign, they have attended several recent strategy sessions and have been spotted on Air Force One and at the president’s golf clubs. Some of Trump’s 2016 team never left. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the president’s daughter and son-in-law, are senior advisers.FILE – White House senior adivser Kellyanne Conway speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, May 29, 2019.Kellyanne Conway, the president’s final 2016 campaign manager, remains a senior White House counselor. Dan Scavino runs the president’s social media presence from inside the West Wing. The president’s two adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, and Eric’s wife, Lara, remain popular campaign surrogates. But a few members of the old gang have not yet returned. That includes Bannon, who remains supportive of Trump after a messy exit from the White House, and Keith Schiller, Trump’s longtime security man. Also not involved are those 2016 veterans who have run into legal trouble, including Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Roger Stone and Michael Flynn. “He will always default to a group of people he trusts and who will advocate for him until hell freezes over,” said Timothy O’Brien, a Trump biographer who later worked for Michael Bloomberg’s 2020 Democratic presidential campaign. “But there’s a difference between trusting people and being a good judge of ability.” “He tends to hire people who agree with him,” O’Brien said. “He lives in a bubble.”
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By Polityk | 06/10/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
State Dept. Discouraged Probe of Saudi Arms Sale, Fired US Official Says
A U.S. State Department inspector general fired by President Donald Trump told lawmakers the department discouraged him from investigating arms sales to Saudi Arabia before he was dismissed last month, according to a transcript released Wednesday.The inspector general, Steve Linick, was fired on May 15, the latest in a series of government watchdogs dismissed by the president. Members of Congress, including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, are concerned that the dismissals will prevent adequate oversight of the government.House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said Linick’s dismissal might have been illegal.Democrats launched an investigation, including an interview of Linick on June 3 by members and staff of three House and Senate committees.Democrat Suggests Saudi Arms Sales Behind Firing of State Department WatchdogHouse Foreign Affairs panel chairman says Steve Linick was nearing completion of investigation of Secretary of State Pompeo’s fast-tracking of weapons sales to RiyadhIn the congressional interview, Linick said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined to sit down for an interview in the investigation of the administration’s decision to declare a “national emergency” to justify $8 billion in military sales to Saudi Arabia despite congressional objections.He also said a department official had argued the probe was outside Linick’s jurisdiction.”I told him that, under the Foreign Service Act of 1980, it was within the IG purview to review how policy is implemented,” Linick said.When he was fired, Linick also was investigating allegations that Pompeo and his wife used a taxpayer-funded employee for personal errands. Linick said in the interview that his office was engaged in more investigations when he was fired, including an audit of the Special Immigrant Visa process.Pompeo has insisted Linick’s dismissal was not retaliation. On Wednesday, Pompeo called Linick a “bad actor.”In a letter sent on Monday and seen by Reuters, a top department official criticized standards in Linick’s office and said he should be investigated for leaking information.
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By Polityk | 06/10/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
Georgia Holds Chaotic Primary Marred by Malfunctions, Long Waits
A disastrous primary election day in the southeastern U.S. state of Georgia Tuesday overshadowed a handful of key races to choose general election candidates for the November general election. The chaos was a combination of a new set of computerized voting machines that either malfunctioned or failed to arrive on time at polling stations, volunteers who did not know how to operate the machines and a lack of provisional ballots led to voters standing in long lines for hours, with the wait extending well into the night. Many voters eventually gave up and left. The coronavirus pandemic also contributed to the chaos, with at least 1.2 million voters casting their ballots by mail instead of standing outside waiting to vote and risking infection. The pandemic also led to a shortage of volunteers, prompting local officials to reduce the number of polling locations. The problems were reported statewide, but were most notable in Fulton County, home of the state capital of Atlanta, and neighboring DeKalb County, both of them Democratic strongholds with a predominantly African-American populace.Voters wait near a polling place attendant in the Georgia’s primary election at Park Tavern on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, in Atlanta.Investigation
Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, whose office oversees Georgia’s statewide elections, said he would launch an investigation into the problems in Fulton and DeKalb, but Democrats, led by Stacy Abrams, a former African American state lawmaker, placed the blame squarely on Raffensperger. Tuesday’s problems were reminiscent of the 2018 gubernatorial race, which Abrams narrowly lost to then-Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp. That election was also marred by numerous problems, including the purging of hundreds of thousands of citizens from voter rolls, many of them African American, fueling charges of voter suppression. Preliminary results Meanwhile, preliminary results show Democrat Jon Ossoff with a sizeable lead over his two opponents in the race for the party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate race. But Ossoff is just short of the 50% threshold needed to avoid an August runoff. Ossoff, who lost his bid for an open congressional seat in 2017, is seeking to take on Republican incumbent David Perdue, a close ally of President Donald Trump. Also holding primary elections Tuesday were Nevada, South Carolina, North Dakota and West Virginia. Many of these states also sent out mail-in ballots to voters who wanted to avoid being infected with COVID-19.
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By Polityk | 06/10/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
‘Chaos in Georgia’: Is Messy Primary a November Harbinger?
The long-standing wrangle over voting rights and election security came to a head in Georgia, where a messy primary and partisan finger-pointing offered an unsettling preview of a November contest when battleground states could face potentially record turnout.
Many Democrats blamed the Republican secretary of state for hourslong lines, voting machine malfunctions, provisional ballot shortages and absentee ballots failing to arrive in time for Tuesday’s elections. Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential campaign called it “completely unacceptable.” Georgia Republicans deflected responsibility to metro Atlanta’s heavily minority and Democratic-controlled counties, while President Donald Trump’s top campaign attorney decried “the chaos in Georgia.”
It raised the specter of a worst-case November scenario: a decisive state, like Florida and its “hanging chads” and “butterfly ballots” in 2000, remaining in dispute long after polls close.
Meanwhile, Trump, Biden and their supporters could offer competing claims of victory or question the election’s legitimacy, inflaming an already boiling electorate.
Adia Josephson, a 38-year-old black voter in the Brookhaven area just outside Atlanta, waited more than two hours to vote but wasn’t about to let the long lines stop her. Problems with voting machines and long lines must be corrected before the next election, she said. “There’s no room for error,” she said. “There’s a lot to gain and a lot to lose.”
At Trump’s campaign headquarters, senior counsel Justin Clark blamed Georgia’s vote-by-mail push amid the COVID-19 pandemic, alluding to the president’s unfounded claims that absentee voting yields widespread fraud.
“The American people want to know that the results of an election accurately reflect the will of the voters,” Clark said. “The only way to make sure that the American people will have faith in the results is if people who can, show up and vote in person.”
Rachana Desai Martin, a Biden campaign attorney, called the scenes in Georgia a “threat” to democracy. “We only have a few months left until voters around the nation head to the polls again, and efforts should begin immediately to ensure that every Georgian — and every American — is able to safely exercise their right to vote,” she said.
Martin stopped short of assigning blame, but two Georgia Democrats on Biden’s list of potential running mates pointed at Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who led the selection of Georgia’s new voting machine system and invited every active voter to request an absentee ballot.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms tweeted at Raffensperger about problems in pockets of metro Atlanta. “Is this happening across the county or just on the south end,” the Democrat asked, referring to an area with a heavily black population.
Stacey Abrams, the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor and an Atlanta resident, tweeted that “Georgians deserve better” and that Raffensperger “owns this disaster.” Abrams established herself as a voting rights advocate after she refused to concede her 2018 race because of voting irregularities when her Republican opponent, now-Gov. Brian Kemp, was secretary of state.
Voting rights groups, including Abrams’ Fair Fight Action, said Georgia’s experiences justify their efforts to combat what they describe as a coordinated GOP push to restrict ballot access. Fair Fight, Priorities USA and American Bridge this week announced a “Voter Suppression Watch” partnership.
“Trump is already trying to extend this culture war by creating fear around vote-by-mail,” said Aneesa McMillan of the Priorities political action committee. She noted the Republican National Committee’s plans to recruit thousands of poll watchers now that the GOP is no longer under a court order banning the practice that Democrats equate to voter intimidation.
“We have to learn our lessons, not just from Georgia, and protect the entire process,” McMillan said.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Raffensperger laid blame elsewhere, noting state law charges counties with on-ground operation of elections.
“It’s really specifically in one or two counties, in Fulton and DeKalb counties, that had these issues today,” Raffensperger said. “It has nothing to do with what we’re doing in the rest of Georgia.”
Raffensperger, minimizing problems that were documented in other counties, promised investigations of Fulton’s and DeKalb’s handling of the primary. The Republican speaker of Georgia’s state legislature, meanwhile, called for an investigation of the entire primary process, singling out Fulton County as “particularly” troubling.
That kind of back-and-forth, with white Republicans and black Democrats from big cities trading barbs over voting issues, isn’t new. And it’s one that could easily repeat in November in battleground states where Democrats and minorities figure prominently in the most populous cities and counties: Broward County (Fort Lauderdale), Florida; Wayne County (Detroit), Michigan; Charlotte, North Carolina; Philadelphia; Milwaukee.
Fulton County, which includes most of Atlanta, has a history of slow vote tabulation. Its local elections chief, Richard Barron, called Tuesday a “learning experience” while alluding to the state’s role in the primary process.
The finger-pointing goes beyond details of the law. Raffensperger correctly noted that county officials train poll workers, including on the use of the new voting machines. But Raffensperger is the state’s chief elections official who decides how many machines to send to each county, and his office provides training curriculum for local officials.
On absentee ballots, the Republican secretary of state pushed unprecedented no-fault absentee access, paying to send an application to every Georgian on the active voter rolls. But, as Barron noted, neither the secretary of state nor the legislature provided additional money for local officials to hire staff to process the influx, which dwarfed the typical primary.
History suggests that both local and state officials, whether in Georgia or elsewhere, could find themselves in the national crosshairs if their election tallies leave the presidency in flux.
“I know that in these hyperpartisan times, half the people will be happy, and the other half will be sad,” Raffensperger said. “But we want to make sure that 100% of people know … the election was done fairly and we got the accurate count.”
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By Polityk | 06/10/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
BLM Protests Increase Pressure on Biden to Pick African American VP
The Black Lives Matter protests that have erupted in the U.S. following the death of an African American man after being in police custody have increased pressure on Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, to pick a black running mate. While Biden has already promised to name a woman as his vice-presidential nominee, VOA’s Brian Padden reports, the changing political landscape has raised the prospects for some female African American leaders that had not been considered top contenders.Produced by: Brian Badden
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By Polityk | 06/10/2020 | Повідомлення, Політика
