A campaign group formed by anti-Trump Republican operatives has launched a TV commercial against the party’s leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, who is up for re-election this November.
Deriding him as “Rich Mitch”, the ad is being broadcast in the senator’s home state of Kentucky. It is the work of the Lincoln Project, an operation founded by veterans of various Republican campaigns united in their disgust for Donald Trump, as well as for their party’s acquiescence to him and his agenda.
“What will history say about Mitch McConnell?” asks the ad’s voiceover. “Well, he’s spent most of his time making deals for himself. Not so much for Kentucky.
“Mitch didn’t have money when he went to Washington 35 years ago. Today, he’s one of the richest guys up there. So what did Kentucky get in the bargain? Well, we’re 40th in job opportunity, 45th in education, 43rd in healthcare. Getting the picture?”
Self-enrichment on the part of senators has become something of a running story lately. Republican senators Richard Burr of North Carolina and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia have both been met with public disgust after it emerged they had sold off millions of dollars of shares in industries vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic before the economic impact was clear – but after they had received confidential briefings forecasting it.
With stories like these in the air, the Lincoln Project’s attack on Mr McConnell attempts to hit what could be a highly sensitive electoral nerve.
“After 35 years, Kentuckians are still waiting for the kinds of opportunities Mitch worked so hard to give himself. With another six years of Mitch McConnell, from the hollow to the horse farm, we’ll still be waiting. And Mitch? He’ll just be richer.
“So what will history say about Mitch McConnell? The same thing many Kentuckians say now: not a damn thing.”
The Lincoln Project, whose express aim is to prevent the president’s re-election, has made a conventional TV ad buy for the McConnell spot, spending $250,000 to get it on the airwaves. However, the project’s approach to advertising has also been highly targeted.
Earlier this month, it paid a mere $5,000 to screen an anti-Trump ad titled “Mourning in America” during a Fox News show the president is known to watch devotedly. The result was a barrage of rageful tweets from the president, ensuring the ad received maximal attention and raising the group more than $1.4m.
Op Ed: The article below is interesting in its speculation. Japan's demographics put it at great risk for a serious epidemic. The Japanese got the word out quickly because the Japanese government under the leadership of Shinzo Abe knows what the fuck they are doing. In addition to that most Japanese people aren't arrogant selfish assholes like Trump supporters. The Japanese behaved like good citizens because they are good citizens. You don't see Japanese running around whining about their rights while trampling on the rights of others. Japan has a higher collective IQ than the US and that is because Japan doesn't have a Bible Belt full of cousin marrying genetically defective sub humans.
Japan avoided a lockdown by telling everyone to steer clear of the 3 Cs. Here's what that means.
Passengers from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are on their way to take the chartered flight at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, Feb. 20, 2020.
Getty Images
Many predicted Japan would be hit hard by coronavirus, but the country has been relatively unscathed.
Some chalked that up to the culture of mask-wearing which is already prevalent.
Others said it was the government's clear messaging about avoiding closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings that saved Japanese residents.
Some experts say Japan may not be as successful as we think, and there may be significant instances of under-reporting.
When the pandemic hit, experts predicted that Japan would be hit hard by the virus, with some saying 400,000 residents could die.
The country didn't enforce any shutdowns, only tested 0.2% of its population, and was slow to cancel the summer Olympics, even as the countries slated to participate in the Olympics went into shutdown. Japan did not employ surveillance technology the way China and Singapore did, and it did not employ wide-scale testing the way South Korea did.
And yet, although at least 26% of Japan's population is over the age of 65, and at higher risk of getting sick with coronavirus, most did not get sick.
The country of 126 million people has declared its nationwide state of emergency over, and many are saying their success story was due to the Japanese government's messaging. Instead of social distancing, the government exhorted the public to avoid the three Cs, referring to closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings.
Tokyo Japan coronavirus
Carl Court/Getty Images
Some say the secret to Japan's success is a mystery
"Just by looking at death numbers, you can say Japan was successful," said Mikihito Tanaka, a professor at Waseda University, told Bloomberg. "But even experts don't know the reason."
A list of reasons for Japan's success story is circulating around the web, including Japan's culture of mask-wearing, lower rate of obesity, push to close schools early and one claim that Japanese speakers emit less viral droplets than other languages.
There are cultural factors at play: Japan is a less touchy-feely nation than places like the United States, is known for its cleanliness, and has a dedicated public health system.
But most experts say there is really no knowing why Japan wasn't devastated by the virus, and we likely will not know until the pandemic ends.
Japan acted earlier than other countries
One thing that is clear is that Japan's early reaction to the virus, prompted by the infection spread on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, was crucial in ensuring that the country knew the disease was not some far-off problem, and could affect them, journalists Lisa Du and Grace Huang wrote in Bloomberg.
They also pointed out to Japan's robust network of contract tracers that began tracking the disease in January, as well as the possibility that the strain of virus may have been less dangerous than the version that spread to Europe and America, which may have already mutated.
What's more, Japan closed schools and suspended sporting events long before other countries.
Those government interventions, coupled with collective action by the public, made a difference, write Rob Fahey and Paul Nadeau in The Tokyo Review.
Why Japan took the 3 Cs approach instead of a lockdown
The three Cs approach, which Japan took instead of enforcing shutdowns or social distancing orders, involves avoiding closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places with groups of people nearby, and close-contact settings, like one-on-one conversations in close range.
The three Cs method leaves individual decisions about where to go and what kind of risks to take up to the individual, minimizing the effects of the virus while allowing life to continue, albeit in limited fashion.
"We need to create a new lifestyle from now on," Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a Monday press conference. "We need to change our way of thinking."
In the United States, the lockdown methods have been framed as extreme, temporary procedures, while in Japan, the three Cs approach has been framed as a new, permanent lifestyle choice for Japan's residents. This may bode well for the long-term sustainability of three Cs approach.
Is it too good to be true?
While many experts are lauding Japan for its decentralized, bottom-up approach, others have their doubts that it even worked. "The Japan conundrum is just the fact that if you don't test for it, you're not going to find a lot of cases," Jason Kindrachuk, assistant professor of viral pathogenesis at the University of Manitoba, previously told Business Insider.
The World Health Organization's former chief of health policy Kenji Shibuya told Bloomberg that Japan either has "contained the spread by focusing on outbreak clusters, or ... there are outbreaks yet to be found."
Japanese citizens are not best pleased with Prime Minister Abe's response to the virus, according to a recent survey, cited by The Tokyo Review. Abe received a worse rating from his own citizens than any other leader in the world, including President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose nations have the highest COVID-19 death tolls in the world.
Yet some Japanese residents are praising the three Cs system.
"The model allows for a certain level of economic activity and maintains people's freedom to move about, and as such is more sustainable over the long term than more burdensome models such as lockdowns," Kazuto Suzuki, professor of International Politics at the Public Policy School of Hokkaido University, told the Diplomat.
Trump Says 'Thank You' To Video Declaring 'The Only Good Democrat Is A Dead Democrat'
America's enemy and fake President Donald Trump tweeted a note of thanks in response to a video of a supporter of his exclaiming, “The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.”
On Wednesday, the president quote-tweeted a video shared by Cowboys for Trump. In the video, the group’s founder, Couy Griffin, is speaking in front of a New Mexico church, encouraging his audience to violate stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’ve come to a conclusion where the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat,” says Griffin, going on to add that he doesn’t mean that in a “physical sense,” but in a “political sense.”
Cowboys for Trump tweeted the video in response to a report in The Daily Beast about the rally shown in the video — which included a clear explanation of Griffin’s actions and words — that the group decided was “fake.”
Trump then responded to the video by thanking them and saying that he’d see the group in New Mexico.
Notably, The Daily Beast article features an interview with Griffin who says that he could have “chosen a different verbiage, you know.”
“I guess I need to be more careful when I choose the words that I speak,” he told the publication. “But you know, it’s just so hypocritical of the left how they’re blowing this up, like I’m some hate-speech murderer.”
But despite that moment of second-guessing, Griffin doubled down on his claim that “the only good Democrat is a dead one,” telling The Daily Beast that he thinks some top Democrats like Govs. Ralph Northam of Virginia and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan “could be guilty of treason and the punishment that comes with it.”
“You get to pick your poison: You either go before a firing squad, or you get the end of the rope,” he said.
Op Ed: Trump has unequivocally endorsed the killing of Americans and it looks as though Trump and his MAGAts who take their marching orders from the Orange Menace, have declared war on most Americans. Most Americans are Democrats. There is a good chance these MAGAts will show up with their weapons of war like they have been doing at schools and shopping mall and attack Democratic politicians, their offices and Democratic campaign headquarters. Should decent Americans react retroactively the way they did when treasonous South attacked the North and allow it to happen or should decent Americans act proactively and crush the attacks before the start? If America were to merely react instead taking a proactive approach how many innocent Americans will Trump and the MAGAts gun down? Could 100 well placed sniper rounds fired by America's elite military sniper teams through the black hearts of those traitorous malcontents and nip their treason and violent attempt to overthrow the American government in the bud?
Will it take a more complete action to bring Trump and his MAGAts to heel and end the threat once and for all? Should the US military be killing off the MAGAt foot soldiers along with their command and control.
The US is preemptively killing off its dangerous foreign enemies, why not do it here? Who is a greater threat, a bunch religious fanatics in the Middle East or a bunch of heavily armed religious fanatics who think their god bows to the Orange Menace Donald Trump?
Trump's response in March: “No. Not at all. And wehaveit totally undercontrol. It’s one person coming in from China, and wehaveitundercontrol. It’s — going to be just fine.”
Last updated: May 28, 2020, 7pm
United States
Coronavirus Cases:
1,767,791
Deaths:
103,313
\
Last updated: May 31, 2020, 6 pm Eastern Standard Time
Editor’s note: PolitiFact, which is owned by the Poynter Institute, is fact-checking misinformation about the coronavirus. This article is republished with permission, and originally appeared here.
If your time is short
After the disease was in Washington state and the World Health Organization reported a high global risk, Trump said there were no worries of a pandemic.
The day the stock market plummeted, Trump said the virus was very much under control in the U.S., and the stock market was looking pretty good to him.
A few days after declaring a national emergency, Trump said he had “always known” this was a pandemic. (That’s Pants on Fire.)
In the span of three months, Americans went from hearing about a new virus in central China to being told they ought to stay home and avoid groups larger than 10. President Donald Trump went from telling people not to worry and everything was under control to leading daily press conferences on containing the outbreak in the United States.
The rapidly evolving story can be broken down into three phases: the emergence of the threat, the government’s focus on keeping it out of the United States, and finally, its efforts to contain the spread.
Here are the key moments in each phase, and what Trump said at those times — fact-checked.
“No. Not at all. And we have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s — going to be just fine.”
Jan. 24: Trump tweets, “It will all work out well.”
Jan 29: The White House forms a coronavirus response task force, initially led by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
“We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment — five. … we think it’s going to have a very good ending for it.”
Feb. 2: Trump tells Fox News host Sean Hannity, “We pretty much shut it down coming in from China.”
Feb. 4: Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, Japan. Over 2,600 guests and over 1,000 crew. Within two days, over 40 people test positive for COVID-19, including eight Americans.
Feb 14: Trump discusses the “very small” number of U.S. coronavirus cases with Border Patrol Council members:
“We have a very small number of people in the country, right now, with it. It’s like around 12. Many of them are getting better. Some are fully recovered already. So we’re in very good shape.”
The same day, Trump asks for $1.25 billion in emergency aid. It grows to $8.3 billion in Congress. He tweets that the virus “is very much under control” and the stock market “starting to look very good to me!”
Feb. 26: The first case emerges in California with no clear source, suggesting community spread of the virus.
In a news conference that day, Trump says the United States is “really prepared.” He puts Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the White House task force.
Feb. 28: Cases rise across Europe, including Italy, Germany, France, England, Switzerland and Belarus.
Phase Three: Containing the spread
Feb. 29: FDA eases guidelines to speed the broader use of testing.
March 4: House passes $8.3 billion emergency bill, aimed mainly at the immediate health response to the virus.
In a Fox News interview, Trump deflects criticism to his response by saying the Obama administration (including the vice president, Joe Biden) “didn’t do anything about” swine flu. We rated the claim False.
Trump continues to blame the Obama administration in an exchange with reporters at the White House.
“The Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we’re doing.”
Our fact-check shows the process dated back to 2006, before Obama took office. So the claim is False.
March 6:Grand Princess cruise ship with over 2,000 passengers waits to dock off the California coast.
Asked about the docking of the Grand Princess, Trump says the following:
“I would rather (Grand Princess passengers stay aboard) because I like the numbers being where they are. I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship.”
Trump went on to say that he thought it was more important for passengers to debark than to keep the numbers down.
In a news conference, Trump downplays the concerns around testing:
“Anybody that wants a test can get a test.”
With tests in short supply, we rated the claim Pants on Fire.
The same day, Trump tweets out blame to the media and the Democrats for trying to “inflame” the situation “far beyond what the facts would warrant.”
March 11: On the same day the WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic, Trump uses a prime-time Oval Office address to announce a ban on travel for non-Americans from most of Europe. He misstates a freeze on cargo and falsely said the health insurance industry has “agreed to waive all co-payments for coronavirus treatments.” In reality, getting tested would be free, but treatment would not be covered.
March 13: Trump declares a national emergency to access $50 billion for states and territories, and clear the way for fast-track waivers for hospitals and doctors as they respond to the virus.
March 14: The House passes a worker and business relief bill with paid leave guarantees for certain workers, expanded food assistance and unemployment insurance benefits, and employer tax credits. Trump signs it four days later.
March 17: Trump said in a news conference that for the next 14 days, “we’re asking everyone to work at home, if possible, postpone unnecessary travel, and limit social gatherings to no more than 10 people.”
Trump says there was no shift in tone from the White House.
“I’ve always known this is a real, this is a pandemic. I’ve felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”
As this timeline shows, Trump minimized the threat of a pandemic for many weeks. Pants on Fire!
Asked if the World Health Organization had offered detection tests to the United States, Trump said WHO had not, and that the WHO coronavirus test “was a bad test.” False. WHO said three independent labs had validated the test, and the White House coordinator for coronavirus response said she assumed the WHO test is effective.
PolitiFact, which is fact-checking misinformation about the coronavirus, is part of the Poynter Institute. See more of their fact-checks at politifact.com/coronavirus.
Jan 22, 2020 · “We have it totally under control,” Trump said from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Asked about the confirmed case in Washington state, Trump responded: “It’s …
Jan 22, 2020 · "We have it totally under control," Trump told "Squawk Box" co-host Joe Kernen in an interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "It's one person coming in from China.
Feb 25, 2020 · Trump says coronavirus 'under control' in US President Trump, speaking in India, said Tuesday that while the coronavirus is a "very serious thing" but is "under control" in the U…
Mar 18, 2020 · Feb. 23: “We have it very much under control in this country.” — Trump in speaking to reporters . Feb. 24: “ The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA.
“We have it totally under control,” Trump told CNBC. “It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control.” “It’s going to be fine,” the president continued.
Apr 03, 2020 · We have it very much under control in this country," the president told reporters, in response to a question about whether he had been updated on …
OP ED: If you still support Trump you should die. You know the truth and you spread his lies. You should die in agony! Keep believing Trump's lies you fat, stinking, gun toting, cousin marrying, fake Christian, treasonous slime. I'd tell you all to go to hell but that has already been determined. Go to church and infect others of your kind.
