The LuLac Edition #4,435, November 12th, 2020

 

ELECTION 2020 RECAP 

JOE BIDEN GRABS 5 MILLION POPULAR VOTE LEAD AS VICTORY OVER TRUMP WIDENS

President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday surpassed Trump by about 5 million popular votes, as his victory over the president continued to grow. With millions of ballots still to be counted, Biden leads with about 77 million votes nationwide, according to the Associated Press — the most any American presidential candidate has ever won. Trump so far has garnered about 72 million votes, the second-largest number of votes cast for a presidential candidate.

Biden has already won at least 290 electoral votes, according to the AP, far more than the 270 needed to win the White House. But the popular vote lead amounts to a decisive win for Biden and Democrats, who underperformed in congressional elections and lost seats in the House of Representatives. Biden won more than 50% of votes cast and leads Trump by about a 3.5% margin.

You are still hearing about fraud and how Diaper Don  had the election stolen from him.  Biden has a lead of 5 million votes. If the Dems are so dirty like the right wingers say and so sneaky, how come they didn’t rig the Senate races? Trump’s childish behavior is what lost him the election.

Trump continued to beat Trump! (Microsoft News, LuLac)

STATEWIDE RACES UPDATE 

GOP victors Timothy DeFoor and Stacey Garrity (Photo: LuLac archives)

While incumbent Attorney General Josh Shapiro won another term, the Democrat was not joined by his two row office running mates Nina Ahmad and Joe Torsella Ahmad was defeated by Republican Timothy DeFoor  and Torsella was bested by Stacey Garrity. This was a bit of a surprise since both Democrats spent more money than their two GOP opponents. 

Once more, the reverse Trump coattails helped these two challengers . Trump may have not carried the state by losing some GOP votes but the theory is some Reoublican voters gave themselves permission to not vote for Trump but stayed in line with other GOP down ballot candidates. 

REPUBLICANS ESCALATE EFFORT TO CHALLENGE BIDEN ELECTION VICTORY

 Republicans escalated their efforts to challenge Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, refusing to acknowledge Donald Trump’s defeat, as the president-elect moved more forcefully to make the transition to the White House.

The most significant move came from Attorney General William Barr, who on Monday authorized Justice Department officials to open inquiries into potential irregularities in the presidential election, though he acknowledged there’s no conclusive evidence.

Barr received cover from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who delivered a floor speech earlier Monday saying that the president is “100% within his rights” to challenge the election results. The attorney general’s announcement came after he met with the top Senate Republican at the U.S. Capitol.

The stepped-up legal efforts to challenge vote counts in several battleground states come despite the failure of Trump and his allies to produce evidence that widespread voter fraud occurred and affected the results.

The Justice Department said neither Trump nor anyone at the White House had asked Barr to take action, but some Republican lawmakers signed a letter recently asking him to intervene.

Taken together, Democrats say the moves represent what could be an effort by the federal government to change the results of a U.S. election -- something that would be unparalleled in the nation’s modern history. Trump’s refusal to concede has also bogged down the legal transition process, leaving Biden to hold public events that emphasize his presidential posture.

Trump signaled that he’s emboldened about his chances of a second term. “WE WILL WIN!” Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning.

Trump and his supporters have until Dec. 8 to complete any legal challenges. That’s the so-called “safe harbor” day in order for a state’s electors to be automatically accepted by Congress.

Before Barr’s intervention, the Trump team’s legal push was sputtering. Several lawsuits were thrown out in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona and Georgia -- all states where Biden has a lead. The public front-man for the effort has been Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal attorney who railed against media organizations for projecting Biden as the winner over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Biden is forging ahead with forming his government in waiting. He is expected to name a chief of staff as early as this week and plans to make additional policy announcements. After naming his transition’s coronavirus task force on Monday, Biden plans to speak Tuesday on the Affordable Care Act, the same day the Supreme Court takes up a case that could gut the Obama administration’s signature health-care law. Biden has promised to expand it in the face of the worst pandemic in a century.

Late Monday, Biden’s transition team insisted that the Trump administration declare the Democrat as the winner, an act that would release millions of dollars in funding and unlock access to federal resources like secure rooms for intelligence briefings and State Department facilitation of calls with foreign leaders. Transition officials threatened legal action because the law says the resources must be released when there is “an apparent winner.”

At one of a series of news conferences staged by Trump allies since the race was called Saturday, the Republican Party on Monday said it was filing lawsuits over “irregularities” in voting but like others, did not provide any substantial evidence to back up their claims.

“If you are finding these irregularities, if you are being told to backdate ballots, that’s a problem. We’re going to pursue all of this,” Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said without offering evidence of her claims. “Is it going to be enough? We don’t know. Is it going to take time? Yes, it’s going to take time. But what we are seeing is deeply alarming.”

McConnell also declined to recognize Biden’s victory.

“All legal ballots must be counted, all illegal ballots should not be counted,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “The process must be transparent.”

This is just ridiculous. Once more the GOP has been showing its true colors as an enable of fascism. (USA Today, LuLac) 

CASEY: TRUMP'S LEGAL CHALLENGES TO PA.'S VOTE COUNTING 'DOOMED TO FAIL

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said last week that he is confident Joe Biden will win Pennsylvania and become president regardless of legal efforts by President Donald Trump to stop the counting of votes and have him declared the winner of the state’s 20 electoral votes. t looks like the Senator is right on point with that prediction.

“His batting average is pretty bad for suits involving voting in Pennsylvania,” Casey said of Trump. “This one, I think, he’ll lose as well.”

Having all votes counted is what Pennsylvanians want and what the Constitution calls for, Casey said. As he spoke to the USA TODAY Network, there were about 1 million mail-in ballots still to be counted out of the 2.6 million cast by Pennsylvania voters.

“The president’s got to make the decision whether he and his campaign want to try and stand in the way of the Constitution, but the Constitution will roll over them,” Casey said. “That’s just the way it works in America. We don’t allow anyone, including the president, to stop votes from being counted.”

CARTWRIGHT’S WORKLOAD

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

After winning re-election you might wonder where Congressman Cartwright spends his time in D.C. and with who. Here’s his committee and caucus assignments.

COMMITTEES AND CAUCUSES

House Leadership:

Co-Chair, Democratic Policy and Communications Committee

Committees:

Committee on Appropriations

Vice-Chair, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government

Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

Committee on Natural Resources

Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States

Caucuses:

Academic Medicine Caucus

Ad-Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs

Admadiyya Muslim Caucus

Adult Literacy Caucus

Aluminum Caucus

Appalachian National Scenic Trail Caucus

Animal Protection Caucus

Autism Caucus

Battlefield Caucus

Baseball Caucus

Bike Caucus

Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus

Bipartisan Congressional Watchdog Caucus

Bipartisan Disaster Relief Caucus

Bipartisan Peace Corps Caucus

Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism

Blue-Collar Caucus

Brain Injury Task Force

Cement Caucus

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Caucus

Childhood Cancer Caucus

Clean Water Caucus

Coal Caucus

Cybersecurity Caucus

Cystic Fibrosis Caucus

Defense Communities Caucus

Democratic Caucus

Diabetes Caucus

Energy Savings Performance Caucus

Financial and Economic Literacy Caucus

Fire Services Caucus

Foster Youth Caucus

Friends of Ireland Caucus

Friends of Thailand Caucus

Full Employment Caucus

Free File Caucus

General Aviation Caucus

German-American Caucus

Hazards Caucus

Hearing Health Caucus

Historic Preservation Caucus

History Caucus

House Manufacturing Caucus

House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus

International Conservation Caucus

Iran Human Rights and Democracy Caucus

Kidney Caucus

LGBT Equality Caucus

Maker Caucus

Men's Health Caucus

Military Depot Caucus

Military Families Caucus

Military Mental Health Caucus

Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus

Military Veterans

Motorsports Caucus

National Parks Caucus

NASA Caucus

Nursing Caucus

Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Caucus

P3 Caucus

Parkinson's Disease Caucus

Philanthropy Caucus

Pilots Caucus

Planetary Science Caucus

Poland Caucus

Pollinator Protection Caucus

Prescription Drug Abuse Caucus

Progressive Caucus

Public Broadcasting Caucus

Public Service Caucus

Public Transportation Caucus

Recycling Caucus

Safe Climate Caucus

Savings and Ownership Caucus

School Health & Safety Caucus

Seniors Task Force

Scouting Caucus

Ski and Snowboard Caucus

Skin Cancer Caucus

Small Brewers Caucus

Small Business Caucus

Soils Caucus

STEAM Caucus

Steel Caucus

Structured Settlements Caucus

Submarine Caucus

Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC)

Taiwan Caucus

Travel and Tourism Caucus

Ukrainian Caucus

USO Caucus

Veterans Job Caucus

Veterinary Medicine Caucus

Wildlife Refuge Caucus

Whip's Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity

Writers Caucus

 

MEUSER RECEIVES AWARD RECOGNIZING SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

 

Congressman Dan Meuser (Photo: LuLac archives) 

his week, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, NFIB, presented Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-9) with their Guardian of Small Business Award, in recognition of his continued support of small businesses in the 116th Congress.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities,” said Congressman Meuser. “As we continue our recovery from COVID-19, it is more important than ever to support small businesses in the 9th District and across America. In Congress, I will continue to advocate for the needs of small businesses, ensuring they are well-positioned to safely reopen, create jobs and reignite our economy.”

“The NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award is awarded to lawmakers who small businesses can truly count on,” said Kevin Kuhlman, NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations. “We are proud to recognize Congressman Dan Meuser for earning this distinction in the 116th Congress by taking pro-small business votes supporting financial assistance programs and tax relief and opposing new regulations and increased labor costs. Small business owners across the country need the support during these unprecedented times, and we are grateful to Congressman Meuser for his leadership.”

About the NFIB Guardians of Small Business Award

NFIB’s Guardian of Small Business Award is reserved for lawmakers who vote consistently with small business on the key issues identified by small business owners. Those who voted with small business on key issues 70% or more of the time during the 116th Congress earned the NFIB Guardian of Small Business Award. NFIB informs lawmakers in advance which votes will be considered NFIB Key Votes and asks lawmakers to support the consensus views of our members.

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

This Sunday Jim Riley’s guest is me, David Yonki from The LuLac Political Letter.  Tune in Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on The Mothership 1340/1400 am, 100.7 and 106.7 fm; and at 7:30 on The River 105 and 103.5

BOBBY V’s SUNDAY NIGHT DOO WOP

1980

Our 1980 logo

Heaven's Gate, one of the most unprofitable films in history, made its debut at New York City's Cinema 1 theater, and was disliked by nearly all critics. Produced by Joann Carelli and written and directed by Michael Cimino for United Artists, the Western film cost $44,000,000 to film and distribute, and would gross less than $3,500,000 at the box office.The original version had a running time of 3 hours, 39 minutes. On April 24, 1981, the film was re-released in more than 800 theaters in a version that was two-and-one-half hours long, and removed from circulation after two weeks……Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin survived a vote of confidence by only three votes, the narrowest margin of 20 no-confidence motions filed against his government in 1980. The final result was 54 against the Begin government, and 57 in favor. Three days later, former Defense Minister Ezer Weizman, one of Begin's colleagues in the Herut Party who had voted against the government, was kicked out of Herut, and the Likud coalition lost its parliamentary majority of 61 of the 120 seats in the Knesset…..water poured in, the 14-inch (36 cm) wide hole expanded into a sinkhole, eventually swallowing the drilling platform, eleven barge boats, a tugboat, and 65 acres (26 hectares) of surrounding land and trees…….The Gang of Four trial began in China, after Mao Zedong's widow Jiang Qing, former Vice Premier Zhang Chunqiao, former Writers Union director Yao Wenyuan, and former Party Vice Chairman Wang Hongwen were indicted on 48 counts, along with six other prominent radicals. Conducted at the Ministry of Public Security in Beijing, the trial was closed to the foreign press………………Forty-five people, mostly senior citizens, were killed in a fire at the four-story tall Kawaji Prince Hotel, a four-story resort near Tōkamachi in the Niigata Prefecture, about 80 miles (130 km) north of Tokyo. The hotel had failed to mark exits and the 132-member staff had no training for fire emergencies……The United Nations General Assembly voted to call on the Soviet Union to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, with 111 in favor and 22 against.The opposition was from the Soviet Union and its two UN members of the General Assembly (the Byelorussian SSR and the Ukrainian SSR, from the Communist nations of Eastern Europe, and from various Soviet allies around the world, including the Soviet-installed government in Afghanistan which requested that the Soviet troops remain……….Eighty-five guests died in a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and another 650 were injured. At the time, about 5,000 people were in the 26-story tall luxury hotel and the casino.[54] fire broke out in one of the hotel's restaurants on the ground floor, The Deli, at 7:07 in the morning, then spread upward through the entire building. Fire investigators determined that an electrical fire started in an attic above the restaurant and smoldered for almost three hours, "not noticed until it burst through the ceiling of the delicatessen in a ball of flame"; it then swept back and witnesses reported that "the fiery ball... rolled across the casino, melting slot machines and devouring drapes and furnishings in its path."  Eighteen people in the casino died, while others died of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning as the fire spread between the 19th and 24th floors of the hotel. Most of the deaths were of people who were descending the stairs to escape the blaze………A record number of viewers at this date (for an entertainment program) tuned into the U.S. television show Dallas to learn who shot lead character J. R. Ewing (portrayed by Larry Hagman). The "Who shot J.R.?" event was an international obsession…….. 

 and the number one song in LuLac land and America was"Whip It" by Devo.