Prestigious medical
journal calls for US leadership to be voted out over Covid-19 failure
By Jacqueline Howard, CNN
(CNN)In an
unprecedented move, the New
England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday published an editorial
written by its editors condemning the Trump administration for its response to
the Covid-19 pandemic -- and calling for the current leadership in the United
States to be voted out of office.
"We rarely publish editorials signed by all the
editors," said Dr. Eric Rubin, editor-in-chief of the medical journal and
an author of the new editorial.
The editorial, which Rubin said was drafted in August, details
how the United
States leads the world in Covid-19 cases and deaths. So far, more than
7.5 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with Covid-19 and
more than 200,000 people have died of the disease.
"This crisis has produced a test of leadership. With no
good options to combat a novel pathogen, countries were forced to make hard
choices about how to respond. Here in the United States, our leaders have
failed that test. They have taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy,"
the editorial says.
It does not endorse a candidate, but offers a scathing critique
of the Trump administration's leadership during the pandemic.
"Anyone else who recklessly squandered lives and money in
this way would be suffering legal consequences. Our leaders have largely
claimed immunity for their actions. But this election gives us the power to
render judgment," the editorial says. "When it comes to the response
to the largest public health crisis of our time, our current political leaders
have demonstrated that they are dangerously incompetent. We should not abet
them and enable the deaths of thousands more Americans by allowing them to keep
their jobs."
The New England Journal of Medicine began publishing in 1812.
There have been only four previous editorials collectively signed by its
editors in the recent past: one in 2014 about contraception; an obituary that same year
for a former editor-in-chief; an editorial that year about standard-of-care
research and an editorial in 2019 about abortion.
"The reason we've never published an editorial about
elections is we're not a political journal and I don't think that we want to be
a political journal -- but the issue here is around fact, not around opinion.
There have been many mistakes made that were not only foolish but reckless and
I think we want people to realize that there are truths here, not just
opinions," Rubin said.
"For example, masks work. Social distancing works.
Quarantine and isolation work. They're not opinions. Deciding not to use them
is maybe a political decision but trying to suggest that they're not real is
imaginary and dangerous," he said. "We don't have the right leaders
for this epidemic. I think we need better leadership."
The New England Journal of Medicine is not the only medical or
scientific publication to take a political stance amid the pandemic and ahead
of this November's presidential election.
In September, the magazine Scientific
American announced it was endorsing former vice president and
Democratic candidate Joe Biden over President Trump, who it criticized for
dismissing science. That announcement marked the publication's first
endorsement of a presidential candidate in its 175-year history.
Levin
Report
Trump Casually Confirms Medicare Is on the Chopping
Block
From “I’m not going to cut
Medicare or Medicaid” to hell yes I’m coming for your social safety net.
By Bess Levin
Something you’ve probably noticed about Donald Trump
by now is that the man is a full-fledged pathological liar. Whether it‘s
big lies like “imminent” attacks on Americans or small lies
like the number of
people at a Beto O’Rourke rally, if there’s an opportunity to lie,
the 45th president of the United States will jump on it like a spread of fast food laid out on the
White House’s finest china. For Donald J. Trump, no lie is too ridiculous, as
evidenced by the claims that Hurricane Dorian was going to hit
Alabama, that Ivanka Trump has created 14 million jobs, and that he,
Donald Trump, “saved” the
pre-existing provision in Obamacare. Some people collect stamps or take up
Jazzercise—Donald Trump lies.
And while many of Trump’s lies are stupid and
pointless and have little effect other than to potentially drive a person to
scream “Jesus Christ do you ever tell the truth about anything you unrepentant
lunatic,” other lies very much impact people’s lives. For instance, the one he told on the 2016
campaign trail about how he will never touch Medicare (or Social Security, for
that matter), which he basically admitted on Wednesday was another one of his
patented whoppers. (Without actually admitting it, of course; the Second Law of
Trump Lies is to never, ever cop to the fact that he’s completely full of shit,
even if there is literally audio or video proving as
much.)
In an interview with CNBC, Trump was asked, “Entitlements
ever [going to] be on your plate?” To which the man who said “I’m not going to
cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut
Medicare or Medicaid” responded, “At some point they will be. We have
tremendous growth. We’re going to have tremendous growth. This next year
I—it’ll be toward the end of the year. The growth is going to be incredible.
And at the right time, we will take a look at that. You know, that’s actually
the easiest of all things, if you look, cause it’s such a big percentage.”
Asked specifically about Medicaid, Trump told host Joe Kernen,
“We’re going to look” and then launched into a typical speech about how he‘s
done so much for African Americans, who despise
him, and failing to give his predecessor any credit whatsoever for the
numbers.
That Trump would lie about a plan to slash
“entitlements” obviously comes as little surprise, given that lies for him are
like oxygen for other living things. Also, there was a hint about it last
August, when Senator John Barrasso told the New York Times
that Republicans had brought up the prospect of gutting “Social Security,
Medicare and other contributors” to the budget deficit to the president, who
reportedly “talked about it being a second-term project.” So this must be very
exciting for them.
|
What is your vote plan? Wisconsinites can now cast
their ballot in-person starting today (October 20) during the early voting
period. Voters can request and vote an
absentee ballot in-person in their municipal clerk’s office or other
designated early vote location possibly through November 1, 2020. Office hours vary by municipality.
Some municipalities may not offer weekend in-person absentee hours. Contact your municipal clerk for absentee voting hours.
There’s no time like now to
cast your ballot for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and all labor-endorsed
2020 candidates on the ballot this fall. Help us turn out the union vote.
Join our virtual phone banks to union families at wisaflcio.org/mobilize.
If you have requested an absentee ballot by mail, track your ballot at
https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/TrackMyBallot. Check to make sure your
ballot is processed. Joe Biden has a plan to create
millions of good-paying, family-supporting union jobs, promote worker safety,
and put working people first during this unprecedented economic downturn.
Biden respects the dignity of work and is proud to support working people,
our unions, and our middle class. Use your power. Use your voice.
Be a 2020 voter. In Solidarity, Stephanie Bloomingdale,
President Dennis Delie,
Secretary-Treasurer |
Democratic vs Republican Stand on Controversial
Issues*
The Democrats and Republicans have varying ideas on many
hot button issues, some of which are listed below. These are broadly
generalized opinions; it must be noted that there are many politicians in each party who have different and
more nuanced positions on these issues.
Social Programs
Democrats across the board believe that
government should run such programs
as
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare, unemployment benefits, and
programs that support seniors and people in
need. They believe more tax dollars
should
be funneled into these programs.
Republicans question the need for these
programs and want to abolish many of
them,
favoring private businesses to take over select ones.
Tax Policy
Both parties favor tax cuts, but each party
takes a different view on where those
tax cuts should be applied. The Democrats
believe there should only be cuts for
middle-
and low-income families but believe that taxes should be higher for
wealthy individuals and corporations. The Republicans believe there
should be
tax
cuts but only for those in the higher income brackets and corporations.
Democrats support progressive taxes. A progressive tax system is one
where
high-income individuals pay taxes at a higher
rate. This is the how federal
income tax brackets are currently set up. For example, the first $10,000
in
income is taxed at 10% but income over $420,000 is taxed at 39.6%.
Some Republicans are proponents of a "flat tax"
where all people pay the same percentage of their income in taxes regardless of
income level. This would result in middle- and low-income earners paying the
same tax rate as wealthy individuals.
Minimum Wage
Democrats favor an increase in the minimum wage to help
workers.
Republicans oppose raising the minimum wage claiming it
hurts businesses.
Abortion
Democrats support a woman’s right to choose and keeping
elective abortions legal and safe.
Republicans do not believe in a woman’s right to choose
and believe abortions should not be legal and that Roe v. Wade should be overturned.
Gun control laws
Democrats favor preserving the Second Amendment while
adopting gun controls laws that require strict background checks to keep guns
out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. They believe this will help prevent massacres
like those that have occurred in the nation’s schools.
Republicans oppose gun control laws.
Democrats are reluctant to using military force against
countries like Iran, Syria, and Libya.
Republicans have a more hard line stance against
countries like Iran, with a higher tendency to deploy the military option.
Energy
Issues and the Environment
There have always been clashes between the
parties on the issues of energy and
the environment. Democrats believe in
restricting drilling for oil or other avenues
of
fossil fuels to protect the environment while Republicans favor expanded
drilling and dismiss the idea that it has a
negative environmental impact.
Democrats support alternative energy
solutions, such as solar and wind power,
while the Republicans favor allowing the
market to decide which forms of
energy are practical. Republicans also deny
that there is a climate warming
problem which threatens future
generations.
Democrats are progressive in their views,
believing that crimes which do not
involve violence, such as using drugs, should
have lighter penalties and
rehabilitation. They are also against capital
punishment.
Republicans generally believe in harsher
penalties when someone has committed
a
crime, including for selling and the use of illegal drugs. They also generally
favor
capital punishment.
The parties have different views on the
education system of the country, but
both agree there needs to be change.
Democrats favor more progressive
approaches to education, such as
implementing the Common Core System,
while Republicans tend to favor more
conservative changes such as longer hours
and more focused programs. They are also
divided on student loans for college,
with Democrats favoring giving students more
money in the form of loans and
grants
while Republicans favor promoting the private sector giving loans.
Foreign Policy
U.S. foreign policy has traditionally been relatively
consistent between Democratic and Republican administrations. Key allies have
always been other Western powers like the UK, France. Allies in the middle east
were—and continue to remain—countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
Nevertheless, some differences can be seen based on the
Obama administration's handling of relations with certain countries. For
example, Israel and the U.S. have always been strong allies. A major
contributor to tension has been the Obama administration's Iran policy. The
U.S. tightened sanctions on Iran in Obama's first term but negotiated a deal in
the second term that allowed international inspections of Iranian nuclear
facilities. The U.S. and Iran also found common ground against the threat from
ISIS.
Republicans in
Congress opposed the Iran deal and the easing of sanctions against Iran.
Another country where the Democratic Obama administration
reversed decades of U.S. policy is Cuba. Republican Rand Paul supported the
unfreezing of relations with Cuba but his opinion is not shared by a majority
of Republicans. Republicans like
presidential contenders Marco Rubio and Ted
Cruz have publicly
opposed the normalization of relations with Cuba.
Politicians from both parties are often heard saying that
"The immigration system in this country is broken." However, the
political divide has been too wide to let any bipartisan legislation pass to
"fix" the system with "comprehensive immigration reform."
In general, the Democratic Party is considered more
sympathetic to the immigrant cause. There is widespread support among Democrats
for the DREAM Act which grants conditional residency (and permanent
residency upon meeting further qualifications) to immigrants who came to the U.S. when they
were minors.
Republicans have been opposed to the act.
Republicans favor legal immigration to be
"merit-based" or "point-based". Such systems allow entry
visas only to individuals with in-demand skills who can contribute to the
economy. The flip side of such a system is that not enough visas may be
available for family-based immigration.
A merit-based system is also the opposite of the what the
Democrats profess: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore."
Abraham Lincoln belonged to the Republican Party, so the
roots of the party lie in individual freedom and the abolition of slavery.
Indeed, 82% of the Republicans in the U.S.
Senate voted in favor
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 while
69% of Democrats did, but that was because the then strong Southern wing
of the Democratic party was vehemently opposed to civil rights legislation.
In any case, the present dynamic is that minorities like Hispanics and African Americans and are much more likely to vote Democratic than Republican. There are prominent
African American Republicans like Colin Powell who have now said they will vote
democratic.
Democrats criticize the GOP for pushing for voter ID laws. They believe that these laws disenfranchise
senior, black and Hispanic voters who tend to be poorer and unable to obtain ID
cards
Republicans believe these laws are necessary to prevent
voter fraud while it has been proven that voter fraud is virtually non-existent.
*Compiled
from several published articles.
THE IRON COUNTY'S DA "HOME"???
This warehouse in the Town of Kimball is listed as the residence on the nomination papers of Iron County's Republican District Attorney Matt Tingstad.
Wisconsin law requires that anyone holding public office must live in the state. Tingstad is also not registered as a Wisconsin voter.
Debunking President Trump's 2020 Election Myths
Living under Donald Trump's presidency
for the last four years means we've gotten used to the nation's leader making
false or misleading statements. And in the run-up to November, Trump has stayed
true to himself, spouting several deceptive—and concerning—comments about the
2020 election. Here, we'll be keeping track of (and helping to debunk) Trump's
election myths.
Myth: Trump can delay the election.
On July 30th, Trump claimed that due
to mail-in voting, the 2020 presidential election would be "the most
INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history." He then suggested
delaying the election until "people can properly, securely and safely
vote."
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to
find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more
information, at their web site.
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not
Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE &
FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA.
Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
According to CNN, Trump has "no authority" to delay the
presidential election. In fact, the Constitution gives Congress the power to
set the voting date, and as CNN reports, "Lawmakers from both parties said
almost immediately there was no likelihood the election would be delayed and
even some of Trump's allies said his message reflected the desperate flailing
of a badly losing candidate."
NPR also reported that Trump later said that he did not actually want a
"date change" but warned the procedures for the 2020 election would
be "fraudulent," "fixed," and "rigged."
Prompted by Trump's tweet, the New York Times answered some questions relating to Trump's power over the
election, including whether Trump can cancel or postpone the election with an
executive order (no) and the likelihood of the election being postponed (highly
unlikely).
Myth: Mail-in voting will lead to voter fraud.
Referring to that same tweet from
Trump, CNN reported there's "no evidence" that mail-in voting leads
to fraudulent voting, though Trump has claimed as such several times. (Some Democrats have also raised concerns.) The Times also reported in its Q&A that mail-in voting does not
lead to voter fraud and that studies have shown voter fraud is "very
rare" in the U.S. Also, fun fact, Trump voted by mail in the 2016
election.
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to
find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more
information, at their web site.
Republicans should fight very hard
when it comes to state wide mail-in voting. Democrats are clamoring for it.
Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesn’t work out
well for Republicans. @foxandfriends
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2020
The Times also reports that in five states (Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon,
Utah, and Washington), "most or all votes are cast by mail" while in
three other states, more than half are cast by mail. "And states that use
vote-by-mail have encountered essentially zero fraud," the paper reports.
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to
find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more
information, at their web site.
"You get thousands and
thousands of people sitting in somebody's living room, signing ballots all over
the place. No. I think that mail-in voting is a terrible thing" -- Trump
totally makes stuff up on Tuesday to discredit mail-in voting pic.twitter.com/bsUjFxPwIP
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 8, 2020
Trump has also made claims that
mail-in voting is particularly detrimental to Republican candidates, though Vox clarifies, "There’s little evidence that mail-in voting
disproportionately helps Democrats, but that hasn’t stopped Trump and other
Republicans from opposing it on a partisan basis."
He's also, falsely, said that
there's a difference between absentee voting and mail-in voting. CNN reports there isn't really one and many states "make no
distinction at all."
However, it is true that some
experts have concerns going into this election. Politico reports: "It’s unknown whether
the United States Postal Service can handle a surge of mail-in ballots in a
timely fashion, and other officials have cautioned about long lines and a
shortage of workers at in-person polling stations, which have been limited
during the coronavirus outbreak. Some have predicted the crush of remote voting
could mean a final winner in the presidential race between Trump and Democrat
Joe Biden won’t be known for days or even weeks. "
Myth: Trump can successfully reject the election results.
During a Fox News interview in late
July, Trump would not say whether he would accept the results of the 2020
presidential election. When asked to give a "direct answer" about
whether he would accept the election, Trump said: "I have to see. I have to see. No, I’m not going to
just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either."
(Forbes pointed out that during the 2016 election Trump said, "I will
totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election if
I win.")
Then when asked, during an interview
with Axios's Jonathan Swan, what not accepting the results would look like, he
said, "Hillary Clinton never accepted them. She still doesn't accept
them."
This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to
find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information,
at their web site.
Trump on accepting the election
result in November: "Well, Hillary Clinton never accepted. She still
doesn't accept it."
Swan: "She conceded on election night, now she grumbled about it-"
Trump: "Grumbled? She wrote books about it." pic.twitter.com/6Wk1WXFHPU
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) August 4, 2020
In response to Trump's statements, GEN explored the question of what exactly happens if Trump
refuses to accept the results of the presidential election. One potential
scenario the site describes is a situation where Trump is ahead on election
night but Biden wins days or weeks later, once every vote is counted.
GEN reports: "It’s conceivable in a close race that the
Democratic governor certifies one result and one set of electors, but the
Republican legislature certifies an entirely different result and set of
electors. That’s where all these scenarios can start to go haywire."
However, the site confirms that it's
unlikely the fallout from such a scenario would happen: "It requires a
very specific set of circumstances where Trump loses, challenges the validity
of the election, and then still has enough allies in state legislatures and
Washington, D.C., to be able to formally overturn the Electoral College results—to
say nothing of the popular vote—under color of law."
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