In the absence of federal leadership, governors around the country are stepping up to fight the COVID-19 outbreak on their own. Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York is calling for retired health care workers to register with the state, asking that all hospitals increase their capacity by 50%, pushing for the construction of temporary medical facilities, and implementing aggressive testing, which is giving public health professionals in the state the data they need to plan and respond in close to real-time. [The state of New York, according to Cuomo, is doing more tests per capita than even China and South Korea right now.] And, while he’s doing this, he’s also finding time to thank not only front-line health care workers and public safety officers, but also those who are stocking grocery shelves and providing childcare for doctors and nurses. And, somehow, he’s doing it all with empathy, and without defensively lashing out at people like an angry, narcissistic toddler. It’s exactly the kind of leadership we need right now.
And he’s showing creativity. For instance, when it became clear that people weren’t adhering to the call to “flatten the curve” by staying home, he reached out to a number of famous New Yorkers, asking them to record PSAs, urging people to stay in, something the White House should have been doing a week ago. [It’s absolutely criminal, by the way, that the President didn’t call upon elected officials in Florida, urging them to close their beaches during spring break.]
Danny DeVito wants you to stay home and save lives.#NewYorkStateStrongerTogether @DannyDeVito pic.twitter.com/7V8yXbqHwB
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 22, 2020
And, thankfully, a lot of other governors – especially Democratic governors – are also stepping up and demonstrating the kind of leadership America so desperately needs in this moment. In California, for instance, Gavin Newsom has deployed the National Guard to get food into the hands of “to isolated and vulnerable Californians,” as the number of food bank volunteers has dropped considerably as result of the outbreak. And, in Kentucky, it looks as though the fast action of Governor Andy Beshear could have helped saved the lives of many. [The numbers could be off due to the fact that testing still isn’t being done at the rate that it should be, but, looking at the trajectory of COVID-19 in both Kentucky, a state that moved quickly, and Tennessee, a neighboring state which did not, it would seem that fast action really makes a difference when it comes to slowing the spread of the virus.]
And, here in Michigan, our governor, Gretchen Whitmer, is working to acquire more ventilators, as we only have 1,000 in the entire state, and Donald Trump doesn’t seem to be offering any significant help. Asked about this today, Whitmer said, “I feel like we are making some progress, but if the federal government is able to procure some ventilators and ship them to Michigan we will be incredibly grateful.” Unfortunately, however, that doesn’t seem to be happening. Whitmer, interviewed this morning on “This Week,” made it clear that we would have been in a better position right now, had the Trump administration treated the coronavirus like the legitimate public health crisis that it is, instead of downplaying its severity for months. Here she is telling America that “lives will be lost because we weren’t prepared.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on COVID-19: "I can't afford to have a fight with the White House, but the fact of the matter is at some point we're going to have to analyze where all the failures were … lives will be lost because we weren't prepared." Via ABC pic.twitter.com/g3DCCRe3bQ
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 22, 2020
Donald Trump, for what it’s worth, is responding exactly like you’d expect him to respond. He isn’t demonstrating any kind of concern for the position these U.S. governors are in, empathy for the people they govern, or, for that matter, even the most rudimentary skill as a head of state. Instead, he’s attacking our nation’s governors for having the audacity to question his leadership during this crisis. Governors, Trump said today, “shouldn’t be blaming the Federal Government for their own shortcomings.” [Curiously, when Obama was President, Donald Trump had a much different take on the role of the federal government in times of crisis, but we’ll leave that discussion for another time.]
Donald Trump hasn’t responded to me yet, but I wrote to him on Twitter earlier today, asking if he’d told these terribly unprepared governors of ours, back in January and February, when he was receiving classified intelligence briefings on the coronavirus outbreak, and how our medical infrastructure would be effected, that they should be stockpiling things like medical masks and ventilators. Because, you see, they weren’t privy to those same classified intelligence reports. No, they just knew from the President that everything was “very much under control.” [That, by they way, is an exact a quote from Donald Trump. On February 24, he said, “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA… Stock Market starting to look very good to me!”]
You got the intelligence briefings in January about what was likely to happen, not them. Did you share that information with the governors so that they could prepare?
— Mark Maynard (@MarkAMaynard) March 22, 2020
Donald Trump, to his credit, did a few good things today, like agreeing to Governor Newsom’s request that the U.S. Navy’s hospital ship Mercy be deployed to Los Angeles, and approving requests to use National Guard troops in Washington, New York and California. These are, of course, good things, but, even in these cases, he’s just responding to what’s being asked of him, and not offering the kind of leadership one would expect from the Executive branch. Here, to give you an idea of what the Trump administration looks like in action, is the President’s new FEMA Director, Peter Gaynor, apparently unable to answer even the simplest questions about how much personal protective equipment is being shipped to front-line health care workers.
This is Trump's FEMA Director, who is responsible for getting protective gear and tests out to where their needed.
This does not breed confidence. #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/5p1x3RDr86
— Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) March 22, 2020
It’s not that Donald Trump and his administration don’t have priorities, though. They do. Right now, for instance, they’re pushing for more poorly overseen, no-strings-attached corporate welfare, to the tune of $500 billion. And, by the way, it looks as though Trump’s own company would qualify to get money from this fund. [In sharp contrast, the Democrats are pushing for a bailout that prioritizes American workers.]
As for what the President could be doing, here are two suggestions. He could nationalize the medical supply chain, as Governor Cuomo is suggesting, which would eliminate the situation we now find ourselves in, in which individual states are bidding against one another for much needed supplies. And he could invoke the Defense Production Act, which would allow him to compel American companies to produce personal protective equipment for our health care professionals and the testing supplies we need to effectively fight COVID-19. Instead, though, Donald Trump seems satisfied to just make light of the possibility that Mitt Romney may have been infected as members of his administration attempt to use this crisis in order to funnel yet more American tax dollars into the pockets of the most wealthy.
59 Comments
The bickering in congress is tanking the Dow futures.
It’s gonna be a black Monday if they don’t have a deal by breakfast.
Remember when they didn’t pass TARP the first time?
Hold on.
Start your garden seeds inside now. This constitutional criminal ruskie stooge is going to cause an economic depression unprecedented in our lives.
Ha ha
Gardening? Nobody does that.
“Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to announce a stay-at-home order during an 11 a.m. press conference Monday, sources tell 7 Action News.”
Aloha, looks like McConnell has a stock market sell off poised like a gun pointing at Congresses head.
Stock market futures are set for 5% drop when the market opens at 9 am. This will trigger an automatic 15 min stop to trading.
McConnell has set a second vote on the 1.8 billion give away to the 1% for 9:45.
Give us the money or we continue to tank economy.
This is how hard ball is played. St. Nancy failed us again. Instead of a Democratic bill put out by the House being debated, we will get stuck with this Republican monster. It is almost like the Dems dont want to win.
How would you suggest she win, Wobblie?
Truly curious about the apparently obvious scenario you imagine.
How are things going on the island, Wobblie?
Aloha spoke to soon once again. Just read that the Fed is prepared to be the “buyer of last resort”. Sounds like QE in total overdrive.
Very quite. Curfew in effect.
The House is supposed tp be the body that funding bills originate. There is at least one UBI bill in the House (Tulsi introduced it as well as AOC). Why is Nancy sitting on my it?
The house passed a bill. The Senate ignored it and write their own. Tulsa’s bill was more political grandstanding and is not going to pass and was never going to pass; that’s why it’s been held up. What’s the point? Please explain ho you think Pelosi can get McConnell to put the house bill to a vote? The Dems in the senate voted against the GOP package.
What more can they do??
We need the federal government to use the Defense Production Act so that we can get the medical supplies we desperately need.
We can’t just wait for companies to come forward with offers and hope they will.
This is a national emergency.
https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1242107062697504772?s=20
Stay at home order by Whitmer for at least three weeks. Only can go on the roads for food and medicine or caring for family. Can go on walks but must remain six feet from others.
HW are you a survivalist?
Do you have a stash of food and weapons?
Just curious.
If things get really bad can I come stay with you?
I’ve never been so mean to you.
How’s Jean supposed to “cut” any “bitches” from six feet away?
Don’t worry about Ferrari Gene, iRobert. Like minded people have a way of figuring this stuff out.
………………..
Lynne
Posted February 26, 2020 at 11:19 am | Permalink
If I get it though I am going to go to every MAGA rally I can and I won’t wash my hands or cover my cough either!
…………………
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/488919-fbi-white-supremacists-encouraging-members-to-spread%3famp
However she hasn’t done it.
Rand Paul knew he was exposed but after taking the test and before the results went to the senate cafeteria and gym.
Don’t bother Lynne, Rand Paul is taking care of it.
Indeed. I was just making a joke. I am not at all surprised that FF doesn’t get it. He just isn’t good with figurative language in general. Remember the time he thought I was really threatening to kick men in the nuts when I suggested that for a lot of men, having a woman be elected president would feel that way to them? He is funny but only unintentionally!
I would never go to such a rally! And the beauty of it is, I don’t need to in order to make sure Trump supporters are affected by this virus. They will spread it just fine at their rallies without me. One would hope, of course, that the rallies will be canceled. Yet even if not, as has already been pointed out here, guys like Rand Paul are taking care of business.
I wonder if white supremacists make similar jokes? We will need our resident humor experts to break down what makes your joke so hilarious. Because it is your joke maybe you be so kind as to explain why we ought to find it funny?
Aloha JH, it is like you never heard of setting the terms of debate nor of conference committee.
Oh well, at least the reduction in carbon emissions will help. I was talking to my cousin in Indianapolis. Life long asthma sufferer. He says he is breathing the cleanest air since 911.
The house passed aproposal; It wasn’t Tulsi’s. Are you suggesting it would have passed the house, Wobblie?
Well, she was at least present and voting this time. Bernie wasn’t even around for the vote or the negotiations…
And his supporters are pronouncing him the only one working for workers’ rights.
It’s all so much unbelievable bullshit.
What the leftists here do not understand is that you don’t get to set the terms for debate if you can’t gather enough support to win votes. No one is preventing anyone from achieving power. They don’t have it because they have not convinced enough people. They don’t have it, not because people are in total disagreement with them, but because people who can’t and won;t compromise or listen to other people’s POV can’t accrue power in a democracy. It resists autocrats and moralists. Still. Especially in the Dem party. Thank god.
idiot president. JFC.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-considers-easing-social-distancing-guidelines-to-boost-economy-11584986183
Apparently I was wrong yesterday when I said that Trump wanted to laugh this $500B corporate welfare fund without any real oversight. Asked about it today, he said that he’d provide the oversight.
FF, I don’t know what White Nationalists find to be funny but I think the worry is that they are not joking about spreading the virus. The reason *I* find jokes about spreading the virus at Trump rallies is that such an idea is moronic to the point of being absurd. You can’t spread a virus like that and expect not to spread it to one’s own loved ones. Viruses don’t care about political views!!!
The virus actually fits in the Nazi ultra Darwinism world view in that they think it will purge the weak and inferior. They are wrong as usual.
Lynne, speaking from experience, you will be hearing about that statement for as long as you continue participating here. FF never lets anything go, especially metaphorical speech.
Oh, it was a joke. What part of killing other persons do you find humorous?
EOS– Everything can be funny. Humor is a survival mechanism. There were jokes written on the walls of the gas chambers in Nazi concentration camps.
If my daughter chases after my son, saying I’m going to kill you. I know she’s not actually going to kill him. If someone uses a colloquial phrase used by young people, to express her anger at a conservative who would limit her right to bodily autonomy because of belief in a sky wizard, I know there is no actual threat. I also know that anyone who regularly relies on putting that statement on blast must have a really weak argument.
Grow up.
Anyway… What Lynne or I say about hurting conservatives doesn’t really matter, because they seem hell-bent on killing themselves off:
https://twitter.com/ndrew_lawrence/status/1242266743160090624?s=20
Killing themselves off with…medicine that prevents being killed off. What point do you think you are making?
Lynne is making a joke about unintended consequences? Like how if a bigoted version of Mr Bean tried to inflict pain on his enemies it would just end up hurting his friends?
Lynne’s joke has an incubation period:
1) Lynne gets Corona virus= not funny
2) Lynne attends a Trump rally= not funny
3) Lynne intentionally spreads her virus to rally participants= not funny
4) Trump supporters go home and spread Lynne’s virus to their families=not funny
5) The children of Trump supporters go to school and unknowingly spread the virus to children of Parents from a wide range of political perspectives=starting to get funny?
6) The children infected by the child of a Trump supporter go home to the parents and expose their parents to Lynne’s virus=starting to get funnier?
7) One of the families that catches Lynne’s virus is actually related to Lynne=starting to giggle?
8) The same family is invited to a party= wait for it?
9) The party is heavily attended by members of Lynne’s friend group and members of her family= almost there?
10) Lynne’s family and friends catch Lynne’s virus at the party=hoo hoo haha haha?
11) And one of Lynne’s friends catches it and has an underlying illness and requires hospitalization=LOL?
12) And Lynne’s friend, infected indirectly by Lynne, forced to go to the hospital, because of Lynne is also a Democrat=Punchline?
(I am still having a hard time understanding why I ought to consider your joke funny Lynne. )
Your explanation was funny though.
One good thing is we haven’t seen a noticeable increase in the amount of words FF is producing.
Still too much but with the shelter in place decree I was preparing to be overwhelmed.
FF, humor takes a good understanding of things like symbolic language and irony which you lack. So I have zero expectations that you will find that joke funny. That is ok. We don’t all have to have the same sense of humor. There certainly are jokes I don’t find to be funny even though others do.
I find that joke funny because the idea that anyone would go to a Trump rally to hurt people is pretty absurd but there is also a bit of parody there since so many who go to Trump rallies are selfish and openly advocate for policies which hurt people. Your howling about how terrible it is that I made a joke about hurting people rings hollow since you have so much support for people (i.e. those who attend Trump rallies) who are actually really hurting people. Just sayin.
Ok. We need to think in symbols to understand. Ok. Let’s do it.
-Lynne is accidentally infected by a virus, and it symbolizes what?
-Lynne intentionally infects attendants at a Trump rally with a virus, and it symbolizes what?
Please help me understand Lynne. I don’t yet have the emotional/ intellectual capacity to know the difference between good and evil when watching an episode of Star Wars—so I am obviously not yet equipped to parse out the nuance of your funny jokes.
Dude. Sometimes you just have to accept that you don’t get a joke. Not everyone gets every joke and once a joke has to be explained it just is kind of ruined.
But as this one already is… the joke is mocking the Trump supporters for their callous attitudes towards the lives and health of others by displaying an attitude that is as vile as theirs but coming from a source you might not expect. I mean seriously, the idea that I would go out and hurt people physically is absurd. The idea that ANYONE would think that sharing a virus would accomplish their goals is absurd. So there is an element of comedy of the absurd in the joke. That any would actually seriously think that someone would do that to them is kind of funny too because they are projecting so much (since they themselves on purpose vote for policies intended to hurt people) and the lack of self-awareness is an opening for a whole host of other jokes.
Mostly just standing around going “Really?!?” as you are already kind of a joke all on your own.
Lynne fits into the saying: Republicans think Liberals are people with bad policies. Liberals think Republicans are bad people.
The thing to take note of is note of is not my supposed inability to understand Lynne’s hilarious jokes the thing to take note of is that Lynne belongs to a class of people who would make such a joke and/or find such a joke humorous. In Lynne’s simplistic Star Wars symbolic order, which is made possible because of her fundamental narcissism everything gets boiled down into simplistic extremes:
-Lynne symbolizes good.
-People who disagree with Lynne symbolize bad.
Does Lynne really think people who do not live on the extremes would make the same assumptions that allowed her to make a joke about bioterrorism? You are making the same sort of jokes the worst people on the right would make—you know—white supremacist bigot types? The reason the extremes share the same kinds of jokes is because they share the same logic of bigotry.
It is ridiculous to ever think Princess Lynne would ever do anything bad though because she belongs to the protected class of “good people”. Just ask her. Privilege…
A fact remains: The “jokes” and threats of violence and or”jokes” about stripping others of their rights that have occurred on this blog have always happened in one direction. It happens from people on the left against people perceived to be on the right. Think about it. You are not what you think you are. Not even close.
FF, I have to admit that I think there is a HUGE difference between parodying bad behavior and actually doing it. Trump supporters are actually doing it and liberals are more or less just making fun of that. Sometimes humor is a way to deal with horrifying things.
Obviously I disagree with your opinion of me. I am grateful that it doesn’t carry any weight.
Whether or not Lynne is actually a bioterrorist or just someone who jokes about bioterrorism was never the issue though, right? Whether or not joking about bioterrorism bears any sort of equivalency with bioterrorist acts was never the issue, right? Nice attempt to re-frame…Hey, that’s why I call her Slippery Lynne—she is a walking, talking, sophistry machine.
I accepted you were joking about bioterrorism. I asked you why we ought to find your joke about bioterrorism funny l. I asked why you would tell such a joke. I also wondered what conditions would be required in order to make a bioterrorism joke funny and not irresponsible or in bad taste.
Currently, in our schools, it is understood by students and authorities, that jokes about domestic terrorism are not funny and not taken lightly. It is understood by 99% of CHILDREN. I am fascinated that Princess Lynne is able to employ a well matured sophistry in her defense of jokes about bioterrorism but she is unable to understand basic things that almost all children understand. Am I the only one who finds that fascinating? I don’t think it is all Lynne’s fault either although think she ought to know better…Her statements arise out of specific social conditions which somehow make those kinds of jokes more permissible for some folks while wholly unacceptable for other folks.
All you anti-Trumpers should donate all of that dirty white supremacist sexist money about to come into your account to victims in our community of Trump’s vileness. Take out all your cash and hand it out to people you think need it. Don’t try to get a tax break by donating to some shitty non-profit or something. Just give cash.
FF— grow up.
Look, I know you like to imagine you’re the grown up in the room, but just about every human on the planet can recognize the pettiness and insecurity at the heart of a Condescending, bloviating know it all who imagines he’s a force for civility.
Everyone but you maybe.
Just stop.
HW— that’s exactly what’s already happening.
Jean—Wise up.
Look, I know you like to imagine you are smart, but just about every human on the planet can recognize the stupidity at the heart of a narcissistic, bloviating know it all who imagines she is a force for wisdom.
Everyone but you maybe.
Just stop.
“HW— that’s exactly what’s already happening.”
Really?! Did they pass the $2 trillion bill yet and get light-speed payouts out already or something?
In my unbiased opinion, Frosted Flakes bloviates way more idiotically than Lynne.
Aloha Jean, notice how the House is now stuck with a conservative Senate/white house trillion dollar cooperate relief deal, instead of the Senate and the White House having to deal with a peoples relief bill passed by the House. Just like with Obama, Democrats haven’t a clue about how to win at negotiations.
Failure to pass the Senate deal will make the House Democrats the obstructionist.
In my unbiased opinion, Frosted Flakes and Jean Henry are tied as bloviators but Frosted Flakes is more idiotic.
Aloha. Listening to Dylan Ratigan explain how we, through The Federal Reserve have already back stopped the banks and financial system to the tune of 14 trillion. People probably don’t remember how Congress gave the Fed the authority to give that sector of the economy trillions of bucks. We gave them that authority after everyone got pissed off after the 2008 corporate give aways. That great Democrat Ralph Emanual made sure our politicians would not have to go on the record this time around.
The 500 billion us lowly folks will get is chicken change compared to what we are giving our corporate masters.
Everything the government under Trump is doing is to the benefit of the FIRE sector of the economy
So much for Trump draining the swamp.
Hey DO,
Let’s play a game. Let’s compile and compare lists of every time someone from the left or right has made threats of violence or made jokes about violence against others on this site. You are in charge of the list for those comments from people on the right and I will respond with instance from people on the right. It is easy for me. Go.
oops, *I will respond with instance from people on the LEFT
Aloha, if we divided the 16 trillion equally, every American ( or at least 360 million of us) would get in excess of $44,000.
Imagine how the real economy would take off. Oh well seems like a bipartisan commitment to keeping our zombie blood sucking finance system afloat regardless of the cost.
Give me your top ten.
DO— to bloviate requires one to be idiotic. I’m just a scolding, sometimes-provoking, pain in the ass here— but consider the forum.
Nancy Pelosi is such a boss. Really brought the votes in for this corporate bailout. Congratulations to her and her worshipful minions.
Hey Bob– HEre’s what Nancy actually got you, you ingrate. Stop listening to people who WANT you to believe the DEm party doesn’t work their asses off for workers.
Workers and Small businesses (including non-profits), this is what the stimulus bill actually offers you:
-Quick turnaround 25k small business loan
-Emergency Small Business Loans (emergency SBA 7(a) loans): Provide funding for up to $10 million for eligible nonprofits and small businesses, permitting them to cover costs of payroll, operations, and debt service.
General Eligibility: Available to entities that existed on 3/1/2020 and had paid employees.
-Loan Use: Loan funds could be used to make payroll and associated costs, including health insurance premiums, facilities costs, and debt service.
-Loan Forgiveness: Employers that maintain employment between March 1 and June 30 would be eligible to have their loans forgiven, essentially turning the loan into a grant.
-Employee Retention Payroll Tax Credit: Creates a refundable payroll tax credit of up to $5,000 for each employee on the payroll when certain conditions are met.
-Expanded Unemployment Insurance: Includes coverage for workers who are furloughed, gig workers, and freelancers. Increases payments by $600 per week for four months on top of what state unemployment programs pay. (In Michigan that almost triples the current maximum unemployment pay out)
And Speaker Pelosi promises another bill with more for workers and businesses and state and local government.
I am grateful that Pelosi is in charge of the House. There isn’t anyone who could do a better job than she does. Bob doesn’t like women so his opinion about her is meaningless to me.
I am not interested in playing word games with idiots. I am here to offer my unbiased opinion whenever I please on whatever topic I choose. I do not take requests, but if Frosted Flakes debates his sock puppet and it pleases me, I may judge which of his puppets is more idiotic.
Good idea, D’server. Don’t let anybody try to rope you into any word games with idiots. You have important work to do.
Hmm. Not a word game. Or even a request. Just a point of clarification re the word you chose to use.
You aren’t using sock puppet accurately either.
Thankfully you defined idiot with no difficulty whatsoever, DO.