The Mask Did It

Viral Musings:  Yesterday US COVID mortality crossed the 150,000 mark and the virus took the lives of 1400 people, more than any other day since May, yet Trump who “reported” to be taking the virus stuff more seriously and who has lately been paying lip service to face masking attended a Texas fund raiser without one.  That’s particularly stupid  given that Representative Louis Gohmert, one of the most awful members of the Tea Party loon squad tested positive moments before he was to join Trump on Air Force One for the flight to Texas.  Gohmert, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, didn’t wear a mask for much of Tuesday’s AG Barr hearing, and though he blames his COVID infection on those few times that he did wear a mask, mostly he doesn’t wear one.  Reports are that the unmasked Barr who was seen entering the hearing alongside the garrulous aerosol spreading Gohmert rushed to get tested with one of those quickie tests yesterday; though his results came back negative, at this point it’s too early for the results to have any meaning, he’ll have to be tested again and probably will be because he has access to all the tests that most others don’t.  A number of other Republicans who came into contact with Gohmert, are now freaking out and at least one of them, 77 year old Congresswoman Kay Granger, who sat next to Gohmert on a recent flight from Texas is now self-quarantining.  Last night, Gohmert told Fox that he’s downing hydroxychloroquine tablets, the drug that Trump touts regularly despite those daily reminders from virus guru Fauci and former FDA head Scott Gottlieb, among other real doctors, that the drug doesn’t cure or prevent COVID.  He’s probably also swilling Lysol because, well you know why.  In a rational world Gohmert would be holed up in his basement but since he’s one of those members of Congress who doesn’t have a Washington DC pad, he’s in his office, which serves as his home when he’s in DC.  That’s the office that he called all of his staff to yesterday to inform them about his infection, of course he only told them after his test results were first leaked by Politico.  Would it surprise anyone to know that Gohmert ridicules staff members when they don masks so none of them had on face coverings as they crowded around him to hear the news?  If Gohmert is a super spreader, there will be a lot more infected people shortly.  Gohmert isn’t the only member of the contingent that was supposed to join Trump in Texas who tested positive; Wesley Hunt, one of the Republicans’ few Black candidates for the House had to cancel after receiving positive test results, he’s now in quarantine. Last night Speaker Pelosi, who previously had only “recommended” face coverings to avoid loud pushback from and juvenile actions by the usual cretins announced that masks are now mandatory in the halls of Congress.  

Trump Tidings: For his part Trump had a productive day.  Failing at virus suppression and with no new coronavirus stimulus legislation to announce, he went full in on racial dog-whistling, only unlike a dog whistle he’s said the racist stuff out loud for all to hear, particularly those people in the suburbs that he’s trying to lure back into the fold.  He did that by rescinding Obama-era fair housing rules, tweeting “I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood.”  Hardly subtle but totally in character given that he and his father Fred got into trouble for that kind of thing back when Trump was just the lackey son of a Queens New York real estate guy.   Trump also announced that his much promised withdrawal of 12000 US troops from Germany was moving forward, tweeting “Germany pays Russia billions of dollars a year for energy and we are supposed to protect Germany from Russia, What’s that all about. Also Germany is very delinquent in their 2% fee to NATO therefore we are moving some troops out of Germany!”  Clearly, while Trump admitted to never having discussed those bounties that Putin placed on our troops in Afghanistan with Vlad, their calls have  been very productive for Putin.  Getting troops out of German is tops on his wish list.  By the way, there is no 2% NATO fee, that 2% figure is the amount of GDP that NATO members are supposed to try to pay for their own defense by 2024, Trump may actually know that but he figures he gets more bang for his tweets if he sticks with the delinquency assertion.  Anyway a number of members of Congress from both houses and from both sides of the aisle are not happy with the troop withdrawal but how often does that really stop Trump from doing what he wants?  He’s continues to finagle with the census and the Supreme Court’s decision that he’s supposed to leave DACA alone hasn’t influenced his behavior.  Though current DACA beneficiaries are being allowed to update their papers, his immigration guys are refusing to accept new applications. Similarly despite a Judge’s ruling that migrant children being held in coronavirus infected camps must be released, Trump’s immigration guys keep stalling.  And of course, he’s doing his best to screw up postal delivery in order to make absentee ballot voting less viable.

Et Cetera:  No one is happy with Mitch McConnell and the Republican’s version of coronavirus stimulus legislation.  A portion of the Republican Senate contingent doesn’t want to provide any additional relief, another portion, particularly those up for reelection in purple states, wants to provide more relief.  House Democrats, who finished their version of the legislation weeks ago want to stick with the $600 federal unemployment relief payments, Republicans want to chop it down to $200 at best and as a result, absent a continuation of some sort the payment will expire by weekend. If you think the economy is bad now wait until the recipients of those payments don’t have money for food or rent.  In other news, the release of Epstein facilitator Ghislaine Maxwell’s documents are getting closer.  Last night a judge ruled that some of them should be released this morning while also  giving her lawyers time to appeal over the release of some others. Though this morning’s release may now also be on hold, those documents are likely to be released soon.  Some important people are going to be very unhappy. Although Trump asserted yesterday that federal troops would remain in Portland, Oregon forever, yesterday after negotiations with local officials they agreed to leave though more tear gas got lobbed at demonstrators last night so who knows what’s really happening.   The Notorious RBG had a minor surgical procedure to deal with the stent that caused the infection that sent her to the hospital two weeks ago.  She’s now reported to be resting comfortably at a NY Hospital.  Stay strong Ruthie!