Twenty One

Super Spreader Tour:  Trump is back on the super-spreader trail, this time without a full complement of reporters as lacking assurances that Trump’s travel squad is following basic safety precautions, the Wall Street Journal, NY Times and Washington Post declined to assign reporters to the trip. Without them along for the ride, Trump traveled to Sanford, Florida, the first of many locations he plans to visit on his “OMG Sleepy Joe Biden is leading in the polls” tour.  No mask for Trump, though he did have a bandage on one of his little hands, an indication that he may still be receiving some miracle drugs.  While he was traveling his doctor finally released a report saying that he’d tested COVID negative on consecutive days but didn’t say which days those were.  The letter also indicated that his tests were the less sensitive rapid ones rather than the more sensitive and more reliable type that picks up smaller traces of active virus likely because those more accurate tests still reveal virus in his system.  That said, aside from his oddly applied make-up which left swaths of his very white neck exposed, Trump appeared relatively robust.  He spoke for a little more than an hour, threw masks to his adoring, packed crowd, asserted that he was now immune from the virus, bragged about having received three or four Nobel Peace Prizes, and talked up his affinity to Puerto Ricans, at least the ones who now live and vote in Florida.  As to that immunity thing, he really should watch out.  Yesterday it was reported that a 25 year old Nevada man contracted COVID twice, the second time, traced to different strain than the first, he was sicker and ended up in the hospital.  Depressing but true.  Also depressing, last night Johnson & Johnson announced a pause in their vaccine trial due to an unexplained illness in one of their participants. That’s not something that Trump will talk about but virus guru Fauci probably would be happy to entertain some questions.  Yesterday, he spent some quality time on the air with CNN’s Jake Tapper making it clear that he’s not happy that the Trump campaign has included him in one of their advertisements.  When Tapper told him that he’d heard that Team Trump plans to roll out another ad with him in it, Fauci said that doing so would be “terrible, outrageous and could backfire.”  Later, on CNBC he clarified that he didn’t mean to imply that he was thinking of resigning because he’s devoted his “entire professional career to fighting infectious diseases” and isn’t backing down now, leaving the distinct impression that despite orders from the top he plans to speak out more using his higher credibility to push back at Trump’s misstatements.  To that end he boldly referred to the Amy Comey Barrett reception that resulted in a still unknown number of people get COVID as a super-spreader event and said that campaigning to large crowds was “not advised,” strong words from the usually moderate Fauci.    

The Supremes:  The Amy Coney Barret hearings began yesterday.  Utah Senator Mike Lee, one of those who came down with a symptomatic case of COVID after attending ACB’s White House coming out party attended the hearing in person.  The carefree Lee took off his mask while giving his remarks, he was also caught on camera having a way too close chat with committee Chair Lindsey Graham while standing right behind the 88-year old Senator Grassley.  Though it’s unlikely that the Democrats will be able to stop ACB’s confirmation, they stuck to message.  Although each of them questioned the legitimacy of the hearing, they spent more time on a more voter resonating theme, saying that a vote to confirm Judge Amy was a vote to eliminate Obamacare and a kiss goodbye to the coverage of pre-existing conditions.  VP Candidate/Senator Kamala Harris, a member of the Judiciary Committee, stayed safe speaking via video to avoid the Senate petri dish. Rather than an artfully placed flower pot or pineapple, her “set” included a picture of a young girl with a congenital heart defect who was a beneficiary of Obamacare’s pre-existing condition coverage.  The question and answer portion of the hearings begins today.  As to masks,  Chief of Staff Mark Meadows who has been in close daily contact with Trump refused to keep his on during what was supposed to be a press corps availability moment.  When one of the reporters asked him to put his face covering on Meadows refused to answer questions instead stalking off in a huff. 

Politics Unusual:  The election is off and running with long lines and waits primarily in urban and Black areas of Georgia, ongoing court fights about limitations on drop boxes in minority areas of Texas and a few faux drop boxes placed by Republican party functionaries in parts of California.  The number of people showing up for early voting is unprecedented and to no one’s surprise, Attorney General Barr, who is either home quarantining or hiding under a rock has had nothing to say about those irregular California boxes because fraud is okay when Republicans do it.  On the crucial Senate front though a few more stories have emerged about North Carolina Senatorial candidate Cal Cunningham’s extramarital activities, curiously enough polls indicate that his lead over his Republican opponent, incumbent Thom Tillis has widened.  Though the news out of North Carolina is good, Michigan may be another story.  Recent polls show Biden outperforming Trump by around 8 points but incumbent Senator Gary Peters appears to be locked in a tight battle against his DeVos family funded opponent John James. One indication that the concern is real is that yesterday Democratic Senators Schatz, Booker and Murphy were busy doing their Twitter thing in an effort to raise money for Peters to give him a much needed assist.  Keeping the Peters seat is essential to the Democrats winning back a majority so if you want to help out, go to Actblue.com and make Schatz, Booker and Murphy happy.