Althouse: "President Trump today will declare a national emergency, a senior administration official says, invoking the Stafford Act, a law that allows FEMA to coordinate disaster response and aid state and local governments."

March 13, 2020

"President Trump today will declare a national emergency, a senior administration official says, invoking the Stafford Act, a law that allows FEMA to coordinate disaster response and aid state and local governments."

The NYT reports.

I know that 2 1/2 hours ago, I wrote "I'm not just doing news updates here," but sometimes I do need to make a post that is just a news update.

178 comments:

daskol said...: This is what it takes to get people to do simple common-sense shit like wash your hands and socially isolate, apparently. Just as Biden prepends his plan with some nonsense about global warming, I wish every govt announcement on the virus also closed with, and by the way, don't eat Tide Pods.; 3/13/20, 12:09 PM
mockturtle said...: "The health department said the individuals who tested positive are a couple with a history of travel to Florida where COVID-19 is circulating. One is recuperating at home while the other is in critical condition at a local facility. Due to confidentiality issues, no other information is being shared about the patients." Emphasis mine.

This was a news report from Imperial Valley, CA, yesterday. What I want to know is:
1. Were the other passengers on their plane notified? [The couple were sick when they arrived in CA]
2. Are our ridiculously stringent HIPAA laws preventing the tracing of individual patients that many Asian countries are successfully implementing?; 3/13/20, 12:11 PM
Lucid-Ideas said...: I am a Trump supporter but I've not been pleased with his performance here. Come at me. This - or at least the measures this puts in place - should've been done weeks ago once the # of countries went past 30+

WHO says it's not a pandemic? Are you kidding? F*ck them, it's the UN for pete's sake...

His usual desire to calm things down isn't appropriate here and I could've told you that in January...but here we are.

Still better late than never, but I'm surprised a President that I voted for (and will still vote for again) who I believed would put American's first (which is his job) and 'build that wall' didn't earlier on. He should've shut down air travel in at least mid-February.

But enough 'arm-chair' surgeon-generaling from me. Glad it is finally getting done and more is coming.; 3/13/20, 12:14 PM
daskol said...: Andrew Gillum goes full Florida man, in a way that sounds contradictory to the social isolation we're all trying to model these days. And in a hotel room no less, yuck.; 3/13/20, 12:14 PM
Todd said...: Dang! The Democrats where right all along! Step one, get a pandemic, step two declare a national emergency, step three marshal law, step 4 cancel the elections, step 5 emperor Trump for life! Women and children hardest hit...; 3/13/20, 12:26 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: The, 'it's all a MSM Hoax' argument is looking a little weaker today.; 3/13/20, 12:27 PM
Meade said...: “But enough 'arm-chair' surgeon-generaling from me. Glad it is finally getting done and more is coming.”

Hear, hear.; 3/13/20, 12:29 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Guess the next step is to cancel Mini-Super Tuesday next week. Can't have people in polling places- they might catch Wuhan Flu.; 3/13/20, 12:30 PM
Meade said...: “Wuhan Flu“ is not correct.; 3/13/20, 12:35 PM
Big Mike said...: Trump trusts FEMA more than he trusts CDC. At this point I don’t blame him. The CDC hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory so far. Turns out I’m not the only person wondering out loud whether the lack of competence in the CDC’s response to the challenges represented by COVID-19 is due to the ineptitude of Obama’s appointees, or whether they are deliberately trying to sabotage Trump, and to Hell with the American people. Yes, I recognize that “AND” may be appropriate.; 3/13/20, 12:40 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "“Wuhan Flu“ is not correct."

"Wuhan Flu" is a shibboleth.; 3/13/20, 12:43 PM
Kevin said...: “Wuhan Flu“ is not correct.

That's the #7 duck dish on the takeout menu.; 3/13/20, 12:44 PM
traditionalguy said...: Martial Law will need Military operations to arrest the sickies; 3/13/20, 12:45 PM
bagoh20 said...: "The, 'it's all a MSM Hoax' argument is looking a little weaker today."

Just the opposite as always. The "hoax" was never about the disease, but the media blaming Trump for not doing anything, when he is doing more than other leaders did, including the O'Biden/Bama administration.; 3/13/20, 12:48 PM
Wa St Blogger said...: I know that 2 1/2 hours ago, I wrote "I'm not just doing news updates here,"

2nd most sure path to doing a thing: stating that you are not going to do that thing.; 3/13/20, 12:49 PM
Meade said...: "'Wuhan Flu' is a shibboleth."

Maybe so. But "Wuhan" is not the problem. The problem is "flu." It is not an influenza, it's a non-influenza virus. Enjoy your shibboleth if that makes you happy. But at least be accurate. Try "Wuhan Virus."

Or as Blaska calls it: "Wuhan Woo Woo."; 3/13/20, 12:54 PM
Lucid-Ideas said...: "Martial Law will need Military operations to arrest the sickies"

This is the kind of situation that cops/first responders really fear.

A) You're definitely getting shot at now. What are you going to do, kill them? They probably think they're already dead.
B) Congratulations arresting the sickie...you are now sick and will not you are sick for 10 days.
C) The sickie is arrested. Your family is now sick. You are now under arrest.
D) You will not be arrested or you will be transferred to a unit with other sick officers who will now, more than likely, infect potentially un-infected people so you are now not only sick, but spreading the virus. Maybe you should arrest yourself...

The answer a lot of first responders will take in a worst-case scenario is the one going on right now in Italy...which is they will not respond. They will not pick up your dead. Doing their jobs is actually spreading the virus, so they will do nothing.

What they will do under a very worse-case scenario is shoot people who are breaking quarantine, they are de-facto breaking the law AND spreading the virus.

Mass-pandemic is not about law. It is a military matter. No one is going to 'jail'.; 3/13/20, 12:55 PM
daskol said...: Way back in February, even NYT headlines were calling it Wuhan Coronavirus.; 3/13/20, 12:56 PM
Michael The Magnificent said...: Great, FEMA.

Now Dems will fear monger that Trump will send us all to FEMA camps, because Putin.; 3/13/20, 12:57 PM
Meade said...: "That's the #7 duck dish on the takeout menu."

Are you sure this is duck? Tastes more like pangolin. Or is it just, you know... undercooked?; 3/13/20, 12:57 PM
tcrosse said...: Wuhan flu over the cuckoo's nest.; 3/13/20, 1:01 PM
Meade said...: Juan Willams flu over the cuckoo's nest.; 3/13/20, 1:04 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/13/20, 1:05 PM
pacwest said...: "Come at me."

Lucid, the only beef I have with your post is that as much as we want him to be immune to it, is that Trump isn't operating in a political vacumn. Not accusing you of 20/20 hindsight, but there is a lot of that going on.

I could easily say that he is falling woefully short in the measures he is taking. He should be quarantining everyone in the country -right now. If the death toll reaches 500K then I told you so.

If the number is under 20K then why did he crash the economy.

Still too many basic unknowns for me to be critical of what's happening, considering the positive reactions he has gotten from the WHO, CDC, and health professionals working around him for the actions he has taken so far.; 3/13/20, 1:06 PM
Freder Frederson said...: Turns out I’m not the only person wondering out loud whether the lack of competence in the CDC’s response to the challenges represented by COVID-19 is due to the ineptitude of Obama’s appointees, or whether they are deliberately trying to sabotage Trump,

Oh I fondly remember the days when so many of you here complained "we're three years into the Obama administration, you can't keep blaming W for Obama's incompetence".; 3/13/20, 1:06 PM
rehajm said...: We're apparently dividing our federal information by political party.

Nancy reciting some 'what to do' details before she and the house gets to the political jabs...; 3/13/20, 1:09 PM
minnesota farm guy said...: @ARM Your quote is incorrect and has been proven false any number of times . I was made up from two separate sentences.

From the Washington Examiner 3/1/20:

What he said at a campaign rally last week was, “Now, the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus," and, "One of my people came up to me and said, 'Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia.' That didn't work out too well. They couldn't do it. They tried the impeachment hoax. And this is their new hoax.”; 3/13/20, 1:11 PM
John henry said...: Blogger Lucid-Ideas said...

WHO says it's not a pandemic? Are you kidding? F*ck them, it's the UN for pete's sake...

I thought WHO had declared it a Pandemic on Tuesday or wednesday. That surprised me. A lot of people stand to lose a lot of money if they do, formally, declare it a "pandemic".

A couple years ago about $500mm in pandemic bonds were issued paying about 10% interest. The catch is that if WHO utters the word "pandemic" all the principal gets spent and not returned.

See https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/03/11/pandemic-bonds-what-the-whos-declaration-means-for.aspx for example.

I first heard of these 2-3 weeks back on the noagendashow.com podcast. The things I can learn from a former MTV VJ and a former Forbes columnist chatting and deconstructing the news.

John Henry; 3/13/20, 1:22 PM
Lucid-Ideas said...: @Pacwest

"should be quarantining everyone"

I have no doubt that there are discussions happening at high levels broaching just that possibility and I would have no problem with it honestly.

There is only one thing that matters in a pandemic, and that's moving the Ro to anything lower than one. That's how you kill pandemic. If it's not moving in that direction, you're not doing enough. 1% fatality rate among 400 million people is 4 million dead.

This needs to be about saving lives now and not saving pieces of paper.; 3/13/20, 1:28 PM
exhelodrvr1 said...: Estimates on how many in the US have had it/ have it now?

I’m guessing upwards of a million; 3/13/20, 1:29 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Freder Frederson said...
I fondly remember the days when so many of you here complained "we're three years into the Obama administration, you can't keep blaming W for Obama's incompetence".

A large number of Obama era administrators bailed out of the Fed sector when Trump was elected, they can generally make more money in the private sector. So, first have to establish that there even are a large number of Obama era hires still in place before blaming Obama. There will be lots of lifers but they will stretch back to Bush or even earlier.; 3/13/20, 1:30 PM
Megthered said...: My daughter, the middling Dem voter, is hopping mad at the MSM. She insists they are panicking the stupid people and its causing grief for all of us. She told me they should all just shut up and let Trump do his job. She will be voting for Trump in Nov. Good job MSM; 3/13/20, 1:31 PM
Lucid-Ideas said...: @John Henry

What I said was being ironic in that it took them this long. WHO waited far far too long, and it's in their friggin name - World Health Organization. What in the hell is the mission statement of an organization with a name like that other than saving the world's markets!!!

I'm kinda pissed honestly, not that I'd get sick or go under quarantine, but this thing has postponed my wedding in May. I guess what I should say is I'm pissed because saying my fiancée is pissed is an understatement.....; 3/13/20, 1:35 PM
mockturtle said...: Meade asserts: "It is not an influenza, it's a non-influenza virus."

Correct. A lot of people seem to be getting this wrong.; 3/13/20, 1:36 PM
John henry said...: Blogger Meade said...

“Wuhan Flu“ is not correct.

Not factually "correct", Meade?

Or not "correct" in the Leninist sense of the word. As in "It is not correct to speak of the millions starving in the Ukraine."

Today we add "politically" to Lenin's "correct"

John Henry; 3/13/20, 1:38 PM
Ice Nine said...: OK, nitpickers...Wunon Flu.; 3/13/20, 1:38 PM
Todd said...: “Wuhan Not-Flu“; 3/13/20, 1:46 PM
langford peel said...: Just call it the Yellow Peril.; 3/13/20, 1:46 PM
John henry said...: "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" Hunter Thompson

I an in Phoenix this week working in a client's plant. Tomorrow I fly to the east coast to spend a week in another of their plants. Last night I got a text saying that if I wanted to cancel my visit, they would be fine with that.

My response? "Are you freaking kidding me? You really think I am going to turn down paying work?" Worded more diplomatically, of course.

From that plant, my plan is to drive to another client in North Carolina for a week in their plant.

I made my reservations to fly back to San Juan from Raleigh Durham on the 28th. Connection in Newark. $63 for basic economy. A bit more after adding bags and upgrading but still. I haven't seen prices this low since the early 70s when Freddy Laker was flying DC3s and Convairs between NY and SJ. Maybe not even then, I remember them being closer to $100.

And, any ticket purchased in March can be changed with no fee. (United Airlines)

WooHoo Wuhan Flu!

John Henry; 3/13/20, 1:46 PM
John henry said...: Tuesday morning my wife called me asking for my Social Security number. She had gone to work and the principal called everyone together at 8AM. She's a HS teacher.

Purpose of the meeting? To update insurance benificiaries and next of kin, to remind all the teachers that they should make sure wills are up to date.

Subtext of the meeting? YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE. IF NOT TODAY, DON'T MAKE ANY PLANS FOR THE WEEKEND OR BUY ANY GREEN BANANAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was apparently done in all PR public schools.

It freaked her out completely and she is one of the more level headed in the bunch. I had to spend 30 minutes that night explaining that she was not going to die and not to overly worry about the Wuhan Virus.

Now you have all the teachers in Puerto Rico going into class and freaking out their kids, who go home and freak out the parents.

Great job, PR Dept of Education.

I wonder how many other schools this is happening at?

John Henry; 3/13/20, 1:54 PM
Calypso Facto said...: "There is only one thing that matters in a pandemic, and that's moving the Ro (sic) to anything lower than one."

Done, in the US, as far as CDC statistics suggest. Newly identified cases (<100/day) and deaths (<10/day) leveled off starting about 10 days ago, despite the fact that the number of people tested each day grew 1,400% in the same time frame.

Can we have our economy back now?; 3/13/20, 1:56 PM
pacwest said...: This needs to be about saving lives now and not saving pieces of paper.

That argument can be made. But I think that money will always be a consideration in this cold cruel heartless world we live in. What is the Ro at present? How many are infected right now? How long would a full quarantine have to last? How long has the virus been present in the US? More facts, less guesswork before I am willing to give up my hard earned dollars. Sorry.

Simple solution - close all borders to human traffic and quarantine everyone for the length of the infection period. Then keep all borders closed until the world sorts it out.; 3/13/20, 1:56 PM
Temujin said...: Just wondering. Does the Stafford Act allow the Lions QB to win more than 7 games this season?

OK, now back to being serious. What are the odds that the Wuhan virus wins the Super Bowl before the Detroit Lions do?

I'll put $100 on the virus.; 3/13/20, 2:00 PM
Achilles said...: Lucid-Ideas said...
I am a Trump supporter but I've not been pleased with his performance here. Come at me. This - or at least the measures this puts in place - should've been done weeks ago once the # of countries went past 30+

WHO says it's not a pandemic? Are you kidding? F*ck them, it's the UN for pete's sake...

His usual desire to calm things down isn't appropriate here and I could've told you that in January...but here we are.

I was going to post some single digit number of new deaths in the US today from COVID-19 and compare it to the 100-200 or so that died today of flu.

Apparently the number of new deaths today is 0.

Well shit. I guess I just have to point out more people died today of flu in the US than have died from Coronavirus ever. 41 people have died so far. Most in one nursing home. It is looking as if the daily death count of flu is going to remain higher than the total number of Coronavirus deaths

So I look forward to having a national emergency every time a couple dozen people die of something.

8 people died from Corona Virus in China today. They harvested organs from more political dissidents today than died from coronavirus.

Bleat louder sheep.; 3/13/20, 2:04 PM
Achilles said...: Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...
The, 'it's all a MSM Hoax' argument is looking a little weaker today.

These people are so desperate to blame this on Trump and tank the economy.

When it is objectively clear Trump did a better job at handling a pandemic than Obama did and Biden calling Trump's China travel ban Xenophobic goes on blast we know what comes next.

Now it is "racist."

You people are fucked.; 3/13/20, 2:11 PM
Michael K said...: Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...
The, 'it's all a MSM Hoax' argument is looking a little weaker today.

Since it is a lie, I expect you are trying to keep it going.; 3/13/20, 2:14 PM
Kevin said...: Are you sure this is duck? Tastes more like pangolin. Or is it just, you know... undercooked?

Yours sounds very authentic.

Not the Americanized fusion version we normally get around here.; 3/13/20, 2:16 PM
brylun said...: The first case of COVID-19 was in Wuhan on November 17, 2019.; 3/13/20, 2:19 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: minnesota farm guy said...
What he said at a campaign rally last week was, “Now, the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus," and, "One of my people came up to me and said, 'Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia.' That didn't work out too well. They couldn't do it. They tried the impeachment hoax. And this is their new hoax.”

What does 'this' refer to?; 3/13/20, 2:22 PM
Achilles said...: Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

What does 'this' refer to?

Douchey pieces of shit trying to score political points waving bloody shirts around attacking everything the president says and does in response.; 3/13/20, 2:29 PM
Marcus Bressler said...: Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...
minnesota farm guy said...
What he said at a campaign rally last week was, “Now, the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus," and, "One of my people came up to me and said, 'Mr. President, they tried to beat you on Russia, Russia, Russia.' That didn't work out too well. They couldn't do it. They tried the impeachment hoax. And this is their new hoax.”

What does 'this' refer to?

Easy answer: The politicization of the response to the coronavirus by claiming that Trump is not doing anything, or doing the wrong thing, or doing things too fast or too slow.

THEOLDMAN; 3/13/20, 2:34 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Gov of NY was happy with his conversion with Pres and VP Pence. Very polite.

Hack press sure to ignore.; 3/13/20, 2:37 PM
BUMBLE BEE said...: Order carry out from your favorite restaurant. Pay cash, and tip generously!
That is all; 3/13/20, 2:45 PM
Francisco D said...: Now you have all the teachers in Puerto Rico going into class and freaking out their kids, who go home and freak out the parents.

My wife complained that many of her HS students are quite scared.

She spends time calming their fears because their parents and the media are not capable of that action.; 3/13/20, 2:45 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Marcus said...
The politicization of the response to the coronavirus

But he doesn't actually say this. What he says is 'this'. He went on to say:

"So a number that nobody heard of that I heard of recently and I was shocked to hear it, 35,000 people on average die each year from the flu. Did anyone know that? 35,000. That’s a lot of people. It could go to 100,000, it could be 27,000, they say usually a minimum of 27, it goes up to 100,000 people a year who die, and so far we have lost nobody to coronavirus in the United States. Nobody. And it doesn’t mean we won’t, and we are totally prepared, it doesn’t mean we won’t. But think of it. You hear 35 and 40,000 people, and we’ve lost nobody, and you wonder, the press is in hysteria mode."

This would be consistent with the implication that 'there's nothing to see here folks, its all a MSM beat up'. As usual with Trump he is trying to have it both ways, imply one thing but leave things ambiguous enough that he can claim he meant another. He is certainly not alone in doing this but a President, especially when dealing with a crisis, should speak more precisely.; 3/13/20, 2:46 PM
BUMBLE BEE said...: OHhhh! Out comes the mouthpiece - ARM is on the ropes - He's in LaLa Land but still standing!; 3/13/20, 2:47 PM
narciso said...: frank Lloyd nut, removes all doubt,; 3/13/20, 2:51 PM
ga6 said...: Biden's plan starts: moving against acts of racism...

"n the first section of Biden’s plan, “Restoring trust, credibility, and common purpose,” curbing misinformation and stopping xenophobia are listed as key goals.

“Stop the political theater and willful misinformation that has heightened confusion and discrimination,” states the plan, adding that “This communication is essential to combating the dangerous epidemic of fear, chaos, and stigmatization that can overtake communities faster than the virus.”

“Acts of racism and xenophobia against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community must not be tolerated,” according to the plan."

cut from Zero Hedge..; 3/13/20, 2:52 PM
mockturtle said...: Watching the presser and observe way, way too much handshaking as well as microphone adjustment. Otherwise good presentation.; 3/13/20, 3:01 PM
Drago said...: The lefties/dems/LLR's seem most concerned that the ChiCom's are not held accountable for their actions in the initial months of this pandemic where the ChiCom's hid what was happening and allowed people from the Wuhan region to interact with visitors and also to travel across the globe.

The lefties/dems/LLR's also seem extremely concerned that China's chokehold on US pharmaceutical production is taken away from them.

Interesting.; 3/13/20, 3:02 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Hey ARM - you should look at the stock market before and after Trump spoke today.

+800 at beginning of his talk
+1900 after.

oops. That doesn't fit your narrative.; 3/13/20, 3:07 PM
roesch/voltaire said...: Trump just admitted this is a pandemic now what new propaganda hoax will Hannity spew?; 3/13/20, 3:07 PM
Drago said...: Gee, what a fascinating approach to technology under the Trump administration: utilize the proven capabilities of the private sector to develop technology-based inquiry/testing/results delivery platform in record time vs the Obiden-bama administration which decided to build everything in-house, resulting in the inability to even launch a web-page.

Dems in shock, no doubt.

Sanders apoplectic.

Biden still unaware of what he is eating for lunch.; 3/13/20, 3:07 PM
effinayright said...: exhelodrvr1 said...
Estimates on how many in the US have had it/ have it now?

I’m guessing upwards of a million
*****************

And only forty-odd deaths?

Then we're wasting our time and money on a National Emergency.

The crowds at our local supermarkets are actually fighting over toilet paper! One lady, apparently too late to get any TP, filled her cart with picnic napkins.

What Achilles said....

Bleat Bleeeaaattt....what sheep.; 3/13/20, 3:08 PM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: You say shibboleth, I say sibboleth; 3/13/20, 3:09 PM
Drago said...: BleachBit-and-Hammers: "Hey ARM - you should look at the stock market before and after Trump spoke today.
+800 at beginning of his talk
+1900 after."

Today it's the Obiden-bama economy again.

ARM will let you know by end of business on Monday whose economy it is at that time.; 3/13/20, 3:10 PM
Drago said...: So amazing watching one CEO after another step up to the podium to speak today.

You'd think for "credibility" Trump would have reached out to known pandemic health professional "expert" Ron Klain.; 3/13/20, 3:11 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Drago - oh right.
Thank you Obama-Biden economy.

Pregnant strippers and Barisma paychecks for everyone!; 3/13/20, 3:12 PM
Drago said...: BleachBit-and-Hammers: "Drago - oh right.
Thank you Obama-Biden economy."

Correct.

It was the Trump economy at around 7am ET today, but "magic wanded" itself into the obiden-bama economy by 4pm ET, but, as any good lefty can tell you, that can turn on a dime if the market heads down at which point it will once again become the Trump economy.; 3/13/20, 3:15 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: BleachBit-and-Hammers said...
doesn't fit your narrative.

There is no denying that during and after Trump's first speech the DJI tanked. Completely unnecessary screw-up. That he didn't completely screw-up twice in a row is a low bar.; 3/13/20, 3:15 PM
pacwest said...: Next up: The heartless Republican Senate won't pass the House's bill addressing the pandemic.; 3/13/20, 3:16 PM
effinayright said...: ARM, Trump made the hoax comment on Feb 28th, well AFTER he had initiated the China travel ban (on Jan 31). If he thought the dangers the virus presented were a hoax, he would not have acted as he did.

So your interpretation is, as usual, disingenuous, if not downright dishonest and made in bad faith.

It's your modus operandi.; 3/13/20, 3:17 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: ARM - I expect a stock market roller coaster to continue for a while.

Be fun and very Krugman-y to claim credit and cast blame as it rises and falls and rises again...; 3/13/20, 3:18 PM
tcrosse said...: You say shibboleth, I say sibboleth

I say ish kabibble.; 3/13/20, 3:19 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: roesch/voltaire said...
Trump just admitted this is a pandemic now what new propaganda hoax will Hannity spew?

In order to answer this question I watched Hannity last night. Basically history started anew yesterday. There was no effort to reconcile the two conflicting world views.

Liberals bad, news at 11:00.; 3/13/20, 3:20 PM
Drago said...: ARM: "There is no denying that during and after Trump's first speech the DJI tanked. Completely unnecessary screw-up. That he didn't completely screw-up twice in a row is a low bar."

Can't wait for the Trump-Obiden-bama debate where we get to compare the technology platform launched in a matter of a several weeks by the Trump admin compared to the $1.7 BILLION spent by Sleepy Gropey Joe and his pals over months and months and months to launch a simple website...and failed.; 3/13/20, 3:20 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Unknown said...
your interpretation

I posted Trump's exact words. They are, at best, ambiguous.; 3/13/20, 3:21 PM
Drago said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/13/20, 3:21 PM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: Wash your hands, use sanitizer when you can't wash your hands, don't pick your nose, stay home if you have flu symptoms, don't lick door knobs... If you're particularly vulnerable to influenza, stay away from those who may have it or may be carrying it,.

All civilized citizens should follow common-sense health, hygiene, and safety rules. Maybe we should add a few new rules, such as ending the custom of shaking hands.

Since most people don't follow these rules, and there's a scary "new" virus about, with a scary new name, everyone needs to panic, hoard ass wipe, boil water, buy a bread maker, barricade our doors, hunker in place, sleep with one eye open and a gun under our pillow, and sew a cyanide pill into our clothing to take in case a stranger comes within six feet.; 3/13/20, 3:22 PM
Drago said...: ARM: "I posted Trump's exact words. They are, at best, ambiguous."

Amusing when team Russia Collusion-Hoax Dossier-Trump is a russian spy-Kavanaugh is a gang rapist-Shampeachment check in on what is ambiguous and "exactly" true and not true.

Discuss.; 3/13/20, 3:24 PM
Howard said...: Trump finally takes the pandemic seriously after ignoring advise and slowing action. Since he is finally doing what the Deep State wanted him to do, the stock market rebounded a good bit. Maybe just a pump and dump opportunity?; 3/13/20, 3:25 PM
daskol said...: KRUGMAN VINDICATED 160 WEEKS INTO TRUMP PRESIDENCY; 3/13/20, 3:26 PM
Drago said...: No matter what else happens, I think any reasonable person would conclude that in moving forward it is a good thing that the obiden-bama CDC protocols have been completely discarded and the new Trump Admin protocols, rules and partnerships with private industry and technology giants should be the new standard.; 3/13/20, 3:27 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: "Trump finally takes the pandemic seriously after ignoring advise and slowing action.”

Lies is what they have, and to them a pandemic is nothing more than a partrisan opportunity to seek political advantage by any means necessary.; 3/13/20, 3:28 PM
Drago said...: Howard: "Trump finally takes the pandemic seriously after ignoring advise and slowing action."

This was written by one of the lefty dips***s that opposed the travel ban and called Trump a racist for enacting it.

You would think that someone who had gotten something so fundamentally wrong would feel some reluctance to mischaracterize the actions of others.

But nope. Cuz "lefty".; 3/13/20, 3:29 PM
Drago said...: Howard: "Since he is finally doing what the Deep State wanted him to do...."

The deep state opposed the travel ban.

Do you ever ask yourself why that is?

I'm betting not.; 3/13/20, 3:31 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: “trump just admitted this is a pandemic now what new propaganda hoax will Hannity spew?”

What color is the sky in your world. Trump has been forthright about this all along. Just because MSNBC or CNN calls someone a liar, it doesn’t mean they are a liar. If you ant to look for provable outright lies, look no further than Trump Derangement sirens like Maddow who called Trump a “Russian asset.”

He is anything but. They have just initiated a painful price war to battle Trump’s policies.; 3/13/20, 3:31 PM
Drago said...: What Howard and ARM are demonstrating is simply the latest lefty ploy which builds on W Bush killed people in Katrina and Mitt Romney killed a woman with cancer, etc etc etc.; 3/13/20, 3:33 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: "Since he is finally doing what the Deep State wanted him to do....”

The Deep State insisted that the CDC remain in complete control of the testing, the biggest screw up so far. When you guys fling these weak attacks, they only have the effect of strengthening opinion against you. Especially when you refuse to respond to counterarguments. It’s like you guys are here to inoculate us against your positions by giving us the weakened strain. But I don’t think that there is a stronger strain that you guys are holding in reserve for some reason.; 3/13/20, 3:34 PM
Todd said...: Char Char Binks said...

Wash your hands, use sanitizer when you can't wash your hands, don't pick your nose, stay home if you have flu symptoms, don't lick door knobs... If you're particularly vulnerable to influenza, stay away from those who may have it or may be carrying it,.

3/13/20, 3:22 PM

There are just somethings some folks are NOT willing to give up for any reason consequences be damned...; 3/13/20, 3:36 PM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: "trump just admitted this is a pandemic now..."

They're all pandemics. With international travel so quick and easy now, there's no such thing as a mere epidemic.; 3/13/20, 3:36 PM
Drago said...: "Media who spent 3+ years peddling the Russia hoax, doxxing random meme makers, harassing grandmothers, defaming Catholic teenagers, lying about Kavanaugh, and claiming Net Neutrality was Armageddon didn’t magically start telling you the truth last week."
--Sean Davis; 3/13/20, 3:37 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: It even remains to be seen whether the testing was a screw up, BTW. False positives may be skewing our view of how the virus spreads, its mortality factor, and sowing needless panic, which may be why the boffins at the CDC were holding back on releasing them.; 3/13/20, 3:37 PM
mockturtle said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/13/20, 3:44 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: Back to my book about 2008. But so far, this is completely different than 2008. That was the collapse of a rotten edifice after a slight breeze. This is a sound economy being shaken by simultaneous powerful external factors.; 3/13/20, 3:44 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: "the CDC by its own admission”

The Deep State fucked up? Tell me it isn’t so!; 3/13/20, 3:44 PM
mockturtle said...: Aunty, the CDC by its own admission originally used the wrong reagent in developing the test so had to start over, delaying testing.; 3/13/20, 3:44 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: "the test so had to start over, delaying testing.”

Combined with enforcing a monopoly on testing.; 3/13/20, 3:46 PM
mockturtle said...: Sorry, Aunty, I had to edit and re-post [another reason I hate moderation, as it doesn't let me do that ;-)].; 3/13/20, 3:46 PM
mockturtle said...: And in addition, as Dr. Fauci observed today, the CDC testing system was set up for the usual influenza virus, but proved inadequate for the rapid transmission of COVID-19.; 3/13/20, 3:48 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Tranny Trump said...
It even remains to be seen whether the testing was a screw up

No it isn't. Other countries have already tested hundreds of thousands, we have done very few. The information from those tests would have been critical in forming the appropriate response. If we have overreacted it will be because of the testing failure. If we have under-reacted or taken the wrong reaction it will also be because of the lack of this information. There is no perspective from which this wasn't a massive screw-up.; 3/13/20, 3:48 PM
mockturtle said...: Although, as Steve Forbes just observed, other countries were somehow able to rapidly develop new tests and that the CDC was just 'protecting its turf'.

You da man, Steve! I love that guy.; 3/13/20, 3:52 PM
Drago said...: ARM: "Other countries have already tested hundreds of thousands, we have done very few."

Correct. Until very recently we were operating under the 2009/2010 protocols put in place by Obiden-bama AND the sole source test kit developer CDC, as intended by the dems/obiden-bama, screwed up.

Dr Fauci described this in some detail over the last several days.

The test kit that the CDC developed had "a glitch", forcing the recall of all US test kits which caused weeks of delay.

This is on top of many of the foreign kits that were approved to come in, by the CDC, turned out to have massive false-positive rates.

Again, as described by Dr Fauci multiple times over the last several days.

So what happened over the last 2 weeks? All the private companies and tech giants were brought in to rapidly develop a quick reaction plan and longer term strategies which is what was described this very day.

And the market saw that and jumped almost 2,000 points.

And all this represents information ARM somehow "missed".; 3/13/20, 3:54 PM
rcocean said...: Biden gets ahead, then the virus hysteria breaks out and Bernie's campaign is dead in the water. Convenient no?; 3/13/20, 3:56 PM
Big Mike said...: Other countries have already tested hundreds of thousands, we have done very few.

And that is entirely due to the CDC taking a “not invented here” attitude towards testing and indisting on developing their own test kits. They could have used the WHO’s test kit, but being American bureaucrats that just wouldn’t do. Trump assumed that the CDC had competent leadership, but from where I sit he didn’t have much in the way of other options.; 3/13/20, 3:58 PM
rcocean said...: The D's want to take away Trump's ability to ban foreign travel to the USA. Passed with 219 House Democrats. The virus may be deadly, but the Democrats will take 10,000 dead Americans rather than be called a Xenophobe.

The Democrat Party always putting the Foreigner ahead of the Citizen. They are Generous - aren't they?; 3/13/20, 4:01 PM
Drago said...: On a larger note, what is most encouraging about the technology-based platforms and accelerated production of required medical devices and medicines will be its scalability which makes it something that can be extended quickly to other nations.

This is critically important because Joe Biden's beloved China has already threatened to withhold and cutoff needed medicines and gear to the US that the US needs.

I will go out on a limb here and predict that not a single democrat/lefty/LLR will ever complain about these ChiCom threats.; 3/13/20, 4:01 PM
rcocean said...: Other countries have tested more then we. There's a testing Gap. We may all die, without more testing. Because, uh, we just need to test everyone that's all. Because once you get tested, you won't get the virus.; 3/13/20, 4:02 PM
Jim at said...: Trump just admitted this is a pandemic now what new propaganda hoax will Hannity spew? - R/V

Why don't you tell us since it appears you're the only one here who watches him.; 3/13/20, 4:04 PM
Qwinn said...: It was a fantastic speech, and the stock market loved it (which was desperately needed, I'm far more worried about the impact on the economy than the virus itself). Market skyrocketed 9%, and no, I don't think it would've happened without the speech, it wasn't just a predictable bounce from yesterday, the markets barely climbed above 3% all day, and the huge rise exactly coincided with the speech. I was watching very closely.; 3/13/20, 4:07 PM
Drago said...: What is most interesting about the questioning at the press conference today is the sheer panic and desperation on the part of the press now that its clear that the full weight of a massive govt/private company/tech capability has been launched and moves the US far ahead of the rest of the world immediately, and at massive scale compared to the rest of the world.

You could just see the dems/lefties/LLR/"journalist" become more and more upset that the solutions being presented address every concern related to this crisis.

Hence, Howard reverts to his "hatred" theme and ARM sinks into made up language ambiguity nonsense.; 3/13/20, 4:07 PM
Jim at said...: I stand corrected. You and ARM watch him.
Please report back.

Thanks, in advance.; 3/13/20, 4:08 PM
Mr. Majestyk said...: For those criticizing Trump, I ask, what exactly is Trump's failing here?

A. He failed to single-handedly develop accurate test kits? No, that's just silly.

B. Her refused to heed the advice of the experts at the CDC regarding test kits? Hmm, no, that doesn't seem right.

C. He relied on the experts at the CDC to provide accurate test kits? Bingo!

So the problem, at least as it relates to test kits, is not that he refused to listen to the experts at the CDC, but rather that he listened to and trusted the experts at the CDC, right?; 3/13/20, 4:11 PM
Drago said...: So here's a question for basically everyone here:

Did you find it interesting that it was the Indian reporter who actually asked Trump about whether or not the ChiCom's could be trusted in terms of the information they provided?

I'll bet the US reporters, who tend to be bigtime China apologists, really ostracize that Indian reporter now.; 3/13/20, 4:12 PM
bagoh20 said...: Italy has 18000 cases now. With that level of infection the U.S. with 5 times the population would now have 90,000 cases. We have 1800. They have 20 times our infection rate.

France with a similar population to Italy has 3,600 cases. 10 times our infection rate

I have to believe that the U.S. normally has far more foreign visitors from China than either of those nations, so why are we so low? We responded differently and faster, not with testing, but with action that actually reduced the spread.; 3/13/20, 4:23 PM
Big Mike said...: So the problem, at least as it relates to test kits, is not that he refused to listen to the experts at the CDC, but rather that he listened to and trusted the experts at the CDC, right?

Right!; 3/13/20, 4:23 PM
Browndog said...: GENEVA (AP) — World Health Organization chief says Europe now the epicenter of the world's coronavirus pandemic.; 3/13/20, 4:24 PM
Howard said...: Drago is writing a Coronavirus updated take on Dr Strangelove.; 3/13/20, 4:31 PM
Howard said...: The Western reporters don't ask silly rhetorical questions, Drago. A press conference is not The View; 3/13/20, 4:32 PM
Browndog said...: The Western reporters don't ask silly rhetorical questions, Drago. A press conference is not The View

It seemed like every female American reporter asked the same question: How do you sleep at night knowing you killed all those because because you're an idiot?; 3/13/20, 4:37 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Howard said...
The Western reporters don't ask silly rhetorical questions, Drago."

No, they ask silly questions like "Will EVERY American be able to be tested?"

and

"What do you say to Americans who can't buy hand sanitize because it's all sold out?"

"Uh, make do. Wash your hands more."

Fauci was losing patience with those assholes.; 3/13/20, 4:39 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Terrible news for Howard, ARM and Inga.

Trump hits it out of the park.

Dow closes up.; 3/13/20, 4:42 PM
exhelodrvr1 said...: Unknown,
I expect significantly more people have had it than have been confiirmed, which does mean the mortality rate is much lower; 3/13/20, 4:51 PM
Michael K said...: Mr. Majestyk said...
For those criticizing Trump, I ask, what exactly is Trump's failing here?

Don't ask Howard. He is sure he knows all about it. The secret is how much Howard hates Trump, which he explained to us, so nothing else is necessary.; 3/13/20, 5:03 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Drago said...
So what happened over the last 2 weeks?

Surprisingly little in terms of actual tests actually completed.; 3/13/20, 5:08 PM
tcrosse said...: Historically, when something bad is happening that people can't explain, they'll blame it on somebody they already hate. Typically it was the Jews, but these days Polite Society will blame Trump, whom it is permitted to hate.; 3/13/20, 5:10 PM
Rance Fasoldt said...: Char Char Binks at 3:09

Very funny. Enjoyed the Bible reference.; 3/13/20, 5:13 PM
John henry said...: Blogger Francisco D said...

She spends time calming their fears because their parents and the media are not capable of that action.

Probably that is why they did this with jacking up the teachers. They were calming rather than freaking the teachers.

Now, with the teachers freaked, the students will be more so rather than calmed.

John Henry; 3/13/20, 5:16 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: The buck DOESN'T stop with me: Donald Trump says 'I don't take personal responsibility at all' for testing fiasco and denies he knew a pandemic readiness unit was dismantled inside his White House

He barely knew him/her/them.; 3/13/20, 5:24 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: H1N1 was first diagnosed in US April 15, 2009.

CDC activated emergency operations April 22.

1 million tests released by May 15.

Prototype vaccine completed by end August 2009.; 3/13/20, 5:24 PM
daskol said...: I have to believe that the U.S. normally has far more foreign visitors from China than either of those nations, so why are we so low?

We've only tested 15-20K altogether, and for the vast majority of people it's a very mild bug. There's no reason to think these numbers are meaningful. For example, they don't count my wife and me, even though we had contact with an exposed person and subsequently got sick, because by the time we knew about the contact with an exposed person, we were no longer symptomatic. So, no test.; 3/13/20, 5:25 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: "CDC activated emergency operations April 22. “

When the CDC became aware of the virus, Democrats were busy impeaching Trump for asking for documents from Ukraine regarding foreign interference in our elections. Just for some perspective.

Oh yeah, and your take on Trump getting rid of the pandemic response team is bullshit, as the guy who took over the task has tweeted now, with links.

https://twitter.com/Tim_Morrison/status/1238584684600266753

Not that you care about facts.; 3/13/20, 5:29 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: The reason Trump doesn’t remember it is that it didn’t happen.; 3/13/20, 5:30 PM
pacwest said...: Public schools are closing for at least a couple of weeks. Newsome and Cuomo are happy with the federal response to their states. The Republic seems to be working as intended. The response to the pandemic handled at the state level with support at the federal level. Is this a great nation or what.

@Howard and ARM
Here's hoping you will be as outraged at how Pelosi is handling the emergency bill as you are about Trump. If not, even a charitable assumption would assess you as rabid partisans who would rather see millions die than let Trump have a good outcome. Some might even go so far as to label you as evil and vile people. But not me. Just misguided. But I'm sure you are only thinking of the best outcome for all of us and will let us know that what Pelosi is doing is beyond the pale.; 3/13/20, 5:32 PM
Achilles said...: Howard said...
Trump finally takes the pandemic seriously after ignoring advise and slowing action. Since he is finally doing what the Deep State wanted him to do, the stock market rebounded a good bit. Maybe just a pump and dump opportunity?

You jackals are all going to look really bad when tens of thousands of people don't die like you hope.

It is going to look really bad when people start comparing and contrasting the actions and results of the Swine Flu outbreak during the Obama/Biden administration with the results of Coronavirus.

Especially when we start comparing it to what is happening in Europe.

Open borders advocates and China free traders not looking so good right now.; 3/13/20, 5:33 PM
JohnAnnArbor said...: For example, they don't count my wife and me, even though we had contact with an exposed person and subsequently got sick, because by the time we knew about the contact with an exposed person, we were no longer symptomatic. So, no test.

That's really interesting. It will be interesting to see if a subsequent test comes out for anti-coronavirus antibodies (that is to say, a test for people who were exposed and developed immunity, whether they got sick or not). Because such a test should be applied to people like you as parts of studies to figure out this virus's ways as thoroughly as possible.; 3/13/20, 5:33 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Ann Coulter's take.; 3/13/20, 5:34 PM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: ARM always goes to primary sources of opinions.; 3/13/20, 5:37 PM
Drago said...: ARM wants Trump to "own" the obiden-bama 2009/2010 consolidation of testing into the CDC (and kicking out private entities) and protocols that were established then.

ARM and the lefties/LLR-lefties also want republicans to "own" obambicare, even though the dems claimed it was the greatest thing ever invented. Which is strange, unless....

ARM and the lefties also insist its republicans who are responsible for slavery, segregation and Jim Crow.

I wonder if anyone else can see a pattern here?; 3/13/20, 5:39 PM
Achilles said...: Howard said...
The Western reporters don't ask silly rhetorical questions, Drago. A press conference is not The View

I agree that those questions are unnecessary.

I would prefer they asked Mr. Biden how many billions of Dollars did you and your family make working with the Chinese government?; 3/13/20, 5:39 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: pacwest said...
would rather see millions die

I don't think millions are going to die. We have the tools, mainly social isolation, to manage this. I do think the lack of information about who actually has this virus is going to lead to unnecessary deaths, but not a vast number - more than the typical mass murder less than Spanish Flu.; 3/13/20, 5:40 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: CDC worked fine in 2009.; 3/13/20, 5:42 PM
Drago said...: Howard: "Drago is writing a Coronavirus updated take on Dr Strangelove."

Howard ran out of actual things to say, so he was left with that.

Howard will be posting kitty pictures shortly.; 3/13/20, 5:43 PM
Drago said...: Howard: "The Western reporters don't ask silly rhetorical questions, Drago. A press conference is not The View"

Not only does Howard personally never question his ChiCom allies, he doesn't like it when others do.; 3/13/20, 5:44 PM
Drago said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/13/20, 5:44 PM
Francisco D said...: Howard will be posting kitty pictures shortly.

LOL!

I have to give Howard credit. He is sometimes annoying and sometimes fairly perceptive. Well, mostly annoying.

However, he is not a blatant liar like a couple of the usual suspects, nor is he cognitively or emotionally disabled like others.; 3/13/20, 5:47 PM
Achilles said...: Howard said...
Drago is writing a Coronavirus updated take on Dr Strangelove.

Have fun defending open borders, moving all manufacturing to China, and centralizing all testing in the CDC over the next 8 months.

Biden is going to be the absolute perfect candidate to make the case democrats will do a better job.

Especially when 12000 people died of swine flu and the media jackals were just fine with that.

What is different now exactly?; 3/13/20, 5:47 PM
Drago said...: Achilles: "Have fun defending open borders, moving all manufacturing to China, and centralizing all testing in the CDC over the next 8 months.

Biden is going to be the absolute perfect candidate to make the case democrats will do a better job."

Oh, its much better than all of that which is all true.

Biden also opposed cutting off flights from the Wuhan province of his beloved China.
Biden also said China was not a competitor to the US.
Biden's son got $1.5 Billion in "investments" from the ChiComs....right after flying to China with his daddy.....right after Biden laid out the US trade position to China....; 3/13/20, 6:02 PM
Ralph L said...: CDC worked fine in 2009.

Then either 8 years of Obama Prez ruined them, or they're now dragging their feet for partisan reasons.; 3/13/20, 6:03 PM
Ralph L said...: I mean "and."; 3/13/20, 6:03 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Ralph L said...
Then either 8 years of Obama Prez ruined them, or they're now dragging their feet for partisan reasons.

OR, we now have an idiot in charge.

Trump officials did sound the coronavirus alarm. They just don’t work there anymore.
The dire message coming from former administration officials often stood in contrast to the upbeat narrative emanating from the White House.

If you drive out all the competent people with functioning self-esteem you are left with a non-functioning government.; 3/13/20, 6:13 PM
Big Mike said...: More bureaucratic bullshit. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a directive that requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a sister agency, retest every positive coronavirus test run by a public health lab to confirm its accuracy. The result, experts say, is wasting limited resources at a time when thousands of Americans are waiting in line to get tested for COVID-19.

And ARM wonders why testing in the U.S. lags behind the rest of the world. Howard is an educated fool. ARM is just a fool, period.; 3/13/20, 6:14 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: “Trump trusts FEMA more than he trusts CDC. At this point I don’t blame him. The CDC hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory so far. Turns out I’m not the only person wondering out loud whether the lack of competence in the CDC’s response to the challenges represented by COVID-19 is due to the ineptitude of Obama’s appointees, or whether they are deliberately trying to sabotage Trump, and to Hell with the American people. Yes, I recognize that “AND” may be appropriate.”

I don’t see Deep State bureaucrats essentially saying that a couple hundred thousand Americans as collateral damage for beating Trump in 2020. I may be naive there, but most of the civil servants I have ever met were essentially good people. What I can see though is them convincing themselves that it probably won’t be that bad, or that the big danger is in testing that they didn’t control. Bureaucrats, by their very nature, are risk adverse. The status quo is, most often, the most risk adverse alternative. What if some of tests from the private sector didn’t work? Not a risk that they were willing to take, because the bureaucrats approving such a test would be putting their careers on the line. Contrast this, to not doing anything - the decisions there had been made a decade earlier under Obama, and so not changing policy is the risk adverse thing to do. They can’t lose their jobs over double and triple checking this change before approving it.

This is, of course, one of the big reasons that governments so often make suboptimal decisions, because it is the bureaucrats inevitably making the lower level decisions, and their reward system doesn’t reward acting decidedly in the face of a challenge, but rather not being wrong, and it is hard to be wrong when you don’t do anything.; 3/13/20, 6:32 PM
Night Owl said...: Is there any doubt that if there were a Democrat as president that many more people would have to die from the virus before the media and the Dems took any action? One, because Democrats don't believe in closing borders or stopping flights for ANY reason, and two because the lefty shills in the media only care about dead Americans when a Republican is in the oval office.

I base this on the media response to H1N1 where an estimate of between 8 to 18 thousand Americans died. There were no daily death counts, no hysterical calls for action. And what about the mysterious polio outbreak under Obama, where kids were paralyzed and some died. No interest from the media other than perfunctory reportage.

Having a Republican as president will undoubtedly save lives during this pandemic.; 3/13/20, 6:35 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Big Mike said...
And ARM wonders why testing in the U.S. lags behind the rest of the world.

Not wondering, I have made a specific case for why this is. Your case seems to be that all the communist and socialist countries are less bureaucratic than ours. If you really believe this I suggest you get out a little more.; 3/13/20, 6:53 PM
FullMoon said...: "Never let a crisis go to waste"

Glad Trump took Rahms advice to heart. Streamlining process to gets test kits and vaccines into production. Getting rid of regulations and bypassing bureaucracy that prevented quick progress.

even Pelosi and her gang rolled over and quickly compromised when they saw how serious and popular response to Trumps presser is.

Democratic party, lovers of slavery and welfare dependence. Guilty of breaking up traditional families. Murderers of the unborn. Wholesalers of baby body parts, are done for. May take a few election cycles but the writing is on the wall.

Not only the country, but the entire world will be the better for it. Trump landslide in November, more flexibility after election and more progress for the greatest country ever to exist on the earth. Minorities will finally be free from the chains of poverty and governmental dependence created by LBJ and perpetuated through the decades of lies and propaganda by the filthy , corrupt, leftist politicians. A change is coming...; 3/13/20, 6:56 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: My view is that politically, Trump had to act decisively. Declaring a natural disaster and calling out FEMA is about as decisive as he could be, without calling out troops. Because that is likely to be the Dems’ attack, that he didn’t act decisively enough. What more could he have done? Spent more on abortions and pre-K? Mandated the destruction of more small businesses by imposing paid leave that they couldn’t afford? Hired more CDC bureaucrats and experts, after the agency had screwed up so bad with the testing? The reality is that he acted far more decisively and innovatively than the Dems, led by Biden, could have. Biden’s entire plan could be boiled down to hiring more experts and bureaucrats, and trusting them. Which is the furthest thing from innovative, and not much better in terms of decisiveness, esp since that is their proposed solution to everything.

I think that, in the end, it will be enough. He did act decisively to cut off travel from China, then Iran and Italy, and then from the parts of Europe that have no entry controls with each other (thus keeping infected Italians out). I think it likely that the disease will not get out of hand as it did in China (for awhile), Iran, and Italy. And that is all I think that he really needs to survive re-election we shall see.

As a side note - Iran appears to be primarily responsible for the outbreaks in neighboring states in which it exerts significant influence, including Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. That is just compounding their problems with their protocol vassal states. At one point, they were buying a lot of influence with these Shiite communities (thank you Obama/Biden for that $150B). No more. A significant portion of their oil fields have been idled, by our sanctions, and they are very short on cash. And recently, the price of oil, their only significant export good, has crashed under pressure by Saudi, Russian, and American production increases. (Shiite tourism is also down significantly, esp after an Iraqi pilgrim to Qom came back infected, and was one of the initial infected patients in that country).; 3/13/20, 7:01 PM
FullMoon said...: Bernie says he would not close borders. Would gather together scientist and researchers to study the problem, then deliberate before acting.

While Bernie drooling stupidity from his fat lips, Trump is already making plans and decisions. Life long politition used to sitting around bullshitting with other pols as opposed to businessman who gets all the best architects, planners and contractors together and makes a plan. No contest.

President Donald Trump vs Joe (corn pop hairy leg Biden, who trashes Trumps plan and then plagiarizes it all on the same website.

Slo Joe, who is limited by his handlers to maximum ten minute speech. He gonna back out of debate with Bernie, or he gonne be jacked up on speed with a little bit of tranquilizer to even him out. Watch and see. Joe either gonna smile and be too happy like an idiot , or gonna get confused with his practiced answers and expose himself as the tired old man he is.; 3/13/20, 7:09 PM
Stephen said...: Hi Prof Althouse, How about a post that specifically invites people to talk about the social distancing measures that they are personally taking, as well as those that are being taken in their community. I for one would be very interested in what people are doing and what's going on in different parts of the nation. Best, Steve; 3/13/20, 7:17 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: Tucker Carlson deserves some credit, on this issue he is doing a good job holding the administration to account. The other two news networks are largely focused on politics.; 3/13/20, 7:34 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: BTW- because the Chi-Coms and the Demoxcrat party do not want to call it 'Wuhan Virus' - I'm calling it "Wuhan Virus"

NTY-Times caught again.; 3/13/20, 7:37 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Tucker Carlson rocks. Everyone on all sides should watch him.; 3/13/20, 7:37 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: @PartymanRandy

"Ask yourself why the media called it the Wuhan virus until the moment the Chinese government began their big propaganda push, then it instantly became racist.

Our media is much, much worse than just biased."; 3/13/20, 7:41 PM
pacwest said...: Tucker Carlson deserves some credit, on this issue he is doing a good job holding the administration to account. The other two news networks are largely focused on politics.

Not just the administration, but all parties involved including the beauracacy. Not one of his fans, but on this he is doing a good job.; 3/13/20, 7:47 PM
pacwest said...: @FullMoon

even Pelosi and her gang rolled over and quickly compromised when they saw how serious and popular response to Trumps presser is.

I'd not seen this. Is she no longer trying to attach permanent policy to the bill? Good news if true.; 3/13/20, 7:51 PM
chickelit said...: Stephen said...Hi Prof Althouse, How about a post that specifically invites people to talk about the social distancing measures that they are personally taking, as well as those that are being taken in their community. I for one would be very interested in what people are doing and what's going on in different parts of the nation. Best, Steve

Does a Catholic boast about what he/she foregoes during Lent?; 3/13/20, 7:56 PM
Drago said...: ARM: "Tucker Carlson deserves some credit, on this issue he is doing a good job holding the administration to account. The other two news networks are largely focused on politics."

I've been told repeatedly by the left/MSM/dems/LLR's that Tucker Carlson is a nazi white supremacist who should not be allowed on the air.; 3/13/20, 8:40 PM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: You almost get there and then fail at the last step.; 3/13/20, 8:41 PM
Big Mike said...: They can’t lose their jobs over double and triple checking this change before approving it.

This needs to be fixed some day.; 3/13/20, 8:45 PM
Big Mike said...: @ARM, I answered you at 3:58.; 3/13/20, 8:53 PM
agentlesoul said...: I found out today that I have probably been exposed to the virus by a coworker. They are running tests now. I don't expect it to be worse than the flu for me, so not a huge deal, but I hate the idea of maybe I have already given it to one of the old folks I care about. If one of them dies from it I will feel awful.; 3/13/20, 8:55 PM
Narayanan said...: @Blogger Bruce Hayden said...
_____&&&&&&
OT: I am interested in how your views on bureaucracy behavior track wrt FBI and FISA court deceptions?

It explains AG Barr action quite well.; 3/13/20, 8:56 PM
pacwest said...: even Pelosi and her gang rolled over and quickly compromised when they saw how serious and popular response to Trumps presser is.

From what I'm reading Trump is the one who caved on the bill, not Pelosi. She truly is a despicable person. She is taking advantage of a pandemic to ram through Dem policy. The House will be in hiding (recess) next week to force the Senate to vote for this travesty or look like they are holding up aide. Words fail.; 3/13/20, 9:04 PM
Narayanan said...: Great. Only in USA.
We're arguing prefer pronoun for disease vector.; 3/13/20, 9:05 PM
n.n said...: Biden Ad Attacking Trump on Coronavirus Gets ‘Four Pinocchios’ From WaPo

It appears that Trump is performing and managing the "deep state" to serve the People and our Posterity. Perhaps WaPo of Water Closet fame has decided to repent and plunge the depths of their dark deception.; 3/13/20, 9:08 PM
n.n said...: We're arguing prefer pronoun for disease vector.

While there may be an anthropogenic forcing, our continued viability is ultimately Gaia's Choice, so it should be "her" rite. She determines the order in chaos (e.g. "evolution").; 3/13/20, 9:14 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Tucker had a great line about the Dems attempting to shoehorn abortion funding into the corona virus bill;

"This virus doesn't kill children. They want to remedy that."; 3/13/20, 10:29 PM
DeepRunner said...: As a case study in political dichotomy, to hear leftists talk, Trump is like Kevin Bacon as the ROTC guy at the end of Animal House, screaming "Remain calm, all is well. ALL IS WELL!!!!"

The right sees him as a man who is trying to remain calm and instill calm when people are in panic mode.

Truth is probably somewhere in the middle, but leaning toward the right.; 3/13/20, 11:27 PM