November 27th, 2020
18 Days until the Electoral Vote
55 days until Inauguration
November 27th, 2020
Biden soars as leader of the free world
The 2020 (soon to be 2021) page will have updated info from the Biden/Harris administration.
Dateline: November 27,2020
Splitting 5 to 4, Supreme Court Backs Religious Challenge to Cuomo’s Virus Shutdown Order
Justice Amy Coney Barrett played a decisive role in the decision, which took the opposite approach of earlier court rulings related to coronavirus restrictions in California and Nevada.
Can there be a clearer conflict of religious orthodoxy versus scientific fact than the mostly far right-wing Supreme Court deciding it is more important for people to be able to congregate in churches, where the spread of the Covid 19 virus is assured, than to stay in their homes while we wait for a vaccine or for the virus to die out for lack of victims.
This is the first shot in a war between the dark ages and the future. The majority of Americans, in no uncertain terms, have repudiated the 'out of touch' rulings of the Republican appointed majority on the Court. Nevertheless we are forced to listen to the pompous mendacity of the Lindsey Grahams and Mitch McConnells of Congress (two old white men that would have fit comfortably into Jefferson Davis' Court). America is being made to race headlong into the middle ages. Times famous for religious intolerance and many other atrocities against humanity.
The latest insult to the modern, Barrett, is not only a perfect fit for this crowd of mental midgets but is a slap in the face to those of us that see through the obvious fact that, although Trump's choice was merely a sop tossed to American women, the woman he chose is an insult to the American women who have demonstrated that gender is not a limit to talent. Barrett, nominally a Catholic, not in itself a disqualification, but is a member of a cult as well; where women are encouraged to get an education and achieve in the secular life as long as they do it with the approval of, you guessed it, their husbands. By its very nature the People of Praise cult would make it impossible for Barrett to make a decision on her own.
Scholars of American jurisprudence have stated that we will be facing grave challenges to our Democracy unless and until the Supreme Court shows a more balanced face. President Biden will have his work cut out for him!
Easter Mass was live-streamed from a mostly empty Catholic church in Brooklyn in April.
posted: November 26,2020
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Like many American families, this writer will be celebrating this day of thanks with his wife but without the company of our only child. This has happened to us before because our son has been in the emergency medical field for well over a decade and his work has been international. We have had the need to postpone our Thanksgiving feast while he was tending the wounds of people in such far off places as Libya, Iraq, Japan, Haiti and many others but when we could get together our Thankfulness was magnified by the fact he was home safe.
Our one immutable family tradition is to take turns, as we sit together at our overburdened table, telling each other what we have to give thanks for.
This year seems strange because he is not in a foreign land. He is in Philadelphia, a three hour drive away. The medical emergency that keeps us apart is COVID19. He is still working in the medical field in the land far away called Maryland. And for safety, because he is needed in the medical field and at the request of health professionals to practice common sense, we are delaying our feast once again. For how long? We don't know. What we do know is this afternoon we will be having a video call and we will still enjoy our annual tradition of giving thanks together.
The Democratic Committee of Columbia County wishes everyone of all political and religious beliefs a Happy Thanksgiving Day and hopefully soon we will all be able to be together, once again, in person and in Peace.
A time to be Thankful for what we have and to keep it safe.
posted: November 25,2020
Pa. and Nevada certify Biden’s wins; president-elect introduces national security team
Moving ahead the, soon to be Inaugurated, Biden/Harris administration is showing America and the world that their determination and work since our problematic election has put them in a good place for choosing the right people for important jobs.
Like many other Biden/Harris supporters this writer is exhausted from the last 4 years of unbelievably awful governance, disgusted with a person in the White House with no talent or interest in the job of President, exhausted with almost a year of a deadly pandemic and an election cycle totally slimed by Donald Trump's mendacity.
We will soon have a short rest America. Gather your wits, overcome the past and help rebuild our country. No one else can do it.
Joe Biden celebrating his win in Pennsylvania (click image)
posted: November 24,2020
Trump Authorizes Administration to Begin Working With Biden on Transition
New York Times:
Emily Murphy, the administrator of the General Services Administration, on Monday formally designated President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. as the apparent winner of the presidential election, providing federal funds and resources to begin a transition and authorizing his advisers to begin coordinating with Trump administration officials.
Ms. Murphy’s decision came after several more senior Republican lawmakers denounced her delay in allowing the peaceful transfer of power to begin, a delay that Mr. Biden and his top aides said was threatening national security and the ability of the incoming administration to effectively plan for combating the ongoing pandemic.
President-elect Biden in a virtual meeting with his growing Administration
posted: November 23,2020
Despite Winning all Their Seats Back Local Politicians Doubt the Election Results: Go Figure!
It is a strange time in America. yes the COVID pandemic probably lost Donald Trump another term but to many Americans it was just the rotten cherry on the putrid sundae of his presidency.
It is also an interesting time for observers of politics because we have never been in a situation where someone like Trump is taking names and threatening anyone who doesn't toe his imaginary line.
However here's the interesting part to this observer: how far will Republicans go to pander to this, soon to be, ex-president?
Our local politicos Gordner and Millard have publicly and loudly given credence to all the conspiracy theories related to one of America's most challenging elections. Why? Because pandering to the sore-loser and unhinged is the easiest way to keep them voting Republican. What else can they do? Well here's a few ideas:
Instead of blaming the nearest Democrat, they could try to explain that the unprecedented number of voters in the 2020 elections did challenge an antique system but, by no means did it fail and they could be patting Pennsylvania's county voting Registrars on the back for being so successful at their jobs.
They could also try to redirect their constituency, of all parties, to another path. They could try to lift them out of the spoiled child mentality, so well exhibited by their idol Donald Trump, and attempt to explain that democracies are messy and sometimes you are disappointed but sometimes it's important to discuss your differences with an eye toward compromise.
But why should anyone expect such a mature political attitude? John and David have got theirs, so why rock the boat?
A political insurance policy for Gordner and Millard
posted: November 21,2020
How much is 250,000 deaths? Enough to empty wide swaths of the country.
The 2019 headcount of Columbia County shows the figure of 67,295 citizens. We are a relatively small county so our numbers would not make a large contribution to the devastating 250,000 deaths attributed to COVID 19 during the last nine months. In other words, to make up that devastating number we would all need to die almost four times. The map below shows multiple views of this number. As is explained, the large area outlined in yellow represents a projection of how many deaths it would take to de-populate that area.
I wish there was a less brutal way to get this point across and if I felt that begging my neighbors, many of whom still don't take this pandemic seriously, I would be on my knees and doing so, and begging that, despite your political beliefs a virus is a creature that doesn't care what party its victims are, so please follow the intelligent guidelines to: wear a mask, wash your hands as often as possible and keep your distance wherever you go.
When I see a person in a supermarket wearing a mask practically around the neck and crowding other customers to put groceries in their cart I know I am looking at someone who may be the next to die or the next to kill a neighbor.
Next Thursday is a day to give thanks. Be thankful that you possess the gift of life. Don't throw it away and don't deprive a family member, or a neighbor of that gift.
November 20
extracted from the Washington Post:
As of Thursday, over a quarter-million people in the United States had died of covid-19 as the number of confirmed cases continues to skyrocket. Hospitals are short on nurses, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended against traveling for the holidays.
Each of these 250,000 people is a life lost to a single virus in less than nine months. One way to understand the impact of this loss is to compare it with the number of people who live in your town, city or county. This amount of death would draw a hole in America’s heartland.
250,000 people is more than the population of any of these counties
Approximately 250,000 people live inside the yellow stroke.
If all of the reported covid deaths in the U.S. were contained in
this area, its whole population would have died.
The majority of counties in the United States have less than 250,000 inhabitants. In these places, the number of people who have died of covid-19 in the United States is the same or many times greater than the county’s population.
We just lost all of Columbia County almost 4 times
posted: November 20,2020
Don't rely on a negative test result to see your family for Thanksgiving
If you think a negative test result means you don't have coronavirus, you could be wrong.
It can take days before a new infection shows up on a Covid-19 test. "We know that the incubation period for Covid-19 is up to 14 days. And before that, you can be testing negative, and have no symptoms," emergency medicine physician Dr. Leana Wen said. "But you could actually be harboring the virus and be able to transmit it to others."
As painful as it may be, safety should rule on Thanksgiving.
posted: November 17,2020
With pandemic raging, Republicans say election results validate their approach
The victories in state and local races have allowed GOP leaders to claim a mandate for their let-it-be approach to pandemic management, with pleas for “personal responsibility” substituting government intervention. As hospitals fill and deaths climb, it’s a philosophy that public health experts warn could have disastrous consequences this winter.
excerpted form an article in the Washington post.
With record numbers of infections and deaths it is hard to explain why Americans are virtually sleep-walking into the burning building of COVID 19.
With absolutely no guidance from the White House, the members of the Cult of Trump are desperately clinging to mantras such as "personal liberty", "freedom to choose" and anything else that will make their childish denial appear as an American right.
Meanwhile, in the real world, it is true that we are all suffering from exhaustion and, although the scientists who are fighting this war on a virus are also exhausted, the cooler heads must prevail. Yes, we are seeing amazing progress on a vaccine but it won't be here for some time. Of course we want to have traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas get togethers but who may be bringing the uninvited guest of disease into the heart of our families?
No matter how close to a vaccine we may be, who wants to be the last one to die in a war?
click here for a COVID 19 update
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Just in case you thought Trump's acolytes in PA would not join him in his tantrum. Think again!
Both Houses of the Pennsylvania Legislature have gotten their boxers in a knot because Joe Biden actually won the Presidency. Of course the people to blame are; wait for it, the stupid voters who were confused by a piece of paper with empty boxes on it or was it the complicated machines that had touch screens. No, it was the people who sat for days suffering paper cuts as they completed the complicated task of opening envelopes and putting ballots through machines as complex as a shredder. Maybe it was just Antifa or those African American activists who were tired of being afraid to be shot for committing the crime of having the wrong colored skin. Perhaps it was all those folks that don't need those Republican noses in their business as they decide who to love.
Well you, dear reader, can determine on your own what villain has condemned America to the next four years without the Whiner-in-chief. Here are a few items from the offices of the Pennsylvania Republicans as they waste huge amounts of taxpayers money looking for the chimera that deprived us so badly.
Senate Republicans Announce Review of Election Results
from John Gordner's newsletter:
Update on 2020 Election Issues
Over the past several days, I have received many calls, emails and letters raising concerns about the 2020 elections. I believe we need to make sure that our elections are fair and guarantee every legal vote is counted so all citizens can have faith in the results. This means investigating all areas of concern and ensuring all reasonable steps are taken to ensure the sanctity of our electoral process.
It is important to note the counting of votes is only the first step. The count must be completed before candidates can raise objections regarding the myriad of questionable issues about the handling of the election. This process takes time, but it will take place soon.
One of the biggest concerns that has been raised are cases in which poll watchers were denied access to pre-voting and vote counting. In some cases, poll watchers were forced to view the process on monitors or at distances that made it impossible to see what was happening. This is a clear violation of the spirit of the law and raises concerns about the validity of the results.
For this reason, I support calls by legislative leaders for a full, independent audit of the 2020 election to root out any potential instances of fraud or abuse. In addition, Senate leaders announced this week that the Senate State Government Committee would immediately review the results of the election These reasonable, commonsense steps would ensure the accuracy of the results, and it would go a long way toward restoring faith in the fairness of our elections.
I also support calls for the resignation of Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar for her blatantly partisan role in preventing a level playing field in the 2020 elections. In many cases, she ignored the courts as well as the plain language of the Election Code, and her last-second guidance created an extraordinary amount of chaos that led voters in some counties to be treated unfairly. We need qualified, nonpartisan leadership from the office responsible for overseeing our elections, and we certainly did not see that in this election cycle.
A great deal of work remains to finalize this year’s election results, and the situation continues to change at a rapid pace. I will do my best to share updates on election issues on my social media accounts and encourage you to check back for additional information in the days and weeks ahead.
and now for something completely the same:
from David Millard
House to Launch Hearings into 2020 Elections
The House State Government Committee, led by newly appointed interim Chairman Seth Grove (R-York), will soon launch a series of hearings into the process undertaken in Pennsylvania’s 2020 election.
Leading up to the election, actions by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Department of State created confusion for voters, poll workers and county elections officials, resulting in numerous complaints being relayed to me and my colleagues across the state.
We need to investigate what transpired so we can develop a comprehensive legislative fix to ensure that the people of Pennsylvania can have faith in their future elections, regardless of outcome. While no date has been set, the hearings are expected to begin soon.
In addition to the hearings, we are also calling for a legislative-led audit of the 2020 General Election results prior to those results being certified by the Department of State. Specifically, we are calling for the immediate establishment of a bipartisan investigatory committee with subpoena power to pursue this objective. The independence of this body is critical, given the shifting and last-minute guidance by the Department of State, as well as the extra statutory rulemaking undertaken by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Public sentiment and the sheer volume of lawsuits filed both before and since the election warrant such investigatory action.
Millard and Gordner, seeming to be in no danger of losing their seats. are still scared to death of the right of right wing republicans who idolize Trump and keep them in power. Politicians like these two are exactly the kind of toadies the right wing is always complaining about.
OH! NO! HOW COULD TRUMP HAVE LOST THE ELECTION???
New Biden-Harris transition website lists plans for 4 key issues
Since his first speech to the nation after the vote count was indicating his win to be President of the United States, Joe Biden has shown a poise and professionalism long missing from the White House.
It is tempting to waste words on someone who will soon be no more than a blot on American history, but wasting time in the face of our reality would not only be criminal, it would demonstrate a foolishness that we have seen far too often for far too long.
This entry will be short because it is more important that the reader hear Joe's plan for the immediate future (click on the photo). This web writer will endeavor in the future to give you, the web reader, as much up to date information regarding our progress at restoring safety and sanity to America.
click the image for the Biden-Harris transition plan
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The Columbia County Democratic Committee is a totally volunteer organization dedicated to the ideals enumerated in our mission statement. Throughout the year we hold fundraising events in and around the community but we also solicit donations to help pay expenses such as our monthly rent and also to enable us to financially support our candidates. Whether your donation is $20 or $200 please know that it will be appreciated and used to create a government that works for all.
If you would prefer to make a contribution by other than Pay-Pal such as Credit Card please call 570-784-DEMS. All checks or Money orders may be sent to CCDC c/o, PO Box 884, Bloomsburg, PA 17815.
Because of COVID 19 freezing most of our fund-raising activities our request for support is critical. We have been here for you and working for you for a long time. Please help us stay on the job and protect AMERICA!
