Good Monday morning.
Here is what’s on the president’s agenda today:
- The president has lunch with the vice president.
Listen to:
Two minutes of hate:
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has ordered Pennsylvania officials to respond to an election legal challenge one day earlier than initially ordered. Alito’s move will force the state to respond to suit prior to the safe harbor provision deadline.
The difference of just a day is significant, given that the previous deadline of Wednesday fell one day after what is known as the “safe harbor date,” the federal cutoff date for states to resolve any remaining election disputes and lock in their slate of electors for the Dec. 14 Electoral College vote.
The suit was brought by Rep. Mike Kelly who wants to toss out all the mail-in ballots because using a “no excuse” mail ballot in Pennsylvania is unconstitutional according to the state constitution. Although the law was passed to do so, the change requires the Pennsylvania constitution be amended and the amendment process was never completed. The legal challenge makes this point.
What does this mean?
“I would not read too much into this,” said Richard L. Hasen, an election law professor at the University of California-Irvine, in a post on his blog Sunday. “It shows more respect to the petitioners [Kelly], and does not make it look like the court is simply running out the clock on the petition. I still think the chances the court grants any relief on this particular petition are virtually zero.”
Fox News writes:
Kelly, a Republican from Butler, Pa., wants the courts to rule that more than 2.5 million mail-in ballots are tossed, which would all but secure a victory for President Trump in the Keystone State because a vote would be taken in the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature.
Here’s some more information on this issue from Bill Jacobson at Legal Insurrection.
Over in Georgia, DeKalb County cannot find the chain of custody documents for the ballots deposited in ballot boxes. Golly gee that’s strange.
DeKalb County responded to an Open Records Request from The Georgia Star News to produce the ballot transfer forms that formed the critical chain of custody link in the absentee ballots deposited in the near 300 drop boxes in the state and transported to county election offices in a letter received on Friday that said the county did not know if such records exist.
Assistant County Attorney at DeKalb County Dexter Q. Bond, Jr., replied in response to the request , “it has not yet been determined if responsive records to your request exist.” Georgia law requires “the ballots from the drop box shall be immediately transported to the county registrar and processed and stored in the same manner as absentee ballots returned by mail are processed and stored. The county registrar or a designee thereof shall sign the ballot transfer form upon receipt of the ballots from the collection team.”
Developing.
Election news:
Loeffler doesn’t acknowledge Trump’s defeat in only Georgia runoff debate
Biden picks Calif. AG Becerra to lead HHS, pandemic response
Trump plans to outshine Biden on Inauguration Day with opposing rally: report
Great read! Massive Civil Disobedience Coming to the USA in 2021
Dozens of protesters gathered outside home of Michigan elections chief
ABC’s Stephanopoulos to GOP senator on presidential race: ‘Why can’t you accept the results?’
Ad spending in Georgia tops $329M since Election Day
Progressives Are Not Happy With President-Elect Joe Biden’s Likely Secretary Of Defense Pick, Michele Flournoy
‘Part Of It Is Bias, Part Of It Is Corruption’: Giuliani Explains Why He Thinks Media Is Ignoring Alleged Voter Fraud
2020 meltdown leaves Iowa Democrats on edge
Attorney General Barr considering leaving post before Trump exits office, source says
Coronavirus update:
Defiant New York bar owner fleeing arrest on COVID rules violations hit deputy with car: Sheriff
CA sheriff: county won’t be ‘used as muscle’ against residents
Trump tweets Rudy Giuliani has tested positive for COVID-19
Over Half Of NYC Firefighters Say They Won’t Take COVID-19 Vaccine, Union Survey Finds
Bass Defends Dems Who Flouted Own COVID Restrictions
Arizona legislature shuts down after Giuliani tests positive for COVID-19
White House vaccine chief praises Biden’s plan to ask Americans to wear masks for first 100 days
WUT? Oregon Defends State Coronavirus Program Giving Federal Funds to Black People Only
Protests/riots/Black Lives Matter/crime:
San Diego teachers forced to attend ‘white privilege’ training, told ‘you are racist’
Police: Shooting, Slashing Attacks Occur in Philadelphia, Critically Injuring Two
Other morsels:
LOL. Brennan: ‘There Was No Spying’ on Trump — ‘No Problems’ with Durham Probe Continuing
David Lander, ‘Squiggy’ on ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ dies at 73
Facebook postings help detect psychiatric illness, study finds
Matthew McConaughey criticizes Hollywood ‘far left;’ says the right is in election ‘denial’
Roids? Cuomo’s office a ‘toxic’ work environment, people ‘deathly afraid of him,’ former aide says
Firm co-owned by Ilhan Omar’s husband received $500G in COVID-19 bailout on top of millions from her campaign
And that’s all I’ve got, now go beat back the angry mob!