memeorandum: The Herculean task facing President-elect Biden (CNN)

12:05 PM ET, December 9, 2020

Top Items:

As Trump Rails Against Loss, His Supporters Become More Threatening — The president's baseless claims of voting fraud have prompted outrage among his loyalists and led to behavior that Democrats and even some Republicans say has become dangerous. — With a key deadline passing Tuesday …

Discussion: Progressive Eruptions, Raw Story, Verdict, Ohio Capital Journal, Reuters, One America News Network, Lead Stories, Charles Denyer, Fox News, IJR, NBC News, Hamodia, Forbes, Election Law Blog, POLITICUSUSA and The Mahablog

Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill:

Romney: ‘Madness’ for Republicans to challenge Electoral College vote — Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) dismissed a push from fellow Republicans in the House who are mulling the idea of challenging the Electoral College vote in an effort to keep President Trump in office another four years.

Discussion: JSOnline, IJR and Crooks and Liars

Christian Vanderbrouk / The Bulwark:

Enemies of Democracy — Remember. Their. Names. — Three days before Christmas in 2001, Richard Reid took off from Paris on a flight to Miami. He did not intend on arriving. Instead, he attempted to ignite explosives packed into one of his shoes to destroy the plane, killing everyone aboard for the cause of violent jihad.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Raw Story and Associated Press

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

A GOP senator reveals just how deranged many in his party have become — Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, Republican of Pennsylvania, has done something truly extraordinary. He has now stated in unequivocal terms that it's unacceptable for his fellow Republicans to try to subvert the will of American voters …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Off the Kuff, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Bark Bark Woof Woof

Trip Gabriel / New York Times:

Even in Defeat, Trump Tightens Grip on State G.O.P. Lawmakers — In Pennsylvania, the president's false claims of a rigged vote may inflame the party base for years to come. One lawmaker said that refusing to back up his assertions would “get my house bombed.”

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Root, Wall Street Journal, NBC News, The Week, justoneminute.typepad.com, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Vox and POLITICUSUSA

Philip Bump / Washington Post:

The marketplace for fantasy is reshaping conservative media, just like it reshaped conservative politics — With the clarity of retrospect, one can see how Fox News got into its current predicament. For the duration of President Trump's time in office — and, of course, well before that …

Discussion: New York Magazine, CNN, Media Matters for America, Mediaite and HotAir

Brian Stelter / CNN:

Newsmax TV scores a ratings win over Fox News for the first time ever — New York (CNN Business)Newsmax TV has notched a ratings win over Fox News Channel for the very first time. — The win, fueled by conservative viewers who are disappointed by the election results, happened Monday evening.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, RedState, HotAir, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, The Gateway Pundit, The Wrap, The Week and Todd Starnes

David Bauder / Hosted:

Competitive CNN Shows Post-Election Surge In Viewership — NEW YORK (AP) — Since the presidential election, CNN has been on one of its best competitive rolls in almost two decades, enough that it is taking out newspaper ads touting its success. — Between Nov. 4 and Sunday …

Discussion: CBS News, Associated Press and Fox News

Sara Fischer / Axios:
President Trump's election loss has upended America's news landscape, cementing a parallel universe on the right where even Fox News isn't Trumpy enough for millions of his diehards.

Discussion: Power Line, more at Mediagazer »

Lucas Kunce / American Prospect:

The China Hack and How to Reverse It — What will it require to take China seriously as an economic challenge? — In the 1990s, satellite communications were taking off. Demand for space launches was high, but supply of vehicles was low. The U.S. satellite industry was on the prowl for cheap rocket rides into space.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Townhall

Josh Rogin / Washington Post: Congress shines light on Georgetown's CCP-linked foreign funding

Collin Anderson / Washington Free Beacon:
Ossoff's Father Met With Chinese ‘Dignitaries’ While Touring His China-Built Yacht

Discussion: Townhall

CNN:

George Conway: This is the most insane thing yet — Attorney George Conway reacts to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking to block election results by asking the Supreme Court to take up a lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin arguing that the battleground states exploited …

Discussion: The Hill

Kimberly Wehle / The Bulwark:
The Texas Attorney General's Shameful and Stupid Attempt to Crash the Election

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, RedState, Sara A. Carter, Israpundit, Reason, Politics News, Los Angeles Times, The Texas Tribune and UPI

Greg Bluestein / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Loeffler, Perdue side with Texas lawsuit that Georgia AG says is ‘wrong’

Discussion: The Daily Caller, New York Times, Breitbart, Politico, USA Today, The Hill and Political Wire

Wall Street Journal:

Trump's Challenges to Election Results Face End of the Legal Road — Courts across the U.S. have rejected the president and his supporters, citing lack of proof and other shortcomings — A sweeping multistate legal effort by President Trump and his supporters to override President-elect Joe Biden's victory …

Discussion: Washington Post, Reuters, Democrats, The American Independent, National Review, Michigan Advance and CBS News

Aakriti Bhalla / Reuters:
Nevada's top court rejects Trump campaign's appeal to overturn election results

Discussion: Associated Press, Forbes, Washington Post, The Nevada Independent, The Hill, Daily Kos, Reno Gazette-Journal, Talking Points Memo, IJR, HotAir, Washington Times, The US Sun and Las Vegas Review-Journal

Jordan Williams / The Hill:
27 GOP reps ask for special counsel to investigate election irregularities

Discussion: The Daily Caller, IJR and Political Wire

Hans Nichols / Axios:

Biden eyeing Buttigieg for China ambassador — Letting him deepen his foreign policy chops could boost Buttigieg's future.

Discussion: Business Insider, Sara A. Carter, Talking Points Memo, Townhall, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and Political Wire

Katie Shepherd / Washington Post:

An Idaho official left a meeting in tears as anti-maskers swarmed her home — Minutes into a public health district's virtual meeting to vote on a local mask mandate in Idaho on Tuesday evening, Ada County Commissioner Diana Lachiondo tearfully excused herself after getting a phone call …

Discussion: Washington Examiner, KIVI, The Hill, CNN, USA Today, RedState, Talking Points Memo and Boing Boing

Joseph Wulfsohn / Fox News:

Eric Swalwell's reported entanglement with Chinese spy ignored by CNN, broadcast networks — After years of promoting the Russia probe, the media largely ignored unflattering headlines about the Dem lawmaker — Tucker: How Chinese spies gained access to Washington elites

Discussion: HotAir, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, Townhall, The Lid and Breitbart

John Bresnahan / Politico:
Rep. Swalwell says Trump criticism behind spy story

Discussion: Fox News, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, The US Sun, Breitbart, Sara A. Carter, Power Line and Axios

Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: 'It's tight'

Discussion: New York Times, National Review and Florida Politics

Washington Post:

Giuliani witness whose testimony went viral says she isn't self-quarantining despite his covid-19 diagnosis — A witness who attracted national attention after testifying at the side of Rudolph W. Giuliani about alleged voter fraud in Michigan says she is not self-quarantining and has not been tested …

Discussion: Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, The US Sun, The Daily Beast, hd.ingham.org and Political Wire

Mary Ellen Klas / Tampa Bay Times:

GOP lawyer resigns over treatment of Florida data analyst — Ron Filipkowski, a lifelong Republican who was appointed to the 12th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission by DeSantis, resigned Tuesday morning after reviewing the search warrant affidavit the state used to seize computers and phones from Rebekah Jones.

Discussion: Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, Florida Politics and Law & Crime

NBC News:

Historian: After Trump, public and press should hold Biden to a high standard — WASHINGTON — Republicans certainly had their complaints about Barack Obama's presidency. — They argued he was too politically inexperienced, spent too much, wasn't transparent enough, issued too many executive orders …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Progressive Eruptions, Mediaite and Liberty Unyielding

Naomi Lim / Washington Examiner:
Republicans set to pounce on Biden over executive order spree

Discussion: The Bulwark, Responsible Statecraft, Washington Post, The Hill, CBS News, HotAir and Associated Press

David Kocieniewski / Bloomberg:

Musk, Bezos Space Race Gets a Boost From Anti-Poverty Tax Break — Rocket projects aren't the only thing the world's two richest people have in common. Their facilities are in areas designated as opportunity zones, giving them a path to low-tax expansion.

Heather Somerville / Wall Street Journal:
Elon Musk Moves to Texas, Takes Jab at Silicon Valley

Discussion: CNBC, Meduza.io, The Verge, Big League Politics, The Daily Caller and New York Post

Nick Visser / HuffPost:

‘Corruption In Real Time’: Rep. Katie Porter Shreds McConnell For Stymying Stimulus Bill — “This must be exposed,” the California Democrat wrote as Congress tries to negotiate a COVID-19 stimulus deal. — Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) lambasted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell …

Discussion: Business Insider, New York Post, Crooks and Liars and Raw Story

Julia Marcus / The Atlantic:

The Problem With Underestimating How Much People Want to Be Together — Pandemic shaming, a national pastime since the spring, intensified in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Thousands waited in line, some for many hours, for a preholiday coronavirus test, only to be rebuked as careless, selfish violators of public-health rules.

Discussion: The Nation and New York Times

James Fallows / The Atlantic:

How Biden Should Investigate Trump — I. A Crimes Commission? — As he prepares to occupy the White House, President-elect Joe Biden faces a decision rare in American history: what to do about the man who has just left office, whose personal corruption, disdain for the Constitution …

Discussion: USA Today, Talking Points Memo, GZERO, The National Interest, Techdirt, Daily Kos and Miami Herald, more at Mediagazer »

Politico:

Biden to tap Marcia Fudge to lead housing agency — President-elect Joe Biden has selected Rep. Marcia Fudge to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. — The offer to lead the roughly $50 billion housing agency comes …

Amanda Terkel / HuffPost:
Joe Biden Set To Tap Tom Vilsack As Agriculture Secretary Despite Black Leaders' Concerns

Discussion: Reuters, Politico, Des Moines Register and NPR

Wall Street Journal:

Georgia Senate Runoff Elections Trigger Panicked Door Knocking by Both Parties — Republicans worry Trump supporters might stay home, while Democrats fear some backers will think mission already is complete — CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga.—Republicans and Democrats have concluded that the outcome …

Discussion: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, RedState and Florida Politics

Politico:

Republicans plot their first and last Trump rebellion — Sen. Jim Inhofe is among Donald Trump's most loyal supporters. But with Inhofe and legions of other Republicans preparing to defy the president on a major defense bill, Trump decided to make one last push.

Discussion: Axios, Business Insider, The Texas Tribune, The American Independent and Raw Story

Brian Klaas / Washington Post:

America has an authoritarian voter problem — For the past four years, American democracy has been in firefighting mode. Our institutions, our norms and our democratic values were being torched by the president himself. Thankfully, voters doused those flames on Nov. 3 by rejecting four more years of Trumpism.

Thomas B. Edsall / New York Times:

The Resentment That Never Sleeps — Rising anxiety over declining social status tells us a lot about how we got here and where we're going. — Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C. on politics, demographics and inequality. — More and more, politics determine …

New York Times:

Intensive Care Beds Are Nearing Capacity Across the Country, New Data Shows — Source: New York Times analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data. ·Note: Shows 7-day average patient count by hospital service area. — In El Paso, hospitals reported that just 13 …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, The Week, NPR, Blue Virginia and HealthData.gov

Armond White / National Review:

The Plot Against the President Bridges the Conservative Generation Gap — The daughter of a legendary right-wing Hollywood filmmaker calmly documents an all-American cliffhanger. — John Milius made the conservative action-movie favorite Red Dawn. Released in 1984, it's famous …

Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Supplies of Covid-19 PPE Fall Short of Targets — Shortages of gear persist as cases surge; ‘we just have the regular masks you can buy at Walmart’ — The federal government has fallen well short of its goal to shore up an emergency stockpile of respirator masks and some other personal …

Simon Romero / New York Times:

After Trump's Loss in Arizona, State Republicans Hurl Insults at One Another — A top Republican told the governor to “shut the hell up.” Another official described a lawmaker as a resident of “Crazytown.” All this in a state where the party recently reigned supreme.

Discussion: Arizona Republic, The Week, HotAir, IJR, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo and Daily Kos

Julia Davis / The Daily Beast:

Russian Media Wants Moscow to Grant Asylum to Trump — Russian media and lawmakers are concerned about the future of the Kremlin's favorite U.S. president. — BEAST INSIDE — Russian state media—a reliable barometer of the mood at the Kremlin—remains fixated on election-related events in America.

Discussion: Raw Story and The Intellectualist

Ted Hesson / Reuters:

Exclusive-Former U.S. homeland chief Johnson says he will not join Biden administration — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who was widely viewed as a strong contender for several Cabinet positions under incoming President Joe Biden …

Discussion: Washington Examiner and The Week

Joe Biden / The Atlantic:

Why I Chose Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense — In late August of 2010, I traveled to Iraq for the fifth time as vice president. While there, I participated in the change-of-command ceremony for United States Forces-Iraq. President Barack Obama had charged me with overseeing the end …

blog.youtube:

Supporting the 2020 U.S. election … Over the past weeks and months, we've seen people coming to YouTube to learn more about where and how to vote or learning more about a candidate or an issue. We've seen news organizations grow their audience. And we've seen people turn to YouTube …