In Case You Missed it (v26)

It's recap time!  Here's the week in review, with snippets and links.

In Sunday School, I listened in on the last men standing in the presidential race. That Guy From Vermont talked with Margaret Brennan, Mayor Pete sat with Chuck Todd, and Papa Joe chatted with George Stephanopoulos, which included this discussion on some comments made by key endorser Rep. Jim Clyburn..

On Rep. Jim Clyburn's comment about changes coming to Biden's campaign, and letting people "mishandle" the campaign?

Well, there's a lot of changes coming. This is, as you know, from your past experience years ago, this is a matter of addition, not subtraction. And so we're attracting more and more people, we're adding more competent people, additional people who are very competent. I feel good about the top part of my campaign. We've had some difficulties across the board in terms of field organization. That's getting better... We can always improve. And I can improve as well. 

I had an Extra Credit post for you this week as well, with interviews with VP Mike Pence and HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Here's a bit of the latter's discussion with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday.

Wallace asked whether there was any serious consideration to close the US/Mexican border.

Well, right now Mexico has very few cases. So that would -- that would take a real change in the epidemiological profile and the risk to the US from there.  I think (the president) is trying to say is, all things are on the table. We're not going to take anything off the table in our armamentarium of tools we have to protect the American people. 

The Extra Credit post provided the impetus for the Sidebar: "Let's Call it Trumpvirus" in which I look at the sole example provided by the VP about bad people on the left saying bad things about the president and his handling of the coronavirus problem.  Here's how I closed the post.

Regular readers know my profound distaste for the president and most of the people in his administration, but this opinion piece is not untruthful; it references real occurrences and real comments from real members of the administration. Sure, it adds a bit of sarcasm, but that does not make it incorrect, nor does it politicize the virus. It certainly doesn't demonstrate a "new level of sickness" - Donny Jr can hold that title all by himself. Nor does it justify the veep's closing thoughts from his MTP interview.

VP: And when you see voices on our side pushing back on outrageous and irresponsible rhetoric on the other side, I think that's important.

CT: Do you think this rhetoric from your side helps?

VP: I, I never begrudge people responding to unwarranted, unjustified attacks. 

All I can say it that it's even more abundantly clear why the GOP can't do anything about gun safety legislation. It's not the NRA's fault - it's that these goofballs think that the truth is a weapon being used against them. 

I also did what might have been the last Email of the Week, given that there are now only two candidates in the running for the Dem nod. One of them I stopped following a few weeks back, and the other one asks me for $2.70 on average three times a day, so there's not a lot to covet there. Anyway - the email of the week was a compilation from the several campaign suspension emails that happened this week. 

And we walk on in the knowledge that better leadership is possible. That if we reach for it, if we work for it, if we hold that hope in our hearts and fire in our bellies, then one day we will stand in the future we create, a future where every American is empowered and everyone belongs. (MP) 

So if you leave with only one thing, it must be this: Choose to fight only righteous fights, because then when things get tough — and they will — you will know that there is only option ahead of you: nevertheless, you must persist. (EW)

And I look forward to continuing this fight together. (AK)

And the week ended with a busy TGIF, in which we had some of the usual suspects making appearances. 

Speaking of the president, he had a week. Just like he always does. From a great jobs report to not touching his face to bizarro comments at the CDC (and how all of that transpired), you'd think that was enough.

But no-o-o-o -- there's more. Because there's always more.

Gotta love the 'fire-by-tweet' HR processes, right?  

And with that, you're up to date. See you tomorrow for Sunday School.