Category: Uncategorized

“A Republic, if you can keep it.”

* If you’re not a feckless GOPster pol or part of a deplorable basket, you appreciate a diminished public presence by this self-aggrandizing, insolent, in-your-face president. That said, it’s still, ironically, no time for an unused bully pulpit, one that is critically necessary to help lead America through pandemic-vaccination logistics and one that is needed to help call out the Russians for cyberattacks. Speaking of the latter, Trump has defended the Russians, blamed the Chinese and disagreed with his own cybersecurity agency and secretary of state. “The Cyber Hack is far greater in the Fake News Media than in actuality,” unsurprisingly declared Trump.

In other words, Trump continues doubling down on his sore-loser, Odious Office departure. The election was still “stolen” or “rigged.” And Vlad Putin is still his handler, regardless of how the relationship undermines national security and international repute. The bottom line, even for this unprecedented president, should be to do everything possible to protect the American people. Whether it’s the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, a missile crisis, a presidential assassination, 9/11—or a pandemic and cyberattacks. Trump is underscoring that his narcissistic priorities—and those of most Americans—are irreconcilable.

We can only wonder what kind of Trump-directed counter programming will perversely juxtapose the Inauguration. What is certain is that Chuck Schumer’s hope that Trump might “end his term with a modicum of grace and dignity” is a pipe dream.

* So, Mitch McConnell has finally recognized Joe Biden’s win and even congratulated him. It only took six weeks and a number of long-shot, sore-loser, legal defeats. Hell, Vlad Putin acknowledged Biden’s win before McConnell did. Now the Senate Majority Leader gets criticized—by Trump and his base—for giving up so soon, for not having had a bit more acolyte allegiance. He’s even been contemptuously labeled a “Rino.” That’s what recognizing–however unconscionably deferred–reality gets you in the era of Trump Republicanism: being thrown under the disloyalty bus.

Well, too bad Mitch, but you’ll find some familiar, former Trump enablers under that bus with you. You’ve all earned it. Regards to William Barr and Jeff Sessions.

* “Can’t believe how badly Fox News is doing in the ratings! Fox News is dead.” That was the outgoing president tweeting on Fox’s refusal to validate Trump’s ongoing assertion that he would have officially won the election had it not been “stolen.” Chances are Fox also disagrees with Trump’s ratings-spiral obit for the network. Fox is still, alas, the top-rated network, and, no, it’s not fake news that Fox led all cable news stations in the last round of Nielsen Ratings. Like Trump, it’s still here. Unlike the president, reality can occasionally trump fealty.

* “A growing number of Florida Republicans are urging me to challenge Marco Rubio in the Republican primary.” That was the unpardonably sleazy Roger Stone, reminding us that just when we think we’ve heard it all here in “Flo-RED-a,” we have not. Trump baggage, in its various manifestations and iterations, will be with us for a while. Just ask Ivanka.

* It’s the longest of long shots, but there is some insider talk about President-elect Biden considering Judge Merrick Garland for attorney general. It won’t happen, but the karma-and-poetic-justice crowd would love seeing Barack Obama’s partisanly-derailed choice for the Supreme Court, a man synonymous with fairness, in charge of the post-Sessions/Barr Justice Department.

* “May you be like mixologists at trendy gastropubs: behind bars.” Gotta love Trump-targeted, Yiddish humor, even if Bibi Netanyahu and Sheldon Adelson aren’t laughing.

* Amid all the ego-driven drama and chaos accompanying the Trump-Biden transition during a pandemic, it’s easy to overlook the priority that Biden has given to climate policy. No, it’s not the “Green New Deal,” but it’s nothing like the denialism and disingenuousness of the fossil-fueled Trump Administration that has eroded EPA regulations and pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord. The Biden tone was set with the appointment of former Secretary of State John Kerry, a major international player, as special presidential envoy for climate. Besides an obvious worldwide signal of commitment, the Kerry selection means that for the first time, the National Security Council will include an official dedicated to climate change as an urgent national security priority. “We literally have no time to waste,” underscored President-elect Biden.

Moreover, by nominating Janet Yellen, former Federal Reserve chair and onetime head of President Bill Clinton’s Council on Economic Advisers, as Treasury Secretary, Biden can graphically connect job creation with environmental goals. Yellen, new National Economic Council director Brian Deese and Neera Tanden, the nominee to head the White House Office of Management and Budget, are preparing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate clean energy production into the economic stimulus legislation that the incoming Administration is crafting.

It’s a sobering reminder that being motivated to protect lives and save the planet is not reason enough to take a strong stand on climate change. No, it also requires pragmatic, bottom-line economic context. The word “jobs” will be Rick Scott-ubiquitous and on a constant loop in search of bipartisan support for financial regulations that could further speed up the deployment of wind and solar energy, electric cars and other initiatives to reduce emissions. The Biden White House won’t be pushing an either/or–tree huggers or fossil fuelers—agenda. This will be 21^st century jobs growth that also addresses the ultimate existential threat to our way of life and our planet. Too bad it’s still a partisan issue for too many.

* “I think China is waiting to see what the Biden Administration will announce and can deliver on. They are trying to signal that they’re going to continue to move forward on climate action domestically but they’re also holding back.”–Jack Schmidt, managing directorof the Natural Resources Defense Council’s International Program.

* “Among the myriad challenges inherited by the incoming Biden Administration will be not only ending our nation’s longest war, in Afghanistan, but also defining what ending a war actually means.”–Elliot Ackerman, author of “Places and Names: On War, Revolution and Returning.”

* Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia has sponsored a bill that would require ambassadors-to-be to disclose their country knowledge and language skills in detail, along with any political contributions given or bundled over the previous decade. It hasn’t gotten a lot of national buzz, but you can bet the incoming Biden Administration is well aware of the downside of ambassadorships for sale.

#AloneTogether

* “I didn’t feel a thing—well done.”–VP Mike Pence, after being vaccinated on live television.

* “We need at least several more vaccines if we are to get enough doses to vaccinate the overwhelming majority of the country … and get a good umbrella of immunity.”–Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

*According to the CDC, drug overdoses have accelerated during the pandemic: 2020 will become the year with the highest number of overdose deaths on record.

* “How can we come to terms with all this when people are living in separate informational realities?”–Kate Starbird, associate professor and misinformation expert at the University of Washington.

* Approximately 22 percent of regular hospital beds and 18 percent of adult intensive care unit beds were—as of last weekend—open statewide. The numbers in Tampa Bay were 23 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

* Visit Tampa Bay announced that its tax collection on overnight stays was down 45 percent in October compared to the same month last year.

* According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction employment in the Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater metro area declined by 5 percent or 3,900 jobs, across all forms of construction between October 2019 and October 2020.

* 25: the approximate percentage of the inmate population in the Tampa Bay area’s largest state prison facility (Zephrhills Correctional Institute) that has tested positive for COVID-19.

* What would Jesus say about churches struggling to accommodate parishioners during a pandemic? It’s beyond presumptuous to even guess, but here goes: “First things first; protect yourselves and others. When in doubt, stay home and continue to live a principled, faith-based life. I’m good with virtual worship.”

* Digital news site Axios recently announced plans to expand into local markets with a daily (morning) newsletter. “There is an audience—and real revenue—in cities,” noted Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei. As a result, there is now Axios-Tampa Bay. Ben Montgomery, author and former enterprise reporter for the Tampa Bay Times, will be the sole writer of five (roughly 300-word) stories a day–from business to education to health care to sports–culled from local media. It’s called “smart brevity,” says Montgomery, or helping readers “to connect the dots” and “know what you need to know.” So, thanks to Axios, presumably, no more unconnected media dots in this market. Other national markets that will also be debuting Axios newsletters: Denver, Minneapolis and Des Moines.

*Wi-Fi friendly: “The intent of these is to have wayfinding and messaging, and they can all be customized immediately.”–Shaun Drinkard, senior director of public programming and operations for the Tampa Downtown Partnership, whichis helping install 30 free digital touchscreen information kiosks around Tampa in 2021.

* “Soon the (Trump coverage) party needs to end. The news media needs to go cold turkey on Trump.”–Margaret Sullivan, Washington Post. Indeed. To the extent possible, the media should try to undo some of the damage done by all the free publicity provided to an obviously unhinged, uninformed, reality-TV celebrity.

* Merry Christmas, everybody. Thank you for your readership.

* “This town changed when we got an NFL franchise. People said, ‘Wait a minute, if they have an NFL franchise, there’s got to be something going on there.’ And when we got the Super Bowl, people understood that we were big enough to host the Republican Convention and any other event that came along.” That was Leonard Levy, who chaired the Tampa Bay committee that successfully pursued NFL membership in the 1970s. It’s a reminder that for areas such as this one—burgeoning with potential but hardly a major-market magnet—landing an NFL franchise can have a catalytic impact. It did. Such events transcend sports. Ask any economic-development fan.

* Remember the “ThunderDome?” It’s back. Sort of. “ThunderDome” is what Tropicana Field was known as—before baseball and after its original Florida Suncoast Dome appellation. The expansion Lightning used it between the Florida Fairgrounds debut home rink and what is now Amalie Arena. The current “ThunderDome” has nothing to do with hockey. It’s a marketing tool that highlights the venue now being used by the WWE through March for its wrestling showcase broadcasts and pay-per-view events.

* “(Trump) has a fairly large base of support within the United States, and, as far as I understand, he is not going to depart from the political life of his country.”–Russian President Vladimir Putin.

* “(The Trump Administration) has fallen far short in holding the Kremlin accountable.”–David Simon, cybersecurity expert and former Defense Department special counsel.

* “Trust is the coin of the realm.”–George Schultz, former U.S. secretary of state, treasury and labor.

* “Since the election, it has become more apparent how moderate Biden really is. There is not a single super-progressive among his Cabinet and senior staff picks. … If Biden holds the line against the most progressive elements in his party, ex-Republicans might find themselves surprisingly comfortable in a Biden Democratic Party.”–Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post.

* “(Trump’s) going to be the college freshman who hangs out in the high school parking lot during winter break, wanting to recreate the magic. … I look forward to 2020 ending, some time in early 2025.”–Matt Gorman, Republican strategist who worked on Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential bid.

* This is the light at the end of the tunnel. But it’s a long tunnel.”–New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as the biggest vaccination campaign in U.S. history kicked off.

* “Housing remains a bright spot in an otherwise weak economy, seeing a bounce from strong demand and low mortgage rates.”–Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at Hight Frequency Economics.

* “What we did see in middle and high schools was students who were at home were two times as likely to have a D or F.”—Kevin Hendrik, Pinellas associate superintendent for teaching and learning.

* “The few businesses in the community who aren’t good citizens have to be addressed.”–Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, as Tampa code enforcement officers began enforcing the county’s orders on mask use and bans of dance floor crowds.

* “Really? Are we really going to have that discussion? It’s amazing to me.”–St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, in response to those who say they have a right to go dancing.

* “I think the history-making nature of this appointment, combined with his 41-year career in the military, makes him the perfect choice for this.”–Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, on President-elect Biden’s choice of retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin III, the former commander of the U.S. Central Command at MacDill AFB, as secretary of defense. Austin, the first black commander of Central Command, would also be the first black defense secretary.

* “I loved every minute of it. I could do it 24 hours a day. … I had an appointment every 15 to 20 minutes with whoever wanted to come. We got so much done.”–Former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco, reflecting on his City Hall years.

“A Republic, if you can keep it.”

* Trump legacy update: “No, it’s not over. We keep going. … We have numerous local cases. We’re, you know, in some of the states that got rigged and robbed from us.” We’re, you know, not exactly surprised by this classless, perp-walk-and-talk presidential exit.

* The Trump “Jericho March” rally on the National Mall was called a “prayer rally.” We know in whose name the followers prey.

* Last week’s mainly maskless, Valdosta campaign stop was more “Stop the Steal” and fight forTrump than Georgia senatorial endorsement. Trump, unsurprisingly, mainly used his cult pulpit to rally for his own Oval Orifice cause. He even resorted to a Cold War-era gambit by pulling out a piece of paper and reading a list of his electoral successes, including the false assertion that he won Georgia and the White House. Nice try; Joe McCarthy would have approved.

* “The Trump staff is scouring for last-minute decisions and regulations and executive orders that could polish Trump’s legacy. This would be one.” That was Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, referring to Kennedy assassination documents that have yet to be published. They must all be declassified by Oct. 26, 2021. If Trump passes, then President Biden will release the remaining JFK files.

* Speaking of the presidential “legacy,” Trump, in unprecedented fashion, has been fast-forwarding federal executions on the way out. Executive orders/Execution orders: Hope they’re separate piles.

* Once again, Richard M. Nixon never looked so presidential.

* Upsides to the Trump presidency are manifestly missing. But there is this: the Trump White (Grievance) House has helped focus more attention on an electoral system that undemocratically enables minoritarian candidates. Trump went 0-for-2 in the popular vote. The one person/one vote-nullifying Electoral College is now approaching Trump University for 21st-century relevance.

* Imagine that just a month from inauguration, conceding defeat is still an issue for the incumbent loser–in an election where the electoral vote was 306-232 and the winner received 7 million more (popular) votes.

* The Congressional run-offs in Georgia will determine the partisan balance in the U.S. Senate. Money, surrogates and Supreme Court scenarios have been pouring in. But there is still a time-tested variable at play: Turnout dynamics for run-offs can be game-changing—from local to national. Just ask Bob Buckhorn—or Rose Ferlita.

* “Well, they’re Christmas parties.”–That was the partier-in-chief confirming that the White House will, indeed, continue holding indoor, largely maskless parties this month. Of course, it will.

* In the aftermath of this unprecedented presidential election, we have seen a lot of numbers in the highest-turn-out election–66 percent–in more than a century. Before we get carried away about voter engagement and motivation, let’s not forget that one out of every three eligible voters didn’t bother to vote in the most consequential election for American democracy since 1861.

* “Our democracy–pushed, tested, threatened–proved to be resilient, true and strong.”–President-elect Joe Biden, after the Electoral College chose him as America’s next president.

* Call it karma or schadenfreude or a “Saturday Night Live” preview, but it will be interesting—and perversely appealing—to watch the official Congressional count of electoral votes on Jan. 6. That’s because the person presiding–and formally announcing the results–will be the president of the Senate, otherwise known as the vice president of the United States. That means Mike Pence will officially declare Joe Biden the winner. Yes.

* For those hoping—and expecting—Biden to name Susan Rice as his secretary of state, the disappointment is understandable. She has serious foreign-policy chops and is a former national security adviser and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She’s been a secretary of state finalist twice—and was in the running for Biden’s vice president. But confirmation could have been dicey. Republicans have never forgiven her for downplaying terrorism as a motive for the 2012 Benghazi attack on the U.S. Libyan consulate that cost four American lives. Rice instead will become the director of the Domestic Policy Council, which, not coincidentally, does not require Senate confirmation.

* Jill Biden has been criticized by some for being affected in her use of “Doctor” that references her non-medical-degree doctorate in education. That’s petty. She earned it. She doesn’t just talk a good game of educational value. It’s a proud reminder that a woman of credentialed learning—think Michelle Obama, not Melania Trump—is part of this Administration’s inner circle. But if we must start parsing courtesy titles, let’s first consider “Honorable” for members of Congress.

* Andrew Yang, no surprise, is still a player. The former tech executive, who attracted a following during his presidential candidacy, is a likely 2021 candidate for mayor of New York. The New York native—and former resident of Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood—created Humanity Forward, a New York-based non-profit that distributes money to needy families in the Bronx.

* “The Democratic Party is a Star Wars bar of contentious special interest groups.”–Republican strategist Mac Stipanovich—now registered NPA.

#AloneTogether

* Food for the thoughtless: A CDC study in the fall showed that “adults who had contracted COVID-19 were twice as likely as virus-free adults to have recently dined at a restaurant.”

* The FAA has agreed to pilots receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. But those pilots may not fly for 48 hours.

* Travel through St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport was down 38 percent in November compared to the same month a year ago.

* “The post-Thanksgiving bump is just beginning to play out.”–Former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden.

* According to Podtrac, an analytics firm, downloads of podcasts in the U.S. at the end of October were up 47 percent from the same period in 2019.

* 20 million: The number of Americans who could be immunized by year’s end, according to Federal officials. Another 80 million: Americans who could be immunized by the end of February.

* Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida would receive 179,400 initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

* “Open America up.”–Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz.

No, the Sunshine State hasn’t been reminding anyone of the “Flori-duh,” hanging-chads days. But from Rick Scott to Ron DeSantis, it’s become “Flo-RED-a.” Now add Attorney General Ashley Moody. She joined 16 other states—via their Republican attorneys general—in a friend-of-the-court brief backing the last-ditch, Hail Mary effort of Texas to get the Supreme Court to block election results in four swing states that went for Biden. SCOTUS didn’t buy election denialism; it tossed out the Texas lawsuit. “(Moody) is fueling disinformation and undermining our democracy,” said U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Florida. Indeed, Moody has proven herself an all-too-worthy, as it were, successor to Trump enabler Pam Bondi. I miss AG Charlie Crist.