CORONAVIRUS INFO PROVIDED BY DR. JIM HARRIS – 04/30/2021

HELLO: REMEMBER  SATURDAY VOTE FOR MISD SCHOOL

Association of Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pregnancy With Neonatal Outcomes

“Conclusions and Relevance  In a nationwide cohort of infants in Sweden, maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy was significantly associated with small increases in some neonatal morbidities. Given the small numbers of events for many of the outcomes and the large number of statistical comparisons, the findings should be interpreted as exploratory.”

FROM The Lancet:

Hospital admissions due to COVID-19 in Scotland after one dose of vaccine

“….The analysis includes 1 331 993 individuals vaccinated between Dec 8, 2020, and Feb 22, 2021. The authors constructed this comprehensive cohort by linking vaccination, primary care, laboratory testing, hospital admission, and mortality datasets covering 5·4 million people in Scotland…Focusing on 28–34 days after a single dose, the authors report an estimated vaccine effect of 91% (95% CI 85–94) for COVID-19 hospital admissions for BNT162b2 [Pfizer}, and an estimated 88% (75–94) vaccine effect during the same period for ChAdOx1[AstraZeneca].

J. Harris: This is reassuring information and other data showed pretty good prevention starting about a week after receiving the first injection. I must say I feel a little braver after having the second jab, too. 

FASCINATING LETTER TO THE NYT EDITOR under “What You’re Doing”

“I’ve read this bit every day for the past year. Now I read about people happily resuming pre-Covid activities, like meeting up with friends and family, socializing, or getting excited to attend concerts and dine out. I can’t at all relate. Pandemic isolation and introspection have been my sanctuary and bliss. After 47 years of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin and making lame excuses for missing social and work networking events, 2020 permitted me to lean into my true introvert. I felt braver and more creative than ever in my remote work. I relished the relief of masks, of not being judged for my appearance, of getting a break from scrutiny about not smiling enough. I loved attending Zoom programs hosted by public libraries and nonprofits nationwide. I mourn the loss of all of this. I dread having to feign sociability again to be accepted in life and at work, acting my way through re-acclimating to the majority’s version of normal.”

— Tara Chhabra, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

(J. Harris: Unpleasant people in the grocery store might still think and say hateful things like “Old fat men shouldn’t wear shorts and T-shirts when out and about,” but masks do provide a comfortable “so what” anonymity.)

FROM HOPKINS CITATIONS:

1. RESEARCH

Airport Traveler Testing Program for SARS-CoV-2 — Alaska, June–November 2020 SARS-CoV-2 testing on arrival in Alaska airports identified 951 SARS-CoV-2 infections, or one per 406 arriving travelers, and might have contributed to Alaska’s low incidence during the summer by reducing opportunities for community transmission at travelers’ destination locations. Posttravel self-quarantine and testing programs might reduce travel-associated SARS-CoV-2 transmission and importation, even without enforcement. Traveler education and community and industry partnerships might help ensure success. (CDC MMWR, 4/23/2021)

2. RESEARCH

COVID-19 Outbreak Associated with a SARS-CoV-2 R.1 Lineage Variant in a Skilled Nursing Facility After Vaccination Program — Kentucky, March 2021 In a COVID-19 outbreak at a Kentucky SNF involving a newly introduced variant to the region, unvaccinated residents and health care personnel (HCP) had 3.0 and 4.1 times the risk of infection as did vaccinated residents and HCP. Vaccine was 86.5% protective against symptomatic illness among residents and 87.1% protective among HCP. (CDC MMWR, 4/21/2021)

J. Harris: It is dangerous and careless and illogical not to prevent Covid with the good vaccines that we have. Fortunately, scientists had been working on the various types of vaccines for similar viruses for many years before this Covid Pandemic, so the vaccine response was fairly quick — thank God.

AND FINALLY: HAVE A GOOD LAUGH AND A PLEASANT WEEKEND

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CORONAVIRUS INFO PROVIDED BY DR. JIM HARRIS – 04/29/2021

HELLO, ETBU VACCINE CLINIC 10-4 TODAY. FREE. PFIZER. SHORT WAIT. NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY. HELP SOMEONE ELSE GET VACCINATED?

Track Coronavirus Cases

“Harrison County is at a high risk level for Covid-19 infections. The average number of new cases in Harrison County reached five yesterday, a 3 percent increase from the day before. Since January of last year, at least 1 in 14 people who live in Harrison County have been infected, and at least 1 in 628 have died.”

What to Do If You Received the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine

After a temporary pause, CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccine resume in the United States. A review of all available data at this time shows that the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks. However, women under 50 years old should be aware of the rare but increased risk of the adverse event called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), and that there are other COVID-19 vaccine options available for which this risk has not been seen. CDC and FDA will continue to monitor the safety of all COVID-19 vaccines. 

HOPKINS CITED:

1. The Anti-Vaccine Influencers Who Are Merely Asking Questions (The Atlantic) Life can go back to normal in the United States only if millions more Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19. The problem is that today’s communication environment is perfectly engineered to discourage that. Wild claims go viral, and partisans exploit any scientific uncertainty for political advantage.

Hopkins Recent Citations:

1. Pfizer CEO Says Antiviral Pill To Treat Covid Could Be Ready By The End Of The Year (Forbes) A pill that can be ingested orally at home to combat Covid-19 when illness is first detected could be available to the public by the end of 2021, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC on Tuesday, noting that the antiviral treatment is expected to be effective against variants of the virus.

2. An Unexpected Pandemic Side Effect In Peru: A Comeback For TB (NPR) Tuberculosis kills around 1.5 million people a year, making it a top priority for public health organizations. The United Nations aims to end the epidemic of tuberculosis by 2030, but COVID-related disruptions to TB treatments may push that goal out of reach — and end up propagating strains that are resistant to treatment, which also tend to be the deadliest.

Genomic Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 Infection During the Initial Pandemic Wave and Association With Disease Severity

Question  Are SARS-CoV-2 variants, virus clades, or clade groups associated with disease severity and patient outcomes?

Findings  In this cross-sectional study of 302 SARS-CoV-2 isolates, 6 different Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data clades circulated in the community followed by a rapid reduction in clade diversity. Several variants, including 23403A>G (D614G), were significantly associated with lower hospitalization rates and increased patient survival.Meaning  These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 clade assignment is an important factor that may aid in estimating patient outcomes.

Can You Have Alcohol After the Covid Vaccine?

“…One thing that is clear from studies is that heavy alcohol consumption impairs the immune response and increases your susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections. It prevents immune cells from traveling to sites of infection and carrying out their duties, like destroying viruses, bacteria and infected cells; makes it easier for pathogens to invade your cells, and causes a host of other problems.” 

(J. Harris: …and they use tiny little jiggers to measure the hooch.)

LAST BUT NOT LEASED:

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol

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GREAT NEWS: VACCINE DOSES PLENTIFUL AT CHRISTUS GOOD SHEPHERD-LONGVIEW AND NEED TO BE ADMINISTERED PRONTO. IT IS NOW VERY EASY TO SIGN UP. VACCINE APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE — SIGN UP NOW (click this)

Good computer help available to schedule. Phone number available. If we don’t use this vaccine, we might not get more. Call your friends and family and employees — here or nearby. We need to use this vaccine. 

MORE GREAT NEWS FOR PATIENTS ON ACE INHIBITOR DRUG FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Association Between Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibitors and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With COVID-19

 The study’s findings suggest that ACEIs and ARBs may be associated with protective benefits for patients with COVID-19 and that patients may continue receiving ACEIs and ARBs for the treatment of any condition without an increased risk of worse outcomes unless specifically advised to avoid them by treating clinicians….Conclusions and Relevance  In this systematic review and meta-analysis, receipt of ACEIs or ARBs was not associated with a higher risk of multivariable-adjusted mortality and severe AEs among patients with COVID-19 who had either hypertension or multiple comorbidities, supporting the recommendations of medical societies. On the contrary, ACEIs and ARBs may be associated with protective benefits, particularly among patients with hypertension. Future randomized clinical trials are warranted to establish causality.

(J. Harris: A year ago we looked at some suggestions and undocumented theories that this common group of drugs might make infections with Covid more common or more serious. There were no studies proving this, and, since this group of drugs contains some of the very best and most commonly used and inexpensive drugs for BP control, several good doctors (and I ) recommended patients should continue their medications until scientific studies were reported in the medical literature regarding the drugs or until their personal MD (where they still exist) tell their patients to stop taking the drugs. WELL, THE DRUGS ARE NOT ONLY SAFE, THEY MAY BE PROTECTIVE! THIS IS WHY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS DONE. KEEP TAKING THESE DRUGS UNLESS YOU DOCTOR TELLS YOU DIFFERENTLY:

From the NYT:

1. Getting One Vaccine Is Good. How About Mix-and-Match?

“…The researchers suspect that the first dose produces a broad range of antibodies that can stick to spots along the length of the spike protein, and that the second dose delivers a big supply of particularly potent antibodies to the tip of the spike. Together, the assortment of antibodies does a better job of stopping the coronavirus…As the number of authorized vaccines grows, the possible combinations in which they can be used will explode…As the number of authorized vaccines grows, the possible combinations in which they can be used will explode.”

(J. Harris: There has been some success with other infections doing this “mix and match.”)

Eastman Foundation awards $125,000 grant to Christus foundation for COVID-19 vaccine hub

FROM BECKER’S CITATIONS:

Why next flu season may be severe

Low levels of flu activity amid the COVID-19 pandemic have made it more challenging for experts developing next year’s flu shot to predict which strains will predominate next winter….Without a strong enough vaccine, the U.S. could experience a severe flu season.

FROM THE NYT:

LAST NOT LEASED:

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The Brown Recluse Spider

Editor’s note:  I have known one person that was  bitten by a Brown Recluse.  It took him about 6 months to fully recover.

About 4 years ago I had a Doctor appointment. That morning they called and postponed it because our Dr. was in surgery. Two days later they called back and cancelled my appointment because our Doctor had died on the operating table. We thought that he was the one doing the operation. He had been bitten by a Brown Recluse. He had tried treating himself instead of getting help. He was fairly young (late 40’s) and the best Doctor we had ever had.

Brown Recluse Spider . . ..

At this time of year, this is worth seeing.

Show these pictures to your spouse, your kids, grand kids, and friends. It could save their lives. Remember what this Spider looks like and be careful while cleaning, as told below.

It’s summertime & cleanup is going on. Be careful where you put your hands. They like dark spaces & woodpiles. Also cool areas in the attic……………………………………..

The Brown Recluse Spider is the most

dangerous spider that we have here in the USA.

A person can die from it’s bite. We all should know what the spider looks like.

Send this around to people you love, because it is almost summer time.

People will be digging around, doing yard work, spring cleaning, and sometimes in their attics.

Please be careful.

Spider bites are dangerous and can have permanent and highly negative consequences.

They like the darkness and tend to live in storage sheds or attics or other areas that might not be frequented by people or light.

If you have a need to be in your attic, go up there and turn on a light and leave it on for about 30 minutes before you go in to do your work. 

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CORONAVIRUS INFO PROVIDED BY DR. JIM HARRIS – 03/24/2021

“The average number of new cases in Harrison County reached five yesterday, a 10 percent increase from the day before. Since January of last year, at least 1 in 14 people who live in Harrison County have been infected, and at least 1 in 652 have died.”

 Hopkins Cited:

1. Major Coronavirus Variant Found in Pets for First Time (Science) Two reports released this week have found the first evidence that dogs and cats can become infected by B.1.1.7, a recent variant of the pandemic coronavirus that transmits more readily between people and also appears more lethal in them. The finds mark the first time one of the several major variants of concern has been seen outside of humans.

NIAID: AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine data may be outdated

NIAID’s statement, issued just after midnight on March 23, said that its data and safety monitoring board expressed concern that AstraZeneca’s announcement was based on “outdated information from that trial, which may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data.” The data and safety monitoring board notified AstraZeneca and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority of its concerns.

U.S. Health Officials Question AstraZeneca Vaccine Trial Results

In a two-page letter to AstraZeneca and federal authorities on Monday, an independent panel of medical experts that was helping oversee the vaccine’s clinical trial in the United States said the company had essentially cherry-picked data that was “most favorable for the study as opposed to the most recent and most complete.”

But the independent oversight board said in its letter that the vaccine’s efficacy may have been between 69 percent and 74 percent. The letter reprimanded AstraZeneca for an overly rosy description of the trial data. (J. Harris: That’s not too bad if accurate. The FDA and the company have had communication trouble for a year or two — but so have other people.)

 The company said on Tuesday that the interim results appeared to be “consistent” with more recent data collected during the trial. AstraZeneca said it would immediately share its latest efficacy data with the monitoring board. The company said it would reissue fuller results within 48 hours.

Many millions of people have received the AstraZeneca shot worldwide, including more than 17 million in Britain and the European Union, almost all without serious side effects. In an effort to increase public confidence, many European political leaders have gotten the injections in recent days. The AstraZeneca vaccine has also been administered in the past week to leaders in South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

Ageism: a social determinant of health that has come of age 

Globally, ageism affects billions of people: at least one in two people hold ageist attitudes against older adults,5 with rates much higher in lower-income countries (figure). In Europe, the only region for which data about ageism are available for all age groups, one in three people have experienced ageism, with rates highest among 15–24 year olds.

The Global Report on Ageism makes three recommendations for concrete actions that all stakeholders can take to combat ageism. First, invest in effective strategies to prevent and respond to ageism. Second, fund and improve data and research to better understand ageism and how to address it. Third, build a movement to change the narrative around age and ageing. The promise of the Decade of Healthy Ageing can only be fully realised if ageism is recognised as a social determinant of health and tackled.

Vaccination and non-pharmaceutical interventions for COVID-19: a mathematical modelling study

“Effective vaccines with high uptake are likely to be an essential element in the long-term control and potential elimination of COVID-19. However, experience with other diseases has shown that elimination is difficult and generally requires a targeted multi-strategy approach.35 The same is likely to be true for SARS-CoV-2, with eradication unlikely to be feasible in the short-term and requiring a global perspective. Although mass vaccination will inevitably reduce R and disease prevalence, other measures, such as intensive test, trace, and isolate strategies, will be needed to target pockets of infection. Maintaining low levels [KEEPING THE LEVELS LOW] of infection is likely to be key to the success of test, trace, and, isolate strategies and in reducing the risk of vaccine escape.37 Ultimately, whether we achieve the eradication of SARS-CoV-2 is likely to depend on the long-term natural history of the infection and the public health importance attached to this goal.

(J. Harris: Except for the summary (maybe) this very long, virtually incomprehensible British statistical article is saying “it ain’t over ’till the fat lady sings” and the singing isn’t going to start just because we vaccinate a lot of people. To eradicate Covid will take a long time and will require testing, tracing, and quarantines, and I would suggest masks, distance, and good sense….

I wonder what statisticians talk about at cocktail parties? With whom? Do they even get invited to parties? Come to think of it, who goes to parties anymore, anyway?

LAST BUT NOT LEASED:

A SHORT FILM BY the ONION: GUIDELINES FOR THE COVID VACCINATED

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CORONAVIRUS INFO PROVIDED BY DR. JIM HARRIS – 03/23/2021

NYT DAILY CHART:

GREAT NEWS

All Texas adults will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine on March 29

Track Coronavirus Cases in Places Important to You

NOTE  increases cases in Marion, Panola, and Smith Counties

FOR SCHOOL BOARDS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS FROM CDC

1.     https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p0319-new-evidence-classroom-physical-distance.html

 2.     https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7012e4.htm?s_cid=mm7012e4_w

Not all COVID ‘long-haulers’ are adults

Hopkins Cited:

1. What Happens When a Person Is Simultaneously Infected With Two Different SARS-CoV-2 Variants? (Global Biodefense) Scientists in Brazil recently reported that two people were simultaneously infected with two different variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This co-infection seemed to have no effect on the severity of patients’ illness, and both recovered without needing to be hospitalised. Although this is one of the few such cases recorded with SARS-CoV-2 – and the study is yet to be published in a scientific journal – scientists have observed infections with multiple strains with other respiratory viruses, such as influenza. This has raised questions about how these viruses may interact in an infected person, and what it could mean for generating new variants.

2. Roche Releases Test for SARS-CoV-2 Variants (Homeland Preparedness News) Roche recently announced the launch of a new cobas SARS-CoV-2 Variant Set 1 Test to detect and differentiate between viral variants, recognizing the growing prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as those first seen in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil. “Viruses naturally evolve over time,” Thomas Schinecker, CEO of Roche Diagnostics, said. “While most mutations do not have a clinical impact, some variants need to be tracked carefully as they seem to spread more easily and quickly.

WHERE’S THE J & J VACCINE?

LAST BUT NOT LEASED:

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Editors note:

This message was included in Dr. Jim Harris COVID report on  3/5/2021.  I commend Dr. Blackburn for this responsible action.

MESSAGE FROM DR. BLAIR BLACKBURN TO ETBU FAMILY: 

ETBU Family, Given Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s announcement yesterday of a new Executive Order (GA-34), please read this entire Presidential Order regarding East Texas Baptist University’s Mask Mandate and Stay Healthy Operational Plan for the duration of the Spring 2021 semester. 

While I appreciate Governor Abbott’s optimism for having “the tools to protect Texans from the virus,” we still have over 800 currently infected people with COVID-19 in our own Harrison County. More than 200 people in our area are hospitalized with 77 individuals in ICU. Only 38 COVID ICU beds are presently available in our area G of East Texas. Texas remains in Phase 1B of the state’s vaccine rollout plan, with eligibility limited to people 65 years of age and older and those 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. In Harrison County (Marshall), only 3,079 people have been partially vaccinated. That’s a mere 4.62% of the estimated population. Some 2,295 people have been fully vaccinated, which is only 3.45% of the estimated population in our community. By next Wednesday, about 7 million shots will have been administered in Texas and projections by the Governor’s Office foresee that over half of senior adults in Texas will have received a vaccine shot, yet we are not seeing those numbers among our senior citizens in Marshall or Harrison County. We are hopeful that Governor Abbott’s forecast holds true that “by the end of March, every senior who wants a vaccine should be able to get one.” 

President Joe Biden committed yesterday that with the bolstered vaccine supply coming with the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine on the market, he will direct all states to prioritize the vaccination of all K-12 school teachers. Furthermore, President Biden stated Tuesday that “We’re on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May.” Unfortunately, we do know that college-age students will be down the list among adults who will receive vaccinations, but we can hope that rollouts and supply will enable college students to get vaccinated this summer. ETBU has championed our will to be open and operational as a university, while other colleges and schools have remained virtual and have severely limited or canceled campus life activities. Not so with East Texas Baptist University! We committed to never give in to this pandemic and we never will, as ETBU has kept you in class with your professors, maintained our campus life and residential life opportunities, while doing what it takes to keep you as safe and healthy as possible through mask compliance, social distancing protocols, and on-campus health services. 

COVID-19 has not disappeared, and as Governor Abbott challenged, we cannot “abandon safe practices that Texans have mastered over the past year.” ETBU has worked too hard and come too far to give up or give in to what has made us so successful as a campus community with limited infections. Because of your diligent efforts to wear masks, social distance, and wash hands as weapons of defense, today, ETBU only has 4 COVID infections with less than 10 in isolation. We are winning this fight and God has granted us the wisdom to know how to operate and how to conclude this semester with continued success against coronavirus. Thus, ETBU will maintain the campus mask mandate, social distancing, and 50% room/venue capacity limit with strict compliance for the remaining 8 weeks of the Spring 2021 semester. As a NCAA institution and a member of the American Southwest Conference, ETBU is required to maintain mask protocols and 50% or less capacity attendance at all sporting events. 

With the current COVID trends, rollout of vaccines, and the march to herd immunity, ETBU plans to be fully open and operational in the 2021-22 academic year in a full face-to-face modality. These COVID models give us confidence that by the Fall 2021 semester, we will return to normalcy with continued traditional instruction in classrooms, 100% capacity for on-campus activities, and in-room campus residence visitation. Of course, we will continue to make every effort to follow godly wisdom, seek counsel of our health care consultants, abide by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Texas Department of State Health Services guidance, and make data-driven decisions. Keep praying, stay healthy, and carry on!  

JBB 

(Message from Dr. Blair Blackburn received 3/3/2021 and forwarded with his permission.)

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AND THE WINNER IS

By Ron Munden — 3/4/2021

The Biden administration has only been in office for a little over 40 days and I am ready to call the winners of  in both the 2022 and 2024 elections.

In 2022 the Republicans will win back both the House and Senate.  In 2024 the Republicans will hold the House and Senate and win the Presidential election.

Anyone that has read what I have written in the past couple of years will know that I am not an admirer of the current Republican party.  So I am disappointed that I have to make this prediction.

Although most people think I am a Democrat, I am not – never have been.  I was a Repubican for 40 years and an Independent for the last 20 years.  I believe it is Independents that determine the direction of the country so the political parties have to sell them on who to vote for in elections. I have always thought the Democrats did a poor job selling their message and have shown a lack of understanding of the hot buttons for the three voting blocks Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.  This is why the Republicans win more.  In some cases all the Republicans  really need to  do is sit back and watch the Democrats self-destruct. 

In my opinion the looting and rioting associated with the Black Lives Matters protest in the summer cost the Democrats votes in the 2020 election.  It almost cost the Democrats the House. If President Trump had not completely bungled the handling of the COVID-19 crisis, he would be President now – last summer’s BLM looting and rioting would have guaranteed that.

As an Independent,  I have a hard time voting for a political party whose supporters riot and loot.  It is a hot button for me.    I must add that attacking the US Capitol is also a hot button.  So I have the  same difficulty for a political party that fails to condemn it or acts like it did not really happen.

So why do I think that the Republican will turn both houses of Congress in 2022?  

The Democrats are making too many unforced errors.  They are pushing too many hot buttons that will cost them votes and wins in the 2022 election.  The Democrats are tone death.

To appease the far left they are focusing on the  treatment of transgender issues.  While I support transgender rights, I realize it is a sensitive issue.  Focusing on it will cost the Democrats votes.  During dumb things like allowing transgenters to compete in women’s sports will cost more votes.  Putting a transgender in a high goverment  position will cost even more votes.  

Now what other hot buttons could the Democrats focus on in the first 40 days?  Why not immigration?  That is a sensitive issue.

If the Democrats have any hope of not being killed in 2022 and 2024 they have to accomplish something for the American people.  Letting transgenders play women’s sports is not going to do it.  They must work on things that help ALL of the citizens.

The Democrats also must recognize that they will not get any help from the Republicans.  Remember Mitch McConnel and “our goal is to make Obama a one term President”?  Guess what – he is still around.  Forget bi-partisan.  It is a great concept but it doesn’t exist in Washington DC.

If I was a political consultant I would tell President Biden:

• Get the Stimulus bill passed  now 

• Play the game like you have 2 years because that is all the time you have
• Take a page from the Republican playbook – don’t waste time trying to get the Republicans to work with you. 
• Change the rules to ensure you can win for two years
• Work on projects that are important to all  Americans – like infra-structure  improvement.
• Get some balls – kick ass and get your own party in line

Mr. President if  you don’t do this your party is toast in 2022.  Your party will be in the wilderness for the next 6 years.

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By George Smith

There was a time when he loomed large over the main pack of GOP presidential contenders. He was a political comet, soundin like he was up-to-the-task competent, a man committed to a better America. Then, after being eviscerated by Trump’s broadsword tongue in the primaries, he embraced the liar-in-chief like a scared kindergartner holding onto his mommy at the school door.

Now, after Trump effectively divided the Republican Party into Trumpuppets and anti-Tremors,  Graham is doing his best asshat-duty routine to his fuhrer. There is no apparent reason for his pitiful mouthing.

I believe he is only concerned with … what? Not re-election (doesn’t run again til 2026), not history (his historical fate already set)…so what?

A marital indiscretion Donald is holding over his head? Financial impropriety? Photos of him and a labradoodle?

It’s head-scratching, for sure.

Come back to the light, Lindsey. If not all the way, then, at least, step out of the suffocating, Republican party-killing shadow cast by Trump..

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