But the infected POTUS is ready to hit the road

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Sen. Mike Lee, currently ill with COVID-19, caused a stir this week when he tweeted that the U.S. isn't a democracy, and that "democracy isn't the objective; liberty, peace, and prospefity (sic) are. We want the human condition to flourish. Rank democracy can thwart that." This is an old trope that mirrors the rhetoric of authoritarian leaders abroad, and it's a strawman argument to suggest that constitutional republicanism and representative democracy are somehow mutually exclusive. Lee followed up to clarify that his concern relates to ensuring that power is not concentrated among the few—a valid concern, but one that free, open, and fair elections remedies. Representative democracy is the salve for unbridled power exercised by the few, and it's alarming to see a U.S. Senator dismiss its value while at the same time endorsing President Trump, who has systematically eroded democratic norms. —Mindy Finn

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** Pelosi goes there
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Discussions of invoking the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution have bubbled up numerous times during the Trump presidency, most notoriously by then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein early on in the Russia investigation. Now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has taken it a step further. She introduced a bill this morning that would create a "Commission on President Capacity" to allow Congress to intervene under the 25th Amendment, which can be invoked if the president becomes physically incapable of fulfilling their role. Pelosi has previously said that President Trump is in an "altered state" from his coronavirus treatment, and that "there may be some impairment of judgment." ([link removed])
* — What is the 25th Amendment? It allows for the temporary or permanent transfer of power from the president to the vice president if the president has fallen severely ill, become incapacitated, or died. It was adopted in 1967 and has been invoked six times since, typically for medical tests or procedures in which the president is under anesthesia. ([link removed])
*
* — An epic troll? There's almost no chance of the bill ever becoming law, so observers say it's more of a stunt meant to draw public attention to the amendment. Pelosi insists the proposal isn't specifically about Trump: "He will face the judgment of the voters. But he shows the need for us to create a process for future presidents." ([link removed])
*
* — Reliable information about Trump's health is still scarce, despite White House physician Sean Conley's claim earlier this week that Trump is symptom-free and his written clearance for Trump to return to a normal schedule starting tomorrow. —Axios ([link removed])

MORE: Trump will undergo televised medical evaluation on Friday night, Fox News announces —The Daily Beast ([link removed])


** COVID-19: Highest number of new cases since August
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The U.S. yesterday reported more than 56,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, making it the country's highest daily increase in almost two months, according to Johns Hopkins University. The increase brings the total number of U.S. cases to more than 7.6 million, with nearly 213,000 deaths. Wisconsin reached a record peak for the state, with more than 3,000 new cases confirmed yesterday. Illinois reported more than 3,000 new infections for the first time in more than a month, and North Carolina recorded a repeat of its July peak levels at 2,400 newly confirmed cases. —The Hill ([link removed])
* — "Paying the price for it." In more ways than one. At least some Republicans are worried about how the White House's lax attitude toward the coronavirus crisis could affect their electoral prospects. Creating some space between President Trump and himself, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell revealed yesterday that he hasn't "actually been to the White House since August the 6th, because my impression was their approach to how to handle this was different from mine, and what I insisted we do in the Senate, which is to wear masks and practice social distancing." —Raw Story ([link removed])
*
* — Chomping at the bit. And coughing a bit too. Just a week since his coronavirus diagnosis was publicly announced, Trump is preparing to return to the campaign trail with two potential rallies this weekend. Notably, the White House has declined to say when he last tested negative for the disease, and the president has not appeared in public since his discharge from Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday. —Reuters ([link removed])
*
* — The Joe must go on. Since Trump has refused to participate in a virtual debate next Thursday, ABC News announced it will hold a town hall with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the time slot instead. George Stephanopoulos will anchor the prime-time event in Philadelphia on Oct. 15, which was the designated date for the second presidential debate. —ABC News ([link removed])

MORE: The coronavirus pandemic is now a threat to national security —The New Yorker ([link removed])


** McCord: The danger of private militias
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"In the swirls of disinformation that now pollute our political discourse, one is particularly dangerous: that private militias are constitutionally protected. Although these vigilante groups often cite the 2nd Amendment's 'well regulated militia' for their authority, history and Supreme Court precedent make clear that the phrase was not intended to—and does not—authorize private militias outside of government control. Indeed, these armed groups have no authority to call themselves forth into militia service; the 2nd Amendment does not protect such activity; and all 50 states prohibit it." —The New York Times ([link removed])

Ed. Note: Mary McCord was an acting assistant attorney general for national security.

MORE: Trump blasts Whitmer after news she was target of terror plot —Axios ([link removed])


** This week in foreign affairs
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Representatives from the U.S., France, and Russia met in Geneva yesterday to step up efforts to end fighting between Azeri and ethnic Armenian forces in the South Caucasus. The two sides have been fighting since Sept. 27, stoking international fears of an expanding regional war. Both have so far ignored ceasefire calls, but an Armenian foreign minister has agreed to meet with the three countries for further talks in Moscow next Monday. —Reuters ([link removed])
* — Afghanistan. President Trump tweeted that American forces currently serving in Afghanistan will be home by Christmas, though it was unclear whether it was direct order. Earlier this week, National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said approximately 2,500 U.S. service members would remain in Afghanistan until the new year. The Taliban welcomed Trump's announcement, saying it was a positive step toward a peace agreement. —CNBC ([link removed])
*
* — Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov has declared a state of emergency in the country and said he will resign as soon as the nation establishes legitimate executive power. Demonstrators there have protested the results of a disputed parliamentary election on Sunday and overran the parliament building, releasing opposition politician Sadyr Zhaparov from jail. Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov resigned and was replaced by Zhaparov. —Bloomberg ([link removed])
*
* — China. A Pew Research Center survey of 14 countries with advanced economies, including the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, South Korea, and Spain, found that negative views of China have reached their highest point since Pew began polling on the topic more than a decade ago. Participants also expressed concerns about the rise of Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the survey found that most of those polled had more faith in Xi than in President Trump. —The Guardian ([link removed])

MORE: Will China and the US go to war over Taiwan? [video] —Financial Times ([link removed])
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** Griffiths: How will the US make China pay?
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"China has been advancing its territorial claims in the South China Sea, the Himalayas, and over the self-ruled island of Taiwan, all areas where the U.S. is already engaged militarily or could easily be dragged in by any conflict. ... Trump's promises to make China 'pay' is more likely a reference to pushing Beijing on trade, a key focus of his administration, but even there, it is not clear that continued aggression will pay off, with both countries hurting from the ongoing trade war and China becoming increasingly intransigent after months of stalled negotiations." —CNN ([link removed])

MORE: Nossel: China is eroding human rights around the world —Foreign Policy ([link removed])


** Another Trump crony charged
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Elliott Broidy, a top fundraiser for Donald Trump and the Republican Party, has been charged in an illicit lobbying campaign aimed at getting the Trump Administration to drop an investigation into a multibillion-dollar looting scheme in Malaysia. Broidy faces a conspiracy charge related to his failure to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires people lobbying in the U.S. on behalf of a foreign entity to disclose that work to the Justice Department. ([link removed])
* — Broidy allegedly worked to get the DOJ to abandon its pursuit of billions of dollars that officials say were pilfered from a Malaysian state investment fund established to accelerate the country's economic development. The fund was treated as a personal piggy bank by associates of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. ([link removed])
*
— According to prosecutors, Broidy used his access to the White House to try to arrange a golf meeting between Trump and Razak, and though that outing did not take place, the leaders did ultimately meet at the White House in September 2017. ([link removed])
*
* — Broidy has been a top fundraiser for Trump but resigned in 2018 from his role as deputy chair of the Republican National Committee after it was revealed that he paid $1.6 million to a Playboy Playmate with whom he had an extramarital affair. He's expected to plead guilty to the new charge. —Bloomberg ([link removed])

MORE: Barr tells Republicans Durham report won't be ready by election —Axios ([link removed])


** Bernstein: Yes, Mike Lee, we are a democracy
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"If we're not to have rule of the people, who exactly should rule? Throughout American history, from the Framers up to the present, the answer has always been the same: the people. It's true that we've had a lot of sharp debates about who's included in that phrase, and that the answers have often been far too restrictive. But those debates weren't typically over whether the people should rule." — ([link removed]) Bloomberg ([link removed])

MORE: Mike Lee tweets that 'rank democracy' threatens liberty and prosperity —The Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])


** Sew inspiring
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Holli Morgan, an 11-year-old girl from Stone Mountain, Ga., has made 1,200 protective facial coverings for healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. She initially started with a goal of sewing 500 masks, but was motivated to surpass that mark once she reached it. ([link removed])
* — Seeing how much her church helps those in need encouraged her to continue making the masks, Holli told local station WGCL. "Every time we pass by the church, we see somebody sitting asking for food or money," she said. ([link removed])
*
* — So with the latest round of masks, Holli says she is focusing on making them for homeless people and others who can't otherwise afford them. "It makes me feel good," she said of her selfless work. ([link removed])
*
* — Inspired by Holli's commitment to helping those in need, the WGCL crew covering the story presented her with a $1,200 check to purchase a brand new sewing machine and equipment that will help her make masks easier and faster. —People ([link removed])

Ed. Note: Would you like to suggest "An American Story" from your local news? If so, please forward a link to the story to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . Thank you!

I may be missing something when it comes to stimulus money. I am baffled why certain businesses get money paid to the companies to keep people employed, while others do not. Case in point, the airlines vs., let's say, restaurants and bars. Better yet, fast-food places. And I am not picking on the airlines, as I have friends who work in the industry. But the airlines seem to be front and center in the debate regarding stimulus.

Both industries are impacted by the pandemic and economic downturn. Yet the airlines "need" to get money directly to the company to pay people (at their prevailing wage) and keep them employed (well, maybe not employed, but on the payroll so they don't need to deal with unemployment). The food industry (bars, restaurants, fast-food places, supermarkets, etc.) lays people off, and those people must then deal with unemployment.

Seems to me, being fair and equal, and not playing political favorites, no money should go to companies and rather let everyone deal with unemployment. After all, isn't that the purpose of unemployment insurance? Or is it because it's okay to lay off low-wage folks but not those in the higher-income brackets? —Bill T., Arizona
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** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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Got feedback about THE TOPLINE? Send it to Melissa Amour, Managing Editor, at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

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