Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Biden Slams Trump For Slow COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
By Lydia O’Connor
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday called out Donald Trump’s administration for bungling the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and laid out his own plans for quickly immunizing as many Americans as possible. “The Trump administration’s plan to distribute the vaccine is falling behind ― far behind,” Biden said from Wilmington, Delaware. “As I long feared and warned, the effort to distribute and administer the vaccine is not progressing as it should,” he said, adding that if the current pace continues, “it’s going to take years, not months, to vaccinate the American people.” The pace of vaccinations has been much slower than promised, despite the Trump administration naming its vaccine effort “Operation Warp Speed.” Only about 1 million of the 9 million doses distributed so far have reportedly been administered, officials leading the rollout said Tuesday.Biden said he’s searching for ways to increase the speed of immunization and wants to that ensure 100 million shots will have been administered by the end of the first 100 days.It was also reported earlier this month that Trump’s administration repeatedly declined offers from Pfizer, the producer of one of the two Food and Drug Administration-approved coronavirus vaccines, for millions of additional doses. Now, the U.S. could be waiting until June or July for those vaccines while Pfizer fulfills its contracts with other countries. “I’m going to move heaven and earth to get us going in the right direction,” the president-elect said, noting he will be invoking the Defense Production Act to speed up vaccine production. Trump has been largely silent on the pandemic since losing his reelection bid to Biden last month, instead expending all his energy on propping up his baseless claims of voter fraud, even as his Republican allies drop their support of his crusade to overturn the election. Meanwhile, the U.S. is suffering through the worst stage of the pandemic yet. Case counts, hospitalizations and deaths all remain high, though slightly lower than they were two weeks ago. There’s a good chance those numbers will skyrocket again following Christmas and New Year’s celebrations held despite warnings from officials, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. “I share the concern of President-elect Biden that as we get into the next few weeks it might actually get worse,” Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist, said Sunday. Biden pleaded with Americans to heed warnings about the need for safety measures and called on Trump to change course and encourage them, too. “Look, my ability to change the direction this pandemic starts in three weeks, with thousands dying every day between now and then,” he said. “If we just step up together, wear masks, socially distance, wash our hands, avoid large indoor gatherings ― I know all these are not easy to ask. But I’m asking you to make a sacrifice. You’re already making tremendous sacrifices every single day.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-trump-slow-coronavirus-vaccine-rollout_n_5feb672fc5b6acb5345b6bbfThe president-elect also revealed his plan to speed up the distribution process, as coronavirus cases rise.
Opinion: Will Pence Do the Right Thing?
By Neal K. Katyal and John MonskyOn Jan. 6, the vice president will preside as Congress counts the Electoral College’s votes. Let’s hope that he doesn’t do the unthinkable — and unconstitutional. President Trump recently tweeted that “the ‘Justice’ Department and FBI have done nothing about the 2020 Presidential Election Voter Fraud,” followed by these more ominous lines: “Never give up. See everyone in D.C. on January 6th.” The unmistakable reference is to the day Congress will count the Electoral College’s votes, with Vice President Mike Pence presiding. Mr. Trump is leaning on the vice president and congressional allies to invalidate the November election by throwing out duly certified votes for Joe Biden. Mr. Pence thus far has not said he would do anything like that, but his language is worrisome. Last week, he said: “We’re going to keep fighting until every legal vote is counted. We’re going to win Georgia, we’re going to save America,” as a crowd screamed, “Stop the steal.”And some Republicans won’t let up. On Monday, Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas and other politicians filed a frivolous lawsuit, which has multiple fatal flaws in both form and substance, in an attempt to force the vice president to appoint pro-Trump electors. Mr. Trump himself has criticized virtually everyone’s view of the election, from that of the Supreme Court to the F.B.I. to Senator Mitch McConnell, but he has never attacked Mr. Pence, suggesting he has hopes for the vice president. But as a matter of constitutional text and history, any effort on Jan. 6 is doomed to fail. It would also be profoundly anti-democratic and unconstitutional. Both Article II of the Constitution and the 12th Amendment say that the votes of the Electoral College are to be opened by the “president of the Senate,” meaning the vice president. The Electoral Count Act, passed in 1887 to avoid chaotic counts like the one that followed the 1876 election, adds important details. It provides a detailed timeline to tabulate electoral votes, culminating with the final count to take place on Jan. 6, and it delineates the powers of the vice president.He is to be the “presiding officer” (meaning he is to preserve order and decorum), open the ballot envelopes, provide those results to a group of tellers, call for any objection by members of Congress, announce the results of any votes on objections, and ultimately announce the result of the vote.Nothing in either the text of the Constitution or the Electoral Count Act gives the vice president any substantive powers. His powers are ministerial, and that circumscribed role makes general sense: The whole point of an election is to let the people decide who will rule them. If an incumbent could simply maneuver to keep himself in office — after all, a maneuver to protect Mr. Trump also protects Mr. Pence — the most foundational precept of our government would be gravely undermined. In America, “we the people,” not “we, the vice president,” control our destiny. The drafters of the Electoral Count Act consciously insisted on this weakened role for the vice president. They guarded against any pretense he might have to throw out a particular state’s votes, saying that the vice president must open “all certificates and papers purporting to be” electoral votes. They further said, in the event of a dispute, both chambers of Congress would have to disagree with a particular state’s slate of electoral votes to reject them. And they made it difficult for Congress to disagree, adding measures such as a “safe harbor” provision and deference to certification by state officials. In this election, certification is clear. There are no ongoing legal challenges in the states of any merit whatsoever. All challenges have lost, spectacularly and often, in the courts. The states and the electors have spoken their will. Neither Vice President Pence nor the loyal followers of President Trump have a valid basis to contest anything. To be sure, this structure creates awkwardness, as it forces the vice president to announce the result even when personally unfavorable. After the close election of 1960, Richard Nixon, as vice president, counted the votes for his opponent, John Kennedy. Al Gore, in perhaps one of the more dramatic moments of our Republic’s short history, counted the votes and reported them in favor of George W. Bush. Watching Mr. Gore count the votes, shut off all challenges and deliver the presidency to Mr. Bush was a powerful moment in our democracy. By the time he counted the votes, America and the world knew where he stood. And we were all lifted up when Mr. Gore, at the end, asked God to bless the new president and vice president and joined the chamber in applause. Republican leaders — including Senators McConnell, Roy Blunt and John Thune — have recognized the outcome of the election, despite the president’s wrath. Mr. McConnell put it in clear terms: “The Electoral College has spoken. So today, I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden.” Notably, Mr. Pence has been silent. He has not even acknowledged the historic win by Kamala Harris, the nation’s first female, first African-American and first Asian-American vice president.He now stands on the edge of history as he begins his most consequential act of leadership. The question for Vice President Pence, as well as other members of Congress, is which side of history he wants to come down on. Can he show the integrity demonstrated by every previous presidential administration? The American people accept a graceful loser, but a sore loser never goes down well in the history books. We urge Mr. Pence to study our first president. After the Revolutionary War, the artist Benjamin West reported that King George had asked him what General Washington would do now that America was independent. West said that Washington would give up power and go back to farming. King George responded with words to the effect that “if he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.” Indeed, Washington did so, surrendering command of the army to Congress and returning to Mount Vernon for years until he was elected president. And he again relinquished power eight years later, even though many would have been happy to keep him president for life. Washington in this way fully realized the American Republic, because there is no Republic without the peaceful transfer of power. And it’s now up to Mr. Pence to recognize exactly that. Like all those that have come before him, he should count the votes as they have been certified and do everything he can to oppose those who would do otherwise. This is no time for anyone to be a bystander — our Republic is on the line. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/29/opinion/mike-pence-electoral-college-votes-congress.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage
میڈیا پر چلنے والی خبروں کے متعلق کچھ نہیں کہہ سکتا: بلاول بھٹو
'استعفے تو ہمارا ایٹم بم ہیں اور اجلاس میں ایسا کوئی فیصلہ نہیں ہوا ہے کہ پیپلز پارٹی استعفی نہیں دے گی، سی ای سی کے اجلاس میں پارٹی کے رہنماؤں نے جو بھی اپنی رائے دی ہے، وہ میڈیا کو بتانا ان رہنماؤں کے ساتھ ناانصافی ہوگی'۔
پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا ہے کہ پارٹی کی سینٹرل ایگزیکٹو کمیٹی (سی ای سی) میں استعفوں کی مخالفت کے حوالے سے مقامی میڈیا پر چلنے والی خبروں کے حوالے سے وہ کچھ تبصرہ نہیں کریں گے۔
بلاول ہاؤس کراچی میں پی پی پی کی سینٹرل ایگزیکٹو کمیٹی (سی ای سی) کے کئی گھنٹوں تک جاری رہنے والے اجلاس کے بعد پریس کانفرنس سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا: 'استعفے تو ہمارا ایٹم بم ہیں اور اجلاس میں ایسا کوئی فیصلہ نہیں ہوا ہے کہ پیپلز پارٹی استعفی نہیں دے گی، سی ای سی کے اجلاس میں پارٹی کے رہنماؤں نے جو بھی اپنی رائے دی ہے، وہ میڈیا کو بتانا ان رہنماؤں کے ساتھ ناانصافی ہوگی'۔
پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی (پی پی پی) کی سینٹرل ایگزیکٹو کمیٹی (سی ای سی) کے اجلاس کے دوران مقامی میڈیا میں ذرائع کے حوالے مختلف خبریں چلتی رہیں کہ 'اجلاس میں شریک پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے مرکزی رہنماؤں کی اکثریت نے اسمبلیوں سے استعفوں کی مخالفت کردی ہے اور اجلاس کے شرکا نے یہ شرط عائد کی ہے کہ اگر سابق وزیر اعظم نواز شریف وطن واپس آکر لانگ مارچ کی قیادت کریں تو ہی استعفوں پر غور کیا جاسکتا ہے'۔
ایسی افواہوں کے متعلق پوچھے گئے سوالات کے جواب میں بلاول بھٹو نے کہا: 'اجلاس میں شریک پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے مختلف رہنماؤں نے مختلف رائے دی ہے، جس کو یہاں بتانا مناسب نہیں ہوگا۔ رائے دینا ہر کسی کا حق ہے۔ مگر میڈیا جو بھی خبریں چل رہی ہیں اس کے متعلق کچھ نہیں کہہ سکتا'۔
سی ای سی کے اجلاس میں شریک چیئرمین آصف علی زرداری سمیت پارٹی اہم رہنماؤں نے شرکت کی۔
بلاول بھٹو نے کہا31 دسمبر تک پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے تمام پارلیمینٹرین استعفے پارٹی قیادت کو جمع کرائیں گے اور پارٹی کی سینٹرل ایگزیکٹو کمیٹی نے ایسی منظوری دی ہے۔ اور سی ای سی اجلاس کے فیصلوں کے متعلق پی ڈی ایم کے سامنے رکھیں جائیں گے۔
ایک سوال پر کہ کیا عمران خان حکومت سے بات چیت کی جاسکتی ہے کے جواب میں بلوال بھٹو نے کہا: 'ہم بات چیت ضرور کرسکتے ہیں، مگر پہلے عمران خان استیفی دیں، دوبارہ الیکشن کرائیں، پھر جتنا مرضی بات کرلیں'۔
https://www.independenturdu.com/node/56096
سینیٹ انتخاب میں موجودہ حکومت کا ڈٹ کر مقابلہ کریں گے، بلاول بھٹو
پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے اعلان کیا ہے کہ ان کی جماعت سینیٹ الیکشن میں حصہ لے گی۔ اسمبلیوں میں رہ کر حکومت کا مقابلہ کریں گے۔
کراچی میں پارٹی کے دیگر رہنماؤں کے ہمراہ پریس کانفرنس کرتے ہوئے ان کا کہنا تھا کہ اکتیس دسمبر تک تمام جیالے ارکان استعفے قیادت کو جمع کرائیں گے۔ اس بات کی سنٹرل ایگزیکٹو کمیٹی نے منظوری دے دی ہے۔ تاہم سی ای سی فیصلوں کو اپوزیشن اتحاد پی ڈی ایم کے سامنے پیش کریں گے۔
بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ پارٹی کی مجلس عاملہ نے وزیراعظم عمران خان کو 31 جنوری تک استعفی دینے کی ڈیڈ لائن کی توثیق کی ہے اور اب وقت آگیا ہے کہ عمران خان کو جانا ہوگا۔
بلاول بھٹو نے کہا کہ پیپلز پارٹی پہلے دن سے مردم شماری کیخلاف آواز اٹھا رہی ہے۔ مردم شماری میں درست اعدادوشمار نہیں دکھائے گئے۔ ہر فورم پر حکومت کو چیلنج کریں گے۔ نااہل حکومت کو عدلیہ اور پارلیمان میں بھی چیلنج کرنا چاہیے
چیئرمین پیپلزپارٹی کا کہنا تھا کہ سینیٹ الیکشن میں حکومت کا ڈٹ کر مقابلہ کرنا چاہیے۔ اسمبلیوں میں رہ کر حکومت کا مقابلہ کریں گے۔ پی ڈی ایم سینیٹ الیکشن میں مل کر مقابلہ کرے تو کامیاب ہو سکتی ہے۔
بلاول بھٹو نے ایک بار پھر اپنا مطالبہ دہراتے ہوئے کہا کہ وزیراعظم عمران خان 31 جنوری تک مستعفی ہوں، وزیراعظم خود چلے جائیں، ورنہ ہم بھیجیں گے۔ پریس کانفرنس کے دوران چیئرمین پیپلز پارٹی نے خواجہ آصف کو گرفتار کرنے کی بھی مذمت کی۔
https://samachar.pk/
خواجہ آصف کی گرفتاری سیاسی ہے، بلاول بھٹو
پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کے چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری نےخواجہ آصف کی گرفتاری پر مذمت کی اور کہا کہ ان کی گرفتاری سیاسی ہے۔
ایک بیان میں بلاول بھٹو زرداری کا کہنا تھا کہ انتقام کی سیاست پاکستان کی جمہوریت اور سالمیت کے خلاف ہے۔
دوسری جانب اے این پی کے سربراہ اسفند یار ولی خان نے بھی خواجہ آصف کی گرفتاری کی مذمت کی ہے، ان کا کہنا ہے کہ نیب حکومتی ایما پر اپوزیشن کو سیاسی انتقام کا نشانہ بنارہا ہے۔
واضح رہے کہ گزشتہ روز اپوزیشن کی سب سے بڑی جماعت مسلم لیگ (ن) کے سینئر رہنما خواجہ محمد آصف کو اسلام آباد سے گرفتار کیا گیا تھا۔
#Pakistan #PPP - Imran regime cannot survive a single day without illegitimate support from establishment, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
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