George Santos (R, NY-3)

Republican Congressman George Santos (AKA Anthony Zabrovsky, Anthony Devolder, George Devolder and Kitara Ravache) of New York’s 3th District is now a member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology (because he lied about developing carbon capture technology), and the House Committee on Small Business (because he lied about his business experience). At least he’s not on the Ethics Committee.

If you’re keeping score at home, George Santos lied about his: high school, college, ever going to college, volleyball prowess, grad school, religion, race, family history, work history, finances, owning 13 real estate properties, knee replacements, his yacht brokerage, appearing on Hanna Montana, developing carbon capture technology, film acting, losing employees in the Pulse nightclub shooting, getting mugged, being a drag queen, having a brain tumor, running a pet rescue charity, past marital status, getting COVID, and his own mother’s death. More is sure to come.

But as Jon Stewart observes: “The thing we have to be careful of, and I always caution myself on this and I ran into this trouble with Trump, is we cannot mistake absurdity for lack of danger, because it takes people with no shame to do shameful things.”

How did he get elected in the first place? By telling Democratic and Republican voters in his district what each wanted to hear. As Bill Maher puts it: “He is the first one to realize that since we are all in our hermetically sealed media bubbles, now you can pretend to be everything to voters in both parties.”

The Republican majority is so slim that GOP members are reluctant to pressure Mr. Santos into resigning from the House. His district could easily elect a Democrat to replace him, so he’ll stay until the federal, state, Nassau County, Queens, and/or Brazilian courts catch up with him.

More:

“Rep. George Santos Appears to Have Ripped Off His Former Boss’s Resume in Crafting His Backstory,” Virginia Chamlee, People

“George Santos’ backers include a migrant smuggler, a big Trump donor and the cousin of a sanctioned Russian oligarch,” Clare Hymes and Graham Kates, CBS News

“Another Santos Money Mystery: He Struck a Curious Business Deal With a Veteran GOP Operative,” Noah Lanard and David Corn, Mother Jones

“Campaigns Linked To Santos Left Donors Feeling Ripped Off After Questionable Credit Card Charges,” Hunter Walker and Josh Kovensky, TPM

Update:

“Scientists Welcome ‘Astronaut,’ ‘Nobel Winner’ George Santos To House Science Committee,” Chris D’Angelo, HuffPost

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Image by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com. Download a copy here. Note: Politifact hasn’t yet fact-checked George Santo’s statements. Maybe it’s too overwhelming.

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The Honorable George Santos (R, NY-3)

Outside of Hollywood, you’d think doing business with someone who is using an assumed name would raise concerns, but it didn’t. As a result, George Santos, AKA Anthony Zabrovsky, Anthony Devolder, Kitara Ravache, and George Devolder (of dubious investment firm Harbor City Capital) is now the newly-sworn-in Republican Congressman representing New York’s 3th District.

After he was elected, Rep. Devolder Zabrovsky Ravache Santos admitted to embellishing his résumé, but it’s all embellishment, no résumé. He lied about his: high school, college, ever going to college, volleyball prowess, grad school, religion, family history, work history, finances, owning 13 real estate properties, developing carbon capture technology, losing employees in the Pulse nightclub shooting, running a pet rescue charity, past marital status, and his own mother’s death. Other dirty shoes will probably drop.

George Santos makes Herschel Walker look like the very soul of probity. He should be an embarrassment to Congressional Republicans, but they are noted for lack of shame, and their majority is so slim they’re reluctant to pressure Mr. Santos into resigning from the House. His district could easily elect a Democrat to replace him, so he’ll stay until the federal, state, Nassau County, Queens, and/or Brazilian courts catch up with him.

Months before the election, some of George Santos’ falsehoods were uncovered by the local North Shore Leader newspaper, and some lies were known to Republican consultants. These red flags were ignored in the heat of the campaign.

New York Magazine calls George Santos “The Luckiest Liar in Politics.” If you want to congratulate him on his fabrication-based good fortune, send cards to: The Honorable George Santos, 1117 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC, 20515-3203 or call him at 202-225-3335.

Constituent well-wishers may prefer to contact his District Office in Queens: 242-09 Northern Boulevard, Douglaston, NY 11363 (phone 718-631-0400).

Rep. Santos doesn’t have a public email address, but his Chief of Staff does.

Want George Santos to attend your new waste disposal service’s ribbon-cutting or your nephew’s bar mitzvah? Use this handy contact form.

Update:

George Santos has been appointed to two House committees. He will sit on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology (because he lied about developing carbon capture technology), and the House Committee on Small Business (because he lied about his business experience).

More:

“Keeping track of all of NY Rep.-elect George Santos’ lies, from his education to charity falsehoods,” Bruce Golding, New York Post

“Rep. George Santos Appears to Have Ripped Off His Former Boss’s Resume in Crafting His Backstory,” Virginia Chamlee, People

“George Santos’ backers include a migrant smuggler, a big Trump donor and the cousin of a sanctioned Russian oligarch,” Clare Hymes and Graham Kates, CBS News

“Another Santos Money Mystery: He Struck a Curious Business Deal With a Veteran GOP Operative,” Noah Lanard and David Corn, Mother Jones

“Campaigns Linked To Santos Left Donors Feeling Ripped Off After Questionable Credit Card Charges,” Hunter Walker and Josh Kovensky, TPM

 

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Image by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com. Download a copy here. Note: Politifact hasn’t yet fact-checked George Santo’s statements. Maybe it’s too overwhelming.

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Berlusconi Goes on Vacation, Gets COVID-19

Berlusconi in Sardinia

Billionaire octagenarian, former football team owner, Bunga-Bunga Party host, one-time cruise ship crooner, Trump-before-Trump, and disgraced 3-time former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi went to Sardinia with all the other oligarchs and contracted Coronavirus.

More:

“Silvio Berlusconi admitted to hospital with coronavirus,” Angela Giuffrida, The Guardian

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Image (“Pasha Berlusconi and His Harem, after François Gabriel Lepaulle”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Mike Pence, Coronavirus Czar

President Trump has named Vice President Mike Pence to lead his administration’s fight against the Coronavirus epidemic. Mr. Pence gained extensive medical experience during his stint as Indiana governor, when his Medicaid “expansion” cut health coverage for thousands. His response to the state’s HIV epidemic was to “go home and pray on it,” a policy that caused HIV deaths to spike. A longtime critic of science-based policy, he denied that smoking causes cancer while running for Congress in 2000.

Since joining the Trump administration Mike Pence has filled the federal health establishment with Indiana cronies like former pharmaceutical lobbyist and drug company exec Alex Azar, now Secretary of Health and Human Services, who tripled the price of insulin when he headed Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly. In congressional testimony last Wednesday Mr. Azar would not guarantee that any coronavirus vaccine would be affordable.

More:

“Trump Put Mike Pence In Charge Of The Coronavirus Response. Public Health Experts Aren’t Having It.” Brianna Sacks, BuzzFeed

“Let’s Revisit Coronavirus Czar Mike Pence’s History on Public Health Initiatives,” Shannon Palus, Slate

“Mike Pence was criticized for his handling of Indiana’s HIV outbreak. He will lead the U.S. coronavirus response.” Washington Post

“Mike Pence ‘not up to task’ of leading US coronavirus response, say experts,” Adam Gabbatt, The Guardian

Uh-Oh:

“Was Mike Pence exposed to coronavirus?” Kathryn Krawczyk, The Week

“Student Quarantined Days After Classmates Shook Mike Pence’s Hand, Report Says,” Jamie Ross, Daily Beast

Updates:

“Trump wanted, and got, a coronavirus lead who would give politics primary consideration,” Philip Bump, Washington Post

“Pence Will Control All Coronavirus Messaging From Health Officials,” Michael D. Shear and Maggie Haberman, New York Times

“Coronavirus: Pence defends Trump Jr claim Democrats want ‘millions’ to die,” Martin Pengelly and Amanda Holpuch, The Guardian

“HHS Secretary Azar: ‘I’m still chairman of the task force’ on coronavirus after Trump says Pence is leading response,” Caroline Kelly, CNN

“Trump backers see a coronavirus conspiracy,” Ben Schreckinger and Alice Miranda Ollstein, Politico

“Mick Mulvaney: Media Is Exaggerating Coronavirus Coverage to ‘Bring Down the President,’” Pilar Melendez, Daily Beast

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Image (“Mike Pence, MD”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Newt Rises Again

Newt Gingrich is rising in the polls like yeasty dough. Mr. G says he’s going to take the bloat out of government, but he’s looking a bit puffy himself, especially around the wallet:

“Gingrich ventures took in more than $105 million over a decade’s time,” Peter H. Stone, iWatch

Mr. Gingrich says he’s a historian, yet he wants you to forget his personal history of serial adultery, extravagance, and questionable business deals. He says if elected he’ll scrap the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and teach an online course from the White House. Maybe citizen-students will get the $1.6 million history lesson Professor Newt taught Freddie Mac.

But historians are valuable advisors, because history can repeat itself. Here’s an example: despite the predatory policy’s rejection by voters and the chilling example of the recent economic collapse, Newt Gingrich is recycling his proposal to take your Social Security funds and gamble them on Wall Street.

Related:

“Gingrich’s history gap,” Los Angeles Times editorial

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Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.

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