“Both senators attended briefings on the growing coronavirus outbreak for weeks leading up the national emergency that was declared by President Trump days ago. Burr and Loeffler are each members of the Senate Health Committee, while Burr also serves as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.”
Tucker Carlson, certainly no favorite of the left, has called for a Burr to come clean or resign and face prosecution for insider trading.
Remember that this took place while the administration and “their Congressmen” were dismissing this disease as the common cold and no big deal.
More info to come of course. Yet, one cannot help but consider if this fits even the Trumpian version of treason. A version we know already is so broad as to include not applauding his speech (perhaps meant as a bit of regime humor, hilarious to some I suppose.)
I suppose the hunt is on for a Democrat who hoarded toilet paper in advance.
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
I have to wonder if Carlson isn’t just pissed he didn’t get the tip as well…
Burr should call Martha Stuart for advice on what to do, but not use her lawyer…
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You do know that if such egregious behavior were somehow to come to the surface in an autocracy, and the autocrat saw a treat to his power, the offending politician would disappear into a prison.
Not suggesting we do that, of course. But at least the profiteering pols could express appreciation for a Constitution that lets them at least survive.
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As more facts emerge and I learn the full context of the actions taken to enrich themselves while most Americans struggle to pay their rent enrages me to NO end.
Only Feinstein has her money in a blind trust and to believe that information wasn’t provided to all their financial decisions makers (as they are claiming) is way beyond credible.
Our broken system and effect of career politicians is on full display….
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It is now being reported that some of Burr’s big donors got briefed.
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He basically provided an accurate assessment of the virus’s pending effects that was denied to the general public as the GOP participated in the slow walk downplaying of the impending crisis.
As usual rich doners/insiders get the truth so they can prepare and protect THEIR precious assets while the pions get peed on…
https://www.hickoryrecord.com/news/trending/npr-releases-secret-audio-of-sen-richard-burr-commenting-on/video_410d970b-d694-56f9-aff3-169f60444230.html
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And Burr then attacked NPR for reporting about it. Sound familiar?
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The NYT also reported on this story. In the issue of fairness I am going to add a Democrat and another Republican to the list:
“Three other senators also sold major holdings around the time Mr. Burr did, according to the disclosure records: Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, who is also a member of the Intelligence Committee; James M. Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma; and Kelly Loeffler, Republican of Georgia.”
Further: “Ms. Feinstein and her husband sold $1.5 million to $6 million worth of stock in Allogene Therapeutics, a California-based biotech company, in transactions that took place on Jan. 31 and Feb. 18.”
The common refrain from both Feinstein and Loeffler is that they do not make the decisions on those transactions. Loeffler and her husband claim to be hands off on those decisions. Feinstein’s assets are in a blind trust and “She has no involvement in her husband’s financial decisions.”
That being said, if the Senators in question passed information to those third parties (or spouse’s) it would appear they all violated the 2012 Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act.
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RE: “Remember that this took place while the administration and ‘their Congressmen’ were dismissing this disease as the common cold and no big deal.”
Perhaps you didn’t get the message or understand what you were hearing at the time, but the analogy to the common cold was useful and informative early on when few Americans had heard of coronavirus and fewer still knew what it was. The analogy was also factually correct in at least two ways:
Eighty percent of persons who become infected with the Wuhan coronavirus experience zero to mild (common cold like) symptoms.
Also, it was Rush Limbaugh, not the administration, who was widely bashed for making the common cold comparison. No one said coronavirus was “no big deal,” although some people might have wrongly inferred such as thing when hearing that Covid-19 was not as bad as Ebola or bubonic plague.
For the sake of responsible discussion, please try to avoid unnecessary hyperbole and false Trump bashing.
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To quote someone who frequently comments on this forum, “so what?”.
Beside the fact that nothing you just wrote has ANYTHING to do with the point of the actions taken by those with “insider” knowledge selling their stocks to protect their assets, your attempt to play the role of the “hyperbole” police is hilarious…
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The usual “lotsa words without saying anything” post in an attempt to defend trump.
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RE: “nothing you just wrote has ANYTHING to do with the point of the actions taken by those with “insider” knowledge selling their stocks to protect their assets”
No, it doesn’t. I chose, instead, to respond to a specific erroneous statement in the original post.
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Got to give you credit for creativity in political spin.
True perhaps that the president himself did not use the words “common cold”. But his Medal of Freedom recipient, fervent supporter and most important, a man with the largest radio audience of around 25 million did so repeatedly without any pushback from the administration.
Is that the propaganda version of “social distancing”? I think so.
Yes, Coronaviruses cause colds and a slew of other diseases? So what is your point? Never mind.
Trump bashing? Tell him to stop that tactic and he might get more respect. He has insulted and blamed everyone else for the administration flubs, missteps and laggardly action. Trump bashing indeed. Aptly labeled as the originator of such behavior as Ebola virus is named from a river.
I know your goal is to explain, translate and otherwise excuse this regimes words and behavior. But you will get challenged when I and others see fit.
You do realize, or maybe not, that when I challenge Trump’s words and actions that is a lot less damaging than if he and major conservative leaders with audiences in the tens of millions lie or confuse. To me exposing those affronts to decent social behavior is important.
So now we are in “Trump finally concedes there may be a major problem” day plus 5 or so. I think most of the conservative detritus like Nunes and his ilk have shut up. Not because the administration told them to, but because the pandemic is finally getting through their impenetrable bubbles.
That’s a start.
So my suggestion is for you to stop lecturing about comments on a blog that has about as much reach and influence among the American public as my four legged companion with a wet nose.
Crises bring out both the best and the worst in people. All have and this one is no exception. This is one place where I, and others, learned new things, let off some steam and debate both. Some more vociferously than others, but that is human nature.
All IMHO
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RE: “Yes, Coronaviruses cause colds and a slew of other diseases? So what is your point?”
The point is your statement, which I quoted, repeats a lie.
You may think you occupy the moral high ground of Truth, but you have climbed to the lofty heights on a ladder of misinformation, which you persist in repeating.
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I think I need to ignore you for a while before I lose my civility. If you persist with ad hominem attacks it just confirms my statements.
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Since I tend to do both when I comment to egregiously ridiculous positions or comments I can’t say anything other than, “You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din!”…
Always been a Kipling fan.
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I don’t mind being corrected on misstatements or challenged on facts.
I don’t like to be lectured or accused of undermining our president from any kind of horse or even a large Shetland. As if I am not patriotic enough by criticizing or pointing out obvious lies and misdirections from the regime.
And voicing my opinion.
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Len, you know that the new definition of patriotism involve connecting your lips to the backside of Mr. Trump. HE is the country. Just ask him, he’ll be sure to tell you.
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Arrgh, I can’t undo that visual!
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Sorry. But I wanted it to stick for all, not just ou.
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“Arrgh” indeed, However, I have gotten used to it….
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RE: “I think I need to ignore you for a while before I lose my civility. If you persist with ad hominem attacks it just confirms my statements.”
Suit yourself. I called you out over the “common cold error” more than a week ago, but you apparently ignored it. There is no ad hominem in any of my comments.
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“Coronaviruses cause colds and a slew of other diseases” But not this particular version of them. That is why it has it’s own name: COVID-19.
Unbelievably dense comments do nothing to show any credibility from your perspective.
As far as misinformation goes, it is you who lives on that pedestal.
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You are quoting Mr. Rothman, not me. I wrote: “Some strains of coronavirus actually do cause the common cold.”
Your criticism of me is, ironically, misguided.
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Yes I did. And to make the point that you cherry picked AGAIN, what was not even the reason for the posting of the article. You picked out one semi-fact that has a nugget of truth. Just as a good conspiracy theorist does.
MY point was to remind you that some DID refer to the virus as similar to the common cold, which you have yet to actually deny by the way. Nor do you have anything to say about the 24 hour flip flop 180 (with a twist) performed by Trump between Sunday and Monday.
The point of the original post was the appearance of insider trading style information used by SEN Burr (and others) to enrich himself while downplaying, in public, the effects of the pandemic. With the exception of his recorded comments to his “well connected” friends in NC. You picked out that Len included referring to the timing of the move, which included Burr’s own downplaying of the effects of the pandemic, along with others, including a GOP representative from Alaska who called it the “beer virus” (See my link from yesterday).
My criticism of you is dead on. You have no mirrors so the rest of us hold one up for you. Then you deny what is there. Amazingly so, I might add.
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RE: “Yes I did [quote Mr. Rothman].”
In that case why criticize me for something he said? Your “mirror” is defective.
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My criticism was of YOUR comment, which you opened with a quote of Mr. Rothman’s.
Instead playing your usual spinny, semantic games, why don’t you answer the reason for the post. It had NOTHNG to do with Mr. Trump. It had to do with Senators possibly violating a law they passed in 2012. Where do you stand on that? I can surmise an answer, but I’ll wait to see what you have to say.
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