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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 22 December 2020

Harris, Ivanka Trump stump in Georgia ahead of Senate runoff

(AP) — Campaigning in gia plans, Trump continued
Georgia on Monday, Vice to express anger at Repub-
President-elect Kamala lican Gov. Brian Kemp and
Harris stressed a need to GOP Secretary of State Brad
elect Democratic U.S. Raffensperger for certify-
Senate candidates who ing Biden’s win over him by
will advance President- more than 11,000 votes.
elect Joe Biden’s agenda. Both Perdue and Loeffler
Ivanka Trump, mean- have avoided explicit public
while, warned that failing acknowledgement of Biden’s
to reelect the two Repub- win while attacking Raffens-
lican incumbents in next perger.
month’s crucial runoff Ahead of Ivanka Trump’s re-
could erode her father’s marks, Perdue, who is run-
legislative achievements. ning against Ossoff, repeated
his admonition to Georgians
Telling a crowd in Columbus that “the eyes of the world are
that “everything is at stake” on us right now.” Loeffler,
in the Jan. 5 contests, Harris who is being challenged by
said Democratic candidates they kept Senate control, sty- back to the Senate “to pro- drawing audience members Warnock, reiterated her cam-
Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Ra- mying a progressive platform tect all that America stands to take videos and selfies. paign’s assertion that the pas-
phael Warnock would ad- to raise the minimum wage, for.” She called the runoff the Monday’s appearances were tor is a radical and socialist.
vance Biden policy priorities expand access to health care “most important congressio- part of a string of pre-runoff “If we don’t vote, we won’t
such as increased funding for and invest in infrastructure. nal race in history,” and de- visits by high-profile surro- just lose; we’ll lose the coun-
schools in low-income dis- “We have too much good scribed Perdue and Loeffler gates of the outgoing presi- try,” she said.
tricts, a $15,000 tax credit to work to do, Columbus, to as the “last line of defense” dent and the president-elect. Warnock pushed back at his
first-time home buyers, and be mired in gridlock and ob- against Democrats’ agenda Biden himself has already opponent’s repeated digs,
policing reforms. struction,” he said. and for her father in Con- stumped in Georgia, and Vice which he said hindered his
“We will need the legislation Trump, President Donald gress. President Mike Pence has attempts at “a substantive
to be passed,” Harris said. Trump’s daughter and a se- “We need David and Kelly in made several visits. President debate about the people of
“We will need Jon and Ra- nior White House adviser, the Senate to keep our econ- Donald Trump said late Sat- Georgia.”
phael in the United States stumped with Republican omy going, to keep delivering urday that he would return “My opponent is trying to
Senate. These are the things U.S. Sens. David Perdue on the president’s plans, and Jan. 4 for an election-eve ral- reduce this race to the kind
that are at stake.” and Kelly Loeffler on Mon- to keep our schools open,” ly, just two days before Con- of empty schoolyard insults
Harris’ other planned stop day outside a pub in Milton, she said, drawing cheers from gress meets to count votes made between children who
was canceled due to a sched- a wealthy suburb about 30 the audience. from the Electoral College. aren’t thinking very carefully
uled Senate vote on a corona- miles (48 kilometers) north As she spoke, touting her Trump has refused to accept on a playground,” he said.
virus relief package. of Atlanta. father’s record on unem- the results of his own elec- “I’m trying to have a debate,
Speaking ahead of Harris, Over the crowd’s shouts of ployment and work on a tion loss, alleging without ev- and she’s engaged in name-
Ossoff warned that Republi- “We love Trump!” and “Fight COVID-19 vaccine, a truck idence a conspiracy to throw calling. That’s all right. As we
cans would block the Biden for Trump!” she implored pulling a massive “Trump the election to Biden. In a say in the South, ‘Bless her
administration’s agenda if voters to send Republicans 2020” sign circled the street, tweet announcing his Geor- heart.’”

Biden’s profoundly private Pentagon pick joins Twitter

and their families. “If con- Austin is known for avoid- flag, dressed in a suit and tie.
firmed, it will be the honor of ing public remarks, even But the first scene is a photo
my lifetime to lead them with though he held a number of of him, in combat uniform as
honor and integrity," he said. high-profile, critical military a three-star general, with his
Austin would be the first jobs. He was commander in wife, and other pictures show
Black leader of the Pentagon, Baghdad of the Multination- him in military dress dur-
a historic choice in a year that al Corps-Iraq in 2008 when ing his career, meeting with
has seen racial unrest, pro- Barack Obama was elected troops and families.
tests and violence across the president, and he returned to The message is a safe, per-
country. But he will need a lead U.S. troops there from sonal one that resonates with
waiver from both chambers 2010 through 2011. families. He talks about ser-
of Congress. Under the law, a He then served as the first vice members who leave
service member must be out Black vice chief of staff of home to fight for their coun-
of uniform for at least seven the Army, the service’s No. 2 try, missing birthdays and
years before serving as de- position. And a year later he other events, while worried
fense secretary. Austin retired took command of U.S. Cen- spouses wait at home.
(AP) — President-elect Capitol Hill from lawmakers in 2016. tral Command, as the top Those families, he said, “are
Joe Biden's pick for de- who balk at putting a career That waiver has been granted American commander for absolutely afraid to answer
fense secretary made his military officer in what is only twice — most recently the Middle East. There, he the phone if it ever rings late
first foray into the world typically a civilian post. And in the case of retired Marine developed and began imple- at night. You’re afraid to an-
of Twitter on Monday, an it suggests they believe Aus- Gen. Jim Mattis, who served menting a U.S. military strat- swer the door unless you can
uncharacteristic move for tin will have to sell himself to as President Donald Trump’s egy to roll back the Islamic see who’s at the door. If you
a retired general who stu- lawmakers. first Pentagon chief. State group, which was cap- can imagine going through
diously avoided the public His first posting gave a nod to The bulk of the other Biden turing territory across Iraq that day in, day out over mul-
spotlight for much of his his private nature. picks for top administration and Syria. tiple deployments, you can
four decades in the Army. “They say you learn some- and Cabinet posts have long- begin to think how much our
thing new every day. Well, standing Twitter accounts. Austin's Twitter video treads spouses and our families sac-
Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin's today I’m learning about Many have used their ac- a careful line between touting rifice.”
social media debut reflected a Twitter,” Austin, 67, tweeted counts, as well as the transi- his military career and em- By early afternoon, Austin
recognition within the Biden mid-morning. He followed it tion team's account, to intro- phasizing his current status as had more than 7,000 follow-
transition team that the up quickly with a video and a duce themselves to a broader a civilian. For much of it he's ers, and the number was rap-
nomination faces hurdles on shoutout to service members American audience. seated next to an American idly growing.