Trump's postmaster general is playing with political fire

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Albert Hunt, opinion contributor

Louis DeJoy came to Washington to deliver for his ally, Donald Trump. He's stepping into a political minefield.

DeJoy was tapped this spring to be postmaster general by the Postal Board of Governors, headed by a former chairman of the Republican Party.

He is a big donor to Trump and the Republican Party; his qualifications to run the Postal Service were tangential.

For Trump, however, the Postal Service is a big deal, particularly to check a pandemic-related surge in voting by mail which he thinks hurts him.

In earlier fiscal relief negotiations, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told congressional leaders the president would veto any bill that had money for the Postal Service. Unemployment is at the highest level since the Depression, a million small businesses are closing, kids can't go school and Trump's litmus test is the Postal Service.

-more-

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-postmaster-general-is-playing-with-political-fire/ar-BB17KUwe?li=BB141NW3&ocid=DELLDHP

[empedocles]

1. Minnesota mail interrupted for a week ahead of a primary?

'USPS shuts down mail delivery at 7 post offices in Twin ...
www.fox9.com/news/usps-shuts-down-mail-delivery-at-7-post-offices-in-twin...
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Due to ongoing safety concerns in the aftermath of riots and looting in the Twin Cities, the United States Postal Service is suspending mail delivery at seven spots in... '

Seems like a trial run to stop some ballots from being counted.

[Hoyt]

2. I can sort of understand shutting down PO in an area with protests, and shifting mail to other

facilities.

[empedocles]

3. Hmmmmm

'The reason was unclear: Some blamed a rumor of an outbreak in the high rises that scared off postal carriers, even though the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority said just three residents have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The U.S. Postal Service said in a statement to The Washington Post that it halted service there until it could be sure that proper social distancing measures were in place.

Although delivery finally resumed Friday — nine days after residents first reported the stoppage — voters said it was too close to Election Day to feel confident that if they put their absentee ballots in the mail they would arrive in time to be counted.

The episode provides an early look at the kind of problems that could enmesh voters across the country in November, when an influx of absentee ballots and high turnout are expected to collide with a potential surge of coronavirus cases. Mail delays have been reported in various states in recent weeks as the Postal Service has rolled back overtime and extra delivery trips under the direction of a new postmaster general, a top donor to President Trump.' Wapo, 8-8-2020

[Hoyt]

5. Are Democratic and GOPer primaries on same date, seems like it would affect both equally.

Honestly, I don't have a lot of problem with PO rolling back overtime. I don't think it is as nefarious as people want us to believe.

I think PO will be there for the November elections. That's not a big worry for me, sorry.

[empedocles]

6. Geographical 'interruptions' were not equal - public housing was affected

[empedocles]

4. Midnight massacre at P.O headqtrs? Overt war move?