COVID Update January 4: I talkedvto 15 scientists, including Anthony Fauci, @larrybrilliant, @EricTopol, @ashishkjha, @T_Inglesby & @DrLeanaWen & asked them to spell out how 2021 will play out.

I will release their answer Wednesday. But the answer depends heavily on Tuesday.1/

The Senate elections in Georgia have a lot to say about whether we will successfully combat COVID-19.

I'm not talking about my own personal or political feelings. I'm talking about a cut & dry analysis of our ability to fight off a life threatening menace.2/

Trump's assault on our response to the pandemic is gratefully, almost over. Last embarrassing, corrupt efforts aside, the Trump/Meadows/Atlas deniers & liars are soon gone.

But his enablers remain at large. Now would be a good time to make a change. 3/

Mitch McConnell had his chance to prove he will rapidly fund vaccine distribution. He had a chance to support bars & small businesses. He had a chance to provide meaningful UI. To act timely. To support states & schools. 4/

Americans don't have time for the tranditional stonewalling, one-for-me, two-for-you tradeoffs of divided government. For obstruction. For 12 Senator protests against our very democracy.

Americans want their health & safety affirmed & a country that builds back aggressively. 5/

If you believe that divided government will protect us from the excesses of one party, that's a better theory when we're not facing the largest crisis in our history and when we don't all need to pull together rapidly. 6/

Personally, I would prefer a larger majority, but that's not on the table. All that is on the table is a 1-vote margin. Major transformative change is not happening with a 1-vote margin. Any Senator can block anything.

But what can happen is common sense. 7/

Biden and team can make the case that all boats should hit the water & row in the same direction. 8/

(Damn. 2021 new year resolution-- no sports analogies. Gone in 4 days. If I can keep from doing press conferences in front of landscaping companies, at least I will have 1 left.) 9/

Also I promised that no matter what I would not ever participate in a coup led by someone named Josh. Sorry, good luck this week fellas. 10/

Congress has an actual job to do here.
-Resources for vaccine distribution
-Combat pay for the front lines
-Resources for Americans to isolate

Pandemics don't come under control by themselves. They take work. A competent Biden Administration is just the start. 11/

"The Senate has failed to act with urgency on any of this. Governors have been forced into a Sophie's choice of whether to open the economy or save lives. America can do both-- but only by working together."

Great piece. Love the author. 12/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/01/04/national-covid-recovery-economic-health-on-georgia-ballot-column/4117208001/

Biden's candidacy and actions have been about unity-- whether talking about Republicans in the primary or working with Bernie Sanders in an artful way, he gets the diversity of views in this country. 13/

The country is paying the price for ignoring the value of human life and the value of all human lives. 14/

Bringing an end to the pandemic with as minimal loss of life possible depends on two Georgia Senate races. Much like a single Senate race decided the fate of the ACA, we are in the same dramatic straits right now. 15/

Supervillains in every movie I've ever seen have one fatal vulnerability. For the people who have thwarted our ability to deal with this pandemic, their vulnerability is democracy.

Let's see democracy show up tomorrow. /end