Its PolitiFact vs. PolitiFact and Dr. Fauci vs. Reality

Dr. Fauci and Sen. Rand Paul had a contentious exchange at a Senate hearing yesterday. The gist - Sen. Paul said the NIH funded 'gain of function' research (say what!) at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and Dr. Fauci emphatically denied it.

PolitiFact then ran a non-fact check interview with Dr. Fauci in which he denied it again.

But - awkward moment - in a Feb 2021 Fact Check, PolitiFact noted as an aside that, per MIT biologist Kevin Esvelt, the NIH had funded gain of function research at the WIV. In that article they exonerated Dr. Fauci of a broader claim, that he had funded research that directly led to the COVID-19 virus.

The Team Fauci spinners will be earning their paychecks today. Let's dive in.

First, Dr. Fauci's denial to PolitiFact:

Fauci told Paul at the hearing that the senator was "entirely and completely incorrect" as the NIH has never funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab.

Fauci reiterated his stance Tuesday afternoon during a conversation with PolitiFact’s Katie Sanders as part of the United Facts of America: A Festival of Fact-Checking.

"That’s actually preposterous," Fauci said. "It was just unfortunate that he said that. It was said in an accusatory way that just made no sense and was not based on any fact at all."

Now, watch Dr. Fauci try to shift the goalposts:

"In a very minor collaboration, as part of a subcontract of a grant, we had a collaboration with some Chinese scientists," Fauci said. "He conflated that … therefore we were involved in creating the virus, which is the most ridiculous, majestic leap I’ve ever heard of."

Well, no. Unlike the February dust-up, Sen. Paul wasn't accusing Dr. Fauci of funding development of the COVID-19 virus. Axios has a good excerpt:

• PAUL: "For years, Dr. Ralph Baric, a virologist in the U.S., has been collaborating with Dr. Shi Zhengli from the Wuhan Virology Institute, sharing his discoveries about how to create superviruses. This gain-of-function research has been funded by the NIH. ... Dr. Fauci, do you still support funding of the NIH lab in Wuhan?"
• FAUCI: "With all due respect, you are entirely and completely incorrect. The NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology."

Here is the PolitiFact piece from February which explained that yes, the NIH funded gain of function research at the WIV but no, there is no proof they funded COVID-19 research or that COVID-19 emerged from a lab. Different issues:

MIT biologist Kevin Esvelt reviewed a paper that appears to have been published with financial assistance from the grant. According to Esvelt, certain techniques that the researchers used seemed to meet the definition of gain-of-function research. But he told PolitiFact that "the work reported in this specific paper definitely did NOT lead to the creation of SARS-CoV-2" because the genetic sequences of the virus studied in the paper differ from that of the new coronavirus. 

...

Both the NIH and EcoHealth Alliance have denied that a grant to the Wuhan lab funded gain-of-function research, though a scientist told us that one paper published with assistance from the grant seems to describe techniques similar to gain-of-function. 

Well, then. The NIH denied it so we're all good?

Here is the paper in question, which acknowledges funding from the NIH. The bit on recombining genes and testing the lab creations for infectivity is excerpted below.

Does Team Fauci wants to insist this is not gain of function research? Given the partisan divide emerging on this, maybe hair-splitting will suffice. But I am pretty sure the no-GMO crowd, many of which live on the left, would consider this sort of gene manipulation to be of great concern.

And do note: Nicholas Wade, formerly of the NY Times, Science and Nature points an accusing finger at Dr. Fauci and the NIH funding process. As does Nicholson Baker in NY Magazine.

ERRATA:

C-SPAN has tape and transcript of the Paul/ Fauci exchange. A snippet:

 

Nicholas Wade on Dr. Fauci and the NIH / NiAID:

 

Enough for now.

UPDATE: This Newsweek fact check explains a 2015 paper with Dr. Ralph Baric of UNC - says the gain of function work was done in North Carolina. Seems overly legalistic and ignores the 2017 paper.

Comments

[anonamom]

Fauci--proof any "long career jn pusblic service" rarely serves the public!

[Neo]

US biolab transparency urged after smearing China over weaponizing COVID-19
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202105/1223060.shtml

FYI

[MissMarple2]

Second hour Bannon.

Naomi Wolf has traced money from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to NIH and news outlets to promote the vaccination, Covid education, etc.
Worth listening to.

[Davod]

Found in my in-tray from GOPUSAEagle:

" Defiance: Liz Cheney Says Trump And GOP Backers Threaten Democracy

A combative Rep. Liz Cheney lashed out at leaders of her own Republican Party late Tuesday, accusing former President Donald Trump and his GOP supporters of following a path that would "undermine our democracy."

WTF is wrong with these people.

[Melinda]

Critical detail, and involves overstimulating the need to not work:

Sal Mercogliano 🚢⚓🧭🐪🚒
@mercoglianos
Something @man_integrated has been talking about is looking at American infrastructure holistically. The lack of drivers, chassises, and trucks are impacting the internal distribution of goods in the US. Add to this the underutilization of railways & coastal shipping.

Patrick De Haan ⛽️📊 @GasBuddyGuy
Folks- stations may be out of fuel, but I am only seeing SLIGHT outages at the rack level. This seems to be turning into a not-enough-truck-drivers-to-get-it-there story.

https://twitter.com/mercoglianos/status/139245345297917952

[Melinda]

Davod-

That quote sounds most Bulwark-ey.

[anonamom]

Natalie Winters of National Pulse is just a kid, early twenties if that, and shows all those "journalists" how to get 'er done.
Exposes Fauci grant recipients headlining at a recent gain of function conference:

https://thenationalpulse.com/exclusive/fauci-researchers-headlined-wuhan-gain-of-function-event/

[Davod]

I am still trying to identify my raptor, and I am looking at the Virginia Bird Guide. One topic - How to get rid of crows. Further down - How to attract crows.

[Jim Eagle]

Driving today, I heard on the radio a prominent medico at John’s Hopkins school of public health(?) rip Fraudci a new one. He is not who he thinks he is among the top tier medical professors and practioners.

[Melinda]

Davod-

Cornell University's Merlin Bird ID app is great for that.

[MissMarple2]

Frank Gaffney was on Bannon's show and said a letter from 100 retired flag officers has just come out about what peril the country is in.

I haven't found it yet and have to leave to get my Kroger order. If someone comes across it, please link it. Thanks!

[Melinda]

Now I know what the new "Tip Jar" is for....

Twitter Tries To Dismiss Another Child Porn Case Citing Section 230: Even If Allegations ‘True,’ We’re Not ‘Liable’

https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-tries-to-dismiss-another-child-porn-case-citing-section-230-even-if-allegations-true-were-not-liable

[anonamom]

He is not who he thinks he is among the top tier medical professors and practioners.

Who told you that 15 months ago?? ;-)
The first time I heard his name, I knew we were in trouble.

Corporate media suppression did not serve this country well, not did the self silencing WAY too many academic physicians practiced.

I may be listening to too much Steve Bannon, but it sure seems like it's been a big year for the ChiComs.
(Who pays for Bannon's show, National Pulse too, btw?)

[Narciso]

Find a bridge stay puft

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2021/05/11/chris_christie_to_trump_giuliani_keep_quiet_go_out_to_dinner_go_play_some_golf_and_stay_off_of_tv.html

[Narciso]

Now theyve known about darkside for nearly a year, they cant tell us anythimg more than they maybe from eastern europe.

[Melinda]

where that "Muh Section 230" carp came from::

Eliza @elizableu
2h
So Twitter can delete all of Senator Rand Paul tweets and followers...

But when a child reaches out to have their sexual exploitation deleted, they don’t answer or say no.

Eliza
@elizableu
Oh it gets worse, when a minor sues they move to dismiss the case.
dailywire.com/news/twitter-t…

https://twitter.com/elizableu/status/1392479826531995648

[Narciso]

Find a bucket

https://mobile.twitter.com/omriceren/status/1392502591423238154

[Davod]

Melinda - Thanks.

[Narciso]

But hamas and the ayatollah have their blue checkmarks

[Davod]

How is it that we cannot find out who the Facebook and Twitter censors are?

[Narciso]

And its actually translates to islamic resistant movement

[Narciso]

O keefe identified some of them

[Narciso]

But like dragons teeth you remove one another emerges

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/05/how_the_left_plans_to_put_boots_on_the_ground_to_subdue_middle_america.html

[Manuel Transmission]

RSE from the last thread, our Gdtr is finishing her 3rd grade and 1st full year at Leman Academy of Excellence in CO. The parental units pulled her from the county supported Montessori she had been in since 22 months old. It became utterly hopeless. Between the home schooling as things shut down last year and a huge gain once in full time in-class sessions, she has leapt about two or three grade levels and already is in AP levels on several subjects. Can’t believe we lucked out on that one.

[Narciso]

Harsh but fair

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2021/05/white-coat-supremacist-anthony-fauci-still-wears-lloyd-billingsley/

[Davod]

From City Journal's - The Bomber as School Reformer -The press—and debate moderators—shouldn’t let Bill Ayers and Barack Obama off the hook.
Sol Stern
October 6, 2008

"...As I have shown in previous articles in City Journal, Ayers’s school reform agenda focuses almost exclusively on the idea of teaching for “social justice” in the classroom. This has nothing to do with the social-justice ideals of the Sermon on the Mount or Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Rather, Ayers and his education school comrades are explicit about the need to indoctrinate public school children with the belief that America is a racist, militarist country and that the capitalist system is inherently unfair and oppressive. As a leader of this growing “reform” movement, Ayers was recently elected vice president for curriculum of the American Education Research Association, the nation’s largest organization of ed school professors and researchers..."

https://www.city-journal.org/html/bomber-school-reformer-10465.html

[Melinda]

Watch it before it's pulled:

🇫🇷Aimée🇫🇷
@ParisianGirlAmy
Watch as a child from Gaza records Hamas missiles being parked right onto his residential street!

#IsraelUnderAttack #Israel

pic.twitter.com/q4Fv0q0kl9

https://twitter.com/ParisianGirlAmy/status/1392507924908490755

[Melinda]

Davod-

The Public Safety Committee for FB & Twitter (they share employees for this) were named some time ago, 5 yrs or so, and most of the players were straight out of the libertine/abuser side of GamerGate. One name to research, if you feel so inclined, is Anita Sarkeesian. They've broadened the ban hammer toolset to nearly any employee since then, and Project Veritas snooped the actual Atari like screen they all use to create the bans and or full deletions.

[rse]

MT--

Good to know that things are going so much better now. As we have discussed, a phonetically fluent voracious reader can bypass virtually everything I write about, but they are deliberately few and far between.

[Narciso]

Along these lines

https://www.projectveritas.com/video/new-facebook-insider-leaks-video-of-zuckerberg-and-executives-admitting-to/

[Narciso]

One cannot conclude anything else

https://biblia.com/bible/douayrheims/judges/6/3-4

[Narciso]

Its always been a tough neighborhooz

[Melinda]

That it came out of GamerGate can NOT be emphasized enough. Learn about what drove that, and you realize just who these people really are and what drives them. Depraved doesn't even come close. Horribly damaged people attempting to create their own safe world.

[Narciso]

I think this also explains the war against gamestop,

[Narciso]

Btw if we thought chris miller was true blue well lets revise that

[Narciso]

The gaza campaign is different in quantity but noticeably not in quality to the portland intifada

[Narciso]

Splunge

https://mobile.twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1392498805799534593

[Narciso]

Mortal combat,

https://mobile.twitter.com/ClimateAudit/status/1392517157217574921

[Melinda]

Nearly identical, except for katyusha volume. They've been building this up for years in the planning of it, to be launched at the End of Ramadan, on "Jerusalem Day". Totally coincidental.

[Davod]

Melinda:

"The Public Safety Committee for FB & Twitter"

Straight out of central casting.

[Melinda]

Gamestop is coincidental, not causal.

[Melinda]

CCP consolidation::

elizabeth bruenig
@ebruenig
some personnel news:

Yair Rosenberg @Yair_Rosenberg
.@ebruenig going to The Atlantic to work in @YAppelbaum's section is just a huge win for the rest of us (if not the NYT):

https://twitter.com/ebruenig/status/1392500327425916928

[Narciso]

Shes a believer in the house of moloch dd you see the charlie savage piece on fusion.

[Narciso]

Liz cheney is rory stewart in drag, sorry for the image, hes a wet Tory raised in the Firms crib (father was deputy chief) did his time in east timor other traditional vacation spots then found himself a nice safe borough in parliament, when the leadership challenge came he was as popular as wet noodle

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--"In a very minor collaboration, as part of a subcontract of a grant, we had a collaboration with some Chinese scientists," Fauci said.--

Translation into Omarian English - some commie Chinese guys did something.

[Neo]

LOL

The far left is just upset that their stooge who not only worked with them, but also worked for them, isn't able to help them as much.

The Imperfect Martyrdom of Liz Cheney
https://www.vogue.com/article/the-imperfect-martyrdom-of-liz-cheney

[Melinda]

Anything on BellingCat needs more salt than I could possibly carry, which is probably another "Agency" creation to privately compete with FusionGPS. Faction vs Faction kind of stuff, it seems so far.

[Narciso]

True but peope in the bubble dont know abour danchenko, belling seems Firmware MI-6 for those in the biz

[Melinda]

Yes, those whom would never, ever hire Steele, and he's still pissed about it.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Biggest Rise In Consumer Prices In More Than A Decade Is Understated By Half
"Inserting house prices in place of the non-market owner rents, reported inflation would have been twice the 4.2% gain."

[Narciso]

Tomlinson burned him, the surprise is they welcomed him back, you have to go full nutz like shayler before they discard you.

[Narciso]

Shayler is fully intersectional and a 9/11 denialist to boot.

[Melinda]

AZ Whistleblower: Dominion Ran 'Everything,' Rebooted Servers, Sent Everyone Home on Election Day

https://rumble.com/vgte71-az-whistleblower-dominion-ran-everything-rebooted-servers-sent-everyone-hom.html

[Davod]

Food pricing at the Masters - part of an important article about the pimento cheese sandwich:

"With concession stands spread throughout the course, Dickson says, the Masters offers an array of picnic-ready sandwiches, wrapped in their own plastic green jackets, at absurdly low prices given the venue. There’s the egg salad sandwich ($1.50), the ham and cheese ($2.50), the turkey and cheese ($2.50), and of course, the pimento cheese ($1.50), to name a few. “You had to get all the sandwiches; you couldn’t just get one,” says Dickson. Strikingly, the prices have not changed a dime since the days of Dickson’s youth. As Michaux puts it, “You can’t spend $40 on food at the Masters.” He knows because a journalist friend of his tried to do so for an article. “I’m telling you, he was about to vomit by the end of the day.”

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/masters-pimento-cheese-sandwich

[clarice]

Thank you, TM for that clear and comprehensive post. FB banned me for noting any of it. I'm back and continuing to break thru the bubble.

[Melinda]

REVEALED: China’s State Propaganda Group Boasts Control Over Western Think Tanks, ‘Election Integrity’ Groups, And Even Joe Biden’s National Security Team.

https://thenationalpulse.com/exclusive/exc-china-state-propaganda-boasts-control-over-think-tanks/

[clarice]

I expect Fauci's defense will be mirrored by the Zuckerberg vote stealing funding--we just hand out money, don't hold us accountable to what grantees do with it.

[Narciso]

Yes that was very thorough TM, now what i want to see are progress reports from the Ecohealth Alliance i know im just as likely to see pigs fly.

[Narciso]

Gruesome gretchen wants to shutdown ths midwest pipeline because reasons

[Narciso]

Lock her in a freezer

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/kevindowneyjr/2021/05/11/whitmer-cant-hurt-michigan-enough-threatens-to-close-another-pipeline-n1446181

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

I guess no one can convince Steve Bannon his admirable fight for freedom would be enhanced by not looking like Timothy Leary's slightly chubby, homeless son?

[Narciso]

He made enough money from seinfels residuals from repping berlusconi and prince talal to not look like that.

[MissMarple2]

Ignatz,

Agree. Raheem is always getting on him about it.

[Davod]

My garage door repairman said he had to go from Manassas to Lynchburg yesterday (150 miles). On the way back, he noticed that the gas stations had hundreds of cars backed up trying to get gas.

[Account Deleted]

RE: Liver Transplants

My boss before I retired was on a transplant waiting list for years. He ended up having what I think is a new kind of surgery in June 2020.

He was a donor match with his wife and they removed just a small portion of her liver and transplanted it to him. Hers grew back to normal size and his new tiny piece also grew to normal size and began functioning. This was at Vanderbilt in Nashville.

I don't know if this was experimental or what, but seems worth checking into.

[Davod]

Narciso. Remember the Kennedy Center is honoring Whitmer for her exceptional performance as governor during the COVID pandemic (scam).

[Davod]

There must be some limit to a governor's power to veto.

[Jane]

Wow Alison. Very cool.

[Davod]

Cheney is wearing Democrat blue.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Maybe they can give Witchmer an Emmy...right before Dorothy's house lands on her.

[Narciso]

Top people

http://ace.mu.nu/

[Davod]

Eat Beyond is a tasteful opportunity for meat substitutes has a picture of a forkful of spaghetti as the only food on its ad.

[Davod]

From May 12, 2021
How the Left Plans To Put Boots on the Ground to Subdue Middle America
By Selwyn Duke

"...Also note that so-called “leftism” is not an ideology (how could it be? Its “principles” change continually). Rather, it currently represents movement toward moral disorder. And leftists are morally disordered people, the worst of them being vice-ridden, amoral and driven by base appetites such as power lust. As I wrote in “The Time for Talking with the Left is Long, Long Past,” perhaps the best way to prepare yourself for contending with them is to “pretend you’re dealing with Satan...”

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Got a link for that 3:22, Davod?

[Davod]

Ignatz.

Sorry.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/05/how_the_left_plans_to_put_boots_on_the_ground_to_subdue_middle_america.html

[Buckeye]

AZ Whistleblower: Dominion Ran 'Everything,' Rebooted Servers, Sent Everyone Home on Election Day

Just as we thought.

Some Dominion execs need their fucking heads blown off.

[rse]

News reporting that 43% of gas stations in Ga now out of gas.

I had almost a full tank when all this started thankfully.

I suspect it will take a while to get straightened out once the pipeline is back up simply because panicked people, as with toilet paper, change their habits and changed habits alone can create shortages.

[Neo]

Did somebody let Joe Biden watch "Avengers: Infinity War" ?
Today he seemed to be doing his best imitation of Thanos ..

President Joe Biden joked he would easily achieve an infrastructure deal with Republican members of Congress on Wednesday, during a meeting with Congressional leadership.
When asked by reporters about how compromise was achievable, Biden replied wryly, "Easy. Just snap my fingers. It will happen."

[Narciso]

Mcmuffin chandler bing and christine whitman the excitement id palpable.

[Davod]

Re gas stations. I don't have a problem with gas. My car hasn't moved from the garage since mid-March 2020. Probably needs servicing. I know I should get the flat tire fixed.

[rse]

One spin https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/05/11/liz-cheney-wont-be-speaker-but-she-could-be-president/

[rse]

Or this https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/05/11/liz-cheneys-excommunication-from-the-church-of-trump/

When brookings is your defense that's a problem.

[Narciso]

Elaine kamarck that goes back a waysm

[Davod]

Five self-defense tips for wheelchair users.

1. Pepper spray

2. Electronic whistle

3. Stun gun

4. Use wheelchair to attack shins

5. Use wheelchair to attack knees

https://www.karmanhealthcare.com/5-self-defense-tips-for-wheelchair-users/

[jimmyk]

“Five self-defense tips for wheelchair users.”

Too late for Leon Klinghoffer. :(

What a world.

[Davod]

Jimmyk.

Probably won't work with terrorist hijackers.

[Neo]

Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-5) introduced the resolution to remove Cheney, and “reminded Liz Cheney that a leader with no followers is just a person on a walk.”

[Davod]

I think this is the raptor outside

< img src="https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/hawk.jpg">

[Davod]

I think this is the raptor outside.

https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/hawk.jpg

[anonamom]

buckeye--enough talk. Do it.

[Melinda]

This isn't a good look for Mr. Donziger, et al.::

Inner City Press
@innercitypress
OK - it's Day 3 of US v. #Donziger trial, with Gibson Dunn's Anne Champion now on cross examination by Ron Kuby, questions turn back to Texaco. Inner City Press is covering the trial innercitypress.com/sdnylive3donzi…
and will live tweet, thread below

https://twitter.com/innercitypress/status/1392488979484790787

[Davod]

Can someone tell me why my 4:37 didn't have a picture displayed?

[henry]

Davod, tough to get size. Had a couple sharp shinned hawks here. The chase robins etc. not much bigger than a songbird either. Fast, nifty fliers.

[Davod]

New army ad includes lesbian wedding.

https://twitter.com/AlanRMacLeod/status/1392367395906498560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1392367395906498560%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Face.mu.nu%2F

[Jim Eagle]

My Osprey looks twice as large.

He’s mine because he rents my roof:)

[Melinda]

Cassandra Fairbanks
@CassandraRules
WATCH: Dem Rep. and Former Defense Secretary Get Into Shouting Match About Trump's Role in Jan. 6 Protest thegatewaypundit.com/2021/05/watch-…

https://twitter.com/CassandraRules/status/1392583710562787333

[anonamom]

Whitmer is a complete disgrace, but at this point in time, the citizenry of Michigan is completely responsible for her still being in office.
They have the power to recall her, and should have done so by now.

Allowing her to continue in that office is on them all.

[Marlene]

Good afternoon! We've been back in the Maine woods for two weeks. We're happy that we missed the gas "crunch" because we traveled thru the Carolinas and VA. We decided that our favorite places to stop are the LOVES truck stops. The sparkling clean rest rooms and the fenced dog areas are great. Believe me, when you travel between Florida and Maine, you appreciate the trucks that deliver goods and services.

[Tom Bowler]

But I am pretty sure the no-GMO crowd, many of which live on the left, would consider this sort of gene manipulation to be of great concern.

Ha! Not a chance. Like the rest of team-left the no-GMO crowd is anti-capitalist and ever-concerned with over-population. They will happily overlook Fauci's funding for gene manipulation, since it can be argued to have reduced world population.

And as far as Fauci's mendacity, that's what leftists do.

[Marlene]

jimmyk @ 4:18... "what a world" is great quote said by the Wicked Witch when Dorothy threw the bucket of water on her. We need more Dorothys throwing water on people. :)