;)
The Conversation -- August 11, 2023
Perry Stein & David Nakamura of the Washington Post: "Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss of Delaware as special counsel in the ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden's tax case, a move that appeared aimed at rebutting Republican criticism that the process had been politicized. Garland made the surprise announcement during a midday news conference at Justice Department headquarters in Washington. The appointment of Weiss, an appointee of former president Donald Trump who began the investigation of President Biden's son in 2018 and has continued to lead the prosecution under Garland, would give him broad authority and, presumably, distance the attorney general from some key decisions in the case. Justice officials said Weiss requested to be named as special counsel on Tuesday, and Garland agreed. Weiss will hold this position while he continues to serve as U.S. attorney in Delaware, Garland said." The NBC News story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Seems excessive to me, but reasonable, given House Republicans' cries of "conspiracy!" and Keystone Cops-style "investigations" of Everything Hunter. Let's see how well it worked: ~~~
~~~ From the New York Times liveblog in developments of the Hunter Biden case: "Representative James Comer, the oversight committee chairman in the House..., sees the appointment of a special counsel as a way to protect the president's son. 'This move by Attorney General Garland is part of the Justice Department's efforts to attempt a Biden family coverup,' he said in a statement." ~~~
~~~ Scott Wong & Kate Santaliz of NBC News: "House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, had previously called on Garland to name a special counsel in the case. But on Friday, Jordan's team also took aim at [David] Weiss, who was nominated by ... Donald Trump to serve as U.S. attorney in Delaware and stayed on under President Joe Biden.... 'David Weiss can't be trusted and this is just a new way to whitewash the Biden family's corruption,' said Jordan spokesman Russell Dye." MB: In case it never dawned on you (ha ha) that nothing will satisfy, here's the proof: (1) Jordan whines that Garland must appoint special counsel; (2) Garland appoints special counsel nominated by Donald Trump; (3) Jordan whines that Trump-nominated, Garland-appointed special counsel cannot be trusted.
Monica Alba & Carol Lee of NBC News: "Attorneys for President Joe Biden and the special counsel appointed to investigate his handling of classified documents have been negotiating for about a month over the terms under which he would be interviewed, two people familiar with the matter said. Discussions between Biden's lawyers and special counsel Robert Hur's office are focused on how, when and where the interview might take place, as well as the scope of the questions, these people said. They stressed that the negotiations are ongoing and that no agreement has been reached."
I see the possibility for a lot of problems here. -- Judge Tanya Chutkan, on Donald Trump's potential of intimidating witnesses & influencing jurors ~~~
~~~ Glenn Thrush & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "The federal judge overseeing ... Donald J. Trump's prosecution on charges of seeking to overturn the 2020 election rejected his request on Friday to be able to speak broadly about evidence and witnesses -- and warned Mr. Trump she would take necessary 'measures' to keep him from intimidating witnesses or tainting potential jurors. The caution from the judge, Tanya S. Chutkan, came during a 90-minute hearing in Federal District Court in Washington to discuss the scope of a protective order over the discovery evidence in Mr. Trump's case, a typically routine step in criminal matters. Judge Chutkan said she planned to impose the order but agreed to a modification requested by the Trump legal team that it apply only to 'sensitive' materials and not all evidence turned over to the defense.
“She concluded the hearing with a blunt warning to Mr. Trump, and an unmistakable reference to a recent social media post in which he warned, 'If you go after me, I'm coming after you!' -- a statement his spokesman later said was aimed at political opponents and not at people involved in the case. 'I do want to issue a general word of caution -- I intend to ensure the orderly administration of justice in this case as I would in any other case, and even arguably ambiguous statements by the parties or their counsel,' she said, could be considered an attempt to 'intimidate witnesses or prejudice potential jurors,' triggering the court to take action.... Judge Chutkan ... made it clear -- within minutes of ascending the bench -- that she intended to view Mr. Trump primarily as a defendant rather than a political figure, and suggested she sided with the government's push for a speedy trial.... The judge described Mr. Trump's candidacy as 'a day job,' like [any other] defendant." The CBS News report is here. Politico's story is here.~~~
~~~ A copy of the protective order, via NBC News, is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: It took less than 24 hours for Trump to defy a magistrate judge's order that imposed restrictions on him. Let's see how long it takes him to try a stunt to cross Chutkan. ~~~
Natalie Allison of Politico: "Chanting 'Ron DeFascist' and 'pudding fingers' on a megaphone while ringing cowbells, two protesters effectively cut short the Florida governor's first campaign stop of the day at a large roadside rock painted for war veterans.... At the DeSantis event, Kara Ryan of Des Moines said she and her aunt, Heather Ryan, were there on behalf of a political action committee called 'Bitches Get Stuff Done,' that supports abortion rights."
~~~~~~~~~~
Paul McLeary, et al., of Politico: "The Biden administration is asking congressional leaders for about $40 billion in new emergency spending, a request that's sure to intensify this fall's already arduous government funding fight. The cash that President Joe Biden requested formally on Thursday includes more than $24 billion in aid to Ukraine, $12 billion to replenish a dwindling pot of federal disaster relief and $4 billion to address issues at the southern border, like shelter and services for migrants and counter-fentanyl efforts." If you wanna know the real reason President Biden needs so much money for Ukraine, see Phillip Nieto's post, linked under "Presidential Race 2024."
Farnaz Fassihi & Michael Shear of the New York Times: "The United States and Iran have reached an agreement to win the freedom of five imprisoned Americans in exchange for several jailed Iranians and the unfreezing of about $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue, according to several people familiar with the deal. As a first step in the agreement, which comes after more than two years of quiet negotiations, Iran has released into house arrest five Iranian American dual citizens, according to the lawyer for one of the prisoners." (Also linked yesterday.)
** Mr. Potato Head, Fake Senator. Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post: Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) does not live in Alabama. Property records, campaign finance statements, a promotional video Mr. Potato Head cut for ESPN in 2017, and his own statement during his campaign for Senate declaring himself a "carpetbagger," show that he lives now and has lived for decades in a $3 million, 4,000-sq-ft. home in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, a town in the Florida panhandle. He owns no legal residence in Alabama. "Under the U.S. Constitution, senators are required to be 'an inhabitant' of the state when elected, so residency requirements can be minimal." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Kessler doesn't address Florida tax records, but it would be interesting to check property tax records. Florida's "Save Our Homes" tax law is extremely favorable to state residents, as it limits the amount property taxes can be raised each to three percent of the current tax, while taxes on non-residents can increase to the assessed valuation of the property every year. On a $3MM house, that means thousands of dollars in tax savings each year. It is necessary to swear to Florida residency every year, and provide other proofs -- like voting in Florida and registering your vehicles in Florida. If Tuberville declared Florida residency to receive this tax break, he's burnt potato. Florida property tax records are public.
Maggie Astor of the New York Times: "Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, told a local news station on Thursday that he 'would think very seriously' about leaving the Democratic Party and becoming an independent." (Also linked yesterday.)
Trump Crime Family News
Happy New Year, Donald! Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "The prosecutors overseeing the indictment of ... Donald J. Trump on charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election asked a judge on Thursday to set a trial date in the case for early January, laying out an aggressive schedule for the proceeding. In a motion filed to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who is presiding over the case in Federal District Court in Washington, the prosecutors said they were ready not only to go to trial on Jan. 2, but were also poised to give Mr. Trump's lawyers the bulk of their discovery evidence in the next two weeks or so. The prosecutors further proposed that Mr. Trump's lawyers submit their first pretrial motions in not much more than a month." (Also linked yesterday.)
Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump and a longtime aide, Walt Nauta, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to additional criminal charges in the case accusing Mr. Trump of illegally holding on to secret national security documents after leaving office and conspiring to obstruct the government's efforts to retrieve them. The plea for Mr. Trump, who did not appear at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Fla., was entered by one of his lawyers.... Carlos De Oliveira ... [who] was accused of conspiring to delete the security footage ... appeared at the hearing, though [his] arraignment was delayed until he finds local representation.... The magistrate judge, Shaniek Mills Maynard, scheduled Mr. De Oliveira's arraignment for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, rejecting a suggestion that it be postponed until Aug. 25." CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Marie: Re: Trump's motion to have a SCIF placed on his Mar-a-Lago property, Joyce Vance said on MSNBC Thursday that the Court (that would be Judge Cannon) has no authority to tell the intelligence community where to locate SCIFs, much less to order the government to pay for construction and 24-hour security for the SCIF.
Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Two prominent conservative law professors have concluded that Donald J. Trump is ineligible to be president under a provision of the Constitution that bars people who have engaged in an insurrection from holding government office. The professors are active members of the Federalist Society, the conservative legal group, and proponents of originalism, the method of interpretation that seeks to determine the Constitution's original meaning. The professors -- William Baude of the University of Chicago and Michael Stokes Paulsen of the University of St. Thomas -- studied the question for more than a year and detailed their findings in a long article to be published next year in The University of Pennsylvania Law Review.... [Baude] summarized the article's conclusion: 'Donald Trump cannot be president -- cannot run for president, cannot become president, cannot hold office -- unless two-thirds of Congress decides to grant him amnesty for his conduct on Jan. 6.'
"The provision in question is Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Adopted after the Civil War, it bars those who had taken an oath 'to support the Constitution of the United States' from holding office if they then 'shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.' Congress can remove the prohibition, the provision says, but only by a two-thirds vote in each House.... The [professors'] article concluded that ... 'The bottom line is that Donald Trump both "engaged in" "insurrection or rebellion" and gave "aid or comfort" to others engaging in such conduct, within the original meaning of those terms as employed in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment."
~~~ Marie: If January 6, 2021, was the worst day in modern American history, just wait for December 17, 2024, and January 6, 2025. Election law expert Rick Hasen said on MSNBC that if Donald Trump should be the apparent winner of the 2024 presidential race, Democrats well might rise up and oppose the slates of Electors of every state in which he won the popular vote because, under the Constitution, he is not eligible to hold public office.
Susie Madrak of Crooks & Liars: "Frank Figliuzzi, who was a former assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, talked about the possibility that Trump would have to repay his donors for money collected under false pretenses. Via Newsweek: 'This isn't over yet. When you raise millions based on a fraudulent claim, you've committed a crime. And, you just might have to give those millions back,' Figliuzzi wrote." Madrak characterizes this as the worst possible outcome for Trump among his many legal perils. MB: I still think the worst possible outcome is Trump's getting convicted & sentenced to jail in Georgia, then losing all his appeals. And an elderly fat guy with 24-hour Secret Service protection might have a hard time absconding to Saudi Arabia before the cuffs are snapped shut.
This Is a Surprise. Dan Mangan of CNBC: "The social media company owned by ... Donald Trump in March tipped off the FBI about threats made by a Utah man who was fatally shot Wednesday by FBI agents as they attempted to arrest him for threatening to kill President Joe Biden, NBC News reported. Truth Social notified the FBI after Craig Deleeuw Robertson posted a threat to kill Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr., according to a senior law enforcement official...."
Trump Aide Follows Trump's "Grab 'em by the Pussy" Style. Ryan Randazzo of the Arizona Republic: "A woman says Boris Epshteyn, a special adviser to Donald Trump, repeatedly groped her and her sister inside a Scottsdale nightclub in 2021, according to police body camera footage obtained by The Arizona Republic.... 'Touching her chest, touching her hips, touching her crotch,' the woman told police just before police ordered Epshteyn ... to sit on a nearby curb that was strewn with chewing gum and cigarette butts. Epshteyn was charged with 'assault touching,' 'attempted sexual abuse,' 'harassment-repeated acts' and 'disorderly conduct-disruptive behavior or fighting.' The first three charges were dismissed, but Epshteyn pleaded guilty in Scottsdale City Court to disorderly conduct and served probation. The conviction was set aside by the court in January 2023." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Oh, Lordy, there's a tape. Mediaite has body-cam footage of Boris' arrest. For some reason, Boris really objected to sitting down on the curb, as the police ordered him to do.
Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "Conservative US supreme court justice Clarence Thomas has been condemned for maintaining 'unprecedented' and 'shameless' links to rightwing benefactors, after ProPublica published new details of his acceptance of undeclared gifts including 38 vacations and expensive sports tickets." Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state Democrat and chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, rendered an especially damning verdict. 'Unprecedented. Stunning. Disgusting. The height of hypocrisy to wear the robes of a [supreme court justice] and take undisclosed gifts from billionaires who benefit from your decisions. 38 free vacations. Yachts. Luxury mansions. Skyboxes at events. Resign,' she posted. From the Senate, Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Democratic judiciary committee chair, said: 'The latest ... revelation of unreported lavish gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas makes it clear: these are not merely ethical lapses. This is a shameless lifestyle underwritten for years by a gaggle of fawning billionaires.'"
Presidential Race 2024
Phillip Nieto of Mediaite: "CNN Anchor John King told colleague Dana Bash that speaking to Iowa Republican voters about their opposition to Ukraine was like watching of 'an old Tucker Carlson show.' King sat down with GOP voters in The Hawkeye State and asked them to raise their hands if they support Ukraine in the fight against Vladimir Putin. None of the voters at the table raised their hands. Throughout their conversation with King, the Iowa Republicans claimed they believe the reason the United States and other NATO countries are giving so much support to Ukraine is to cover up Hunter Biden's alleged corruption." MB: The only reason I support Ukraine sovereignty is to keep President Zelensky from spilling the Burisma beans. Those Republican voters really know how to connect the dots: billions in support of Ukraine ... Hunter Biden!
Alabama. Remy Tumin of the New York Times: "Four people have turned themselves in to the police and have been charged with assault in connection with a brawl that broke out along the waterfront in Montgomery, Ala., last weekend, officials said, as the investigation into the racially charged melee continues. The arrests came days after a group of white boaters attacked a Black riverboat cruise captain on Saturday. Warrants for three of the boaters were issued on Tuesday, and the Montgomery police had asked them during a news conference to come forward."
Florida. Chris Geidner, the Law Dork: Ron "DeSantis is implementing the imperial presidency, writ small.... Ron DeSantis ... does not think that local voters' choices need to be respected -- and can be outright ignored -- if their votes result in the election of officeholders whose policy preferences differ from those of Ron DeSantis. On Wednesday, DeSantis made that clear by, for a second time, ignoring the will of the voters and suspending an elected prosecutor from office because he disagrees with their policy choices.... Between the two suspensions, DeSantis has rendered 3.3 million Floridians without their elected choice of prosecutor.... Ron DeSantis does not believe in democracy...."
Marie: This relates to a Comments exchange. It turns out I'm not the only one who can picture DeSantis in a Mickey Mouse cap:
News Lede
AP: "Maui residents who made desperate escapes from oncoming flames, some on foot, asked why Hawaii's famous emergency warning system didn't alert them as fires raced toward their homes. Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens were triggered before a devastating wildfire killed at least 55 people and wiped out a historic town, officials confirmed Thursday. Hawaii boasts what the state describes as the largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning system in the world, with about 400 sirens positioned across the island chain to alert people to various natural disasters and other threats. But many of Lahaina's survivors said in interviews at evacuation centers that they didn't hear any sirens and only realized they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby.' ~~~
~~~ The AP's live updates are here. The New York Times' live updates are here.
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Reader Comments (24)
Muttering about Manchin:
If Manchin were not so tightly tied to fossil fuels--and living in W. Virginia as he does I understand why he is--he might make more sense. As it is, he seldom even pretends to.
Instead, to justify his dance with No Labels (and to get is name back in the news) he posits a Far Left pulling the strings, a hysterical claim in the face of the Biden administration's demonstrably moderate policies. The extremes are on the Right, only one of which is continued support for fossil fuel use come Hell or high water.
And now that I think of it, thanks to fossil fuel use, he and we are getting both.
Manchins' posturing reminds me of the earnest pleasings of Joe Lieberman who was so tightly tied to the medical-industrial complex that he was a major reason our health insurance system, despite the ACA, is still busted.
Independent, my foot! The guys are anything but. They are owned.
August 11 is National Kool Aid Day. But it seems like a lot of
those R's have been drinking it since trump came on the scene.
TESTING FOR VOTERS:
A few days ago I happened to come across a bit from a speech by Vivek Ramaswamy and it curled my hair! Today in the Times Jamelle Bouie's hair not only curled but was set on fire.
"Vivek Ramaswamy is a 38-year-old investor and former pharmaceutical executive who wants to be the Republican nominee for president. He’s not ahead by any means, but he’s doing better than you might expect. If Donald Trump dominates the field and Ron DeSantis is the far runner-up, then Ramaswamy is the candidate poised to rise if the Florida governor falls further behind.
Ramaswamy is “anti-woke,” condemns Juneteenth as a “useless” holiday and says that “diversity is not our strength.” He thinks climate activism is a “cult” and wants to send the military to the border with Mexico. He wants to unravel the so-called deep state, thinks the Trump indictments are politically motivated, and won’t say whether, if he were in Mike Pence’s shoes, he would have refused the former president’s demand to overturn the 2020 election results"
But the clinker is how he wants to change our voting system. Read on and weep:
.https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/11/opinion/vivek-ramaswamy-voting-rights.html
Okay, my attempt to add to the conversation…
By chance, I heard yesterday that the mostly unknown musician/laborer, Sixto Rodriguez, passed away. The award winning documentary about his life , “Searching for Sugarman”, was released in 2012. I was aware of the documentary at the time, but upon learning of his death yesterday, I watched it last night. He lived a hard life in the Detroit area, and was a very talented, accomplished singer. He apparently was mostly unknown in the United States, but was a hero in South Africa among people opposed to apartheid. The lyrics of his songs inspired people to push back against the establishment, and expressed the reality of life for hard laborers. The documentary shined a light on Rodriguez, and resulted in concert tours, including 7 sold out nights in South Africa.
Trailer for documentary: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEaCDxjmPNg)
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/09/arts/music/sixto-rodriguez-dead.html?searchResultPosition=1
Seymour Hersch has been one of my heroes since Vietnam. My problem with the Democratic Party is that once you have eliminated the crazy GOP from voting consideration, all that's left is the party that so far has included Lieberman and Manchin. Hersch is convinced that the US, with the collusion of the Scandanavian countries, blew up the Nord Stream pipelines during the Biden Presidency. In "HAROLD PINTER HAD IT RIGHT," he lays out the baleful consequences of that sabotage for Germany, where the country is facing deindustrialization and unacceptable due to the loss of cheap natural gas.
https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/harold-pinter-had-it-right
The Supreme Grifter
The Supreme Court’s resident recipient of lavish luxury—and illegally undisclosed—vacations (well, one of them), Clarence Thomas, is at it again. Or rather has been at it regularly for a very loooong time.
Thomas once whined that the job of Supreme Court Justice wasn’t worth doing for the money, but it was worth doing for the principle. Principle being dozens and dozens of luxury vacations, 38 counted so far, but that is likely a woeful undercount, paid for by billionaires cozying up to Thomas with the idea of getting favorable treatment by the court, at his behest (which many have).
“At least 38 destination vacations, including a previously unreported voyage on a yacht around the Bahamas; 26 private jet flights, plus an additional eight by helicopter; a dozen VIP passes to professional and college sporting events, typically perched in the skybox; two stays at luxury resorts in Florida and Jamaica; and one standing invitation to an uber-exclusive golf club overlooking the Atlantic coast.”
On several junkets, Thomas and Our Lady of Government Overthrow, Ginni, were fetched off to billionaire heaven in a 737 sent by one of their many benefactors.
This latest Pro Publica investigation shows Thomas, In addition to enjoying the fruits of grifting on a galactic scale, assisting wealthy right-wing organizations by throwing fundraising galas at the FUCKING SUPREME COURT itself.
Can little Johnny Roberts really say he had no idea any of this was happening?
It’s a hair raising piece, but we all know nothing will be done about it. Thomas is the go-to guy for wealthy wingers. It’s well known that he can be bought. Just fly him and his grifting wife to Jamaica for a few weeks, and all will be well. Thomas is the guy the traitors looked to in their attempt to install Herr Drumpf against the wishes of American voters. A recent memo attests to the schemers’ belief that if they could let Clarence know what they needed, he would be happy to help out. After all, his wife was buddies with traitor John Eastman.
This is worse than banana republic crap. At least in those countries no one hides the corruption. But here, the court itself, the Chief Justice! sez nothing to see here, and the right-wing media echo chamber characterizes the investigations into the grifting by Thomas and King Alito as unfair attempts by evil liberals to sully the Nazi court’s good name.
Sorry, douchebags, that name has been plunged into the toilet long ago. We’re just now finding out how much excrement covers it.
As the article concludes, with Thomas (and Alito), it’s pay to play.
AK, I beg to differ about Thomas. You pointed out that Thomas once said that the SC doesn't pay well enough, so my theory is that through the years he has threatened to hold out like Nick Bosa or Le'Veon Bell unless someone meets his price. "Listening to those broads can drive a man crazy, and the locker room doesn't even have quality shampoo." Knowing that Thomas can be counted on to defend unregulated capitalism, sexism, and racism, those who appreciate his point of view merely have to make sure that he doesn't retire early.
As for the Dread Justice Roberts, I have never trusted his perpetual innocent look. The forces that have crippled unions and created an unprecedented gap between worker wages and top exec pay need harmless-looking frontmen to hide their perfidy. We can't blame Citizens United on Thomas or Alito, although Scalia helped, and we can't blame the continued assault on the actual wording of the Second Amendment on a Justice's vacations. Nor can we credit America's Guest with Roberts's proclamation that racism no longer exists across the land. Think of the trips and tickets and good champagne as the sort of perks that don't have to be reported under the salary cap.
The "How was your time off?" sounds much more exciting at the Supreme Court. I'm sure we all have had the problem of clarifying whether we were talking about the same super yacht trip as we mentioned last week /s.
You know Alito and Thomas have been comparing the $ize$ of their luxury packages.
@ ForrestMorris As for National Koolaid day, was 18 November already taken? I've heard that a cheap local substitute was actually used, but Koolaid has become a generic term for sweet sugary drinks.
@Bobby Lee: Yes, November 18 is Mickey Mouse Day.
Wonder how DeSantis will celebrate that one.
AK: this stood out after reading that long piece you posted.
[David] ".Sokol, who has written extensively about American exceptionalism and the virtues of free enterprise, minimized slavery and systemic racism, some felt. He then criticized President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, arguing Biden had overstepped the government’s authority, according to a recording of the speech obtained by ProPublica.
“It’s going to get overturned by the Supreme Court,” Sokol predicted, echoing a common legal commentary.
He was right. This summer, the court struck down Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. Thomas voted in the majority."
@P.D.Pepe: Yeah, it's way easier to "predict" how the Supreme Court will rule if you can just call up your new friend Clarence and ask him.
@Forrest Morris: Really funny, your wondering how DeSantolini will celebrate National Mickey Mouse Day. On the other hand, it is so easy to imagine him wearing a cap with big mouse ears. It seems so fitting. If there's any justice, and Disney wins the dueling lawsuits filed by Florida & Disney, I hope one of the conditions of the settlement is that DeSantis has to wear a Mickey Mouse cap for a week.
Jack,
Your comparison of Thomas the Grifter with holdouts like Bosa and Bell (where is Bell today? Palookaville.) is apt. All three were under contract, meaning they signed on the dotted line and agreed to do X for a payment of Y. Then they said “Sorry. I’m not a man of my word. My signature means nothing. Gimme more.”
I was thinking (but didn’t say so) that when Thomas cried poor mouth it was a not very veiled invitation to the money men who’d love to have influence over Court decisions, or at the very least get “insider trading” tips from a guy on the inside as to what might be coming down the pike, cases coming before the Court, and how they might be handled.
So even though he signed a contract, with the Court and the American people to administer the law without prejudice or favor, and he agreed to do it for the going rate (almost a quarter million a year, plus benefits), he sent up a flare to signal the deep pocket guys that for a significant bump in his “contract”, he’d be happy to make their principles his own.
Maybe, like Le Veon Bell, he’ll one day find himself out of a job considering a career as some cut rate palooka. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. Bell could run the ball, but Thomas helped killed reproductive rights without breaking a sweat.
Marie wrote:
“I hope one of the conditions of the settlement [with Disney] is that DeSantis has to wear a Mickey Mouse cap for a week.”
I’d add “…and in all televised presidential debates”.
“The next question is for you Governor Mickey, er, I mean DeSantis. And here it is…is Goofy a man or a dog? He looks like a dog but he wears pants and drives a car. You have two minutes.”
And while we’re on the subject of holding out for more…
Joe Manchin. I don’t actually see him running for President, he knows that’s a loser’s roll. But he, along with the RFK, Jr. and Cornel West, could siphon off enough votes from Biden to hand the presidency (along with plenty of voter intimidation and R finagling) to the Orange Monster.
But here’s the thing. Trump won’t be repaying such efforts on his part. Manchin will get the back of his hand. He stands to get more by blackmailing Biden and the Democrats. And by going independent (independent, my ass), he can make himself the decider in close votes, an ersatz Vice President, if you will.
I hold out very little hope for this next idea because Democrats, when woken up with the house on fire, say “Call the fire department” and go back to sleep. But were they on top of things, they’d pull out all the stops to rack up at least two or three more senate seats. Then they can tell Manchin to tell his story walkin’.
When I was growing up (somewhat) Mickey Mouse has a long, long
tail.
About 50 or so years ago, he became 'woke' and got rid of the tail.
No more tail for DeSantis.
@ForrestMorris: There may be no more tail on/for Mickey but meanwhile DeSantis is telling loads of tales about the value of slavery to the enslaved. Funny nothing is mentioned about the value added to the wealth of the enslavers.
Who are the real parents of Huey, Dewey and Louie? They call Mickey Mouse "Unca Mickey". What do they call Minnie? And, if a talking mouse has no tail, is it a mouse? And why wear gloves but no pants?
So many questions.
But, we know this, sure as god made green apples -- Rhonda Santis is way over his head in quicksand.
@Patrick: Huey, Dewey and Louie are the triplet sons of Donald's
sister, Della. Della was married to Mr. Duck.
Guess they ran out of names when they got to Mr. Duck.
P.S. There's a company in Indiana that ships precooked, roasted
half ducks. They're really good. Just reheat and serve.
I see the appt. of a special prosecutor for the Hunter Biden investigation as a case of put up or shut up moments for the R's.
So far, the R's have been unable to back up their Hunter accusations with any solid evidence. Granted, Hunter hardly meets high standards of conduct, which places him firmly in the same world as many so called "businessmen," including those who think they are "smart" to avoid paying taxes...
I suspect the R's won't like this move insofar as it blunts their cries of Biden influence peddling and corruption. If a special counsel appointed by Republicans, who has already investigated Hunter for four years can't find more dirt than an illegal gun purchase and late tax payment, oh, what will those blowhards do?
Blow harder, I guess. Certainly not hand over evidence uncovered to the special prosecutor as the House Jan. 6 committee eventually did.
The nothing burger special being served up on a regular basis by the GQP Regarding their Inspector Clouseau investigations of Hunter Biden, with blockbuster “evidence” and star witnesses disappearing as they are revealed to be secret agents for China reminds me of Monty Python’s famous Cheese Shop sketch wherein a customer looking to purchase cheese is stymied at every turn.
If you replace the requests for various cheeses with requests for evidence of the Hunter and Joe Biden crime family, and substitute Jim Comer for Wensleydale, the cheese shop owner, you’ll see what I mean (slightly edited for length):
Customer: Now then, some cheese please, my good man.
Wenslydale: (lustily) Certainly, sir. What would you like?
Customer: Well, eh, how about a little red Leicester.
Wenslydale: I'm, afraid we're fresh out of red Leicester, sir.
Customer: Oh, never mind, how are you on Tilsit?
Wenslydale: I'm afraid we never have that at the end of the week, sir, we get it fresh on Monday.
Customer: Tish tish. No matter. Well, stout yeoman, four ounces of Caerphilly, if you please.
Wenslydale: Ah! It's beeeen on order, sir, for two weeks. Was expecting it this morning.
Customer: 'T's Not my lucky day, is it? Aah, Bel Paese?
Wenslydale: Sorry, sir.
Customer: Red Windsor?
Wenslydale: Normally, sir, yes. Today the van broke down.
Customer: Ah. Stilton?
Wenslydale: Sorry.
Customer: Ementhal? Gruyere?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Any Norweigan Jarlsburg, per chance.
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Lipta?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Lancashire?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: White Stilton?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Danish Brew?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Double Goucester?
Wenslydale: (pause) No.
Customer: Cheshire?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Dorset Bluveny?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Brie, Roquefort, Pol le Veq, Port Salut, Savoy Aire, Saint Paulin, Carrier de lest, Bres Bleu, Bruson?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Camenbert, perhaps?
Wenslydale: Ah! We have Camenbert, yessir.
Customer: (surprised) You do! Excellent.
Wenslydale: Yessir. It's..ah,.....it's a bit runny...
Customer: Oh, I like it runny.
Wenslydale: Well,.. It's very runny, actually, sir.
Customer: No matter. Fetch hither the fromage de la Belle France! Mmmwah!
Wenslydale: I...think it's a bit runnier than you'll like it, sir.
Customer: I don't care how fucking runny it is. Hand it over with all speed.
Wenslydale: Oooooooooohhh........! (pause)
Customer: What now?
Wenslydale: The cat's eaten it.
Customer: Gouda?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Edam?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Case Ness?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Smoked Austrian?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Japanese Sage Darby?
Wenslydale: No, sir.
Customer: You...do *have* some cheese, don't you?
Wenslydale: (brightly) Of course, sir. It's a cheese shop, sir. We've got--
Customer: No no... don't tell me. I'm keen to guess.
Customer: Danish Bimbo,
Wenslydale: no
Customer: Czech sheep's milk,
Wenslydale: no
Customer: Venezuelan Beaver Cheese?
Wenslydale: Not *today*, sir, no.
Customer: Have you in fact got any cheese here at all.
Wenslydale: Yessir.
Customer: Really?
(pause)
Wenslydale: No. Not really, sir.
Customer: You haven't.
Wenslydale: No sir. Not a scrap. I was deliberately wasting your time, sir.
Customer: Well I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to shoot you.
Wenslydale: Right-o, sir.
The customer takes out a gun and shoots the owner.
Too bad we can’t expect the same outcome at Mr. Comer’s Evidence Shop.
Oh, and by the way, there is no such thing as Venezuelan Beaver Cheese, although with a name like that, I think there should be. There is such a thing as sage derby, but a Japanese variety? Dunno.
Anyway, should you wish to see the original Monty sketch, the video is here.
The nothing burger special being served up on a regular basis by the GQP Regarding their Inspector Clouseau investigations of Hunter Biden, with blockbuster “evidence” and star witnesses disappearing as they are revealed to be secret agents for China reminds me of Monty Python’s famous Cheese Shop sketch wherein a customer looking to purchase cheese is stymied at every turn.
If you replace the requests for various cheeses with requests for evidence of the Hunter and Joe Biden crime family, and substitute Jim Comer for Wensleydale, the cheese shop owner, you’ll see what I mean (slightly edited for length):
Customer: Now then, some cheese please, my good man.
Wenslydale: (lustily) Certainly, sir. What would you like?
Customer: Well, eh, how about a little red Leicester.
Wenslydale: I'm, afraid we're fresh out of red Leicester, sir.
Customer: Oh, never mind, how are you on Tilsit?
Wenslydale: I'm afraid we never have that at the end of the week, sir, we get it fresh on Monday.
Customer: Tish tish. No matter. Well, stout yeoman, four ounces of Caerphilly, if you please.
Wenslydale: Ah! It's beeeen on order, sir, for two weeks. Was expecting it this morning.
Customer: 'T's Not my lucky day, is it? Aah, Bel Paese?
Wenslydale: Sorry, sir.
Customer: Red Windsor?
Wenslydale: Normally, sir, yes. Today the van broke down.
Customer: Ah. Stilton?
Wenslydale: Sorry.
Customer: Ementhal? Gruyere?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Any Norweigan Jarlsburg, per chance.
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Lipta?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Lancashire?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: White Stilton?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Danish Brew?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Double Goucester?
Wenslydale: (pause) No.
Customer: Cheshire?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Dorset Bluveny?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Brie, Roquefort, Pol le Veq, Port Salut, Savoy Aire, Saint Paulin, Carrier de lest, Bres Bleu, Bruson?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Camenbert, perhaps?
Wenslydale: Ah! We have Camenbert, yessir.
Customer: (surprised) You do! Excellent.
Wenslydale: Yessir. It's..ah,.....it's a bit runny...
Customer: Oh, I like it runny.
Wenslydale: Well,.. It's very runny, actually, sir.
Customer: No matter. Fetch hither the fromage de la Belle France! Mmmwah!
Wenslydale: I...think it's a bit runnier than you'll like it, sir.
Customer: I don't care how fucking runny it is. Hand it over with all speed.
Wenslydale: Oooooooooohhh........! (pause)
Customer: What now?
Wenslydale: The cat's eaten it.
Customer: Gouda?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Edam?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Case Ness?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Smoked Austrian?
Wenslydale: No.
Customer: Japanese Sage Darby?
Wenslydale: No, sir.
Customer: You...do *have* some cheese, don't you?
Wenslydale: (brightly) Of course, sir. It's a cheese shop, sir. We've got--
Customer: No no... don't tell me. I'm keen to guess.
Customer: Danish Bimbo,
Wenslydale: no
Customer: Czech sheep's milk,
Wenslydale: no
Customer: Venezuelan Beaver Cheese?
Wenslydale: Not *today*, sir, no.
Customer: Have you in fact got any cheese here at all.
Wenslydale: Yessir.
Customer: Really?
(pause)
Wenslydale: No. Not really, sir.
Customer: You haven't.
Wenslydale: No sir. Not a scrap. I was deliberately wasting your time, sir.
Customer: Well I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to shoot you.
Wenslydale: Right-o, sir.
The customer takes out a gun and shoots the owner.
Too bad we can’t expect the same outcome at Mr. Comer’s Evidence Shop.
Oh, and by the way, there is no such thing as Venezuelan Beaver Cheese, although with a name like that, I think there should be. There is such a thing as sage derby, but a Japanese variety? Dunno.
Anyway, should you wish to see the original Monty sketch, the video is here.
Yo, Forrest Morris: I used to knock myself out in the kitchen, but after my husband died, I pretty much quit cooking. Occasionally, however, I'll buy a couple of frozen duck breasts at the local market (they're available in most supermarkets -- if you can't find them, ask the butcher and they might special-order them for you).
Roast them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. (Check an online recipe for recommended oven temp & seasoning; I forget what I usually do here.)
Then, while the breasts are roasting, knock yourself out making a very fancy sauce for the duck: throw a little of whatever kind of preserves you have in the fridge into a small saucepan & add a bit of whatever kind of wine you have handy to thin out the preserves. Heat on low-ish temp & stir a little. Takes maybe 2 minutes. When the breasts come out of the oven, slice them thin, arrange them on dinner plates & pour the sauce over them. Delicious, lean & could hardly be easier or much quicker.
My mother was not interested in the culinary arts, and after awhile I noticed that the Burns Family Recipe for Every Entree was -- turn on the oven and put it in. The duck breast recipe is only a slight variation of the standard Burns Family Recipe. And it's hard to screw up.