The Wires
powered by Surfing Waves
Help!

To keep the Conversation going, please help me by linking news articles, opinion pieces and other political content in today's Comments section.

Link Code:   <a href="URL">text</a>

OR here's a link generator. The one I had posted died, then Akhilleus found one, but it too bit the dust. He found yet another, which I've linked here, and as of September 23, 2024, it's working.

OR you can always just block, copy and paste to your comment the URL (Web address) of the page you want to link.

Note for Readers. It is not possible for commenters to "throw" their highlighted links to another window. But you can do that yourself. Right-click on the link and a drop-down box will give you choices as to where you want to open the link: in a new tab, new window or new private window.

Thank you to everyone who has been contributing links to articles & other content in the Comments section of each day's "Conversation." If you're missing the comments, you're missing some vital links.

The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

Contact Marie

Click on this link to e-mail Marie.

Page Links

Constant Comments

A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. -- Edward R. Murrow

Publisher & Editor: Marie Burns


Sunday
Oct012023

The Conversation -- October 2, 2023

Catie Edmonson of the New York Times: "Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida moved on Monday to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his post in an act of vengeance that posed the clearest threat yet to Mr. McCarthy's tenure and could plunge the House into chaos. After days of warnings, Mr. Gaetz rose Monday evening to bring up a resolution declaring the speakership vacant, which starts a process that would force a vote within days on whether to keep Mr. McCarthy in his post. In doing so, Mr. Gaetz sought to subject Mr. McCarthy to a rare form of political punishment experienced by only two other speakers in the history of the House of Representatives." ~~~

     ~~~ Olivia Beavers & Jordain Carney of Politico: "It's far from clear that Gaetz has the votes to depose McCarthy, as the Floridian himself acknowledged to reporters after making his move. Only three colleagues, Reps. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Bob Good (R-Va.), are openly supportive of his effort. But a handful of other House Republicans frustrated with the speaker are seen as persuadable on the matter of his future."

The New York Times is liveblogging the civil trial of Donald Trump. So far we know Trump was 9 minutes late for court because he was busy standing out front and telling reporters that Judge Arthur Erdogan was a "rogue judge, New York AG Letitia James was a racist, and calling the trial "a sham and a scam." ~~~

~~~ Susanne Craig: "As soon as the cameras [in the courtroom] were in front of Trump, he clenched his jaw and cocked his head up and to the side. His face looked like the mug shot that resulted after his arrest in Atlanta." MB: Clearly, he thinks this is what tough guys look like. ~~~

~~~ Jonah Bromwich: "Speaking to television cameras during the break, Trump calls for Justice Engoron to be disbarred. 'This is a judge that should be out of office,' he said. 'This is a judge that some people say could be charged criminally for what he's doing.'"

     ~~~ CNN's liveblog is here: Judge Arthur Engoron "has denied media outlets' request to allow a camera in the courtroom for opening statements." The judge did allow cameras in the courtroom for a few minutes before the proceedings started.

Colleen Long of the AP: "Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview that aired Sunday that he would resign if asked by President Joe Biden to take action against Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. But he doesn't think he'll be put in that position. 'I am sure that that will not happen, but I would not do anything in that regard,' he said on CBS '60 Minutes.' 'And if necessary, I would resign. But there is no sense that anything like that will happen.'... Garland said the president has never tried to meddle in the investigations, and he dismissed criticism from Republicans that he was going easy on the president's son, Hunter, who was recently indicted on a gun charge after a plea deal in his tax case fell apart."

Zach Schonfeld of the Hill: "The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a long-shot bid to disqualify former President Trump from running for office under the 14th Amendment. John Castro, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, has filed various lawsuits seeking to challenge Trump's eligibility under the amendment's provision targeting those involved in insurrections. In a brief, unsigned order issued Monday, the justices declined to take up one of his cases after Castro lost in a lower court."

Justice Thomas Recuses! Rebecca Beitsch of the Hill: "The Supreme Court on Monday denied an effort by lawyerJohn Eastman >to appeal a ruling that found he may have acted criminally with the legal advice he gave former President Trump. It spurred a rare recusal from Justice Clarence Thomas, whose wife corresponded with the California attorney in the weeks ahead of Jan. 6. Thomas's recusal comes after reporting that his wife, Ginni Thomas, emailed Eastman, as well as Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and Arizona lawmakers wrestling with pressure from the Trump campaign, to look for ways to reverse the election. The episode ... triggered a renewed look at Thomas's failure to recuse himself from other matters relating to Jan. 6. His actions have further come under the microscope following reporting he accepted a series of lavish gifts from a Republican megadonor. The order says that Thomas 'took no part in the consideration' of Eastman's petition."

Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "Former President Trump said Sunday that Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) should be jailed for the 'egregious act' of pulling the fire alarm Saturday ahead of the House's vote on a stopgap measure to keep the government open past the midnight deadline. 'Will Congressman Jamal Bowman be prosecuted and imprisoned for very dangerously pulling and setting off the main fire alarm system in order to stop a Congressional vote that was going on in D.C.,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday. 'His egregious act is covered on tape, a horrible display of nerve and criminality.'" MB: Yeah but attempting to lead and carry out an insurrection in which dozens of police personnel are injured is fine and jailing the perps is a violation of their First Amendment rights.

~~~~~~~~~~

** Maeve Reston & Tyler Pager of the Washington Post: "California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office confirmed late Sunday that he plans to appoint Emily's List president Laphonza Butler to fill the seat held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died last week at age 90. The interim appointment will extend until at least November 2024. Feinstein had planned to step down at the end of her term, in January 2025. Three of California's top Democrats -- Reps. Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam B. Schiff -- are in a contentious three-way primary contest for that seat, in what is likely to be the most expensive congressional contest in the nation next year. The appointment helps Democrats hold onto their narrow margin of control of the Senate." After Newsom promised to choose a Black woman for the position should it become necessary to replace Feinstein, liberal groups pressured him to appoint Lee, but he indicated recently that he would not choose anyone who was currently running for the seat. Butler is Black. Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: And here I was hoping Meghan Markle would get the nod. (Do we call you Senator or do we call you Duchess? Is a curtsy appropriate? What does the new Senate dress code say about wearing tiaras to work? ~~~

~~~ Hillary Clinton, in a Washington Post op-ed: Dianne "Feinstein, who passed away on Thursday evening, was a giant of the Senate. She was brave, honorable, honest and unafraid to do what was right for her constituents and her country. We both came to Washington in 1993, I as first lady and Dianne as senator. When she used her first floor speech to support the Family and Medical Leave Act, I knew I had found a kindred spirit. When I joined Dianne in the small sisterhood of Senate women eight years later, I gained an appreciation for her blend of principle and pragmatism. In an institution known for show horses, she was a workhorse. Perhaps because she had been a mayor, she believed in delivering results not rhetoric -- and that's what she did.... The United States needs leaders willing to respond to attacks on the rule of law with the same fearlessness that Dianne showed when she exposed unlawful 'enhanced interrogation techniques.'"

Kevin Freking & Colleen Long of the AP: "President Joe Biden said Sunday that American aid to Ukraine will keep flowing for now as he sought to reassure allies of continued U.S. financial support for the war effort. But time is running out, the president said in a warning to Congress. 'We cannot under any circumstances allow America's support for Ukraine to be interrupted,' Biden said in remarks from the Roosevelt Room after Congress averted a government shutdown by passing a short-term funding package late Saturday that dropped assistance for Ukraine in the battle against Russia. 'We have time, not much time, and there's an overwhelming sense of urgency,' he said, noting that the funding bill lasts only until mid-November. Biden urged Congress to negotiate an aid package as soon as possible.... 'Stop playing games, get this done.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the text of the President's speech, as delivered, via the White House.

Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Sunday said he will push to unseat House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) this week, vowing to make good on his threat after McCarthy backed a measure to prevent a government shutdown a day earlier that won broad bipartisan support. 'I do intend to file a motion to vacate against Speaker McCarthy this week,' Gaetz told CNN 'State of the Union' anchor Jake Tapper. 'I think we need to rip off the band-aid. I think we need to move on with leadership that's trustworthy.'" The New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ David Edwards of the Raw Story: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said he would not get involved in the possible push to expel Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) from Congress. A Republican in the House of Representatives told Fox News that caucus members could move to expel Gaetz over an ethics complaint after he tried to force a government shutdown. 'No one can stand him at this point. A smart guy without morals,' the unnamed Republican lawmaker reportedly said."

The Supremes Are Back. Adam Liptak & Abbie VanSickle of the New York Times: "When the Supreme Court returns to the bench on Monday, it will face a docket filled with unfinished business. The justices will revisit issues like gun rights, government power, race and free speech even as they are shadowed by intense scrutiny of their conduct off the bench. In the coming months, moreover, the court will very likely agree to hear a major abortion case, one that could severely limit the availability of a drug used in more than half of all pregnancy terminations. A decision in that case could come in June, two years after the court overturned Roe v. Wade.... The coming term could also take large strides toward achieving a long-sought goal of the conservative legal movement: stripping administrative agencies of the power to regulate.... Recent history suggests that the court's six Republican appointees will continue to move the law to the right.... If liberals achieve some victories..., those may come because litigants and lower courts had staked out positions too extreme for even a fundamentally conservative Supreme Court.... The main questions are how far, how fast and what impact the questions swirling around the justices' ethical standards will have on their judicial work and personal relationships." ~~~

     ~~~ Robert Barnes & Ann Marimow of the Washington Post concentrate on the Supremes' ethics challenges and the resulting low esteem in which the public holds the Court. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I seriously want to see Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan & Sonia Sotomayor lip-synching "Stop in the Name of Love." They should definitely wear their robes & practice their choreography. Somebody has got to put the Supremes back in the Supremes. And it definitely won't be the Dancing Alitos, who are more into 16th-century ecclesiastical excesses than R&B and doo-wop.

The Apprentice Sorcerer. Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "After decades of exaggerating [his wealth] with impunity, [Donald] Trump will go on trial Monday, facing a lawsuit that accuses him of inflating his riches by billions of dollars and crossing the line into fraud.... The trial will determine how much he and his adult sons exaggerated that wealth and what the ultimate consequences will be.... It will be an avidly scrutinized spectacle that will lift the curtain on Mr. Trump's reputation as a businessman, a core piece of his identity.... Mr. Trump, who has denied wrongdoing, is expected to attend the opening day of the trial and eventually will be called to testify." The Guardian's story is here.

Mary Jordan of the Washington Post: President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter's "drive through downtown Plains[, Georgia, last weekend during the annual peanut festival] was just the latest surprise from Carter, who has already lived longer than any other former president.... The waves of applause only stopped when a 'Happy Birthday' serenade began.... On Sunday, Carter plans to have a low-key birthday with Rosalynn at the Plains home they built in 1961 and where they spend most days sitting together.... But even for a life marked by the unexpected, Carter's appearance last weekend stunned many. In February, doctors told Carter's family he would likely not live more than a week.... In 2015, after doctors told him his melanoma had spread to his brain and liver, a usually fatal condition, Carter seemed unfazed."

Jason Wilson in the Guardian: The rightwing Claremont Institute is a thinktank behind a movement of far-right extremists who argue that the only way to get the U.S. back to the country the founders envisioned is to install an authoritarian leader who would quash the "cosmopolitan class that includes much of the entrenched bureaucracy, the military, the media, and government-sponsored corporations.&" The movement is called "Caesarism" or "Red Caesarism." MB: IOW, this is the Trumpists' idea of putting an intellectual gloss on fascism. If the Claremont Institute sounds familiar, you may be thinking of its prominent "scholar" John Eastman, who is now under indictment in Georgia for providing Donald Trump with a theoretical "legal" framework for overturning the federal government. As Molly Ivins might say, it sounds better in the original German: the German word for "Caesar" is "Kaiser."

Presidential Race 2024

Brian Klaas: "The 'Banality of Crazy' has warped American politics, as few voters recognize just how deranged, delusional, and dangerous Donald Trump is ... because the press rarely reports on his routine insanity.... One of [the] two [leading presidential] candidates faces relentless newspaper columns and TV pundit 'takes' arguing that he should drop out of the race. (Spoiler alert: it's somehow *not* the racist authoritarian sexual abuse fraudster facing 91 felony charges).... How is it possible that the leading candidate to become president of the United States can float the prospect of executing a general and the media response is ... crickets? How is it possible that it's not front page news when a man who soon may return to power calls for law enforcement to kill people for minor crimes? And why do so few people question Trump's mental acuity rather than [President] Biden's, when Trump proposes delusional, unhinged plans for forest management and warns his supporters that Biden is going to lead us into World War II (which would require a time machine), or wrongly claims that he defeated Barack Obama in 2016.... We need to amplify Trumps vile rhetoric more, because it will turn persuadable voters off to his cruel message." ~~~

     ~~~ Thanks to RAS for the link.

Conservative New York Times columnist David French argues that the Christian nationalists who back Donald Trump do so from an emotional or spiritual viewpoint and a sense of fellowship with other Trumpists, rather than from any philosophical or theological position. They rely more on their various prophecies, messages they receive directly from the Holy Spirit, and conspiracy theories. They believe that by supporting Trump, they are playing a part in God's divine plan.

~~~~~~~~~~

Slovakia. Ladka Bauerova, et al., of the Washington Post: "The party of pro-Russian populist Robert Fico has won Slovakia's parliamentary election, nearly complete results showed Sunday, dealing a potential blow to European unity on support for Ukraine.... The results mean the country is headed for a coalition government, with neither of the largest two parties winning enough support to command a parliamentary majority. If Fico's Smer leads that coalition, it could reverse Slovakia's strong support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion."

News Lede

New York Times: "Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman, who together identified a chemical tweak to messenger RNA that laid the foundation for vaccines against Covid-19 that have since been administered billions of times globally, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday. Their discovery 'fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system,' the panel that awarded the prize said, adding that the work 'contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times.'" The Guardian's report is here.

Comments Off
Sunday
Oct012023

The Conversation -- October 1, 2023

Miranda Nazzaro of the Hill: "Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Sunday said he will push to unseat House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) this week, vowing to make good on his threat after McCarthy backed a measure to prevent a government shutdown a day earlier that won broad bipartisan support. 'I do intend to file a motion to vacate against Speaker McCarthy this week,' Gaetz told CNN 'State of the Union' anchor Jake Tapper. 'I think we need to rip off the band-aid. I think we need to move on with leadership that's trustworthy.'" The New York Times story is here.

Mary Jordan of the Washington Post: President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter's "drive through downtown Plains[, Georgia, last weekend during the annual peanut festival] was just the latest surprise from Carter, who has already lived longer than any other former president.... The waves of applause only stopped when a 'Happy Birthday' serenade began.... On Sunday, Carter plans to have a low-key birthday with Rosalynn at the Plains home they built in 1961 and where they spend most days sitting together.... But even for a life marked by the unexpected, Carter's appearance last weekend stunned many. In February, doctors told Carter's family he would likely not live more than a week.... In 2015, after doctors told him his melanoma had spread to his brain and liver, a usually fatal condition, Carter seemed unfazed."

Conservative New York Times columnist David French argues that the Christian nationalists who back Donald Trump do so from an emotional or spiritual viewpoint and a sense of fellowship with other Trumpists, rather than from any philosophical or theological position. They rely more on their various prophecies, messages they receive directly from the Holy Spirit, and conspiracy theories. They believe that by supporting Trump, they are playing a part in God's divine plan.

~~~~~~~~~~

No Way to Run a Government. Carl Hulse & Catie Edmonson of the New York Times: "Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown on Saturday as the House, in a stunning turnabout, approved a stopgap plan to keep the federal government open until mid-November. After Senate passage, President Biden signed the bill shortly before midnight.... A coalition of House Democrats and Republicans voted to pass a plan that would keep money flowing to government agencies and provide billions of dollars for disaster recovery efforts.... The measure was approved on a vote of 335 to 91, with 209 Democrats and 126 Republicans voting in favor and 90 Republicans and one Democrat in opposition.... The House adjourned immediately after the vote, leaving the Senate to either take up the legislation or face blame for a shutdown, since there was no way for the House to consider additional legislation before Monday. With little alternative, and Senate Republicans clamoring for the House bill, the Senate jettisoned its own stopgap measure that contained $6 billion for Ukraine and approved the House version on an 88 to 9 vote.... In a statement after Senate passage of the bill, Mr. Biden called it 'good news for the American people.' He added, 'I fully expect the speaker will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.'" (Also linked yesterday.) The AP's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden's statement is here. ~~~

~~~ Sarah Ferris, et al., of Politico: "After the vote, McCarthy all but taunted his critics to come after his gavel if they wanted to. And their first chance to do that will be Monday night. Multiple House conservatives confirmed in interviews they will begin seriously mulling whether they will try to seize McCarthy's gavel in the coming days.... 'You can't form a coalition of more Democrats than you have Republicans who you're supposed to be the leader of, and not think that there's going to be serious, serious fallout,' Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) said." ~~~

~~~ Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "Let's have two cheers for the embattled speaker. He did the right thing -- after he had exhausted all other options. After bumbling into another manufactured crisis, he turned to Democrats to bail him out, just as he had done on the debt ceiling.... Eight months late and hours before a shutdown, McCarthy came up with a plan. It could hardly have been handled any worse. Asked before the [final] vote whether he had any support from the wingnuts in his caucus, [Kevin] McCarthy laughed. 'No,' he said. 'Look, I had tried that for eight months.'... In private caucus meetings in the Capitol basement, Republicans shouted at and cursed each other. In public, they called each other names: 'charlatan' and 'joke' were added to an epithet repository that already included 'lunatics,' 'pathetic,' 'weak' and 'clowns.'"

~~~ Oops, False Alarm! Kayla Guo & Gaya Gupta of the New York Times: "Representative Jamaal Bowman, Democrat of New York, pulled a fire alarm in the House Cannon office building on Saturday as his party was trying to delay a vote on a stopgap spending bill, prompting an evacuation of the building and investigations by the Capitol Police and the House Administration Committee. The alarm was triggered at the same time that House Democrats at the Capitol were stalling a vote on a spending measure to keep the government operating for another 45 days. Speaker Kevin McCarthy had unveiled the bill just minutes earlier, and Democrats were scrambling to read the bill and determine whether to support it.... In a statement released Saturday night, Mr. Bowman said that he had not pulled the alarm to delay the vote, as some Republicans had presumed. He said that as he was rushing to the Capitol to cast a vote, he came to a door in the Cannon building that would not open. 'I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door. I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused,' Mr. Bowman said." ~~~

     ~~~ Ginger Gibson & Rebecca Kaplan of NBC News: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called for Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., to be punished after he pulled a fire alarm in a Capitol office building on Saturday, comparing it to the Jan 6 rioters who attacked the building. 'When you think about how other people were treated when they come in and wanted to change the course of what was happening in the building,' McCarthy said." MB: Yeah, Bowman definitely should be locked up in the D.C. jail. Maybe MTG will lead a protest because of the jail's appalling conditions and Trump will sing a song with Bowman.

** Maureen Dowd of the New York Times remembers Dianne Feinstein. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: I didn't do a great job of creating the clip below, but you'll get the gist of it. It features Dianne Feinstein during Senate debate on the assault weapons ban in 1993, wiping the Senate floor with Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) (a/k/a Sen. Widestance). Especially if you're a woman, you'll love how Sen. Widestance disdainfully lets the little lady know how superior his Male Wisdom is to her Girly Ignorance:

     ~~~ If you're a young woman, you may not fully appreciate that this is the condescending way in which the majority of men treated women in 1993 (although some men didn't even feign courtesy). Hug your mother and tell her you're sorry about what she had to endure.

About That Silly Due-Process Thing. Tommy Christopher of Mediaite: "A pro-Trump crowd went wild when ex-President Donald Trump promised he would send federal law enforcement to cities with orders to shoot shoplifters as they exit stores. Trump gave a speech to the California GOP convention in Anaheim, CA Friday night that was chock full of outrageous moments, including ridiculing the attack on Paul Pelosi that was committed by a Trump supporter to appreciative laughter."

Annals of Journalism, Ctd. Alicia Menendez of MSNBC hit the right note.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kansas. Orlando Mayorquin of the New York Times: "The police chief of Marion, Kansas, was suspended on Thursday, more than a month after he ordered raids on the office of a local newspaper and the home of its publisher in an act rarely seen in American journalism, one that was widely condemned by news organizations as a violation of the First Amendment. Mayor David Mayfield suspended the chief, Gideon Cody, indefinitely, according to ... the city's administrator..., [who] did not a provide a reason for the chief's suspension, and it was not immediately clear whether the chief was suspended with pay. City leaders have faced questions about Chief Cody's hiring in the aftermath of the raids and after The Kansas City Star reported that the chief had left his previous job at the Kansas City Police Department following accusations that he had made sexist and insulting comments."

Comments Off
Saturday
Sep302023

The Conversation -- September 30, 2023

No Way to Run a Government. Carl Hulse & Catie Edmonson of the New York Times: "Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown on Saturday as the House, in a stunning turnabout, approved a stopgap plan to keep the federal government open until mid-November. After Senate passage, President Biden signed the bill shortly before midnight.... A coalition of House Democrats and Republicans voted to pass a plan that would keep money flowing to government agencies and provide billions of dollars for disaster recovery efforts.... The measure was approved on a vote of 335 to 91, with 209 Democrats and 126 Republicans voting in favor and 90 Republicans and one Democrat in opposition.... The House adjourned immediately after the vote, leaving the Senate to either take up the legislation or face blame for a shutdown, since there was no way for the House to consider additional legislation before Monday. With little alternative, and Senate Republicans clamoring for the House bill, the Senate jettisoned its own stopgap measure that contained $6 billion for Ukraine and approved the House version on an 88 to 9 vote.... In a statement after Senate passage of the bill, Mr. Biden called it 'good news for the American people.' He added, 'I fully expect the speaker will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.'"

~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the GOP-engineered government shutdown crisis: Here's the latest at about 12:30 pm ET Saturday: "With their own members standing in the way of a stopgap measure to keep federal funding flowing, House Republican leaders did what they have been avoiding for weeks, turning to Democrats for help passing a temporary bill. At midday on Saturday, they hastily brought up a measure that would keep government funding flowing for 45 days and include disaster relief aid -- but no money for Ukraine.... The maneuver House Republicans were using -- which requires a two-third majority for passage -- would require a significant bloc of Democrats, who have strongly supported sending additional aid to Ukraine, to join with Republicans. The strategy was a final effort by [Speaker Kevin] McCarthy to show that Republicans were making an effort to keep the government open, just hours away from a shutdown. But Democrats, frustrated at being asked to support a speedily written measure they had not had a chance to read, were using parliamentary tactics to slow down the vote, and most had yet to state a position." MB: Leaving out Ukraine funding indicates My Kevin is still playing games. ~~~

~~~ Update @ about 4:10 pm ET: "In a stunning turnabout, the House on Saturday approved a stopgap plan to avert a government shutdown that was less than 12 hours away as a coalition of Republicans and Democrats backed a last-ditch proposal hastily put forward by Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The measure, which the Senate is expected to vote on this evening, would keep money flowing to government agencies through mid-November and provide billions of dollars for disaster recovery efforts. But it did not include money for Ukraine, a major sticking point for Democrats in the House and Senate. In the end, however, the Democrats supported the bill."~~~

~~~ Update @ about 6:55 pm ET: "Senate consideration of the stopgap bill that was passed by the House is being delayed by Senator Michael Bennet, Democrat of Colorado, his colleagues say. Bennet reportedly wants a promise of quick consideration of aid to Ukraine. Senators say the leadership is working on a written commitment. But a long delay could trigger a shutdown if the Senate doesn't act by midnight."

     ~~~ Here's CNN's liveblog. At about 12:15 pm ET: "House Democrats are not going to vote on the GOP's proposed 45-day short-term spending bill right away. They are trying to buy time to read the bill and figure out a game plan.... [AND] White House officials are currently consulting with House Democrats on the 45-day short-term spending bill that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has proposed...." ~~~

~~~ Update @ about 4:10 pm ET: "House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries celebrated the passing of the House stopgap spending bill that could avert a government shutdown hours before the deadline.... The bill must now pass the Senate, which is narrowly controlled by Democrats." ~~~

~~~ Update @ about 6:35 pm ET: "Senate leaders are trying to resolve an objection from Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado to reach a final vote tonight on a stopgap bill to keep the government open, according to two sources. Scheduling a vote requires consent of all 100 members."

** Maureen Dowd of the New York Times remembers Dianne Feinstein.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kayla Tausche, et al., of CNN: "President Joe Biden is expected to convene his Cabinet early next week to discuss continuity of government after a potential shutdown begins Sunday, four administration officials familiar with the plans told CNN. The meeting will be in person at the White House, one of the sources said. Biden will stay in Washington, DC, over the weekend and keep in close touch with his legislative affairs team, getting updates on any shutdown negotiations on Capitol Hill. He has no public events on his schedule Saturday, in the final hours before the government runs out of money, or Sunday."

John Harwood in ProPublica: "President Joe Biden said in an interview on Friday that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had made a 'terrible bargain' and that 'in order to keep the speakership, he's willing to do things that he, I think, he knows are inconsistent with the constitutional processes.' Asked about the looming government shutdown, and the impeachment inquiry that McCarthy agreed to authorize in the hopes of keeping right-wing Republicans from ousting him from his post as speaker, Biden criticized the role of a 'group of MAGA Republicans who genuinely want to have a fundamental change in the way that the system works. And that's what worries me the most.' He marveled that ... Donald Trump had described himself in a recent speech as 'retribution' on behalf of his supporters, and that Republicans 'seem to be encouraging it.' The comments came as part of a wide-ranging interview with ProPublica contributor John Harwood that will be published Sunday morning. In it, Biden discussed everything from what he portrayed as looming threats to democracy, including his views of the roles played by Fox News and Elon Musk, to his concerns about the need for ethics reform on the Supreme Court."

Seung Min Kim, et al., of the AP: In Arizona Thursday, President Biden said that 'there is no question that today's Republican Party is driven and intimidated by MAGA extremists.' He pointed to [Donald] Trump's recent suggestion that Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who is stepping down from his post on Friday, should be executed for allegedly treasonous betrayal of him. 'Although I don't believe even a majority of Republicans think that, the silence is deafening,' Biden added. He also noted that Trump has previously questioned those who serve in the U.S. military calling 'service members suckers and losers. Was John [McCain] a sucker?' Biden asked...." Also linked yesterday.) More on President Biden's remarks in Arizona linked yesterday. ~~~

~~~ Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff of the Washington Post: "Gen. Mark A. Milley, the Joint Chiefs chairman who clashed with ... Donald Trump but found new footing under President Biden, reiterated in his retirement speech Friday that the U.S. military is loyal to the Constitution above anything or anyone else. 'We don't take an oath to a king, or a queen, to a tyrant or dictator or wannabe dictator,' Milley said in an apparent reference to Trump. He added that troops did not risk their lives to watch 'this great experiment in democracy perish.' Milley stepped aside Friday as his successor, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., was sworn in to the top military post in front of military personnel at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia on a day filled with ceremonial traditions."

Catie Edmonson, et al., of the New York Times: "Hard-line conservatives on Friday tanked Speaker Kevin McCarthy's long-shot bid to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown, in an extraordinary display of defiance that made it clear that Congress would almost certainly miss a midnight deadline on Saturday to keep federal funding flowing.... And the measure -- which would slash spending and impose severe immigration restrictions -- never had a chance of preventing a shutdown, since it was regarded as a nonstarter in the Democratic-controlled Senate. But Mr. McCarthy, bracing for political blowback for a government closure, had scheduled it anyway in hopes of showing he was trying to avoid the crisis. And the decision by right-wing lawmakers to effectively blow up his one final effort to seize some political leverage in the shutdown fight dealt the speaker a stinging defeat while leaving politically vulnerable Republicans fuming." The Hill's story, also linked yesterday, is here.

Christina Wilkie & Emma Kinnery of CNBC: "House Republican leaders Friday canceled a planned two-week recess as a government shutdown appeared more likely after they failed to pass a short-term spending bill with fewer than two days left to avoid the shutdown. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, informed the GOP caucus of the canceled break at a closed-door meeting after more than 20 Republicans embarrassed him by voting with Democrats to defeat the bill." MB: So sorry they have to work over the weekend. But at least they're paying themselves, even if they're stiffing most federal employees and contract workers.

Marie: Earlier this week, I linked to a report that said national parks would probably stay open during the latest GOP shutdown but not provide facilities like, say, restrooms. That has changed: ~~~

     ~~~ Beware of the Bears! Andrea Sachs & Sofia Andrade of the Washington Post: "The majority of national parks will close to the public if lawmakers are unable to reach a deal on government spending ahead of a deadline at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, the Interior Department announced Friday. The National Park Service oversees 425 sites, and each one will be affected under Interior's contingency plan. Parks with admission gates or fee booths, such as Acadia National Park and Shenandoah National Park, will be locked up. Attractions with open entry points, such as the Great Smoky Mountains and the National Mall, will be accessible but with minimal to no services. Visitor centers and restrooms will be shuttered, and educational programs will be suspended. Trash will not always be collected. Information on road or trail conditions will not be updated, and park websites and social media accounts will go dormant. Nearly 13,000 employees could be furloughed, representing 68 percent of the agency's workforce. That includes the staff members monitoring the brown bears featured in Alaska's Fat Bear Week contest."

Who Knew Matt Gaetz Was so Bipartisany (Even as He [Falsely] Denies It)? Olivia Beavers, et al., of Politico: "Matt Gaetz is privately courting some House Democrats to help him oust Kevin McCarthy from the speakership. The Florida Republican, who is threatening to force a vote on booting McCarthy if he works with Democrats to avoid a shutdown, approached multiple Democrats on the floor late Thursday night to discuss how they would vote on a possible vote of no confidence against McCarthy. Among the Democrats he spoke to: Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).... Gaetz denied talking to Democrats about such an effort.... [One] Republican expressed the hope that the House Ethics Committee's investigation into Gaetz will end with a finding that can allow his party to 'kick his ass back to Florida.'"

Marie: Yesterday I linked to a piece by Mona Charen of the Bulwark who argued that fear of Trump was driving most Republican members of Congress to embrace him. Then contributor RAS provided this excellent proof of Charen's point. (I'll admit that in many cases, Republican's reactions to Rep. Greg Casar's [D-Texas] challenge here are nothing but dimwitted tribalism, but I'm sure some of them are fearful for their careers, if not their families' lives):

Marie: Yeah, that's the story here. But how is the disastrous hearing playing on Fox? ~~~

     ~~~ Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "By most objective accounts, [the House Oversight Committee's opening impeachment hearing] was not a huge success for the GOP, featuring witnesses who by their own admission couldn't provide any evidence incriminating [President] Biden and who were loath to state that such evidence existed.... [Yet Fox 'News' viewers would conclude] the hearing was just dandy. Anyone tuning in to Sean Hannity's prime time Fox News program, for example, learned that Republicans executed a precision strike on the sitting president, offering up evidence that only a buffoon or a hack could deny. This presentation was made easier by Hannity's playing host to the three Republicans leading the impeachment push -- each of whom offered false, baseless or debunked claims to which the Fox News host offered absolutely no pushback." Read on. The chairmen's assertions were bald-faced lies and misdirection. "But what else can we do but sit here outside of it," Bump asks,"attempting to convey reality like we're dropping leaflets into North Korea?"

Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Senator Dianne Feinstein, the trailblazing Democratic power broker who served in the Senate for 30 years, died on Thursday night, according to a family member." Update: The page has been converted to a liveblog of reactions to Sen. Feinstein's death. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Sen. Feinstein's New York Times obituary is here. NBC News' obituary is here; thanks to Forrest M. for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ President Biden's statement is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

Sahil Kapur & Frank Thorp of NBC News: "Top Republican senators said Friday they won't try to prevent Democrats from replacing the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., on the Judiciary Committee after the vacancy left Democrats without a majority on the key panel. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee, told NBC News that 'there's no doubt in my mind' Democrats will be able to fill her spot on the panel once there is a successor appointed to her Senate seat. Feinstein's death means the key panel that processes President Joe Biden's judicial nominees is now split evenly, 10 to 10, between Democrats and Republicans. A tie vote means a nominee fails to advance out of committee...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Maeve Reston & Tyler Pager of the Washington Post: "Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death cast an immediate spotlight Friday on California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is navigating a politically fraught decision with far-reaching implications both for his state and his future as he considers who[m] to appoint as her replacement. The Democratic governor plans to appoint a Black woman to the seat -- hewing to the promise he made in 2021 after he replaced then-Sen. Kamala D. Harris with Alex Padilla, who became the state's first Latino senator. But with no Black women in the U.S. Senate, Newsom has angered some liberal voters and activists by stating before Feinstein died that his choice will be an 'interim appointment,' which was interpreted by many as naming someone as a placeholder through January 2025 when Feinstein was slated to retire. A swift decision could help circumvent the intense lobbying effort that is already building among some on the left to convince Newsom to dispense with any reelection conditions and choose Rep. Barbara Lee, a Black woman who is running for the seat in 2024. The Oakland Democrat and her competitors, fellow Democratic Reps. Adam B. Schiff and Katie Porter, all declined Friday to comment on the political machinations in deference to Feinstein's passing." Politico's story is here.

Michael Crowley & Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "Before stepping aside as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after his indictment on federal corruption charges last week, [Sen. Robert] Menendez [D-N.J.] routinely opposed and even criticized President Biden -- and the previous Democrat in the White House, Barack Obama -- on foreign policy issues.... His replacement as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ben Cardin, Democrat of Maryland, has been vague about his plans but is closer personally to Mr. Biden and likely to be more accommodating of his agenda.... '[Menendez] has used the chairmanship of that committee as a venue for intimidation and retribution to raise the cost of doing anything he doesn't like,' said [Benjamin] Rhodes, [a deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration,] pointing to the control Mr. Menendez has had over whether and when presidential nominees for diplomatic posts would receive hearings in his committee."

Trump Crime Family Trials

Josh Gerstein, et al., of Politico: "... Donald Trump plans to show up in person for at least the first week of a civil trial set to open in New York on Monday in which he and his business empire are accused of persistent fraud, according to court filings. Trump's plan, disclosed by his lawyers in a separate case, sets up the potential of a tense showdown with Justice Arthur Engoron, the Manhattan judge who is overseeing New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit aimed at dismantling Trump's businesses. Trump has repeatedly insulted Engoron on social media. 'I have a Deranged, Trump Hating Judge, who RAILROADED this FAKE CASE through a NYS Court at a speed never before seen,' Trump wrote in recent days on his social media platform." MB: Maybe he wants to stay in his 33,000 sq. ft. 11,000 sq. ft. Trump Tower penthouse for the last time before a receiver takes control of it.

Wherein contributor Forrest M. discovers that you can prove a negative (well, in a manner of speaking): ~~~

No other criminal defendant would be permitted to issue public statements insinuating that a known witness in his case should be executed. This defendant should not be, either. -- Prosecutor Molly Gaston, in a court filing ~~~

~~~ Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors on Friday reasserted the need to impose a gag order on ... Donald J. Trump in the case accusing him of seeking to overturn the 2020 election. They said that even after they first asked a judge three weeks ago to limit his remarks, Mr. Trump has continued to wage 'a sustained campaign of prejudicial public statements' against witnesses, prosecutors and others. The prosecutors cited several threatening statements that Mr. Trump made since they initially asked Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who is overseeing the election interference case in Federal District Court in Washington, to impose the gag order.... Prosecutors said in their filing on Friday night, Mr. Trump has continued to attack potential witnesses in the case like former Vice President Mike Pence -- who, Mr. Trump wrote online, had lied about him and had gone to the 'Dark Side.'... Moreover, prosecutors cited a menacing message that Mr. Trump posted on his social media site last week about Gen. Mark A. Milley..., suggest[ing] that [Milley] had committed treason and that in the past he might have faced execution....

"In their filing, the prosecutors ... [said] Mr. Trump may have violated the terms of his release in the election interference case by suggesting that he might have purchased a firearm on Monday during a campaign stop at a gun store in Summerville, S.C. That day, prosecutors noted, Mr. Trump's spokesman posted a video online of the former president handling a Glock pistol at the store. The spokesman said in the post that Mr. Trump had purchased it, but aides quickly denied that he had actually done so. In the government's filing, Ms. Gaston said Mr. Trump had 'either purchased a gun in violation of the law and his conditions of release or seeks to benefit from his supporters' mistaken belief that he did so.'" Politico's report is here. The Hill's report is here.

** First Flip. And Then There Were 18. Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "One of the 19 defendants in a Georgia racketeering case against ... Donald J. Trump and his allies pleaded guilty on Friday to five misdemeanor charges, under a deal with prosecutors in which he would receive five years of probation. The guilty plea of Scott Hall, 59, a Georgia bail bondsman, was a significant victory for Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, who secured an agreement from Mr. Hall to testify against other defendants.... Appearing in a Fulton County courtroom on Friday afternoon, Mr. Hall ... pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts of intentional interference with performance of election duties. Under the terms of the deal, Mr. Hall is to pay a $5,000 fine, surrender his firearms carry license, perform 200 hours of community service and write a letter of apology to the people of Georgia. He is not to participate in any activities related to the administration of elections, and he agreed to testify truthfully in all further proceedings in the case." The NBC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "A federal judge on Friday denied a request from Jeffrey Clark, the former Trump justice department official, to transfer from state to federal court his criminal case for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, saying he had failed to prove he had been acting within the scope of his official duties. The ruling from the US district judge Steven Jones, which came a day after Donald Trump decided against making a similar request, means Clark will be tried in Fulton county superior court -- with its mainly Democratic jury pool -- unless the ruling is overturned by the 11th circuit appeals court." The article cites Jones' reasons for rejecting Clark's specific arguments. (Also linked yesterday.)


Glenn Thrush & Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: "A contractor for the Internal Revenue Service has been charged with leaking tax return information from a senior government official and wealthy taxpayers to two news organizations, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court in Washington on Friday. Charles Edward Littlejohn, who worked as a contractor for the tax agency from 2017 to 2021, was accused of stealing tax returns and other information of a 'Public Official A and thousands of the nation's wealthiest people,' according to a three-page indictment signed by prosecutors with the Justice Department's public integrity division. The indictment did not name the official, the other taxpayers or the news organizations. The public official is ... Donald J. Trump, and the two outlets identified in the indictment as 'News Organization 1' and 'News Organization 2' are The New York Times and ProPublica, according to a person familiar with the situation.... 'Both news organizations published numerous articles describing the tax information they obtained from the defendant,' the indictment added." CNN's story is here.

Comments Off
Page 1 ... 120 121 122 123 124 ... 1739 Next 3 Entries »