;)
February 5, 2022
Afternoon Update:
** The Great American Criminal Investigation. Michael Schmidt & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The House select committee scrutinizing the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol is borrowing techniques from federal prosecutions, employing aggressive tactics typically used against mobsters and terrorists as it seeks to break through stonewalling from... Donald J. Trump and his allies and develop evidence that could prompt a criminal case. In what its members see as the best opportunity to hold Mr. Trump and his team accountable, the committee -- which has no authority to pursue criminal charges -- is using what powers it has in expansive ways in hopes of pressuring Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to use the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute them." Former federal prosecutors are running the investigation.
Ashley Parker, et al., of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump tore up briefings and schedules, articles and letters, memos both sensitive and mundane.... Interviews with 11 former Trump staffers, associates, and others ... reveal that Trump's shredding of paper was far more widespread and indiscriminate than previously known and -- despite multiple admonishments -- extended throughout his presidency, resulting in special practices to deal with the torn fragments.... The ripping was so relentless that Trump's team implemented a set of protocols to try to ensure that Trump was abiding by the Presidential Records Act. Typically, aides ... would come in behind Trump to retrieve the piles of torn paper he left in his wake.... Then, staffers from the White House Office of Records Management were generally responsible for jigsawing the documents back together, using clear tape.... One senior Trump White House official said he and other White House staffers frequently put documents into 'burn bags' to be destroyed, rather than preserving them, and would decide themselves what should be saved and what should be burned."
If you'd like to see more of what the Republican party believes comprises "legitimate political discourse," CNN aired new video which the House January 6 committee has just released.
Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "Former President Trump responded to former Vice President Mike Pence's remarks that he did not have the authority to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. 'Just saw Mike Pence's statement on the fact that he had no right to do anything with respect to the Electoral Vote Count, other than being an automatic conveyor belt for the Old Crow Mitch McConnell to get Biden elected' President as quickly as possible," Trump said in a statement through his Save America PAC late Friday night. 'Well, the Vice President's position is not an automatic conveyor if obvious signs of voter fraud or irregularities exist.'... Trump's remarks against Pence were uncharacteristically measured, avoiding a more harsh criticism of his former vice president."
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Saturday are here: "A trucker-led protest against pandemic measures that has paralyzed Canada's capital for a week was expected to expand on Saturday with the arrival of hundreds more trucks in Ottawa. Police forces and officials in Toronto, Canada's largest city, and Quebec City, that province's capital, braced for similar demonstrations. What began as a convoy of trucks and cars that set out from the province of British Columbia to protest a vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers has grown into a general protest against pandemic restrictions and a range of other political causes, including opposition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau."
Not Just a Covid Denier, But a Racist, Too. Ben Sisario of the New York Times: "As pressure has intensified on Spotify and its star podcaster Joe Rogan, listeners reported that the company had quietly removed dozens of episodes of his show, while Rogan apologized early Saturday for his use of a racial slur in past episodes. In an Instagram video, Rogan -- whose talk show, 'The Joe Rogan Experience,' is Spotify's most popular podcast, and has been available there exclusively for more than a year -- addressed what he called 'the most regretful and shameful thing that I've ever had to talk about publicly.' A compilation video showed Rogan using the slur numerous times in past episodes of his show...." ~~~
~~~ In case you were wondering just what "racial slur" Rogan used ~~~
~~~ Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "Joe Rogan apologized Saturday for the many previous instances in which the host used the n-word on his Spotify podcast." Just to clarify, Rogan said "he never used the n-word 'to be racist because, I'm not racist.'" MB: Good to know, Joe. The AP's story is here.
Andrew Jeong of the Washington Post: "Delta Air Lines has asked the Justice Department to help set up a national 'no-fly' list of unruly passengers that would bar them from boarding any commercial air carrier, amid a surge in 'air rage' incidents during the pandemic. In a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday, the Atlanta-based company's chief executive, Edward H. Bastian, said such a list would reduce the number of future incidents involving disruptive passengers. It also would 'serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions,' he wrote."
Morocco. Vivian Yee, et al., of the New York Times: "A Moroccan boy trapped in a well for four days did not survive, Moroccan state-run media reported after rescuers pulled out his body on Saturday. The reports carried a statement from the royal court which said the king of Morocco called the boy's parents to express his condolences."
U.K. Queen Camilla. Caroline Davies of the Guardian: "The Queen has expressed her 'sincere wish' that the Duchess of Cornwall becomes Queen Consort when Charles becomes king. In a candid message marking the 70th anniversary of her accession, the monarch made clear her desire, unambiguously paving the way for Queen Camilla. When the duchess married the Prince of Wales in 2005, it was made clear by Clarence House that she would carry the title of HRH The Princess Consort. It has long been speculated that this was a title of convenience at a time when the duchess was seen to be less popular in the polls, due to her relationship with Charles when he was married to Diana, Princess of Wales. Charles is understood to have long harboured a firm desire his wife should carry the title of Queen Consort, and be thus crowned and anointed, when he becomes king. The Queen made clear she supported this in a written message released on Saturday before Sunday’s Accession Day. In it, the Queen thanked the nation for the 'loyalty and affection' she had received over her long reign."
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Marie: Democracy dies by a thousand cuts. On February 4, 2022, the Republican party officially dealt U.S. democracy a deep wound.
Josh Dawsey & Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "In an extraordinary rebuke, the Republican National Committee on Friday voted Friday to condemn Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), the two Republican members of a House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob. The censure resolution passed overwhelmingly on a voice vote with no debate or discussion. It said the behavior of Cheney and Kinzinger 'has been destructive to the institution of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party and our republic.'" This also is an update to a story by Josh Dawsey, linked earlier today. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Then there's this in the WashPo report: Ronna Romney "McDaniel said she was particularly upset when an elderly, recently widowed friend of hers was subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee after it was reported the friend was an alternate elector at the campaign's behest. She declined to name the friend." Marcy Wheeler got to wondering who the elderly widow might be: "It took me 3 Google searches to find [Kathy (& her deceased husband) Dean] Berden..., and unlike me, Dawsey has the support of an entire newsroom.... So Dawsey let McDanie's claim that she was taking action to censure (and possibly fund the opponent of) Liz Cheney because of some nice little old lady, without mentioning that that nice little old lady is by definition someone being criminally investigated by the FBI for her role in an effort to steal the election. Dawsey also didn't mention that that nice little old lady might also have information that would implicate McDaniel personally in that crime..., a 'multi-state conspiracy.'..." MB: Yeah, you can see where Ronna Romney's motives were totally compassionate. ~~~
~~~ Other reports, like this one from NPR, give Ronna the benefit of the doubt. Sweet.
The Party of Violent Traitors
WHEREAS, Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger are participating in a Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaging in legitimate political discourse ... -- from the RNC's censure resolution
~~~ ** Jonathan Weisman & Reid Epstein of the New York Times: "The Republican Party on Friday officially declared the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and events that led to it 'legitimate political discourse,' and rebuked two lawmakers in the party who have been most outspoken in condemning the deadly riot and the role of Donald J. Trump in spreading the election lies that fueled it." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) CNN's report is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: This is extraordinary. We have not seen anything like it since the Civil War. What remains a national political party has embraced violent revolution against the federal government, murder of top officials -- "Hang mike pence" "Oh, Naaaaaaancy." -- battering of tens of police officers, destruction of federal property, all with the goal to overturn the results of a presidential election and keep the loser in power. Republicans describe all this as "legitimate political discourse." ~~~
~~~ As Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said on MSNBC Friday, rewriting the history of January 6 to be 'legitimate political discourse' is a fascist tactic.
Two weeks ago on @DeadlineWH I said the Republicans were no longer a party but a dime store front for the terrorist MAGA movement. They're publicly admitting it now. The question is will the administration pivot to address the GOP as an open threat to Democracy[.] -- Prof. Jason Johnson in a tweet (via a commenter on No More Mr. Nice Blog)
When somebody says something about Republicans that you think is an exaggeration, wait a few weeks. It won't take Republicans long to prove the allegation. -- Marie
Brett Wilkins of Common Dreams posts a few more tweet-o-pinions from politicians, pundits & organizations.
Sarakshi Rai of the Hill: "Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Friday criticized the Republican National Committee's (RNC) effort to censure Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), saying he considered the move by their fellow Republicans shameful. Romney ... said in a tweet that 'shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol.' He praised them for seeking answers despite the professional and personal consequences.... 'Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost,' he [said]. Romney's statements stand in stark contrast to those of his niece, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who spoke in favor of the resolution that was passed by the resolutions committee on Thursday. McDaniel has previously condemned her uncle for criticizing Trump." A Washington Post report is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
The Seer. Given my experience working for Mr. Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power. And this is why I agreed to appear before you today. -- Michael Cohen, testimony before the House Oversight Committee, February 27, 2019
Lisa Lerer of the New York Times: "Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday offered his most forceful rebuke of Donald Trump, saying that Mr. Trump is 'wrong' that Mr. Pence had the legal authority to change the results of the 2020 election and that the Republican Party must accept the outcome and look toward the future.... 'The truth is there's more at stake than our party or our political fortunes,' he said. 'If we lose faith in the Constitution, we won't just lose elections -- we'll lose our country.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Mariana Alfaro & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "Pence said the presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone, and appeared to suggest that calls for him to overturn the results of the election were 'un-American.' 'Frankly there is almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American President,' Pence said." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) NPR's report is here.
~~~ Marie: There's nothing heroic about a guy who waits more than a year to tell the truth about an incident in which he could have lost his life. Moreover, he has scarcely told the whole truth, as he surely knows much more about the plot to overturn the presidential election, a plot that would have ensured he had his cushy job for at least four more years. And where was pence before the fact? Why didn't he notifiy the DOJ & other law enforcement authorities of the insurrection in the offing? He could have saved lives & limbs.
Or Maybe Bill Barr Did Know. Time to Find Out. Mike Lillis & Rebecca Beitsch of the Hill: "Democrats are amping up the pressure on William Barr to testify before the panel investigating the Capitol attack of Jan. 6, 2021, saying the former attorney general has a unique window into the thoughts and actions of former President Trump leading up to the violent siege. Barr has been in informal talks with the special investigative committee, according to the chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). But recent news reports have added layers of detail to Barr's one-on-one interactions with Trump in late 2020, as the former president sought ways to use the powers of the administration to overturn his election defeat. Those revelations have sparked new interest on Capitol Hill for Barr to brief the committee again -- this time in a more formal setting." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ AND Here's a Conspirator Who's Been Lying about His Part in the Coup Plot. Ryan Nobles, et al., of CNN: "The House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection is now in possession of White House records that provide new details about a phone call Donald Trump made to Republican Rep. Jim Jordan on January 6, 2021.... Two sources who have reviewed the call records tell CNN that Trump spoke on the phone at the White House residence with Jordan for 10 minutes on the morning of January 6. That afternoon, Jordan took to the House floor to object to the certification of President Joe Biden's Electoral College win, and pro-Trump supporters attacked the US Capitol.... Since Jordan acknowledged last summer that he spoke to Trump on the phone that day, the Ohio Republican and Trump loyalist has waived off questions about it or been inconsistent in his answers.... At a House Rules Committee hearing in October, Chairman Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, specifically asked Jordan when he spoke with Trump that day. 'I talked to the President after the attack,' Jordan said at the time. When McGovern pressed Jordan again and asked him to confirm that the call did not occur before or during the attack, Jordan replied: 'Right. And I've been clear about that.'" Jordan has since gone into I-can't-recall mode.
Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "Weeks after the 2020 election, Donald Trump reviewed a draft executive order that authorized the national guard to seize voting machines and verbally agreed to appoint Sidney Powell, a campaign lawyer and conspiracy theorist, as special counsel to investigate election fraud.... Trump never followed through with issuing a formal executive order authorizing the seizure of voting machines or appointing a special counsel. But four sources with detailed knowledge of what transpired during the 18 December meeting described to the Guardian how close he came to doing so.... Trump was handed the document [-- which authorized the Department of Homeland Security to seize the voting machines --] when he sat down with four informal advisers -- Powell, Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn, former Trump aide Emily Newman and former Overstock chief executive Patrick Byrne -- who had arrived at the White House unannounced." Read on. There's lots more.
Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "On Friday..., one Jan. 6 defendant ... and his lawyer asked a federal judge for permission to subpoena the former president and several of his allies to testify as witnesses at his trial. 'It is anticipated that, when called as a witness, Donald J. Trump will testify that he and others orchestrated a carefully crafted plot to call into question the integrity of the 2020 presidential election and the validity of President Biden's victory,' the lawyer, Samuel H. Shamansky, said in court papers filed on behalf of his client, Dustin Thompson. 'Moreover, it will be established at trial that Mr. Trump and his conspirators engaged in a concerted effort to deceive the public, including defendant, into believing that American democracy was at stake if Congress was permitted to certify the election results,' the papers said.... At a hearing last month, the judge in Mr. Thompson's case, Reggie B. Walton of Federal District Court in Washington, expressed skepticism about the notion of a former president and members of his inner circle being placed by force on the witness stand." Read on.
Kate Sullivan of CNN: "President Joe Biden on Friday touted the January jobs report that was significantly better than what most economists had predicted, given the rapid surge of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. 'Our country is taking everything that Covid has to throw at us and we'v come back stronger,' Biden said, speaking from the White House." See related story linked under Friday's Ledes. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
Pick a White Man! Alexandra Petri of the Washington Post: "People keep saying that the point of a pledge of the kind President Biden made [-- to choose a Black woman for the Supreme Court --] is not to treat people differently because of the group they belong to but to stop treating people differently because of the group they belong to.... I'm disgusted that we would settle for anything less than picking the most qualified candidate for the job! And that's what I fear we're doing, because we aren't picking a White man. Astonishingly, every other possible selection is just there for reasons of enforced diversity, whereas White men are there because they deserve it!... We must pick the most qualified person, and the only way we can be sure we aren't influenced by traits is if this person is a formless mind floating in a void. Or the next best thing, a White man." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "Justice Neil M. Gorsuch is speaking to the conservative Federalist Society as part of a political lineup of former vice president Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Donald Trump's onetime press secretary [Kayleigh McEnany], an appearance that comes as his fellow justices repeatedly dismiss criticism that the Supreme Court is partisan.... While Gorsuch will not ... share a stage with the GOP leaders, his attendance with major figures close to Trump has stirred questions about the court's impartiality and the insistence of the justices that it remains nonpartisan." MB: Gorsuch cannot be doing anything wrong. He is not just a Supreme Court justice. He is a White Man. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Colin Moynihan of the New York Times: "After deliberations that stretched across three days and appeared at one point to be headed toward an impasse, jurors convicted [lawyer Michael] Avenatti of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, agreeing with accusations that he used a bogus letter to trick [his former client Stormy] Daniels's literary agent into sending him almost $300,000 in publisher's payments meant for her." Avenatti indicated he would appeal the verdict. An AP report is here.
The Pandemic, Ctd.
The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Julie Bosman & Mitch Smith of the New York Times: "More than 2,600 Americans are dying from Covid-19 each day, an alarming rate that has climbed by 30 percent in the past two weeks. Across the United States, the coronavirus pandemic has now claimed more than 900,000 lives. Yet ... the number of new coronavirus infections is plummeting, falling by more than half since mid-January. Hospitalizations are also declining, a relief to stressed health care workers who have been treating desperately ill coronavirus patients for nearly two years. All that has created a disorienting moment in the pandemic: Though deaths are still mounting, the threat from the virus is moving, for now, farther into the background of daily life for many Americans."
Send THIS to Your Freeedumb-Loving Friends. Emily Van de Reit of Gray News: "Unvaccinated people are 97 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated and boosted, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.... CDC Director Rochelle Walensky presented the data Wednesday at a White House COVID-19 response team meeting."
Virginia. Hannah Natanson, et al., of the Washington Post: "An Arlington judge on Friday barred enforcement of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's [R] mask-optional order for schools -- a major victory for the seven school boards that sued to stop it, and a sharp rebuke for the new governor. In her 10-page order, Arlington Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo offered a check to Youngkin's assertion of gubernatorial authority, writing that the Virginia Constitution gives authority to local school boards to make safety and health decisions -- including masking -- for their students. She also wrote that a state law passed over the summer requiring school districts to comply with federal health guidance makes Youngkin's mask-optional order impossible to carry out, because it, too, delegates authority over decisions such as masking to local school boards." DiMatteo issued a temporary restraining order against Youngkin, whose office said he would appeal. The AP's report is here.
Beyond the Beltway
Minnesota. Jesus Jiménez & Amanda Holpuch of the New York Times: "Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis on Friday announced a moratorium on no-knock warrants one day after the Police Department released body camera footage of its SWAT team fatally shooting a man who was lying on a couch under a blanket during an early-morning raid. The man who was killed, Amir Locke, 22, had a gun in his hand, but it is unclear whether he was aware that police officers had entered the apartment shortly before 7 a.m. Keith Ellison, the attorney general of Minnesota, who led the prosecutions of former police officers in the killings of George Floyd and Daunte Wright, said his office would join a review of the police shooting.... [Police] Chief [Amelia] Huffman said that officers had a warrant for three locations in the apartment complex, and that Mr. Locke was not named in the original warrant." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I would not have picked Minneapolis as having one of the worst police departments in the nation, but the cops there sure do kill Black men.
North Carolina. Michael Wines of the New York Times: "The North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday upended Republican efforts to lock in political dominance in the state, saying that congressional and state legislative maps were partisan gerrymanders that violated the State Constitution. The ruling requires the Republican-controlled legislature not only to submit new maps to the court, but to offer a range of statistical analyses to show 'a significant likelihood that the districting plan will give the voters of all political parties substantially equal opportunity to translate votes into seats' in elections.... The justices' 4-3 decision, split along party lines, not only sets a precedent for judging the legality of future maps in the state, but could play an important role in the struggle for control of the House of Representatives in elections this November. The Republican-drawn maps had effectively allotted the party control of at least 10 of the 14 House seats the state will have in the next Congress, even though voters statewide are roughly equally divided between the two parties." Politico's report is here.
News Ledes
The New York Times' live updates of Olympics events are here. The Washington Post's highlights blog is here. CNN's live updates are here.
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Reader Comments (4)
In the background I hear two people collaborating on an old Monday NYTimes crossword.
The clue? "Left speechless."
The answer? "Dumbfounded," which is precisely my reaction to the latest from the what I used to call the Greedy Old Party but which yesterday indelibly branded itself the Fascist Old Party--and is apparently proud of it.
Amazing what you can do by changing only one letter.
In his 1969 book, "The Idea of a Party System..." Richard Hofstadter wrote that the founders did not believe in parties, as such, scorned those that they were conscious of as historical models, had a keen terror of party spirit and its evil consequences, and yet, almost as soon as their national government was in operation , found it necessary to establish parties.
The GOP's travails echo a historical pattern if my understanding of that history is correct, so to make sure, I looked it up: The list of a few collapsed parties is as follows:
Whigs, Federalists, the Democratic-Republicans, the American Party ( also called the Know-Nothings) the Free soil Party, the Populist ,Party and others.....
So today's American political parties and its system is coming apart at the seams---it seems. Looks like our present GOP embrace of an anti-democracy movement is flourishing and its members may want to stop and recalculate. If enough Republicans break away will they start a new party? Some thought that after Trump lost, Republicans could put him behind but obviously enough are hooked onto and into Trump's version of Republicanism. Marie used the word extraordinary––yes––and I'd add despicable––but even that doesn't do it justice.
We always believed in the notion that the nation would would thrive with two parties contingent upon both of them holding shared versions of reality. Obviously, that's no longer the case.
Could the Parker article on the serial shredder possibly be taken as an apt metaphor for the work Democrats are trying to do for the entire country following the Pretender's disastrous four years?
Or said another way, the Pretender didn't shred only paper.
Rogan's apology might be more believable if it wasn't just a week ago he was telling people who is really Black and who is not. His criteria is that only people from the "darkest place" in Africa are actually Black. Race doesn't exist, so he can't be racist.