May 17, 2023

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Jamie Gangel, et al., of CNN: "The National Archives has informed ... Donald Trump that it is set to hand over to special counsel Jack Smith 16 records which show Trump and his top advisers had knowledge of the correct declassification process while he was president, according to multiple sources.... According to [a] letter [from acting Archivist Debra Steidel Wall to Trump], Trump tried to block the special counsel from accessing the 16 records by asserting a claim of 'constitutionally based privilege.'... The 16 presidential records, which were subpoenaed earlier this year, may provide critical evidence establishing the former president's awareness of the declassification process, a key part of the criminal investigation into Trump's mishandling of classified documents. The records may also provide insight into Trump's intent and whether he willfully disregarded what he knew to be clearly established protocols, according to a source familiar with recent testimony provided to the grand jury by former top Trump officials.... At a CNN town hall last week Trump repeated the claim that simply by removing classified documents from the White House he had declassified them. 'And, by the way, they become automatically declassified when I took them,' Trump said." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: "Constitutionally based privilege"??? Really? That's like asserting that IRS instructions on how to complete your Form 1040 constitute a privileged communication. Ridiculous. Speaking of Trump's lame attempts to claim privilege ~~~

~~~ Alan Feuer & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: “Timothy Parlatore, one of the lawyers representing ... Donald J. Trump in the federal investigations into Mr. Trump's handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, has resigned from the former president's legal team.... Mr. Parlatore's withdrawal from the twin special counsel cases leaves Mr. Trump a lawyer short at a moment when prosecutors under [special counsel Jack] Smith seem to be nearing the end of their sprawling grand jury investigations and may be approaching a decision about whether to bring charges.... Since last summer and until recently, Mr. Parlatore played a key role in Mr. Trump's [largely unsuccessful] attempts to use attorney-client and executive privilege to limit the scope of the testimony provided by a series of witnesses who appeared in front of grand juries hearing evidence in both of the matters...." CNN's report is here.

Nicholas Nehamas & Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times: "Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, an all-but-declared presidential candidate, has stepped up his headline-hunting travel and events ahead of an official announcement, traversing the state and trying to hoover up national attention as he signs the sharply conservative legislation he believes can propel him to the Republican Party's nomination. On Wednesday, Mr. DeSantis signed a slew of measures that hit all the culture-clash notes his base has rewarded him for, including bills banning gender-transition care for minors, preventing children from attending 'adult live performances' like drag shows and restricting the use of preferred pronouns in schools." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: When last I lived in Florida, voters passed a state constitutional amendment protecting the rights of pregnant pigs. That was all well and good. Now they need to pass an amendment protecting the rights of guinea pigs, because Ron DeSantolini is making all Floridians guinea pigs as part of his grotesque performances designed to make himself more popular among righty-right-wing MAGA voters.

Alexandra Hutzler of ABC News: "President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he is 'confident' the U.S. will avert default, expressing optimism a crisis could be avoided as he left for a foreign trip even as debt ceiling negotiations were coming down to the wire.... 'We're going to come together because there's no alternative.... All the leaders have agreed we will not default. Every leader has said that.'... The president said he'll be in 'constant contact' with his team while abroad and will be back in time for the 'final negotiation.'... Biden, who has insisted raising the debt ceiling is nonnegotiable, made it a point to emphasize the talks are about contours of the 2024 budget." The New York Times story is here. ~~~

~~~ John Wagner, et al., of the Washington Post: "A group of Senate Democrats is circulating a letter urging President Biden to prepare to invoke the 14th Amendment to unilaterally resolve the debt ceiling standoff without involving Congress, according to a copy obtained by The Washington Post ahead of its release. The letter, signed by five senators so far, reflects building unease among White House allies over the direction of negotiations between the president and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on an agreement expected to cut the deficit and raise the debt limit. Liberal lawmakers have balked as Biden entertains spending cuts and new work requirements on federal aid programs -- fueling interest in a solution to the standoff that does not require a deal with McCarthy. The effort comes as House Democrats start to collect signatures for a discharge petition to move legislation that would raise the debt ceiling without any other policy changes, a long-shot procedural move aimed at bypassing the chamber's Republican leaders."

How is it possible that Sen. Potatohead is dumber than a steaming Idaho potato? ~~~

~~~ William Thornton of AL.com: “Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville today said yesterday's Durham report shows that 'a whole list of people lied,' including members of Congress, aboutlinks between the Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia.... Speaking on 'John Bachman Now,' Tuberville said, 'If people don't go to jail for this, the American people should just stand up and say, "Listen, enough's enough, let's don't have elections anymore.["] I wish there was a special investigation into the voter fraud....'" Tuberville also weighed in on the U.S.-Mexican border situation: "Tuberville said [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro] Mayorkas had 'lied about this the whole time.... You know, they sent 1,500 troops down there, to make sure they get them in quicker,' he said. 'That's all they did. We need 15,000 down there with guns to help keep them out.'"; ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: As usual, Tuberville doesn't seem to know what he's talking about. He has conflated or confused the 2016 election -- which is the subject of John Durham's report -- and the 2020 election, when Donald Trump claimed massive voter fraud. Anyhow, we should definitely not have elections anymore.

Tierney Sneed of CNN: "The Supreme Court refused to block a local and state ban on assault weapon sales in Illinois, rejecting an emergency request from gun rights advocates and a gun store. A vote count was not disclosed and the court did not explain its action. Wednesday's move by the high court is the latest example of the justices staying out of Second Amendment-related disputes for the moment, after the conservative majority last year issued a major ruling expanding its scope." The Washington Post's report, by Robert Barnes, is here. The New York Times story, by Adam Liptak, is here.

Max Foster & John Miller of CNN: "Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were involved in a 'near catastrophic car chase' involving paparazzi in New York City on Tuesday night, his spokesperson says. The couple were followed by a 'swarm' of paparazzi, but there was no car accident, according to a law enforcement source. The incident happened after Harry accompanied Meghan to the Women of Vision Awards, held at the city's Ziegfeld Ballroom. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were also traveling with Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother." Paparazzi on motorcycles, scooters & in cars followed the party for nearly two hours. MB: OR, they could have rented a car with heavily-tinted windows & ignored the paparazzi. You can't lead a car chase if you don't, you know, drive. And you are not particularly likely to be involved in "near catastropic" situations if you don't lead that chase by driving erratically and/or at excessive speeds. Harry is 38 years old; Markle is 41. Time to grow up. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: Karla Adam, et al., of the Washington Post: "A New York Police Department spokesperson said the presence of many photographers made the couple's transport 'challenging,' adding that they arrived at their destination safely without any collisions or injuries. A taxi driver who transported the couple for a part of their journey after attending the event told The Washington Post in an interview that he would not call the incident a chase, adding that he felt safe during the ride."

~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday Election Results. Mariana Alfaro & Maeve Reston of the Washington Post: Pennsylvania. “Democrats managed to hold on to the Pennsylvania state House as Heather Boyd was projected to keep the suburban Philadelphia seat in their hands in a critical special election being watched closely by both parties.... And Cherelle Parker, a former state legislator and city councilor who framed herself as tough on crime, was projected to win the Democratic nomination in a crowded field for Philadelphia mayor, according to the Associated Press. She'll be the strong favorite, and the first female mayor of that city, in November if she wins in the heavily Democratic city....

"In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear -- a popular Democrat in a red state -- was projected the Democratic winner in his reelection campaign. He's set to face state Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R), a protege of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who was backed by Donald Trump. And incumbent Secretary of State Mike Adams (R) beat back two election deniers, including a candidate endorsed by national election conspiracy theorist and MyPillow guy Mike Lindell."

Florida. Jared Gans of the Hill: "Democrats are projected to flip control of the mayor's office in Jacksonville, Fla., the largest city in the country with a GOP leader, according to CNN and NBC. AP projected that Democrat Donna Deegan defeated Republican Daniel Davis to succeed Mayor Lenny Curry (R), who is term-limited. Deegan, who will be the city's first female mayor, won against Davis in a runoff on Tuesday after the two candidates advanced from a blanket primary earlier this year. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) endorsed Davis back in March."

Matt Viser & Tyler Pager of the Washington Post: "President Biden heads to Japan on Wednesday for a wide-ranging trip that marks a renewed push on his part to confront China's growing political, military and economic power, at a time when some experts warn that tensions between the two superpowers have grown dangerously high.... The trip is aimed at bolstering support for Ukraine, combating climate change and tackling global inflation. But more than any other issue, it is meant to counter China, a global superpower that will not be at the meetings but will be very much top of mind.... Administration officials say Biden has made clear that he does not want a new Cold War with China, and that he has pushed to engage with the Chinese in areas where there is mutual interest or where it is crucial to avoid dangerous outcomes. But aides say the success of that effort depends in part on how firmly other countries ally with the United States in taking on Beijing's aggressiveness."

Zolan Kanno-Youngs & Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "President Biden and congressional leaders in both parties emerged from a White House meeting on Tuesday offering glimmers of hope about eventually reaching a deal to raise the nation's borrowing limit, even as they conceded they were still far from averting a default that could come as soon as June 1. With time dwindling to strike a compromise that could make it through Congress in time to avoid an economic catastrophe, Mr. Biden said he would cut short a diplomatic trip to Asia to be on hand for a potential breakthrough. Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the California Republican, said it was possible that such a deal could materialize within days now that the president had agreed to dispatch his top advisers for stepped-up negotiations." ~~~

~~~ Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "... it was also obvious [ever since Republicans took control of the House] that the Biden administration needed a strategy to head off the looming [debt ceiling] crisis. More and more, however, it looks as if there never was a strategy beyond wishful thinking.... On one side, it signaled that it was terrified of the consequences of default; on the other, it made it clear that it was unwilling even to consider any alternatives to an increase in the debt limit.... And sure enough, after months of asserting that it would never engage in negotiations over the debt ceiling..., the administration is now ... negotiating over the debt ceiling.... There's a real possibility that Biden officials will in the end be forced by sheer Republican intransigence to adopt unconventional methods after all -- a task that will be made much harder by the fact that those same officials have spent months trash-talking the approaches they may need to follow. But I don't see any way to regard this whole episode as anything but a disastrous failure to face up to the reality of an opposition party controlled by extremists."

Crackerjack Secret Service Agents Didn't Notice Drunken Intruder. Carol Leonnig & Tyler Pager of the Washington Post: "The U.S. Secret Service is investigating how a man entered the home of President Biden's national security adviser in the middle of the night roughly two weeks ago without being detected by agents guarding his house, according to three government officials. The unknown man walked into Jake Sullivan's home at about 3 a.m. one night in late April and Sullivan confronted the individual, instructing him to leave, two of the people briefed on the incident said. There were no signs of forced entry at the home, according to one of the people. Sullivan has a round-the-clock Secret Service detail. But agents stationed outside the house were unaware that an intruder had gotten inside the home, located in the West End neighborhood of Washington, until the man had already left and Sullivan came outside to alert the agents, the two people said. The intruder appeared to be intoxicated and confused about where he was, according to people briefed on the incident. There is no evidence the person knew Sullivan or sought to harm him, they said." The AP's story is here.

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Ever since Senator Joe Manchin III, the conservative West Virginia Democrat, cast the crucial vote last year for the Inflation Reduction Act, delivering President Biden his biggest legislative victory to date, the bill has weighed him down politically. Mr. Manchin's poll numbers in his solidly Republican and coal-rich state dropped last year after he played a critical role in writing the climate, health and tax legislation.... The senator, who is up for re-election next year and has been flirting with a presidential run of his own, has declared a sort of legislative war against the measure he helped push through Congress. He has professed frustration and dismay at what he calls the 'radical climate agenda' that he says is driving the Biden administration's rollout of the law. And he is still irritated that his colleagues failed to include one of his top priorities: an initiative to speed permitting of energy projects."

     Cat Zackrzewski, et al., of the Washington Post: "OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman delivered a sobering account of ways artificial intelligence could 'cause significant harm to the world' during his first congressional testimony, expressing a willingness to work with nervous lawmakers to address the risks presented by his company's ChatGPT and other AI tools. Altman advocated a number of regulations -- including a new government agency charged with creating standards for the field -- to address mounting concerns that generative AI could distort reality and create unprecedented safety hazards. The CEO tallied 'risky' behaviors presented by technology like ChatGPT, including spreading 'one-on-one interactive disinformation' and emotional manipulation. At one point he acknowledged AI could be used to target drone strikes. 'If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong,' Altman said."

Maanvi Singh & Abené Clayton of the Guardian: "A bizarre exchange with reporters has raised new questions about the return of Dianne Feinstein, California's senior senator who has been absent from Washington for months due to shingles. Jim Newell, a reporter for Slate, ran into Feinstein shortly after the 89-year-old lawmaker voted on the Senate floor on Tuesday. When he and another journalist asked Feinstein how she has been received by her colleagues since returning to Washington, Feinstein appeared to insist that she had never left. 'I haven't been gone. I've been working,' Feinstein told Newell and another reporter, according to a Slate article published Tuesday. She was asked if she meant she had been working remotely, to which Feinstein responded: 'No, I've been here. I've been voting. Please. You either know or don't know.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is not bizarre. Feinstein has dementia' Everyone in the Senate knows it. It is cruel and irresponsible not to engineer her resignation.

Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "When James R. Clapper Jr., the former director of national intelligence, testifies on Wednesday behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, he will be the sixth former intelligence official to be hauled before Congress as part of what has become an intense focus of House Republicans: a public letter sent during the height of the 2020 presidential campaign. Republicans have seized on the document, signed by 51 former intelligence officials..., as a prime piece of evidence ... that the missive was written at the behest of President Biden's allies to distract from salacious material found on the abandoned laptop of his son Hunter Biden, and that it ultimately helped the elder Mr. Biden defeat ... Donald J. Trump. In the letter, reported at the time by Politico, former intelligence officials holding impressive national security credentials wrote that they believed that the contents of the laptop -- full of evidence of drug use, prostitution and foreign business deals -- could be part of a Russian campaign aimed at influencing the election, though they emphasized that they had no knowledge that was true.... Three years later, no concrete evidence has emerged to confirm the assertion that the laptop contained Russian disinformation, and portions of its contents have been verified as authentic. Republicans now say they have uncovered evidence that the letter was part of a Biden campaign operation." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It is impossible for me to exaggerate how little I care what kind of crap Hunter Biden was up to in 2020 & before. He does not have a government job, he is not part of a Biden "kitchen cabinet," as far as I know, and the Saudis have not given him $2BB in funny money.

Azi Paybarah of the Washington Post: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) rebuffed a move by Democrats to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), telling reporters the matter should be handled by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) introduced a measure Tuesday to expel Santos, who was recently indicted. Under House rules, the privileged motion would require a vote, a move to table or referral to committee within two days. The measure stands little chance in the chamber, where it would need a two-thirds majority to pass. 'I think these accusations are very serious,' but 'you have to have process,' McCarthy said Tuesday in Washington.... Santos was charged by federal prosecutors earlier this month with 13 financial crimes, including defrauding his donors, using their money for his personal benefit and wrongfully claiming unemployment benefits."

Sad News from the Gossip Pages. Jesse Paul & Nancy Lofholm of the Colorado Sun: "U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert has filed for divorce from her husband, Jayson, the Garfield County Republican announced Tuesday. The couple has been married for roughly two decades." (Also linked yesterday evening.)

Marie: Yesterday I linked a Guardian story about a lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani that included this allegation: "The lawsuit also included an allegation that Giuliani asked [the complainant Noelle] Dunphy 'if she knew anyone in need of a pardon' because 'he was selling pardons for $2m, which he and President Trump would split'. The complaint added that he told Dunphy she could refer people seeking pardons to him as long as she avoided 'the normal channels' of going through the office of the pardon attorney, a role within the Department of Justice, which could be subject to public disclosure." In her first segment, Nicole Wallace of MSNBC ran a segment on the suit. NYT reporter Michael Schmidt reminded us that a story he & Ken Vogel reported a story in January 2021, that had, well, surprisingly similar content:

“A onetime top adviser to the Trump campaign was paid $50,000 to help seek a pardon for John Kiriakou, a former C.I.A. officer convicted of illegally disclosing classified information, and agreed to a $50,000 bonus if the president granted it, according to a copy of an agreement. And Mr. Kiriakou was separately told that Mr. Trump's personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani could help him secure a pardon for $2 million. Mr. Kiriakou rejected the offer, but an associate, fearing that Mr. Giuliani was illegally selling pardons, alerted the F.B.I. Mr. Giuliani challenged this characterization.... Mr. Kiriakou said he also broached his quest for a pardon during a meeting last year with Mr. Giuliani and his associates on another subject at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, which involved substantial alcohol. When Mr. Giuliani went to the bathroom at one point, one of his confidants turned to Mr. Kiriakou and suggested Mr. Giuliani could help. But 'it's going to cost $2 million -- he's going to want two million bucks,' Mr. Kiriakou recalled the associate saying." ~~~

     ~~~ I guess we know now why, as he was being ushered out the White House door, Trump pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), who went to jail for attempted to sell the U.S. Senate seat Barack Obama vacated in 2021 just before he became president.

Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The limping conclusion to John H. Durham's four-year investigation of the Russia inquiry underscores a recurring dilemma in American government: how to shield sensitive law enforcement investigations from politics without creating prosecutors who can run amok, never to be held to account.... Attorney General William P. Barr set [Mr. Durham] up to fail the moment he assigned Mr. Durham to find evidence proving Mr. Trump's claims about the Russia investigation.... Credit for Mr. Durham's only courtroom success, a guilty plea by an F.B.I. lawyer who doctored an email during preparations for a wiretap renewal, belongs to [DOJ inspector general Michael] Horowitz, who uncovered the misconduct.... Before Mr. Horowitz released his December 2019 report, Mr. Durham [unsuccessfully] lobbied him to drop [the] finding [that there was no evidence that F.B.I. actions were politically motivated.]... Mr. Barr's public statements about Mr. Durham's investigation also helped foster [false] perceptions that he had found something big." Read on. MB: Savage is one of the best analysts in mainstream journalism, and his ability to synthesize years of developments into a short, cogent storyline is impressive. ~~~

~~~ Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: "A report by the special counsel John H. Durham on the origins of the F.B.I.'s investigation into the Trump campaign's work with Russia recommended no further prosecutions, produced no startling revelations and declined to suggest any 'wholesale changes' to F.B.I. rules for politically sensitive investigations.... Yet the former president and his allies in the conservative media bubble and in Congress found in Mr. Durham's 306-page report what they needed. In their view, the contents amplify a long-held position that the F.B.I.'s investigation into Russia's intervention in the 2016 election, known as Crossfire Hurricane -- and the Trump campaign's active or passive abetting of it -- was a political vendetta concocted by Hillary Clinton and her willing accomplices in federal law enforcement." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Surprise, Surprise. Except that Durham's "report about nothing" has been published, this is pretty much a reprise of Bill Barr's "explaining" the Mueller report findings to the public. It would not matter if Durham had titled the report, "No Official Corruption Found," MAGA voters/Foxbots would believe whatever their dear leaders said was in the report. ~~~

~~~ Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post: "There have been four major investigations into Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election and the FBI's handling of the subject -- a 2019 report released by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, a 2019 Justice Department inspector general report, a bipartisan report by the Senate Intelligence Committee issued in 2020 by a GOP-controlled Senate, and now a 2023 report released by special counsel John Durham. All told, the reports add up to about 2,500 pages of dense prose and sometimes contradictory conclusions. But broad themes can be deduced from a close reading of the evidence gathered in the lengthy documents, as well as indictments and testimony on related criminal cases. Russia tried to swing the 2016 election to Trump[.]... The FBI had reason to investigate a tip [from an Australian diplomat] suggesting Trump campaign involvement[.]... The Trump campaign welcomed help from Russia[.]... The "Steele dossier" proved to be a red herring[.]

** Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times explores Republicans' embrace of vigilantism against liberals and people of color. He also does a great job of explaining the meaning of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Justin George & Ian Duncan of the Washington Post: "A personal computer in Russia was used to breach [Washington, D.C.] Metro's computer network earlier this year after the transit agency repeatedly was warned that cybersecurity deficiencies left its systems open to information theft and national security threats, according to a report released Wednesday. The unauthorized January log-in into Metro's cloud-based system from a computer belonging to a former I.T. contractor drew the attention of Metro's Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The watchdog agency had warned Metro for months that investigators had uncovered widespread and long-standing security issues, including years of missing computer security updates, interdepartmental disputes that hamstring Metro's cybersecurity team, Russia-based contractors receiving high-level clearances and other security holes that required immediate attention. Metro's sluggish response prompted Inspector General Rene Febles in recent weeks to elevate the concerns to federal law enforcement, homeland security and transportation agencies while briefing multiple congressional committees...."

Erin Cox of the Washington Post: "Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed into law Tuesday new gun-control bills to restrict who can carry guns in public and where they can bring them, measures the National Rifle Association immediately challenged in federal court. Gun rights activists have been eager to leverage a watershed Supreme Court decision in June that expanded the Second Amendment's reach, as left-leaning states rushed to buttress their long-standing concealed carry permit restrictions that the ruling effectively overturned. Since the ruling, the number of people [in Maryland] now allowed to carry concealed guns in public has more than tripled, according to data from the Maryland State Police." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The extremist Supreme Court has made this country unsafe for anyone, anywhere. (Oh, except for themselves. They all have protection at home [though who knows how good that is!], and they work in a gun-free building.

Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: "Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed tech mogul Elon Musk for records as part of a lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, court records showed Monday, surrounding the bank's relationship with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The government charged in its lawsuit that the bank helped facilitate Epstein's long history of child sex trafficking, and used Epstein's relationships with other wealthy individuals to procure new business. Lawyers from the U.S. Virgin Islands wrote in a motion that 'Epstein may have referred or attempted to refer' Musk, the owner of Twitter and chief executive of SpaceX, to JPMorgan as a client. JPMorgan has said the allegations are meritless. Prosecutors told Judge Jed S. Rakoff of the Southern District of New York that they have been unable to serve Musk the subpoena. They asked Monday for permission to serve Tesla instead as Musk's registered agent.... But Musk's counsel would not grant permission to accept the subpoena on his client's behalf. Instead, prosecutors hired a private investigative firm to locate Musk and hand-deliver the records, but a courier was turned away upon arrival at Tesla's Austin headquarters...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I don't think the lede is correct. The government has not subpoenaed Musk if he has not received the subpoena. It's like saying "The sheriff has jailed the fugitive," while officials are still looking for the guy. Besides, Musk has already testified on Twitter: "On Twitter late Monday, Musk called the subpoena 'idiotic on so many levels,' and said of Epstein, 'That cretin never advised me on anything whatsoever.'" ~~~

~~~ Chris Isidore of CNN: "Elon Musk launched a baseless Twitter attack on George Soros, a frequent target for antisemitic conspiracy theories, accusing the financier of hating humanity days after Soros disclosed having sold off a modest stake in Tesla.... In a tweet late Monday, Musk compared him to X-Men villain Magneto, who like Soros was a survivor of the Holocaust, according to the comics' back story for the character. When a Twitter user defended Soros as having good intentions..., Musk responded, 'You assume they are good intentions. They are not. He wants to erode the very fabric of civilization. Soros hates humanity.' Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, a civil right group that tracks and battles incidents of antisemitism, criticized Musk's comment and said it 'will embolden extremists.'" ~~~

     ~~~ Baby Elon Stamps His Widdle Feet. Dan Milmo of the Guardian: Elon Musk "said he is 'allowed to say what I want to', as he defended a tweet posted on Tuesday saying [George Soros] 'reminds me of Magneto' -- the Jewish villain in the X-Men series. In an interview with US broadcaster CNBC on Tuesday, he said: 'I'll say what I want to say and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it.'" MB: It apparently never occurs to Musk that his antisemitic tweets have any effect on Soros, on other Jews or on Musk's own Twitter followers. Nope, it's all about whether or not Elon makes money.

     ~~~ Marie: It has become more and more clear that when Musk promised Twitter would be a "free-speech" zone, what he meant was "free slander." ~~~

~~~ Donald Moynihan in the Bulwark: "Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter is forcing us to come to terms with a new reality: a social media platform where the person running it is himself spreading the misinformation.... Musk often refers to himself as moderate or independent, but he routinely treats far-right fringe figures as people worth taking seriously -- and, more troublingly, as reliable sources of information.... Elon Musk ... loves conspiracy theories.... Musk's skepticism seems largely to extend to criticism of the far-right, while his credulity for right-wing sources is boundless.... Musk had his own stock of misinformation to add to the pile.... All of this was already concerning when Musk was simply the world's wealthiest man and worst shitposter, but it should frankly alarm us now that he oversees the decisions of the major social media platform where he posts." Moynihan cites numerous examples to back up his claims about Musk's crazy right-wing disinformation enhancement program.

Beyond the Beltway

Florida/Texas. This Could End Badly. Lori Rozsa of the Washington Post: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he's sending [1,301] law enforcement officers -- along with aircraft, drones and boats -- to Texas, deploying state resources toward an issue he is likely to make a centerpiece of his expected presidential run.... The move comes at the request of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who on Tuesday 'urged the nation's Governors' to help with border security in his state, according to a statement from his office. DeSantis was quick to answer, and the personnel and equipment may start heading to Texas as early as Wednesday. The deployment comes amid DeSantis's ongoing criticism of President Biden and federal immigration policies."

Massachusetts. Alanna Richer & Eric Tucker of the AP: "Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins will resign following a monthslong investigation by the Justice Department's inspector general into her appearance at a political fundraiser and other potential ethics issues, her attorney said Tuesday. The Justice Department's watchdog has yet to release its report detailing the findings of its investigation, but an attorney for Rollins told The Associated Press that she will be submitting a letter of resignation to President Joe Biden by close of business Friday. The resignation of a U.S. attorney amid ethics concerns is an exceedingly rare phenomenon and is especially notable for a Justice Department that under Attorney General Merrick Garland has sought to restore a sense of normalcy and good governance following the turbulent four years of the Trump administration."

North Carolina. Kate Kelly of the New York Times: "North Carolina's Republican-dominated legislature upheld a bill Tuesday night to ban most abortions after 12 weeks, overriding the Democratic governor's recent veto of the new restrictions. The success of the override vote was a victory for Republicans and a critical test of their new, but slim, supermajority. The vote, taken in both chambers in back-to-back sessions, means a dramatic change for abortion access in North Carolina, where abortion is currently legal up to 20 weeks. The vote also restricts access for women across the South, who have traveled to North Carolina for abortions from states where the procedure was banned. The new law is set to take effect July 1."

Oregon. Mike Baker of the New York Times: "Frustrated, powerless and with little hope of regaining significant influence anytime soon, Republican lawmakers in Oregon have in recent years turned repeatedly to a disruptive tactic: boycotting their own legislature. The stalling strategy, with senators fleeing the State Capitol to avoid casting a vote, has at times proved effective in a state where two-thirds of lawmakers must be present in order for the legislature to conduct business. It has been so disruptive that voters altered the Constitution last year to punish those who were repeatedly absent by barring them from re-election.... This week, in the first significant test of the new law, three state senators reached the legal threshold of 10 unexcused absences.... Republicans have signaled that they may challenge the new constitutional provision in court." Thanks to Ken W. for the lead.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here.: "The chair of Ukraine's Supreme Court was removed from his post after being arrested in a bribery investigation, two anti-corruption bodies said on Tuesday. The agencies did not identify the chair by name, but said it was the Supreme Court chief. On Tuesday, Vsevolod Knyazev was dismissed as chief justice after an overwhelming majority of the court's judges voted to strip him of the position, according to local news reports. The authorities accused the justice of accepting $2.7 million in bribes." ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Wednesday is here. The Guardian's live updates for Wednesday are here. The Guardian's daily summary report is here.

News Lede

New York Times: "The man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students last year has been indicted by a grand jury and will be arraigned on murder charges next week, a court spokesman said Wednesday. The suspect, Bryan Kohberger, a former graduate student in criminology at a nearby university, was arrested in the case in December but has yet to enter a plea."

Comments

[P.D.Pepe]

During a congressional hearing yesterday, Ms Margie, green as a string bean, showed once again that she is unfit for office. I know I shouldn't be shocked––-there are so many of these right-wing critters sitting in those leather seats, but this little lady takes the cake.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marjorie-taylor-greene_n_64648210e4b0005c6055d92f

Wow! Rudy done do hisself in big time. The salacious sex stuff alone is catnip for some criminal probes. And after 9/11 he was touted as the mayor of the year or something like that. What a sorry ass human being.

[Akhilleus]

Heads we win, tails you lose…oh, forget it. You lose. Period.

Traitors all across the country are scheming up newer and eviler ways to fuck things up, make sure they’re never held accountable for anything, steal elections, or barring that, ensure that Democrats can’t do anything.

In addition to likely succeeding in holding the full faith and credit of the United States hostage, and out in Oregon simply refusing to show up cuz they haven’t been able to gerrymander their way into full control, in other places, they’re pulling out all the stops to defang Lady Justice if she turns in their baleful, criminal, and treasonous direction.

Down in Georgia, the traitors are watching, drooling mouths agape, as an uppity colored lady goes after their Dear Leader, the insurrection leading, authoritarian, doubly impeached rapist.

“We can’t allow this shit!” They all say, swearing on their Nathan Bedford Forrest Bible that something must be done to grind the wheels of Justice to a halt.

A-ha! We’ll pass a law that lets us kick out any prosecutors going after one of us! Eureka.

No. You reek-a.

And so, they do. And they did. And the Guv of GA signed it.

From the AP, with helpful translation from the original Treasonish:

“Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill into law Friday creating a new commission empowered to discipline and remove wayward prosecutors, saying it will curb ‘far-left prosecutors’ who are ‘making our communities less safe.’”

(Kemp signed a bill that lets his traitor pals boot prosecutors doing their job so he and they can continue their rampage against rule of law.)

To continue…

“‘I am not going to stand idly by as rogue or incompetent prosecutors refuse to uphold the law,’ Kemp said. ‘Today we are sending a message that we will not forfeit public safety for prosecutors to let criminals off the hook.’”

(I am not going to allow respected and highly competent prosecutors to get after our criminal asses. Fuck that.”)

Don’t look now Fani Willis, but the guys in the white hoods will be coming after you too.

This idea isn’t new to Georgia. The way it works now in traitor land is one bunch of assholes comes up with an idea to screw the public and evade the law and they all wanna join in. Half a dozen other (red) states have passed similar laws to ensure that “urban” prosecutors (read: black) can be removed if they piss off the traitors.

(This may have already been reported out here, so perhaps I missed it…)

https://apnews.com/article/brian-kemp-georgia-prosecutor-district-attorney-remove-7987cd538ab3ccdc713ae4d2b2aec32b

[Akhilleus]

The much hoped for Chaos at the Border ⟨™⟩ hasn’t occurred, giving PoT bigots a huge sad. So…Ronito deSantolini is sending his storm troopers to meet up with Texass Guv Abbott’s heavily armed rootin’ tootin’ AR shootin’ thugs. They sho nuff’ll be chaos there soon enough. Can’t have immigrant stuff goin’ on without some target practice, know whaddamean? Wink, wink…

[RAS]

When you remember that most of what the Right says is projection the Elon response makes perfect sense, "You assume they are good intentions. They are not. He wants to erode the very fabric of civilization. Soros Musk hates humanity."

[Patrick]

Elon's AI program has not yet learned that you don't "erode" the fabric of civ, you "unravel" it or, better, "rend" it.

See what you get with self-driving twits? And the horse erode in on.

[Marie Burns]

@Patrick. True (wish I'd caught that). "And the horse erode in on": very droll.

[Akhilleus]

PD,

Thanks for that link. Unfortunately, it displays a blurry graphic from a 1964 New Yorker, pretty much unreadable. They offer a link to their archives but you have to be a subscriber, which I am not currently (I was one for years, but you can only read so much). I’m due for a bookstore run today or tomorrow (but don’t tell my wife! “More books? Where will we put them?”) and I’ll check to see what Spender volumes are on the shelves.

[Akhilleus]

More ways to screw the country…

You may have noticed that President Biden (a non-asterisked president) had to cancel a trip to meet with the Quad Nations, comprised of the US, India, Australia, and Japan, in order to stay home and change My Kevin’s diaper. One more way these selfish assholes get in the way.

It doesn’t matter to Party of Traitor isolationist, navel gazing, solipsistic, xenophobic douchebags that an important international conference had to be canceled because they waited til the very last minute to pull this hostage taking bullshit, a scheme that doesn’t have a half-moon lit shadow of policy underlying it, it’s simply the same old waaaahh we want our way!! vulture droppings.

But for Americans who care about the realpolitik of our role as an international leader and an attempt to counter the specter of Chinese dominance across the Pacific Rim, a situation made much worse after four years of a treasonous, isolationist, navel gazing, solipsistic, xenophobic douchebag, such connections are very important indeed.

But, as usual, we have to drop everything to deal with the infantile percolations from a party of nitwit incompetents.

Well done, dunderheads, as always.

[Akhilleus]

Is that chortling I hear from disinformation trolls in the Kremlin?

замечательный! Sez Vlad’s Chief of Democracy Fucking! Wonderful. Please to be sending Comrade Durham Орден Ленина medal! Have not given Americanski Order of Lenin medal since sending to Donaldavich Trumpskyev.

Americans so stupid! We elect dumbski and they write report saying we did nothing!! Ha! Could not have done better ourselves.

Pass vodka! Na Zdorovie!

Cannot wait for 2024 campaign. Big fuckski coming. Hahaha!

[Patrick]

Sad to say, the Order of Lenin has been on sale as a tourist trinket at Russian yard sales and sheriff's auctions since 1991. As your Russian high school kid would say, "Lenin who?"

Far more appropriate for Vlad to award to Gospodin (NOT!! Tovarisch!!) Durham is the Saint Andrew, which brought back the Romanov bling in a big way suitable for impressing folks who like gilt and shiny facets. Gaze on it in awe, and reflect on the mighty power of the Russian Federation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_St._Andrew