May 24, 2023

Afternoon/Evening Update:

Mike Lillis of the Hill: "Every House Democrat has endorsed the discharge petition to force a vote on legislation to hike the debt ceiling and prevent a default, party leaders announced Wednesday. The signatures of the last final holdouts -- Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Ed Case (D-Hawaii) -- puts the total number at 213, meaning Democratic leaders still need to find five Republicans if the petition is to be successful. 'It takes a handful of members of the GOP to say, "Enough,"' Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.), the Democratic whip, told reporters in the Capitol. That's a heavy lift, since it would require GOP lawmakers to buck the wishes of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who is in tense negotiations with the White House over a debt-ceiling package and is opposed to a vote on the 'clean' debt-limit hike preferred by Democrats." ~~~

     ~~~ Monmouth University: "Half of Americans say the debt ceiling issue should be dealt with cleanly, while just 1 in 4 want to tie it to federal spending negotiations, according to the Monmouth ... University Poll. A plurality agrees with predictions that the country will suffer significant economic problems if the debt ceiling is not raised -- a view that increases to a clear majority among those who have been paying a lot of attention to the issue."

In case you care, the New York Times is liveblogging Ron DeSantis' announcement(s) of his presidential candidacy. ~~~

     Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. Twitter's "servers were apparently overloaded, crashing repeatedly. Twenty minutes into the 'broadcast,' Mr. DeSantis had yet to be heard from, though Twitter personnel could be heard lamenting the situation." [MB: This is not a broadcast, even if it ever gets running; "broadcast" means radio or TV signals sent over the air waves.] Maggie Haberman: "One Republican messaged with what may become a name used by the Trump team: 'DeSaster.'" Shane Goldmacher: "The Biden campaign is appearing to to revel in the glitches. The @JoeBiden account tweeted a donation link with the words, 'This link works.'"

Andrea Cambron, et al., of CNN: "A man arrested for having an AK-47 on school property walked up to the CIA Headquarters' gate in Virginia and allegedly said, 'I'm here and I have a gun,' a law enforcement source told CNN. Uniformed federal officers turned him away at the gate Tuesday and notified Fairfax County police of his description, the source said Wednesday. The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Eric Sandow of Gainesville, Florida, was later arrested and charged with felony possession of a firearm on school property, police said. He allegedly trespassed on the grounds of Dolley Madison Preschool around 11 a.m. Tuesday, police said. The preschool is less than 1.5 miles from CIA Headquarters and about a 10-minute drive to major landmarks in Washington, DC, including the National Mall."

Trump, More Crazy After All These Years. Isaac Arnsdorf, et al., of the Washington Post: "On ... a host of subjects, from sexual assault to foreign and domestic policy, Trump's positions have become even more extreme, his tone more confrontational, his accounts less tethered to reality, according to a Washington Post review of Trump's speeches and interviews with former aides. Where he was at times ambiguous or equivocal, he's now brazenly defiant.... To experts who have reviewed his proposals, Trump is sketching out the contours of a second term potentially more dangerous and chaotic than his first. Critics across the political spectrum have voiced alarm at his increasingly menacing rhetoric. [For instance:] Not only has Trump never acknowledged his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, but over time his false claims of rampant fraud have become more elaborate."

Joyce Lee, et al., of the Washington Post: "In the year since the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Tex., much of the blame for law enforcement's decision to wait more than an hour to confront the gunman has centered on the former chief of the school district's small police force. But a Washington Post investigation has found that the costly delay was also driven by the inaction of an array of senior and supervising law enforcement officers who remain on the job and had direct knowledge a shooting was taking place inside classrooms but failed to swiftly stop the gunman."

South Carolina. Meredith Deliso of ABC News: "A grand jury has indicted convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced South Carolina attorney, on federal fraud charges, prosecutors announced Wednesday. Murdaugh, 54, is currently serving life in prison after being convicted of murdering his wife and their youngest son. The federal grand jury returned a 22-count indictment against Murdaugh for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; bank fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina said.... The alleged schemes involved routing clients' settlement funds to his own accounts as well as a fake account under the name 'Forge,' as well as conspiring with a banker to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. The banker, Russell Laffitte, was convicted on six federal charges in connection with the scheme in November 2022, prosecutors said. The indictment further alleges that Murdaugh conspired with another personal injury attorney to defraud the estate of his former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died after a fall at Murdaugh's home in February 2018, and funnel nearly $3.5 million into his 'fake Forge' account 'for his own personal enrichment,' prosecutors said."

Texas. David Goodman of the New York Times: "The barely concealed disdain brewing for months among top Republicans in Texas burst into public view this week when the attorney general, Ken Paxton, who is under indictment, accused the speaker of the Texas House of performing his duties while drunk and called for the speaker's resignation. The move on Tuesday sent a shock through Austin. Then, less than an hour later, word came that Mr. Paxton might have had a personal motive for attacking the speaker, Dade Phelan: A House committee had subpoenaed records from Mr. Paxton's office, as part of an inquiry into the attorney general's request for $3.3 million in state money to settle corruption allegations brought against him by his own former high-ranking aides." ~~~

~~~ Jack Despart & James Barragan of the Texas Tribune: "A Texas House committee heard stunning testimony Wednesday from investigators over allegations of a yearslong pattern of misconduct and questionable actions by Attorney General Ken Paxton, the result of a probe the committee had secretly authorized in March. In painstaking and methodical detail in a rare public forum, four investigators for the House General Investigating Committee testified that they believe Paxton broke numerous state laws, misspent office funds and misused his power to benefit a friend and political donor."

~~~~~~~~~~

Olivia Beavers of Politico: "House Republicans are bidding for steep spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. First, though, they paused during their private weekly meeting on Tuesday to bid for something else: Speaker Kevin McCarthy's used chapstick. Really. The fundraising auction of McCarthy's used cherry lip balm ended when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) placed a winning $100,000 bid.... She only began bidding after the California Republican chose to sweeten the deal: He agreed to attend a dinner with the winner and whichever donors and supporters they planned to bring along. That cash is headed for the House GOP campaign arm." MB: I was sure My Kevin would use the proceeds to help close the deficit. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

AND for P.D. Pepe, this is what came to mind.Josh Gerstein of Politico: "A judge in Boston has ordered a hearing next week on one of the key arguments that President Joe Biden has the legal authority to ignore the debt limit statute and continue to pay the federal government's bills. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns set a May 31 hearing on a lawsuit filed by a federal workers union contending that the 14th Amendment empowers Biden and other officials to sidestep the standoff with Congress that has threatened a potential default.... Before setting the May 31 argument date, Stearns said he didn't see the union's request for a decision by June 1 as realistic.... Stearns did not get a direct answer when he asked Justice Department lawyer Alexander Ely whether the department disagrees with the central argument in the suit.... Ely said he was not authorized to stake out a position on that question and he suggested that the department would argue that the union's suit is not a proper vehicle to force DOJ to come to a legal conclusion." Stearns is a Clinton appointee. (Also linked yesterday.)

** Matt Richtel, et al., of the New York Times: "The nation’s top health official issued an extraordinary public warning on Tuesday about the risks of social media to young people, urging a push to fully understand the possible 'harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.' In a 19-page advisory, the United States surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, noted that the effects of social media on adolescent mental health were not fully understood, and that social media can be beneficial to some users. Nonetheless, he wrote, 'There are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.' The report included practical recommendations to help families guide children's social media use." ~~~

     ~~~ An op-ed by Dr. Murthy, published in the Washington Post, is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This is a bold move. Murthy recognizes that, as always, young people need to explore the outside world by the means available to them. At the same time, he urges, they must be active participants in the real world that surrounds them.

Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "The House Ethics Committee closed its investigation into allegations that Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) had ties to a Chinese intelligence operative.... While Swalwell has maintained that he was not accused of wrongdoing, Republicans weaponized the allegation against him, most recently in January when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) cited the alleged link to Fang when blocking Swalwell from serving on the House Intelligence Committee.... Swalwell -- who served as an impeachment manager in ... Donald Trump';s second impeachment -- noted that, despite the FBI repeatedly clearing him of any wrongdoing, an unnamed House Republican still filed a complaint against him, a move he described as an attempt to level 'false smears' to silence him.... 'The bipartisan House Ethics Committee had this case for over two years.... They received answers from me in response to requests for information. Today, they are closing this matter and did not make a finding of any wrongdoing,' [Swalwell said]."

This budget-conscious mom is making federal budgetary decisions for all of us: ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Luciano of Mediaite: On Tuesday, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) said at a House committee hearing, "I actually have a fun little story. My staff is probably gonna talk to me about this later, but I left a prescription at a pharmacy once. I went to get birth control and I was there at the counter and went to pay for it. And the price was very, very high.... And I said, 'It's cheaper to have a kid.' And I left it there and now I have my third son, Kaydon Boebert." MB: According to a Brookings Institution study published last year, it costs more than $310,000 to rear a child to age 17. That of course does not include the costs of sending the kid to college. So what was the price of those birth control pills, Lauren? Half-a-billion-dollars or what?

Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said on Tuesday night that he and his colleagues on the Supreme Court were continuing to take steps to address questions about the justices' ethical standards amid a barrage of allegations of misconduct and a push by some lawmakers to tighten the rules. 'I want to assure people that I am committed to making certain that we as a court adhere to the highest standards of conduct,' he said. 'We are continuing to look at things we can do to give practical effect to that commitment, and I am confident that there are ways to do that consistent with our status as an independent branch of government and the Constitution's separation of powers.'... The remarks on Tuesday by Chief Justice Roberts, offered at an awards ceremony, were his first extensive public reflections, he said, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic." MB: Thanks, John. That should stop critics in their tracks. ~~~

     ~~~ For some reason, Akhilleus thinks that the video below is an analogy for Roberts' sudden interest in Supreme Court "ethics." Could Akhilleus be thinking of Mrs. John Roberts, who has raked in millions from law firms, some of whim had business before the Court? ~~~

When You're a Billionaire, You Can Do What You Want. Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "Lawyers for Harlan Crow, the rightwing billionaire whose friendship with and gifts to the conservative supreme court justice Clarence Thomas are the focus of swirling scandal, have rejected Senate Democrats' request for answers about the relationship. In a letter first reported by Bloomberg News on Tuesday, lawyers for Crow rejected a request from Dick Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who chairs the Senate judiciary committee, for a list of gifts to Thomas. Durbin's committee, the letter said, had not 'identified a valid legislative purpose for its investigation and is not authorised to conduct an ethics investigation of a supreme court justice'... Crow has already rebuffed the Senate finance committee, which also sought a list of gifts. Earlier this month, the chair of that panel, the Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, indicated he could seek to compel cooperation.... The judiciary committee could also issue a subpoena...." ~~~

     ~~~ Chris Geidner, the Law Dork: "Harlan Crow — through [law firm] Gibson Dunn's Michael D. Bopp -- told Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin that he has decided what the law is and that Durbin has no 'authority' here. What's more, Crow -- through Bopp -- has decided not just what the law is but what Congress can do. (He just needs to tell us what the president can do and he'd have a three-branch trifecta!)... Crow has told Durbin and the nation that he -- a private person -- can himself decide that the Supreme Court is exempt from statutory ethics rules and then can also decide that those limits he has created absolutely bar legislation from even being considered to address the Supreme Court's ethics and that, because of those conclusions he has made, he can ignore Durbin's requests." MB: The hubris of billionaires exceeds even their vast wealth.

So Unfa-a-a-a-ir! Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Lawyers for ... Donald J. Trump sent a letter on Tuesday requesting a meeting with Attorney General Merrick B. Garland related to the special counsel investigations into Mr. Trump's conduct. The letter cited no specifics but asserted that Mr. Trump was being treated unfairly by the Justice Department through the investigations led by the special counsel, Jack Smith.... 'Unlike President Biden, his son Hunter and the Biden family, President Trump is being treated unfairly,' the lawyers for Mr. Trump, James Trusty and John Rowley, wrote to Mr. Garland. 'No president of the United States has ever, in the history of our country, been baselessly investigated in such outrageous and unlawful fashion,' they wrote." The ABC News report, which broke the story, is here. MB: Sounds as if Trump ghost-wrote the letter. ~~~

~~~ Aruna Viswanatha, et al., of the Wall Street Journal: "Special counsel Jack Smith has all but finished obtaining testimony and other evidence in his criminal investigation into whether ... Donald Trump mishandled classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, according to people familiar with the matter.... n recent weeks prosecutors working for Smith have completed interviews with nearly every employee at Trump's Florida home, from top political aides to maids and maintenance staff, the people said. Prosecutors have pressed witnesses -- some in multiple rounds of testimony -- on questions that appeared to home in on specific elements Smith's team would need to show to prove a crime, including those that speak to Trump's intentions, and questions aimed at undermining potential defenses Trump could raise, they said.... Smith's team ... has obtained evidence that appears to show Trump held on to sensitive documents after being asked to relinquish them...." Firewalled. If you can't access the article via RealityChex, try copying & pasting a significant clause into Google's search bar.(Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Very Unfa-a-a-a-ir!Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "The trial of Donald J. Trump has been scheduled for March 25, 2024, the judge presiding over his Manhattan criminal case said at a hearing on Tuesday. Mr. Trump attended the hearing remotely, making his first courtroom appearance since 34 felony charges were unveiled against him last month. He appeared to react angrily when the trial date was announced by Justice Juan Merchan, though his microphone was muted and it was unclear what he was saying to the lawyer seated next to him, Todd Blanche.... [Mr. Trump] immediately grew agitated, chattering at Mr. Blanche with his microphone muted, waving his hands and shaking his head. He then folded his arms in frustration as the judge reviewed the updated motion schedule that would precede the trial.... Mr. Trump's appearance on Tuesday ... last[ed] about 20 minutes. Justice Merchan mentioned the restrictions that he had placed on Mr. Trump's use of material from the case, asking Mr. Blanche whether he had reviewed those restrictions with his client. Mr. Blanche said that he had." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: Justice Juan Merchan "warned [Donald] Trump that disclosing documents the defense obtains from the district attorney as part of pretrial discovery is strictly prohibited -- limits that were imposed in recognition of Trump's habit of making social media attacks against his detractors.... Trump, whose microphone was muted at this point, appeared annoyed as he was put on notice of potential punishments. Merchan has imposed a protective order on Trump and his defense team, barring them from publicly circulating -- including on social media -- evidence that is not already in the public domain. Such orders are not uncommon." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The AP's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump responded to the trial date by writing, in part, on his knock-off Twitter account, "... Very unfair, but this is exactly what the Radical Left Democrats wanted. It's called ELECTION INTERFERENCE, and nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before!!!"

Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: "A Texas man who joined other rioters at the U.S. Capitol trying to break into the Speaker's Lobby, where a woman who was a part of the mob on Jan. 6, 2021, was fatally shot by the police, was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly seven years in prison, the Justice Department said. The man, Christopher R. Grider, 41, of Eddy, Texas, had also tried to shut off the electricity at the Capitol, pressing buttons on an electric utility box while yelling, 'Turn the power off!' according to prosecutors. Mr. Grider, who operates a vineyard in Central Texas, pleaded guilty last year to entering a restricted area and unlawfully parading at the Capitol, his lawyer said. He went to trial on seven other charges, including civil disorder and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., convicted him on all counts."

Leo Sands, et al., of the Washington Post: "A 19-year-old Missouri man was arrested after police say he intentionally crashed a rented U-Haul truck near the White House, and investigators recovered a Nazi flag from the vehicle. The man, whom police identified as Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Mo., was charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or a family member, along with other counts including assault with a dangerous weapon and trespassing.... The crash prompted the evacuation of the nearby Hay-Adams hotel, and roads and walkways were closed during the investigation, according to the Secret Service." This story updates a Reuters story linked yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ This story has been updated. New Lede: "A 19-year-old Missouri man with a Nazi flag who police say crashed a rented U-Haul truck into a barrier near the White House on Monday night told authorities he planned to seize power and kill the president if he had to, according to newly released court records. The man, identified as Sai Varshith Kandula, told police he bought the flag because 'Nazis have a great history' and he admired their 'authoritarian nature, Eugenics, and their one world order,' according to the court document. He called Adolf Hitler 'a strong leader' and said he would 'hurt anyone that would stand in my way,' the court document says." An NBC News story is here.

Anne D'Innocenzio of the AP: "Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers.... Target declined to say which items it was removing but among the ones that garnered the most attention were 'tuck friendly' women's swimsuits that allow trans women who have not had gender-affirming operations to conceal their private parts.... Target's Pride month collection has ... been the subject of several misleading videos in recent weeks, with social media users falsely claiming the retailer is selling 'tuck-friendly' bathing suits designed for kids or in kids' sizes."

Presidential Race 2024. Marie: Okay, now I'm definitely voting for DeSantolini. Because ~~~

~~~ Shane Goldmacher, et al., of the New York Times: "Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is planning to announce the start of his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday in a live audio conversation on Twitter with Elon Musk, the platform's polarizing owner, according to people with knowledge of his plans.... Mr. Musk said at an event with The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that he was not formally throwing his support behind Mr. DeSantis, or any other Republican.... Mr. DeSantis [also] is expected to appear on Wednesday evening on Fox News in an interview with Trey Gowdy, a former congressman from South Carolina, according to the network." NBC News broke DeSantis' plan here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: My slow brain just homed in on "a live audio conversation." Well, Radio Days. We're not going to even see DeSantolini announce his presidential intentions. A stealth candidacy for the 21st century. Outstanding!

Beyond the Beltway

Hannah Natanson of the Washington Post: "Books about LGBTQ people are fast becoming the main target of a historic wave of school book challenges -- and a large percentage of the complaints come from a minuscule number of hyperactive adults, a first-of-its-kind Washington Post analysis found.... Individuals who filed 10 or more complaints were responsible for two-thirds of all challenges.... The majority of the 1,000-plus book challenges analyzed by The Post were filed by just 11 people."

Arizona. Vaughn Hillyard & Tim Stelloh of NBC News: "More than six months after losing a bid to be Arizona's governor, former Republican candidate Kari Lake lost another court battle Monday in her effort to overturn Democrat Katie Hobbs' victory. In a 6-page ruling, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ruled that Lake had not provided evidence of misconduct in the county's signature-verification procedures for early ballots. Lake, a former TV anchor and prominent election denier, lost last year's gubernatorial race by 17,117 votes and alleged the victory was marred by misconduct and illegal votes." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Florida. Giselle Ewing of Politico: "A Miami-Dade elementary school has removed Amanda Gorman's presidential inauguration poem, The Hill We Climb, from circulation after a parent complained that it contained indirect 'hate messages.'... The book was removed from circulation from the K-8 Bob Graham Education Center in Miami Lakes after one parent complained in March.... 'I wrote The Hill We Climb so that all young people could see themselves in a historical moment," Gorman wrote ... in a lengthy Twitter statement.... 'Ever since, I've received countless letters and videos from children inspired by The Hill We Climb to write their own poems. Robbing children of the chance to find their voices in literature is a violation of their right to free thought and free speech.'... Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a slate of new educational laws, including a requirement for schools to pull challenged books within five days of a complaint while officials determine if the material should be permanently banned."

Illinois. Ruth Graham of the New York Times: "More than 450 credibly accused child sex abusers have ministered in the Catholic Church in Illinois over almost seven decades, the office of the state's attorney general Kwame Raoul, said Tuesday in an investigative report. That is more than four times the number that the church had publicly disclosed before 2018, when the state began its investigation. The 696-page report found that clergy members and lay religious brothers had abused at least 1,997 children since 1950 in the state's six dioceses, including the prominent Archdiocese of Chicago. The report adds 149 names to lists of child sex abusers whom the dioceses themselves had publicly identified before or during the investigation." MB: Yo, Francis, it's way past time to end the celibacy rule. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

South Carolina. Kate Zernike & Ava Sasani of the New York Times: "The South Carolina Senate passed a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy on Tuesday, after a filibuster led by five women senators, including three Republicans, failed to block it. The bill will drastically reduce access to abortion in a state that has become an unexpected destination for women seeking the procedure as almost every other Southern state has moved toward bans. The legislation now heads to Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican who has said he will sign it. Abortion-rights advocates said they would challenge the ban in court, where it would test a State Supreme Court ruling in January that struck down a previous six-week ban and found a right to abortion in the State Constitution." The Guardian's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The South is now a legal abortion desert, a creation of the confederate Supremes and mostly white Republican men. I have news for Josh Hawley and all the GOP men with their pathetic, mistaken notions of what "manhood" is. Nothing shows more weakness and cowardice than the need to control and bully women, minorities, LGBTQ people, non-Christians, etc., and to strut around carrying guns. Real men -- and women -- have the inner strength and confidence to know and feel that dominating others is reprehensible.

Texas. Ari Berman of Mother Jones: "The Texas legislature passeda series of bills on Monday that amounted to a sweeping power grab giving Republicans more control over how elections are run and administered in the state's most populous Democratic county, which includes the city of Houston and is home to nearly 5 million people. One bill would allow the secretary of state, who is appointed by the state's Republican governor, Greg Abbott, to remove local election officials for 'good cause' based on a 'recurring pattern of problems with election administration.'... A second bill, SB 1750, abolishes the position of election administrator in counties with a population of more than 3.5 million. Once again, only Harris County fits that definition.... The real purpose of the bills, Democrats and voting rights advocates say, is to give Republicans more sway over how elections are conducted in large and diverse urban areas that are trending away from the GOP.... The bills must be approved once more by the state House and reconciled with the state Senate's versions before they are sent to Gov. Abbott." ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Natalie Contreras of the Texas Tribune: The Texas House passed both senate bills.

Texas. David Goodman of the New York Times: "A push to inject religion into public schools across Texas faltered on Tuesday after the State House failed to pass a contentious bill that would have required the Ten Commandments to be displayed prominently in every classroom. The measure was part of an effort by conservative Republicans in the Legislature to expand the reach of religion into the daily life of public schools. In recent weeks, both chambers passed versions of a bill to allow school districts to hire religious chaplains in place of licensed counselors. But the Ten Commandments legislation, which passed the State Senate last month, remained pending before the Texas House until Tuesday, the final day to approve bills before the session ends next Monday. Time expired before the legislation could receive a vote."

Texas. Azi Paybarah of the Washington Post: "Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday called for the resignation of the top lawmaker in the state House of Representatives, accusing fellow Republican Dade Phelan of being 'in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication' while presiding over the legislature late last week. Paxton's comments Tuesday appear to be referring to a video that seems to show Phelan moving slowly and speaking unclearly on Saturday, after what local television station KXAN said was 'the end of a 14-hour day' at the House.... A spokeswoman for Phelan, said in a statement that ... [a House] committee has been investigating Paxton's office since March 'and the motives for and timing behind Paxton's statement today couldn't be more evident.'" Paxton settled with three former aides who reported him to the FBI for corruption and "inappropriate conduct." "But Phelan and other Texas legislators have balked at using taxpayer money to pay for Paxton's settlement." The Texas Tribune story is here.

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The New York Times' live updates of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Wednesday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Wednesday is here: "The United States is trying to distance itself from an incident in the Russian region of Belgorod, which Russia alleged was attacked by pro-Ukrainian fighters. Ukraine has denied direct involvement in the episode. Two heavily damaged U.S.-made Humvees were seen in a video verified by The Washington Post on the Russian side of a border station near Belgorod.... The Pentagon said it did not approve any transfers of equipment to paramilitary organizations outside the Ukrainian military.... Russian forces carried out dozens of airstrikes and rocket attacks over the past 24 hours, according to the Ukrainian military's early Wednesday update."

Mary Ilyushina of the Washington Post: "Russia now effectively controls Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where thousands of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers died in the war's longest and bloodiest battle. But it is unclear that Moscow's disjointed forces will be able to hold the decimated city amid a Ukrainian counterattack that has already begun.... Moscow's fighting forces are stretched thin after months of significant losses and riven by internal rivalries."

Roger Cohen of the New York Times: "A Moscow court, meeting behind closed doors Tuesday, extended the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal correspondent accused of espionage, for more than three months, until August 30. The refusal of bail and the extension of Mr. Gershkovich's detention were widely expected, although Russia has presented no evidence to back the espionage accusation, which is vehemently denied by the United States government and The Wall Street Journal." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Lede

New York Times: "Tina Turner, the earthshaking soul singer whose rasping vocals, sexual magnetism and explosive energy made her an unforgettable live performer and one of the most successful recording artists of all time, died on Wednesday at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Zurich. She was 83."

Comments

[Ken Winkes]

I understand that abortion is seldom intended as "birth control," but it does have that effect: fewer births.

When I read Marie's astute "the South is now a legal abortion desert..."
I thought to look up pre-Dodd birth rates in the U. S..

Here they are from the CDC:

In 2019, birth rates were 17.0 among non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 14.6 among Hispanic, 13.4 among non-Hispanic Black, 13.0 among non-Hispanic Asian, 11.9 among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native, and 9.8 among non-Hispanic White women.

Seems clear from those numbers that Dodd (and crazy white folks who would like to outlaw abortions everywhere) are rushing to make the Great Replacement that so concerns them a fact ASAP.

As a college friend said long ago, "Ain't that the irony?"

[Marie Burns]

@Ken Winkes: Interesting point. In fact, the anti-abortion laws likely will accelerate the so-called Great Replacement. In general, minorities are poorer and therefore less likely to be able to afford to travel to out-of-area abortion-providers. Therefore, the birthrate of minorities in these states will increase faster than that of more affluent white people.

The only way to mitigate this accelerated birth rate among minorities is if all the draconian Southern laws -- voter suppression, anti-immigrant, anti-education, anti-labor, etc. -- drive minorities to leave the South at a faster pace. And that's a possibility -- a possibility that will further depress the South's economy.

Speaking of the cost of birth control, I will take this opportunity to apologize to Lauren Boebert, who thinks having children is cheaper than buying birth control pills. I have made fun of Boebert a number of times on a number of her harebrained ideas, but given that she is so obviously stupid, perhaps that was unfair and cruel of me. I don't believe one should mock people with mental challenges, and Boebert is clearly a raving dimwit -- mentally-challenged person.

[unwashed]

Couldn't Boebert just have purchased a 500-count bottle of inexpensive aspirin instead?

[Akhilleus]

Professional malpractice

As usual, the media is up to their old tricks of blaming Democrats for the debt ceiling crisis (“Why can’t Biden compromise??”) and letting the Party of Traitors skate on the fact that they are the tax and spend party when they run the show. As Chris Hayes pointed out perfectly (charts, graphics, and numbers) in a piece linked here the other day, the PoT has zero interest in “cutting spending”, until a Democrat is in the White House.

But guess who doesn’t get that? Or CARE?

The fucking media!!

Yesterday afternoon I heard a breathless report on NPR (and another similar report on NBC last night) about how “both sides” are trying to figure out “how to CUT SPENDING!!!!!!!!!”

Is this a mass case of Stockholm Syndrome? Or just stupidity and laziness? I’m guessing all three.

But it’s not just the broadcast media.

Media Matters has looked at reporting on the Debt Ceiling Crisis ⟨™ Republican Party) in five of the biggest (by circulation) print media operations, USA Today, WSJ, NYT, LA Times, and WaPo. The findings are cause for strangulation. A few highlights:

“Just 6 articles (8%) mentioned that Republicans increased the current national debt significantly through their own tax and spending decisions, or mentioned that Republicans ran high annual budget deficits during the Trump administration.

Just 15 articles (19%) mentioned that Republicans routinely raised or suspended the debt ceiling during the Trump administration, or that Democrats supported those efforts.

Just 15 articles (19%) correctly mentioned that Republicans are responsible for the looming debt ceiling crisis due to their own intransigence and brinkmanship.

Just under half (36 articles, or 46%) mentioned draconian cuts to federal spending being proposed by Republicans, in exchange for a debt ceiling increase.

A majority (49 articles, or 63%) suggested that Republicans plan to default on U.S. sovereign debt obligations if the GOP’s demands for substantive spending cuts and budget changes are not met.”

I mentioned strangulation, but I was thinking about editors, writers, and publishers (Otto wanted to make that last one “punishers”…again, he’s not so dumb). But these guys are doing some strangling of their own: the truth.

And, of course, they completely neglect to point out the stupidly obvious hypocrisy that Republicans spent like drunken sailors when Fatty was in office. In fact, Trump, by himself ballooned the National deficit by 40%.

According to Politifact, since the end of WWII, Republicans have been responsible for 60% of the debt growth. Six-Tee. Too bad readers of the five biggest papers in the country won’t know that, unless they dig for it.

Once again, a lazy, hypocritical, scheming bunch of traitors just has to sit back while the mass media repeats their lies and does the work for them.

Lots more in the piece.

https://www.mediamatters.org/new-york-times/newspaper-reporting-looming-debt-ceiling-crisis-fell-horribly-short

[Akhilleus]

Unwashed,

Yeah, and held then between her knees, as some R moron (male, natch) suggested a while back as birth control for women unable to control their unseemly desire for out of wedlock, not for Christian procreation, but only for fun…sex.

[Akhilleus]

Marie,

Re: the mentally challenged.

Bobo ain’t the only one. I’m thinking this is the result of the actions taken by St. Ronald of RayGun some years ago when he shuttered mental health facilities. At the time, people wondered what would happen to all those disturbed and mentally challenged patients.

They all ran for office as Republicans.

And won.

Which brings me to those truly responsible for idiots like Bobo and dangerous autocrats like Trump.

The other day, trawling around through various sites, I ran across a headline that proclaimed that Republicans aren’t the only ones to blame for the debt crisis.

“Christ” I thought. “Another frickin’ both sides piece.” But, steeling myself, I figured I’d see if this guy had been able to come up with some new and novel way of blaming Democrats.

He didn’t, but he did point out who is more than part-way to blame:

Voters.

Yes, and voters are poorly served by the media, as usual, and education systems that allow them to graduate high school without being able to read an eviction notice and understand that it’s time to pack or pay. But at some point it’s their responsibility to find out what’s what.

Political science types love to point out what they see as a balancing act performed by voters who seem to decide that no one party should be in control, Rs can have the Congress, but Dems get the White House. We’ve seen what happens when the R’s run the whole show, but the fact remains that continuing to send mentally challenged and clearly disturbed people, as well as outright crooks to congress, puts us in this kind of a mess.

But, as Plato sez, a country gets the kind of guv’mint it deserves.

Crap.

[Akhilleus]

Little Johnny is shocked, shocked to find out that unethical grifting is going on at the Supreme Court. But he’s taking care of it:

https://youtu.be/SjbPi00k_ME

[Ken Winkes]

Skimmed the Will column in the WAPO this AM, wherein he trots out his old anti-abortion arguments, the same tune he's been playing for decades...

My comment was a rehash of the reverse side of the abortion debate coin: "Could take the anti-abortion arguments more seriously from conservatives who believe that human life begins at fertilization but apparently ends at birth."

And thought again how easy it is for Republicans to take moral and philosophic stands (fiscal frugality also comes to mind) as long as they don't require any work-- certainly no deep thinking.

[P.D.Pepe]

So Ken, according to those statistics, those with higher birth rates would need more government assistance which would be counter productive to the Republican "let-em starve" agenda.

And Marie: Please don't apologize for your put downs of Boebert––it would be different if she was your next door neighbor and kept dozens of cats that she used for target practice in her backyard. We are paying her salary and expect her to be a responsible and sane congress person. Unfortunately she is only one of many up there in the right-wing section of our body of nitwits who are playing dangerous games with our democracy. Cherry chap stick???? Talk about putting lipstick on pigs!!!!!

[Ken Winkes]

P. D.

True, but not a problem if you cut all gummit assistance.

[Forrest Morris]

What this country needs is separation of church and state.

Also, separation of medical practice and state. Only those politicians
with a medical degree are allowed to introduce or vote on any bill
having anything to do with medical.

We already have separation of intelligence and state. That's a good
start.

Amen.

[RAS]

Covid showed us not all doctors are created equal. Senator Roger Marshall from Kansas was a obstetrician and is as bad as all the non-MD Republicans. Former White House doctor Ronnie Jackson is a shit show. Scott Atlas helped TFG get lots of people killed. And the Florida Surgeon General has been doing the same is doing the same for DeSantis. A doctor with an R next their name has no credibility anymore or any business making medical choices for the rest of us in my opinion. Privileges revoked.
Though having real medical experts signing off on medical legislation would be a great idea. Or real experts in any field should be weighing in more on the impacts of our legislation.

[Marie Burns]

@RAS: Of course you're right that legislators should hear from experts on the subjects of legislation they're considering. As a matter of fact, they often do. They often hold public hearings with panels of experts on various subjects, and I'm sure Congressmembers and their staffs consult experts more privately as they craft legislation. A lot of legislation is inspired by expert findings, academic studies and so forth.

One problem, alas, is that Republicans -- in general -- don't believe in expert opinion, but opt instead for their own "common sense" (ha ha ha).

On the other hand, as you point out, they can find numerous "experts" who are simply blowing the kind of smoke Republicans like: climate-denying "scientists," Covid-denying doctors, fossil-fuel loving engineers, trickle-down "economists," etc.

The solution is, as @P.D. Pepe implies, better legislators. But in a democracy of the undereducated saddled with Fox "News" and the both-sider style of "journalism" @Akhilleus pointed out earlier, we often get the government the misinformed deserve.

I'm as disgusted as @Jeanne so ably articulates.

[Jeanne]

Well, if I could listen to this star-studded group, who could resist DeathSentence, Elon HorribleRichieRich, and PointyHead Gowdy! What a festival of crapweasels!!

Good discussions today, and great frustration about how the media and the voters have responded to the malbehavior of people in high-powered spots. Media IS unable to pin faults on the right people. Thanks for the shoutout, Marie, but sometimes it is uncomfortable to be continually at a slow boil building to eruption because of how intelligent bodies behave. How in hell is it possible that the wingers always have our unmentionables in a twist of THEIR making? We are either incredibly naive or just unable to navigate what power we have.

We will never be free of the stupidity of the other political party until they die off. Interesting that all the babies born to people unable to travel north for their OB/GYN care will be part and parcel of the "Great Replacement" the right dreads...ha! Good take, people!

I will not be tuning in to listen to the boring speech by DeathSentence. He is the Pied Piper of the Meanest In The Land, impossible to love and in dire need of a personality transplant. Even then, he would still be a cement block...

[Akhilleus]

Racist right-wing dictators are taking over.

In DeSantolini Land, fear and stupidity reign.

Book banning enters a new phase. Now a complaint from a single illiterate drooler can cause Florida schools to erase a book from school libraries.

Amanda Gorman, who was invited to read her poem “The Hill We Climb” at Biden’s inauguration, learned that she has been blackballed by DeSantis and Republican approved bigotry. And yes, she’s black. Big surprise.

The complaining parent didn’t even know who wrote the poem. She listed the author as Oprah Winfrey. I guess Winfrey is the only black person he/she knows, and well, they all look alike, right?

The reason for demanding the removal of this book:

“Is not educational and have indirectly hate messages.

(Oh, you explain so okay good…)

Asked, on the form if this person has read any professional reviews of the material we get…

“I don’t need it”

(Bet you could never have guessed that…)

“Not for schools”

(Der)

Finally, the coup de grace:

“Cause confusion and indoctrinate student”

(Is this an ESL person?)

So…to sum up, didn’t know who wrote this poem, didn't bother to see if perhaps there was some value to the work he/she might have missed, decided (very cleverly) to scribble ungrammatical, barely literate complaint but decided (again, so smoothly) to leave out any actual references to what exactly the problem might be or why it “cause confusion” and how it “indoctrinate student”. Clevvvver!

All this person needs in DeSantolini Land is to say:

“A darkie wrote it. Aieeeee!”

Or more accurately, “Bad. Indirectly hate messages. Indoctrinate (*burp*) Ugh. Blackie.”

Oh well, in that case, BANNED!

No wonder the NAACP has announced a travel warning for people thinking of going to Florida, black, white, or purple.

The really scary-sad thing about this sort of automatic, knee jerk bigotry is how many racist assholes cheer this shit. So, good enough for a historic presidential inauguration, but “cause confusion” for Florida students, according to Gertrude Stein.

https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/24/amanda-gorman-poem-ban-florida-school

And here’s the actual complaint. I’m guessing they wiped off the whiskey stains and coke powder.

https://twitter.com/TheAmandaGorman/status/1661131826432446466

[Akhilleus]

Hahaha…

This is good, Remember that paper clip guy (I think he was called Clippy) who would pop up in Microsoft Office and ask if you needed help doing something? “Do you want help printing that ransom note? Try a different font! Comic Sans might work.”

Well…

https://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2023/05/a-message-for-ron-and-elon.html?m=1