;)
Friday
May052023
May 5, 2023
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
Below is the portion of Donald Trump's deposition that jurors heard Thursday during the last day of testimony in E. Jean Carroll. Video of the full deposition (or at least a major portion of it) is here: ~~~
More Worms Turn. Amy Gardener & Holly Bailey of the Washington Post: “At least eight of the 16 Georgia Republicans who convened in December 2020 to declare Donald Trump the winner of the presidential contest despite his loss in the state have accepted immunity deals from Atlanta-area prosecutors investigating alleged election interference, according to a lawyer for the electors. Prosecutors with the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) told the eight that they will not be charged with crimes if they testify truthfully in her sprawling investigation into efforts by Trump, his campaign and his allies to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia, according to a brief filed Friday in Fulton County Superior Court by defense attorney Kimberly Bourroughs Debrow. Willis has said that the meeting of Trump’s electors on Dec. 14, 2020, despite Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s certification of Biden’s win, is a key target of her investigation....”
Presidential Race 2024. America's No. 1 Traitor for President*! John Wagner of the Washington Post: “A day after federal prosecutors won their latest high-profile cases against leaders of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol..., Donald Trump lashed out in a social media post at the Justice Department.... 'Back in the USA, but sadly I see so many really bad things happening to our Country,' Trump, who broke ground earlier this week on a golf course in Scotland, wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform. 'The DOJ and FBI are destroying the lives of so many Great American Patriots, right before our very eyes,' he wrote. 'The Court System is a RUBBER STAMP for their conviction and imprisonment. All this while the Radical Left protects and coddles extremists and murderers at a level, and with intensity, never seen before. GET SMART AMERICA, THEY ARE COMING AFTER YOU!!!'”
Michael Shear of the New York Times: “Neera Tanden, a longtime Democratic adviser who is currently President Biden’s staff secretary, will serve as the director of the Domestic Policy Council, the president announced on Friday. Ms. Tanden, who has been a fixture in Washington for more than two decades as an adviser to President Barack Obama and as the president of the Center for American Progress, will replace Susan Rice as Mr. Biden’s top domestic policy adviser.”
Apoorva Mandavilli of the New York Times: “Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will step down from her position on June 30, she announced on Friday. In an agencywide meeting, Dr. Walensky admitted to having mixed emotions about her decision and broke down in tears, according to people on a conference call with her.”
Oklahoma. Adam Liptak of the New York Times: “The Supreme Court granted a stay of execution on Friday to Richard Glossip, a death row inmate in Oklahoma, after the state’s attorney general, Gentner F. Drummond, a Republican, told the justices that he agreed that Mr. Glossip’s execution should be halted. In a rare move, Mr. Drummond wrote that the state had 'come to the difficult but essential conclusion that Glossip’s capital conviction is unsustainable and a new trial imperative.' Lawyers call such statements 'confessions of error,' and courts ordinarily give them great weight. The stay issued by the Supreme Court will remain in place while the justices decide whether to hear Mr. Glossip’s appeal, and if they do, until they decide it.” CNN's story is here.
Rebekah Riess of CNN: "Former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn pleaded guilty Friday to bringing a loaded handgun through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport last year, according to his attorney. Cawthorn, whose trial was set to start Friday, entered a guilty plea for the third-degree misdemeanor charge of possession of a dangerous weapon on city property, according to his attorney Missy Owen. The former Republican congressman was fined $250, without probation, and his firearm will be returned, his attorney said."
New York Times Editors Get Real: "If [Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)] cannot fulfill her obligations to the Senate and to her constituents, she should resign and turn over her responsibilities to an appointed successor. If she is unable to reach that decision on her own, [Sen. Chuck] Schumer, the majority leader, and other Democratic senators should make it clear to her and the public how important it is that she do so.... Her absence is a failure that deprives American voters of full representation on legislation and appointments that will affect them for decades to come.... Ms. Feinstein’s difficulties with advancing age are serious and long predate her current illness. Last year, her hometown newspaper, The San Francisco Chronicle, reported that her memory has so deteriorated that she can no longer fulfill her job duties."
~~~~~~~~~~
The Vast Right-Wing Conspirators Are in Trouble
** As the Rats Turn. Maggie Haberman, et al., of the New York Times: “Federal prosecutors investigating ... Donald J. Trump’s handling of classified documents have obtained the confidential cooperation of a person who has worked for him at Mar-a-Lago..., multiple people familiar with the inquiry said.... The existence of an insider witness, whose identity has not been disclosed, could be a significant step in the investigation.... The witness is said to have provided investigators with a picture of the storage room where the material had been held.... Prosecutors believe ... Mr. Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta..., has failed to provide them with a full and accurate account of his role in any movement of boxes containing the classified documents. In the past few weeks, at least four more Mar-a-Lago employees have been subpoenaed, along with another person who had visibility into Mr. Trump’s thinking when he first returned material to the National Archives.... Prosecutors have also issued several subpoenas to ... the Trump Organization seeking additional surveillance footage from Mar-a-Lago.... Prosecutors have questioned a number of witnesses about gaps in the footage....
“One of the previously unreported subpoenas to the Trump Organization sought records pertaining to Mr. Trump’s dealings with a Saudi-backed professional golf venture known as LIV Golf, which is holding tournaments at some of Mr. Trump’s golf resorts. It is unclear what bearing Mr. Trump’s relationship with LIV Golf has on the broader investigation, but it suggests that the prosecutors are examining certain elements of Mr. Trump’s family business.” MB: OR, prosecutors are wondering if Trump shared classified documents with the Saudis, an act of treason.
Shawn Pogatchnik of Politico: “Donald Trump ... was happy to brand [E. Jean Carroll] a 'disgrace' Thursday while golfing at his course in Ireland. The former U.S. president hopped off a golf cart to tell reporters he was flying back to New York later Thursday – and launched a four-minute diatribe against his accuser.... She is suing him over an alleged 1996 attack and for defamation.... Trump – who has provided only a taped deposition and won’t be required to testify unless he chooses to do so – left open the possibility [of testifying]. His New York legal team has ruled out the prospect.... 'I’m going to go back [to New York] and I’m going to confront this woman...,' said Trump, who repeatedly declined to call Carroll by her name and insisted he has 'no idea who she is.'” More on this in the New York Times story linked below. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
Luc Cohen, et al, of Reuters, republished by Yahoo!: "Jurors in Donald Trump's civil rape trial on Thursday saw a video deposition in which the former U.S. president defended private comments he made in 2005 about grabbing women sexually without asking. Trump was asked by a lawyer for ... E. Jean Carroll, about the 2005 'Access Hollywood' tape, where he said on a hot microphone that 'when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything... Grab 'em by the pussy.' 'Historically, that's true, with stars... if you look over the last million years,' Trump said in the video deposition taken last October.... [Also played in court: the part of the deposition in which Trump] mistook Carroll for an ex-wife in a black-and-white photograph that shows him speaking to people at an event. 'It's Marla,' he said, referring to his second wife Marla Maples. When [Carroll's lawyer] asked him if he was saying the picture depicted Maples, Trump's lawyer Alina Habba said, 'No, that's Carroll.' Carroll's lawyers have argued that the episode, made public in January, undermines Trump's argument that Carroll was not his type." ~~~
~~~ Benjamin Weiser, et al., of the New York Times: “In the video clips, [Donald Trump] sits at a table, dark-suited and solemn, answering questions posed by [Carroll's attorney Roberta] Kaplan. He calls Ms. Carroll 'a wack job,' 'sick' and 'a nut job' and turns his disdain on Ms. Kaplan, calling her a 'political operative' and a 'disgrace' and insulting her to her face.... On Thursday, the jury heard from ... Carol Martin[, a friend of Carroll's whom Carroll told about the rape].... 'It was a very disconcerting thing to hear,' Ms. Martin said. She said she had advised Ms. Carroll not to tell anyone or to go to the police because Mr. Trump had a lot of lawyers who would 'bury her.... I am not proud that that’s what I told her,' Ms. Martin testified....
“[Also, Judge Lewis Kaplan called Trump's bluff.] 'I have to go back [to New York] for a woman that made a false accusation about me, and I have a judge who is extremely hostile,' Mr. Trump said, according to Reuters. But in court Thursday afternoon, Mr. Tacopina made it clear to the judge ... that Mr. Trump would not testify, which he said he had confirmed with his client before arriving at court that morning. Judge Kaplan, noting that he was aware of news reports of Mr. Trump’s comments from Ireland, said that he would allow Mr. Tacopina to file a motion as late as 5 p.m. Sunday asking the judge to allow Mr. Trump to testify on his own behalf. 'If he has second thoughts, I will at least consider it,' Judge Kaplan said.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: In a court proceeding, a respectable litigant does not call the other party “a wack job” or “a nut job” and does not “insult her to her face.” It is quite easy to express your profound disagreement with an antagonist without name-calling and insults. There is apparently no situation in which Donald Trump knows how to behave.
Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: “Donald J. Trump is seeking to move his criminal case from New York State Supreme Court to federal court, one of his lawyers said on Thursday.... The former president’s legal team will submit the so-called notice of removal in federal court in Manhattan, where a judge will then consider the request. The lawyer, Todd Blanche, disclosed the plan during an unrelated hearing on the criminal case in state court.... The effort to move the case to federal court, which is likely to be a long shot, will not have any immediate effect on the state case.” An ABC News story is here. MB: Yeah, Trump probably hopes to move the case to the Southern District of Florida in the chambers of dotty judge Aileen Cannon, who made ridiculous (and soon overruled) rulings in Trump's classified documents case). (Also linked yesterday.)
** Hannah Rabinowitz & Holmes Lybrand of CNN: "Four members of the far-right Proud Boys have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy by a jury in Washington, DC, for their role to forcibly prevent the peaceful transfer of power from ... Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election. Defendants Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Enrique Tarrio and Dominic Pezzola face[d] a range of charges.... All five defendants were found guilty of other charges related to January 6, including: Obstruction of an official proceeding; Conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging any duties; Obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; and Destruction of government property and aiding and abetting... The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the seditious conspiracy charge against Pezzola. The judge instructed them to continue deliberations." The story has been updated multiple times. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Update: "A fifth defendant, Dominic Pezzola, was found not guilty of seditious conspiracy after the jury returned for several more hours of deliberation on Thursday. Unlike the other defendants in this trial, Pezzola is not alleged to have a leadership position in the organization and was inactive in Proud Boys group chats." ~~~
~~~ Alan Feuer & Zach Montague of the New York Times: “The verdicts, coming after seven days of deliberations in Federal District Court in Washington, were a major blow against one of the country’s most notorious far-right groups and another milestone in the Justice Department’s vast investigation of the Capitol attack.... The sedition trial sprawled over the course of more than three months and was characterized by frequent delays, frayed relations between the defense and prosecution and several decisions by the presiding judge, Timothy J. Kelly, that tested the boundaries of conspiracy law. Judge Kelly’s rulings allowed prosecutors to introduce damning evidence about the violent behavior and aggressive language of members of the Proud Boys who had only limited connections to the five defendants. The rulings also permitted jurors to convict on conspiracy even if they found there was no plan to disrupt the certification of the election, but merely an unspoken agreement to do so.” MB: Good news for the country; bad news for the Trumpster. (Also linked yesterday.)
** Emma Brown, et al., of the Washington Post: “Conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo arranged for the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be paid tens of thousands of dollars for consulting work just over a decade ago, specifying that her name be left off billing paperwork, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post. In January 2012, Leo instructed the GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway to bill a nonprofit group he advises and use that money to pay Virginia 'Ginni' Thomas, the documents show. The same year, the nonprofit, the Judicial Education Project, filed a brief to the Supreme Court in a landmark voting rights case[: Shelby County v. Holder].... Clarence Thomas was part of the 5-to-4 majority.... Leo, a key figure in a network of nonprofits that has worked to support the nominations of conservative judges, told Conway that he wanted her to 'give' Ginni Thomas 'another $25K,' the documents show. He emphasized that the paperwork should have 'No mention of Ginni, of course.'... In all, according to the documents, the Polling Company paid Thomas’s firm, Liberty Consulting, $80,000 between June 2011 and June 2012, and it expected to pay $20,000 more before the end of 2012.... The arrangement reveals that Leo ... has worked to provide financial remuneration to [Clarence Thomas'] family.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: In response to the Post's reporting, Leo wrote that the he and the Thomases were “dear friends.” Previously, in defending the lavish gifts the Thomases received from Harlan Crow, Clarence Thomas has said that the Crows “are among our dearest friends.” Looks as if “dear friends” is an agreed code to be employed when reporters or investigators ask pesky questions about the usual secret payoffs in their corrupt circle. These people are just mobsters with better manners. ~~~
~~~ Charlie Savage of the New York Times: “A Republican donor from Texas paid for two years of private-school tuition for Justice Clarence Thomas’s great-nephew, a gift that the justice did not disclose, a friend of the justice acknowledged in a statement on Thursday.... In his statement, Mark Paoletta, Justice Thomas’s friend and a former official for the Trump administration, argued that the justice was not required to report the tuition. He pointed to part of a 1978 law that says judges must disclose gifts to dependent children, who are defined as 'a son, daughter, stepson or stepdaughter.' Mr. Paoletta stressed that by that measure, a great-nephew does not qualify.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: That, IMO, is ripe manure. According to ProPublica (linked yesterday), “Thomas gained legal custody of Martin and became his legal guardian around January 1998, according to court records.” These gifts were money the Thomases would have had to shell out if their ward was to attend private schools. Martin did not have other means of support, and schoolboys don't pay their own tuition. Maybe Thomas & Trump can be cellmates. I hope they both snore. ~~~
~~~ Update. Marie: I'm sorry, I misunderstood this story yesterday. In fact, when I re-read the lede, it still looks to me as if Savage means that Paoletta paid for two years of the kid's private school tuition & board. But from reporting I've heard on the teevee, Paoletta is merely confirming that Crow paid for two years of the boy's schooling. That to me means "at least two years." BTW, in an appearance Thursday afternoon on MSNBC, Andrew Weissberg agreed with me about the Thomas' potential tax fraud problem.
~~~ Philip Bump of the Washington Post: For a super-wealthy guy like Harlan Crow, what he is known to have paid for Clarence Thomas is akin to nickels and dimes for the rest of us. “Paying $6,000 a month for tuition, then, is the equivalent of someone worth $60,000 paying 36 cents. Buying a home for $133,000 is like someone worth $60,000 paying eight bucks.... This gap in the relative cost of luxury between the enormously wealthy and even powerful members of the D.C. establishment is precisely why it’s important that transparency exist.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: What's really sad about this is that Clarence Thomas, a descendant of slaves, decided to become the slave of rich White people. I don't think that's what "originalism" is supposed to mean. it is possible Thomas thinks he got the last laugh and fooled the old massas. He didn't.
Normal News
Helene Cooper of the New York Times: “President Biden is expected to announce soon that he has chosen Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the Air Force chief of staff, to become the country’s most senior military officer, according to two U.S. officials. If he is formally nominated and approved by the Senate, General Brown will succeed Gen. Mark A. Milley, whose term as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expires at the end of September. General Brown would be only the second Black man to become chairman, following Colin L. Powell, who served in that position during the presidencies of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.”
Zoe Richards of NBC News: "Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., on Thursday defended her ongoing absence from the Judiciary Committee amid calls for her resignation, insisting that there has been 'no slowdown' of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees as she recovers from shingles.... The statement did not provide details about a return date to Washington.... While Senate Democrats have been able to advance several of Biden’s nominees with Republican votes, they had to pause on others that fell short of bipartisan backing." MB: Also, Senate Democrats can't do anything about the Supremes when one senator is absent. Feinstein's problem isn't shingles; it's dementia. I don't blame her for this; I blame someone who is "advising" her. Maybe a staff member afraid of losing a job' maybe a supposed friend; I don't know. Democrats must do something.
Beyond the Beltway
Florida. Alexandra Glorioso & Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times: “A federal jury acquitted Andrew Gillum, the Democrat who lost the 2018 Florida governor’s race to Ron DeSantis, of lying to the F.B.I. on Thursday. But jurors failed to reach a verdict on charges related to whether Mr. Gillum and a close associate diverted campaign funds when Mr. Gillum was running for governor. After more than four days of deliberation, the 12-member jury said it had reached agreement only on the charge that Mr. Gillum made false statements when the F.B.I. interviewed him in 2017. Judge Allen C. Winsor of the Federal District Court in Tallahassee declared a mistrial on one conspiracy charge and 17 fraud charges against Mr. Gillum and Sharon Lettman-Hicks. Mr. Gillum, 43, and Ms. Lettman-Hicks, 54, a friend and mentor since he was in college, were indicted last June over how they had raised and used political funds when he was the mayor of Tallahassee and a candidate for governor. Two of the initial 21 charges were dropped just before the trial began last month. Ms. Lettman-Hicks, who was tried jointly with Mr. Gillum, had been indicted only on the conspiracy and fraud charges on which the jury failed to reach a verdict.”
The Little Dictator. Beth Reinhard of the Washington Post: Last summer, Gov. Ron DeSantis sent two state police (FDLE) agents to Texas to lay “the groundwork for a politically charged operation ... to fly border-crossers from San Antonio to the liberal haven of Martha’s Vineyard.... DeSantis has increasingly deployed FDLE outside its traditional portfolio and in support of his own political agenda, according to a Washington Post review of court documents, state records and interviews with more than a dozen current and former administrators and agents.... Inside FDLE, many members balked at these directives from the governor’s office, which they viewed as political stunts orchestrated to raise DeSantis’s national profile, The Post’s interviews found, and some who openly resisted the governor’s priorities were pushed out.” The story details how DeSantis and former (now Senator) Gov. Rick Scott (R) abused the FDLE and how DeSantis has justified that abuse: "Alexander Hamilton something, something, something."
Iowa. Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: “Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday said she will sign a bill to roll back labor protections for children, allowing them to work longer hours and take jobs that had been prohibited. The measure would permit children as young as 14 to work in roofing, construction and demolition, provided they are part of educational or apprenticeship programs and a parent has granted permission for the work. They would also be allowed to do light assembly work and assist customers in businesses that sell fireworks, as long as no machines are present. The legislation eliminates state regulations on the number of hours 16- and 17-year-olds can work and allows them to serve alcohol in restaurants with parental permission.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Yes, But. People under the age of 18 cannot work in “establishments where nude or topless dancing is performed.” So it's okay for 14-year-olds to fall off the roof, but they must not see topless dancers. Now, that's child protection. Nice work, GOP! It seems Repubicans all around the country are bent on bringing to life satirical literature and performance art.
North Carolina. David Chen & Kate Kelly of the New York Times: “North Carolina hastily approved legislation on Thursday that would ban most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, setting the stage for a likely test of the Republican Party’s new, but slim, supermajority. After an emotional, five-hour debate, the Senate, by a vote of 29-20, approved a ban the House had already passed the night before. The bill now goes to the state’s Democratic governor, who has called it 'extreme,' and said he would veto it.... But the legislature has the potential to override his veto.... In a video he posted to Twitter on Thursday, the governor, Roy Cooper, urged residents to help uphold his veto by pressuring four Republicans who had campaigned to protect women’s reproductive health to break from their party.... Last month, a longtime Democrat, Representative Tricia Cotham, unexpectedly switched parties, giving Republicans narrow supermajorities in both chambers. When she was still a Democrat, Ms. Cotham promised to help codify Roe v. Wade in her state. Yet she voted in favor of the 12-week ban on Wednesday.”
Way Beyond
Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Friday is here: "The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, which has been fighting for control of Bakhmut since last summer, announced Friday he would withdraw his forces from the city on May 10 — the day after Russia’s Victory Day military parade — because of insufficient ammunition. In a letter published on his Telegram channel, Yevgeniy Prigozhin demanded that the Defense Ministry sign an order indicating the date on which it would replace Wagner forces involved in a brutal battle for the hotly contested city in eastern Ukraine.... The Wagner chief’s letter followed a graphic late-night video posted on Telegram, in which he displayed dozens of corpses of Wagner fighters killed in Bakhmut on Thursday. Prigozhin then launched into a furious, obscenity-laden tirade...."
U.K. The Washington Post has an overview of Charles & Camilla's coronation. “The service at Westminster Abbey in London will begin at 11 a.m. London time (6 a.m. Eastern time) on Saturday, May 6.... The service, along with the parades to and from the abbey, will run for several hours. The king and queen will also appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with other royal family members.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: They said on the teevee that the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey will begin at 5 a.m. ET.
~~~ David Lammy -- a Labour party leader who represents the London neighborhood of Tottenham and "some of the poorest people in Britain" -- in a New York Times op-ed remembers his mother, a native of Guyana, and her celebrations of royal events. King Charles III "has returned five times [to Tottenham after 2011 riots] and brought his many charities, without news releases or fanfare. I have been struck by how easily my constituents strike up a conversation with him and by how much he knows about the many Commonwealth countries he has spent his life visiting. In some ways, Charles III has done more for my constituents ... than most politicians."
Share Article
Comments for this entry have been disabled. Additional comments may not be added to this entry at this time.
Reader Comments (17)
It’s looking increasingly likely that finaglers and influencers like Leo and Crow fingered the Thomases early on, Clarence Thomas in particular, as one Justice who would be receptive to bribery in an effort to push the court to rulings favoring desired outcomes. The bribes didn’t even have to be very well hidden, just not reported.
John Roberts (or maybe if was Scalia; all of these right-wing crooks are pretty interchangeable) once sniffed that a quid pro quo couldn’t come in the form of nods and winks and other sorts of funny business that could be interpreted perhaps in a less crooked light, that it had to be one guy handing another guy a bag of money.
I give you the Thomases being handed bags of money by Leo and Crow, and who knows what other quid pro quoers.
Likewise Sam Alito was IDed by wealthy theocrats as someone who might be receptive to their blandishments and aggressive support for the overturning of long settled law about reproductive rights in their favor.
The other day I compared the Roberts Court to 17th century England’s infamous Star Chamber, whose rulings went way beyond the pale in support of one political group against all others, including the average citizens of that country.
I’m sure Star Chamber judges were rewarded for rulings favorable to the king, but that was likely after the fact. Roberts’ guys are nothing but cheap grifters. This court is a disgrace. And Roberts compounds the shame by refusing to do anything about it or even answer vital questions about his operation’s plummeting legitimacy. But hey, his wife is cleaning up by headhunting for powerful law firms with business before the court. He’s thrilled to pretend there’s nothing going on. A third vacation home will do that.
Of course the Party of Traitors won’t do anything about the shambolic shitshow that Roberts is running. They love it. But for Roberts, the guy we’ve long heard who is very protective of the Court’s reputation, what really matters is business as usual and for Nosey Parker Democrats to go away and not bother him so the Court can continue its mission of turning back legal clocks.
And lining pockets off the grift.
Thank you, Marie, for clearing up the Paoletta case. While watching the news last night I couldn't understand why that guy wasn't mentioned. Rereading Savage today I agree that he made it sound as if Paoletta was the benefactor.
AK: Johnny and his right wing dwarfs ain't gonna go quietly into the night. There are too many other voices that demand accountability–--I say this with soaring optimism. Next Tuesday night PBS' Frontline is featuring the Thomas/Ginni story and it ought to be a doozy.
The concept of quid pro quo corruption came from Justice Stevens in the Citizens United case.
https://democraticundergroung.com/100217880734
Forbes: "Trump Tower exposed as something of a fraud."
As collateral, trump claimed the valuation of Trump Tower was
$881 million, about $400 million more than it was actually worth.
I guess that would be to secure loans against the valuation, but
wouldn't the tax assessor be the one to go to for valuations?
And wouldn't he have to pay property taxes at the $881 million rate
if thats what he claimed it was worth? Where I live, you don't set
your own valuation on your property. We have someone who does that.
Also, May 5th is National Bird Day in honor of the birds that are
on the endangered list and may become extinct.
How about the Small Fingered Trumpeter, or the Loud Mouthed
Trumpeter, or the Flabby Trumpeter, etc.
Patrick,
Thanks for the clarification. However that thinking was arrived at, it stinks. Much more so now that quid pro quo is a quiddity (or should that be liquidity) of the court.
Forrest,
Perhaps you haven’t heard…news of the imminent extinction of all species of Fat Trumpeters is greatly exaggerated. In fact, the Party of Traitors has colluded with the Oddobon Society to award that dangerous creature protected status. They don’t give an ounce of droppings about the California Condor, or other species on the cusp of extinction, but go out of their way to protect this bird, an invasive species that devours all around it, gives nothing back, and has no redeeming value in nature.
I was wondering, given Fatty’s inability to correctly identify his ex-wife, Marla Maples, how much of a resemblance there was between Maples and Ms. Carroll, the woman he raped (did he think she was his wife? Didn’t Ivana accuse him once of rape?).
I found pictures of both from that period. Aside from both being blond, they look nothing alike. This made me wonder. If you were to show me a picture of a girl I went out with in high school and another of a girl who looked very much like her, I would have no problem picking out my old girlfriend. And that’s from when I was 17!
So how come Trump couldn’t identify a woman he was MARRIED to?
The simple answer, per our old pal William of Ockham, is blinding narcissism. Trump is apparently so taken with himself that other human beings, even very close ones (technically), barely register.
Wife? Woman I raped? Lady at one of my rallies? I dunno. They’re all the same. Just adornments to my wonderfulness.
Another reason this astounding prick was ready and able to destroy the country rather than allow himself to look like a loser. But hey, let’s put this asshole—a twice impeached philandering liar, rapist, and traitor (okay…”alleged” rapist, at least until the jury verdict)—back in the White House, because he isn’t finished screwing with the country.
@Forrest Morris: There are different kinds of valuations.
One is the AV: the assessed value. That's determined by a local tax assessor, and it's on the basis of her valuation that a property's basic taxes are determined. (The property owner may get some deductions or other adjustments that determine the final basis for property taxes, but the assessment is the main thing.) Because of the way different assessors conduct their valuations (sometimes based on antiquated requirements), they can be pretty inequitable. A property owner can appeal his assessment if he thinks it's too high (usually to a board that laughs the property owner out of the room, but the owner can appeal again to an independent court). The AV may or may not be somewhere close to market value of the property. For one thing, most municipalities don't re-assess every property every year; instead they re-assess every several years, and obviously there are sometimes great market fluctuations. And some valuations follow a formula that has little to do with market value.
The AV may or may not closely reflect market value. But the valuation an owner places on real property is not dependent upon what the official valuation is. Maybe there's something about your home that makes you think it's worth $200,000 more than the similar property next door -- and if a buyer agrees, then you're right.
Then there's a bank valuation, which a lending institution usually will make if the owner asks for a mortgage or otherwise puts up the property as loan collateral. That valuation too can differ considerably from the official AV. The bank doesn't want to make a loan it can't get back in case of loan default, so -- if everything is on the up-and-up -- it won't lend more than it can recoup, after expenses, in case of default.
Sometimes there are instances in which some party may ask a property owner to value his own property: if the owner has to value his assets for the purpose of dividing property in a divorce settlement, for instance. If there's an opposing party in whatever the matter at issue is, that party can of course challenge the owner's estimate.
There isn't really a legitimate reason for a bank to ask Trump to value his own property for the purposes of determining the size of a loan. First, everybody knows he's a liar. Maybe there's some kind of scheme going on, or maybe the bank is asking a general question about the value of properties Trump has that are NOT the properties Trump was using as collateral.
There most likely are property valuations made by entities & for purposes I didn't think of here.
PD,
Thanks for that tip on the upcoming Frontline on Lady Macbeth. Can’t wait to hear Will Lyman intoning the long litany of her cupidinous career, and that of Coke Can Pubic Hair Man. Unlike Lady Macbeth, however, I’m sure Gin-Gin can be heard every day encouraging the increase in her family’s fortunes and ideological power by chanting “In, damn spot! In, I say!”
Forest: Speaking of birds: For centuries scientists claimed that bird song was sung by males only. When women got into that field, low and behold they discovered that female birds also sang–-most beautifully we are told. On some small island–-I forget where–- females had disappeared and the poor males sang their hearts out but to no avail and soon there were no birds at all.
Bird call app -- this is easy and fun. Cornell U's free birdcall app, among other things allows you to record sounds and those that are birds will be identified immediately, which type of bird. You can replay later, with a liobrary of pre-recorded calls for comparison.
It is a pretty big file to download, but has caused no problems on my run-of-the-mill Samsung smartphone. I loaded it May 1. This app adds a bit of fun to your constitutional.
https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0tKiBhC6ARIsAAOXutnVHonx4iTPBiURV2vtbXr-W23NUSCCcPP2Hh_vsxlbHm_jiZPR8HsaAndkEALw_wcB
Today being Cinco de Mayo, this old 'trump with taco bowl' is going
around again. Says he "I love Hispanics. The best taco bowls are
made at Trump Tower.
https://twitter.com/sageboggs/status/728320782779228160/photo/1
There are two photos, the original and the doctored one.
Tail wagging the Big Bear?
Must be difficult to manage a war when somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of your troops (my guess, precise Russian army numbers in Ukraine are hard to come by) are led and controlled by someone outside the command structure, which the Wagner troops appears to be..
Wagner appears to have 50,000 committed to Ukraine.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65493008
Presumably the Big Bear thinks they are worth all the negative publicity.
Or does the Bear have no choice?
MOCKING BIRD
Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort
As if he mock’d himself, and scorn’d his spirit
That could be mov’d to smile at anything.
Much ado About Nothing
He’s relentless––all day long
His litany of songs serenade
From a wise-guy cackle to a stirring high-pitched plea––
And he’s cagey–-hides in the highest trees where he can’t be seen.
And you would think he’d rest when his world is dark and still–––
Still he trills––the lone love cry in the night.
This is perseverance! This pretending to be all those he isn’t.
What foolish female will answer this conjurer of flight?
Hark!
I can hear her now––a faint reply–––
How rapidly her tiny heart beats––
How thrilling to finally meet
The one she has been listening to for weeks––
The one who will surely mock her in the end.
July 2013
And back in 2013 who knew this poem was about DJT–-surely not I?
PD,
Good one. I’m wondering what that little bird would think about Harper Lee’s contention that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. I’m guessing plenty of birds similarly fooled by the fat mocker would question that admonishment.
@Forrest Morris: Thanks for reminding us it's Cinco de Mayo. I'll eschew the Trump Tower Tacky Bowl & have an authentic Nutrisystemo burrito!
(And here I just wrote how attractive those tiny hands were. See, everyone loves them.)
Not feeling particularly stoic these days (Stoics say you should never get too pissed off—bad for a balanced life. Sorry. Passed that marker years ago) but I came across a suggestion today that Seneca (the younger—a Stoic biggie) once made as a way of tracking one’s ability to live a virtuous life, which is, at the end of each day, write down what you did that day, your actions, thoughts, questions, responses to events in your life.
Which made me wonder what would result had the Fat Fascist adopted this daily Stoic review:
What I did today, Donald J. Trump, superior white guy who made millions all by myself:
Woke up, watched the news. A bunch of darkies beat and raped a white woman. Horrible. Rape by darkies is the worst. Took out an ad in the paper demanding they all get the chair. Bad for them, good publicity for me.
Called Weisselberg. Clued him in on three new tax dodge ideas I had last night. Fuck paying taxes. Why do I have to do everything around here? I thought Jews knew all the tricks with money.
Got a bill from the contractors at the Taj Mahal, my brilliant plan for a casino. These schmoes think I’m gonna actually pay them? Fuck that. Wastebasket. Let ‘em sue me. No, in fact, I’m gonna sue them. Good ol’ Roy Cohn. Always attack.
Speaking of Roy, he called from the hospital and left a message. Would I please call him. He’s dying. He’s dying? Yeah. Of AIDS. I didn’t know he was queer. Fuck that. Let him die. I can’t be seen hanging around a guy with AIDS. Besides, if he’s dead he’s no good to me anymore.
Got a call from Epstein. “Fourteen and fifteen! Tonight! 9:00 pm.” Yes! Fucking guy always comes through!
Called the WSJ as John Barron. Told them I was worth a billion dollars. Morons! But it makes me look good.
Gotta remind to have Weisselberg pay off Vinnie Boombah. His guys beat up some protesters at my casino. Said I was fucking up their neighborhood. Ha! My neighborhood now, losers.
Meeting some Access Hollywood schmuck later on. I’ll tell him how I treat all the bimbos. He’ll wish he was me. Doesn’t everyone?
Ran into Jean Carroll at Bergdorf’s. Shoved her into a dressing room. Did my thing. Ha. She’ll never forget her great time with the Donald. Rape by the Donald is sexy.
Some uppity black guy from Chicago is running for president. Thought I’d fuck with him. Demanded to see his birth certificate. Ha! Loser. In fact, now that I think of it, I should be president.
Went home, found Junior snorting coke in his room. Smacked him around. Eric was watching Sesame Street. Christ! He’s 21 and he still can’t spell? Peeked in on Ivanka in the shower. Va-va-voom! Nice ta-tas for 15!
Another great day for the Donald. Well, off to meet Epstein. Better be good.
And that president idea? Not bad. I’m such a stable genius. They’ll love me!
Not exactly what Seneca was hoping for? In addition to his work as a statesman and philosopher, he wrote plays. They were all tragedies.
Draw your own conclusions.