;)
November 15, 2022
Afternoon Update:
** John Leicester & James LaPorta of the AP: "Russia pounded Ukraine's energy facilities Tuesday with its biggest barrage of missiles yet, striking targets across the country and causing widespread blackouts. A senior U.S. intelligence official said missiles crossed into NATO member Poland, where two people were killed. A second person confirmed to The Associated Press that apparent Russian missiles struck a site in Poland about 15 miles from the Ukrainian border.... A NATO official ... said the alliance was looking into reports of a strike in Poland. The U.S. National Security Council said it was also looking into the reports. Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller did not immediately confirm the information from the U.S. intelligence official.... But Mueller said top leaders were holding an emergency meeting due to a 'crisis situation.'"
Melanie Zanona, et al., of CNN: "The House Republican conference voted for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to be its leader after an underwhelming midterm election performance launched a search among conservatives for a challenger. The vote puts McCarthy in line to be the next speaker of the House, presuming Republicans win at least three more seats of the 16 that have not yet been projected by CNN. McCarthy won 188-31 against Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, according to multiple sources in the room. It was a secret ballot, and McCarthy only needed to earn a simple majority of the conference.... In January, McCarthy must win 218 votes, a majority of the entire House, to wield the speaker's gavel.... The No. 2 House Republican, Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, won his election to serve as House majority leader without facing any opposition.... And Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, the National Republican Congressional Committee chair, defeated Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Drew Ferguson of Georgia to be the House majority whip." ~~~
~~~ Emily Brooks & Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "House Republicans have elected Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to another term as conference chair during a closed-door, secret-ballot election on Tuesday. Stefanik defeated a challenge from freshman Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), one of two Black Republicans currently serving in the House, in a 144-74."
Burgess Everett of Politico: "Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) announced a challenge to Mitch McConnell in a closed-door party lunch on Tuesday afternoon, the first such opposition that the Senate GOP leader is facing in 15 years at the helm.... Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee and got nudged to mount opposition to McConnell by ... Donald Trump, was at odds with the GOP leader over strategy and tactics for months before Election Day. McConnell says he already has the votes locked up to win a Wednesday leadership election, and Scott is not expected to garner enough support to come close to toppling the leader. But Scott is pressing forward anyway, as a band of conservatives pushes to delay leadership elections until all the Senate races are determined."
Mark Sweney of the Guardian: "Rupert Murdoch has reportedly warned Donald Trump his media empire will not back any attempt to return to the White House, as former supporters turn to the youthful Florida governor Ron DeSantis. After the Republican party's disappointing performance in the US midterm elections, in particular the poor showing by candidates backed by Trump, Murdoch's rightwing media empire appears to be seeking a clean break from the former president's damaged reputation and perceived waning political power."
~~~~~~~~~~
** Jazmine Ulloa of the New York Times: "Katie Hobbs, who as Arizona's secretary of state stood up to efforts by allies of ... Donald J. Trump to overturn the 2020 election, has clinched a victory in the state's race for governor, according to The Associated Press. Ms. Hobbs, a Democrat, narrowly defeated Kari Lake, a right-wing former newscaster who was talked about as a future leader in a Trump-dominated Republican Party, in a bitter and closely watched race that became a final test of whether candidates molded in Mr. Trump's image could win in battlegrounds. Ms. Lake, one of the most prominent purveyors of Mr. Trump's lies about his 2020 election, followed several other election-denying candidates in defeat.... After the race was called on Monday night, Ms. Lake did not concede defeat, instead suggesting, without citing evidence, that the vote was marred. 'Arizonans know BS when they see it,' she tweeted." MB: Gracious. Read on. Ulloa captured in a few sentences a succinct political obituary for a MAGA flame. ~~~
~~~ The AP's report is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Let us all hope that Lake's loss is the nail in the coffin for the Trumpolini movement. You might want to take a few minutes to enjoy SNL star Cecily Strong's parody of Lake -- embedded in Sunday's page -- because with any luck, Strong won't have Lake to kick around any more. However, Kari may have enjoyed the national spotlight so much that a new & revised Kari Lake will return to fight another day.
Catie Edmondson & Emily Cochrane of the New York Times: "Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader, scrounged on Monday for the support he would need to become speaker if Republicans gain control of the House, facing resistance from a newly emboldened right flank as his party grappled with its historically weak performance in the midterm elections.... Mr. McCarthy's troubles reflected disarray in his demoralized party and a fraught path ahead as ... Donald J. Trump prepared to announce a second run for the presidency. Returning to Capitol Hill for a postelection session, Republicans began the week -- which they had expected would be a triumphant victory lap -- limping toward the finish of an election cycle that Mr. McCarthy had confidently predicted would be a G.O.P. bonanza. They were bitterly divided over who should lead what was shaping up to be a tiny and unruly majority." ~~~
~~~ Scott Wong & Kyle Stewart of NBC News: "Conservative lawmakers sent a strong message to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy on Monday, telling him he doesn't have the votes to be the next speaker. The warning shot came just one day before McCarthy heads into a closed-door election seeking to become his party's nominee for speaker of the House starting in January.... Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are planning to put up a symbolic challenger to make clear that McCarthy can't reach the magic number needed -- 218 votes -- in the formal floor vote when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.... Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz..., confirmed Monday night that he will be challenging McCarthy for the top job.... While several leading conservatives, including Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, have already endorsed McCarthy, other conservatives are demanding that he agree to a number of proposed rule changes before they get on board with his bid for speaker. Among the changes they want: Bring back a rule making it easier to force a vote on ousting a speaker."
Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Republicans appear primed to win the narrowest of House majorities -- around 220-215 or 219-216 -- despite winning a majority of the votes nationwide and edging Democrats by around four percentage points." Blake explains why. MB: That is, Democrats celebrate their victories at their own peril: while there have been more votes for Democratic presidential candidates than for Trump in the last two presidential races, there were more votes nationwide for Republicans in last week's vote. The Republican party, sadly, is alive & well.
Marie: In yesterday's Comments, Ken W. generously does the Republicans' post-election "autopsy" for them. Everything Ken writes is, IMO, sensible, straightforward & obvious. I think some of the brighter Republicans would agree if you gave them truth serum. But they have no intention of following Ken's advice.
Seung Min Kim & Zeke Miller of the AP: "President Joe Biden objected directly to China's 'coercive and increasingly aggressive actions' toward Taiwan during the first in-person meeting of his presidency with Xi Jinping, as the two superpower leaders aimed on Monday to 'manage' their differences in the competition for global influence. The nearly three-hour meeting was the highlight of Biden's weeklong, round-the-world trip to the Middle East and Asia, and came at a critical juncture for the two countries amid increasing economic and security tensions. Speaking at a news conference afterward, Biden said that when it comes to China, the U.S. would 'compete vigorously, but I'm not looking for conflict.' He added: 'I absolutely believe there need not be a new Cold War' between America and the rising Asian power." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Stacy Cowley of the New York Times: "A federal appeals court on Monday issued an injunction halting President Biden's student debt cancellation plan, further clouding the future of the president's promise to eliminate hundreds of billions of dollars in debt for tens of millions of people. In a six-page order, three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit unanimously blocked the government from canceling debts while the court considers a lawsuit brought by six Republican-led states, which claim that the president's executive action to wipe out up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt per borrower exceeded his authority.... Two of the three judges -- Ralph R. Erickson and Leonard Steven Grasz -- were appointed by ... Donald J. Trump. The third, Bobby Shepherd, was appointed by former President George W. Bush." ~~~
~~~ Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "White House officials are weighing extending a pause on student debt payments after a federal appeals court blocked President Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in debt per borrower, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. In August, Biden announced that the administration would implement student debt forgiveness while simultaneously ending a moratorium on student debt payments that started during the pandemic. But Biden's plan has so far been thwarted in the courts."
William Rashbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Monday that they would not bring charges against Rudolph W. Giuliani in a long-running investigation into whether he violated lobbying laws. In a brief letter to the judge overseeing a review of materials seized during a search of Mr. Giuliani's home and office last year, the prosecutors wrote that 'based on information currently available to the government, criminal charges are not forthcoming.'" Politico's story is here.
Devlin Barrett & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "Federal agents and prosecutors have come to believe ... Donald Trump's motive for allegedly taking and keeping classified documents was largely his ego and a desire to hold on to the materials as trophies or mementos, according to people familiar with the matter.... [Investigators'] review [of the classified documents Trump stole] has not found any apparent business advantage to the types of classified information in Trump's possession, these people said. FBI interviews with witnesses so far, they said, also do not point to any nefarious effort by Trump to leverage, sell, or use the government secrets. Instead, the former president seemed motivated by a more basic desire not to give up what he believed was his property, these people said. Several Trump advisers said that each time he was asked to give documents or materials back, his stance hardened, and that he gravitated toward lawyers and advisers who indulged his more pugilistic desires. Trump repeatedly said the materials were his, not the government's -- often in profane terms, two of these people said." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: So Trump's Achilles' heel is all in his head? Perhaps a new variant of foot-in-mouth disease.
Perry Stein of the Washington Post: "In separate and clashing legal filings unsealed Monday, Donald Trump's attorneys and the Justice Department once again sparred over whether the former president could lay claim to documents from his time in the White House -- with Trump saying most of the materials were 'personal' and with the government saying, in essence, absolutely not.... [Trump's] lawyers have said that Trump had the right to designate presidential documents as personal ones under the Presidential Records Act. The Justice Department, however, slammed that interpretation of the law as 'meritless.' Saying a president could simply designate presidential documents as personal ones would go against the very purpose of the federal act, the Justice Department wrote in its brief.... The legal filings were submitted to Raymond J. Dearie, the court-appointed special master who was ordered by a federal judge in Florida to review the materials seized from Trump's Florida residence...." ~~~
~~~ Marie: "Meritless"? How about "goofy"?
Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The chairman of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol said on Monday that a contempt of Congress referral against ... Donald J. Trump 'could be an option' after Mr. Trump failed to appear for a scheduled deposition. Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi and the chairman of the panel, said in an interview that lawmakers were evaluating their next steps, which could include pursuing a contempt charge.... Mr. Trump filed a suit against the panel on Friday, seeking to block its subpoena that required him to testify and hand over documents related to the effort to overturn the 2020 election. He refused to turn over a single document to the panel and did not show up for a deposition on Monday morning, Mr. Thompson said.... 'His attorneys have made no attempt to negotiate an appearance of any sort, and his lawsuit parades out many of the same arguments that courts have rejected repeatedly over the last year,' [Thomson, in a joint statement with vice-chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.)] wrote." The Hill's report is here.
Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court paved the way on Monday for the House committee investigating the Capitol attack to obtain phone records of Kelli Ward, the chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party. As is its custom in ruling on emergency applications, the court's brief order gave no reasons in denying Ms. Ward's request that it block a subpoena. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. noted dissents, also without giving reasons. Experts in legal ethics have said that Justice Thomas should recuse himself from cases concerning the Jan. 6 attack in light of the efforts of his wife, Virginia Thomas, to overturn the 2020 election. Ms. Thomas's activities included lobbying the speaker of the Arizona House to try to reverse Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s victory in the state." Politico's story is here. MB A guy who probably perjured himself during his Senate hearing is not all that likely to be bothered by even the most obvious ethics standards. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Alan Feuer & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "The F.B.I. had as many as eight informants inside the far-right Proud Boys in the months surrounding the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, recent court papers indicate, raising questions about how much federal investigators were able to learn from them about the violent mob attack both before and after it took place. The existence of the informants came to light over the past few days in a flurry of veiled court filings by defense lawyers for five members of the Proud Boys who are set to go on trial next month on seditious conspiracy charges connected to the Capitol attack.... Because all of the material remains under a highly restrictive protective order, it is not possible to know what the informants told the government about the Proud Boys' role in the Capitol attack or how that information might affect the outcome of the trial.... Questions about informants ... have included concerns about why the informants were not able to give the government advanced warning about plans to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6...."
Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "On Monday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) is set to testify before a grand jury on Tuesday, as part of the Fulton County investigation into the plot by ... Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.... 'Fulton prosecutors previously said they're interested in questioning Kemp about the identities of the people who tried to get in touch with him following the 2020 elections; the contents of phone calls Kemp had with Trump or his associates; evidence the Trump campaign provided in support of its theory that Georgia's election was rigged; whether Trump specifically sought a special election or other relief; and any threats that might have been made,' said the [AJC] report."
** Amy Lang & Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: "Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday filed the Respect for Marriage Act, setting up a first procedural vote for Wednesday on the bill that would enshrine marriage equality into federal law. Democrats have warned that same-sex marriage and other rights could be at risk since June, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which for nearly 50 years had guaranteed the right to an abortion in the United States. In July, the House passed the Respect for Marriage Act, but the Senate delayed its vote on the bill until after the midterm elections.... The Respect for Marriage Act would require that someone be considered married in any state as long as the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed. The bill would also repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman and allowed states to not recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. That law has remained on the books despite being declared unconstitutional by the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling." The Hill's report is here.
Drew Harwell of the Washington Post: Last Thursday afternoon a tweet "using the name and logo of the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co., ... immediately attracted a giant response: 'We are excited to announce insulin is free now.' The tweet carried a blue 'verified' check mark, a badge that Twitter had used for years to signal an account's authenticity -- and that Twitter's new billionaire owner, Elon Musk, had, while declaring 'power to the people! suddenly opened to anyone, regardless of their identity, as long as they paid $8. But the tweet was a fake.... Inside the real Eli Lilly..., officials scrambled to contact Twitter representatives and demanded they kill the viral spoof.... Twitter, its staffing cut in half, didn't react for hours.... By Friday morning, Eli Lilly executives had ordered a halt to all Twitter ad campaigns -- a potentially serious blow, given that the $330 billion company controls the kind of massive advertising budget that Musk says the company needs to avoid bankruptcy. They also paused their Twitter publishing plan for all corporate accounts around the world.... [Friday] morning, Musk tweeted that the launch of Twitter's new $8 verification regime was 'overall proceeding well.'... When Eli Lilly's share price sank 4 percent on Friday -- in line with a drop in other health care stocks -- many Twitter users credited the fake account...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
The Trump corruption complex is back in business. It is a remarkable revelation on the expected eve of his presidential candidacy announcement. Even without that, it would be stunning as another in a series of sweetheart deals from the Saudi government to the Trump family. -- Robert Weissman of Public Citizen ~~~
~~~ Eric Lipton, et al., of the New York Times: "The Trump family has struck a deal with a Saudi-based real estate company to license its name to a housing and golf complex that will be built in Oman, renewing a swirl of questions about ... Donald J. Trump's mixing of politics and business just as he appears poised to announce a third presidential candidacy. News of the deal, the first such international marketing agreement the Trump Organization has negotiated since Mr. Trump left the White House, emerged as the former president already faces a string of investigations into his business.... Mr. Trump had close ties with the Saudi government during his tenure in the White House, authorizing billions of dollars in weapons sales and defending the government there after the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, secured a $2 billion investment from a fund led by the Saudi crown prince six months after leaving the White House."
Luke Broadwater & Eric Lipton of the New York Times: "Officials from six nations spent more than $750,000 at ... Donald J. Trump's hotel in Washington when they were seeking to influence his administration, renting rooms for more than $10,000 per night, according to documents that his former accounting firm turned over to Congress. The governments of Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and China spent more money than previously known at the Trump International Hotel at crucial times in 2017 and 2018 for those countries' relations with the United States, according to the documents, which were obtained by the House Oversight Committee and released on Monday. The officials spent freely at the hotel, the records show.... The Oversight Committee has previously estimated that the hotel received more than $3.75 million from foreign governments from 2017 to 2020, raising concerns about possible violations of the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause.... The documents also show that Republican lobbyists working on behalf of these countries -- some operating without registering as foreign agents, as required by law -- spent tens of thousands more at the Trump hotel during the same periods." The report goes on to detail how the White House gave favorable treatment to some of these governments as they were patronizing Trump facilities. CNN's report is here.
Marie: I've avoided a number of stories about this guy, but here ya go: ~~~
~~~ David Yaffe-Bellany of the New York Times: "In less than a week, the cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried went from industry leader to industry villain, lost most of his fortune, saw his $32 billion company plunge into bankruptcy and became the target of investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department.... The empire built by Mr. Bankman-Fried, who was once compared to titans of finance like John Pierpont Morgan and Warren Buffett, collapsed last week after a run on deposits left his crypto exchange, FTX, with an $8 billion shortfall, forcing the firm to file for bankruptcy. The damage has rippled across the industry, destabilizing other crypto companies and sowing widespread distrust of the technology." This is a long piece that incorporates an interview with Bankman-Fried.
Beyond the Beltway
New York. Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "Lawyers for people detained on Rikers Island intend to ask a federal judge to take control of the jail complex away from New York City, according to a letter filed with the court on Monday, setting the stage for a potentially pivotal hearing this week. The lawyers' intention to request an outsider -- called a receiver -- to run the jails was conveyed in a letter filed by a federal official appointed to monitor the island lockup, where close to 5,900 people are held. The letter could be the first step in a drawn-out process that determines the future of Rikers, where conditions have deteriorated precipitously over the past two years." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Way Beyond
Ukraine, et al.
The Washington Post's live briefings of developments Tuesday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "The moment has come for Russia to completely withdraw from Ukraine's sovereign territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky told a meeting for Group of 20 countries, which include Russia, and asked for the world's support in pursuing what he presented as Kyiv's 'formula for peace.' The alternative, he said, would mean allowing Russia to 'build up its forces, and then start a new series of terror and global destabilization,' according to a transcript from Ukraine's presidential office.... In his G-20 address, Zelensky demanded the full withdrawal of Russian forces from all of Ukraine as a necessary condition for any 'real' end to hostilities, alongside nine other demands he made of Moscow, including guarantees for food and energy security, and granting freedom to Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians.... Western leaders are unfairly trying to blame the conflict on Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, referring to the summit's draft joint declaration.... [Lavrov] attended [the summit] in place of President Vladimir Putin.... when CIA Director William J. Burns met with Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia's foreign intelligence service, on Monday in Ankara, Turkey. The Russian ambassador in Washington is expected to meet with White House officials on the same issue on Tuesday." ~~~
~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Tuesday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.
Katie Bo Lillis, et al., of CNN: "The US has intelligence that Russia may have delayed announcing its withdrawal from the Ukrainian city of Kherson in part to avoid giving the Biden administration a political win ahead of the midterm elections, according to four people familiar with the intelligence.... President Joe Biden last week appeared to hint that the US believed that the timing of Russia's announcement was more than mere coincidence. 'I find it interesting they waited until after the election to make that judgement, which we knew for some time they were going to be doing, and it's evidence of the fact that they have some real problems -- the Russian military,' Biden said at a press conference last Wednesday."
Seung Min Kim, et al., of the AP: "Leaders of the world's largest economies remain divided over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but they appeared ready Tuesday to convey a strong message from most condemning the nine-month war that has devastated Ukraine and sent food and energy prices soaring. A draft declaration by leaders of the Group of 20 major economies under discussion Tuesday echoes the condemnation of Russia's war on Ukraine by the United Nations, while acknowledging differing views among members. The statement seen Tuesday by The Associated Press 'deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation' and 'demands its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine.' The draft statement reiterates the stance expressed in the UN General Assembly's March 2 resolution."
Turkey. Ben Hubbard & Sifak Timur of the New York Times: "The Turkish authorities arrested a woman on Monday they suspect was behind the deadly bombing in central Istanbul a day earlier, saying she had been sent to Turkey from Syria by Kurdish militants to carry out the attack.... Turkey accused the United States of complicity in the attack because America has long maintained a military partnership with a Kurdish-led militia in Syria. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, during a visit to the site of the attack on Monday, dismissed condolence messages from the United States, saying this was like 'the killer is among the first ones returning to the scene.' The United States is an ally of Turkey in NATO...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Share Article
Reader Comments (19)
To state the obvious:
One can almost detect a certain inconsistency in the behavior of Right Wing judges, who often find that Dem presidents have "exceeded their authority" by doing something to help the American people but hasten to support the "executive privilege" of R's whose time in the WH is devoted only to serving themselves.
Looks like little mikey pence has been to the Nut Store. Mother has allowed him to purchase a pair of starter balls so’s he can peek out from behind her skirts now and then to say stuff like “Trump not nice man!” Fierce!
Good job there, mikey. The only white building in your future is the one that sells those little hamburgers.
Does anyone think that the only reason the donald would decide to
run for president* would be to make a few more million $ and get
his spawn back in the White House and to help out his billionaire
'friends' and to hell with us ordinary peons? Don't answer that. We all
know the answer.
So we sold billions of arms to the Saudis and the Saudis give Junior a
2 billion dollar 'loan'. And other countries spend big bucks at the
trump hotels, like a thousand dollars a night for a room. Looks like
they may have wanted something in return or am I just overly
suspicious?
What exactly do R. voters think they will gain by putting this asshat
back in the White House. They're not all billionaires so they can't
expect another big tax break.
There, I got that out of my system.
It might not be a terrible thing for the traitors to take over the House, as looks likely. Since the concept of “getting things done” among the far-right nut cases soon to be in charge doesn’t extend any further than re-tweeting retarded racist memes and screaming about space lasers, giving the voters two years to see what they (partially) avoided could be an immense help in 2024.
Plus it will (or should) stave off feelings of “Gee, maybe those Republicans weren’t all that bad” after two more years of Democratic control of Congress.
@Akhilleus: Do you mean White Castle, or Royal Castle, which was the version of White Castle we had in Florida? Whichever, such an abode is definitely meant for a winger-type person. Especially the White Castle.
I can now uncross my fingers; the bitchy Arizona lack luster Lake done drown in her own fetid waters. I slept well last night.
Reading this morning that $750,000 was spent by six national officials at Donald J. Trump’s hotel in Washington when they were seeking to influence his administration, renting rooms for more than $10,000 per night made me jump out of my chair. I may be naive but what the hell kind of room does one get for that kind of money?
Speaking of Fatty’s impending announcement (just thinking that more often than not, the adjective impending is followed by words like doom) of another bombastic run for the White House, I’m wondering if those actors he hired for his descent down the rickety escalator the first time around are between gigs. There are always out of work actors, and I’m sure few of them would say no to cameos in the trailer for a new horror movie starring the Orange Monster.
And to answer Forrest’s question about reasons for the continuation of this tiresome charade, I’m guessing that Fatty needs a reason to keep holding those rallies where he can give Soviet style three hour harangues and soak up the love of the droolers. Plus, where else can he try out new stand up material like “DeSanctimonious”? I doubt that Melanie and the staff at Marred a Lardo do the trick when he wants to test his latest insults.
Why? They keep asking, why as Krugman did this morning.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/opinion/donald-trump-republicans-gop-weakness.html
Partial answer:
Even if Trump prompts a cringe or two from some of his saner supporters, he is still giving them what they want, rhetorical support for their values:
Among them, proud racism, an unquestioning support for firearm possession, rejection of any wavy lines liberals draw around gender roles, resentment of the educated folks who complicate their lives with facts, and the kind of patriarchy they confuse with some kind of god-given order.
While Faux News and spineless Republican leaders make use of these common leanings, even reinforce them, they didn't create them.
They've been with us for a long time..and will not go away anytime soon.
Jeeze, I read that room rate as 1,000 per night; thought that was
redickulous, but 10,000 per night?
That must have included some high priced shenanigans.
It will not be easy to dislodge Mr. Trump., says Kevin Williamson in the Times; His bond with his supporters is personal — it is based on the promise of humiliating the right’s cultural enemies, not on policy, and it is not limited by transitory events like a disappointing midterm showing.
THE DIVINE TRANSUBSTANTIATION:
Here we go again––-not only can we not quit Fatty, we can't quit God.
"In the Trump cult’s theology, Mr. Trump is a god with a dual nature: He is simultaneously the macho, swaggering hero and the eternal victim at the mercy of the same powerful forces — “elites” — that his followers believe themselves to be victimized by. Hence the insistent refrain: “When you say Trump is evil and foolish, you are saying that we who voted for him are evil and foolish.” That doesn’t follow logically, but this line of thinking is about divine transubstantiation, not politics. Mr. Trump’s proposition to his followers is straight from the Bible he has probably never read: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”
And Forest: "That must have included some high priced shenanigans." Ya think???? Maybe even some golden showers on those high priced sheets?
Marie,
Definitely White Castle, where little mikey can be president (or king, if he prefers) of the drive through. But not if there’s a girl at the window.
Just imagine…the half pence pulls up to a drive through and a female voice says “Welcome to White Castle, can I take your order?” Crap, a female. And Mother is home stitching his name into his underwear. He’d have to drive off. Can’t talk to chicks without Mother present to make sure there’s no funny business.
Often we have no idea how truly fucking weird some people’s lives are.
Or that was the classified documents package.
PD,
What do you get for 10,000 simoleons a night at the Trumpety Inn? A mint on your pillow, if Eric hasn’t eaten them all. And the honor of having contributed to the eternal Trump grift.
I’m reminded of that scene in “Night at the Opera” where Groucho learns that a good opera singer can make $1,000 a night. “A thousand dollars a nee-acht?” He says, incredulously. “For fifty cents you can get a record of Minnie the Moocher. For a buck and a quarter you can get Minnie!”
Maybe a few extra bucks you could get a salacious phone call from Junior’s screaming harpy girlfriend, Kimberly whatshername.
Dave Chappelle had some Midwest frontline insight about the former guy in his SNL monologue. This link should start at the appropriate point:
https://youtu.be/_m-gO0HSCYk?t=509
I think t**** is still showing how the system is really rigged and he is using it, by still walking around free after breaking law after law after law.
And, P.D., the Pretender as god has this additional advantage:
He is so evidently and outrageously flawed that the only way he could ever project superiority to his congregants is with the his bank account, and in their world money is just fine. That, they wish they had more of.
Otherwise will never make them feel "small," "dumb," "inferior" or "inadequate," unlike all those elites they love to hate.
In short, he's just like us--with a Mar-a-Lago attached.
I don’t much care what was in that swamp of a brain pan when Trump stole top secret documents; it doesn’t matter if he believed they belong to him. If you stole from a bank and told the cops it was because you believed it was all your money anyway, would they say “No biggie, you’re free to go”? Hell no.
I don’t care if he wanted to sell them, jerk off to them (very likely), or use them to paper his bathroom. He stole them, lied about it, tried to hide them, claimed that they were planted by the FBI, then came up with a half dozen excuses for why they really belong to him.
Indict that fat assed crook. And not just for stealing government property. They need to hang him higher than Haman.
Putin now bombing Poland, apparently…
Two Russian missiles have been fired into Poland killing at least two people. The Pentagon is looking into this. It’s possible it was an error (the Russian military operates more like the Keystone Komsomol these days) but who knows?
The larger problem is that Poland is a NATO member. If treaty conditions are met, this aggression will demand a response from
NATO countries.
You may recall that it was a complicated series of treaty triggers after the assassination of a minor character in the Hapsburg empire that set off the guns of August in WWI.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/11/15/russian-missiles-crossed-into-poland-killing-2-us-official-says/10704659002/
One of the simmering controversies here in our valley is the elk herd that inhabits its upper reaches, grazes on farmland, jumps and knocks down fences and generally annoys some of the farmers.
Since the elk herd is a food source for local tribes, they are protected by law from being shot except by explicit permission of the game dept. or per Indian treaty rights that allow some seasonal hunting by tribal members.
Needless to say that arrangement has some of the upriver farmers' shorts tied in a perpetual knot.
Recently one farmer killed an elk. He said he was just firing a "warning shot," trying to scare the elk. His aim was apparently poor.
I said, regardless of the outcome of any legal complaint brought against him (No decision yet. Prosecuting him would bring outrage from the Right. Those Indians, you know....), he ought to lose his guns if for no other reason than that he he is a danger to the community. He has proved he can't shoot straight.
Today, I'd apply the same logic to Putin.