November 2, 2022
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
Alex Gangitano of the Hill: "President Biden on Wednesday evening will deliver a speech focused on threats to democracy ahead of the midterm elections and following the violent attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) husband last week. The speech will be made on Capitol Hill, White House senior adviserAnita Dunn and deputy chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon announced at an Axios event on Wednesday morning. Biden will speak at the Columbus Club in Union Station at 7 p.m." MB: Not that it matters to anyone except those planning to attend, but the venue for the speech described in the story doesn't make a lick of sense. The event can't originate from both Capitol Hill & Union Station, the latter of which, BTW, I thought was formerly known as Trump's Pricey Hotel for Toadies. ~~~
~~~ Yasmeen Abutaleb of the Washington Post: Speaking to mostly seniors in Hallandale Beach, Florida, "President Biden warned Tuesday that a Republican takeover of Congress would have dire consequences for Social Security and Medicare, taking direct aim at Florida's Republican senators in a state where the popular safety-net programs have numerous beneficiaries. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who is coordinating the Republican effort to retake the Senate, has been a favorite boogeyman of the president since he released a controversial policy plan in February saying that all federal laws, including those establishing Social Security and Medicare, should expire after five years if Congress does not renew them. Biden pulled out a brochure with Scott's plan during his speech, a tactic the president has used at a number of events in recent weeks.... 'And then along came Sen. Johnson from Wisconsin. He says five years is too long to wait,' Biden said. 'Every year -- every year -- it should be on the chopping block.'"
Kyle Cheney, et al., of Politico: "Donald Trump's attorneys saw a direct appeal to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as their best hope of derailing Joe Biden's win in the 2020 presidential election, according to emails newly disclosed to congressional investigators. 'We want to frame things so that Thomas could be the one to issue some sort of stay or other circuit justice opinion saying Georgia is in legitimate doubt,' Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro wrote in a Dec. 31, 2020, email to Trump's legal team. Chesebro contended that Thomas would be 'our only chance to get a favorable judicial opinion by Jan. 6, which might hold up the Georgia count in Congress.' 'I think I agree with this,' attorney John Eastman replied later that morning, suggesting that a favorable move by Thomas or other justices would 'kick the Georgia legislature into gear' to help overturn the election results. The messages were part of a batch of eight emails ... that Eastman had sought to withhold from the Jan. 6 select committee but that a judge ordered turned over anyway, describing them as evidence of likely crimes committed by Eastman and Trump."
Ukraine, et al. Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: "Senior Russian military leaders recently had conversations to discuss when and how Moscow might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, contributing to heightened concern in Washington and allied capitals, according to multiple senior American officials. President Vladimir V. Putin was not a part of the conversations, which were held against the backdrop of Russia's intensifying nuclear rhetoric and battlefield setbacks. But the fact that senior Russian military leaders were even having the discussions alarmed the Biden administration because it showed how frustrated Russian generals were about their failures on the ground, and suggests that Mr. Putin's veiled threats to use nuclear weapons might not just be words." A related CNN story is here.
Denmark. Jasmina Nielsen & Isabella Kwai of the New York Times: "Denmark's center-left coalition emerged with a majority of parliamentary seats early Wednesday, after a tight overnight count in an unpredictable general election gave the governing Social Democratic Party its best showing in two decades. The Scandinavian kingdom is still headed for some uncertainty, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen saying she would formally disband the government and resign her position, setting the stage for a cross-party negotiation that analysts have said is likely to result in a more centrist administration. In a speech in the early hours of Wednesday celebrating the result, she said that her party had been elected to form a 'broad government,' and expressed a desire to work with parties across the political spectrum."
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New York Times: "The attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has ... become the focus of baseless conspiracy theories propagated by a litany of Republicans and conservatives. After state and federal charges were filed against a suspect, the San Francisco district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, said that the widespread misinformation had made it all the more important for prosecutors to present the facts to the public. Here is what we know about the Oct. 28 attack at the speaker's San Francisco home, based on court documents and accounts provided by officials." ~~~
~~ Tim Arango, et al., of the New York Times: "After an intruder broke into the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer, leaving him unconscious for three minutes as he lay in a pool of blood, the attacker told the police that he had other targets: a local professor and several prominent state and federal politicians. The new details of the attack ... emerged on Tuesday from prosecutors as the suspect appeared in court for the first time. The suspect, David DePape, 42, pleaded not guilty to several state felony charges.... The filing by local prosecutors on Tuesday ... offered insights into a disturbed man seemingly enthralled by the conspiracy theories that have portrayed Ms. Pelosi as an enemy of the country.... Mr. DePape was assigned a public defender, Adam Lipson, to represent him.... Mr. Lipson promised to mount a 'vigorous defense' and signaled that one possible strategy could be to highlight his client's 'vulnerability' to the misinformation and conspiracy theories that have become so prominent [MB: among Republicans!] in American political life.... Mr. DePape's sympathies for the most extreme right-wing conspiracy theories are one piece of the growing investigation into his background." ~~~
~~~ A Politico report is here. A CNN story is here. The court filing is here; unfortunately, it comes via the New York Times (or via the Washington Post, here). ~~~
~~~ Luke Broadwater, et al., of the New York Times: "U.S. Capitol Police security cameras captured the break-in at Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home last week in which her husband, Paul, was viciously assaulted, but costly minutes went by before any officer reviewed the footage, according to a person familiar with the matter. By the time the Capitol Police looked at the camera feed -- among hundreds the agency is responsible for monitoring -- and were aware of the crime, Mr. Pelosi had called 911 and the San Francisco police were on the scene. The wasted minutes were flagged by a security review of the episode undertaken by the Capitol Police. The review has also found that the San Francisco police stopped posting a car in front of the Pelosi household 24 hours a day as the agency had after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the person said." ~~~
~~~ Aaron Davis, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Capitol Police first installed cameras around [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi's home more than eight years ago; she has an around-the-clock security detail; and for many months after the attacks of Jan. 6, 2021, a San Francisco police cruiser sat outside her home day and night. But hours after Pelosi left San Francisco last week and returned to D.C., much of the security left with her, and officers in Washington stopped continuously monitoring video feeds outside her house."
~~~ Meredith McGraw of Politico: "... Donald Trump has joined a chorus of conservative voices who have shared baseless conspiracy theories about the attack on ... Paul Pelosi. During an appearance on the Chris Stigall radio show that aired Tuesday morning..., [Trump said,] 'Wow, it's -- weird things going on in that household in the last couple of weeks.... The glass it seems was broken from the inside to the out so it wasn't a break in, it was a break out....'..." MB: Of course this is pure bull. Even the attacker has admitted he broke the glass to get into the house. And how do you suppose Trump knows what's been going on at the Pelosi residence? Do you think either of the Pelosis is a confidante of Trump's? ~~~
~~~ Annie Karni of the New York Times: "The reaction to the assault on Mr. Pelosi among Republicans -- who have circulated conspiracy theories about it, dismissed it as an act of random violence and made the Pelosis the punchline of a dark joke -- underscores how thoroughly the G.O.P. has internalized [Donald Trump's] example. It suggested that Republicans have come to conclude that, like Mr. Trump, they will pay no political price for attacks on their opponents, however meanspirited, inflammatory or false. If anything, some Republicans seem to believe they will be rewarded by their right-wing base for such coarseness -- or even suffer political consequences if they do not join in and show that they are in on the joke.... Republican leaders have condemned the violence against Mr. Pelosi and have not shared the conspiracy theories or sinister memes, but they have not publicly condemned those who have done so or done anything to try to tamp down on the stream of lies. And over the past few years, they have consistently demonstrated to their colleagues in Congress that there are no consequences for making vitriolic or even violent statements."
Justice for Ruby Freeman? Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "... prosecutors [say three people] participated in a bizarre plot to pressure a Fulton County, Ga., election worker to falsely admit that she committed fraud on Election Day in 2020. The three -- Trevian Kutti, [a] publicist; Stephen C. Lee, [a] pastor; and Willie Lewis Floyd III, [a] polo fan -- have all been ordered to appear before a special grand jury in Atlanta, with a hearing for Mr. Lee scheduled for Tuesday morning at a courthouse near his home in Kendall County, Ill.... The decision to seek their testimony suggests that prosecutors in Fulton County are increasingly interested in the story of how the part-time, rank-and-file election worker, Ruby Freeman, 63, was confronted by allies of [Donald] Trump at her home in the Atlanta suburbs in the weeks after he was defeated by President Biden.... Mr. Trump helped spread the fiction" that Ms. Freeman & her daughter entered fake votes for Mr. Biden. (Also linked yesterday.)
Alan Feuer & Zach Montague of the New York Times: "Past dark on Jan. 6, 2021, even after the pro-Trump mob had been chased away and the police had restored some order at the Capitol, members of the Oath Keepers militia kept discussing plans to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election. Writing on a group text chat, Stewart Rhodes, the organization's leader, encouraged his members to keep on fighting, restating his belief that President Donald J. Trump had won the race and that Joseph R. Biden Jr. would be an illegitimate president. Within minutes of those instructions, Kelly Meggs, the top Oath Keeper from Florida, signaled he was ready to keep going. 'We aren't quitting!!' Mr. Meggs wrote in the chat. 'We are reloading!!' This defiant message was shown on Tuesday to the jury at the trial of five Oath Keepers, including Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Meggs, who are facing charges of seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol attack."
Rehearsal for an Insurrection. Alan Feuer & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump and other top Republicans were stoking claims that the election had been stolen, and their supporters were protesting in the streets. Members of the far-right group the Proud Boys and people close to Roger J. Stone Jr., including Representative Matt Gaetz, took part in the action as the crowd was chanting 'Stop the Steal.' The time was 2018, the setting was southern Florida, and the election in question was for governor and a hotly contested race that would help determine who controlled the United States Senate. Now, four years later, the Justice Department is examining whether the tactics used then served as a model for the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. In recent months, prosecutors overseeing the seditious conspiracy case of five members of the Proud Boys have expanded their investigation to examine the role that Jacob Engels -- a Florida Proud Boy who accompanied Mr. Stone to Washington for Jan. 6 -- played in the 2018 protests...." (Also linked yesterday.)
Supreme CJ Gives Trump Another Delay/Break. John Kruzel of the Hill: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily halted a House panel from accessing the financial records of former President Trump ahead of their expected release. The move, which comes in response to an emergency request Trump filed on Monday, was ordered by Chief Justice John Roberts, who handles emergency matters arising in the District of Columbia." Update: A Washington Post story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Well I Swanee! Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block a Georgia grand jury subpoena seeking testimony from Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, about his activities in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. The court's order was a paragraph long and did not note any dissents. It said that Mr. Graham had been afforded substantial protections by lower courts, which had ruled that he did not have to testify on subjects related to his official duties." (Also linked yesterday.)
David Corn of Mother Jones: "f you want to see just how crazy the GOP has become, you need only watch the video recording of a conference on 'election integrity' held in Florida on Saturday by a group of 2020 election denialists. In attendance, either virtually or in person, were the Republican candidates running for secretary of state -- the guardians of election integrity -- in the crucial swing states of Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan, respectively, Mark Finchem, Jim Marchant, and Kristina Karamo. Each has already demonstrated their own devotion to extremism by associating with QAnoners and championing Donald Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. But they further signaled their loyalty to the politics of paranoia and conspiracism by hobnobbing with conference participants who have promoted some of the looniest conspiracy theories." Read on. (Also linked yesterday.)
Julia Mueller of the Hill: "A group of more than 40 civil society organizations on Tuesday sent a letter urging the top 20 Twitter advertisers to threaten to suspend their ads globally if the platform's new owner Elon Musk won't commit to enforcing safety standards and community guidelines."
November Elections
Arizona. Trumpy Judge Suddenly Sees the Light. Ken Bensinger of the New York Times: "A federal judge [Michael Liburdi] in Arizona has sharply curtailed the activities of an election-monitoring group [Clean Elections USA] in the vicinity of ballot boxes, including taking photos or videos of voters, openly carrying firearms, posting information about voters online, or spreading falsehoods about election laws.... In recent weeks, self-described 'mule watchers' -- some armed -- have gathered around outdoor ballot boxes in Maricopa County to take pictures of voters and, in some cases, post those images online.... According to [a] man, who testified without revealing his name publicly for fear of harassment, eight to 10 people filmed the couple and told them they were 'hunting mules.' Images of him and his car were posted online and [Melody] Jennings [-- founder of the voter suppression group --] subsequently appeared on the podcast of Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump adviser, saying they had caught a mule and 'blasted it out viral.' Judge Liburdi called his experience particularly compelling.... In [a] lawsuit, brought [last week] by the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino, the judge declined to enjoin Clean Elections USA's activities, saying he had not seen any evidence that real harm had befallen any voters. That ruling is being appealed in the Ninth Circuit.... On Monday, the Justice Department filed a brief on the issue, noting that while it had no opinion on the lawsuit itself, the Constitution does not protect voter intimidation and that harassing or trying to harass people casting ballots could violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965." Trump appointed Liburdi.
Ohio Senate. Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "The Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney has now endorsed two Democrats for election in the midterms next week by backing Tim Ryan in his Ohio US Senate race against JD Vance after endorsing Elissa Slotkin for re-election to the US House in Michigan. In Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday, Cheney told the journalist Judy Woodruff she backed Ryan, currently a Democratic congressman, over Vance, the Hillbilly Elegy author and venture capitalist who abandoned criticism of Donald Trump in order to publicly embrace him. 'I would not vote for JD Vance,' Cheney said. Asked if she would vote for Ryan if she lived in Ohio, she said: 'I would.'"
Pennsylvania Senate. Travel Tip: Visit Pennsylvania's Beautiful Oceanfront Resorts! Kipp Jones of Mediate: "Mehmet Oz declared the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be an Atlantic-bordering region on Monday, apparently unaware the Keystone State is hopelessly landlocked.... Throughout his campaign, the former TV doctor has defended himself against accusations he is a carpetbagger from New Jersey who only registered to vote in the state in 2020.... Oz told [Sean] Hannity: 'Pennsylvania is too important. This is important, we do not have a Republican senator north of North Carolina on the Atlantic coast until you get to Maine if I don't hold this seat....'" Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See his commentary below. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Yo, Mehmet. (What do people call you? Meh? Seems appropriate.) I have two more words for you: SUSAN COLLINS. Despite your claim that there is no Republican senator north of North Carolina on the Atlantic coast, the state of Maine has 228 miles of Atlantic coastline, OR -- if you include its "tidal coastline"; i.e., the bays & inlets -- make that 3,478 miles of coastline. There will be even more if you & your GOP friends continue let the sea level rise. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Oops! Almost forgot. An anonymous friend of mine has ask me to forward this letter on to Dr. Oz, in hopes he can help: "Dear Dr. Oz: Here I am stuck on the Atlantic Coast of West Michigan, surrounded by thousands of LGBTQ persons and Betsy DeVos and people like Ted Turners first wife, and the owner of things like Follet Publishing. What should I do? Move to the Atlantic Coast of Pennsylvania?" Sure hope we hear back from Oz. Who knows? He might make a great advice columnist. Even for those who have the sense not to take his advice. ~~~
~~~ Lenny Bernstein & Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "In May 2003, Mehmet Oz was the senior author on a study that ... was scheduled to lead off the scientific session of the 83rd annual American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) conference.... But Oz was forced to withdraw his work and was banned from presenting research to the organization for the next two years.... He was also prohibited from publishing his work in the society's medical journal for the same period of time.... At issue were questions about the strength of the data used by Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, to reach an important medical conclusion.... The penalty he experienced in 2003 was a significant one, according to an expert who was not involved in the dispute.... Oz, who has published hundreds of peer-reviewed research papers, is back in the good graces of the AATS.... Oz has made his career in medicine a central feature of his campaign' for U.S. Senate. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
Way Beyond the Beltway
Brazil. Jack Nicas & André Spigariol of the New York Times: "Two days after losing Brazil's presidential election, President Jair Bolsonaro agreed to a transition of power on Tuesday, easing fears that the far-right leader would contest the results after warning for months that the only way he would lose would be if the vote was stolen. In a two-minute speech, Mr. Bolsonaro thanked his supporters, encouraged protesters to be peaceful, celebrated his accomplishments, criticized the left and said he has always followed the constitution. What was absent was any acknowledgment that he had lost the vote or that the election had been free and fair." MB: So Brazil's despot isn't as bad as our despot. (Also linked yesterday.)
Denmark. Isabella Kwai & Jasmina Nielsen of the New York Times: "Denmark started voting on Tuesday in a general election precipitated by anger over a government-mandated mink cull during the pandemic that embroiled top officials and led to accusations against the prime minister of misleading the public. A wealthy Scandinavian kingdom that includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands, Denmark is known for its relatively stable, consensus-seeking political culture and its ranking as one of the happiest nations in the world. But in a crowded field of more than a dozen parties ... analysts said that the election could throw up some surprises. As late as Monday, there was no clear indication about who was most likely to form the next government." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Of course the real scandal is PM Mette Frederiksen's refusal to entertain Donald Trump's generous offer to buy Greenland.
Israel. Patrick Kingsley & Isabel Kershner of the New York Times: "Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing alliance may have won a narrow lead in Israel's fifth election in less than four years, exit polls suggested on Tuesday night, giving him a chance of returning to power at the helm of one of the most right-wing governments in Israeli history. Three broadcasters' exit polls indicated that Mr. Netanyahu's party, Likud, would finish first and that his right-wing bloc was likely to be able to form a narrow majority in Parliament. But exit polls in Israel have been wrong before...." A Guardian story is here.
South Korea. Michelle Lee of the Washington Post: "Transcripts of about 11 emergency call logs released Tuesday show mounting desperation and repeated warnings from partygoers [at Seoul's deadly Halloween street party] for at least four hours before the crush turned deadly. They pleaded for emergency personnel to intervene and control the crowd.... At least 156 people died and at least 157 were injured in the country's deadliest incident in years.... The transcripts reflect the chaos of that scene and corroborate some witness accounts that the area was worryingly crowded from early on in the evening. Many partygoers and members of the public have criticized the lack of police presence in the area." (Also linked yesterday.)
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 briefings for Wednesday are here: "... Ukrenergo, Ukraine&'s state electricity transmission company, said it is imposing hourly power outages in several regions starting Wednesday in order to reduce the load on its networks after Russian attacks damaged power grids.... Kyiv, the capital, will install more than 1,000 heating stations across the city this winter amid the threat of more Russian strikes, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. The heating points, powered by generators, will provide necessities including heat, water and electricity to residents in the capital, Klitschko said.... Attacks by Ukrainian partisans are forcing the Kremlin to divert resources away from the front line and curbing its ability to defend against ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensives, 'let alone conduct their own offensive operations,' according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank."
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Reader Comments (11)
“Weird things going on in that house…”
Right. As Marie points out, the Fat Fascist has no idea what goes in the Pelosi household but he has no problem lying about it. And this time he doesn’t even use his standard safety device of “People are saying..”, he comes right out and declares that he knows what went on, he knows about the details like broken glass…anything to gin up the lies and further inflame the violence and the hatred.
Also, per usual for this cowardly prick, he waits days before opening his trap in order to see what the crazies are saying, how Fox is playing it, and what sorts of lies will land hard with the droolers. He is not, and has never been a leader. He waits to see what’s safe for him to say then he hops into his golf cart and scoots his fat ass up to the front of the parade so he can grab the baton and look like he’s in charge. A more despicable pus-filled monstrosity couldn’t be conjured by a combination of Dickens, Mary Shelley, and Wes Craven.
How do you get a motor-mouth like donald trump to stop talking?
You ask him to condemn political violence by his followers.
And now that Fatty has weighed in (on the scale he broke), here comes the parade of equally vicious liars.
In order to head off criticism that this DePape asshole is obviously a right-wing, Trump Glue sniffing, Qanon goose stepper, TuKKKer KKKarlson declares that he knows what this guy’s political leanings really are:
“Apparently, DePape was camping full-time in a dilapidated Ken Kesey-style school bus, complete with a gay pride flag out front and a sign that reads, “Berkeley stands against hate.” Behind the bus, hangs a BLM banner. So, politically, this picture could not be clearer. You know where this guy stands.”
He’s a n*gger loving Demycrap! From Berkeley, no less. See? See?
They’re never responsible for anything. Ever. If a winger shoots someone, they scream “Irresponsible person jumps in front of bullet fired by freeedom loving patriot who was doing target practice!!”
But KKKarlson, claiming a guy so clearly on his side is actually a Democrat? Sure, why not. Cuz all my Democratic pals are jonseing to take a hammer to Nancy Pelosi’s knees.
It’s like the Onion for confederates, only stupid and not funny.
Trump sure sounds like he knows a lot of details about how the DePape attack was supposed to go down. Someone who is paranoid could start asking questions about why he thinks he knows so much about the incident. Is it a possibility that Trump could've put DePape up to the attack and he was supposed to break the glass from the inside? I'm just asking questions. I'm sure we won't find out that they both lurked on the same crazy websites. That would just be too coincidental. The world is easier to understand when you can fit the puzzle pieces together any way you like.
Russia Russia Russia.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/magazine/russiagate-paul-manafort-ukraine-war.html
I don't think this article has been here in RC, sorry if I'm wrong.
It is fairly long, but does a good exposition of how the basic deal between Putin and Tr*mp is that Tr*mp was willing to help Putin get E. Ukraine and Crimea, and weaken NATO, in return for Putin's US election assistance ('16 and '20). The article spends a lot of ink on Manafort, but that is necessary to lock down the exposition of Tr*mp's willingness to help Putin.
Marie: "What do people call you? Meh?"
The diminutive for "Mehmet", in Turkiye, is "Memo". And Mehmet is a derivative of "Mahomet" or "Mohammed." Much more Islamic than Barack or Hussein. I think. But you never hear Fetterman's talkers playing up that sharia-like stuff. Maybe because they're responsible and decent? Maybe.
Which gives rise to a riff on Henny Youngman: "Take a Memo. Please!"
Will make this one short, unlike the earlier version my uncooperative fingers sent into a cybernetic black hole.
What is it with Republicans and privacy? Roberts' hold on the House request for the Pretender's returns begs precisely that question.
They don't care if private information is gathered and sold for profit. They don't care if the population at large is under near-constant surveillance. They don't care if the government is a third party to any sexual encounter that results in pregnancy.
But they do seem to care--a lot--about keeping matters of money very secret. While there are exceptions for those running for office or holding an office that requires financial disclosure, to Republicans the extent of one's wealth and the uses to which it is put should remain hidden from public view.
That our politics founders on a sea of dark money is just fine with them.
It's almost as if Republicans feel that their money and financial matters are so dirty they must remain entirely out sight, buried in the basement--as well as the Cayman Islands-far below the bedroom that is now pretty much open to view.
Filthy lucre indeed.
@Patrick: One might wonder why a guy essentially named "Mohammed" doesn't get the Muslim-ban treatment. But I think I know why: Oz, like Trump's Saudi buddies & his friend Tom Barrack, is wealthy. It's OK if you've got money. And especially if you'll use some of that money to benefit me.
Italians, BTW, use "meh" as sort of an all-purpose interjection. The meaning changes according to context & tone of voice. So it might mean "I don't know" or "who cares?" or "no comment." I mostly heard my husband use it when he was on the phone, so I think it's sort of a way of moving along a non-face-to-face conversation.
Some of you may remember that almost fifty years ago Lester Maddox was selling autographed axe handles as a part of his campaign for governor of Georgia. Will we see The Former Guy and his supporters peddling autographed hammers?
Patrick: I spent almost an hour this morning reading the piece you referenced re: the Russia/ Manafort/Trumpy (and others) connection and when I was finished had to clear my head and went for a walk. I'd like to describe the devious intermingling but it's too complicated––best to read it for yourselves. It's an eye opener.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/magazine/russiagate-paul-manafort-ukraine-war.html
The GOP may have a little problem with violent speech.