;)
November 3, 2022
Afternoon Update:
Congress, Honor Your Treaty. Simon Romero of the New York Times: "In 1835, U.S. officials traveled to the Cherokee Nation's capital in Georgia to sign a treaty forcing the Cherokees off their lands in the American South, opening them to white settlers. The Treaty of New Echota sent thousands on a death march to new lands in Oklahoma. The Cherokees were forced at gunpoint to honor the treaty. But though it stipulated that the Nation would be entitled to a nonvoting seat in the House of Representatives, Congress reneged on that part of the deal. Now, amid a growing movement across Indian Country for greater representation and sovereignty, the Cherokees are pushing to seat their delegate, 187 years later." MB: Gee, do you think Trumpy judges would rule that the Cherokees had a Second-Amendment right to force Congress "at gunpoint to honor the treaty" just as the Cherokees were forced to do? Perhaps not.
Eileen Sullivan of the New York Times: "The Canadian man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer and trying to kidnap Speaker Nancy Pelosi had been living in the United States with an expired immigration status for years, officials at the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday. David DePape, 42, who the authorities say broke into the Pelosis' home in San Francisco on Friday, entered the United States legally on March 8, 2008, from Mexico through a port of entry in California, the department said. Typically, Canadian visitors who travel to the United States for work or pleasure are admitted for six months." MB: Cue the screams that the attack on Paul Pelosi was all Democrats' fault because "open borders," "illegals.'
As a private company, nobody knew very much about the great business that then-businessman Donald Trump had built but now it is being revealed by [Letitia] James and much to her chagrin. The continuing witch hunt that has haunted and targeted Donald Trump since he came down the 'golden escalator' at Trump Tower in June of 2015 continues. -- Language in a frivolous, hilarious complaint filed by Donald Trump's lawyers against New York AG Letitia James ~~~
~~~ Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "A tirade of a lawsuit that Donald J. Trump filed on Wednesday against one of his chief antagonists, the New York attorney general, was hotly opposed by several of his longstanding legal advisers, who attempted an intervention hours before it was submitted to a court. Those opposed to the suit told the Florida attorneys who drafted it that it was frivolous and would fail, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The loudest objection came from the general counsel of Mr. Trump's real estate business, who warned that the Floridians might be committing malpractice. Nonetheless, the suit was filed. It accuses Attorney General Letitia James of trespassing on Mr. Trump's right to privacy in Florida, where he lives, and seeks to halt her own civil case in New York against the former president and his company.... On Thursday, a judge granted a recent request from Ms. James to stop Mr. Trump from transferring assets and to appoint a monitor to make sure that he does not."
James McKinley, et al., of the New York Times: "U.S. officials met with the jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner on Thursday for the first time since a Russian court rejected her appeal on a drug-possession conviction, and the White House said she was doing 'as well as can be expected.'"
Israel. Patrick Kingsley of the New York Times: With the concession of PM Yair Lapid "on Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu cemented his return to the prime minister's post that he has held for longer than any other Israeli leader. With years of political instability and repeated elections seemingly resolved at last, the question ahead for Israel was how Mr. Netanyahu and his political partners on the far right would wield their new power."
Pakistan. Salman Massod & Christina Goldbaum of the New York Times: "Former Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan was wounded at a rally on Thursday after at least one unidentified man opened fire on his convoy, in what aides have called a targeted attack. The attack, one of the most serious outbreaks of political violence targeting a prominent government official since former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in 2007, hit while Mr. Khan was in Wazirabad, in eastern Pakistan, leading a protest march to the capital, Islamabad. Mr. Khan, 70, sustained bullet wounds in both legs and was moved to Lahore for treatment, officials said.... Seven people including Mr. Khan were injured in the attack and one person died, according to Waqas Nazeer, the spokesman for the Punjab Police. One suspect has been detained, he added."
~~~~~~~~~~
November Elections
** Zeke Miller of the AP: "After weeks of reassuring talk about America's economy and inflation, President Joe Biden turned Wednesday night to a darker, more urgent message, warning in the final days of midterm election voting that democracy itself is under threat from ... Donald Trump's election-denying lies and the violence he said they inspire. Pointing in particular to the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, he said that Trump's false claims about a stolen election have 'fueled the dangerous rise of political violence and voter intimidation over the past two years.'... Biden said, 'As I stand here today, there are candidates running for every level of office in America, for governor, for Congress, for attorney general, for secretary of state, who won't commit to accepting the results of the elections they're in.... That is the path to chaos in America.,' he declared. 'It's unprecedented. It's unlawful. And, it is un-American.'" The Washington Post's story is here. ~~~
~~~ The full transcript of the President's prepared speech, via the New York Times, is here.
~~~ A Quaint New Cottage Industry. Nick Corasaniti & Alexandra Berzon of the New York Times: "At least three dozen lawyers and law firms that advanced Donald J. Trump's failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election are now working for Republican candidates, parties and other groups, filing lawsuits and other complaints that could lay the groundwork for challenging the results of midterm elections, according to a New York Times analysis of campaign finance records and legal filings. Though the 2020 legal push failed, with just one victory out of more than 60 lawsuits, scores of lawyers behind it have continued to work on election litigation.... [Among them] are Cleta Mitchell and John Eastman, two lawyers who helped devise Mr. Trump's legal strategy in 2020 and are now mobilizing activists to hunt for evidence of fraud in the midterm count.'"
Florida. 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.'" (Also linked yesterday.)
~~~ Thanks to RAS for the link.
Wisconsin Governor. GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Vows to End Free & Fair Elections. Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "The Republican candidate for governor in Wisconsin told supporters at a campaign event that if he is elected his party 'will never lose another election' in the state. Tim Michels' opponent next Tuesday, the incumbent Democrat Tony Evers, said the comment, which was released by a left-leaning group, showed the Republican was 'a danger to our democracy'. Michels, a construction company owner, is endorsed by Donald Trump. He has repeated the former president's lie that his defeat by Joe Biden in 2020 was the result of electoral fraud, and refused to say if he would certify results in a presidential election if he was governor and a Democrat won Wisconsin. In a debate with Evers last month, Michels did not say he would accept the result of his own election. He later said he would."
Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "One of the most senior Democrats in the House of Representatives on Wednesday demanded to know why the Capitol Police did not do more to prevent the attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at their San Francisco home last week, and questioned what the agency was doing to improve security for members of Congress and their families. In a lengthy letter that included a litany of concerns about how the Capitol Police manage threats to lawmakers, Representative Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California and the chairwoman of the Administration Committee, questioned several of the department's policies and practices.... 'The department has previously reported to the committee that the speaker receives the most threats of any member of Congress,' Ms. Lofgren wrote to Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Capitol Police, asking why his department had not extended 'coverage to the spouses and/or other family members of the congressional leaders in the presidential line of succession.' Ms. Lofgren also questioned why the Capitol Police had not entered into a formal agreement with the San Francisco police for a car to be posted 24 hours a day outside Ms. Pelosi's house, as had been the practice in the months after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol."
Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "Federal Reserve officials made their fourth supersize interest rate increase in a row on Wednesday and signaled that they planned to lift rates higher than they had previously anticipated as inflation proves surprisingly rapid and stubborn.... The Fed made clear in its policy statement that it would soon slow down the rate increases, giving officials more time to see how the economy was digesting its moves to date. That pushed stocks higher as investors sensed a letup in the Fed's aggressive push to constrain the economy. But Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, underscored during a news conference after the central bank's two-day meeting that policymakers were dedicated to wrestling price increases lower and were nowhere near stopping their efforts to raise borrowing costs and slow growth. The Fed lifted rates another three-quarters of a point this week, setting them in a range between 3.75 and 4 percent. Mr. Powell's stern stance sent stock prices plummeting, with the S&P 500 ending the day down 2.5 percent."
Bad News for Criminal No. 1. Katelyn Polantz & Paul Reid of CNN: "A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Donald Trump adviser Kash Patel to testify before a grand jury investigating the handling of federal records at Mar-a-Lago, according to two people familiar with the investigation. Judge Beryl Howell of the DC District Court has granted Patel immunity from prosecution on any information he provides to the investigation, the people said. Patel's grand jury appearance hasn't yet been scheduled." At 8:50 pm ET Wednesday, this is a breaking news story; it will be updated. Update: The New York Times story is here.
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." (Also linked yesterday.) Update: The Washington Post's story is here.
Committee Explores Trump Freak-out Cover-up. Jacqueline Alemany & Carol Leonnig of the Washington Post: "The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection interviewed Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi on Monday, in part focusing on his role in issuing statements that undercut former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony, according to people familiar with the interview.... During her live testimony in June, Hutchinson testified that Tony Ornato, the deputy chief of staff who served as a liaison for Secret Service, told her that [Donald] Trump tried to wrestle the steering wheel away from the head of his Secret Service detail Robert Engel.... The committee repeatedly on Monday asked Guglielmi to walk through how he chose to describe Ornato and Engel's accounts of events on Jan. 6, 2021.... During the interview, Guglielmi explained who he questioned and said then-Secret Service Director James Murray, who announced his retirement this summer, and Deputy Director Faron Paramore approved the statements...."
Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "Four days after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes tried to tell ... Donald Trump it was not too late to use paramilitary groups to stay in power by force, according to testimony Wednesday in federal court. If he did not, protesters 'should have brought rifles' to Washington, and 'we could have fixed it right then and there,' Rhodes said during a Jan. 10 recorded meeting, boasting that he would have killed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi(D-Calif.). Rhodes made the violent comments at a meeting in Texas with Jason Alpers, who described himself on the witness stand as a military veteran and co-founder of Allied Security Operations Group (ASOG). That organization played a key role in spreading false claims about the 2020 election through misleading and inaccurate reports about voting machine software. On the stand, Alpers said he had an 'indirect' line to Trump's 'inner circle,' without elaborating. That apparent relationship is why Rhodes wanted to meet, Alpers testified. He said he recorded the meeting to accurately 'provide information to President Trump.' What he got, he said, disturbed him enough to eventually go to the FBI.
"Alpers's testimony was followed by an FBI agent who displayed firearms, knives and tactical gear Rhodes purchased after Jan. 6 -- over $17,000 worth, according to the testimony -- and read messages in which the former Army paratrooper urged his followers to prepare for civil war." Emphasis added. A CBS News report is here. An AP report is here.
From the Soap Opera "All Trump's Lawsuits." Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump on Wednesday reached a settlement in a civil case brought by protesters who said they were attacked by his bodyguards in 2015, a deal that will spare the former president and his family business the prospect of two simultaneous trials in New York State court. In a joint statement, Mr. Trump and the protesters -- Efrain Galicia, Florencia Tejeda Perez, Miguel Villalobos and the estate of Johnny Hosvaldo Garcia -- announced that they had reached a deal and that the case had been dismissed.... Details of the settlement, which came on the third day of jury selection and which was first reported by the Daily Beast, were not made public. The joint statement said that Mr. Trump and the protesters 'all agree that the plaintiffs in the action, and all people, have a right to engage in peaceful protest on public sidewalks.'" Update: The Guardian's story is here. MB: How is this possible? Trump says he never settles lawsuits against him.
The Witch Hunt continues, and after 6 years and millions of pages of documents, they've got nothing. If I had what Hunter and Joe had, it would be the Electric Chair. Our Country is Rigged, Crooked, and Evil -- We must bring it back, and FAST. Next stop, Communism! -- Donald Trump, in a Liars Social post over the weekend ~~~
~~~ Steve Benen of MSNBC: "A former American president described the United States -- his own country -- as 'evil,' in writing, on a platform he controls, and this generated almost no attention whatsoever from the political world.... Trump's love of country is, at best, sporadic, so no one's especially surprised when he lashes out like this against the country.... But it's more than a little jarring to see the Republican, at different times, both claim the moral high ground on patriotism and denigrate his own country in ways no former president has ever done." Benen points out a number of other times Trump has criticized not individual American actors but the country as a whole. MB: I am certain that if a Democratic leader described the U.S. as rigged, crooked & evil, almost all Republicans would condemn her/him, and if the offender held public office, Miss Margie's secretary couldn't type up an article of impeachment fast enough.
Ian Shapira of the Washington Post: "Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton, who oversees operation of some of the nation's most historic buildings, has been accused by his office's inspector general of using government vehicles for family getaways and misrepresenting himself as a law enforcement officer. Blanton, a Trump appointee who was earning more than $172,000 a year in 2020, committed 'administrative, ethical and policy violations,' according to the Oct. 26 report by the Office of Inspector General, which said it also identified 'evidence of criminal violations throughout the investigation.' The report said: 'Blanton misled and provided false information to investigators on multiple occasions. Blanton used taxpayer dollars to fund an additional personal vehicle for his family.... Blanton's actions have violated every pillar the OIG operates under including theft, fraud, waste and abuse against not only the AOC but also the taxpayer.'" ~~~
~~~ Marie: Everything about Blanton's behavior is consistent with being a Trump appointee, including his (alleged) impersonation of a police officer. After all, Trump has been impersonating a president ever since January 20, 2017. ~~~
~~~ Joe Davidson of the Washington Post: "Democratic lawmakers are calling for the resignation of J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, over a scathing federal watchdog report that found he abused his authority, misused government property and wasted taxpayer money, 'among other substantiated violations.'... If Blanton ... does not resign, the decision would fall to President Biden on whether to fire him. Congress also could remove Blanton through a laborious impeachment process."
Rebecca Robbins & Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times: "Paramount, the parent company of CBS, and the network's former chief executive Leslie Moonves agreed to pay $9.75 million after a [New York] state investigation found that the network and its senior leadership had concealed accusations of sexual misconduct against Mr. Moonves and, in the case of one executive, engaged in insider trading related to the allegations. Paramount said it would pay $7.25 million into a settlement fund as part of the deal. Mr. Moonves will pay $2.5 million. Separately, Paramount has agreed to pay $14.75 million to settle a shareholder lawsuit related to the claims. Paramount confirmed in a statement that it had reached a resolution with the New York attorney general's office without admitting wrongdoing or liability.... Mr. Moonves stepped down from CBS in September 2018 after numerous women accused him of sexual misconduct in one of the highest-profile cases of the #MeToo movement.... The New York attorney general's office said in a news release that its investigation had found that the company's leadership knew about the allegations against Mr. Moonves and concealed them for months before they became public." The Guardian's story is here.
Beyond the Beltway
Florida. Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times: "Brimming with rage, disappointment and grief, relatives of the 17 people fatally shot at a Florida high school four years ago confronted the gunman at a charged two-day sentencing hearing in which they repeatedly denounced the criminal justice system for sparing his life. For the first time since the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., parents, siblings and children of the victims spoke directly to Nikolas Cruz, the 24-year-old gunman. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, but last month, after an emotional three-month trial, a jury recommended a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The decision shocked victims' families, who had endured the agonizing trial expecting that it would lead to capital punishment. On Wednesday, Judge Elizabeth A. Scherer sentenced Mr. Cruz to 34 consecutive life terms in prison, one for each of the 17 people he killed and the 17 people he injured."
Way Beyond
Ukraine, et al.
The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live briefings for Thursday are here: "Russian-backed authorities began integrating the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant into a new Russian operating company Wednesday, according to Russian news reports, and some specialist employees have reportedly signed new contracts. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has warned that the situation at the plant is 'untenable,' with damage caused by weeks of shelling in the area putting it at risk of a nuclear accident.... Russia is paying sizable wages to get people to fight in Ukraine, which will probably 'strain the Russian economy for decades,' analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, U.S. think tank, said.... The North Korean government is covertly supplying Russia with artillery rounds, using countries in the Middle East and North Africa to mask the weapons' movement, the White House said Wednesday, although it was not yet clear whether those shipments were received, The Washington Post reports."
Ivan Nechepurenko & Matthew Bigg of the New York Times: "Russia on Wednesday rejoined an agreement allowing the shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, one of the few areas of cooperation amid the war in Ukraine, easing uncertainty over the fate of a deal seen as crucial to preventing famine in other parts of the world. Moscow had suspended its participation in the deal over the weekend after an attack on Russian warships in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol that it blamed on Ukraine -- though the attack was far from the corridor used by grain ships. It was unclear why the Kremlin reversed course so quickly, but President Vladimir V. Putin said in televised remarks that the agreement was tied to Ukraine's ensuring the safety of Russian vessels."
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. (Also linked yesterday.)
Brazil. Jack Nicas of the New York Times: "... tens of thousands on Wednesday, angry and draped in Brazilian flags, massing outside military bases across the country ... [demanded that] the armed forces ... take control of the government [to allow the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro to remain in power].... The widespread protests and calls for the armed forces were an escalation of the Brazilian far-right's refusal to accept the election of [Luiz Inácio Lula da] da Silva...." ~~~
~~~ Update. Soccer Democracy. Constance Malleret of the Guardian: "Brazilian football ultras keen to reach away games have been hailed as democratic heroes after breaking through road blockades set up by far-right supporters of president Jair Bolsonaro, who refuse to accept his defeat to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday's tightly contested presidential election. Pro-Bolsonaro demonstrators baselessly alleging electoral fraud have been blocking roads and highways across the country since Sunday night, causing chaos, cancelled flights and fears of fuel shortages. On Tuesday morning, Brazil's supreme court ruled that the federal highway police must immediately take measures to clear the roads. Videos showed that some police officers were encouraging the protests.... Bolsonaro ... tacitly backed the protesters' unfounded claims of fraud ... [and] refused to recognize Lula's win in [a Tuesday] speech.... But in practice Bolsonaro has conceded, ordering his chief of staff to begin the transition process and admitting to the supreme court that the game was up. 'It's over,' he reportedly told supreme court judges during a meeting on Tuesday."
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." (Also linked yesterday.)
Koreas. Andrew Jeong of the Washington Post: "North Korea launched more than two dozen missiles Wednesday, Seoul said, with one of the projectiles falling near South Korean waters for the first time since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, and triggering a response from the South's air force. Three of the missiles were launched from Wonsan, a port on North Korea's east coast, toward the sea between Japan and South Korea around 8:51 a.m. local time, the South's Defense Ministry said. It added that one of them landed near South Korean waters, about 35 miles from Sokcho, a seaside city famous for its seafood and home to 80,000 people. On the nearby South Korean island of Ulleung, 104 miles from where the North Korean missile landed, air raid sirens blared, according to the South's Defense Ministry. No one was hurt after the island's 9,000 residents were told to seek shelter, a spokesman for the island's local government said."
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Reader Comments (15)
Has there ever been anyone claiming to be a leader who was such a candy ass whiny baby as the Orange Monster? I can’t think of one. Would you follow someone who constantly whined about witch hunts and how unfair life is to him? Especially someone who had everything handed to him and did nothing but whip up chaos and destruction everywhere he went?
I suppose the MAGA horde all feel the same way: “waaaah we have nothing! Undeserving minorities get everything! Waaaahhhh! Our enemies are out to kill us. So we must kill them first!!”
And contrary to “they have nothing”, prosecutors, the Jan.6 committee, and the myriad investigators tracking down years of Trump criminality, fraudulence, lies, and treason, have plenty.
Now if only Merrick Garland will DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!
Christ!
It ain’t just Brazil or Michigan or California.
The mindless worms are in the local apple, too, gorging on its heart.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/republican-door-knockers-intimidate-voters-while-hunting-voter-fraud-say-2022-11-03/
https://www.goskagit.com/townnews/public_authority/skagit-county-groups-allegations-of-election-fraud-unfounded/article_f84d5854-59fb-11ed-9b92-13a92db848f6.html
Looks like the young lady I observed in the courthouse the other day is far from the only paranoid on the loose. They're everywhere.
Sad and dangerous both.
I'm back to wondering what brand of lunacy inhabits all those strangers whom I pass on the street. Only the Shadow knows....
.Stranger danger indeed.
And that sense of marked unease is making me paranoid, too.
Ken,
The Party of Traitors has spent millions this year teaching their election denying horde how to intimidate, harass, and deter Democratic voters. There are thousands of these thugs out there and at least one Trump appointed judge has declared voter intimidation constitutionally protected. Oh, not harassment of Republicans. Only Democrats.
Why? Democrats don’t pull this crap.
But my question is why has the Democratic Party not tried to counter this Republican wave of anti-democratic intimidation? Why are we always behind the eight ball doing nothing about it?
While R’s pass laws restricting voting rights, why are we sitting still?
Beyond disgusting…
Fox human toilet bowl, Brian Kilmeade, rips Joe Biden for complaining about the attack on the Pelosis. Already, TuKKKer KKKarlson’s bullshit about how the attacker is a left wing lover of gays and blacks (both of which disqualify anyone from ‘merican citizenship, according to these mooks) has become codified on the right. But not stopping there, Kilmeade snarkily wonders what’s the big deal about someone asking “Where’s Nancy?” “The Fed Ex guy says the same thing” he sniffed.
Yeah. It’s exactly the same thing. Pretty sure the Fed Ex guy isn’t carrying a hammer and rope to break her legs, kidnap and torture her. But to Toilet Bowl Kilmeade, it’s all the same thing.
Where do these fucking people come from?
Akhilleus.
A partial answer:
The preponderance of state legislatures are controlled by Republicans. That number skyrocketed after we sent a black guy to the WH, which tapped into the country's long smoldering racist resentment-- and since the ascension of the Pretender Republicans have moved even farther to the Right, supported by an ever-increasing flood of corporate and private money.
We know Republicans have long used fear as a weapon. They have now deliberately stirred paranoia into their toxic cocktail. Paranoia as a path to power.
There are just so many things that are out to get them.
Reality tops the list.
"Stranger Danger, indeed!" I like that. It corresponds to Ak's "Where do these fucking people come from?" They rise from the depths of America's underworld like those roaches who are always there, hidden snugly in their hell holes until the light comes on and the light that blinded one's eyes---and has not gone away––was/is the orange monster inside that pumpkin. He gave permission to those ignorant armies to rise up and show their destructive colors.
We need–--and I think we are getting more of it--the shaming of the Foxy blond in Ras's video above. Obama does the same when out on the trail.
I thought Biden's speech well thought out and necessary at this time. I do have problems with his evoking God too many times: When mentioning the assault on Paul Pelosi he said "By the grace of God" Paul was not killed. I find this statement ludicrous. By this logic God's grace decides who lives or dies. Evidently that grace has had slim pickings throughout our history.
"Each of us is a child of God and every person is sacred."
"May God bless you all and may God bless those standing guard over our democacy."
"Thank you and godspeed."
And somewhere the Christian Nationalists are saying–––Told ya so!
Gee. Fatty’s phalanx of crooked lawyers all agreed that their best bet for help in overturning a free and fair election was Clarence Thomas. What a surprise. Don’t look now, but he’s still on their side.
Looking ahead to the avalanche of lawsuits all ready to bury the courts should a single traitor lose in the upcoming elections. The mantra that “We’ll never lose another election” is inscribed on all their anti-democracy battle standards. I’m sure Clarence has his own. Ginni too.
@AK, AZ Judge Liburti actually did reverse himself on his initial ruling about the voter intimidation case. Here's a clip from "Bagel" Ben of MTN specifically about it.
Unwashed,
Hooray for an attack of decency and rule of law. That guy just lost his lifetime MAGA membership.
Cuz seriously, if a bunch of black guys in Kevlar vests sporting AK’s, wearing BLM shirts were taking pictures of white people at drop boxes and following them to their cars to record their license plate numbers, Fox and the Traitors would be demanding the death penalty.
@Akhilleus: I think what happened to Judge Trumpity Libertini there was that between his two rulings the DOJ filed a brief explaining that those vigilantes he was supporting were breaking the law. The DOJ laid out statutes that prevent a federal judge from just deciding off the top of his empty head, "Well, I'm not skeert of armed masked men wearing tactical gear taking your picture & writing down your license plate number & calling you names, so you shouldn't be, either."
The law comes as a surprise to a number of Trumpy judges and a mere inconvenience to the rest of them.
Sounds like the cheapskate Pretender could have written that drivel himself.
Maybe he did.
A good excuse not to pay his lawyers?
I was thinking of a beautiful fence just to my north...to keep those M the Americas GAs in Canada where they belong. I'm sure the R's, when they are back in control, will build one for me.
We should have learned by now that pandemics don't respect borders. and MAGA surely qualifies as virulent infectious disease...
@Ken Winkes: I'll bet Trump did write the complaint, then handed it over to his lily-livered lawyers for filing. Those lawyers may soon succumb to the MAGA truism: MAGA stands for "Make Attorneys Get Attorneys," inasmuch as state bar associations prohibit attorneys from filing frivolous lawsuits.
Marie wrote: “The law comes as a surprise to a number of Trumpy judges and a mere inconvenience to the rest of them.”
Yeah. What she said.