;)
Tuesday
Feb092021
The Commentariat -- February 10, 2021
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
** Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "Prosecutors in Fulton County have initiated a criminal investigation into ... Donald J. Trump's attempts to overturn Georgia's election results, including a phone call he made to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which Mr. Trump pressured him to 'find' enough votes to help him reverse his loss. On Wednesday, Fani Willis, the recently elected Democratic prosecutor in Fulton County, sent a letter to numerous officials in state government, including Mr. Raffensperger, requesting that they preserve documents related to Mr. Trump's call, according to a state official.... The letter explicitly stated that the request was part of a criminal investigation, said the official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal matters." A CNBC story is here.
Anna Massoglia of Open Secrets: "Newly identified payments in recent Federal Election Commission filings show people involved in organizing the protests on Jan. 6 received even larger sums from Trump's 2020 campaign than previously known. OpenSecrets unearthed more than $3.5 million in direct payments from Trump's 2020 campaign, along with its joint fundraising committees, to people and firms involved in the Washington, D.C. demonstration before a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. Recent FEC filings show at least three individuals listed on permit records for the Washington, D.C. demonstration were on the Trump campaign's payroll through Nov. 30, 2020. The Trump campaign paid Event Strategies Inc., a firm named in a permit for the rally that also employed two individuals involved in the demonstration, as recently as Dec. 15, just three weeks before the attacks on the U.S. Capitol. That's according to the most recent FEC filings covering spending through the end of 2020.... But the American public may never know the full extent of the Trump campaign's payments to organizers involved in the protests. That's because the campaign used an opaque payment scheme that concealed details of hundreds of millions of dollars in spending by routing payments through shell companies where the ultimate payee is hidden."
Haley Messenger of NBC News: "Twitter will uphold its ban on ... Donald Trump, even if he were to run for office again, according to the company's chief financial officer. 'When you're removed from the platform, you're removed from the platform,' Twitter CFO Ned Segal told CNBC in an interview on Wednesday morning. 'Our policies are designed to make sure that people are not inciting violence,' Segal said. 'He was removed when he was president and there'd be no difference for anybody who's a public official once they've been removed from the service.'" Thanks to Ken W. for the link.
Kyle Cheney of Politico: "One of the Proud Boys arrested for participating in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol told a court Wednesday that he was duped by ... Donald Trump's 'deception' and 'acted out of the delusional belief' that he was responding patriotically to the commander in chief. Dominic Pezzola, who was indicted last month and charged with conspiracy, urged a federal court to grant his release pending trial, emphasizing that his involvement in the Proud Boys was recent and minimal and that he has no other criminal history. But the most notable part of Pezzola's 15-page motion for leniency was his thorough repudiation of Trump. '[D]efendant acted out of the delusional belief that he was a "patriot" protecting his country ... He was responding to the entreaties of the-then commander in chief, President Trump,' Pezzola's lawyer argued in the filing. 'The President maintained that the election had been stolen and it was the duty of loyal citizens to "stop the steal." Admittedly there was no rational basis for the claim, but it is apparent defendant was one of millions of Americans who were misled by the President's deception.'"
Michigan. Caroline Kelly of CNN: "Michigan state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey apologized Tuesday for calling the US Capitol riot a hoax and espousing several conspiracy theories implicating political leadership in a video recorded and posted to YouTube.... In a statement Tuesday, Shirkey acknowledged the video tape was legitimate and apologized for his comments. 'I said some things in a videoed conversation that are not fitting for the role I am privileged to serve,' he said. 'I own that. I have many flaws. Being passionate coupled with an occasional lapse in restraint of tongue are at least two of them.... 'I regret the words I chose, and I apologize for my insensitive comments.'... 'That wasn't Trump people,' Shirkey said of the January 6 riots in a video taken in a restaurant. 'That's been a hoax from day one, that was all pre-arranged,' Shirkey said, asserting that rioters 'went in on separate buses, that was all arranged by somebody that was funding everyone.... Why wasn't there more security? It was ridiculous, it was all staged,' he continued, before pointing to conspiracy theories that Republican leadership -- including Senate Minority Mitch McConnell -- were somehow involved, and questioning how and why some casualties occurred or were recorded."
Apparently Reality Chex commentators who periodically complain about right-wing bias on NPR just have not been making compelling criticisms. You all should have asked about dinosaurs. ~~~
~~~ "Newsy Things Considered." Mary Kelly of NPR: "An 8-year-old from Minneapolis recently pointed out a big problem with NPR's oldest news show, All Things Considered. Leo Shidla wrote to his local NPR station: 'My name is Leo and I am 8 years old. I listen to All Things Considered in the car with mom. I listen a lot. I never hear much about nature or dinosaurs or things like that. Maybe you should call your show Newsy things Considered, since I don't get to hear about all the things. Or please talk more about dinosaurs and cool things....' Leo has a point. All Things Considered is about to turn 50 years old. NPR's archivists found the word 'dinosaur' appearing in stories 294 times in the show's history. By comparison, 'senator' has appeared 20,447 times. To remedy the situation, All Things Considered invited Leo to ask some questions about dinosaurs to Ashley Poust, a research associate at the San Diego Natural History Museum."
~~~~~~~~~~
The Washington Post's live updates of the second day of the second Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump are here: "House managers are scheduled Wednesday to begin laying out their case that Donald Trump incited the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, as the historic second impeachment trial of the former president enters its second day in the Senate. The trial could wrap up as early as the weekend." ~~~
~~~ The New York Times' live updates of Wednesday's impeachment trial are here. The Guardian's live updates of the second day of the trial are here. The Senate will convene at noon ET for the trial.
"Lie After Lie." Larry Buchanan, et al., of the New York Times: "In hundreds of public statements from Nov. 4, 2020, to Jan. 6, 2021, Mr. Trump repeatedly used phrases like 'we won the election' and 'won it by a landslide,' and he said that the election was 'rigged' and 'stolen' by the Democrats. Such assertions have been proven false by the courts and elections officials across the country. Mr. Trump's language later signaled to his supporters that they needed to 'fight' because 'you'll never take back our country with weakness.'... Autocratic movements throughout history have been distinguished by leaders repeating lies and suggestions that whip up anger among supporters, [Yale professor] Dr. [Timothy] Snyder said. 'That is exactly what Trump did.'... Dozens of constitutional scholars from across the political spectrum have said the First Amendment claim is 'legally frivolous' and should not stop the Senate from convicting Mr. Trump.... The Times reviewed hundreds of hours of footage from Jan. 6 of protesters, including the rioters that stormed the Capitol, and found evidence of how they mimicked -- and amplified -- Mr. Trump's words." Includes a 38-minute video of Trump's lies about the election results.
~~~~~~~~~~
Most Senate Republicans Disavow Constitution, Rule of Law. Andrew Desiderio & Kyle Cheney of Politico: "The Senate is constitutionally permitted to try Donald Trump on the House's charge that he incited the Jan. 6 insurrection, senators voted Tuesday, sidelining the former president's primary defense in the impeachment case against him. The 56-44 vote permits the impeachment trial to move ahead Wednesday, when the House will present its opening arguments in its uphill effort to win Trump's conviction -- which requires a two-thirds vote of the evenly divided Senate. Six Republicans voted with Democrats to support the ability to try a former president, a case that has won support from legal scholars of all ideologies but that Trump's team said was unconstitutional.... House Democrats opened their case Tuesday to convict Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection with a montage of harrowing scenes of violence wrought by the former president's supporters during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.... The shocking footage -- which included the shooting death of rioter Ashli Babbitt and the assault of numerous police officers -- forced senators to relive the moments when many of them fled the violence, fearing for their own safety." Update: The Washington Post's story is here. ~~~
Barbara Sprunt of NPR: "The Republicans who voted for the trial's constitutionality were Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Cassidy's vote is notable because he was the only senator to switch sides from an early procedural vote on the trial's constitutionality." Cassidy explains his vote:
Alayna Treene & Glen Johnson of Axios: "The made-through-TV impeachment presentation delivered by House managers presented a gripping narrative for the public but the rambling, legalistic rebuttal Donald Trump's attorneys presented won Tuesday with the pivotal Senate jurors.... The House managers are playing the outside game; they know it's a long shot their prosecution will alter the final result, so they're trying to shift public opinion. Trump's defense is playing an inside game -- they're doing just enough to sustain the votes needed to acquit the former president.
Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: Lead prosecutor Rep. Jamie "Raskin [D-Md.], who lost his son, Tommy, to suicide the week before the [January 6] rampage, brought the urgency of the matter home with chilling personal detail. Speaking through tears, Mr. Raskin narrated the events of Jan. 6 through his own eyes and those of his daughter and son-in-law, who had accompanied him to the Capitol that day ... and became trapped in an office off the House floor as the rioters flooded the building. He recalled the 'most haunting sound I ever heard' as members of the pro-Trump mob pounded 'like a battering ram' on the doors to the House chamber. 'All around me, people were calling their wives and their husbands, their loved ones to say goodbye,' Mr. Raskin recalled. 'Members of Congress, in the House anyway, were removing their congressional pins so they couldn't be identified by the mob as they tried to escape.' He recounted having apologized to his daughter afterward, saying her next trip to the Capitol would be better, and her reply that she never wanted to return to the building. 'Of all the terrible, brutal things I saw and heard on the day and since then, that one hit me the hardest,' he said. 'Senators, this cannot be our future. This cannot be the future of America. We cannot have presidents inciting and mobilizing mob violence against our government and our institutions because they refuse to accept the will of the people.'"
Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "'Winning' the impeachment trial means removing any reasonable doubt in the minds of Americans that... Donald Trump incited a riot, that he let it continue in desperate attempt to keep power and that Republicans simply do not care. The House impeachment managers did a masterful job on all points in their opening arguments on Tuesday.... Let's not forget that the only reason the impeachment, which the House voted on before Trump left office, was not sent to trial immediately was because then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his fellow Republicans stalled. They break the hypocrisy meter by turning around and claiming that the Senate, therefore, cannot try Trump now.... It was obvious why Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Rick Scott (Fla.), and Rand Paul (Ky.) cravenly averted their gaze [from the video presentation]: The scenes were so disturbing as to render their defense of the former president a moral abomination. The voices of rioters parroting Trump's incendiary words dismantle the notion that rioters were not motivated by Trump.
"... Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), took the Senate through an air-tight argument citing constitutional language, history, precedent and the views of renowned conservative legal scholars to demonstrate why the defense's argument is preposterous. Add in the bumbling, nearly incoherent presentation from the former president's lawyer, Bruce Castor, and the screeching, partisan harangue from his colleague David Schoen (who seemed to threaten violence if Trump is convicted when he said, 'This trial will tear this country apart, perhaps like we have only seen once before in our history'), and it is easy to see there is no real constitutional objection to trying the case."
~~~ Marie: The most infurating argument Castor made, IMO, was this one: "... the section [of the Constitution] I read..., the judgment, in cases of impeachment..., [is] 'shall not extend further than removal from office.' What is so hard about that? Which of those words are unclear?: 'Shall not extend further than removal from office?' President Trump no longer is in office. The object of the Constitution has been achieved. He was removed by the voters," Castor emphasized, as he read from notes. In fact, that is only half of what the Constitution says about "judgment" for impeachment. Section 3.7 of the Constitution reads, "Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States...." Emphasis added. Castor's central argument -- the one his reading of notes suggests he prepared for -- was a flat-out lie.
Eileen Sullivan of the New York Times outlines five takeaways from the trial's first day. They sound about right.
Reed Richardson of Mediaite: "The Senate's top Republican will not whip his caucus to vote against the conviction of ... Donald Trump for inciting the Capitol insurrection. That's according to Bloomberg, which reported late on Tuesday night that [Mitch] McConnell is signaling to Senate Republicans that he will not be holding them to uniform opposition of the incitement of insurrection charge against Trump. That would free GOP Senators to vote to convict...."
Eli Merritt in a New York Times op-ed: "If the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 were sitting today as jurors in the Senate impeachment trial of ... Donald Trump, one thing seems certain.... Acting with vigor and dispatch, they would cast two near unanimous votes: first, to convict the president of an impeachable offense, and second, to disqualify him from holding future federal office. They would vote in this way, unmoved by partisan passions or the defense's claim that the Senate lacks jurisdiction, because they believed as a matter of civic principle that ethical leadership is the glue that holds a constitutional republic together. It was a principle they lived by and one they infused into every aspect of the Constitution they debated that summer in Philadelphia nearly 234 years ago.... They wrote the language of the impeachment powers with a demagogue like Mr. Trump in mind."
Gabby Orr & Meredith McGraw of Politico: "Cocooned at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump watched as his defense attorneys responded to an emotional presentation by House impeachment managers with a series of dry, technical and at times meandering arguments about due process and the constitutionality of the proceedings. As they droned on, he grew increasingly frustrated with the sharp contrast between their muted response and the prosecution's opening salvo.... 'President Trump was not happy with the performance of his legal team in action,' said one of the people familiar with his thinking. It didn't help that his lead attorney..., Bruce Castor..., referred to Trump as the 'former president,' conceding that he had in fact lost the 2020 election when he was removed by 'smart' voters last November. Trump, according to those familiar with his thinking, saw his legal team's performance as a missed opportunity and also was annoyed by the public criticism of his attorneys." ~~~
~~~ Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Mr. Trump ... was furious [with Bruce Castor's performance], people familiar with his reaction said. On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the angriest, Mr. Trump 'was an eight,' one person familiar with his reaction said. And while he was heartened that his other lawyer, [David] Schoen, gave a more spirited performance, Mr. Trump ended the day frustrated and irate, the people familiar with his reaction said." ~~~
~~~ Kaitlan Collins, et al., of CNN: "Trump was almost screaming as Castor struggled to get at the heart of his defense team's argument, which is supposed to be over the constitutionality of holding a trial for a president no longer in office. Given that the legal team was assembled a little over a week ago, it went as expected, one of the sources told CNN. Still, Trump's allies were flabbergasted when the attorneys switched speaking slots at the last minute."
~~~ AP: "Senate Republicans had sharp criticism for ... Donald Trump's lawyers after the opening of his second impeachment trial. Many said they didn't understand Trump's lawyers' arguments as they sought to persuade the Senate to dismiss the trial on constitutional grounds.... Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, one of Trump's staunchest allies, said he didn't think the lawyers did 'the most effective job,' while praising Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Democrats' lead prosecutor, as 'impressive.' Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said Castor 'just rambled on and on and on.' Both still voted to dismiss the trial, along with 42 other Republican senators." ~~~
~~~ Marie: A pundit appearing on MSNBC (I was only half-listening, so I don't know who it was) compared Trump's lawyers to mob lawyers who don't put in much of an effort at trial because they know they've already bought the jurors.
The New York Times is liveblogging the first day of Trump's second impeachment trial here. The Washington Post's live updates are here. The Guardian's liveblog, which also covers other topics, is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Rosalind Helderman & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump was 'horrified' when violence broke out at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, as a joint session of Congress convened to confirm that he lost the election, according to his defense attorneys.... But that revisionist history conflicts with the timeline of events on the day of the Capitol riot, as well as accounts of multiple people in contact with the president that day, who have said Trump was initially pleased to see a halt in the counting of the electoral college votes. Some former White House officials have acknowledged that he only belatedly and reluctantly issued calls for peace, after first ignoring public and private entreaties to do so." The report relies on anonymous White House sources, but also cites Sens. Lindsey Graham, Ben Sasse & Mike Lee contradicting assertions Trump was concerned about the violence. "By 1:49 p.m. -- nearly an hour after the Capitol Police chief had urgently requested backup from D.C. police -- Trump remained focused on his recently concluded speech. He tweeted a video of his own remarks, adding the caption, 'Our country has had enough, we will not take it anymore, and that's what this is all about.'... At 2:24 p.m., [13 minutes after his supporters breached the building,] Trump tweeted: 'Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution ... USA demands the truth.'... While Trump's defense attorneys claim he and the White House 'took immediate steps to coordinate with authorities,' the president played no known role in organizing reinforcements that day." (Also linked yesterday.)
Hayley Miller of the Huffington Post: "... Donald Trump falsely claimed more than 100 times that Democrats had 'rigged' or 'stolen' the 2020 election ahead of January's deadly insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol, a HuffPost analysis found.... He made claims of voter fraud and ballot-counting irregularities more than 250 times, specifically making baseless claims that voting machines tossed or changed votes at least 45 times.... Trump falsely declared victory at least 40 times, often claiming he won in a "landslide." He peddled these nuggets of disinformation during press conferences and rallies watched by millions of people, or on Twitter to his more than 88 million followers." (Also linked yesterday.)
The Ambulance-Chaser -- The Crazy Eddie of Philly. Amy Gardner of the Washington Post: "Last year, Philadelphia lawyer Michael T. van der Veen filed a lawsuit against ... Donald Trump accusing him of making 'repeated claims' that mail voting is ripe with fraud 'despite having no evidence in support of these claims.' This week, van der Veen is adopting a different posture as part of the team of attorneys defending Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result in his Senate impeachment trial. How a longtime personal-injury lawyer found himself at the center of that trial, which opened Tuesday, may say more about his client than his own legal career. Trump struggled to find lawyers to take on his case, parting ways with several who were unwilling to claim that the 2020 election was stolen, as the president is said to have wanted them to do.... In Philadelphia, van der Veen is best-known for his law firm's ubiquitous ads on local news radio station KYW-AM, which are reminiscent of East Coast electronics chain Crazy Eddie's high-octane TV pitches from the 1980s." ~~~
He [Michael van der Veen] also defended a college student who was prosecuted for trying to hack into an IRS database to obtain Trump's tax records. That student saying Mr. van der Veen described Trump to him as a quote, 'f---ing crook,' but he didn't just say 'F', apparently, he said it for real. And now, that man represents Donald Trump in his impeachment trial. -- Rachel Maddow, Tuesday evening
Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "A big difference between the second and first impeachment trials of Donald J. Trump is the sound of (relative) silence. The former president is muzzled on social media, and his allies were putting up a scattered defense of him on Tuesday. Even those willing to step forward have, for the most part, abandoned his false claim that the election was stolen, and were defending him on narrow legal or constitutional grounds.... His biggest booster Tuesday morning was ... Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.... 'The Capitol attack was planned and organized, NOT incited in the moment by President Trump, and NO Republican Member was involved," Ms. Greene, who described Jan. 6 as '1776 Day' before the riot, wrote on Twitter. 'We were ALL victims that day. And once again, Trump is the victim of the never ending hate fueled witch hunt.'" ~~~
~~~ Yeah, Well, There's This Guy. Steve Neavling of the Detroit Metro Times: "Michigan state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey suggested the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was a 'hoax' perpetuated by opponents of ... Donald Trump. The state Senate's top Republican made the bizarre and unfounded claim in a video-recorded meeting at a diner last week with leaders of the Hillsdale County Republican Party, who were discussing censuring him for not taking a bold enough stand against Democrats. 'That wasn't Trump's people. That's been a hoax from day one. That was all prearranged,' Shirkey, a Clarklake Republican, said of the riot. 'It was arranged by somebody who was funding it. ... It was all staged.' There's no evidence that anyone but Trump supporters were behind the riot."
Antonia Farzan of the Washington Post: As Trump's impeachment trial got underway, Palm Beach's town council members debated whether or not Trump could legally take up permanent residence at Mar-a-Lardo. The argument seemed to go in his favor as the town attorney John 'Skip' Randolph submitted a memo opining that Trump's final agreement with the town "did not incorporate a direct prohibition on former President Trump residing at the Club." The council did not make a final decision.
Simon Shuster of Time: "'Let these investigations go forward,' Rudy Giuliani told the presidential headquarters in Kyiv, Ukraine, his voice turning impatient. 'Get someone to investigate this.' On the other end of the line, hunched over a speakerphone, two Ukrainian officials listened in disbelief as Giuliani demanded probes that could help his client... Donald Trump, win another term in office. The 40-minute call, a transcript of which was obtained by Time, provides the clearest picture yet of Giuliani's attempts to pressure the Ukrainians on Trump's behalf.... [Giuliani] toggled between veiled threats -- 'Be careful,' he warned repeatedly -- and promises to help improve Ukraine's relations with Trump.... For a year and half, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his aides said little about their interactions with Giuliani, not wanting to anger an emissary of the U.S. President. But now..., the Ukrainians have begun to speak up about the circumstances that led to [Trump's] first [impeachment]. They are also taking steps that could imperil Giuliani and his Ukrainian allies."
Kristen Holmes of CNN: "Embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has told those close to him he wants to stay in his role under the new president, two sources tell CNN, despite his troubled tenure at the helm of the US Postal Service and his background as a supporter and donor to ... Donald Trump. President Joe Biden faces mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to remove DeJoy, however, amid months of complaints over mail delivery delays -- including prescription drugs.... The President does not have the power to remove the Postmaster General. Only the Postal Service Board of Governors -- which is comprised of members nominated by the President and confirmed in the Senate -- has the power to do so, and DeJoy continues to have the support of the Trump-appointed board. But Biden has the power to nominate members of the board and to send them to the Senate -- now led by Democrats -- for confirmation. Some lawmakers want Biden to go beyond filling empty seats, and take drastic action by firing the entire board." (Also linked yesterday.)
Meanwhile, Back at the White House
Jim Tankersley, et al., of the New York Times: "President Biden on Tuesday pressed business leaders to back his $1.9 trillion economic aid package, but received no public declarations of support for a $15 minimum wage that is part of the legislation and that the president has said is vital to providing relief for struggling Americans. Mr. Biden hosted a group including the top executives of Walmart, Gap Inc. and JPMorgan Chase in the Oval Office as part of his push to rally support for his American Rescue Plan, which the House Education and Labor Committee began debating on Tuesday. But some of the attendees, including Doug McMillon of Walmart and the chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Tom Donohue, have said they oppose Mr. Biden's proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour from $7.25. The president acknowledged some disagreements, telling reporters before the meeting that 'we're approaching this issue to see if we can find some common ground.'"
Natasha Bertrand and Daniel Lippman of Politico: President Biden & his national security staff now have access to Donald Trump's secret phone calls with Vladimir Putin. "'It is a national security priority to find out what Trump said to Putin' over his four years in office, said one former national security official who is close to the new president. 'Some things, like what happened in some face-to-face meetings where no American translator or note-taker was present, may never be fully known. But I would be very surprised if the new national security team were not trying to access' the call records."
The Pandemic, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here.
The Washington Post's live updates of Covid-19 developments Tuesday are here. The New York Times' live updates for Tuesday are here: "A team of World Health Organization scientists said on Tuesday in China that the coronavirus had probably first spread to humans through an animal and was 'extremely unlikely' to have been the result of a lab accident. The findings, delivered after 12 days of field work by the team visiting Wuhan, China, were the first step in a painstaking process to trace the pandemic's origins, a question that is critical to helping prevent a recurrence." (Also linked yesterday.)
Beyond the Beltway
Ian Duncan of the Washington Post: "The pilot carrying NBA star Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter and six other people didn't follow his training after flying into clouds and likely became disoriented, federal safety investigators said Tuesday. Pilot Ara Zobayan should have steadied the helicopter, climbed slowly and declared an emergency to get help from air traffic controllers, National Transportation Safety Board investigators said Tuesday. But the investigation into the crash found that he didn't take those steps. Once he was in the clouds, the investigators said Zobayan likely became disoriented as he lost visual references, thinking he was climbing when, in fact, the helicopter was plunging toward a hillside. Federal safety investigators were meeting Tuesday to determine the likely reason a helicopter carrying Bryant plunged into a Los Angeles County hillside last year." The AP's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Minnesota. Mohamed Ibrahim & Gretchen Ehlke of the AP: "A 67-year-old man whom authorities said was unhappy with the health care he'd received opened fire at a clinic Tuesday and injured five people, and bomb technicians were investigating a suspicious device left there and others at a motel where he was staying. All five victims were rushed to the hospital. Three remained in stable but critical condition on Tuesday evening, and a fourth had been discharged. The condition of the fifth victim was not immediately known. The attack happened Tuesday morning at an Allina clinic in Buffalo, a community of about 15,000 people roughly 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Minneapolis. Authorities said Gregory Paul Ulrich, of Buffalo, opened fire at the facility and was arrested before noon." ~~~
~~~ New Lede: "A 67-year-old man unhappy with the health care he'd received opened fire at a clinic Tuesday, killing one person and wounding four others, and bomb technicians were investigating a suspicious device left there and others at a motel where he was staying, authorities said."
News Lede
Huffington Post: "Larry Flynt, the founder of Hustler magazine who oversaw a massive porn empire, died Wednesday, according to several media reports. He was 78."
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Reader Comments (31)
I watched the first impeachment proceeding from start to finish. I thought the House side was well-prepared, well-presented, and horrifying. I hadn't seen footage like what they showed and had no idea the extent of the mayhem. Disgusting.
The supposed defense was laughable at best, more like pathetic. Again, disgusting.
And what's with Schoen? Is he imbibicly challenged? Most people would use their wrist to tip a water bottle upward to take a sip while holding their head steady. He put the bottle to his lips using his left hand, placed his right hand onto the top of his head, and then tilted all four backward to drink. At least 3x by my count. That seemed a little odd.
I had seen an article in the NYT with a picture of him wearing a yarmulke. He wasn't wearing one during the proceeding. Could it be that he has developed a habit to reach up to keep his yarmulke from falling off every time he drinks water? A habit so strong that muscle memory takes over even when one isn't wearing the item that needs to be held?
@unwashed: Someone explained on MSNBC that when an observant Jew takes a drink of water, he thanks God for the sustenance, and his head must be covered to give thanks. Since, as you point out, Schoen was not wearing a yarmulke, he covered his head with his hand to make do.
I don't know why Schoen wouldn't just wear a yarmulke; there's certainly no Senate prohibition against yarmulkes. Maybe you're not allowed to lie at the same time you're outwardly showing respect for God. Or maybe Trump told him not to as he didn't want his lawyer looking "too ethnic." (Both explanations seem plausible to me.) But the alternative Schoen chose had a lot of people wondering what he was doing.
@MB: Thanks for the clarification. I, not being observant of any sect other than just being courteous to others, have a hard time comprehending how people live their lives by such ritual. Whatever floats your boat, I guess. I don't mind being a heathen.
@unwashed: On a personal note, I was thinking recently that I have come to enjoy rituals. Years ago, an old boyfriend of mine (who, coincidentally, now that I think of it, was Jewish) complained that his ex-wife made a ritual of everything, right down to the routine of making a cup of tea. I tended to agree with the ex-wives on whatever it was their former husbands complained about (which no doubt is partly why so many of my ex-boyfriends were exes), so I gave some thought to this particular ex-wife's habit. I myself never made a ritual of anything, as I was always rushing around just getting stuff done. It began to seem to me to be a way of life worth trying -- a manner of taking time to smell the roses. And that's how it has turned out. Now that I'm eating alone, I am probably the only person who can make a ritual out of eating a TV dinner: good silver, rectangular plates because many TV dinner containers fit better on them than on round plates, classical music. As someone who doesn't like to waste time, I don't feel that paying attention to what I'm doing by establishing a ritual around it is wasting time. It's a means of living in the moment.
This is, of course, not precisely the same as observing religious rituals, but I think I get why they're important to people. Following rituals is a different way of "being." If you've never tried it, make a conscience effort to give it a shot. Maybe you'll think it's stupid, and that's okay, too. But rethinking -- and rejiggering -- habits sometimes works out well.
Marie,
It’s also possible (likely?) that Trump didn’t want his anti-Semitic, white supremacist, Nazi supporters to recognize that he has a Jewish lawyer defending him against the actions they took to try to overturn the election in his favor.
Pretty funny that a “Crazy Eddie” type character is defending the Orange Monster. When I lived in Manhattan, I didn’t have time for much TV watching, but it seemed that anytime I did turn it on, a spot for Crazy Eddie would scream at me, reminding viewers that “his prices are INSANE!”
It’s worth remembering that the original Crazy Eddie, Eddie Antar, was an amoral, unethical crook who was tried, convicted, and sent to prison for fraud. The guy’s business practices actually sound a lot like Trump’s.
So it’s not a surprise that a Crazy Eddie manqué is humping for another fraud. So far it’s sounding very much like Crazy Fatty’s defense is INSANE.
@Akhilleus: re: Jewish lawyer. I think you've got it.
Surely Mr. Castor knows that trimming even two words from a sentence can significantly alter the meaning:
“Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tore open the shutters and threw up.”
The oath taken by 44 senators we could name this morning:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend myself and my career against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully pursue the opportunities for self advancement the office on which I am about to enter provides: So help me God."
"... head must be covered ..." called to mind my elementary school days, when the nuns would troop us the three blocks from the school to the church. Most girls didn't wear hats to school, but they were supposed to have head covers in church (Why girls and not boys? Never asked, never answered, just was). So, at the nave, the nuns handed out bobby pins and paper napkins from the lunchroom and the girls would pop them on their heads. A 4-inch wide napkin was a cover as good as any millinery.
God was no doubt pleased.
@Patrick: Although I suppose the practice was already common among Jews at the time, Paul explains the rationale in his first letter to the Corinthians 11 (One Corinthian in Trumpspeak): "... the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying with anything down over his head dishonors his head, but every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered dishonors her head.... For indeed a man ought not to cover his head, being the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason the woman should have authority on her head, because of the angels. In any case, woman is not independent of man, nor man of woman, in the Lord; for as woman is [created] from man, so man is now [born] through woman." And so forth.
I have never cared for Paul, and his anti-feminism is one of the reasons.
Patrick,
The napkin on the head trick must have been a regular thing for girls in Catholic schools back then. I remember girls in my school grabbing one if we were on the way over to the church for the Stations during Lent. I was happy boys didn’t have to do that, I’d never have been able to keep track of those doily things.
Marie,
Paul certainly could dish it out. He is personally responsible for some of the most arcane rules in Christendom. In another life, he’d probably have made a living devising rule-bound board games. Do not pass go, go directly to jail, Community Chest sez your dog bit the mayor’s wife in the ass. Pay $6,000.
I, too, watched the whole of the hearing. I wept at the end of Raskin's presentation; he brought home in a very personal way, the anguish and horror of the bloody insurrection. The Dems were top notch in presenting their case and I'm hoping next they will bring forth all that $$$$$ that has been spent on this sick adventure––tax payers! It's your money that is going out here–-ask your GOP senators, the ones who refuse to vote yea, why nay makes any sense ( and cents) here.
As for Frick & Frack––holy cow! First was Frick– Castor- Rambling, incoherently, at times so nutty I had to laugh out loud. But Schoen, the Frack in this duo, was right on track denouncing the whole procedure and his rapidity of speech gave it just the right amount of motor mouth zingers. He used the word "SNAP" seven times; someone on MSNBC last night called it " lawyerly gobbly-gook."
The one line, of Schoen's that stuck out for me was "This lust for impeachment"--thems powerful words coming forth from a man who is representing another man whose lust for power knows no bounds.
As for Schoen's hand touching head when taking a drink I gathered was for a Jewish ritual or otherwise the guy has some kind of funny fetish going on. I enjoyed reading Marie's comments about rituals. I think also that for many it has to do with control. I, for instance, am very organized and understand that, for me, it has to DO with control.
I once had a mother-in-law who was deeply religious, went to early mass every morning but living in Wisconsin the severe winter weather prevented, at times, this ritual so she'd set a cloth and a candle on a table and pray. I dared ask once why she needed to do this: "I would feel unfinished the rest of the day if I didn't" she said.
As far as "Fast Eddie"––I wrote about him some years back–-the lawyer who represented him and his brother was Trump's sister's husband. And by the way––Eddie flew the coop-the brother took the rap.
P/S/ Last night PBS had a repeat Documentary on Al Capone who literally got away with murder –-the Feds were never able to connect all those murders directly on him. In the end he was nabbed on tax evasion. This program was aired sometime in 2018–-it's no wondering why it was aired again last night.
And we continue–– trying to swim upstream––away from the shark infested waters–– if we can.
@PD Pepe: Great commentary on the trial, as usual. The thing about Al Capone is that the feds did eventually get him on tax evasion. So there's hope that Donald may yet end up with an outfit to match the thing on his head (although I doubt the thing on his head will be orange when he's behind bars as I don't suppose personal hair salons are permitted in the cells even at whatever Club Fed he might wind up occupying).
I think people cling to ritual to be in the moment. I was raised relatively unchurched, with an ex-Christian Scientist for a stepfather, a father who was a CO during the war, and a mother who was raised Methodist but became mail-order Unitarian. I went to Presbyterian Sunday School but chickened out when planning to joint the church in junior high. Through the years, I have enjoyed the Catholics (married one--)but become uncomfortable when the UUs borrow ritual-- it seems absurd to me. But for those who love it, go for it. Meaning of life has many doors in which to enter...
Speaking of meaning of life, half of the Senate has none. Sad but unescapable. The other party has none in general. Or a reason to exist. . The hypocrisy exhibited is breathtaking.
"... because of the angels ..."
OK, that explains it.
Jeanne, this a.m. I remarked to my wife that R senators seem to have decided that politics doesn't involve ethics or principles, other than doing what is necessary to maximize votes, minimize losses and stay out of jail. A lot like being a bond salesman.
But when the market flips, they have to be totally hedged. Hence they always look like waffles. Because they are.
Waffles. Not waffles.
Find it intriguing that many of us here think first of church, particularly of our Catholic youths, when the subject of ritual is raised.
My own Catholic background, replete with ritual as it was (I can still see my father and the other men doffing their fedoras as they entered the church, holding them in one hand as they knelt and blessed themselves with the other) might have given me a slightly different take on them.
I understand the comfort rituals provide by making one an observant member of a larger group, thus satisfying our social need to be a member of a herd. At other times ritual observance fills our days, making us feel we're doing something when we're not doing, certainly not thinking, very much at all.
That latter point has come more to the forefront as I've aged. As the years have passed, the grooves have become deeper and easier for me to slip into, doing today what I did yesterday, ever more thoughtlessly.
There is a part of me that doesn't like that thoughtless bit, exacerbated as it is by the reality of my retirement, a time with fewer distractions and obligations imposed by work and child-rearing and now a landscape further emptied by the Covid-imposed limitations on travel and social interaction.
In my personal Covid times, one day's pattern is so likely to duplicate its predecessor that my life itself seems a ritual, one I sometimes fear has become somewhat empty.
My morning engagement with RC and its delightfel denizens is, of course, an exception.
Looks like there is no "R" in w a f f l e r.
Take that Spellcheck!
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/twitter-uphold-permanent-ban-against-trump-even-if-he-were-n1257269
Do I hear a collective sigh of relief spreading across the nation?
How is this guy not on Trump's impeachment team?
Trial:
Did Eric Swawell just misread "cavalry" for the Trump supporters tweeted words "Calvary"? The implication of calvary (i.e. Golgotha) is entirely different. "We are bringing the calvary" might mean that the insurrection was meant to be Trump's crucifixion ... and that he would raise from the dead ...blah blah, you know the rest.
It is possible that two insurrectionists don't know how to spell, but for Representative Swawell to misread it...ouch!
@periscope: I believe Rep. Swalwell was presenting the intended meaning of the tweet. Miscreants intentionally misspell words to get their meaning past anti-violence filters on Twitter and other platforms.
The writer did not intend for rally participants to carry buckets of dirt to build a mount Calvary in front of the Capital. The writer was also not advocating that T****’s supporters go hide in the upper room and let the miracle of the crucifixion and resurrection happen while they hid from fear. No, the writer wanted an armed brigade, the cavalry, to go and save the day. Swalwell got it right.
Now that the impeachment prosecution has reminded me of how long and often the Pretender claimed the election would be "stolen," I'm thinking with increasing certainty that he knew early in the summer that he was going to lose.
The claims of a stolen election weren't just the backup plan.
From mid-summer on, they and the anger the constant repetition of those baseless claims encouraged, culminating on the nation's homegrown Day of Infamy, were plan number one.
Don't know why the former Pretender was outraged at his lawyers' performance.
Listened to some of their halting speech, the off the subject remarks, and the interminable and meandering digressions and thought the lawyers were talking just like the Pretender himself at one of his rallies.
And I'd always heard imitation was the sincerest form of flattery....
Maybe he's mad because they left out the awkward riffs on light bulb wattage and the water closet capacity of flush toilets...
@periscope: I did read (& remark on when I posted here) one tweet from a female leader of Trump's insurrection team who said she was bringing in the "Calvary," so maybe that's what Swalwell read. Update: Here's the article, which I linked Jan. 10, & my comment that day:
Brian Schwartz of CNBC: "A web of pro-Trump dark money groups helped organize the rally that led to a deadly riot on Capitol Hill.... The rally, officially known as the 'March to Save America,' was largely organized by a 501(c)(4) group known as Women for America First.... Women for America First is chaired by Amy Kremer, a longtime political operative that was once the head of the Tea Party Express, an organization that was created to support the conservative Tea Party movement. Kylie Jane Kremer, the executive director of Women for Trump [MB: and Women for America First], is named on the rally's permit as the person in charge.... Women for America First's Facebook pages show they were calling on supporters to be part of what they described as a 'caravan' to Washington for the event.... Women for America First's executive director [Kylie Jane] promoted the rally through a Twitter post that has been retweeted over 16,000 times and, she notes that it was shared by the president himself.... Women for Trump were involved with setting up a backstage area [which Trump's family & staff used]." ~~~
~~~ Marie: The message Kylie Jane wrote in her tweet promoting the rally, which Trump retweeted, was, "The calvary is coming, Mr. President!" Inasmuch as it's nearly as difficult to move hills as it is mountains, I think Kylie Jane means "cavalry," don't you? And that description of rally-goers as members of powerful military fighting units makes her tweet -- and Trump's retweet -- explicitly violent.
Periscope, when I was in the Army, most referred to the "cavalry" as "the cav." And when someone who was not in "the cav" had to pronounce the full word or write it down, it very very often came out as "calvary."
Hanlon's razor is a principle or rule of thumb that states, "never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity".
To paraphrase Nina Simone: Texas goddamn. https://www.thelily.com/southern-baptist-leaders-called-kamala-harris-a-jezebel-thats-not-just-insulting-its-dangerous-experts-say/. These Southern Baptists are toads; I dare say their consorts are too. It's why religion should be taxed. We subsidize these turds and their turdish ideas by building their roads and infrastructure they use so freely. Now, I definately want Harris to succeed. A bright, powerful Black woman owning these Southern turds makes me smile.
Yes, I think Swalwell read the intent of the Calvary message correctly, although, spellcheck will highlight "calvary" not capitalized. The "send in the cavalry" idea turned out to be an important point to make. They probably just couldn't find any tweets with the correct spelling.
'Overwhelmingly compelling' is a description that probably falls short of the brilliance of the House prosecution. Today was a day of extreme contrasts. Excellent and masterfully prepared arguments delivered by exquisite orators in contrast to the depressing display of the worst of humanity. It's a bit disorienting, especially knowing that there is high probability that the final vote will follow party membership, barring a secret ballot (impossible).
If the gods of humor work their magic, Trump will pay off a physician to fake some blood tests as evidence for his defense, claiming that he was insane - induced by toxic levels of Propecia in combination with excessive use of testosterone.