;)
The Conversation -- May 29, 2024
** "My Wife Is Fond of Flying Flags." Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. declined on Wednesday to recuse himself from two cases arising from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol after reports that flags displayed outside his houses appeared to support the 'Stop the Steal' movement. Justice Alito said in letters to Democratic members of Congress who had demanded his recusal that the flags, at his home in Virginia and a beach house in New Jersey were flown by his wife, Martha-Ann. 'My wife is fond of flying flags,' the justice wrote. 'I am not. She was solely responsible for having flagpoles put up at our residence and our vacation home and has flown a wide variety of flags over the years.'... Their beach house, on Long Beach Island in New Jersey, he wrote, was Mrs. Alito's property....
"'I had nothing whatsoever to do with the flying of the flag,' he wrote. 'I was not even aware of the upside-down flag until it was called to my attention. As soon as I saw it, I asked my wife to take it down, but for several days, she refused.' He said he had been powerless to remove the flag. 'My wife and I own our Virginia home jointly,' the justice wrote. 'She therefore has the legal right to use the property as she sees fit, and there were no additional steps that I could have taken to have the flag taken down more promptly.' Notably, Justice Alito's letter did not dispute that the upside-down flag conveyed support for the 'Stop the Steal' movement." Politico's story is here.
Here are Alito's letters, via Politico.
~~~ Marie: Do you think the reason Sam-I-Am wrote Dobbs -- which robs millions of American women of bodily autonomy -- is that he couldn't get his own wife to behave in a manner appropriate to the spouse of a federal judge? Or, as both Dahlia Lithwick & Melissa Murray posited on MSNBC, it was so maddening for Alito & Thomas to curb the rights of all American women while insisting that they own wives were independent feminists?
Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump's lawyers ended their defense of the former president in a way uniquely suited to their client: with a ludicrous and easily debunked lie.... Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told the jury that the revelation of the 'Access Hollywood' tapes -- Trump's 'grab 'em by the p---y' moment, which set off the fateful effort to buy Stormy Daniels's silence -- was not the earthshaking event we all remember it being for the 2016 Trump campaign. Rather, Blanche said, it was just one of those things 'that happens all the time in campaigns.'... Blanche was also suggesting that Trump's own former White House assistant, Madeleine Westerhout, perjured herself in the trial when she testified about conversations at the Republican National Committee, where she then worked, about replacing Trump on the ticket." Read on. ~~~
~~~ Milbank doesn't say so, but Trump fan-girl Hope Hicks also testified during the trial that the Access Hollywood tape put the campaign in crisis mode, and that the story knocked a Cat 4 hurricane off the top of the news. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass emphasized this in his closing. AND Jonah Bromwich wrote in yesterday's NYT liveblog: "Joshua Steinglass is showing the jurors video clips of Trump himself acknowledging that the 'Access Hollywood' tape and its aftermath could swing a very tight election. 'If 5 percent of the people think it's true, and maybe 10 percent,' Trump says in one clip, 'we don't win.'"
Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post: "Baseball history will change forever Wednesday. Major League Baseball plans to officially incorporate Negro Leagues statistics into its record book.... The move comes 3½ years after MLB said it would consider the Negro Leagues as major leagues, meaning all Negro leaguers would be considered major leaguers from that point forward. On Wednesday, the players from Negro Leagues in operation from 1920 to 1948 will be fully incorporated into MLB's statistical record. Just one example: When looking up the highest career batting averages in MLB's record book, the leader will be Josh Gibson, whose average of .372 in Negro Leagues play is higher than the .367 Ty Cobb posted to lead all MLB players."
Michael Sisak, et al., of the AP: "Jurors in Donald Trump's hush money trial are expected to begin deliberations Wednesday after receiving instructions from the judge on the law and the factors they may consider as they strive to reach a verdict.... Jurors will have the option of convicting Trump of all counts, acquitting him of all counts, or delivering a mixed verdict in which he is found guilty of some charges and not others. If they deadlock after several days of deliberations and are unable to reach a unanimous verdict, Judge Juan M. Merchan may declare a mistrial." The story also covers some of the highlights of closing arguments Tuesday. ~~~
~~~ This story, linked earlier today has been updated. New Lede: "Jury deliberations began Wednesday in Donald Trump's hush money trial, putting the outcome of the historic case in the hands of a dozen New Yorkers who have vowed to be fair and impartial in the face of their unprecedented task." ~~~
~~~ Ben Protess & Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: "The judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, issued instructions to the jurors that serve as something of a guide to applying the law to the case. One challenge for the jury is the unusual layering of charges: The charges against Mr. Trump are felonies because prosecutors say he falsified the records to cover up another crime. Here's a look at the instructions." This is the pinned item in a liveblog. Here are some details:
Bromwich: "The judge greets the jurors and immediately begins reading them his instructions. He tells them the instructions will take at least an hour to get through....
"Justice Merchan explains the concept of 'falsus in uno,' an important concept for the defense, which tried to convince the jury that Michael Cohen's testimony was not credible. The concept says that jurors can disregard a witness's entire testimony if they find he has intentionally testified falsely to any material fact. Or, they can disregard the parts they find to be untruthful, and accept those they find truthful and accurate.... Justice Merchan says that there's no formula for evaluating someone's truthfulness, and that a person brings to the process all their varied experiences.... He tells the jurors to use the same factors they draw on outside of court when evaluating testimony in the case....
"Justice Merchan explains that the law considers Michael Cohen an accomplice 'because there is evidence that he participated in a crime based upon conduct involved in the allegations here against the defendant.' He tells the jurors that 'even if you find the testimony of Michael Cohen to be believable, you may not convict the defendant solely upon that testimony, unless you also find that it was corroborated by other evidence' connecting Trump with the crime....
"Justice Merchan explains the concept of intent. He tells the jurors that they can consider Trump's conduct 'and all of the circumstances surrounding that conduct,' including what he said, what actions followed from his conduct, and whether those actions were the 'the natural, necessary and probable consequence of that conduct.' In other words, intent can be inferred from a person's actions and the effects of those actions....
"The judge has now arrived at the reason prosecutors charged Trump with falsifying business records as a felony: Because, they say, he covered up a second crime, violating the state election law that forbids a conspiracy to aid a person's election by unlawful means.... Justice Merchan just reminded us that the prosecution won a major argument last week, when they argued that the jurors did not have to agree unanimously on the 'unlawful means' they might determine that Trump used in the election conspiracy that prosecutors allege took place.... Justice Merchan is now explaining to the jurors what I've taken to thinking of as the 'false records sandwich' prosecution theory. Under this theory, jurors could find that Trump falsified records ... to hide an election conspiracy that used the unlawful means ... of other falsified records....
"Having explained the law in abstract, the judge now illustrates how it applies to the charges in question. He says that, to find Trump guilty of the first charge, jurors would have to find that Trump, personally or acting in concert with others, made or caused a false entry in business records, specifically an invoice from Michael Cohen dated Feb. 14, 2017.... They would also have to find that Trump caused that false record with intent to defraud -- that is, with the goal of keeping it secret -- and that he either intended to commit another crime or aid the commission of another crime....
"Justice Merchan doesn't provide such a complex spiel for every count -- but he explains which document each count pertains to.... Justice Merchan arrives at the 34th and last count, which relates to a check dated Dec. 5, 2017. Having concluded, he repeats the definition of falsifying business records, again giving the jurors the chance to process these complex charges, where each single count includes within it at least two other potential crimes....
"Justice Merchan is again explaining the potential 'unlawful means' that jurors could find that Trump or the other conspirators identified by prosecutors -- Michael Cohen and David Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer -- used to aid Trump's election in 2016....
"Justice Merchan ... has moved on to motive -- and the difference between motive and intent.... He explains that while intent means 'conscious objective or purpose,' motive is 'the reason why a person chooses to engage in criminal conduct.' He reminds jurors that they must consider Trump's intent, but that the prosecution did not have to prove his motive....
"The criminal case against Donald J. Trump is with the jury, which will now begin its deliberations. It's 11:28 am."
Maggie Haberman: "Justice Merchan is now talking to the alternate jurors, whose seating assignments have been confusing to people trying to figure out which jurors had which seat assignments. The alternates are not being excused, Merchan says."
Bromwich: "If one of the 12 jurors is unable to continue deliberating for any purpose, an alternate steps in. They remain on site, so they can tag in if necessary."
Michael Gold: "Trump tells reporters in the hallway that, after listening to Justice Merchan's instructions to the jury, he believes 'Mother Teresa could not beat the charges.' He again calls the judge 'corrupt' and 'conflicted' and complains that he cannot fully back up his accusations about him because of the gag order that has been imposed on him, which does not in fact limit him from speaking about the judge.... He again complains that the trial has kept him from campaigning for weeks, though he has held a handful of rallies, public appearances and fund-raisers on days that court has not been in session.... He also rails against Robert De Niro, who held a news conference outside the courthouse with the Biden campaign yesterday. 'He's a broken-down fool,' Trump said. Then, noting that De Niro got heckled, he added that the actor 'got MAGAed yesterday. He got a big dose of it.'"
Bromwich: "The judge is back on the bench. He explains that the jurors sent a note, signed by the foreperson, at 2:56 p.m. The jurors have four requests.... Three of the requests relate to testimony from David Pecker.... One of them relates to testimony from Michael Cohen. The jurors want to hear both men's testimony about the Trump Tower meeting where Pecker testified that the two men reached that agreement with Trump himself. Perhaps they are seeking to compare their stories.... The jurors asked to hear two other portions of David Pecker's testimony. The first is about the phone call he testified he had with Trump during an investor meeting, in June 2016, during which Trump acknowledged that he knew Karen McDougal.... The second appears to pertain to Pecker's decision not to collect reimbursement from Trump for his hush-money deal with McDougal."
Bromwich: "The judge returns to the bench. He addresses the lawyers, saying that the jurors sent a second note at 3:51 p.m. The jurors have also asked to hear the judge's instructions again.... The jurors have returned, and the judge is reading the two notes they sent aloud to them as they sit in the jury box.... The judge gives the jurors the guidance he typically gives them before excusing them for the day -- saying they should not talk to others about the case or read about it, along with other orders.... he dismisses them."
Bromwich: "The judge ... asks the lawyers, 'Where do we stand?' Joshua Steinglass, a proseuctor, says that while they have 'made a lot of progress,' they will need the judge to help them sort out which portions of the transcript should be read back to the jury.... There is no disagreement on the jurors' first request, for testimony from David Pecker pertaining to a call he had with Trump in June 2016.... There is no disagreement on the second request, which pertains to David Pecker's testimony about financial arrangements related to the Karen McDougal hush-money deal....
"If I'm understanding correctly, prosecutors believe that the readback should also include the portion of Pecker's testimony in which he directed [Dylan] Howard to notify other employees of The National Enquirer that they should bring any stories about Trump to him. Pecker also testified that he told Howard that the Enquirer employees would have to speak to Michael Cohen about the arrangement.... he judge notes that there was also key testimony directly after that: in which Pecker told Howard to keep the arrangement secret. This could help prosecutors show that there was intent to defraud on the part of the conspirators, who they say include Trump.... The judge seemed to make a decision here, but it was difficult to follow.... Court has adjourned for the day. The judge did not determine exactly which portions of the transcript related to David Pecker's testimony would be read aloud. We'll find out tomorrow morning. Proceedings will begin at 9:30."
Haberman: "There's also no disagreement about the fourth request from the jurors, which involves testimony from Michael Cohen about an August 2015 meeting he had at Trump Tower with David Pecker and with Trump."
~~~~~~~~~~
Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "For nearly three hours on Tuesday, Donald J. Trump's lawyer [Todd Blanche] did his level best to persuade the jury to acquit his client.... Then, throughout a marathon closing argument that nearly outlasted daylight, the prosecutor delivered a sweeping rebuke of the former president, seeking to persuade the jury of 12 New Yorkers that Mr. Trump had falsified records to cover up a sex scandal involving a porn star. The prosecutor, Joshua Steinglass, wove together witness testimony and documents to drive home the key points of the weekslong case, the first criminal trial of an American president. 'Everything Mr. Trump and his cohorts did in this case was cloaked in lies,' Mr. Steinglass said.... To persuade jurors, the prosecution and defense outlined dueling versions of the same underlying story: Mr. Trump's fixer, [Michael] Cohen, struck a hush-money deal with a porn star in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign. He did so to silence her story of a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump. Nearly everything else is in dispute." ~~~
~~~ Mark Berman of the Washington Post reports some key moments in the closing arguments. Here are the takeaways from CNN's Jeremy Herb & other CNN reporters. ~~~
~~~ Tuesday was a marathon day in the Manhattan trial of Donald Trump, alleged criminal, as the defense & prosecution delivered their lengthy closing arguments. New York Times reporters liveblogged the proceedings. See yesterday's Conversation for details. ~~~
~~~ Charles Davis of Salon: Donald Trump is upset because he's being treated more-or-less like other criminal defendants.
** Hannah Rabinowitz of CNN: "Federal Judge Aileen Cannon on Tuesday rejected special counsel Jack Smith's request for a gag order against Donald Trump in the classified documents case, saying that prosecutors' request was 'wholly lacking in substance and professional courtesy.' In a brief order, Cannon slammed prosecutors for not following the court's rules by failing to meaningfully confer with Trump's defense lawyers about a potential gag order before making the request.... Prosecutors can ask for a gag order again, Cannon said, once they give 'sufficient time' to Trump's defense team to read the motion and discuss it with prosecutors.... Trump's campaign... sent a fundraising email on Tuesday that claimed FBI agents were 'locked and loaded' and that he 'nearly escaped death' at Mar-a-Lago." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Unbelievable. I gather from what Ken Dilanian said on MSNBC Tuesday morning that the "lack of professional courtesy" was that Smith's team filed the motion after Trump lawyers refused to meet with them because it was a holiday weekend -- and you know, maybe they had plans for a backyard BBQ. As for Cannon's determination the motion was "wholly lacking in substance," a former president*'s claim that the current POTUS* is trying to have him executed is mighty fucking substantial, IMO.
Tracey Tully & Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "... text exchanges, along with emails and recordings of voice mail messages and other exhibits, were part of hours of evidence that federal prosecutors presented on Tuesday, in the third week of [Sen. Robert] Menendez's corruption trial in Manhattan. Prosecutors used the volley of communications to begin to lay out an origin story of not only a romantic relationship but also what they claim was a burgeoning, five-year bribery conspiracy.... Much of Mr. Menendez's defense has hinged on blaming his wife. The senator's lawyers have said he had no key to his wife's locked closet where investigators found bars of gold and cash-stuffed envelopes. The couple maintained separate bank accounts and cellphone plans, and spent much of the week apart when he was in Washington." Some of the messages played in court Tuesday demonstrated that Nadine Menendez served as a conduit between the Senator & Wael Hana, an Egyptian businessman who also is charged.
My, My, She Looks Like Such a Sweet Old Lady. Jodi Kantor of the New York Times details the encounters between Martha-Ann Alito and the neighbors, leaving us with images like this: on Inauguration Day 2020, a young couple who had annoyed Mrs. Alito with anti-Trump yard signs, drove past the Alito house. "Mrs. Alito happened to be standing outside. According to interviews with [Emily] Baden and her husband, as well as messages they sent to friends at the time, Mrs. Alito ran toward their car and yelled something they did not understand. The couple continued driving, they said, and as they passed the Alito home again to exit the cul-de-sac, Mrs. Alito appeared to spit toward the vehicle.... On Feb. 15, the couple were pulling in trash bins when the Alitos, who seemed to be on a stroll, appeared. Mrs. Alito addressed the pair by name, used an expletive and called them 'fascists,' the couple told The Times and said in texts at the time." ~~~
~~~ Oh, and there's this. Husband Sam Alito's "explanations" of the contretemps don't match with the Badens' texts or with a police record of the Badens' futile call for help. For instance, Mrs. Alito could not have raised the upside-down flag in response to Emily Baden's calling her a cunt because that encounter didn't happen until after the upside-down flag appeared in the Alitos' front yard. And Baden didn't make that remark till after Mrs. Alito approached her in the Badens' front yard and called the Badens fascists.
Presidential Race
Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post implores media to listen to Ken Burns' advice to Brandeis grads.
Ohio. Isabella Murray of ABC News: "The Democratic National Committee will move to conduct virtual proceedings to certify President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party nominees before Ohio's Aug. 7 ballot certification deadline, and before their in-person convention beginning Aug. 19, the party confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday.... The move came moments before the Ohio Senate convened on Tuesday for a special session to address Biden's ability to appear on the state's general election ballot in November -- which the GOP-led legislature has tied up with an effort related to campaign finance, something Democrats oppose. The bill passed in the Ohio Senate on Tuesday without any Democratic support." ~~~
~~~ Morgan Trau of the Ohio Capital Journal: "The [Ohio] House, which has been holding up the progress, said it will compromise with the Senate, but only if the 'anti-democratic' provisions are taken out of the bill."
~~~~~~~~~~
Texas Primary Races. Jim Vertuno of the AP: "Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas narrowly won his primary Tuesday against a gun-rights activist who pushed the border congressman into a bruising runoff that threatened to unseat a U.S. House incumbent. Another prominent Texas Republican, state House Speaker Dade Phelan, also edged out a challenger from the right who was backed by ... Donald Trump. Both won by razor-thin margins, reflecting the anger of hard-line conservatives and a wave of party turbulence in America's biggest red state...." ~~~
~~~ Here are Texas primary run-off results, via the New York Times.
~~~~~~~~~~
Haiti. David Adams of the New York Times: "An experienced international aid official, Garry Conille, was unanimously appointed prime minister of Haiti by a Presidential Transition Council on Tuesday, which tasked him with leading the country out of its current crisis until elections for a new president can be held. Mr. Conille will take on his new role just as a U.N.-backed security mission led by Kenyan police is scheduled to begin operations in the violence-torn Caribbean nation, which is battling to restore political stability and tackle armed gangs who control large parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Fluent in English, French and Creole, Mr. Conille's credentials include a 25-year career working for the United Nations and other aid agencies. He also briefly led Haiti as prime minister over a decade ago during another period of crisis following the devastating 2010 earthquake."
Israel/Palestine, et al.
CNN's live updates of developments Wednesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "US-made munitions were used in an Israeli strike that killed more than 45 people in Rafah, a CNN analysis of video from the scene and a review by weapons experts has found. President Joe Biden is not altering his policy toward Israel following the strike, and the attack did not cross a red line that would affect US support, the White House said. Israeli tanks have been seen in central Rafah for the first time, eyewitnesses told CNN, as Israel deepens its assault on the southern Gaza city despite mounting global condemnation. North of Rafah in the town of Al-Mawasi, an Israeli strike on a camp killed at least 21 people on Tuesday, Gaza's Ministry of Health said. The Israeli military denied striking a humanitarian area in the town." ~~~
~~~ The New York Times' live updates Wednesday are here.
Oren Liebermann & Natasha Bertrand of CNN: "The temporary pier constructed by the US military to transport aid into Gaza broke apart and sustained damage in heavy seas on Tuesday in a major blow to the American-led effort to create a maritime corridor for humanitarian supplies into the war-torn enclave, the Pentagon said. The pier was 'damaged and sections of the pier need rebuilding and repairing,' Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said on Tuesday. The pier will be removed from its location on the Gaza coast over the next 48 hours and taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod, where US Central Command will carry out repairs, Singh said. The repairs will take more than a week, further delaying the effort to get the maritime corridor fully operating."
U.N. Ambassador AND Bloodthirsty Warmonger. Robert Tait of the Guardian: "Nikki Haley, the failed Republican presidential nominee, signed Israeli artillery shells with the inscription 'Finish Them!' on a Memorial Day visit to Israel. The former South Carolina governor's graphic display of support came on a trip to Israel's northern border with Lebanon, where she was accompanied by Danny Danon, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and a noted hawkish member of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party in the Knesset.... Talking to reporters, Haley was unapologetic, criticising Joe Biden's administration for temporarily withholding weapons as a means of discouraging an Israeli attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and aiming barbs at the international criminal court (ICC) -- which is seeking Netanyahu's arrest -- and the international court of justice (ICJ), which is considering charges of genocide against Israel." Thanks to RAS for the lead.
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Reader Comments (21)
Simply reprehensible.
We all know Eric is the stoopid one, but is he really THIS stoopid?
Sounds like he’s saying the Trumps deserve to win because “We’re white.”
Yup. That’s what he says.
Oh, Niki....
Whose feral, bloodthirsty, unfeeling words and actions on her Israel visit prompted me to create a What is Wrong with These People? question companion to the already very familiar IOKIYAR.
Question: WIWWTP?
Answer: IOKIYAR
Call them Republican behavioral bookends.
Raw Story
"Former President Donald Trump told a recent group of donors at a fundraising event that he would have bombed Russia and China in response to their aggression against U.S. allies, reportedThe Washington Post on Tuesday.
"Oftentimes, his comments at the events are about foreign policy and topics he discusses at rallies, such as inflation and immigration. For example, at one event, he suggested that he would have bombed Moscow and Beijing if Russia invaded Ukraine or China invaded Taiwan, surprising some of the donors," reported Josh Dawsey.
According to the report, Trump has also often asked donors to give large amounts of money while explicitly pledging policies that would help them make some of that money back, including a fresh round of tax cuts.
"By frequently tying the fundraising requests within seconds of promises of tax cuts, oil project infrastructure approvals and other favorable policies and asking for sums more than his campaign and the GOP can legally accept from an individual, Trump is also testing the boundaries of federal campaign finance laws, according to legal experts.""
"Florida educators trained to teach students Christian nationalism
Training materials produced by the Florida Department of Education direct middle and high school teachers to indoctrinate students in the tenets of Christian nationalism, a right-wing effort to merge Christian and American identities. Thousands of Florida teachers, lured by cash stipends, have attended trainings featuring these materials.
A three-day training course on civic education, conducted throughout Florida in the summer of 2023, included a presentation on the "Influences of the Judeo-Christian Tradition" on the founding of the United States. According to speaker notes accompanying one slide, teachers were told that "Christianity challenged the notion that religion should be subservient to the goals of the state," and the same hierarchy is reflected in America's founding documents."
IOKIYARG
"Ryan Busse: [Republican Governor] Greg Gianforte raised your property taxes and gave himself a tax cut
Gianforte“the fairest tax is the one you pay and the one I don’t.”"
Gianforte's property taxes either went down or rose less than his neighbors after raising them for everyone else to help the poor corporations.
Nikki Haley…what the hell?!
There are no normal, decent, reasonable human beings representing the Party of Traitors. That tiny bit of time during which some voters saw Haley as an alternative to the Fat Fascist? Done and gone.
What’s worse? I think (not certain, of course, but it could be the case) that Haley is not a bloodthirsty idiot. She is, however, a boot licking, crawling in the mud opportunist who senses that in order to resurrect her standing with the PoT, she must present herself as a screeching bigot who calls for the murder of innocent men, women, and children because that’s what the current mood of her party demands. So whether or not she knows better is beside the point (and don’t forget, this person was ambassador to the FUCKING UN!).
There’s an old saying that goes “Act as if ye have faith, and faith shall be given ye”.
One could make an easy transition to “Act like a fucking maniac, and you become a fucking maniac.”
I wouldn’t let a single one of these assholes watch my dog for ten minutes.
Scientific American
"We Must Face Down the Expanding Anti-Reality Industry
Exposing the antiscience playbook reveals the antiregulatory motives of its deep-pocketed bankrollers
The U.S. is bracing for another summer of powerful storms and wildfires, on the heels of an unusually warm winter and spring, and the monthly shattering of ocean heat records. Beyond the now-annual threat of smoke that last year blanketed the nation, a thickening haze of lies also looms—about everything from global warming and wildfire smoke to abortion and racism. To break through the dense fog of propaganda on media and social media, those who value scientific integrity will need to expose and rip apart the increasingly interconnected fantasies spun by the anti-reality industry.
To help clear more space for honest science-based conversations, we must find the courage to call out the peddlers of anti-reality, challenge the merchants of doubt and cut through the haze of polluted public discourse."
Akhilleus,
Nikki is doing the same thing Noem did by signalling her depravity and ruthlessness. She trying to get back in the good graces of maga by showing she also is willing to step on the weak and less fortunate in order to accomplish their goals. It is probably also why the former prosecutor in Trump's trial was willing to step over the line so blatantly as a signal that he is one them. The no boundaries club, or the disruptors from the Glass Onion movie. The boundary has been moved so far by the deplorables that they need something equally outrageous to show their bonafides.
I swear, the kool-aid is being hand-delivered to everyone with an R after his/her name. Proof-- Nikki Haley-- no, she IS a warmonger.
And now: John Fetterman. His staff is quitting, he has gotten quite caustic in his interactions with the press, and the progressives say he is no longer one of theirs/ours. My daughter says Fetterman's wife follows her-- maybe his medications need adjusting. I hope daughter writes something-- this is very disappointing.
On another note: yet another "tragic mistake" in bombing a tent city of refugees. This sort of laissez-faire from Biden is quite disturbing. I am teetering on the edge of abandoning him cuz weapons. He already has upset many many Democrats or those who lean Democrat. I just don't get it. There seem to be no principles involved...very unlike him. Maybe his meds need adjusting too.
Yeah Jeanne, Biden has been incredibly frustrating on Israel. You would think with almost six decades of political experience he would be a better politician. He is a nice guy and his administration has accomplished so much against significant odds, but his blind support for the war crimes in Israel is creating a huge opportunity for Trump to get back in power. And that would mean unimaginable harm for most Americans and the dismantling of most of the progress Biden has accomplished. Just like Trump did with much of Obama's legacy the first go around. But this time the masks have come off and the Republicans are chomping at the bit to enact their most repulsive fantasies. Democrats always come in with a disadvantage with the electoral college and the dissolution of voting right by the supreme court and a media that is heavily weighted in favor of Republicans. So every mistake is magnified. Hopefully someone get him to see reason and to honor the dream America has for itself to be better and help to create that better world.
RAS,
Help me out.
What would a sensible, humane, politicly effective response to the Israel-Palestine situation be?
What Israel is doing in Gaza is horrendous, but I admit I don't know.
All ideas are welcome.
As RAS points out, with Biden, every mistake, every perceived problem is magnified. Opinionators stroke their chins and shake their heads, the Times publishes a dozen op-Ed’s penned by card carrying MAGAts, Fox declares civilization at a crossroads, Meet the Press goes on high alert.
Why?
Biden looked shaky riding a bike.
Donald Trump threatens concentration camps and offers all kinds of quid pro quo deals to cronies, promises to exile protesters and deport 11 million people his first day.
The press response? Crickets.
And there’s a reason for some of this disparity. From No more mister nice blog:
“But there's another factor that I think is just as important: Republicans get a pass because they don't give a shit. Republicans can't fail if they aren't really trying in the first place*. Democrats, on the other hand, must be judged against what they want to do, and if they ever achieve 99% of what they set out to do you know that glass will be 1% empty.“
And they’ll get hammered for that missing 1%. Meanwhile, PoT politicians are trying on their swastika arm bands and practicing their Heil Trump salute, and we get a collective shrug.
MAGA in the house…
Now that the Orange Monster’s election interference/fraud case is in the hands of the jury, all we can do is hope they exercise common sense and see clearly that this asshole is guilty.
There’s always the chance of a holdout, someone who doesn’t quite buy that an obviously guilty crook dunnit. But there’s honest disagreement, and then there’s what looks like a real possibility that a MAGA man weaseled his way onto the jury.
Remember how MAGA operatives on Fox were in high dudgeon about how “liberals are sneaking onto the jury! Aieee!”? Well, more than a few onlookers are concerned that one particular juror may have done just that. Only he ain’t no liberal:
“‘There’s one juror that people are worried about and I share the worry,’ Harry Litmam, a Democrat and former deputy attorney general, wrote Tuesday on X, adding he ‘can’t identify her or him per judge’s orders but seems less engaged and slightly irritable.’
But in the meantime, body-language augury has only grown in MAGAville.
‘Whenever our allies or elected officials are in the courtroom, [the juror] sort of gets animated,’ said one, noting how the person makes eye contact or gives ‘a smile or a nod’ in the defense’s direction at times.
‘When [Sen. J.D. Vance] came to court, that [juror’s] face lit up. It wasn’t the only time.’
That source said the juror also reacted favorably to Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, Lauren Boebert, Byron Donalds, and Matt Gaetz.”
Reacting with anything other than vomit-inducing disgust to Luna, Bobo, and Gaetz I find worrying in the extreme.
Perhaps, as has been suggested, this person hopes to become a MAGA hero and cash in after forcing a hung jury, allowing the Fat Fascist to declare complete exoneration.
Jesus. Nothing’s easy.
Ken,
I also don't have the answer, but I think suspending indefinitely offensive weapons shipments would be a start. The evidence of their misuse is too evident at this point. And the Israeli oopsy statements have our "thoughts and prayers" platitudes written all over them. But stopping supplies of bombs would be a step in the direction of those calling for a ceasefire. The saying one thing and doing another is undermining much of the goodwill Biden accumulated and making him look weak.
Personally I would like the ICC to meet Bibi getting off the plane if he comes to the US to address Congress. The lack of accountability for war crimes has emboldened world leaders to go further. Just like Trump and MAGA's lack of accountability has lead us to The brink of losing our democracy.
That is great for the Negro Leagues to finally be recognized by baseball. I got the chance to meet Buck O'Neil and get his autograph at a sports convention when I was a kid. He was such a nice guy and was an amazing ambassador for baseball and the Negro Leagues in particular. He was also great in the Ken Burns baseball documentary that is worth checking out.
It's no surprise that Representative Raskin has some very smart things to say about what could and should be done to the recusal refuseniks:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/29/opinion/alito-thomas-recuse-trump-jan-6.html
I commented that it’s interesting that Justice Kennedy, who gave us the Citizens Untied decision that encouraged a deeper and more extensive corruption of our elections, could think so clearly about the possible corruption of our judges and their courts...
@Akhilleus: re: the juror Harry Litman is worried about: someone said on MSNBC today that one juror followed Trump on Liars Social. That could be the guy.
Marie,
If so, there’s no chance of a guilty verdict. Great. Trump wins again.
Did not hear or know about the MAGA juror. Now, I am at the "depths of despair" as Anne of Green Gables once remarked (I think--) It seems like every hopeful event leads unerringly to knowing there is simply no way this felon pays his dues, either literally or figuratively. He is the luckiest monster ever. But he isn't the only monster-- there are too many to drown.
How can Hit-man Sam even speak for Martha-Ann---let alone know what's going on in her mind. I sounds as though he has a room at her various properties, but he's not included in decision-making. His room is probably in the basement, where he reviews 12th century manuscripts to support his various positions for his current day job.