;)
The Conversation -- November 17, 2023
Yo, Jack Smith! Here's some dandy evidence for you, caught on tape. If you ask Jon Karl for it, he'll send it over wrapped in fancy paper & a pretty holiday bow:
~~~ Marie: Gosh, Donald, I recall when you said the insurrectionists were not your supporters but Antifa guys and FBI informants. Thanks to RAS for the lead. ~~~
~~~ Hmmm, Apt Timing. Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "The federal judge overseeing ... Donald J. Trump's trial on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election rejected on Friday a request by Mr. Trump's lawyers to remove language from his indictment describing the role he played in the violence that erupted at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.... In court papers to Judge [Tanya] Chutkan, prosecutors called the Jan. 6 attack 'the culmination' of Mr. Trump's 'criminal conspiracies' to overturn the election. They also suggested that they were poised to introduce video evidence of the riot and call witnesses at trial who could testify that they attacked police and stormed the Capitol after hearing Mr. Trump exhort them to 'fight' in a speech he gave before the violence broke out."
Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite: "The biggest danger the world faces in 2024 is if ... Donald Trump is elected to a second term, according to The Economist's guide to The World Ahead.... 'A second Trump term would be a watershed in a way the first was not. Victory would confirm his most destructive instincts about power. His plans would encounter less resistance. And because America will have voted him in while knowing the worst, its moral authority would decline. The election will be decided by tens of thousands of voters in just a handful of states. In 2024 the fate of the world will depend on their ballots.' The article posits that a Trump win would signal to China that American democracy is 'dysfunctional,' and could give the communist nation the incentive to invade ... Taiwan. In addition, the article predicts that Trump's desire to quickly end the war in Ukraine would give Vladimir Putin the impetus to take over other neighboring countries like Moldova and the Baltic states." The Economist article, linked above, is subscriber-firewalled. Thanks to Akhilleus for the link to Mediaite's summary.
Tim Dickinson of Rolling Stone, republished by Yahoo! News: "In an October prayer call hosted by a Christian-nationalist MAGA pastor, Rep. Mike Johnson was troubled that America's wickedness was inviting God's wrath. Talking to pastor Jim Garlow on a broadcast of the World Prayer Network, Johnson spoke ominously of America facing a 'civilizational moment.' He said, 'The only question is: Is God going to allow our nation to enter a time of judgment for our collective sins?... Or is he going to give us one more chance to restore the foundations and return to Him?'... Johnson [said]: 'The culture is so dark and depraved that it almost seems irredeemable.' He cited, as supposed evidence, the decline of national church attendance and the rise of LGBTQ youth --- the fact, Johnson lamented, that 'one-in-four high school students identifies as something other than straight.'... In a closing prayer with Garlow he grew tearful. Johnson intoned, 'We repent for our sins individually and collectively. And we ask that You not give us the judgment that we clearly deserve.'" Thanks to Ken W. for the link. The New York Times story is here.
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David Kihara of Politico: "The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday denied a request by Florida to partially halt a judge's order blocking the state from enforcing a new law banning minors from attending drag shows. A majority of the court concurred in the decision to not grant the stay Florida asked for in October. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in an opinion joined by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, indicated that the court was unlikely to grant full review in the case."
Lauren Peller & Alexandra Hutzler of ABC News: "Embattled GOP Rep. George Santos is facing another resolution to expel him from Congress. Republican Rep. Michael Guest, chairman of the House Ethics Committee, filed the resolution on Friday -- one day after his panel released an explosive report stating a monthslong probe of the New York congressman 'revealed a complex web of unlawful activity involving Representative Santos' campaign, personal, and business finances.' Guest, in a statement, said the evidence discovered by the committee is 'more than sufficient to warrant punishment and the most appropriate punishment is expulsion.'" ~~~
~~~ Marie: Okay, all you people who said you were waiting for the Ethics Committee report to decide whether or not to vote to expel Santos -- now's your chance (well, okay, after you come back from vacation). In the meantime, George can enjoy a nice family Thanksgiving dinner with all his alter-egos. Unlike many of us, he will sit down to a holiday table where no squabbles break out.
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Colleen Long & Aamer Madhani of the AP: "President Joe Biden on Thursday made America's case to national leaders and CEOs attending the Asia-Pacific summit that the United States is committed to high standards in trade and to partnerships that will benefit economies across the Pacific.... Fresh off his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden also told business leaders that the U.S. was 'de-risking and diversifying' but not 'decoupling' from Beijing. But he did not mince words in suggesting the U.S. and friends in the Pacific could offer businesses a better option than China. He also noted that U.S. economies had invested some $50 billion in fellow Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economies in 2023, including in clean energy technologies, aviation and cybersecurity."
Paula Reid of CNN: "Special counsel Robert Hur is not expected to charge anyone in connection with the mishandling of classified documents at two locations connected to President Joe Biden, two sources close to the investigation told CNN. Hur and his team are compiling a detailed report on their year-long probe that is expected to be critical of Biden and his staff for the way they handled sensitive materials. The report is expected to go into significant detail about what the special counsel's office found in its investigation.... Hur was appointed in January to investigate after classified documents from Biden's time as vice president were found at his former office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, DC, and at his Wilmington, Delaware, home.... CNN previously reported charges appeared unlikely..., and that there has been no discernible grand jury activity."
Paula Reid, et al., of CNN: "Special counsel prosecutors are using a Los Angeles grand jury to seek documents and possible testimony from multiple witnesses as part of the ongoing federal investigation into Hunter Biden's business dealings, according to people familiar with the probe. James Biden, President Joe Biden's brother and a one-time business associate of Hunter, is among the individuals who have received a subpoena in recent weeks, according to two sources close to the investigation. The probe appears to be focused on Hunter Biden's alleged failure to pay taxes by IRS payment deadlines, issues that were expected to be resolved by a plea deal that fell apart earlier this year."
Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "President Biden signed a short-term government funding bill on Thursday, narrowly averting a government shutdown but leaving a larger spending clash for Congress early next year.... Speaker Mike Johnson, who designed the package, has said he will not support any more stopgap funding plans, and framed the temporary spending measure as laying the groundwork for a 'fight' with the Senate in 2024." The government ran out of funds earlier this year and was preparing to shut down or curtail the work of many agencies today.
Robert Jimison of the New York Times: "Just before hard-right House Republicans staged a floor mutiny over spending on Wednesday..., they managed one final vote, on a measure to reduce the salary of an obscure Biden administration official to $1. It was the 25th time in the three weeks since Speaker Mike Johnson was elected to the top post -- and at least the 31st time this year -- that Republicans have spent time on the House floor using a spending bill to try to strip the salary of a member of President Biden's team.... House Republicans' choice to repeatedly push such proposals highlights their slash-and-burn approach to federal spending, and why Congress is facing such a steep challenge reaching a longer-term deal to fund the government.... Driven by the hard right, which is flatly opposed to federal spending, [House Republicans] have weaponized and politicized the appropriations process, primarily using the power of the purse -- the most basic role of Congress -- to push their political message and punish the Biden administration."
Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "The House Ethics Committee on Thursday found 'substantial evidence' that Representative George Santos violated federal law, ending a nearly nine-month investigation and setting the stage for another push to expel the embattled first-term Republican from New York. House investigators found evidence that Mr. Santos used campaign funds for personal purposes, defrauded donors and filed false or incomplete campaign finance and financial disclosure reports, according to a 56-page report released on Thursday. The committee voted unanimously to refer its findings to the Department of Justice, saying that Mr. Santos's conduct 'warrants public condemnation, is beneath the dignity of the office, and has brought severe discredit upon the House.'... [Rep. Glenn] Ivey [D-Md.], a former federal prosecutor, said he believed the panel's staff had uncovered additional evidence that could be used in Mr. Santos's federal prosecution....
"Shortly after the report was released, Mr. Santos announced on X...-Twitter, that he would not seek re-election in 2024. Even so, he appeared to take issue with the findings of the committee, writing: 'If there was a single ounce of ETHICS in the "Ethics committee," they would have not released this biased report."' The link to the Ethics Committee report, embedded in the Times report, is to an Ethics Committee site, not to an NYT page. The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ The statement by the chairman of the Ethics Committee & the ranking member is here. ~~~
~~~ Here's How George Spent His Donors' Money. Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "Over just a few days last November, [George] Santos dropped $6,000 at Ferragamo.... He withdrew $800 in cash at a casino, where an aide said he liked to play roulette. He paid off his rent, and he pulled out another $1,000 in spending money at an A.T.M. near his apartment in Queens.... Those outlays were just a fraction of the tens of thousands of dollars or more that Mr. Santos siphoned from unknowing donors for years, propping up the kind of glittering consumer dream the 35-year-old son of immigrants never could have afforded himself.... Among the bills footed by campaign donors: trips to the casinos in Atlantic City and the Hamptons; purchases at the French fashion house Hermès; regular cosmetic treatments labeled 'Botox' on internal campaign records; and even small purchases on OnlyFans, a platform best known for allowing creators to sell explicit photos and videos to subscribers." Using campaign money for personal expenses is illegal. The Washington Post's account is here. CNN's "takeaways" report is here. ~~~
~~~ David Corn & Noah Lenard of Mother Jones: "The bizarre saga of George Santos as a member of the US House of Representatives is heading toward its finale. One way or another.... The 56-page [House ethics] report -- which is accompanied with hundreds of pages of exhibits and evidence -- is no surprise, but it is still an incredibly damning document. It depicts Santos as a total con man who perpetuated an almost unimaginable series of frauds involving campaign money and his personal finances.... [The report] notes he was non-stop grifter[.]... In December 2021, according to the report, Santos' own campaign team presented him with a 141-page 'vulnerability report' that made clear that the candidate was running on a fabricated record. His staff pushed him to drop out of the race, and three staff members quit the campaign when he refused to do so.... After all [of their] digging, the investigators remained mystified by some aspects of Santos' finances. They compiled a record that included more than 170,000 pages of documents. Still, they point out they couldn't figure out all the convolutions of his money flow[.]"
Adam Reiss & Dareh Gregorian of NBC News: "A New York appeals court on Thursday temporarily blocked a gag order in ... Donald Trump's civil fraud trial that barred him from complaining about the judge's law clerk. The Appellate Division judge ordered the stay after Trump's attorneys appealed the gag order that Judge Arthur Engoron had put in place as being 'unconstitutional.'... The pause will remain in place until at least Nov. 27, when a full panel of appeals court judges will consider the matter. Trump bashed the clerk on his social media platform Truth Social hours after the ruling in a post that did not name her but celebrated the appeals court ruling. The post criticized Engoron's 'ridiculous and unconstitutional gag order' for 'not allowing me to defend myself against him and his politically biased and out of control, Trump Hating Clerk, who is sinking him and his Court to new levels of LOW.'"
How to Delay a Trial While Pretending Not to Delay a Trial. Igor Derysh of Salon: "The federal judge overseeing ... Donald Trump's documents case in South Florida on Thursday denied a request from special counsel Jack Smith to set a deadline on issues related to classified materials in the case. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ... denied Smith's request to schedule a hearing under Section 5 of the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA), where a defendant has to disclose what classified information he intends to use at trial. Cannon in her order said she would set all remaining deadlines in March 2024.... The order is a 'clear indication May trial date won't happen,' tweeted Brandon Van Grack, a former federal prosecutor on special counsel Bob Mueller's team.... Former Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann argued that 'Judge Cannon's bias is showing over and over again.... Not scheduling a CIPA section 5 hearing, which is routine, is a clear sign she is just as much in the bag for Trump as when she issued her horrendous pretrial rulings (both reversed in scathing language by the conservative 11th Circuit),' he added. 'What a piece of work is she.'... 'Unreal. Now I'm concerned. No way this thing gets to trial in May 2024,' tweeted national security attorney Bradley Moss." ~~~
~~~ Former prosecutor Harry Litman said on MSNBC that Judge Aileen appears to have made a "strategic" decision not to formally delay the trial at this time but to move back all the intervening due dates so that it becomes impossible to begin the trial in May. This strategic move makes it difficult/impossible for Jack Smith to file an effective complaint to the Appeals Court.
Nick Valencia & Jason Morris of CNN: "The judge presiding over Donald Trump's racketeering case over efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia has issued a protective order on sensitive discovery materials in the case. In his order, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote that a protective order was necessary in part because providing 'parties the unfettered ability to share pretrial materials with the public undermines' the process. The move comes a day after a hearing addressing the leak of key video evidence by a defense attorney for one of Trump's co-defendants.... According to Thursday's order, it will be up to the Fulton County district attorney's office to specifically designate discovery materials that it deems sensitive. Defendants will have up to 14 days to contest that designation." (Also linked yesterday.)
Meredith Deliso & Annie Pong of ABC News: "A federal jury has convicted the suspect accused of the violent hammer attack against Paul Pelosi at his and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home last year. The jury began deliberating Wednesday afternoon before reaching a verdict late Thursday morning, finding David DePape guilty on both federal counts. Pelosi, 83, suffered a skull fracture after being struck in the head with a hammer during the early morning attack on Oct. 28, 2022, which occurred just days before the midterm elections, police said. DePape, 43, was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with attempted kidnapping and assault on account of a federal official's performance of official duties. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years and 30 years, respectively, in prison. He has pleaded not guilty." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: We should not forget that the Republicans' top candidate for president has repeatedly made jokes about this horrible attack. So have a few other Republicans. like Arizona candidate-for-everything Kari Lake and "moderate" Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. And their audiences laugh along. I can't exaggerate how sick and outrageous this is. People who normalize violence against their political "enemies" and even the families of political rivals should be in mental health institutions, not in office.
Michael Kunzelman of the AP: "An Ohio man who repeatedly attacked police officers as he joined a mob of Donald Trump supporters in storming the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Thursday to nearly five years in prison. Kenneth Joseph Owen Thomas has acted as a 'one-man misinformation machine' since the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, using his social media platforms to spread false narratives about the attack, according to federal prosecutors. They say Thomas produces more than 20 hours of Jan. 6-related online content every week."
Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "A homeless man was sentenced Thursday to 27 months in prison for assaulting U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) in the elevator of her Washington, D.C., apartment building. The attack led to a wave of threats against the congresswoman and prompted her to move, she told a court. Kendrick Hamlin, 27, also known as Hamlin Khalil Hamlin, pleaded guilty June 1 to assaulting the three-term congresswoman and two D.C. police officers who arrested him after Craig fought him off by tossing hot coffee at him."
** Presidential Race 2024. The Hustler. Susanne Craig of the New York Times: "Throughout his long public life, [Robert Kennedy, Jr.,] has cultivated an image as a man committed to a greater good, the blessing and burden of belonging to one of America's most storied political families.... But an examination of Mr. Kennedy's finances by The New York Times, including public filings and almost two dozen interviews as well as tax returns and other documents not previously made public, showed that while he appears to believe in the causes he champions, they have also had a practical benefit: His crusades, backed by the power of his name, have earned him tens of millions of dollars. Mr. Kennedy inherited many things from his family ... but not necessarily the kind of money that would support a life of both altruism and the trappings of wealth he seems to enjoy, The Times found.... Behind much of his public career has been a relentless private hustle: board positions and advisory gigs, side deals with law firms, book contracts and an exhausting schedule of paid speeches, once upward of 60 a year by his own count."
Annals of Journalism, Ctd. Brian Steinberg of Variety: "León Krauze, one of the most prominent anchors at Univision's news division, has left the network in the wake of a controversial interview with former President Donald Trump that took place last week and has spurred concerns among journalists at the company that the Spanish-language media giant is no longer challenging Republican politicians.... The Washington Post reported earlier this week that Jared Kushner ... helped arrange the event.... Grupo Televisa, the Mexican media company that merged with Univision in 2021, has been known for cultivating relationships with political leaders in Mexico." Krause did not say why he quit. (Also linked yesterday.)
Eric Hananoki of Media Matters: "As X owner Elon Musk continues his descent into white nationalist and antisemitic conspiracy theories, his social media platform has been placing ads for major brands like Apple, Bravo (NBCUniversal), IBM, Oracle, and Xfinity (Comcast) next to content that touts Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party. The company's placements come after CEO Linda Yaccarino claimed that brands are 'protected from the risk of being next to' toxic posts on the platform." ~~~
~~~ So Then.... Ryan Mac of the New York Times: "Less than 24 hours after Elon Musk endorsed an antisemitic post on X as 'the actual truth' of what Jewish people were doing, IBM paused its advertising on the social media platform as X's chief executive, Linda Yaccarino, and others at the company scrambled on Thursday to contain the fallout. X employees said on Thursday that they had gotten calls from advertisers wondering why Mr. Musk was making comments seen as antisemitic and why their ads were showing up next to white nationalist and Nazi content.... IBM cut off about $1 million in advertising spending that it had committed to the platform for the last three months of the year.... Mr. Musk ... has attacked George Soros, the financier who is a frequent target of antisemitic abuse, and threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League, a rights group that has highlighted the rise in antisemitism on X. On Wednesday, Mr. Musk went further when he agreed with a post from an X account accusing Jewish communities of pushing 'hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.'" ~~~
~~~ BUT Musk is not alone. ~~~
~~~ Maria in Crooked Timber: "Silicon Valley's ideology is this: Libertarianism for me. Feudalism for thee.... Silicon Valley ideology is a master-slave mentality, a hierarchical worldview that we all exist in extractive relation to someone stronger, and exploit and despise anyone weaker...., hence its poster-boys' constant yoyoing between grandiosity and victimhood. Tech bros like [Peter] Thiel, [Elon] Musk and [Marc] Andreesen are the fluffers in the global authoritarian circle jerk.... Silicon Valley ideology blames others for its harms. Its titans built the machines currently dismantling democracies. So, to absolve themselves of responsibility, they've come to see democracy itself as flawed and weak.... Silicon Valley ideology worships "intelligence", defined narrowly as mathematical and engineering capability, with all its IQ-related ties to racism, misogyny and eugenics.... Silicon Valley's most famous funders and CEOs veer strongly into sociopathy, narcissism, and abiding Daddy issues. They are thin-skinned, vicious, gormless. Now middle-aged men, their emotional development ended when they made their first hundred million." Worth reading in full, whether or not you will be convinced in the end. Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Perhaps you're wondering how the influence of these titans can be fixed. The sad truth is that no one can correct the personality disorders of people like Musk & Thiel, but we can limit their influence by limiting their incomes. Heavily taxing the rich has more than one public benefit.
Sylvia Foster-Frau, et al., in the Washington Post: "Mass shootings involving AR-15s have become a recurring American nightmare. The weapon, easy to operate and widely available, is now used more than any other in the country's deadliest mass killings. Fired by the dozens or hundreds in rapid succession, bullets from AR-15s have blasted through classroom doors and walls.... But the full effects of the AR-15's destructive force are rarely seen in public.... Now, drawing on an extensive review of photographs, videos and police investigative files from 11 mass killings between 2012 and 2023, The Washington Post is publishing the most comprehensive account to date of the repeating pattern of destruction wrought by the AR-15 -- a weapon that was originally designed for military combat but has in recent years become one of the best-selling firearms on the U.S. market." MB: I'm not looking, but I do take the reporters' word for it. (Also linked yesterday.)
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Israel/Palestine
The Washington Post's live updates in developments Friday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The Israel Defense Forces released a photo and video Thursday of a newly exposed ground cavity that it described as an 'operational tunnel shaft' inside the al-Shifa Hospital complex, after troops raided Gaza's largest hospital earlier this week. The Washington Post confirmed the location of the visuals to be inside the al-Shifa Hospital complex but could not verify where the opening led, or whether it was used for military purposes. Israel has yet to produce findings that corroborate its claims that al-Shifa sits atop a Hamas headquarters and was central to the militant group's operations. The Gaza Strip remained offline Friday after a communications blackout Thursday, when telecommunications companies ran out of fuel needed for generators to power equipment, and backup batteries shut down. Calls to doctors in the north and south yielded an automated message saying connections to the Strip had been cut off." ~~~
~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Friday are here. CNN's live updates are here.
Najib Jobain, et al., of the AP: "Communications systems in the Gaza Strip were down for a second day Friday with no fuel to power the internet and phone networks, causing aid agencies to halt cross-border deliveries of humanitarian supplies even as they warned people may soon face starvation."
Eileen Sullivan, et al., of the New York Times: "Israel is preventing some Palestinian Americans from entering the country from the West Bank, an apparent violation of a recent agreement in which citizens from the United States and Israel can travel to the other nation without a visa. The Homeland Security and State Departments, which manage the program, said American officials were trying to resolve the issue." (Also linked yesterday.)
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Reader Comments (9)
From the Have to Laugh Dept.
The House “Ethics” Committee (*cough-cough*), has, after a nine month investigation, found “substantial evidence” that George Santos violated federal law.
This is like saying after nine months in the forest, they found substantial evidence of trees.
We recently reviewed the unethical PoT jamokes who run this committee so I’m gonna guess it was the Democrats who finally succeeded in issuing this finding.
Now let’s see if Bible Mike will do anything about it.
Commenters here wrote about the devastating effects of AR-15 bullets when they hit people, so the Post article is, I think, several years late.
I observed a “hidden” cost of the proliferation of guns this fall. A large midwestern university was installing lockdown mechanisms on all of the performance halls and, I assume, lecture halls of 100 seats or more. At a university with 50K students, the mechanisms, control systems, and installation is surely in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Just another quiet expense handed to the taxpayer.
This idiot who attacked Paul Pelosi (after over-indulging in right-wing hate rhetoric), said at his trial that he was sorry Pelosi got hurt (like he had nothing to do with it). “Gee…I only wanted to kidnap Nancy, tie her up, torture her a little bit, then break her kneecaps with a hammer. What’s the big deal?”
The demonization of those the right considers enemies has only gotten worse, with zero pushback from Party of Traitors “leaders”. After Trump’s Hitleresque screed about crushing his enemies, RNC chair Ronna McDaniels refused to say anything about it.
This is what passes for leadership on the right.
Trump: “Kill!”
RNC: ………..
No wonder this idiot thought kidnapping, torture, and maiming was perfectly fine. And yeah, he’s clearly nuts, but how come you never hear about loonies going off after listening to Democrats?
Because there’s only one party that condones and carries out and refused to condemn political violence. Oh, but hold on…both sides...almost forgot. “They all do it.”
The Economist, not exactly a hair on fire, sky is falling publication, says the biggest threat to the world in 2024 is Trump.
“ In the 38 years since the predictive guide was first published, ‘no single person has ever eclipsed our analysis as much as Donald Trump eclipses 2024,’ the article begins. It goes on to ponder what a Trump victory would mean for the world and claims that parliaments and boardrooms the world over are filled with ‘despair’ at what may come.”
And yet millions of MAGAts desperately long for just such an outcome.
In “The Republic”, Plato says a people get the government they deserve. I’m not sure that’s always the case, many people in dictatorships probably don’t deserve that kind of government, but then again, plenty do.
I’m hoping we get another four years of Biden, because the alternative is unthinkable, and becomes more so every hour.
Have you guys read the filing made by Fatty’s mouthpieces demanding cameras in the courtroom? After reading it over, I noticed that MSNBC legal analyst, Glenn Kirschner described it as nuts.
He ain’t wrong.
It’s a lot of ranting, insulting campaign speak. Legal filings tend to be rather dry and careful. But this thing is something you’d expect Junior to bleat out after his second eight ball in a half hour. First, for a legal filing, there’s no legal there. There’s not a single reference to case law or precedent. Second, it insults the judge. Good idea, right?
So my guess is the Orange Monster wants no part of cameras in the courtroom. He just wants to make the claim so he can whine about it afterwards. “I wanted everyone to see!! Blah, blah, blah, but they wouldn’t do it!”
Everything he does and says is performative, a scam.
From "Rolling Stone" but I picked it up from, appropriately enough, the Yahoo News aggregator...the man is bonkers.
https://news.yahoo.com/mike-johnson-depraved-america-deserves-160000696.html
This is good.
I see where George Santos was blowing donor money at a Hermès shop. That day’s word on Sesame Street (or Madison Ave.) was profligate. Profligate comes from the Latin verb profligare, meaning to strike down, or overwhelm, as in bank accounts.
I once got a Hermès tie for a gift. I later found out it cost more than I was paying for monthly rent on my apartment. And if Santos was shopping as Kintara, looking for women’s scarves, that could have been two months worth of rent.
What an asshole. But I can’t feel all that bad for anyone who gave this grifting liar their money. Now let’s see if Bible Mike calls for a vote to Mr. Hermès‘ butt.
Huff Post
"Former President Donald Trump said he considered heading down to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, only for the Secret Service to pull the brakes on the idea, according to audio aired by CNN on Thursday.
“No, I was going to, and then Secret Service said you can’t, and then by the time... I would have, and then when I get back, I saw... I wanted to go back. I was thinking about going back during the problem to stop the problem, doing it myself,” said Trump, who told his supporters to go to the Capitol.
“Secret Service didn’t like that idea too much,” he added."