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The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

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Saturday
Nov042023

The Conversation -- November 4, 2023

Edith Lederer of the AP: "The average Palestinian in Gaza is living on two pieces of Arabic bread made from flour the United Nations had stockpiled in the region, yet the main refrain now being heard in the street is 'Water, water,' the Gaza director for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday. Thomas White, who said he traveled 'the length and breadth of Gaza in the last few weeks,' described the place as a 'scene of death and destruction.' No place is safe now, he said, and people fear for their lives, their future and their ability to feed their families." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Seems to me a rational person with no skin in the game would say, "This is not working. Bombing people to death, starving the survivors or letting them die of thirst is not going to win any hearts & minds. Maybe we should try something different, like rounding up the Hamas fighters, trying them as the terrorists we say they are, and doing all we can to make life paradise on earth for the rest of people of Gaza." Sometimes there is no choice but to go to war; given the history, this does not seem to be one of them.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs & Michael Shear of the New York Times: "On Friday..., [President] Biden huddled privately with the families of those killed or injured during last month's rampage that claimed the lives of 18 people at a bar and a bowling alley in [Lewiston, Maine,] about an hour north of Portland. He also met with nurses, local officials and the law enforcement officers who spent two days in a manhunt for the killer. 'Jill and I are here on behalf of the American people to grieve with you, and make sure you know that you're not alone,' Mr. Biden said after stopping by a makeshift memorial in Lewiston with his wife, Jill Biden."

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "Ladies and gentlemen, the People's House is back in business. In the nine days since Republicans pulled Mike Johnson from the back benches, the new speaker has presided over a second failed attempt to expel indicted Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), the introduction of not one but two resolutions to censure [Rep. Rashida] Tlaib [D-Mich.], and a resolution to censure Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) for pulling a fire alarm during a vote. Johnson managed to turn an area of near-unanimous support into a partisan brouhaha by making funds to help Israel defend itself against Hamas contingent on a provision making it easier for the wealthy to cheat on their taxes. With just two weeks to go until the federal government runs out of funding, Johnson is floating a cockamamie 'laddered' approach that would replace the looming shutdown threat with 12 new shutdown threats." Includes a number of hilarious tweets among House GOP Bickersons.

Ryan Zinke Is Still an Idiot. Filip Timotija of the Hill: "Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) introduced a bill Thursday that could ban Palestinians from entering the U.S. and possibly expel those who are already here. Zinke, who served as secretary of the Interior Department under former President Trump, introduced legislation called the Safeguarding Americans from Extremism Act. The legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to halt granting visas, asylum and refuge for people who have a Palestinian Authority-issued passport. The bill would revoke the entrance or visa for individuals who came to the U.S. after Oct. 1. 'This legislation keeps America safe,' Zinke said. 'I don't trust the Biden Administration any more than I do the Palestinian Authority to screen who is allowed to come into the United States.'... Zinke’s bill has 10 co-sponsors...." MB: Among them, the usual suspects.

Corrections

Nick Robertson of the Hill: "Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) appeared to get his words mixed up in one of his first fundraising emails since taking the top House job last week. Johnson capped a standard fundraising message Friday with a new turn on a familiar phrase: 'I refuse to put people over politics.'... Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) took an indirect shot at Johnson just after the email made the rounds online Friday afternoon. 'House Democrats will continue to put people over politics,' Jeffries said on X.... 'Why is that an issue for our Republican colleagues?" MB: Numerous reporters have written that one of Johnson's greatest challenges as speaker will be fundraising for GOP House members, inasmuch as he has not been a stellar fundraiser even for himself, and fundraising is one of the most important jobs of Houses leaders. So here again, Mike is off to an awkward start.

     ~~~ Via the Huffington Post.

The Empire Is Back. Michael Luciano of Mediaite: While presiding over the House Friday, Rep. Nick Lalota (R-NY) "sought to recognize Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM).... 'For what purpose does the gentleman from --' Lalota began, before correcting himself while committing another error 'Excuse me, the gentlewoman from Mexico seek recognition?' 'From New Mexico, Mr. Speaker,' Leger Fernandez told him with a grin." MB: Various Republicans, including Miss Margie & Florida Gov. Puss N. Boots, think it would be a good idea for the U.S. to attack Mexico in order to catch drug cartel members; I guess Lalota figures that while we're invading, we might as well take control of the whole country.

The Trials of Trump, Ctd.

Devan Cole of CNN: "A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily froze the limited gag order issued against Donald Trump in the former president's election subversion criminal case in Washington, DC. In a brief order, a three-judge panel at the US DC Circuit Court of Appeals said they were pausing the gag order issued by District Judge Tanya Chutkan to give them more time to consider Trump's request to pause the order while his appeal plays out before the court. This story is breaking and will be updated." MB: Neal Katyal, appearing on MSNBC, says this is not a "win" for Trump but merely an "administrative stay," and it does not address the merits of the case. (Also linked yesterday.)

Not Ready for His Closeup, the Public Be Damned. Michael Luciano of Mediaite: "Special Counsel Jack Smith told the United States District Court for the District of Columbia that his office opposes an effort by media outlets to allow cameras in the courtroom for Donald Trump's trial.... In a filing on Friday night, the special counsel cited a longstanding rule (LCrR 53.1.1[)], which bans banning cameras of any kind from the courthouse[.]"

Jonah Bromwich & Kate Christobek of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump's legal team on Friday repeatedly attacked a law clerk during the former president's civil fraud trial, overshadowing Eric Trump's second day on the witness stand and prompting the judge to bar the lawyers from making public statements about his private communications with his staff. The judge, Arthur F. Engoron, works closely with the clerk, Allison Greenfield, and the two often speak and pass notes on the bench. Ms. Greenfield previously worked as a trial attorney in New York City's law department, and the judge appears to rely on her expertise when considering rules of evidence and other matters. But the former president has taken issue with her involvement in the monthlong trial -- Ms. Greenfield is a Democrat and Mr. Trump believes she is biased against him -- and his lawyers have complained about her regularly. On Friday, one of Mr. Trump's lawyers, Christopher M. Kise, continued those objections, saying that the communications between the judge and clerk had created a 'perception of bias.' After court had ended for the day, Justice Engoron issued a written order prohibiting the lawyers from making public statements, in or out of court, about his private communications with Ms. Greenfield, including their conversations and notes." (Also linked yesterday.)

     ~~~ Rebecca Shabad of NBC News: "The judge presiding over Donald Trump's $250 million civil fraud trial on Friday imposed a partial gag order on members of the former president's legal team after he said they made 'on the record, repeated, inappropriate remarks' about his principal law clerk. Judge Arthur Engoron's order said that Christopher Kise, Clifford Robert and Alina Habba, lawyers for the former president and his adult sons, 'are prohibited from making any public statements, in or out of court, that refer to any confidential communications, in any form, between my staff and me.'... He said in his order that the three lawyers made remarks about his clerk, 'falsely accusing her of bias against them and of improperly influencing the ongoing bench trial.'... He also stated that since the beginning of the bench trial, his chambers have been 'inundated with hundreds of harassing and threatening phone calls, voicemails, emails, letters and packages.'" (Also linked yesterday.)

Marie: NYT reporter Susanne Craig appeared on MSNBC Friday and outlined the defenses the Trump boys have made over the past few days. (1) They didn't know anything about appraisals, as executives at their level did not delve into such minor matters. (2) They relied on professional accountants and lawyers to determine the appraised values of Trump properties; that is, they had nothing to do with making the appraisals. (3) Even if they did have input into the appraisals (as the prosecution demonstrated), the appraisals were far too low; the Trump properties were worth more than the stated appraised valuations. If you find these arguments contraditory, that's because they are. Besides being self-contradictory, evidence presented in court and previously presented to the judge also contradicts the boys' claims.

If the facts are against you, argue the law. If the law is against you, argue the facts. If the law and the facts are against you, pound the table and yell like hell. -- Carl Sandburg

Donald Trump seems to have modified Sandburg's old saw: If the law and the facts are against you, attack the courts, the prosecutors and the witnesses often and in all-caps. -- Marie Burns

Larry Neumeister of the AP: “A New York federal judge cited ... Donald Trump's 'repeated public statements' Friday among reasons why a jury will be anonymous when it considers damages stemming from a defamation lawsuit by a writer who says Trump sexually abused her in the 1990s. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan issued an order establishing that the jury to be chosen for the January trial in Manhattan will be transported by the U.S. Marshals Service." The New York Times story is here.

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "A California judge made a 'preliminary finding' Thursday that attorney John Eastman breached professional ethics when he aided Donald Trump's bid to overturn the 2020 election, a significant milestone in the lengthy proceedings over whether Eastman should lose his license to practice law. Eastman said Thursday that the extensive disbarment proceedings -- which delved deeply into his allegations of election fraud and irregularities, as well as his fringe theories about the vice president's power to unilaterally choose the winner of the presidential election -- had strengthened his belief that the 2020 election was tainted. Now, state bar officials are preparing to present 'aggravation' evidence aimed at justifying their call to strip Eastman, a veteran conservative attorney who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, of his law license." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Andrew Weissmann, appearing on MSNBC, said that while no one was looking, what the Eastman case laid out was a version of the federal case against Donald Trump. All John Eastman had to do was demonstrate that he had a good-faith reason to believe that the 2020 presidential election results were fraudulent. This, Weissmann, said was a very low bar. And the judge has "preliminarily determined" that Eastman could not reach it.

Trump Won, I'm Innocent! Amy Gardner & Holly Bailey of the Washington Post: "... a novel defense has been emerging from two of Trump's remaining 14 co-defendants in Georgia, where prosecutors allege there was a vast conspiracy to steal the 2020 election through a pressure campaign.... The argument? The 2020 election really was stolen. Lawyers for one of those defendants, Harrison Floyd, appeared in court Friday morning to argue that their client is entitled to thousands of pages of election records from Fulton County and the Georgia secretary of state.... To [make that case], Floyd's lawyers argued, they must be allowed access to some of the same material for which election conspiracy theorists have been clamoring for years: cast-vote records from voting machines, ballot reports, every envelope received with absentee ballots, every absentee ballot application and much more.... On Friday, [Judge Scott] McAfee appeared torn between the rights of defendants facing potential prison sentences to compel the production of evidence that could prove innocence and the burden that such production could generate -- not just on government agencies but on the private citizens whose personal information could be revealed.And lawyers for another co-defendant in the Georgia case, Robert Cheeley, also signaled in a recent filing that litigating claims about Georgia's 2020 presidential election is likely to be key to his defense."

Ha! Rebecca Beitsch of the Hill: "The publisher of Mark Meadows’s book is suing the former White House chief of staff, arguing in court filings Friday morning that he violated an agreement with All Seasons Press by including false statements about former President Trump's claims surrounding the 2020 election. 'Meadows, the former White House Chief of Staff under President Donald J. Trump, promised and represented that "all statements contained in the Work are true and based on reasonable research for accuracy" and that he "has not made any misrepresentations to the Publisher about the Work,"' the publishing company writes in its suit, filed in court in Sarasota County, Fla.... The suit comes after ABC News reported that Meadows received immunity to testify before a grand jury convened to hear evidence from special counsel Jack Smith, reportedly contradicting statements he made in his book." MB: So he lied in the book, then he lied about lying in the book. I'm not sure how great a witness Meadows will be. Seems a bit impeachable.

Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "A former Donald Trump political appointee at the State Department who tried to storm the Capitol and assaulted law enforcement officers on Jan. 6 was sentenced to 70 months in prison on Friday. Federico Klein was arrested in March 2021 and convicted of eight felonies as well as misdemeanor offenses by U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden, also a Trump appointee, in July 2023 following a bench trial.... Klein was represented by attorney Stanley Woodward, who represents several Trump aides who have been caught up in federal investigations surrounding the former president." (Also linked yesterday.)

In a post faulting New York Times reporters for failing to account for the way Donald Trump politicized his administration while in office, Marcy Wheeler outlines some of the instances where Trump and his minions tried to exact or succeeded in exacting revenge against Trump's perceived "enemies." Favorite visual evocation: [Bill] "Barr didn't just pressure John Durham to prosecute high-level people: He skipped, hand-in-hand, with Durham as they used Russian intelligence to fabricate an attack on Hillary Clinton...." I'm seeing Tweedledee & Tweedledum skipping merrily, merrily, merrily around Europe in search of a conspiracy. Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Presidential Race 2024

Marie: I meant to raise this yesterday, but forgot. It's an important reminder of what a truly dangerous person Trump is: ~~~

~~~ Alexandra Hutzler of ABC News: "In 'Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party,' excerpts of which were first released in The Atlantic on Thursday, [ABC News' Jonathan] Karl reports that Trump's campaign message has its apparent roots in an old Confederate code.... At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in early March 2023..., [Trump declared,] 'In 2016, I declared "I am your voice." Today I add: "I am your warrior. I am your justice, and for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution,'" Trump said at the time, roughly a month after his first indictment. It was a language his longtime adviser Steve Bannon told Karl was his 'Come Retribution' speech, according to the excerpts in The Atlantic.... 'What I didn't realize was that "Come Retribution," according to some Civil War historians, served as the code words for the Confederate Secret Service's plot to take hostage -- and eventually assassinate -- President Abraham Lincoln,' Karl writes.... Later that month, on March 25, Trump held the first rally of his 2024 campaign in Waco, Texas.... 'We're the Trump Davidians,' Bannon told him 'with a laugh,' according to the excerpts." ~~~

     ~~~ The excerpt of Karl's book in the Atlantic is here; it is firewalled. Here's Karl discussing the story on MSNBC: ~~~

Patrick Marley & Yvonne Sanchez of the Washington Post: "A Colorado judge is weighing whether Donald Trump incited an insurrection and is barred from running for president again. During a hearing this week, she has heard about 19th-century constitutional debates, how and when the National Guard is deployed, free speech rights and jokes cracked by Trump advisers about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.... Denver District Judge Sarah B. Wallace is expected to rule this month, as cases in other states move along briskly. On Monday, Trump filed a lawsuit in Michigan after a judge declined to let him intervene in a case seeking to prevent him from appearing on the ballot there. On Wednesday, a federal judge threw out a challenge in New Hampshire. And on Thursday, the Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments over his ability to run there." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: When you think about it, the Fourteenth Amendment restriction on candidates for office is more vital to democracy than other Constitutional requirements for the presidency. If a candidate was otherwise qualified to be president but was 33 years old or was born in Canada, s/he would not be a threat to nation. But someone who has "engaged in insurrection" is an obvious threat, inasmuch as he has already posed a threat.

Lawrence Hurley of NBC News: "The Supreme Court on Friday stepped into a new gun rights battle by agreeing to weigh whether a Trump-era ban on so-called bump stocks, which allow semi-automatic rifles to fire more quickly, is lawful. The justices were asked by both the Biden administration and gun rights activists to take up the issue, with lower courts reaching differing conclusions on it."

~~~~~~~~~~

Lisa Lerer & Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: "Abortion has emerged as a defining fault line of this year's elections, with consequential contests in several states on Tuesday offering fresh tests of the issue's political potency nearly 18 months after the Supreme Court ended a federal right to an abortion.... The issue is ... on the ballot, both explicitly and implicitly, in races across the country."

New York Congressional Race 2024. Clare Foran & Aaron Pellish of CNN: "Indicted Rep. George Santos says he plans to run for his seat in 2024 even if he's expelled from Congress and insisted that fabricating large parts of his life story would not have any impact on voters next year. In a wide-ranging interview with CNN's Manu Raju on Friday, Santos, a New York Republican, argued that his constituents didn't vote for him based on his biography and said he would 'absolutely' run in 2024 if he is expelled -- something that could happen as soon as this month if the House Ethics committee recommends the chamber take such a dramatic step. Santos, who is under investigation by the Ethics Committee, has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges...."

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel/Palestine

The New York Times' live updates of developments Saturday in the Israel/Hamas war are here. CNN's live updates are here: "US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting key Middle Eastern powers today, including Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, at a summit in Jordan.... Israel admitted responsibility for an attack outside a Gaza hospital Friday that witnesses say killed and wounded dozens, with videos showing people bloodied and strewn across the ground. Israel said it targeted an ambulance being used by Hamas. The Hamas-controlled healt ministry in Gaza has rejected the assertion. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was 'horrified' by the ambulance strike, reiterating his calls for a ceasefire and condemnation of Hamas while saying the bombardment of Gaza 'must stop.'"

Times of Israel: "In a brief televised statement before the start of Shabbat, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has told visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he rejects any temporary halt to the fight against Hamas that does not include 'the release of our hostages.['] He also says Israel 'will not enable the entry of fuel to Gaza.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Michael Birnbaum & Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday appeared to reject a push by Secretary of State Antony Blinken for a pause in his country's assault on Gaza, saying he would relent only after Hamas frees all of its hostages. The unusually public split between the top U.S. diplomat and Israel's leader came after a day of tense meetings in Tel Aviv, with Blinken and his deputies pushing Israeli officials to be mindful of the rising civilian toll from their effort to expunge the militant group responsible for last month's brutal cross-border attack.... Although the terms have varied in recent weeks, Hamas has indicated most recently that it would release all civilian hostages in exchange for a five-day pause, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions...."

Annals of Journalism? Ctd. Katie Robertson of the New York Times: "Jazmine Hughes, an award-winning New York Times Magazine staff writer, resigned from the publication on Friday after she violated the newsroom's policies by signing a letter that voiced support for Palestinians and protested Israel's siege in Gaza. Jake Silverstein, the editor of The New York Times Magazine, announced Ms. Hughes's resignation in an email to staff members on Friday evening. 'While I respect that she has strong convictions, this was a clear violation of The Times's policy on public protest,' Mr. Silverstein wrote. 'This policy, which I fully support, is an important part of our commitment to independence.'"

Comments Off

Reader Comments (10)

Once in a while a serial liar tells the truth:

"George Santos says he plans to run for his seat in 2024 even if he’s expelled from Congress and insisted that fabricating large parts of his life story would not have any impact on voters next year."

Republican voters want many things, none of them good for the country, and as they daily demonstrate in their remarks, in our courts and in their House, the truth is nowhere on that list.

November 4, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

The GQP and Santos are absurd. It’s Wonderland out there. There seems no point at which those people realize that up is not down. Love that ignorant letter marked up by Jamie Raskin and feel badly that smart Democrats in the House have to interact with total idiots on the other aisle. We must get more Democrats.

November 4, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterJeanne

Ken,

Santos’ contention that his lies don’t (and won’t) bother Republican voters is certainly an indication that truth (never mind ethics) is not much of a concern for that bloc (unless a Democrat needs to be pilloried, but then truth doesn’t matter there either, right? Okay, never mind).

But it’s also a clear sign of the contempt most PoT pols have for the entire electorate, including their own voters, whom they treat as mental defectives or just plain ignoramuses who will greedily gobble up whatever bullshit they’re being fed on any particular day and about pretty much any issue. The Orange Monster stamps QED on this observation with every screaming lie that brings in millions from the droolers.

November 4, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Wall Street Journal
"The Justices Are Bad Gun Historians
The Supreme Court’s recent rulings on gun rights play fast and loose with the country’s traditions of owning and regulating firearms"

November 4, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Will Mike Johnson finally have to to figure out how to use a bank account now that he is a chief fundraiser for the GQP? Or there are probably some interns that can help him with the hard stuff.

November 4, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

I bet this guy doesn't care about the lie. Cop throws white power sign at Don Jr as he was walking into court the other day.

November 4, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Managed to get past the WSJ firewall and read your link on the Court's bad history. Thanks.

It was very convincing, but...

These are windmills at which we tilt.

In fact the Right has no interest in being good historians or good scientists or good logicians or good people. Those "goods" are not their standards.

Their interest is only in self-aggrandizement, money and power. They are good at that.

November 4, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

Anand Giridharadas on the bigger we.
"We are endeavoring to do a really cool thing in this country, which is to build a country made of the world, a country made of all the other countries…. We are trying to build a country where every kind of person from every last village on this planet can come here and realize more of their potential than they would have wherever they came from. We don’t live up to it a lot, but it is an awesome pursuit."

November 4, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Ken,
The gun history just reinforces that the current Supreme Court bases many of their opinions on fiction. In that way they are very much like Trump. And like Trump they are incredibly scary because they write their own rules which the rest of us, and U.S., have to deal with.

November 4, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Lotsa anti-semitism in Montana. Zinke ain't the only one.

https://www.tester.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tester-condemns-anti-semitism-in-montana-presses-administration-for-resources-to-protect-rural-synagogues/

November 5, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes
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