;)
The Conversation -- October 20, 2023
Joan Greve & Rachel Leingang of the Guardian: "Jim Jordan of Ohio was forced out of the House speakership race on Friday after his Republican colleagues voted against his continued bid for the seat in a secret ballot after his third failed attempt to corral enough support to win the gavel.... There's a deadline of Sunday at noon for candidates to announce interest in the speakership. The conference is expected to return on Monday evening to hear from candidates for the speakership, with voting set for Tuesday."
Alex Marquardt, et al., of CNN: "Hamas released two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natali Raanan, on Friday after they abducted around 200 people from Israel in a deadly attack on October 7. The US citizens were handed over at the border with Gaza and are now in the care of the Israel Defense Forces, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Friday. They are currently on their way to an Israeli military base to be reunited with family, according to the office for Israel's prime minister. The Raanans are from Chicago and had been visiting relatives in Nahal Oz, a farming community in southern Israel, when they were taken, according to their family. The two were handed over to the Red Cross and are 'on their way out,' a source familiar with negotiations for their release said earlier on Friday. They are being released on 'humanitarian grounds' because the mother is in poor health, the same source said. The release was the result of negotiations between Qatar and Hamas."
** The Chese Cops a Plea. Marshall Cohen, et al., of CNN: "Kenneth Chesebro, a Donald Trump-aligned attorney who helped craft the 2020 fake elector plot, is pleading guilty in the Georgia election subversion case. The plea deal is another major victory for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who charged Trump and 18 others in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Thursday, former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell also pleaded guilty. Chesebro is pleading guilty to one felony -- conspiracy to commit filing false documents. Fulton County prosecutors are recommending that Chesebro serve 5 years of probation and pay $5,000 in restitution. He agreed to testify at any future trials in the sprawling election subversion case and write an apology letter. The plea came shortly after jury selection began Friday. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee had met with the pool of prospective jurors Friday and told them the trial could last four to five months." ~~~
~~~ Richard Fausset & Christian Boone of the New York Times: "... Mr. Chesebro's plea has added to a sudden sense of momentum in favor of prosecutors in Fulton County, Ga. As part of his plea deal, Mr. Chesebro agreed to 'truthfully testify' against the remaining co-defendants, as did [Sidney] Powell and Scott Hall, an Atlanta bail bondsman who accepted a plea deal in the case in late September. These developments spell only bad news for [Donald] Trump and his 15 remaining co-defendants, including Rudolph W. Giuliani, his former personal lawyer, and Mark Meadows, his former White House chief of staff, who are set to be tried at a later date." @ 12:45 pm ET, this was a developing story.
Kara Scannell & Sabrina Souza of CNN: "The judge overseeing Donald Trump's civil fraud trial admonished the former president's attorneys for a 'blatant violation' of a gag order and suggested that violations could result in 'imprisonment.' Judge Arthur Engoron said despite his clear order to take down a social media post attacking his clerk, 'I learned that the subject post was never removed from the website.... And, in fact, had been on that website for the past 17 days. I understand that it was removed late last night but only in response to an email,' Engoron said. The post was removed from Truth Social right after the gag order was issued but not from Trump's campaign website, DonaldJTrump.com.... 'I will now provide defendants an opportunity to explain why this blatant violation of this gag order should not result in serious sanctions including financial penalties ... and or possibly imprisonment.'" ~~~
~~~ Update. Michael Sisak of the AP: "... Donald Trump was fined $5,000 on Friday after a disparaging social media post about a key court staffer in his New York civil fraud case lingered on his campaign website for weeks after the judge ordered it deleted. Judge Arthur Engoron avoided holding Trump in contempt, for now, but reserved the right to do so -- and possibly even put the 2024 Republican front-runner in jail -- if he again violates a limited gag order barring people participating in the case from personal attacks on court staff. Engoron said in a written ruling that he is 'way beyond the "warning" stage,' but that he was only fining Trump a nominal amount because this was 'first time violation' and Trump's lawyers said the website's retention of the post had been inadvertent."
Another Day at the Races
(Yes, It's a Marx Brothers Sequel, But With More Mayhem)
The New York Times is liveblogging developments Friday in the Headless House story:
Luke Broadwater: "Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio made it clear on Friday morning that he was not giving up in his faltering campaign to be House speaker just ahead of a 10 a.m. vote in which he was expected to fail for a third time. At a brief news conference at the Capitol, Mr. Jordan ... emphasized the need for the House to elect a new leader so the chamber could resume its business...."
Broadwater: "Top Democrats are holding a news conference to denounce Jordan's candidacy. 'Jim Jordan is a clear and present danger to our democracy,' says Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, referring to how Jordan attempted to overturn the 2020 election on behalf of former President Trump."
Broadwater: "Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy is giving Jordan's nominating speech.... 'Jim Jordan is an effective legislator,' McCarthy says, prompting laughter and jeers from the Democrats in the chamber. Jordan has not been the lead sponsor on any bill that has been signed into law during his 16 years in Congress. But McCarthy is arguing he shepherded many bills through the Judiciary Committee."
Robert Jimison: "Representative Katherine M. Clark of Massachusetts, the No. 2 House Democrat, starts her nomination speech of Hakeem Jeffries by highlighting the solid unity of the 212 members who haven't wavered in voting for Jeffries ballot after ballot this year."
Broadwater: "Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio failed for a third time on Friday morning to win election as House speaker, leaving his party with no consensus on a way forward and the chamber paralyzed in the face of growing pressure to get back to business. Mr. Jordan had pushed ahead with the vote despite clear signs that he would fall short, and the outcome showed that he had actually lost ground, with 25 Republicans opposing him compared to the 22 who voted against him on his last try on Wednesday. Needing 215 votes to win, he received 194. Three Republicans from swing districts won by President Biden -- Representative Marc Molinaro of New York, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Representative Tom Kean of New Jersey -- abandoned Mr. Jordan after supporting him earlier. What happens next is unclear."
Jimison: "The eight Republicans led by Matt Gaetz of Florida, left, who voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker have sent a letter to their colleagues saying they are willing to accept some form of punishment if that will move holdouts to vote in favor of Jim Jordan." MB: I don't know, but I kinda think these old boys would enjoy "some form of punishment." I'm seeing a dominatrix thing happening here.
Broadwater: "House Republicans are about to meet behind closed doors in the basement to try to figure out next steps."
Broadwater: "Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio lost an internal vote to continue as his party's nominee for speaker on Friday, plunging the House into further uncertainty and sending Republicans searching for a new leader."
Catie Edmondson: "Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida says Jordan was 'knifed by secret ballot, anonymously, in a closed-door meeting in the bowels of the Capitol.' Gaetz says, 'This was truly swamp tactics on display.'"
~~~ Here are CNN's live updates: "Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said 'we're in a very bad place' after Jim Jordan again failed to win the speakership during the third round of voting. 'I think we'll go to conference here shortly and see which direction we go in,' McCarthy said while talking to reporters following the third vote for speaker. 'It's a problem for the party that we're in this place to begin with. And it's 4 percent, eight members here, crazy members led by Gaetz, that put us in a bad situation,' McCarthy said when asked if it's a problem for the GOP for Jordan to continue on without a path to the speakership. McCarthy said before walking away that he thinks they will conference at 1 pm ET."
Florida. Michelle Watson of CNN: "A former Florida state lawmaker who acquired more than $150,000 in Small Business Administration loans by lying on applications was sentenced Thursday to four months in federal prison, the US Attorney's office for the Northern District of Florida said. Former state Rep. Joseph Harding, a Republican, pleaded guilty in March to wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements in connection with Covid-19 relief fraud. Following his prison term, he will face two years of supervised release, a court record said. CNN affiliate WKMG reports that Harding tearfully addressed the court, saying he had 'no one to blame but myself.'... Harding has drawn the national spotlight before, as a sponsor of the controversial ... 'Don't Say Gay' law." Thanks to Akhilleus for the lead. See also his commentary in today's thread.
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Chris Megerian & Seung Min Kim of the AP: "Declaring that U.S. leadership 'holds the world together,' President Joe Biden told Americans on Thursday night the country must deepen its support of Ukraine and Israel in the middle of two vastly different, unpredictable and bloody wars. Acknowledging that 'these conflicts can seem far away,' Biden insisted in a rare Oval Office address that they remain 'vital for America's national security' as he prepared to ask Congress for billions of dollars in military assistance for both countries.... Biden's speech reflected an expansive view of U.S. obligations overseas at a time when he faces political resistance at home to additional funding. He's expected to ask for $105 billion on Friday, including $60 billion for Ukraine, much of which would replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles provided earlier." ~~~
~~~ A transcript of the President's speech, via the White House, is here.
The Right Hand Doesn't Know What the Right Hand Is Doing
Earlier Thursday. Luke Broadwater & Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Representative Jim Jordan, the hard-line Republican from Ohio, does not plan to force a third vote on Thursday on his bid to become speaker after running headlong into opposition from a bloc of mainstream G.O.P. holdouts, according to two people familiar with his decision. Instead, Mr. Jordan will endorse a plan to empower Representative Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina -- the temporary speaker whose role is primarily to hold an election for a speaker -- to carry out the chamber's work through Jan. 3. In the meantime, Mr. Jordan will continue trying to build support to become speaker." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ @ 11: 25 am ET: Lauren Fox is reporting on CNN that the GOP House Plan of the Moment is that Gym Jordan will not seek a third losing vote but will push instead for a deal where Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) will maintain his job until January 2024, with expanded powers to run the House, powers he does not have now. In the meantime, Jordan will continue his charm offensive behavior in hopes of garnering enough votes to grab the gavel at the beginning of next year. MB: Don't count on this being the last word. ~~~
~~~ @ 11:54 am ET: Fox says Democrats are meeting in private and have not yet announced how they would respond to Jordan's so-called plan. (MB: Not sure if Democrats even know just what the plan is.) Since some Republicans probably won't agree to the plan, to give McHenry more power, even temporarily, most likely would require at least some Democratic support.
~~~ @ 12:00 noon ET, Manu Raju of CNN reports on-air that the Bickersons are still bickering, & some Republicans are against the temporary speaker thang. ~~~
~~~ Later Thursday. ~~~
~~~ The House Without A Speaker, a Melodrama in Many Acts. Same Characters: Jim Jordan; rotating cast of other Congressmembers, most of whom perform offstage. Same Plot: the world is in crisis, the government is about to run out of money, but the United States House of Representatives is paralyzed because a few treacherous, villainous members defenestrated the Speaker. Jim, our hero, is trying to save the House. Same Setting: U.S. Capitol building. Same Playwright: Luke Broadwater & Annie Karni of the New York Times. Same Link.
Act V (Very much a reprise of Act III):
"In a day of whiplash and uncertainty on Capitol Hill, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio said Thursday he would push for another vote to become speaker, even in the face of a growing bloc of Republican opposition. Just hours after the hard-right Republican said he would hit pause on his candidacy and support elevating the interim speaker, Representative Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina, to temporarily lead the House, Mr. Jordan reversed course yet again and said he would move forward with his bid to win the post. It was not immediately clear when another vote could be scheduled.
"His decision came after a furious backlash from rank-and-file Republicans including many of his far-right supporters, who said empowering Mr. McHenry -- a stand-in appointed to his post after the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy -- would effectively cede control of the House floor to Democrats and set a bad precedent. It was the latest abrupt turn in a Republican speaker drama that has played out for more than two weeks, underscoring the depth of the party's divisions and disarray. Unable to unite behind a candidate to lead them, the G.O.P. now can't even agree on a temporary solution to allow the paralyzed House to function while they sort out their differences." Read on. If you find the plot twists boring, that's because you've read them before with the same characters in the same setting.
~~~ Marie: By the time I got through copying & pasting Act V, Act VI was already underway. Here's the crux of it; same link: "By Thursday evening, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio ... appeared no closer to winning the post after meeting with some of the 22 mainstream G.O.P. lawmakers opposed to his candidacy. Nevertheless, Mr. Jordan said he would push for another vote to become speaker, scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m., even though he was bleeding support and calls were increasing for him to step aside." ~~~
~~~ According to Jake Tapper of CNN, in video of "Speaker Designate" Gym Jordan leaving the meeting with the 22 holdouts, he "looked as angry as a man walking out of a divorce settlement hearing that he was losing badly." Tapper admitted that although he was no expert on body language, but he would guess the Jordan meeting did not go well. Update: Tapper could not have known that only a few hours later the ex-husband who lost a divorce case may have shot & killed a Maryland judge; link below. Authorities are search for the suspect. ~~~
~~~ Leigh Ann Caldwell & Marianna Sotomayor of the Washington Post write that the reason for Jordan's Act V about-face was that "... a significant number of his far-right colleagues balked at the idea [of empowering Patrick McHenry] in a tense, hours-long meeting...." MB: IOW, the super-wingers are still the lead writers in this production. ~~~
~~~ Politico's story on the all the flipflops is here. ~~~
~~~ Gnome Threatened to Abandon Petunia Patch. Scott Wong & Rebecca Kaplan of NBC News: "In a closed-door meeting Thursday, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., told GOP colleagues he might resign as speaker pro tempore if Republicans push him to try to move legislation on the floor without an explicit vote to expand his powers, according to multiple lawmakers in the room. 'If you guys try to do that, you'll figure out who the next person on Kevin's list is,' McHenry told the room, three sources said, referring to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's secret list of GOP awmakers who would serve as temporary speaker in the event of a vacancy." MB: He does seem like an angry, petulant little guy.
Olivia Beavers & others of Politico do a little study on what's wrong with House Republicans. "It seems that every day without a speaker brings a new release of pent-up anger from the House GOP, which is stuck in the bewildering position of technically controlling a chamber of Congress where it can't even vote on bills. At the moment, their latest pick for speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), cannot win the gavel on the floor and yet still won't end his campaign -- preventing a half-dozen or more other ambitious GOP lawmakers from jumping into the race."
Lauren Peller, et al., of ABC News: "Several House Republicans who have voted against Rep. Jim Jordan for speaker are seething after threats have been made against them, their offices or even their spouses...." MB: I'd like to suggest to these seething representatives of the people who threatened them that if they had not continued to support an ex-president* who almost daily encourages violence against people who irk him, maybe said representatives and their families would not be subject to death threats. Anyhow, they could ask Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi what they think about that. See also Maryland news, linked below.
Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Since he has been president, [Joe Biden] has visited the reporters traveling with him [on Air Force One] just once before and that was off the record to complain about their coverage.... But on Wednesday, he broke with his usual refusal to announce a breakthrough in humanitarian aid for Gaza. After taking a few questions [on his way back from Israel], he then prepared to make his exit. 'I'm going to get the hell out of here before you start asking about the House of Representatives,' he said with a smile. But then he stayed just long enough for the questions to turn to the House anyway.... A reporter ... asked him if he had any thoughts about Representative Jim Jordan's predicament in the House. 'I ache for him,' Mr. Biden said, putting his hand on his heart. Really? 'Noooo,' he said with a laugh. No sympathy there. 'Zero,' he said. 'None.'... Mr. Jordan has aggressively pushed investigations into the president and his son, relying at times on arguments that have been factually debunked."
While Trump Was at His Fraud Trial Country Club
Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "The prosecutors in the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith, said [Donald] Trump's expansive bid to claim ... 'absolute immunity' from criminal prosecution ... was unsupported by 'the Constitution's text and structure, history and tradition, or Supreme Court precedent.... The defendant is not above the law,' they wrote in a 54-page filing. 'He is subject to the federal criminal laws like more than 330 million other Americans, including members of Congress, federal judges, and everyday citizens.' The court papers, filed in Federal District Court in Washington, were a blunt rebuttal of Mr. Trump's attempt to have Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, dismiss the four counts he is facing before they go to trial." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Feuer notes, "The Justice Department has long maintained a policy that sitting presidents cannot be indicted." Feuer doesn't say so, but that policy reflects practical considerations, not legal ones. The Senate can go about its business if a senator is distracted by personal legal peril, but the presidency cannot go on without the president. (Although sometimes that would be a good thing.) ~~~
~~~ Politico's story, by Kyle Cheney & Josh Gerstein, is here. The government's response to Trump's motion is here, via Politico.
Jeffrey Toobin in a New York Times op-ed: "The verdicts in [the] cases [against Donald Trump] remain months away, but he is reacting in apparent confidence that the consequences of his actions will, as ever, turn out well for him. But it's equally important to ask how Mr. Trump's response to his latest predicament will affect others, especially those who are now targets of his wrath.... [His] current language is an imminent threat to his rhetorical targets and those around them.... Angry people, especially those predisposed to violence, can be set off by encouragement that falls well short of the legal standard for criminal incitement.... All of [the] rhetoric [that persuaded Timothy McVeigh to bomb the Oklahoma City federal building], from the words of [a] novel to those of [Newt] Gingrich and [Rush] Limbaugh, was protected by the First Amendment.: Toobin believes President Biden should warn the public that "Mr. Trump's statements pose an immediate danger to the targets of his rage and the public at large."
Marie: I'm in pain, I'm on narcotics. Then Patrick writes to suggest I watch a vintage teevee comedy show. Patrick implies the footage might not be authentic, but everything about it is as true-to-life as any historical documentary I've ever seen. Perhaps you will put more trust in Patrick's sober assessment than in the assertion of a Temporary Junkie with a fat lip. Still, I'm pretty sure you're seeing not a TV comedy sketch, but a Queens man collecting rent at one of his family's whites-only apartment buildings in Brooklyn, ca. 1958:
In More Recent News.... No More Chese & KrackensTM Akhilleus! Maybe Ken Cheseboro just caught a break; he won't be tried with Sidney Powell, after all; to wit:
** The Kracken Kracks. CNN: "Former Donald Trump attorney Sidney Powell has pleaded guilty in the Georgia election subversion case, one day before her trial was set to start. Fulton County prosecutors are recommending a sentence of six years probation. Powell will also be required to testify at future trials and write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia. As part of her guilty plea, Powell is admitting her role in the January 2021 breach of election systems in rural Coffee County, Georgia." This is a breaking story and will be updated. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "Sidney K. Powell, a member of Donald J. Trump's legal team after he lost the 2020 election, pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to six misdemeanor counts.... Ms. Powell, 68, who appeared in a downtown Atlanta courtroom, was sentenced to six years of probation for conspiracy to commit intentional interference of election duties..... She was also fined $6,000 and agreed to pay $2,700 restitution to the state of Georgia, as well as write an apology letter to its citizens. Prosecutors said in court that Ms. Powell had given them a recorded statement on Wednesday as part of her plea deal. She has agreed to testify against any of the 17 remaining defendants. Ms. Powell has also agreed to turn over documents in her possession related to the case. The guilty plea was a blow to Mr. Trump.... It means that a member of the Trump legal team will cooperate with the prosecution as it pursues criminal convictions related to efforts to keep the former president in power after he lost the 2020 election." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Here's video of Powell's hearing. Thanks to unwashed for the link:
Marie: A number of on-air commentators have said they were intrigued by one aspect of Powell's plea deal: she cannot reveal to the public the nature or substance of the evidence she may provide.
What Sidney Knows. Alan Feuer & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: Sidney Powell's guilty plea marked "the first time that anyone who was closely tied to [Donald Trump's] attempts to stay in power had reached a cooperation deal with the authorities.... If she takes the stand in his election trial in Georgia, she could shed light on a number of gambits he undertook to stay in power despite the will of the voters. Word of her agreement, which emerged without warning during a court hearing in Atlanta on Thursday, raised other questions as well: Would she also lend her help to the federal prosecutors who filed their own election case against Mr. Trump in Washington -- one in which she appeared as an unindicted co-conspirator? And would any other figures in the case be open to accepting similar deals with prosecutors?" ~~~
Aaron Blake of the Washington Post assesses/guesses what Powell might address in testimony: "... he was obviously in touch with key players throughout the post-election period, as best exemplified by her participation in a wild Dec. 18, 2020, Oval Office meeting with Trump and other key players. She also worked closely with Giuliani.... The extent to which Trump and his team were involved [in the failed lawsuits Powell filed] will surely be of interest to prosecutors." But, Blake points out, Powell is "Co-Conspirator 3" in the federal case against Trump and "could invoke Fifth Amendment protections against testifying about key episodes in the federal case...."
~~~ Marie: Plus, there's this. I would be a little more breathless about the Importance of Being Sidney had I not seen an MSNBC segment in which Tim Heaphy, the top investigator for the House January 6 Committee and Andrew Weissmann agreed that it appeared any evidence Powell gave might be limited to elements of the Coffee County election interference conspiracy, the counts to which she pleaded guilty (to misdemeanors). I don't know if the two lawyers are right, and I don't know what, if anything, directly ties Trump to the Coffee County scheme. (It could be that Powell does just that.) But this may be much ado about not much.
Olivia Rubin of ABC News: "Attorney Kenneth Chesebro rejected a [plea] offer from prosecutors.... The deal would have allowed Chesebro to avoid prison time by pleading guilty to one felony count of racketeering, the top charge in the indictment, according to ... sources. He would have had to agree to testify against his codefendants -- including Trump -- in exchange for three years' probation and a $10,000 fine. The terms of the deal also included a written letter of apology, the sources said. The deal would have been made under Georgia's first-offender act, under which the conviction would have been wiped from Chesebro's record after probation was completed. Chesebro rejected the deal in late September...."
A New York Times story linked yesterday says jury selection in the Chese & Kracken cases (now the Chese stands aloneTM Akhilleus) is to begin on Monday. This Washington Post story about Powell's plea deal says jury selection starts today, Friday. (Also linked yesterday.)
Phil Stewart of Reuters: "The U.S. Army has charged Private Travis King with crimes ranging from desertion for running into North Korea in July to assault against fellow soldiers and solicitation of child pornography, according to documents obtained by Reuters." The New York Times story is here.
Michael Gold of the New York Times: "... in a new, deeply reported biography, 'Romney: A Reckoning,' set to be released next week, [Sen. Mitt] Romney goes beyond his broad disdain for the [Republican] party and gives his unvarnished opinion of some of his fellow Republicans. In interviews with the book's author, McKay Coppins, Mr. Romney, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, offers frank appraisals that are rare in Washington." MB: Gold includes a taste of these "frank appraisals," so the article is a fun read in that regard. I'm just going to guess, however, that Romney doesn't make such "frank appraisals" of his own shortcomings. ~~~
~~~ Ha Ha. Update. Alex Beam in a Washington Post review titled, "In "Romney: A Reckoning," Mitt's self-awareness only goes so far." This review too is a pretty good read.
Elizabeth Williamson of the New York Times: "The judge in Alex Jones's bankruptcy case ruled on Thursday that he will not be allowed to use his Chapter 11 filing to evade paying more than $1 billion in verdicts to families of the Sandy Hook shooting. The ruling by Judge Christopher Lopez in a Houston bankruptcy court means that Mr. Jones, the Infowars conspiracy broadcaster, will likely be working the rest of his life to pay his debt to the families. Last year, they were awarded historic damages in defamation lawsuits against him. It also closes off the possibility that Mr. Jones could liquidate Infowars and force the families to accept whatever proceeds result, leaving him free to start a new business."
Annals of Journalism, Ctd. Drew Harwell of the Washington Post: "The social media platform X-...Twitter, has removed ... without notice ... the gold 'verified' badge from the New York Times' account amid ongoing complaints about the news organization from X owner Elon Musk. The badge was the only symbol distinguishing the Times'; 55-million-follower account from impostors.... X has hosted and helped amplify a flood of false information related to the Israel-Gaza war, some of which Musk has personally endorsed.... Times accounts related to coverage of world news, health and other subjects still show 'verified' badges. The move further extends Musk's attempts to use the social media company he bought with claims of defending free speech to undercut news organizations he dislikes. It also suggests Musk has adopted the kinds of secretive social media tactics he and Twitter's conservative critics once loudly denounced."
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California Senate Race 2024. Shawn Hubler of the New York Times: "Laphonza Butler, who was appointed less than three weeks ago to fill the Senate seat left vacant by Dianne Feinstein's death, said on Thursday that she would not run next year for the office, clearing the way for an open race in California that features three Democratic congressional members and a former Major League Baseball star." The NBC News story is here. MB: When you read stories like this, you realize that many Democrats in positions of power are there for reasons other than self-aggrandizement or abusing their positions. It's heartening, even when you do have to humbly take into account fellows like Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).
Louisiana. Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed with a delay on proceedings that could lead to creating a second congressional district in Louisiana where Black voters make up a large-enough share of the electorate to have a significant chance of electing their preferred candidate.... The court's one-sentence, unsigned order contains no instructions as to what should happen next.... But Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote separately to reiterate a previous Supreme Court statement that the litigation should be resolved in time for the 2024 congressional elections."
Maryland. Brian Dakss of CBS News: "An associate circuit court judge [-- Andrew Wilkinson, 52 --] was shot on the driveway of his home in Hagerstown, Maryland Thursday night and later died in a hospital, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said. His assailant was being sought. There was no initial indication of a possible motive or whether the slaying was related to Wilkinson's duties as a judge. But Maryland State police said Friday that 'troopers were deployed to protect judges residing in Washington County' Thursday night 'for precautionary reasons.'" ~~~
~~~ Matt Naham of Law & Crime: "In an update Friday, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said they were searching for 49-year-old Pedro Argote, a party to the divorce case, in connection with the shooting of Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Fisher Wilkinson."
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Israel/Hamas. The New York Times' live updates of developments Friday in the Israeli/Hamas war are here: "With the humanitarian situation growing more desperate in Gaza, the Rafah crossing between the blockaded territory and Egypt still hasn't opened to aid, a day after a United Nations-led deal appeared to have had laid the groundwork to allow trucks carrying humanitarian supplies to enter. Diplomats familiar with back-channel talks were pessimistic about it opening at all on Friday, amid ongoing disagreements between Egypt and Israel on issues including how to institute a regular schedule of aid convoys, whether to allow in fuel and how to screen the convoys for arms. The U.N. secretary general, António Guterres, visited the Rafah crossing on Friday and said talks were underway 'with all the parties' to clarify any conditions on the movement of aid." ~~~
~~~ CNN's live updates are here: "The majority of hostages seized by Hamas on October 7 are still alive in Gaza, the Israeli military says. Meanwhile, the defense minister told Israeli troops massed at the border that they would soon see the enclave 'from the inside.'"
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Reader Comments (16)
Here are a couple of comments from late in the day yesterday.
The first is from Bobby Lee:
and now Gym Jordan decides he will run again in a third attempt after all.
Wonder what or who jerked his Johnny?
The response is from Akhilleus:
Wellll, our gracious hostess, Madame Marie, posited earlier today that MAGA Gym’s decision not to lose a third time wouldn’t be the last word on Traitor shenanigans.
It’s worth recalling who really pulls the strings in the Party of Traitors. It’s not pols elected by the people. That would be democracy. Well, sort of. Gerrymandering and election theft don’t come under that heading. But Gym and his whiny baby insurrectionist mob answer to right-wing media mooks, like Hannity and Levin and Bannon.
I’m guessing Gym, after realizing that a Trumpy endorsement and death threats by his followers (he may have come out against death threats, but who amongst us believes that didn’t stiffen the Gymmy member?) weren’t going to allow him to slither into the speakership, decided (momentarily) against MyKevin-like multiple FU votes. These MAGA tough guys are the most delicate and weeny of snowflakes.
But then he probably got an email from Hannity saying “You can’t give up! My bank account, and my position as Traitor Whip depends on chaos and dumpster fires! Keep going until I tell you to stop!”
See, none of these assholes cares about good governance or ethics or morality or the United States. They care about making themselves look good to the morons, whipping up the droolers, and making money.
So MAGA Gym will give it another go and then attack, along with the usual media anal cysts, any who say no.
It’s all a show. That’s it.
“Don’t say gay” guy going away, bye…
If they’re not bigots, they’re crooks, and sometimes both.
So here’s this homophobic putz in Florida (“Oh, please tell us who, Akhilleus, there’s about 10 million of ‘em in Florida…”) by the name of Joe Harding, what? No, not hard on, Hard-ing. But I see how you could make that mistake. Anyway, so this hard on guy, I mean Harding
“…was sentenced Thursday on federal felony fraud and money laundering charges after fraudulently obtaining $150,000 in COVID funds.”
Oops! Stealing federal money meant for Covid relief? You mean that’s not allowed? (*snicker-snicker*)
But in addition to being a thieving prick, he’s also the guy who came up with DeSantolini’s trademark “Don’t say gay” law. Such a nice guy.
Too bad he didn’t have the foresight to pass a “Don’t say felon” law while he was at it.
Asshole.
I'm waiting for Joe to explain how the U.S. "holds the world together" when half of Congress can't get its shit together.
AK,
"DeSantolini"? Now I'm really confused. I thought Rhonda Santos was the cross dressing Governor of Florida -- the gurl in the white go-go boots.
The latest iteration of Traitor Speakerama presents an unvarnished look into how Republicans think guv’mint should work (not like it’s a surprise, but…).
See, the way it should work is the party in charge gets to do a lot of stuff, but the minority party SHOULD have some ability to get things done as well. This is how it worked pretty much for 200 years. It’s a form of power sharing. It’s not perfect, but it works. Unless one side is composed of barking mad authoritarians.
But the very thought that Democrats might be enlisted to help get the train back on the tracks has some traitors practically unhinged:
“‘We’re handing our majority back over to the Democrats by going along with a power-sharing agreement. It’s absurd. It’s the biggest ‘F-U’ to Republican voters I’ve ever seen,’ cried far-right U.S. Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana on Thursday.”
Others are whining about the horrors of bipartisanship.
So…a couple of things. Talking to Democrats is not “handing over the majority”, but I suppose in the zero sum world of the traitors it is. Secondly, the whole nature of government involves a certain amount of power sharing. Don’t think the minority party has, or should have, any power? I give you Coach Potato Head and his stranglehold on military advancement. And not for nothin’ but when Rs are in the minority, or in the majority by a tiny margin, they want to control things like they’re the only game in town, with a 99-1 mandate. Finally that big FU to Republican voters? That delightful present comes directly from Freedom Cock-us MAGAts. Like Jim Banks, thank you very much.
D,
These guys are multi-talented schmucks. Go-go boots, cross dressing, bigotry, financial chicanery, treason, edumacation, propaganda, fascism, election theft, book banning, they can do it all.
"Media Ministry" member at a Mississippi Coast church faces
federal charges for distributing and possessing 9,900 sexually
explicit images of child porn and children being sexually abused.
Thoughts and prayers.
https://www.sunherald.com/news/local/crime/article280514244.html
#storylink=cpy
IRS
"IRS plans to launch free tax filing pilot program in 13 states next year"
RAS,
Are Florida and New York on that list? Maybe Fatty will finally pay his taxes.
Nothing capitalism hates worse than a publicly funded and operated service that works better and cheaper than a private, money-grubbing
alternative.
I can hear Turbo-Tax screaming...
What's next? Blue Cross?
The Stinky Cheese admits the fact that, well, he stinks. I’m talkin’ Gorgonzola in the closet for two months stinky. Pee-eew.
And Marie is absolutely correct. Kicking the Cheese and Kraken trial means no sneak peek for Fatty’s sleazy mouthpieces into Fani Willis’ game plan for lowering the boom on the Orange Monster and his treasonous cohort.
Happy days.
That’s not to say that a verdict is around the corner, but if two big wheels from the Trump Treason Train are off the tracks, more may follow, especially given what the Cheese and the Kraken may have agreed to divulge before a jury.
Trump is already working up his typical response to such apostates, “I don’t know these people, never met them, but I’ve heard that THEY ARE TRUMP HATING LIARS!”
Tee-hee.
@Akhilleus is referring in his comment above to a sort of "news alert" I wrote before there were any published print stories on Kenny's capitulation. I took my little alert down when CNN published a story.
May I say I share Akhilleus' evident schadenfreude? Tee-hee indeed.
I wouldn't share a cartoon if it didn't blow me away.
https://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/daily-cartoon/friday-october-20th-partisan-infighting?
Washington Post asks: "Will there ever be a new House Speaker?" I'll say yes, but it depends on Democrats regaining control of the chamber.
In the meantime I hope no one at Trump's golf tournament was seriously injured by a thrown Diet Coke can when he received the Chesboro news. Which lawyer will be the next flip, just might be Guiliani.
Pieces de Shit, like you read about.
While listening to an Ari Melber podcast, I heard a clip from Sean Hannity’s radio show (don’t these fuckers ever shut up?) during which the Faux snowflake whined that Republicans needed to be adults, to stick together to put the gavel in the hands of insurrection loving, sexual abuse allowing, bomb throwing, non-legislating Gym Jordan.
His plea was along the lines of “I don’t care if you have your own agenda and you want to settle scores, but there is work to be done and you Gym deniers need to suck it up, be responsible, and get in line.”
Hang on…hahahahaha HAHA wow!
This from a superstar on a network dedicated to score settling, poisonous personal agendas, line shattering, and toxic irresponsibility.
Assholes like Hannity and the other Faux feces have worked their entire careers scheming and plotting to fuck things up, to empower selfishness and narcissistic weenie wagging, but now he’s pissed(?!?) that responsible, adult behavior is not the order of the day?
Waaaaahhhh!!!
Once more with feeling:
Tee-hee.
What next?
As failed sexual abuse allowing wrestling coach and ignorant bomb throwing cancer cell Gym Jordan disappears over the GQP event horizon, sucked into the pro-vivisection vortex he has promoted for years rather than doing anything worthwhile, a weird gang of ambitious back benchers are slipping out of their Party of Traitor ratholes to shoot for the brass ring.
But here’s the problem. There might be some who feel a call to duty, but even those are stamped with the scarlet letter of PoT incompetence and inability to govern. Most of these jamokes I’ve barely heard of. That doesn’t mean they might not have political talent, but if so, where have they been? One guy, whom CNN describes as a sober pragmatist, Dusty Johnson, a PoT guy from South Dakota, blames Democrats for all their problems. Because of COURSE he does.
What do they say about addiction recovery? You can’t move forward unless you admit there’s a problem? CNN touts a guy who refuses to admit the entire party (not just Jumpin’ Gym and his sorry sack of shit co-conspirators) has a problem.
Austin Scott, a rep from Georgia sez “Gee. This kinda makes us look bad.”
Austin. Dude. My man. You think? It’s like saying, with a stunned look on your face, that the collapse of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns in 2008 wasn’t the best look for Wall Street. That the sinking of the Titanic looked kinda bad for White Star Line. That Fat Donald’s absconding with top secret documents and spreading them around might not have been a good idea.
These people have no interest in or ability in governance. It’s like hiring an innumerate imbecile to teach a math class, or an evangelical fire breathing bigot to oversee a class in religious tolerance.
They.Can’t.Do.It.
Full stop.
Event horizon, here we come. Bullshit is sucked into a black Republican hole. No escape. (They’d probably take issue with the description of a BLACK hole.
Are they to blame? Absolutely. But so is the Both Sides media which genuflects submissively before criminals and morons in an effort to keep their jobs safe from PoT attacks.