;)
The Conversation -- October 24, 2023
According to CNN's liveblog on the House GOP disaster (also linked below), @ ca. 6:38 pm ET: "The House is set to adjourn shortly, meaning no floor votes for speaker are expected tonight as the GOP conference looks to decide on their next Speaker designee. House Republicans are currently holding a candidate forum to hear from the candidates vying for the gavel. They're poised to hold another secret-ballot vote to nominate a new speaker candidate at 8 p.m. ET."
** Katherine Faulders, et al., of ABC News: "... Donald Trump's final chief of staff in the White House, Mark Meadows, has spoken with special counsel Jack Smith's team at least three times this year, including once before a federal grand jury, which came only after Smith granted Meadows immunity to testify under oath, according to sources familiar with the matter. The sources said Meadows informed Smith's team that he repeatedly told Trump in the weeks after the 2020 presidential election that the allegations of significant voting fraud coming to them were baseless, a striking break from Trump's prolific rhetoric regarding the election.... According to Meadows' book, the election was 'stolen' and 'rigged' with help from 'allies in the liberal media,' who ignored 'actual evidence of fraud, right there in plain sight for anyone to access and analyze.'... Under the penalty of perjury, Meadows offered a vastly different assessment to Smith's investigators, telling them he's never seen any evidence of fraud that would undermine the election's outcome, according to what sources told ABC News." Emphasis added. Read on. MB: The dam done broke & Trump has drownded."
Jonah Bromwich, et al., of the New York Times: "Michael D. Cohen attacked his onetime boss, Donald J. Trump, from the witness stand on Tuesday, accusing the former president of manipulating his net worth as Mr. Trump, seated feet away, stared blankly ahead. In the early afternoon, just before lunch break in a Manhattan courtroom, Mr. Cohen began to testify about the annual financial statements that are at the heart of a civil fraud trial against the former president that was brought by the New York attorney general, Letitia James.... Mr. Cohen did not say anything he has not already said. Nonetheless the courtroom was silent and tense as he testified about his former employer -- whom he always referred to as Mr. Trump -- and said that he had committed crimes as part of his role at the Trump Organization." (This is an update of a story linked earlier today.)
** According to MSNBC on-air, Tom Emmer -- who won today's vote for speaker -- has already dropped out of the race.
The New York Times is liveblogging the House beauty pageant results: "Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3 House Republican, emerged from a crowded field on Tuesday as his party's latest leading contender for speaker as the G.O.P. ground through rounds of closed-door votes to break a deadlock that has left Congress paralyzed for three weeks. Mr. Emmer won the first rounds of secret balloting, according to lawmakers who participated, and the field -- which began with nine candidates on Monday evening -- was winnowing as the lowest vote getters were forced out.... Mr. Emmer had yet to draw a majority and was still facing one conservative challenger: Representatives Mike Johnson of Louisiana...." ~~~
~~~ Catie Edmondson & Luke Broadwater: "Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a lawyer who is the former chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, is a favorite of the party's right wing. An evangelical Christian who is a member of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Johnson, 51, was a key architect of Republicans' objections to certifying the victory of President Biden on Jan. 6, 2021. Many Republicans in Congress relied on his arguments." MB: Gosh, he sounds ideal.
** Kayla Guo: "Tom Emmer of Minnesota wins the speakership nomination, making him the third to do so since Kevin McCarthy's ouster."
Robert Jimison: "Republicans are now expected to take another closed-door vote to see how many members in the conference will pledge support for Emmer on the House floor."
Broadwater "Tom Emmer defeated Mike Johnson, 117 votes to 97, according to members in the room."
Broadwater: "... the narrow margin of [Emmer's] victory reflected that House Republicans were still deeply at odds, and a swift backlash from the right, including from ... [MB: insane narcissist] Donald J. Trump, suggested his candidacy was in peril. Immediately following his nomination, about two dozen right-wing Republicans indicated that they did not intend to vote for Mr. Emmer on the floor.... Then as he met with holdouts to try to win them over, the former president issued a scathing statement on social media expressing vehement opposition to Mr. Emmer, calling him a 'Globalist RINO' ... whose elevation would be a 'tragic mistake.... I have many wonderful friends wanting to be Speaker of the House, and some are truly great Warriors,' Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'RINO Tom Emmer, who I do not know well, is not one of them. He never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGA -- MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN![']"
Carl Hulse: "What's going on with House Republicans is a stark example of what happens when party discipline is abandoned. Members feel free to go their own way with no fear of payback."
Guo: "Republicans are going on a break now as Tom Emmer meets with holdouts individually and in small groups. He wants to secure the necessary 217 votes behind closed doors before bringing his nomination to a vote on the floor."
** Queen for a Day Three Hours. Broadwater : "Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the No. 3 House Republican, dropped his bid for speaker on Tuesday hours after securing his divided party's nomination, after a swift backlash from the right, including ... Donald J. Trump, left his candidacy in shambles. Mr. Emmer's abrupt exit signaled that Republicans were as far as ever from breaking a deadlock that has left Congress leaderless and paralyzed for three weeks. It made Mr. Emmer the third Republican this month to be chosen to lead the party, only to have his bid collapse in a seemingly endless cycle of G.O.P. grievances, personality conflicts and ideological rifts."
~~~ CNN's liveblog is here.
Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "House Republicans are meeting on Tuesday to vote -- yet again -- on a nominee for speaker, as the party feud that has paralyzed the chamber enters its third week. Seven Republicans are now vying for the post, reflecting the deep divisions within the House G.O.P.... A a House floor vote could occur as soon as Tuesday afternoon, but there is no guarantee that the winner will have the 217 votes necessary to be elected...." ~~~
Marie: Carl Hulse's remark above reminds me of something Mark McKinnon -- GOP consultant & doofus who co-founded No Labels -- said Monday night on MSNBC: It was Kevin McCarthy himself who placed Chekhov's gun over the mantel when he agreed to allow any Republican member of the House to bring a motion to vacate the speakership. In so doing, McCarthy made it a foregone conclusion that somebody would pull that trigger. (paraphrase)
~~~ Jim Croce returns for some political commentary: Thanks to D in Md for this:
** Richard Fausset & Danny Hakim of the New York Times: "Jenna Ellis, a pro-Trump lawyer who amplified ... Donald J. Trump's baseless claims of election fraud as part of what she called a legal 'elite strike force team,' pleaded guilty on Tuesday as part of a deal with prosecutors in Georgia. During a public hearing Tuesday morning in Atlanta, Ms. Ellis pleaded guilty to a charge of aiding and abetting false statements and writings.... Ms. Ellis agreed to be sentenced to five years of probation, pay $5,000 in restitution and perform 100 hours of community service. She has already written an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia, and she agreed to cooperate fully with prosecutors as the case progresses." CNN's report is here.
~~~~~~~~~~
House GOP Holds Speakership Cattle Call. Leigh Ann Caldwell, et al., of the Washington Post: "House Republicans will regroup and again try to elect a speaker of the House this week, a usually simple task that has proved nearly impossible in a divided and wounded Republican conference that has for three weeks been unable to choose a leader. Eight candidates from across the Republican ideological spectrum presented their pitch to their party Monday in another closed-door meeting, a rare event that has become commonplace in recent weeks." ~~~
~~~ Marie: The article gives a lot of attention to the Trump factor: "Behind the scenes, [Trump] personally directed his allies to hammer front-runner candidate, Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).... Emmer's sins, according to people close to Trump, include voting to certify the 2020 election and failing to endorse Trump, both privately and publicly.... Emmer -- aware of the challenge Trump could pose ... -- spoke with the former president over the phone Saturday, in which they had a 'productive' conversation, according to a person familiar with the call. But a person close with Trump played down the significance of the call, saying it was a 'polite conversation. End of story.'" But it wasn't the end of the story: "During a stop ... in New Hampshire on Monday, Trump said Emmer is his 'biggest fan now because he called me yesterday and told me he's my biggest fan.'... Emmer thanked Trump on X...." I'll bet you've had thousands of polite conversations with people and you never came away thinking, much less boasting to others, "he's my biggest fan." What a sick dick. But wait. There's more. See "Presidential Race 2024" below.
The Washington Post's live updates of developments Tuesday in the House GOP's continuing failed attempts to name a speaker are here.
Arthur Delaney of the Huffington Post: "Republicans announced Friday that they had uncovered a 'direct payment' to President Joe Biden -- exactly the kind of evidence they've sought linking Biden to his family's foreign business deals. But the March 2018 payment came from Joe Biden's brother James, not a Ukrainian oligarch or Chinese tycoon, and the check was marked as a 'loan repayment.' Still, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), who obtained the records via subpoena, said the $200,000 check looks suspicious for the president.... 'These records actually show that President Biden was the one who stepped in to help family members when they needed support, including by providing short term loans to his brother,' Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the committee's top Democrat, said in a statement. Raskin added that the 1,400 pages of records Republicans got from their subpoenas, which asked banks for several years of records relating to the president's brother and son, show no wrongdoing, but do reveal 'payments for things like groceries, vet visits, and plumbing repairs.'... The Committee has the bank documents that show both the loan Jim received from his brother in January 2018 and the repayment by check six weeks later,' [a lawyer for James Biden] said. 'At no time did Jim involve his brother in any of his business relationships.'"
Tracey Tully of the New York Times: "Senator Robert Menendez [D] of New Jersey pleaded not guilty on Monday to a new federal charge that accused him of illegally plotting to be an agent of Egypt while serving as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It was Mr. Menendez's second not-guilty plea in a month after he and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were accused of being at the center of a broad web of political corruption. The couple has been charged with accepting bribes in exchange for Mr. Menendez's efforts to increase aid and weapons sales to Egypt while also working to quash criminal investigations for associates in New Jersey."
Vera Lynn sings "We'll Meet Again":
~~~ :Trump and Cohen to Meet Again.: Ben Protess & Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: The reunion of Donald Trump & his former lawyer & fixer Michael Cohen "is now set for a stage that has become familiar to them both: a New York courtroom, where Mr. Cohen will take the stand as soon as Tuesday as a star witness against Mr. Trump in a civil fraud trial.... Mr. Trump ... is expected to attend at least some of his testimony.... Mr. Cohen's testimony before Congress in 2019 served as the impetus for [New York Attorney General Letitia] James's investigation.... He is expected to reprise those comments and fill in details this week. But the testimony's substance may pale in comparison to the drama of the face-off. It also will test Mr. Trump's courtroom decorum.... In a statement ahead of his testimony on Tuesday, Mr. Cohen said: 'It's been five years since we have seen one another. I look forward to the reunion. I hope Donald does as well.'"
Motion Commotion. Holmes Lybrand of CNN: "In a slew of court filings late Monday, attorneys for Donald Trump filed several motions asking the judge overseeing the election subversion case in Washington, DC, to dismiss the charges against the former president on grounds that, among other things, they violate his First Amendment rights and are the product of a 'selective and vindictive prosecution.'... Trump's attorneys, in their filings, also moved to strike allegations around the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack mentioned in the indictment against him.... [Among the arguments:] because of the 'tradition of forceful political advocacy' in the US, the former president 'lacked fair notice that his advocacy in this instance could be criminalized.'" MB: Ah, nobody told me I couldn't try to overturn the election by any means possible, including violence, so I just did it, exercising my free speech rights. ~~~
The Constitution's plain text, structural principles of separation of powers, our history and tradition, and principles of Double Jeopardy bar the Executive Branch from seeking to re-charge and re-try a President who has already been impeached and acquitted in a trial before the U.S. Senate. -- Trump Attorneys, in a ridiculous argument filed just before midnight ~~~
~~~ Here's the Washington Post's story.
Lisa Kashinsky, et al., of Politico: "At a series of appearances on Monday in New Hampshire, [Donald Trump] seemed to take delight in flouting the court system that now endangers his livelihood and the judges urging him to watch his mouth. Clearer still was that he fully intends to wring political advantage out of the cases he is navigating. It is, he told his followers, all 'bullshit.'... On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan gave Trump a temporary reprieve from a gag order she had imposed just three days earlier, after Trump's attorney John Lauro argued that parts of the order were vague and indecipherable. Within hours, Trump had resumed his attacks on the lead prosecutor in his Washington and Florida criminal cases, special counsel Jack Smith, calling him 'deranged' and also swiping at a potential witness in his Florida trial."
Trump Is No Equal-Opportunity Bully. Paul Butler of the Washington Post: Donald "Trump reserves a particularly race-inflected venom for the Black government lawyers who threaten his liberty and wealth. He called [Manhattan DA Alvin] Bragg a 'Soros-backed animal' and [New York AG Letitia] James a 'political animal.'... His nickname for James is 'peekaboo,' which rhymes with a racist slur.... He lied that [Fulton County, Ga., DA Fani] Willis was in a relationship with an alleged gang member she is prosecuting. In an email after Trump's indictment in Fulton County, his campaign said that Willis came from 'a family steeped in hate' and highlighted the fact that her first name is Swahili. Trump repeatedly attacks Bragg, Willis and James as 'racists.' It's all a transparent attempt to rile up his base against Black prosecutors who have the gall to focus on him. His incitements clearly aim to remind his supporters who the real criminals supposedly are -- Black and Brown folks." (Also linked yesterday.)
Marie: Contributor Jeanne wrote something yesterday that I might have written myself had I been as honest as she: "I have never wished death on anyone until I realized I was hoping for his demise every single morning when I switch on the 'electric machine' to see what has been happening overnight. That has been going on for about seven years now." Shame on us. Maybe.
Presidential Race 2024
Jill Colvin & Holly Ramer of the AP: "Returning to New Hampshire to register for its presidential primary, [Donald] Trump held a rally where he railed against President Joe Biden's response to the Hamas attack on Israel and vowed to build an Iron Dome-style missile defense shield over the U.S. But he focused much of his dark and at times profane speech on the criminal and civil cases against him, at one point suggesting he would go to prison like the former South African president [Nelson Mandela] who spent 27 years in prison for opposing South Africa's apartheid system and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. I don't mind being Nelson Mandela because I'm doing it for a reason'..., [Trump said at a rally in Derry, New Hampshire.]" MB: Let's all hope Trump gets a well-deserved 27-year sentence, too, for crimes committed, even as we recognize that Mandela's incarceration was entirely unjust. ~~~
~~~ A Very Good Brain. Sarah Burris of the Raw Story: "Donald Trump spoke to a rally crowd in Derry, New Hampshire, on Monday, where he celebrated his own 'genius.' As part of his rambling speech, Trump seemed to realize the abbreviations of the United States, U.S., are the same letters as 'us.'.... Speaking about French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump explained, 'You know, he's for France. I'm for us.... You know how you spell 'us' right? You spell it U-S!' The crowd cheered. 'I just picked that up. Has anyone ever thought of that be -- I just picked that up,' Trump continued." ~~~
~~~ Trump Confuses Two of His Favorite Dictators. Seb Starcevic of Politico: "... Donald Trump appeared to confuse the leaders of Turkey and Hungary in a campaign speech in New Hampshire on Monday. 'There's a man, Viktor Orbán, did anyone ever hear of him?' Trump said, referring to the Hungarian prime minister. 'He's probably, like, one of the strongest leaders anywhere in the world. He"s the leader of Turkey,' the former president said. Turkey's president is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Trump added that Orbán has a 'front' with Russia. Neither Turkey nor Hungary has a border with Russia."
** Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "... Donald Trump is pushing for a major American foreign policy change in his second administration that would likely upend decades of global national security infrastructure. Sources tell Rolling Stone that Trump is planning to pull the United States entirely out of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance unless it caves to his demands that include one that would seem to undermine the entire purpose of the alliance. In addition to his standard calls for other NATO countries to chip in more for their defense spending, Trump also reportedly wants to rip up the strategic doctrine that an attack on one NATO country represents an attack on all NATO countries."
Claire Miller of the New York Times: "New data shows [show!], for the first time at this level of detail, how much students' standardized test scores rise with their parents' incomes -- and how disparities start years before students sit for tests. One-third of the children of the very richest families scored a 1300 or higher on the SAT, while less than 5 percent of middle-class students did, according to the data, from economists at Opportunity Insights, based at Harvard. Relatively few children in the poorest families scored that high; just one in five took the test at all.... The disparity highlights the inequality at the heart of American education: Starting very early, children from rich and poor families receive vastly different educations, in and out of school, driven by differences in the amount of money and time their parents are able to invest. And in the last five decades, as the country has become more unequal by income, the gap in children's academic achievement, as measured by test scores throughout schooling, has widened." MB: But, but don't these data prove that rich people like Donald Trump have very good brains? (Also linked yesterday.)
Historian Seth Cotlar reflects on an education that whitewashed the facism and racism that were prominent in pre-World War II America. Cotlar was educated in the 1970s and '80s. Cotlar focuses first on the way American history "memory-holed" racist pro-Nazis Charles Lindbergh & Henry Ford. MB: It's still going on. For instance, the National Space & Air Museum, which Cotlar mentions in his essay still features Lindbergh's plane "The Spirit of Saint Louis," and the museum sponsors a Lindbergh fellowship that -- while generally lauding Lindbergh -- admits in passing, "His reputation was somewhat darkened by his acceptance of honors from the Nazi government in 1938, and by his noninterventionist activities for America First in 1941." Yeah, somewhat. And in Fort Myers, Florida, where I lived for more than a decade, Henry Ford is honored with a statue at a public park and in Fort Myers' Number 1 tourist attraction: the Thomas Edison & Henry Ford Winter Estates museum. I can't recall any mention there of Ford's politics. Thanks to RAS for the link to Cotlar's essay. (Also linked yesterday.)
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Israel/Palestine
The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it had struck hundreds of targets in Gaza overnight, and Palestinian officials said more than 700 people had been killed, adding to the devastating toll as Israel faces pressure to delay a ground invasion.... The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Israel's airstrikes had killed more than 5,700 people, nearly half of them children, since Oct. 7, when a Hamas-led attack killed more than 1,400 people in Israel.... Aid workers had started distributing relief supplies in southern Gaza after a third convoy of aid entered through Egypt on Monday. Humanitarian groups have called for more food, water and medicine to be sent in, as well as fuel, but Israel has balked at deliveries of fuel because it says Hamas could use it for military purposes." ~~~
~~~ CNN's live updates for Tuesday are here.
Yasmeen Abutaleb, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Biden administration is preparing for the possibility that hundreds of thousands of American citizens will require evacuation from the Middle East if the bloodshed in Gaza cannot be contained, according to four officials.... The officials ... said Americans living in Israel and neighboring Lebanon are of particular concern, though they stressed that an evacuation of that magnitude is considered a worst-case scenario and that other outcomes are seen as more likely."
New York Times: "More Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in the past few weeks than in any similar period in at least the past 15 years, according to Palestinian health authorities and historical data from the United Nations. Israeli forces and settlers have killed 95 Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, health officials said, a surge in violence in what was already a particularly deadly year in the West Bank. One Israeli soldier was also killed in clashes. Most of the Palestinian deaths in the West Bank have been in clashes with Israeli forces, while others were the result of settler attacks."
Helene Cooper, et al., of the New York Times: "The Biden administration is concerned that Israel lacks achievable military objectives in Gaza, and that the Israel Defense Forces are not yet ready to launch a ground invasion with a plan that can work, senior administration officials said. In phone conversations with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has stressed the need for careful consideration of how Israeli forces might conduct a ground invasion of Gaza, where Hamas maintains intricate tunnel networks under densely populated areas. Biden administration officials insisted that the United States had not told Israel what to do and still supported the ground invasion. But the Pentagon has sent a three-star Marine, Lt. Gen. James Glynn, along with other officers to help the Israelis with the challenges of fighting an urban war." ~~~
~~~ Ruth Michaelson, et al., of the Guardian: "Pressure has intensified on Israel to negotiate the release of more than 200 people held by Palestinian militants in Gaza, with desperate families begging officials to help free their loved ones before an anticipated ground invasion.... The pressure comes from inside and outside Israel. Many of the hostages were citizens or dual nationals of countries around the world, including Israel's closest allies." ~~~
~~~ Betty Cracker of Balloon Juice: "I think Biden knows Netanyahu is a corrupt, Trump-like snake who repeatedly puts his own political interests above the security and interests of his country. So maybe Biden [-- by embracing Israel --] is attempting to be the grownup in the room there too, not just for Israel's sake but for ours."
From the CNN liveblog of developments Monday in the Israel/Hamas war: "Two more hostages have been released from Hamas custody following Qatari and Egyptian mediation, according to two Israeli officials and two other sources briefed on the matter. The two were identified as Israeli citizens Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, according to multiple sources.... The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed they facilitated in the release of two more hostages." (Also linked yesterday.)
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It’s hard, nigh on impossible in fact, to properly assess the many idiotic, untruthful, dangerous and insulting things spewed out of orange pie hole, plotting each on a graph of galloping gruesomeness, but here’s one that vies for the Fatty nadir of nattering nabobism:
Trump comparing himself to Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela…one of the giants of the 20th century, and an icon of true democracy and humanistic policies. After 27 years in prison, Mandela became the first black head of state, an astounding feat in a country known for brutal repression and violent white supremacy. Mandela could have chosen harsh retribution in return but he decided on reconciliation to bring his country together.
Had Trump, that fat fascist, been locked up for 27 hours, he’d demand public hangings for those who imprisoned him.
And who believes that, had that crowned head of white supremacy been active in South Africa in those days that he’d be on the side of anti-apartheid freedom fighters? He’d be one of those who demanded Mandela be locked up for life.
This fat fuck has spit out a lot of nonsense, but “I’m just like Nelson Mandela”, because at long last he’s finally being called to account for his many crimes, has to be way up near the top of the orange shit pile.
Today’s Party of Traitors knee slapper (you’re welcome)
Yesterday, on the TV, a moron of immense feculence announced that he was PO’ed at all the unproductive, time wasting stupity displayed by his PoT colleagues for the galumphing fire drill that is the battle over which traitor should next fuck up the House. Pissed Off!
This moron is Jim Comer (PoT-KY), the Suzerain of stupidity, the potentate of unproductive time wasting, the Big Boy of badly timed flatulence. The galactic level waste of space whose name outside his own district would be “Jim who?” if not for pictures of Hunter Biden’s penis (how ‘bout that for your epitaph?).
The guy who every other day, for the last eight months, has promised stunning proof of Biden Crime Family wrongdoing, who then goes on Faux to light up a victory cigar that explodes (again) in his face, only slightly rearranging his usual expression of benighted stultification and delusional douchebaggery.
Jim fucking Comer is pissed that people are wasting time with bullshit.
Go figure.
“Donald Trump is pushing for a major American foreign policy change in his second administration that would likely upend decades of global national security infrastructure.”
Because…of COURSE he is.
The campaign promises get ever more bizarre and baroque.
We’ll kick out anyone who doesn’t like “our” religion!
I’ll destroy NATO!
Death to our enemies!
Jesus. Whatever happened to a chicken in every pot?
Pretty soon we’ll get “Everyone must now change their underwear once every three hours. And wear them on the outside so we can check.”
“All boys under the age of 13, are now 13.”
“From now on, the National language is Swedish!”
(Swiped from a Woody Allen parody of authoritarian banana republic leadership.)
@Akhilleus: You have the best vocabulary. I had to look up "suzerain." I'm sure I've never heard it before.
Anyhow, thanks for letting us know that the one upside of another Trump presidency* would be that we'd get to learn Swedish. I watch a lot of Scandinavian police procedurals, so I already know one word: it seems that the English word "come" sounds like "come" in most Scandinavian languages. So if I ever find myself in Uppsala and want someone to follow me, I'm set. Not sure this limited vocabulary will suffice if Swedish becomes the official language here, but it would be fun listening to a Trump rant full of all the best Swedish words.
A $200k temporary loan to a family member. Of course there has to be something shady here because a Republican would never do that without some serious quid pro quo. TFG once cut off medical coverage for his nephew who had cerebral palsy during an inheritance dispute. Their money is one of the few things they take seriously. Michael Cohen had to pay Stormy Daniels with his own money before later getting reimbursed from the company. Loaning money as a Democrat will probably be made a crime if the GOP get in power.
Common Dreams
"$10 Trillion in Added US Debt Since 2001 Shows 'Bush and Trump Tax Cuts Broke Our Modern Tax Structure"
FTC "The Federal Trade Commission plans to hire at least one child psychologist who can guide its work on internet regulation, Democratic Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya"
Another fun sing along
Take some time
"Why Are We So Bad at Getting Better?
Convalescence used to be central to medicine. We don’t talk about it anymore.
[Gavin Francis] He argues that setting aside time to recover may feel antithetical to modern life, but failing to do so can seriously undermine our ability to return to good health. After an infection, a surgery, or a panic attack, patients increasingly feel that they need “permission to recover,” and treat convalescence less as a chance to heal than as something to get over with. And, when we prize efficiency over recovery, we risk ending up with less of both."
At some point, Trump's entire public life becomes as written by Samuel Beckett. His Pozzo character in Godot is pure narcissism meets absolute entitlement. Today, Jenna Ellis plays Lucky, who we imagine once was a complete human being before giving up her soul to Pozzo. (I'm chuckling just imagining how Beckett might have rewritten Faust.)
Soon, we will arrive at a place where Trump has claimed not to know everybody he used to know. Oh well, shit isn't required to know the names of the flies it attracts.
Jenna Ellis this morning, in the Georgia courtroom: "... JENNA ELLIS: If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-challenges. "
Smart enough to get into law school, get at least a JD, and pass the bar in at least one jurisdiction.
Not smart enough to see on its face the peril of being anywhere near the DiJiT event horizon.
Has she learned? TBD.
Thanks, Marie. Some days it feels like we are all doomed to experience a real end to democracy, with not enough people on the "right" side that recognize this. I thought maybe his defeat would be clean, but that was naive, I guess. I don't think the vastly stupid MAGAts will ever recover, or be useful citizens. Except to that guy Pratt, who collects useful rich and famous people like charms for a bracelet he wears... But since Pratt has dissed the Orange Toxin, that particular collectee, I guess Chubby Russianlover won't be on the bracelet. Let age, stupidity, ignorance, lack of integrity and education, personal disgustingness and meanness take him away naturally, and soon...
The dominoes continue to fall.
“If I only knew then…”
Yeah, okay. Sure. Statements like that are proof that either it’s waaay to easy to become a lawyer, or you’re lying.
Here’s the thing, and it’s no secret. There has never been, in American history, a President easier to get next to than Donald Trump. Typically, admission to the inner circle of a presidential administration requires serious political, legal, or policy chops, and vast experience in your area of specialty. Not with Fatty. Losers and crackpots could sidle up to this guy and whisper “Oh Mr President! You’re wonderful!” Next thing you know, you’re in the Oval Office screaming about the Deep State and getting a nod from the Orange Monster. Of course, as long as you’re no longer useful, he’s never heard of you and you’re a weirdo.
Sycophancy gets you in. I mean, a non-entity, wingnut water carrier like Jeffrey Clark was measuring the curtains for the AG’s office!
There have always been those for whom the siren call of power, especially if it comes with a White House ID badge, is too much to resist. The Cheese, Kenneth Chesebro, at one point worked with Larry Tribe and fought for Gore against the actual election theft by Dubya. But the possibility of getting a seat at the table, even in as daffy and delirious an asylum as the Trump White House, had him changing his spots. Trump was listening to him!
Jenna Ellis presented herself as a constitutional scholar even though she had zero experience in that area and knew nothing about federal law. My guess is that, like the cray-cray Kraken, she’s a true believer in overthrowing democracy in favor of right-wing strongman authoritarianism. Which was her entree into the Circle of FattyTraitors.
Which also means she’s a liar with that mewling “If only I knew then” crap.
Doctor Strangelove movie and word trivia of the day:
The movie President, played by Peter Sellers, is named Merkin Muffley.
Anyone know what a merkin is?
I am megally amused when I hear someone pronounce 'American' to sound like 'Merkin'.
With his "We've got plenty of votes" and "Don't worry about voting, watch the other voters" is sure sounds like Trump is setting up for another "stolen election" only this time a year n advance.
D,
Your merkin comment references one of my favorite films, one of the great black comedies in cinematic history.
Not only does it have Peter Sellers in three roles (it started out as four!) but it gave George C. Scott a chance to display his comic chops (“Mr. President! He’ll see the Big Board!”
Added to this is the wildly bizarre performance by Sterling Hayden (who had worked with Kubrick on one of the tightest little noir masterpieces ever committed to film, “The Killing”).
Not sure who came up with the Merkin Muffley name since I’ve never read “Red Alert”, the novel that inspired the movie, but I’m gonna guess it was screenwriter Terry Southern.
By the way, Southern, a native Texan, tried to help Sellers with a lone star accent for his part as Major Kong, the psycho pilot. To Sellers’ relief, Kubrick brought in Slim Pickens to play that part, and Pickens’ imprint on the production created two iconic scenes in film history, his reading of the contents of the flight crew’s survival kit: “ …one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days' concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Roosian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings. Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.” and his ride on the nuke.
That’s pure Terry Southern, no stranger to pep pills and tranquilizers, and hipster satire.
Finally, it’s a lead pipe cinch that a real Dr. Strangelove, a Nazi nihilist, would have been a trusted member of Trump’s inner circle.
“Mr. President. I can walk!”
Later he’d be “That weirdo in a wheelchair”.
AK,
More Strangelove trivia:
I had a copy of the original screenplay, and have watched the movie with it in hand. They are identical except for one scene that was apparently cut. In it, the president and his secret service body guard race to the War Room and are stopped by an Air Force sergeant who demands to see their admittance passes. President Muffley fumbles in his suit and can't come up with it. The sergeant refuses to let them pass. Muffley tells him the world is going to blow up if he can't get in to stop it. The sergeant explains that his orders are inviolable. Muffley and the agent walk away to the end of the hall, confer briefly, then the agent turns, draws his pistol, and shoots the sergeant dead, takes his keys and lets the president enter the War Room.
I guess that was considered a little too heavy for the final version. In fact, in that exact set of circumstances, that is exactly what would happen. No one involved would have had any choice.
"Tom Emmer ends bid for speaker, sending House GOP scrambling again"
The recent news feed on searching Emmer's name said 19 minutes ago CNN published a report saying Emmer was the new GOP nominee for speaker and the next news was 7 minutes ago MarketWatch reported Emmer was withdrawing his bid. They've really streamlined the process.
In this afternoon's post-Emmer quotes from selective members, Miz Marjorie said that Emmer "... wasn't conservative enough ..." or something to that effect.
Now, the meaning of "conservative" used to be sort of changeable, but fluxed around the idea of protecting the political status quo as the the result of long, slow change rather than rapid revolutionary change. Stability was, in itself, a political value.
If today's US (hey! That spells "us"!) right wing is anything, it is NOT conservative. It is in the early days of the reign of terror. Can we think of a better name than "conservative?" "Jacobins?"
@Patrick: I have been calling them "confederates," but I like "Jacobins." At the risk of mixing metaphorical labels, maybe there are confederates (e.g., Scalise) AND Jacobins (e.g., Gaetz).
Marie: Yes, they have moved beyond "confederates", which involves separation and establishment of an independent nation. Also beyond "Redeemers", who outlasted Union occupation to establish white dominance in the South under apparently benign principals.
These guys are about destroying and replacing our ancien regime, not reaching a separatist accommodation. By their knitting needles we know them.
I think 10/24/23 is about to go down in our recent political history as the day the walls crumbled.
Tomorrow's newspapers will be collectibles.
@Ak,
It's interesting that you mentioned Terry Southern. Your comment prompted me to read his Wiki entry that is more extensive than I would have anticipated.
Terry was a local fixture. I remember exchanging greetings with him at our local watering hole. My father-in-law was his plumber who would relate aspects of their relationship. I can show you where he lived in a nice colonial house along a river. It's hard to believe his impact on our culture - strange as it was.
In reading his Wiki bio I became amazed by his history and relationship to other locals. The names mentioned surprise me in that I have zero degrees of separation between Rip Torn, Whoopie Goldberg, Dick Ebersol, Annie Liebovitz, and others. I'm a nobody but somehow our paths crossed...
We're back home from our two-week trip. Back to the be it so humble place of the early dark and lotsa rain and the scurry of catching up....
So just this for today. A possible translation of that smart lawyer's excuse?
"If I only knew then....(how much trouble I'd get into?)