;)
The Conversation -- October 26, 2023
Lydia DePillis of the New York Times: "The United States economy surged in the third quarter as a strong job market and falling inflation gave consumers the confidence to spend freely on goods and services. Gross domestic product, the primary measure of economic output, grew at a 4.9 percent annualized rate from July through September, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. The pace exceeded forecasts and was the strongest showing since late 2021, defying predictions of a slowdown prompted by the Federal Reserve's interest rate increases. The acceleration was made possible in part by slowing inflation, which lifted purchasing power even as wage growth weakened, and a job market that has shown renewed vigor over the past three months. Although the growth rate is an initial estimate that may be revised..., it's a far cry from the recession that many had forecast at this time last year, before economists realized that Americans had piled up enough savings to power spending as the Fed moved to make borrowing more expensive."
Presidential Election 2024. Summer Concepcion of NBC News: "A Colorado judge on Wednesday denied the latest attempt by ... Donald Trump to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to remove him from the state's 2024 ballot because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. The decision comes just days before a trial on Trump's eligibility for the ballot is expected to begin."
~~~~~~~~~~
Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana won election on Wednesday to become the 56th speaker of the House of Representatives, as Republicans worn down by three weeks of infighting and dysfunction turned to a little-known conservative hard-liner beloved by the far right to end their paralysis. The elevation of Mr. Johnson, 51, an architect of the effort to overturn the 2020 election and a religious conservative opposed to abortion rights, homosexuality and gay marriage, further cemented the Republican Party's lurch to the right. It came after a historic fight that began when the hard right ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Oct. 3, and raged on as the divided House G.O.P. nominated and then quickly discarded three other candidates to succeed him. Exhausted from the feuding, which unleashed a barrage of recriminations and violent threats against lawmakers, both the right wing and mainstream Republicans finally united to elect Mr. Johnson, 51, in a 220-to-209 vote." Politico's story is here.
Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "In the end, Republican hard-liners got their man. He wasn't the person whom the most extreme element of House Republicans really wanted -- that was Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the godfather of the far right in the House who ultimately was too toxic to ascend to the top post and fell short. But the new Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a man unknown to most Americans, is a second choice the far right can enthusiastically embrace. He shares the deeply conservative ideology of his mentor Mr. Jordan but lacks the confrontational profile or hard-edge style of the Ohioan. In fact, he has little profile at all. Mr. Johnson, a second-tier member of the House leadership first elected in 2016, is the most obscure lawmaker to rise to the helm of the House since J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois was plucked from near the backbenches in 1998 to become speaker after Representative Tom DeLay, that period's version of Mr. Jordan, realized he could not succeed Newt Gingrich.... Mr. Hastert ... was disgraced in a sexual abuse scandal...."
Brendan Buck in Politico Magazine: "I've seen firsthand how difficult it is to be thrust into the speakership, serving as an aide at [Paul] Ryan's side after he took over from my former boss John Boehner.... Mike Johnson "faces a terrifyingly steep learning curve and almost no margin for error.... Nothing can fully prepare you for the speakership.... In the short term..., a neophyte speaker will naturally create a leadership void.... While Johnson goes through some on-the-job training, [Steve] Scalise may be the person best positioned to shape and drive legislative outcomes. If he's willing to wield power, Scalise could have enormous influence on the ultimate success of the Johnson speakership." Buck outlines just some of the duties of the speaker, most of which probably never occurred to Johnson.
Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: Mike "Johnson's anonymity was his greatest asset.... During Wednesday's roll-call vote on the House floor, Kay Granger (R-Tex.) ... rose and mistakenly voted for 'Mike Rogers' -- the chairman of the Armed Services committee -- before correcting herself to Mike Johnson. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), in a statement.... called him Jim Johnson. [Sen.] Susan Collins of Maine ... told CNN's Lauren Fox Wednesday morning that she'd have to Google him.... In just his seventh year in Congress, [Johnson] hadn't been around long enough, or had enough power, to make enemies. He is the least-experienced speaker in a century and a half.... Three weeks before the next deadline to avoid a government shutdown, Republicans have elected a no-name speaker with no experience and no agreement on a way forward.... In a huge scrum of reporters after [Tom] Emmer quit [the speaker's race], journalist Ben Jacobs asked Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) whether the speakership chaos had become absurd. Replied Womack: 'It was absurd last week.'" Read on.
The New York Times liveblogged developments yesterday in the House speaker's race. Here are a few of the entries I copied in yesterday's Conversation. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
[Marie: Looks like once again the so-called :moderate Republicans: caved to the crazies. It's Matt Gaetz' party now.]
Luke Broadwater: "Johnson started yesterday with only 34 supporters, just 15% of the conference. Now he's headed toward being the unanimous choice of House Republicans."
Robert Jimison: "'As one who knows and respects the role of speaker, Hakeem Jeffries,' former Speaker Nancy Pelosi says of voting for the Democrat."
[Marie: Mike Johnson won every GOP vote: 220; Jeffries won every Democratic vote: 207.]
Catie Edmondson: "After three weeks, Patrick McHenry, the interim speaker, says Johnson is the 'duly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.'"
[This Was All God's Idea.] Annie Karni: "Johnson's speech is light on policy and heavy on personal history. He has talked about his own history -- first in his family to graduate from college, lost his father to cancer three days before he was first elected to Congress -- but said little about what he plans to do in the new job. It's also heavy on God: he is an Evangelical Christian, and he says that he doesn't think anything is a coincidence and hints that God has put him where he is today."
Kayla Guo: "Democrat Jamie Raskin ... is brutal in his evaluation of Johnson and Republicans more broadly, saying the new speaker has 'much better manners' than G.O.P. firebrands but 'is a MAGA extremist in substance.' The dominating religious tenor of Johnson's remarks, Raskin added, 'demonstrates that there are no public policy values that unify the Republican caucus anymore. They don't have a secular program. And so they have fallen back on theocracy as the final binding mechanism of their cause.'"
Edmondson: "'I look forward to meeting with Speaker Johnson soon to discuss the path forward to avoid a government shutdown,' [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer said in a statement. 'When I meet with him, I will convey that bipartisanship is the only way we can deliver results for the American people. The only way to avoid a government shutdown, pass critical supplemental funding, and deliver common-sense investments to the American people is bipartisanship.'"
Erica Green: "President Biden, when asked about Johnson's history of rejecting the 2020 election results, said he was not worried about Johnson attempting to overturn the results of the next presidential election. 'Just like I was not worried the last campaign would overturn the election,' Biden said. 'They got 60 lawsuits, and all the way to Supreme Court and every time they lost. I understand the Constitution.'"
~~~ CNN's liveblog of yesterday's House proceedings is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
Get to Know Your New Speaker
Annie Karni of the New York Times: "In Congress, [Mike] Johnson has voted for a national abortion ban and co-sponsored a 20-week abortion ban, earning him an A-plus rating from the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. After the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in June last year, he celebrated.... Last year, Mr. Johnson introduced a bill that prohibited the use of federal funds for providing education to children under 10 that included L.G.B.T.Q. topics -- a proposal that critics called a national version of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law. Mr. Johnson called the legislation 'common sense.' He also opposed legislation to mandate federal recognition for same-sex marriages -- a bill that passed with strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate."
Summer Concepcion of NBC News: "... Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., played a key role in efforts by ... Donald Trump and his allies to overturn Joe Biden's electoral victory in the 2020 election. Johnson, who currently serves as the GOP caucus vice chair and is an ally of Trump, led the amicus brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans in support of a Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate the 2020 election results in four swing states won by Biden: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.... The [New York] Times reported last year that many Republicans who voted to discount pro-Biden electors cited an argument crafted by Johnson, which was to ignore the false claims about mass fraud in the election and instead hang the objection on the claim that certain states' voting changes during the Covid-19 pandemic were unconstitutional." ** Update: A New York Times story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Ah, But Here Again This Was God's Plan. Kyle Cheney & Nicholas Wu of Politico: "One day before a mob bludgeoned its way into the Capitol, Rep. Mike Johnson huddled with colleagues in a closed-door meeting about Congress' task on Jan. 6, 2021. A relatively junior House Republican at the time, Johnson was nevertheless the leading voice in support of a fateful position: that the GOP should rally around Donald Trump and object to counting electoral votes submitted by at least a handful of states won by Joe Biden. 'This is a very weighty decision. All of us have prayed for God's discernment. I know I've prayed for each of you individually,' Johnson said at the meeting.... Throughout [the months before the insurrection], Johnson was routinely in touch with Trump, even more so than many of his more recognizable colleagues.... Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a former member of the select panel investigating the Capitol attack, quipped that Johnson was an 'insurrectionist esquire.' 'His arguments are obviously more sophisticated than those of Donald Trump, but it's the same essential authoritarianism''..."
Will Steakin of ABC News: "... prior to joining Congress in 2017, [Mike Johnson] spent years building his career and profile by denouncing gay people and fighting against gay rights, which he staunchly opposes, citing his Christian faith and views on liberty. An ABC News examination of public records, news reports and documents shows the extent to which Johnson dedicated earlier phases of his career to limiting gay rights, including same-sex marriage and health care access, and through anti-gay activism on college campuses." ~~~
~~~ Andrew Kaczynski & Allison Gordon of CNN: "Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has a history of harsh anti-gay language from his time as an attorney for a socially conservative legal group in the mid-2000s. In editorials that ran in his local Shreveport, Louisiana, paper, The Times, Johnson called homosexuality a 'inherently unnatural' and 'dangerous lifestyle' that would lead to legalized pedophilia and possibly even destroy 'the entire democratic system.' And, in another editorial, he wrote, 'Your race, creed, and sex are what you are, while homosexuality and cross-dressing are things you do,' he wrote. 'This is a free country, but we don't give special protections for every person's bizarre choices.' At the time, Johnson was an attorney and spokesman for Alliance Defense Fund, known today as Alliance Defending Freedom, where he also authored his opposition to the Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas -- which overturned state laws that criminalized homosexual activity between consenting adults." (Also linked yesterday.)
Rachel Frazen & Zack Budryk of the Hill: "Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ... has close ties to the oil industry and has cast doubt on human-caused climate change.... Johnson, whose district includes the onetime oil-industry hub of Shreveport, scored a 100% rating from the American Energy Alliance in 2022, along with every other Republican in Louisiana's House delegation. In 2017, speaking at a town hall, Johnson ... [said,] 'The climate is changing, but the question is, is it being caused by natural cycles over the span of the Earth's history? Or is it changing because we drive SUVs? I don't believe in the latter. I don't think that's the primary driver.'" Emphasis original. More on the subject, by Budryk, here.
Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post: "If you are feeling any sense of relief that Jim Jordan won't be the next House speaker, stop and worry again. The new speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), might be more dangerous than the firebrand Ohio Republican. For Jordan's shirt sleeves demeanor and wrestler's pugnacity, substitute a bespectacled, low-key presentation, a law degree and an unswerving commitment to conservative dogma and ... Donald Trump.... This is ... Jordan in a more palatable package -- evidently smoother, seemingly smarter and, therefore, potentially more effective."
Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "It was clear from the start that House Republicans would struggle to govern this year given their deep ideological divisions, narrow majority and myriad personal feuds and grudges. But even the most pessimistic of predictions could not have captured the remarkable, drawn-out Republican self-own now raging on Capitol Hill. In merrily decapitating their third speaker candidate on Tuesday in a move worthy of the French Revolution, House Republicans took a situation that did not seem like it could get any worse to a breathtaking new low. They piled chaos upon chaos as members threw up their hands in frustration and anger over their inability to coalesce." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Reign of Terror. Marie: The other day contributor Patrick wrote that the general meaning of politically "conservative" "fluxed around the idea of protecting the political status quo as the the result of long, slow change rather than rapid revolutionary change." Patrick suggested a more apt description of today's far-right Republicans might be "Jacobins." And what do you know? -- the very next day, Carl Hulse compared the House hoohah to the French Revolution.
How Not to Behave When You're Out on Bail
Alan Feuer & Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "... this week, after a federal judge temporarily froze the gag order she imposed on him..., Donald J. Trump has acted like a mischievous latchkey kid, making the most of his unsupervised stint. At least three times in the past three days, he has attacked Jack Smith, the special counsel leading his federal prosecutions, as 'deranged.' Twice, he has weighed in about testimony attributed to his former chief of staff Mark Meadows, who could be a witness in the federal case accusing him of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. Each of Mr. Trump's comments appeared to violate the gag order put in place less than two weeks ago to limit his ability to intimidate witnesses in the case, assail prosecutors or otherwise disrupt the proceeding. And after the former president was fined $10,000 on Wednesday for flouting a similar directive imposed on him by the judge presiding over a civil trial he is facing in New York, federal prosecutors asked that he face consequences for his remarks about the election interference case as well.... Prosecutors said on Wednesday that the order should be kept in place as the appeals court considers Mr. Trump's request." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Latchkey kid? Trump reminds me more of a terrible-twos toddler who continually tests his parents' admonishments. The imp knows what he's doing, thinks he can outsmart the parents, & puts his finger in the light socket. ~~~
... without the Court's intervention, the defendant will continue to threaten the integrity of these proceedings and put trial participants at risk. -- Prosecutors' Opposition to Motion to Stay, filed Wednesday ~~~
~~~ Lock Him Up. Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "Special counsel Jack Smith argued in new court filings Wednesday that recent comments by Donald Trump show not only that a federal gag order should be reimposed, but that the court should weigh stricter sanctions, including sending him to jail, if he keeps talking about witnesses in his case." Politico's report is here.
Judge Finds Trump Defamed Clerk & Lied Under Oath, Fines Trump $10K. Jonah Bromwich & Kate Christobek of the New York Times: "A Manhattan judge briefly ordered Donald J. Trump to the witness stand on Wednesday after accusing him of breaking a gag order with critical comments that seemed aimed at a law clerk, and then fined him $10,000. The judge, Arthur F. Engoron, who is presiding over Mr. Trump's civil fraud trial, issued the punishment after finding that Mr. Trump earlier in the day had violated an order that prevents him from discussing court staff. Mr. Trump said that his comments had referred not to the clerk, whom he had previously attacked, but to his former lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, a witness. From the stand, Mr. Trump ... said that while he had not been speaking about the clerk, Allison Greenfield, he thought she was 'maybe unfair, and I think she's very biased against me.' Mr. Trump left the stand after about three minutes. Justice Engoron said that he had not found the former president credible and levied the fine.
"While Mr. Trump has been voluble in his own defense outside the courtroom, he had not testified in open court in more than a decade, and as soon as he did, the judge found against him.... During a break in the proceedings on Wednesday, Mr. Trump had called Justice Engoron partisan -- which is allowable under the order. But he continued, saying, 'with a person who's very partisan sitting alongside him. Perhaps even much more partisan than he is.'" This is an update of a story linked earlier. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: IOW, Trump can't speak under oath for three minutes without lying.
Electionstollen. Stephen Collinson of CNN: "In a rage-filled stream of consciousness on his Truth Social network on Tuesday night, [Donald] Trump lashed out at the ABC report about [his chief of sfaff Mark] Meadows. 'I don't think Mark Meadows would lie about the Rigged and Stollen 2020 Presidential Election merely for getting IMMUNITY against Prosecution (PERSECUTION!),' the former president wrote. 'Some people would make that deal, but they are weaklings and cowards, and so bad for the future our Failing Nation. I don't think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows? MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Trump responded by issuing a broadside not just against a potentially cooperating [Mark] Meadows, but seemingly -- by extension -- allies who have cut deals in recent days in his other election interference case, in Fulton County, Ga.... Trump's comments would seem to transparently violate the limited gag order that U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan issued in Trump's federal case but later suspended while Trump's legal team appeals the decision.... Trump signed a form in August acknowledging that it would be a crime to 'intimidate or attempt to intimidate a witness, victim, juror, informant, or officer of the court.'... Trump in his Tuesday post also called [prosecutor Jack] Smith 'deranged' yet again, despite Chutkan's having explicitly cited that attack as being beyond the pale." (Also linked yesterday.)
Zachary Cohen, et al., of CNN: "Fulton County prosecutors have discussed potential plea deals with at least six additional co-defendants charged alongside Donald Trump for attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election, multiple sources tell CNN.... A source with knowledge of the Fulton County DA's strategy tells CNN that it would be open to discussing plea deals with anyone, but there is little room for compromise when it comes to the charges against Trump."
Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "Despite pleading guilty to interfering with the 2020 presidential election result, Sidney Powell continues to promote conspiracy theories about Donald Trump's election loss.... The right-wing attorney pushed baseless claims of election fraud and accused Georgia prosecutors of politicizing their office, and a newsletter published by her dark-money group shared articles claiming that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis secured Powell's guilty plea through extortion, reported Insider.... Since her plea, Powell has also used her Truth Social and Telegram accounts to promote the Substack newsletter published by her dark-money group, Defending the Republic, urging followers to 'hold fast' and share articles and YouTube videos claiming her guilty plea was 'extorted.'" See also Akhilleus's commentary at the top of yesterday's thread. (Also linked yesterday.)
David Atkins of the Washington Monthly: "... the Republican base is beset with conspiratorial fantasies. One in four Republicans believes in QAnon, a grab bag of paranoid theories claptrap that includes the notion that Trump is still president prosecuting a secret war against cannibal child predators and John F. Kennedy, Jr. did not die in a 1999 plane crash and is alive and well and working in tandem with the 45th president. Seven in ten Republicans believe in the racist Great Replacement theory, which posits that white Americans are being intentionally 'replaced' with non-white immigrants for various nefarious reasons. Crucially for understanding the speaker fiasco, seven out of 10 Republicans also believe the Big Lie that Trump won the 2020 election. It doesn't help that the GOP has lost control of its own communications apparatus, which was replaced long ago with a right-wing media complex that promotes lies and thrives on its audience's rage whether Republicans win elections or not, much less whether the country functions." Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. See also his commentary yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.)
Katie Rogers of the New York Times: In view of the crises at home and abroad, President Biden kept the state dinner honoring Australian PM Anthony Albanese low-key. "Before the dinner was over, Mr. Biden had stepped out for a briefing from his advisers on the latest mass shooting, this time in Maine, according to a senior administration official. He also called several Maine lawmakers ... to offer federal support. The president left the dinner shortly after 10 p.m.... Mr. Albanese will take back to Australia a presidential promise that his country will receive nuclear-capable submarines, plus an antique writing desk and a vintage turntable. In return, the president will get support from the Australians, who have agreed to send over military personnel and aircraft to the Middle East, along with ramping up the shipment of missiles to Ukraine."
Kayla Guo of the New York Times: "Prosecutors in the District of Columbia on Wednesday charged Representative Jamaal Bowman, Democrat of New York, with setting off a false fire alarm in a House office building last month in an episode that added to a day of mayhem on Capitol Hill as Congress rushed to avoid a government shutdown. Mr. Bowman will plead guilty to the single false fire alarm charge, and has agreed to pay the maximum fine of $1,000, according to ... a spokesman for the D.C. attorney general's office. Any charges will be dropped in three months if Mr. Bowman provides a formal apology to the Capitol Police and pays the fine, as is standard with such charges. Mr. Bowman is expected to be booked, fingerprinted, photographed and processed by the U.S. Capitol Police on Thursday. The charges come about three weeks after Mr. Bowman was caught on video setting off the alarm during a vote on the House floor.... Mr. Bowman was accused of intentionally pulling the alarm to cause a delay [in House proceedings], but he claimed it was accidental."
** Jo Becker of the New York Times: "With no money down, Justice Clarence Thomas could borrow more than a quarter of a million dollars from a wealthy friend to buy a 40-foot luxury motor coach, making annual interest-only payments for five years. Only then would the principal come due. But despite the favorable nature of the 1999 loan and a lengthy extension to make good on his obligations, Justice Thomas failed to repay a 'significant portion' -- or perhaps any -- of the $267,230 principal, according to a new report by Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committee. Nearly nine years later, after Justice Thomas had made an unclear number of the interest payments, the outstanding debt was forgiven....
"The Senate inquiry was prompted by a Times investigation published in August that revealed that Justice Thomas bought his Prevost Marathon Le Mirage XL, a brand favored by touring rock bands and the super-wealthy, with financing from Anthony Welters, a longtime friend who made his fortune in the health care industry.... At the very least, Justice Thomas appears to have flouted an ethics rule requiring that he include any 'discharge of indebtedness' as income on required annual financial disclosure reports. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service treats debt forgiveness as income to the borrower." (Also linked yesterday.) The CBS News report is here.
~~~ Here's Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Ron Wyden's (D) press release on the committee's findings.
Jeanne Whalen & Lauren Gurley of the Washington Post: "The United Auto Workers and Ford said they reached a tentative contract agreement that will end the union's strike against the automaker if ratified by workers, in a crucial step toward resolving a nationwide work stoppage that continues against two other Detroit automakers.... The preliminary deal increases pressure on General Motors and Stellantis to reach agreements with similar terms."
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North Carolina. Advanced Gerrymandering 402. Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff of the Washington Post: "In a move that could solidify GOP power in the state for years to come, North Carolina Republicans passed new congressional and state legislative maps Wednesday that could flip three or four U.S. House seats while easing a path for the party to hold onto veto-proof majorities over state legislation.... 'North Carolina is now one the most egregiously gerrymandered states in the country,' said Eric Holder, the former U.S. attorney general and current head of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Proponents say they are allowed to draw maps that favor political parties because of recent court precedent, and that Republicans have the power to do so because they won more seats in both chambers.... The newly-enacted districts come almost a year after the state Supreme Court flipped from Democratic to Republican control in the 2022 elections, and GOP justices ruled in April that redistricting for partisan gain was constitutional under state law. That decision reversed a ruling a year earlier from the state's highest court that threw out proposed boundaries because of what it saw as illegal partisan gerrymandering."
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Israel/Palestine
The Washington Post's live updates of developments Thursday in the Israel/Hamas war are here. CNN's live updates are here. ~~~
~~~ The New York Times' live updates are here: "The Israeli military said on Thursday that it had briefly sent tanks into the northern Gaza Strip overnight as part of preparations for the next stage of fighting, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that a ground invasion of the enclave was likely.... In a televised speech on Wednesday evening, Mr. Netanyahu did not offer details on the scope of a possible invasion, but vowed that Israel would exact a price for the Oct. 7 incursion led by the Hamas armed group that resulted in the massacre of more than 1,400 people.... In the meantime, Israel has been relentlessly bombing Gaza from the air, carrying out more than 250 strikes over the past day, its military said....
"Fuel shortages in the Gaza Strip have grown so dire that the U.N. agency that has helped feed, school and shelter Palestinians there for decades said that it had begun to significantly reduce its operations. It said it had nearly exhausted its reserves of fuel, which it needs to run generators. Israel has blocked fuel from entering Gaza on the grounds that it could be used by Hamas for military objectives. A total of just 74 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies had entered Gaza as of Thursday morning, far short of the 100 a day or more that the United Nations says the territory needs...."
News Ledes
Maine. New York Times: "At least seven people were killed in a pair of shootings at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night, according to the local sheriff. Law enforcement officials said early Thursday that the shooter remained at large and released information for a man they described as a 'person of interest.' Sheriff Eric Samson of Androscoggin County, which includes Lewiston, said the gunman first went to the bowling alley and fatally shot at least seven people, before moving on to a nearby bar. He said the number of fatalities was 'growing, unfortunately.' He did not immediately provide details on the number of casualties at the bar, and said he was 'unsure' of how many others may have been injured. Lewiston and nearby towns, including the campus of Bates College, remained on lockdown into the early morning hours of Thursday as the police search continued. Mike Sauschuck, who oversees public safety for the state of Maine, said at a news conference that police were searching for Robert R. Card, 40, of Bowdoin, Maine. On social media, law enforcement agencies said he 'should be considered armed and dangerous' and posted a photo of a man wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt and carrying a military-style semiautomatic rifle." This is a liveblog. ~~~
~~~ Update: Washington Post liveblog: "At least 16 people have been killed in shootings in Lewiston, Maine, a law enforcement official said, based on initial information gathered by first responders at three locations. Dozens more were injured, said the person.... The death toll, which could rise, is the largest from a mass shooting this year...." ~~~
~~~ Oh, lordy, it's 7:20 pm, and CNN is airing a liveshot of a house in Maine with the chyron, "Now: FBI at suspect's home: 'Come out with your hands up.'" MB: I've seen CNN coverage like this before, of a prison escapee who was known to be very close to a lake cottage I had in upstate New York. It did not end well.
~~~ Marie: This is why I do my shopping in nearby no-gun-laws New Hampshire at 6 am; that is, in the hours I hope are before the lunatics get out of bed.
Texas. New York Times: "Two jets collided at an airport in Houston on Tuesday when one took off without permission as another was landing, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The collision came as aviation officials have been concerned by the regularity of near misses across the country that have been caused by understaffed air traffic control facilities and failures to install warning systems. No injuries were reported."
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Onward and Downward
So we now have, after weeks of idiocy and incompetence (Republican specialties!), a new House Squeaker. Meet the new boss, worse than the old boss.
And as we look back on a generation of Party of Traitors squeakers, it reads like a laundry list of reasons for that party’s descent into, well, idiocy and incompetence. A convicted molester (Hastert), a congenital liar (Lyin’ Ryan), a useless former bartender (Boehner), and an even more impotent clown (MyKevin).
But it all started with a smug, belligerent, vicious bomb throwing schemer (Gingrich), who now fancies himself a sort of éminence grise (should be éminence grease).
And to demonstrate the sort of “leadership” Gingrich once specialized in, a type that can be accurately described as “if you think things can’t get any worse, here’s Newt”, here’s his reaction to the latest NRA hero’s massacre in Maine. When asked to astound the Faux audience with his wisdom, the Newt pronounced his solution to gun violence.
More guns.
Of course he makes sure to play the Lone Wolf Nut card right away. But then goes on to suggest that there’s no way to keep people safe so everyone lock and load. Naturally, fewer guns is never the answer.
This is what we can expect from the latest PoT Squeaker. More idiocy. Cuz that’s how they roll over there.
Was anyone else shaking their heads listening to House droolers applauding and screaming in delight as anti-democracy, election denying bigot Mark Johnson was announced as Speaker?
It sounds like an extended family of drunkards at a barbecue cheering as a one year old walks for the first time. But now that I think of it, it’s an insult to compare the achievement of a baby’s first steps to these clowns performing the absolute minimum expected of them. This is more like one of the drunkards who had failed time and again to bring that whiskey bottle up to his lips, finally, on the fourth time, succeeding in taking a gulp rather than pouring it down his shirt front.
Congratulations, guys. But you still have a long way to go to catch up to that baby who just learned to walk.
Schmucks.
Don’t know about youse guys, but lately I’ve been feeling more than a tad queasy about Fatty’s upcoming federal trial for election theft.
Steve M. at No more mister nice blog offers the extremely dire suggestion that Trump may get off scot-free.
I’ve been reading for some time now that (for some reason) it’s not enough to prove that Fatty broke the law. He did. A shitload of laws.
No, Jack Smith has to prove criminal intent. So, okay, I’m not a lawyer, but I have long come to understand that legal justice and moral justice are two very different things.
To my mind, if you go into a bank and stick up a teller, it doesn’t matter if you truly believe the money is yours. It’s still a crime. And if it turns out that you’re just a nutjob, they’re still not gonna let you walk out of there. “Okay, Mr. TrumpyNut, here’s your gun back, you’re free to go.”
But here’s the thing. It only takes a single juror who decides that Fatty really did believe he won, so what’s the problem? Hung jury. And that Fat Fuck will declare victory and complete exoneration.
And probably get re-elected.
I’m also not happy that crooks like Chesebro and the Kraken Lady are walking. If you stole a car and got caught, it wouldn’t matter if you ratted out your accomplice(s), you’d still do time. And yeah, car theft is bad but it really only affects the owner of that vehicle. What Cheese and Kraken tried would have affected (it did!) the entire country, the concept of democracy, and the entire American system of free elections. They should do at least as much time as the guy who stole a car.
But the car thief wasn’t a well dressed, rich lawyer with connections making regular appearances on Fox.
Lets say you have a government that oversees an increasingly diverse population, wants everyone to vote, is willing to regulate business, supports gay and abortion rights, and whose president stood on the workers' picket lines in the ongoing auto worker strike.... and you were an anti-gay, Evangelical Christian, friend of the oil industry and you had the power to defund the entire government whose policies and practices you detest....what would you do?
Time to hunker down, folks?
@Ken Winkes: The majority of U.S. (us!) voters vote Democratic, the President is a Democrat, the Senate is majority Democratic, and the House is barely Republican-controlled (and I use "control" here as a kind of joke).
BUT we are living under minority rule. Republican legislators have gerrymandered and suppressed away much of Democratic voters' power, & the Electoral College thingee further suppresses Democratic voting power in presidential elections; the House can stymie any proposed presidential legislation; the Senate can do the same on account of the minority's ability to filibuster bills; and the Supreme Court is controlled by Republican-appointed justices (and I use "justice" here as a kind of joke) -- three of these justices were appointed by a president* who lost the popular vote.
We do not get the government we deserve; we get the government the minority deserves.
We shall fight on the beaches (and in the water)
Not wanting to be too much of a Debbie Downer, I’d like to pass along a thought. It’s absolutely true that, as Marie points out, a scheming, bigoted, benighted minority exercises a lot of political control in this country. No getting around that.
And over the last few weeks, no doubt, idiots in the House (R’s, natch) and their media shills have been sending out thoughts and prayers to their god to release them from the horrible position they found themselves in. And lo and behold, god sent them a bespectacled bigot.
That smiling bigot face may be upended as the weeks go by. Even low information voters by now must be smelling the stink of Party of Traitor incompetence and bigotry, and perhaps, if there is justice in the universe, the spectacle of this latest POS in charge may galvanize even some of the more somnolent among us to take the controls out of the hands of con artists and liars.
And so, I give you…Winston Churchill. Okay, not Winnie himself exactly, but a short story of his: Man Overboard.
I thought of Churchill because my 12 year old just did a presentation on him for a history class (he loves WWII history). Naturally, dad began to throw a bunch of random Churchill facts his way which brought on the usual “Dad! It’s only a five minute presentation—TMI” look.
But thinking of the old bulldog, I recalled the Man Overboard story and thought it might offer a crescent moon slice of hope. Here’s why.
So, the skinny is this. Man on a passenger ship in the Red Sea needs some air. Goes up on deck, something, something, something…falls over the railing. Ship sails off. Man is distraught. Tries to stay afloat. Prays for help. Zip. Nada. Almost drowns. Thinks “Crap, what a terrible way to go.” Finally, realizing there’s no hope, he cries out “Oh god, let me just die!” Fifty yards away, a fin. Coming right for him.
I love the last line:
“His last appeal had been heard.”
My hope is that the man in the water is the Republican Party. The shark is democracy coming his way.
Hey, we all need the occasional fantasy to see us through. But read the story. It’s a short short story, and very well done.
Oh, and I got to contribute at least one thing to my kid’s presentation. He wanted one of dad’s hats. He got a black hipster hat, not exactly a Churchillian homburg, but close enough. I drew the line at a big ‘ol ceegar and a bottle of Napoleon brandy. Gotta have standards as a dad, right?
AK,
Criminal intent? I am certain that if you put The Donald on a lie detector, and asked, "Have you ever done anything wrong?" he would say "NO" and the needles wouldn't budge. Everything he does is OK with him, and for him, there just isn't anything else.
Politico writes that D's have rushed to oppose the new Speaker.
When you read the piece, and other things that D's have said about him in the time since he was elected, you find that D's are just citing his record, and noting that he is a down-the-line christian nationalist with all that implies. As Johnson has described himself.
Why can't the D's say something POSITIVE fergoshsakes? Rather than just describe what he is, can't they put some polish on that bolus?
The next few weeks are going to be horrible. Then it will get worse.
A work-mate from the old corporation I toiled for, retired, moved to
Iowa and married a man named Mike Johnson.
Do I dare call and congratulate Mike and ask when they are moving
to D.C.?
I probably wouldn't be the first, so maybe not.
Alexandra Petri
"In a total betrayal of principle, Mike Johnson accepts election results
In a stunning abandonment of principle that was sure to reverberate through the country over the coming year, House Republicans, led by Mike Johnson (La.), accepted the results of an election. This was a bewildering move from someone who had previously been a staunch ally of Donald Trump.
Those who watched Johnson’s rise to prominence via tireless efforts to attract Republican signatures to a legal brief challenging the results of the 2020 election, and who admired his continued efforts to fight bravely against the democratic process by supplying arguments against certifying the 2020 election, were stunned and heartsick to see this apparent 180 on the legitimacy of majority rule."
The Guardian
"‘Get the right cases to the supreme court’: inside Charles Koch’s network
Billionaire’s web of rightwing groups works to bring cases to court that could undermine core functionings of the US government
The Koch network, a web of rightwing groups cultivated by billionaire businessman Charles Koch and his late brother David Koch, is spearheading the attack on federal agencies and government regulations that dominates the US supreme court agenda this term.
The network has been working behind the scenes to bring cases before the court that, if successful, could undermine many of the core functionings of the US government. At least two of the biggest cases to be considered by the justices this term have been spurred by groups bankrolled and coordinated within the Koch universe."
I'm sure Thomas and any other justice with ties to Koch will recuse themselves from these cases. /s
I live about 20 miles from where the shooter is still active, as far as I know. I've never been this close before, but this doesn't feel different. Shitty thinking leads to shitty results. Every other country in our economic range has banned guns, and contrary to GOP talking points, knife murders have not increased to fill the death gap.
The other shitty thinking is being feted in Washington. Before he was in Congress, our new Speaker made his living demeaning gay people and trying to make them into second class citizens (something we learned from the Nazis after they learned the same thing from us). He once said that one's sexuality was a choice, not like one's gender, creed, or nationality. So, shitty thinking: The remark about creed flew right past, and nobody said, "Wait a second!"
I had the misfortune to be christened a Catholic, and I spent a lot of my childhood being taught absolute crap about the universe (time I now wish I could have spent learning about home repair and house cleaning, at both of which I suck). Our Speaker's attitude was not remarkable in the 1950's, but now it's not nearly as mainstream as he would like. The problem is that we are far more polite in our disdain for his system of superstition than he and his god-anointed ilk are about the objects of their scorn.
When Mike Pence said that he was a Christian, and Republican, and an American, in that order, nobody blinked. Even those of us who don't believe their celestial nonsense are governed by those who do, and that's just the genesis of shitty thinking.
RAS,
At first, I thought the piece you linked about an “abandonment of principle” and an acceptance of election results somehow meant that new Squeaker Johnson had acknowledged that Biden was president after all and that Trump had lost the election.
Silly me. I didn’t quite catch the sarcasm all at once. But that WaPo reporter, Alexandra Petri, should know that Party of Traitors pols have no problem accepting the results of an election they win. It’s only elections they lose that come under the withering barrage of “Election Fraud! Aieeee!” attacks.
This is all of a piece with the Orange Monster’s admonishment that he would only accept election results if he won.
Still, for a moment, I thought Johnson might have gotten a shot of anti-treason vaccine.
Aah, that last speaker's election was rigged! It's just like Republicans to lose three elections in a row to a Democrat, then hold a fourth one and falsely claim a Republican won that one, so now they can take over. Over the past few weeks, Hakeem Jeffries got hundreds more votes than any of these GOP jamokes, so it's obvious the last vote was riddled with fraud. I'm going to phone that lady who counted the votes and tell her flat-out that everybody is saying Jeffries won and she needs to find 11 more votes for Hakeem.
Three cheers (and three victorious elections) for Speaker Jeffries.
@Akhilleus: No, there was no "coming to Jesus" moment for Johnson or any of other GQPers. And getting his slimy hands on power is not likely to improve his adherence to the Constitution, the rule of law, or to cause him to start empathizing with his fellow man. Scott Lemieux compared this to getting Alito instead of Scalia. And Dan Pfeiffer said Johnson is "Paul Ryan’s economic policies + Mike Pence’s views on abortion + Donald Trump’s dangerously wacky views on the 2020 election = Mike Johnson."
More for the R's to hate:
https://www.npr.org/2023/10/26/1208796830/georgia-redistricting-districts-judge-ruling
“Mike Johnson doesn’t believe in democracy. That’s because he’s never actually participated in one.”
Quoted from digby blog post October 26, 2023 where she excerpts from this substack entry by David Pepper.
https://davidpepper.substack.com/p/mike-johnson-and-democracy?utm_medium=ios
Mike Johnson and Democracy
The Non-democratic Careers of Modern-Day Extremists
DAVID PEPPER
OCT 26, 2023
“A few years ago, now-Speaker Mike Johnson said we do not live in a democracy. As I wrote several months ago, it’s a common right-wing refrain.
But the truth is, in HIS political career, he has not participated in a democracy.”
“Johnson turns out to offer the perfect example of how in today’s gerrymandered world, people can ride to the highest levels of power without facing a real election their entire careers…
….And we largely stand to the side and let it all happen without an iota of accountability or opposition. Not even a door knock saying to those in their districts: “did you know that friendly, bespectacled state rep of yours is actually a total extremist?”
As digby said this post is illuminating. Howard Dean was right we must fight on the ballot (for every election in every district) in all 50 states. Hat tip to AK then we will fight on the beaches and in the water!
Seth ridiculing Trump never gets old; and in last night’s A Closer Look he also mocks SOH Michael Johnson. I would love to see Dominion add MAGA Mike to their suit against Rudy and Sidney; or at least hoping someone will file an LA Bar complaint. (@~9:43 it sounds like MAGA Mike defamed DVS during a recorded radio interview)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uyz4GigQvw