Friday’s dismissal of the Department of Justice case against David Hearn for vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool came days after Hearn’s lawyers asked for transcripts of the grand jury proceedings that led to the indictment.
It's my understanding that the professional organizations, not Republicans, not Democrats, not elected officials...and not John Roberts' Supreme Court, set the standards for ethical practice and competence to qualify for professional registration and to maintain statutory licensing. If the professions' licensing boards are playing the politics as an excuse not to act, those with responsibility to do so are likely violating their own professional organizations' bylaws. In playing the politics, they take away the credibility of every licensed professional in EVERY state, so your question 1 is indeed one I would like to see answered.
I don't see how the law profession can afford this. I doubt other licensed professions like medicine, nursing, engineering, etc. would long tolerate such disservice.
On your question 2, I believe he will need to file suit for false arrest, which I suspect would get settled quietly out of court because the details of how this arrest occurred would disclose the actions of the entire chain of command during discovery.
Ed, it's sad that professional legal organizations and states won't step up and sanction this whole menagerie of legal evil. Also, settling suits quietly would keep from disclosure; can't have that.
I am wondering what the status of the Trump suit is against the BBC since the BBC, being smarter than Trumplandia, demands Trump's financial records, an unexpected twist for Trump, might show how much income taxes he owes while trying to cheat the American people. Sticky!
Also, in The Contrarian Substack, which Eisen founded with former Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin, he often reports on cases he is working on.
Note: Unlike most Substacks which look pretty-much like newsletters, The Contrarian is evolving into more of an online newspaper. This is a fitting development as the Washington Post continues to disintegrate. Or more accurately, continues to be demolished.
Marc is doing the heavy lifting needed to prevent the oligarchs efforts from taking away Constitutional voting rights by federalizing the elections. That is the most important battle we are now in.
His suits are designed to harass and intimidate people into silence rather than convict. It is the weapon of choice of the monied Epstein class to maintain control over people and their organizations that might constitute resistance and dissent. Lawyers who collude in doing this should ALL be disbarred. Some of them belong behind bars.
Isn’t Democracy Docket Marc Elias’s - another tireless, pro-voting rights attorney - newsletter? Norm Eisen founded Democracy Defenders, dedicated to upholding democracy and the rule of law.
Let's hope that the BBC can reveal what our venal media refuse to do: show the country just how much the Trump family has stolen from the American people. Cheers to the BBC!
"what our venal media refuse to do: show the country just how much the Trump family has stolen from the American people."
The Trump family has not stolen a penny from the "American people." But they have engaged in some pretty bad conflicts of interest. But the latter isn't theft.
Really? Are you not counting the billions being spent on an illegal and useless war? Or the money taken from health insurance programs, medicaid and snap? What about the destruction of our iconic monuments in DC? What about tariffs that have raised prices in grocery stores and gas stations? All of these and more are stealing money from us. The billionaire one percent aren't paying for anything except to line the pockets of the man in the WH to buy the favors and deals that they want to become richer and more powerful . And the robbery won't end in two years because we will have to pay to have everything restored that has been taken away for years and years to come.
collecting money personally for exercising the powers of the presidency (hundreds of pardons purchased by donations) is stealing money from the public - not to mention that the pardons cancel restitution orders under which the pardoned criminals were going to have to pay millions to their victims, but not any more. So it's a two-step theft: (i) pay Trump, (ii) don't pay victims, who are members of the public.
I believe that the justice dept. missed the deadline given and had to surrender all the documents being requested by BBC so it looks like they are standing even stronger in this case. Time will tell but I would put my money on the BBC.
I expect Trump to discontinue the suit. A civil party cannot be compelled to continue an action it begins, though some court systems could make the discontinuing party pay some of the expenses the defendant has paid to defend up to the point of discontinuance.
Trump is very good at starting lawsuits but often does not pursue them. It's the fear value and the expense of defending them that do the work for him.
And for the completely baseless suits against ABC and CBS that the defendants settled, the defendants wanted something else from the government - permissions to merge etc - that Trump could have prevented (completely improperly, but ....) - so they did not fight as hard as someone who did not want favors (like the BBC) can do.
Trump would have to withdraw the lawsuit. I’m sure there will be shenanigans with withholding evidence etc but he has to cooperate or withdraw his suit.
Name just one group that prosecutes their own -- The police across the US kill over 1000 people a year, many of whom are running away from them. In spite of repeated orders from top ICE officials to not shoot into vehicles, ICE agents continue to shoot into vehicles and killing the occupants with immunity and impunity. Ever try to get a hairdresser fired who continually ruins someones hair before a big event like a wedding? Yeah, they don't police their own either.
I was a programmer for over 45 years and fixed many fuck-ups caused by incompetent programmers. Some of those problems go days before someone realizes the customers are getting screwed. And I'm talking up to several thousand dollars and hundreds of customers. One person that make a mistake by entering a change of interest rate by a decimal point (.00x vs .0x) is now the lead programmer of an off-shore team. It took six of us to almost a month to fix that issue.
Can you think of any profession/job in the US where they actually punish the guilty?
Trump and company have killed hundreds of thousands, and continue to do so, and it's just become "normal."
FIU Installs Sanctioned Trump Attorney As Interim Law Dean, Overruling Its Own Search Committee
“Epstein’s sanction stems from Trump’s “one neat trick” lawsuit against himself. The president sent his lawyers to sue the IRS over a tax records leak that occurred during Trump’s first administration.”
actually FIU is NOT a top-tier university. It has nowhere the stature of any of the big 10 public university. It's been subject to Republican low-IQ manipulation for years. Bring me Ohio State, the University of Illinois or Michigan anytime. They are top-tier. Florida is low tier.
Blanche has apparently signed a document terminating the slush fund and in some way limiting the Trump tax evasion. Cornyn and Tillis, having strutted their moment on the ‘stage of righteousness’ will now probably join the rest of the Republican lickspittles and endorse Blanche even though his blatant Trump-pleasing prosecutions are an equaling appalling dereliction of duty and responsibility.
But Trump will pay a price. Those of his supporters who thought they were going to get a big payout for Biden’s ‘lawfare’ aren’t going to be happy.
I hope against hope that at least one--Cornyn perhaps--will hold out and block Blanche at the committee level. It just takes one nay to deny the nomination going to full Senate. That said, if Blanche gets what he wants I am equally sure that the fund will be resurrected perhaps with different wording so that they can say it is a different bill and trump will get his way as he always does and never seems pleased enough to relax and just stop.
It will be interesting to see if, assuming Blanche is blocked, whether Trump will maintain him as acting AG as he has said he would.
Blanche has willingly placed himself in the same trap as every other Trump cabinet member. One has to please Big Daddy, but that becomes increasingly difficult because Trump himself is constantly demanding the increasingly impossible.
The growing number of judges who are calling out DOJ lawyers (who are finding themselves in the same boat) for “practices unbecoming” are adding to Blanche’s problem even as he strives to do that impossible. One recalls the (supposedly) Chinese adage: be careful what you ask for; you may get it.
Aaron Parnas in Substack's The Parnas Perspective reported this morning that only Todd Blanche signed that the weaponization fund is dead. Parnas, the reporter, is also a lawyer, and his analysis is that all parties need to sign for it to be dead, so Trump and his sons need to sign as well as someone Treasury Dept.... So Beryl, you're probably right.
New Mexicos natural gas company was just bought by venture capitalists. The accompanying announcement (I don't know why I got this, I'm in Colorado) touts reduced bills for customers.
I am a licensed psychologist. And I believe that our professional organizations and our licensing board is more concerned with protecting their image. I suspect that there are many good “ fill in the blank “ professionals who have tried to do the right thing and been met with resistance or worse.
"Can you think of any profession/job in the US where they actually punish the guilty?" Yes. Law, medicine, engineering. The major exception is academics. They don't punish anyone despite incompetence that shames programmers.
"Trump and company have killed hundreds of thousands, and continue to do so, and it's just become "normal." Where'd you dig up that fallacy?
Yes. The academic journals that are still managed by scholars operating within professional organizations do punish the guilty, Peer review and active scholarship are the mechanisms. When peer review fails, other researchers soon invariably discover the disservice, and the "punishment" is publicly getting the authors' papers exposed and retracted.
Fortunately, political patronage hacks appointed by both parties to run universities cannot get their hands on these journals or the peer review system, although some tried to interfere. A past VP and President at Idaho State University tried and got publicly rebuked in The Chronicle of Higher Ed. for it. Scott Walker's administration in WI tried to intimidate scholars from participating as authors, editors, and reviewers of scientific journals that published on climate change by taking away tenure so the party hacks could get at the scholars.
That is why maintaining the autonomy of scholars and keeping their information system beyond reach of corrupt politicians and parties is so necessary. The peer review information system made available through our public libraries is the last "free press" this country has.
"The police across the US kill over 1000 people a year, many of whom are running away from them."
Not correct: " Data gathered by Mapping Police Violence shows that approximately 32% of all individuals killed by law enforcement are attempting to flee (by running, driving off, or escaping) when lethal force is used."
If the crime is sufficient, or there is fear of someone armed fleeing, that is exactly what police should do. So what's the problem?
In most Policing Organisations in the US, merely fleeing from the Police is mandated to be a non-capital crime, per the Supreme Court, and officers are forbidden from shooting at fleeing persons or, more likely, vehicles.
I don't know about you but I can think of a couple of things more intensely abused that poor djt. Lady Liberty in NY harbor comes to mind as does the Constitution. The Constitution is nothing but a door mat for trump & his cronies & for the 6 bought & paid for Supreme Court justices that contort themselves into positions a life long yoga instructor would find impossible to perfect.
Looks like my Mom was right. The US will rot from within! So much for the Golden Age of the US, the only thing that makes it golden is the gold doodads he glues all over the place.
Time to replace the regime with at least some modicum of dignity & truth. It's going to be a long uphill battle to repair, remake, revive the US after this period & it will be harder still given that 1/3 of the population seems to think that what's going on is just fine. Those people will not go quietly, I'm pretty sure of that. What's the saying: "There are none so blind as those who will not see."?
return, A very very long uphill battle. It is so much easier to destroy than to build something that may take years. In the meantime, the world is on fire literally. Here in the PNW, we have many large fires including the one destroying parts of Spokane and suburbs.
I’ve been following the fires in PNW and Spokane, mostly by watching the excellent Zeke Lunder on The Lookout on YouTube.
Horrific.
I had just moved to Sonoma County when the 2017 fires came through, and my family was so so close to the Palisades and Altadena fires. Never seen any like them, and hope to not again. But we will.
Thomas, thank you. We are. I live in Salem, Oregon, which is far from Spokane. We do have some large wildfires here in Oregon, mostly in eastern and central Oregon. We may get smoke today with a wind shift and the entire week is going to be very hot raising the risk of fires and people suffering from the heat. And lots of fruit in our garden is getting ripe too early, but it is too hot to be out most of the day.
Yes, I live in Ca & had to evacuate during the fires that ravaged the California coast a few years ago. I was very fortunate the fires never reached my home but many. many people lost their homes! But at least we know that there is no climate change right??????? Sure, & there is no corruption in this regime!!! It was only Biden & Obama that did terrible things during their reigns of terror!!!!!!!
return, worse possible person to be the occupant of the WH. We had big fires in 2020 up the Santiam canyon and some level three friends showed up at our house. We had terrible smoke. Still smells like smoke up the canyon.
My mother's favorite phrase to tell me I was wrong was that one. She worshipped Trump, and insisted l was blind. She is dead now, but the curse lives on and will never be erased from our once decent government, IMHO.
Every state exercises disciplinary authority over the attorneys in its states. My understanding is that Bondi wasn’t disciplined because the Florida Bar has declined to do so. I don’t know what New York will do. Some states like Michigan and California are unified bar associations, where every attorney licensed in the states must be a member of the state bar. In other states, the highest court in the state regulates admission to the bar and handles disciplinary matter.
Flash: Blanche has agreed to provide a written statement.
In addition to bar licensure, individual courts have inherent contempt power and sanction authority.
In Florida the ultimate authority is the Florida Supreme Court, which is stacked with right wing ideologues. The Bondi decision was obviously political, not professional. Not true in most states.
Big deal. He provides a statement. Putting anything in writing means less than nothing to this administration. Trump will just charge ahead and Blanche will help him.
In short, when it comes to the legal profession, the fox is guarding the henhouse. They took decades to disbar Roy Cohn, who manufactured evidence and perjured himself under oath at the McCarthy vs Army Congressional hearings. Who had illegal ex parte conversations with his Judge buddies all the time, and boasted in public about his network and how he illegally used it.
Is there any professional licensing board that does NOT play politics as an excuse not to act against their members? There should be an OIG equivalent at each state level that is totally independent and one at the national level that reports directly to Congress--not to DOJ--that can be appealed to if the State OIG refuses to prosecute an obviously corrupt Prosecutor or Defense Lawyer.
Sadly, I think this issue is one of the reasons why so many people are cynical now toward professionals of all kinds. Lawyers, doctors, even teachers and therapists. People no longer trust the 'experts', and I wonder if part of the reason is because of this reluctance among licensing boards to police their own? I would think that, logically, boards would want to get rid of the bad apples as soon as possible, but apparently not. This is especially dangerous and egregious when it comes to doctors.
CLS, in a sense, you almost answered your own question. Most licensing boards, regardless of discipline, are built through politics. In nearly all cases, board members are genuinely qualified and competent in their fields. BUT ... their credentials are not what land them on boards. It's politics.
It becomes very difficult for one to police those friends – with the potential of destroying their careers – who got one appointed or voted onto the board. "Professional courtesy" always trumps public good.
Thank you, Dale, for this helpful albeit depressing reminder! It kind of feels like corruption is everywhere now. Allowing a clearly-dangerous colleague to continue practicing just seems incredibly unethical....
"Professional organizations" i.e. the respective State Bard promulgate & enforce ethical violations. California has full fledged trials. That is exactly how JOHN EASTMEN was taken down.
The Cal State Bar Trial of of John Eastman produced reams of admissible evidence & importantly a judgment that be admitted by war of "judicial notice" evidentiary law in other cases & their state proceedings.
I answered both. I only practiced law for 30 years, so my opinions don't count as much as someone who worries about these two inconsequential, petty examples, one of which has already been self-corrected.
I remember reading somewhere that there was already a law (procedure?) in place for people who feel they’ve been harmed by the gov’t (DOJ?) to request compensation, and that compensation funds for such already exist. IOW the slush fund is totally unnecessary for the purported purpose. I remember some mention of a case under Obama where some money was paid out that raised some eyebrows. I wish I could remember more detail. Anyway, the slush fund is really about paying his pretorian guard.
·"... case - dismissed for prosecutorial misconduct before the grand jury. GLENN KIRSCHNER. New. 262K views . Go to channel Glenn Kirschner ...Read more"
Each & every prosecutor/coconspirator is subject Rule 11 sections before any judge(s) that have jurisdiction THEN referred to their respective State Bars for removal from the practice of law.
David Heard's attorney, NORM EISEN has already confirmed that his Team will pursue all legal remedies for his client, the Olympian.
Depends on the state. The initial ethics complaint filed against Pam Bondi was dismissed by the Florida Bar Association - and sustained by the Florida Supreme Court. Supposedly, the Florida Bar's longstanding practice is to NOT investigate allegations of ethics violations against a "sitting government official."
A subsequent ethics complaint was filed in late May (see attached link). Not sure where that stands at this time.
As a long time Floridian, I would say that people can enjoy visiting Florida for all the things that attract visitors, if they are not political junkies. There are plenty of nice, rational folks living here who are working to overcome the current MAGA infestation of our political system, which is a reflection of Trump's influence and residency here.
My cousin lived in Stuart. When we visited we were not impressed and found it pretty depressing. We did climb the Jupiter lighthouse. I know that some people in Florida are attempting to turn things around and kudos to them. I did enjoy visiting the beaches which are very different from beaches here in the PNW. I am from Indiana and right now, i would not visit there either. Oregon at the moment is full of fires everywhere but the Willamette Valley. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We are in for a very hot week.
Were your "normal world" the case, there would be no prosecutors. Who would want to take the risk? And with no prosecutors, you'd have no rule of law, the solemn goal of commenters here.
In a last ditch effort to get confirmed, Blanche is now telling Senators the $1.7 Billion raid on our Treasury is off. But Donald is "willing to settle" for immunity for past criminal tax evasion. That's rich since the so called "settlement" was between Donald and himself. See Judge Williams' ruling here. There was no case. Therefore there can be no settlement. It's all phony, bad faith, bamboozle, flim flam, hornswoggle, fraudulent baloney. Donald is giving himself immunity for tax evasion. Plain and simple.
I see suspect this slush fund and tax evasion immunity are more of the attempts to circumvent the talk of the Epstein files away from public attention something Trump has done repeatedly throughout both of his terms. The Epstein files will be the crime of the century and the biggest cover-up in our country’s history.This information will dwarf anything going on with the slush fund case and all others.I call my reps every day asking for these files to be released.We all should.
Blanche will just change the number to 1.8 Billion or 1.6 Billion and claim he's not breaking his promise that the 1.7 billion deal is dead. They will find a way back to establishing this -- and if Cornyn and Tillis believe otherwise, well, there is no hope for them.
Funny, though, that trump says, out loud, once Cornyn and Tillis are out of the Senate, he’ll re-nominate blanche. Yet anyone with half a brain KNOWS a huge purge of Nazis, er, Republicans, is imminent this November. So, is the buffoon telling us the coming election will be either fixed or canceled?
I don’t think that’s necessarily true—Trump may try to interfere just for the heck of it. OTOH, if he doesn’t meddle in election results, he’ll go ahead and find a way to get himself out from any tax prosecution. He must owe gazillions.
I think the phony settlement in the SDFL case is the tip of a melting iceberg. The Epstein fact pattern has to be foremost. The meeting AT THE WHITE HOUSE in July, last year makes Blanche a possible PERP. At a minimum he's a material witness.
AI Overview
In July 2025, high-ranking White House aides held a tense, secret meeting in the Situation Room without President Trump to manage the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein files scandal. Vice President JD Vance and top officials confronted a severe internal security crisis after realizing sensitive discussions had leaked.
According to reporting by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, Blanche played a key protective role during a July 17, 2025, White House meeting aimed at managing political fallout from Epstein disclosures. Blanche proposed defensive measures to shield the president, including challenging the release of grand jury materials and maneuvering to mitigate political damage. For more details, read the article at The New York Time
AbsaFaLutely Poyfict: captures the fake reality teevee, Jerry Springer Show absurdity of the whole sorry matrix. It is malicious carnival show distraction while the national treasury is looted & US world standing is dissolved. The 47 maladministration knows it only works on magalonians but it seems an intentional time waster until November. So-called Republican’s dismantling of election integrity systems may be enough to overcome the massive disgust among non-MAGA tribe-members to keep the shitshow running. We’re headed toward massive boycotts against 47’s corporate funders & general strike.
Exactly. This whole charade is a broken record markedly to the hope/point of NORMALCY , the growing numbers so sick of hearing it and little but fodder for the comedians done. Behind the scenes are frustrated people , dying innocents, and general malaise whilst the price of a cup o’coffee grows higher…all clever continued by the same design tricky Rickey and Reagan got away with..eventually it works. That the numbers of guilty turned coat is late in ‘the game’ but the playbooks of every autocrat the sellout the horrendous movement of money upward. Mission accomplished.
Heather calm growing popularity and teaching Mr and Mrs J.Q.Public of their falling into the trap -the result of saturated brainwashing,” algorithms” , and corporate taking over.
It’s what they do best.
That Americans rally forth is a saving grace we rely on..is the long way to Robin Hood’s Barn like so many countries experience. The grand ITOLDYASO..right? Education failing, skyrocketing issues of wealth inadequacy, health issues or mistakes called “hoax” by any other name effective disassemble the laws or procedures plugged away at..btw THE way we halved poverty and progressed to the greatest country ( alas no longer …the snickering world politely suggests).
The demented man leading the circus so perfectly convenient on that escalator and now with the “asses” someone mentioned yesterday in a comment…are folks …well covered.
I applaud those staying protest, uncovering the lies, ruling on the illegalities , showing up the with truth and boldly maneuvering amongst the strongmen threats. The murders are still not acknowledged and specifically our constitutional equal rights hard fought for…even by the “written law” tromped on by very petty pariahs.
Sad.
Too big for one’s britches took years longer than I thought it would.
I saw US from a small boat in the French canals as “the bad teenagers on the block,” seeing Exceptionalism grow during the Iraq War. Hubris may be the word everyone understands and DT is the prime example (or was until he went into dementia).
Remember their names when that double talk proves -yet again- to be nothing but lies , they’ll find ‘a way’ for same ending and manipulate meaning to exact the payoffs. Wanna lay bets?
It generally would take more than simply being wrongly accused. In this case actual malice should be easy to prove. Hearn has civil cases against not just Pirro and the DOJ but also Bessent.
Susan, from the time I was a small boy, I observed that people with extreme halitosis all shared a certain specific facial appearance focused on the shape and movement of their mouths when speaking. Don't ask me to describe the appearance because I can't. But I can tell you Bessent has that look.
Of course, sitting next to diapered Don, probably nobody notices.
It always amazes me that certain Republicans never seem to have the time to read up on current issues which are pertinent to their jobs, never read headlines, never watch an interview…..ummm, I haven’t seen anything regarding that allegation so I am not going to comment- they follow the Sargent Schultz (Hogan’s Heroes) I know nothing!
Those penalties may yet come to pass, but going through the legal process takes time. By the time penalties are imposed (if they ever are), the Trump regime will have been spreading lots of other shit, just as Bannon said they would from the beginning. It’s a Gish Gallop of shit, day after day, month after month, year after year. It’s impossible to keep up. This is how the rule of law is demolished. Trump and the 77 million people who put him in office care don’t need no stinkin’ law. They know their targets and will obliterate them by clogging the system like a bucket of bro-wipes clogs the toilet.
Similar to, or same as "dude-wipes", which are basically man-sized baby wipes for man babbies who cannot be bothered with plain old 'tp' like us ordinary folk. And like Mr. Vander Poel, a mental image I can't erase.
Trump attracts his supporters by exhibiting unbridled bigotry. Many of his supporters might favor, for example, taxing the rich, but they will not favor taxing the rich if the some of the increased revenue might benefit people other than white Americans. Systemic favoritism of white Americans in government programs is the crux of Trump’s political power. The Republican Party has delivered that systemic favoritism, and made it central to their message, since 1968, and Trump epitomizes it even more convincingly than Ronald Reagan did (who was convincing enough to sell it to the white working class while at the same time busting their unions). It sells big with the dominant political cohort in US politics, namely a 20-point majority of white voters. Democrats cannot (and should not) adopt that message. Democrats can eke out victory by massive get-out-the-vote success, but in no other way. Certainly not by selling fair governance to the 60% of white voters who adamantly oppose it.
How could such a horrible person become President of the United States of America???.....because, sadly he is a reflection of who we have become...at least that is my opinion.
Too many of us crave and are impressed with wealth. The outside of fellow human beings with several homes, children and grandchildren who live and dress well and travel the world is what they/we envy.
Whether a person is wise or kind is not a priority. It is those who can make the best deal who win! Whether our leaders are sympathetic and compassionate to the poor or cripples or mentally disabled is never a concern....not our problem!
I see it differently, Emily Pfaff. When I was growing up in the 1950s, the US had decent governance. It started when FDR put it in place. However, to put decent governance in place, FDR had to avoid offending the dominant political cohort, namely white voters. So, decent governance was carefully designed to deliver benefits to the dominant cohort and deny benefits to the rest of the population. Brown v Board in 1954 changed that. Democrats (but not Dixiecrats) began to deliver a few benefits to people outside the dominant cohort, and the members of the dominant (white) cohort began screaming bloody murder. “Bussing! Bussing! Bussing!” was their rallying cry (the equivalent of “Woke! Woke! Woke!” today). Brown v Board was the crack in the dam. LBJ delivered the flood with the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, both of which (necessarily) passed with bipartisan support over strident objections from Dixiecrats. After that, in 1968, Nixon/Atwater learned from George Wallace that racism sells everywhere. Subsequently, the Republican Party put the Southern Strategy in operation. The Southern Strategy worked and has continued to deliver Republican victories in every election since then, except when special circumstances upset the apple cart (Southern sympathy with Carter in 1976, Perot in 1992, unprecedented turnout of black voters in 2000, reaction to 46 in 2020). Reagan was such an effective seller of white supremacist beliefs that he got 70% of the white working class to vote for him despite his promise to bust their unions (a promise he delivered on, forthwith). The conversion of white working class voters from predominantly Democratic to predominantly Republican is still in place and apparently will persist indefinitely.
I don’t think white voters, as a cohort, are any less decent as human beings today than they were in the 1950s. It’s just that in the 1950s, they needn’t worry about any benefits of good governance going to people outside their cohort. In fact, I think the fraction of decent human beings in the white cohort has increased from roughly 10% in 1950 to roughly 40% today. In 1950, 90% of white voters held white supremacist beliefs. It’s dropped to 60% today. That, together with the decline in the fraction of voters who are members of the white cohort makes it possible for Democrats to eke out victories when they get extraordinary turnout of their voters in elections.
So, in my judgment white Americans are better people, on the average, today than they were in 1950 but not enough better for Democrats to be successful enough in elections to put good governance in place. It’s not that they’re incompetent or lack political energy. It’s just that bigotry is so easy to sell, and good governance that is also fair to Americans outside the white cohort is so hard to sell.
Thank you for a well written comment. I was born in the 50's and grew up with my mom and dad and older sister and little brother on a cotton/tobacco farm in eastern North Carolina. Persons of color made up the work force. When minimum wage became required, neighbors helped one another with fewer if any persons of color.
"It's just that bigotry is so easy to sell, and good governance that is also fair to Americans outside the white cohort is so hard to sell."
Here on Mt. Desert Island Maine, Fed Soc court capture honcho, Charles Koch bagman, and religious extremist Leonard Leo orchestrated the very public arrest of a young neighbor on false charges of harassing Leo and his family, but in fact for saying something Leo didn't like. The DA dismissed the charges. The young man sued the police for civil rights violations. The town's insurers paid for settling the case. Leo went on to bitch to The Maine Wire, a disinformation rag Leo funds. And which doxed the young neighbor's family and local business.
A month after that arrest, Leo attempted to have another neighbor arrested - for protesting the first arrest.
Of course, Leonard Leo was not sued. Nor held accountable in any way for his role. As is often the case, as with the Trump regime, tax payers footed the bill.
1. Audio of Leonard Leo influencing police in arrest of protester who has filed suit in federal court
"... the protester whose disorderly conduct charge was dismissed by the Hancock County district attorney in the spring, has filed suit in U.S. District Court in Bangor against the two officers who arrested him at the behest of dark money operative Leonard Leo."
2. Maine man sues police over arrest outside prominent conservative activist’s house | Maine Public
Morgan said Durand-McDonnel never engaged in any such conduct. But he added that the arrest never should have happened because Maine law makes clear that officers must actually witness disorderly conduct. And in this case, Morgan says officers were taking Leo's word for it based on recordings of their conversations that were captured on their microphones and dashboard camera.
"A lot of what he did was captured on cruiser camera,” Morgan said. “He was doing nothing wrong and doing what a lot of people should be doing, which is engaging civically and having a peaceful political protest with other people in that community and that neighborhood."
The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Bangor alleges that the officers "made this illegal and retaliatory arrest to silence Durand-McDonnell’s free speech and at the direct behest of Leo, a powerful and wealthy conservative political activist who has used millions of dollars as political speech to influence American politics and courts."
3. Federal Lawsuit Against Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Officers Potentially Set For April
Eli Durand-McDonnell’s suit against Lt. Kevin Edgecomb of the Mount Desert Police Department and Officer Nathan Formby of the Bar Harbor Police Department stems from a late July 2022 incident at the Northeast Harbor home of conservative activist Leonard Leo. The lawsuit was filed in federal court earlier this summer. Durand-McDonnell lives in Bar Harbor. The officers are part of a shared police force for both towns.
4. Man arrested at Leonard Leo protest gets $62.5K settlement – Bar Harbor Story
A Bar Harbor man who sued police after he was arrested at a protest outside conservative legal activist Leonard Leo’s home on Mount Desert Island received $62,500 in a settlement with the officers who handcuffed him and took him to jail.
Eli Durand-McDonnell was arrested as he and others were protesting in Northeast Harbor in July 2022 over Leo’s influence in getting the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn federal protections that made abortion legal.
5.Leonard Leo Very Upset After Maine Cops Settle First Amendment Lawsuit
It might shock you to learn that conservative judicial puppetmaster Leonard Leo, a man who loves free speech rights for corporations, does not universally support the First Amendment. This is the earth-shattering conclusion of comments Leo recently made regarding a protest outside one of his several lavish homes—a protest that resulted in an arrest, a lawsuit, and, now, a settlement.
It's the threat to present criminal, administrative or disciplinary charges to gain an advantage within a pending civil suit that gets your ass in a sling.
I remember this. Wasn’t it around the same time you were harassed for drawing on the sidewalk with chalk? And yes, it’s nuts that taxpayers footed the bill for Leo’s fit of pique.
lin, we visited Bar Harbor in May and photographed chalk protests on sidewalks in town. As we drove back and forth to the KOA I was curious as to which lavish mansion belonged to the creep
"Leo and his wife purchased the property [46 South Shore Road] for $3.3 million, $985,000 less than its appraised value, according to public records and real estate listings. The sellers were the heirs of chemical giant W.R. Grace chairman and CEO J. Peter Grace, who was the head of the U.S. branch of the Knights of Malta, a 971-year-old conservative Roman Catholic order to which Leo also belongs. Two months before the closing – which occurred at the height of the Senate debate over the Kavanaugh nomination – the Leos also paid off the mortgage on their primary home in McLean, Virgina, the Post reported on May 21.
“Leo is promising his allies that he’ll return the law to the pre-New Deal era, the robber baron era, and here he is managing to buy the cottage of one of the great robber barons,” says Lisa Graves, a former chief counsel on judicial nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee and board president of the Center for Media and Democracy, a liberal-leaning government transparency watchdog group."
ThankYou! Glad to know the message was documented. It only lasted a few more days.
There is a town allied right wing vigilante group. They got the town to remove the message. But believing the lie that it is permanent paint, the town used a strong organic solvent. Organic solvents don't dissolve chalk. This one, as listed on the container, can dissolve elements of the concrete and deposit them on the surface as a black stain. Which it did. The stain has lasted longer than the chalk paint does when its left alone.
Blanche has made a deal with Cornyn on the weaponization fund, while narrowing the immunity of Trump and his family and organizations from IRS actions for past misdeeds.
The written deal that satisfied Sen. John Cornyn and helped advance Todd Blanche's nomination also addressed concerns about the IRS-settlement provisions. According to CBS News, Cornyn's office said the senator had reached an agreement with DOJ regarding both the fund and the scope of the IRS settlement. The order issued by Blanche formally rescinded the fund and also narrowed the tax-audit provision, clarifying that any audit-immunity agreement applies only retroactively to claims already open at the time of the settlement and does not protect Trump from examination of future tax filings.
Kalshi as of 1:34 AM 8/3 has a 75% probability he would be confirmed by September 1, spiking up from 25% starting at 8 PM 8/2. AP and Reuters reported it just after 1:00 AM. Wonder when it was announced to the new paying customers of Truth Social API? You too can get in on the insider trading opportunities for a mere $100,000/month. $191,000 volume on the wager.
I am wondering where Cornyn will land in January in his post-Congressional life. Anybody taking bets? Kalshi now asks for the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number to place a bet. Of course they won't tolerate insider trading....
This "deal" is as much smoke as the bogus $10 Billion lawsuit between Trump and the government he controls. This latest Blanche "deal" confirms that Donald just gave himself immunity for his past criminal tax evasion. The first time in our history a President has granted to himself the ability to defraud the IRS. And defraud us citizens.
The GOP Senators have all read Judge Williams' ruling and her recommendation that Blanche be held accountable for defrauding the court. But they will vote for him because they all work for the Trump Family now. Not us. Read her ruling. Spot on.
Of course they were going to vote for him. I still haven't seen the actual IRS written agreement posted anywhere, The reporting says the immunity applies to investigations that are already "open". I guess it depends on what you consider open.
Memories are short. Donald was convicted of 34 instances of business fraud against property tax authorities, insurance companies and banks. He was let off the hook by the Justice Dept when he was elected President again. This latest IRS scam is right in line with the business frauds. Pathological. Here's Judge Engeron's ruling.
How is the tax immunity deal even considered? Immunity for past tax offenses? Why?? Giving immunity for defrauding the public of tax dollars? Immunity for being a tax cheat? Unbelievable.
You know Georgia, I know that you've mentioned this, and I certainly have as well, but folks just keep blowing past the idea and I can't understand why it's not plain, clear and actionable as opposed to just reading and fretting. The big power behind all the maga power is 'the money.' A lesson I learned a long time ago that works is if one wants to really harm a person, power, etc., "hit them in the pocket." There are many beside myself cataloging all the money bag creatures that have supported these monsters. I say find them and tax them as dearly as possible. I've named some; Wendy's hamburger corp., Ford Motor Co. - that's two who support the beast. A really really big one though that's got tentacles far and wide, and has supported this entire movement including P.2025 is Koch Industries. Why not incite righteous actions against their wallets ? Yes, they are a private corporation, but their products and subsidiaries are discoverable. I think the word would get out fast if just one like Koch started getting hurt, or even threatened; Focus on just one. Thoughts ?
Zuckerberg. He has made a string of poor business decisions and is late to the AI hosting boom, and the EU is after his ass with a 12B Euro fine for his “addictive scroll design” that harms users, especially minors. Then there are a couple of other EU suits amounting to another close to 2B Euros.
Musk because Tesla is going in the dumper because it can’t compete with Chinese-made EVs in world markets and the designs are stale and he has lost the US subsidy for EVs. Grok is a disaster as a bot, and the only real money maker is Starlink and the satellite launch business. Space Ex’s price is half of what it was just weeks ago after its peak after the IPO. And he certainly has obvious exposure on his donations to the hard right and potential election interference in a number of countries besides the US.
That's all well and good Georgia, but we who sit on our azzes and fret over all this need to "'Do Something" besides sit around read and fret ! I'm saying there are actions we can take - today ! Declare all out war on the corporations that meddle with our elections, supporting their own Mussolini - such as Koch Industries. I say if we just pick one - just one, go after their wallets with torches and pitchforks, the word 'will' get out in a hurry, that 70 percent of America is 'pissed' and coming after them for their support of these criminals. Make an example of just one. Maga, P 2025, Heritage, _rump- they don't give two hoots if we call them names or write the congress critters that support them out of fear or political persuasion... But I guarantee you their sponsors - if outed and protested broadly and publicly do care, moreso for their 'bottom lines.' That's where the rubber meets the road.
So I would say the two top targets should definitely be Musk and Zuckerberg. Musk because he is IMHO worse than Trump by far and a bigger scam artist, and Zuckerberg because he is the weakest of the rest of the bros. Both have engaged in questionable business practices and are getting fined by the EU so we don’t have to rely on the DOJ here to investigate. Koch just doesn’t have any name recognition with the average American, but there are a lot of pissed-off shareholders with TSLA down -37% from its all-time high, SPCX down -50% from its all-time high, and META down -25% from its all-time high who are not happy campers right now. Time to mobilize the rage on these guys.
Dear, I couldn't agree more ! We read fret and flail - what damn good is that ? Hit their donors in the pocket and all media that's not a part of the plot, including social media movements; Make the bastards wallets hurt ! That gets their attention 'right away' - transactional corporate control freak bastards ! Koch needs - for our purposes, requires a much higher profile. They were part and parcel of project 2025 from the get go - a primary funder in fact as I'm told !!! We can and must increase their known profile !
Yes, follow the money, and money talks. The past year has seen targeted boycotts, e.g. Tesla Takedowns, Home Depot, Target, Amazon, Avelo Airlines--each with varying success but with some sort of success better than nothing. Avelo was targeted for federally contracted deportation flights and discontinued its operations on the West Coast. Target acknowledged boycott effects.
Indivisible.org advocates for the strategy of mobilizing people power to affect electoral politics, and last year added using economic pressure. They also note that we need to continue building the muscle to do a bigger national action such as a general strike. Union rules are a challenging consideration. There are groups across the country who continue to educate the public about the need and the preparation for a general strike.
Many grassroots organizations are currently focused on getting Democrats elected in November in as many places as possible, most critically in the House and Senate. This is Phase 1. When Democrats have regained political control, they/we can refocus on employing economic pressure as Phase 2.
You don't know that Blanche has made a "deal" with Cornyn. Kalshi doesn't know anything more than you (or I do). And some gambling market doesn't know diddly about it, either. If a deal was made, it would have already been done and Cornyn would have voted yes. He did not. That is significant. As for the rest, it's simply Baby Huey trying to claim his right to a bag man, as befits the head of a crime organization. Cornyn and Tillis denied that to him.
Baby Huey imagines that he'll have a newly elected Senate that will approve his bagman after January and the two 'lame ducks' have flown away. Not likely.
I take it back -- Cornyn's staff just announced that they did make some kind of "deal" to allow the good Senator to vote yes. But that doesn't mean Tillis will. And even should it advance to the floor, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski would have to be suicidally nuts-on-wheels to vote yes.
Anything is possible, of course, but it's not Cornyn and Tillis who look like dead ducks right now, some late-nite twitter tweet notwithstanding.
Polymarket has markets about whether Mitch McConnell steps down from the Senate before his term ends and related political outcomes. You can see the book on Polymarket. The betting is around 30% yes. The biggest holder has accumulated a position of 247,426 yes tokens currently trading at $0.30 each so a bet of $74,227.8 (You can trade the tokens after you place the bet.) The spread is currently a penny.
The resolution conditions are:
“This market will resolve to “Yes” if Mitch McConnell formally announces an intention to step down or otherwise vacates his U.S. Senate seat before his current term is scheduled to end (January 3, 2027, 11:59 PM ET). Otherwise, this market will resolve to “No.”An announcement will qualify only if it indicates that McConnell will leave office prior to the scheduled end of his term. Statements reaffirming an existing plan to retire at the end of his term will not qualify. The primary resolution sources will be official statements from Mitch McConnell, his office or representatives, and/or official communications from the U.S. Senate or government.”
One interesting detail: Kalshi's McConnell resignation market explicitly notes that, in the event of death, the contract does not simply resolve "Yes"; instead, the exchange has special settlement rules.
GJ, according to the inerrant evangelical Bible (personally autographed by the great theologian, Donald JeffreyEpstein Trump), Satan maintains a battalion of demons who regularly carry messages to earthly humans. So Mitch will have no problem sending in his vote.
Oh I so hope Susie does vote for Blanche...in addition to her taking "campaign contributions" from racist sleazebag Elon Musk, for this re-election campaign (her 5th! (for her 6th term)), it would be fantastic political ad fodder for the Dem candidate running against her! She's already pretty desperate; I've never heard her personal political ads having her beg for money before and her PAC, Pine Tree Results, is running some of the nastiest mudslinging hit pieces I've ever heard in Maine politics.
But there is little doubt it will get even nastier before we can pry her scrawny butt from that cushy Senate seat that she >thinks< belongs to her and her alone.
Oh no, I haven't forgotten that miserable little scum, but if he has held a fundraiser for her, it's been kept mighty quiet. More likely he has contributed dark money to her PAC. I think her usual donors are holding back a bit until they see her come up in the Maine polls. Except with the rural red-necked MAGAs, Susie has lost a lot of her former popularity and is now politically vulnerable. Big donors don't throw away their money--they want a return on their investment.
Aside from grifting, her number one skill is self promotion and constantly reminding folks when she can scarcely take credit. That's what I've read anyway TL.
"Stop the World, I want to get off!" But before I do, if there is a signed rescission by Blanche, the question becomes, will DJT rescind his nomination?
I don’t think so, at least not right away—Blanche has to dig him out of the Epstein files and support him in whatever mischief is coming with interference in the midterms. And Blanche knows where all of the bodies are buried and can claim attorney client privilege.
But if Blanche doesn’t come through for him, Trump will kick him to the curb without a second thought.
There is the possibility of sanctions/disbarment but Trump would spin that as political persecution by radical leftist judges and pardon him if there were any criminal charges referred out of the investigation. There are just so many ancillary benefits to having your personal attorney as head of the DOJ.
Hey Lynell, I have been limiting my internet time of late. I haven't seen Ally around. Have you? Is she okay? Maybe I'm not looking at the right time or just have missed her posts.
MSNOW reported that both Tillis and Cornyn agreed to what ever Blanche gave them, although there were not specific details of what they agreed to. They could have stopped the nomination by not allowing it to get out of committee since they both sit on Judiciary. It's only now that the rest of the Senate gets to vote on the nomination. I think it likely that Susan Collins was hoping that the nomination wouldn't get to a floor vote.
I report on the "prediction" markets because they are the most transparent way you can see corruption from insider trading since you can see the exact time of trades and relate it to the times of announcements on Reuters and the AP. Polymarket shows the book so you can gauge how much money is moving on the outcomes. And there have been reported cases of insiders (the special ops guy on the Maduro capture and the teleprompter guy) who have been caught using insider information to make money in the prediction markets.
Ellen, I'm sure your question was rhetorical, but the answer is "yes."
This is Amurrica, where absolutely everything, from wild guesses to healthcare to legislative seats to legal representation to the Oval Office itself has a price. If you got the money, you can buy it.
This is just as our well-heeled Founding Fathers intended.
Blanche was already referred to New York’s disciplinary authorities for bar referral by Judge Kathleen Sullivan. I don’t know if Pirro has been referred for discipline. If she had proceeded against Hearn despite the lack of evidence, she probably should be. Blanche’s status as Trump’s private counsel ought to disqualify him for AG and it’s a huge conflict of interest.
Whatever Trump promised Cornyn is a lie, but Kavanaugh and Gorsuch both lied to Collins about upholding precedent and few people hold any of the three of them accountable. This is why Tillis and "caving Cornyn" wanted the slush fund and Trump family immunity issue to be in writing.
Trump lies all the time on Truth Social and in person, but not so much on official WH letterhead.
Even if it's in writing that the deal is dead I'll bet it will be re-packaged and called something else and rear its head again. The same way a corporation may go under and then reappear under a different name.
Blanche has already been referred by a judge to his state bar association in New York by judge Kathleen Williams over the slush fund case. There have also been other complaints about Blanche to that association and the association itself has opposed his appointment as Attorney General.
He is a magic-thinker and professional bloviator. “My mind is made up; don’t try to confuse me w facts.” If you disagree w him, he quickly resorts to shouting. He believes, so he doesn’t have to know. He’d be dismissed as a joke and simpleton if he didn’t hold a powerful government position.
What are the courts going to do? It takes months to get decided as people die. And once it does in favor of justice, it’s just whack a mole…they just rename what was deemed unconstitutional and start again. Tariffs are back.
There is no way on earth Blanche keeps that promise about the slush fund….which like HCR state was never about redemption for falsely accused. 1.8 billion will never get dispersed except to militias HIRED to muck up 2026 elections and probably kill Americans. It is all about not being prosecuted or even investigated for financial crimes. And not just him or his family…it’s anyone he’s doing business with. What the actual fuck? Why? Because his cronies and kids didn’t get the sweet kiss on the ass of immunity Trump got. And he can only pardon federal crimes, not all the state crimes being committed.
We already know for a fact the deals that have been made in the open with Trumo and the family. Saudi Arabia handing Ivanka Trumo Kushner 2 BILLION. The drone no bid contracts through the defense department for the sons. Whatever the sons are doing with crypto in around the world with the Witkoffs. It will absolutely be exposed that the family of the US government is in bed with trafickers who sell children for sex multiple times a day, with drug dealers who kill either through the addiction, overdose or murders committed for territory, with arms dealers who probably sold the missiles and weapons that killed American soldiers. All those billions flowing through crypto into Trum pockets is dirty, dirty dirty.
The Trump Justice Department has apparently adopted a bold new legal standard: indict first, yell about it on television, and hope nobody asks to see the grand-jury transcripts.
That strategy hit a pothole in the case against David Hearn, who was accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The government’s only witness admitted the pool was already damaged before Hearn got there and could not say how much additional damage he supposedly caused.
Then Hearn’s lawyers asked what the government had told the grand jury.
Suddenly, the case disappeared.
What an extraordinary coincidence. One minute, the Republic is under attack by a man near a reflecting pool. The next minute, someone requests the paperwork and the Justice Department remembers it has somewhere else to be.
James Comey, meanwhile, was indicted after posting a photograph of seashells arranged to read “8647.” That is where federal law enforcement is now. Seashell surveillance. Somewhere, an FBI agent is questioning a clam without an attorney present.
Presiding over this constitutional carnival is Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal defense lawyer and current acting attorney general. Trump wants the Senate to confirm him, but if that does not happen, Trump says he will simply keep Blanche in the acting position.
Why bother with confirmation when you can just declare the audition permanent?
Then there is the proposed $1.776 billion fund for people convicted of crimes connected to January 6. At last, a government assistance program Republicans can support. Storm the Capitol, threaten lawmakers, smear feces on the walls, and perhaps Uncle Sam will help cover your inconvenience.
The same deal also promised to drop certain tax-related claims against Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization, while preventing future audits.
Trump insists he gets nothing from this.
Nothing, except protection from prosecution, freedom from audits, money for his followers, and a Justice Department operated by his former lawyer.
He finished his latest statement by blaming “Crooked Joe Biden” and “Obuma!”
Not Obama. Obuma.
We may be watching the rule of law collapse in real time, but apparently autocorrect has also surrendered.
Can anyone answer this: Why would Republicans who want to be re-elected be backing the president with the lowest approval ever, thereby committing political suicide?
It seems that everything that trump and his administration are doing is illegal from starting the Iran war to axing Headstart (!!!). People continually ask why are people in it doing his bidding? I believe that everyone who has had their finger on any part of these illegalities is terrified of losing power and being imprisoned (as trump is) once the Democrats take over after the midterms. This explains the intricate plots of voting infractions and the hundreds of millions that trump and musk have drummed up in order to get these lame and sorry Republicans re-elected....
I really checked out at the White House spokesperson standing in front of a totally fucked up Lincoln Reflecting Pool, insisting that it was “fixed perfectly by president Trump”, whilst all the world could see it was overgrown with algae and the coating loosening everywhere. The symbolism of this is simply stupefyingly adequate. And to top it off, the Orange Toddler King stamps his tiny feet and insists it was “VANDALS” who caused the damage. Well, technically, that is correct…. The vandal’s name is Donald J. Trump.
Unfortunately, the show is being put on by fascists. I wish we would talk more about the concentration camps now in America, 10,000 abducted off our streets daily, an innocent man shot by ICE in his car then his body dragged out and handcuffed, the price of gas and groceries, our food system compromised, hospitals closing and on and on.
I wish we would talk more about left wing purity test voters/non-voters who make common cause with GOP legislators, the Roberts Court GOP majority, and strategically united Republican voters to put Republicans in power and advance American ChristoFascism in all its abuses.
Right wing extremists have appropriated Yes *We* Can to take power.
While a significant number on the Left are stuck on No *I* Won't, Never Will *I* Ever and You Can't Make *Me* to cede power to right wing extremists.
Every single one of the 30 progressive candidates who won elections have run under the Democratic Party umbrella. These Democrats are running without AIPAC money and are openly against Netanyahu's government. They are against the genocide in Gaza. They preach the Democratic Party platform of affordability and helping the working class. Pelosi has recently come out in support of one of those candidates. Obama is increasingly talking about the need for younger people in the Democratic Party. Mamdani has been doing great things in NYC. I invite you to study what he has done.
It appears the "you can't make me" tone is emanating from the centrist Democrats. Take a look at what Schumer and the DNC are doing in Michigan. It makes me very sad to see this.
lin I am an elder woman. After the second loss to djt I did some real soul searching as a lifelong Democrat. For the past 2 years I have read and researched and listened-to everyone.
My biggest regret is ignoring GAZA as long as I did. My big sadness is that it appears that Israel has subsumed the Democratic Party. I spent weeks reading about Israel, talking with Jews, learning about AIPAC, researching AIPAC money trails, voting records and dark PAC money.
I understand the rigor of resistance from the centrist Democrats. What I am hoping is that the "big tent" the Democratic Party leaders espouse will accommodate change within the Party. I have no desire to rip up the Democratic Party. Myself and others are wanting to rebuild a stronger Party that can defeat fascism in our Government.
My apologies for the length. I respect your comments and wanted to give my response my full attention.
Totally agree. I've been a staunch Democrat since I was 18 and the GOP chose Nixon over Rockefeller. (Too young to vote, not too young to knock on doors for Hubert Humphrey.) I'm so saddened by the party infighting in my Michigan.
My preferred Senate candidate dropped out before the the worst of the sniping, my second choice tried, it seems to me, to stay out of the name-calling at least for a while, but... don't they realize when the Party fights itself they are writing campaign for some trump-lover?
I'll vote for whichever Democrat wins the primary, because, at this point in time, even the worse Democrat will be better than any Republican who is still part of the mess MAGA has made of the GOP.
Yes. In a Democratic primary no AIPAC money is the ethical stance. In the general election Vote Blue.
And unrelenting pressure on the party.
Yes. Vote Blue No Matter Who cannot mean only progressives must hold their nose in the general election. The status quo Democrats need to vote for progressives who win the primary.
In Maine, Chuck Schumer, Janet Mills et al are not content to have forced Platner out. They have not endorsed Troy Jackson. Maine logger, union organizer, state senate president - and still not good enough? Disgusting.
What does this mean Miselle? I am seeing progressive candidates running under the Democratic Party banner. They are not spending time bashing the Democratic Party. They are talking about doing things for us. They are talking policy. I invite you to watch Mamdani's campaign speeches. Then investigate what he is accomplishing in NYC. No one is talking about a "perfect." This seems to have sprung up as a reaction rallying cry from the centrist wing of the Democratic Party.
What "Dems" are refusing to do what? When we speak in vague terms we do not help the Party get strong enough to defeat the fascists.
Mary W, here's how I see it: Russell Vought is the director of the cabal, but he isn't working alone. Stephen Miller is supplying the motivation and muscle behind the racist and citizen intimidation efforts. Scott Bessent is managing the financial demolition team. But Vought is a hands-on manager, so he's taking care of executive orders, misogyny, LGBTQ persecution, neutralizing the rule of law and reshaping the nation as a theocratic oligarchy.
Suzie Wiles is a member of the cabal, but her role is indirect. She's in charge of shielding Donald and keeping him distracted and entertained so he doesn't get in the way of the important work.
The Roberts Six on SCOTUS are adjunct members of the cabal whose role is to "bless" the regime's lawlessness, somewhat like turning water into wine. Thus, through SCOTUS rulings, the illegal miraculously become legal.
Just like Bannon said, "throw everything at them all at once, overwhelm them, they will never get it straight and we will win", it's a tactic that is exhausting.
Definitely sick of it. I wish it were nonsense but it is evil and dehumanizing; not to mention the stress of a legal assault and huge financial burden dumped on an innocent individual.
And here’s another legal assault explained in another great lawyer’s resistance newsletter, Joyce Vance’s “Civil Discourse”:
“Last Monday, the Solicitor General asked the Supreme Court to let the Trump administration implement Trump’s executive order that would allow, among other things, federal control over who can and can’t receive a ballot in the mail. A district judge in Massachusetts enjoined the EO from going into effect for now. The Solicitor General is asking the Supreme Court to stay that injunction, which would permit the Trump administration to move forward with the EO while the cases challenging it move through the courts.” Joyce Vance will be watching and reporting on developments this week.
One hundred percent. If only we could go back in time six years and make sure Merrick Garland was doing his job and also make sure Joe Biden would be stepping down right after the midterms four years ago. The damage we have sustained as a nation is so much more a result of Democratic Party dysfunction than of Donald Trump’s legitimate abilities.
In fact, imagine if they had nominated a better candidate than Hillary Clinton for the 2016 race. Donald Trump would still just be an annoying celebrity pretending to be a successful businessman.
Clinton would have been a good President, but, yes I'll agree, there were problems with her candidacy.
Not with her political stance, her policies, her intelligence, her leadership qualities, but with vulnerabilities of her personal life that the scum that wanted trump (or any non-functioning leader for the US) could exploit.
I don't think there was any other Democrat who would have fared better through the smear campaign who would have been a good President.
We’ll never know who would have ultimately prevailed in a robust, open, democratic primary process since Clinton was more or less chosen by the DNC, but Bernie Sanders had the momentum and the passion of the youth and much more progressive economic and social justice positions. And some polls showed him beating Trump whereas Clinton had very high unfavorability ratings.
Mr. HornPlayer, I've jumped in my time machine and returned to 2014 numerous times. At that period in time, there was no better-qualified candidate than Hillary Clinton available. Because of her previous experience, she would not have needed on-the-job training, unlike her opponent.
The fault was not with Clinton, but her campaign management team. They simply were not up to the challenge of competing against the GOP machine.
Having observed several political campaigns firsthand, I can tell you that the candidate is not the ultimate power in a campaign. Yes, they sign off on major decisions, but those decisions are shaped by staff before they reach the candidate. The candidate must trust their staff. They can't know what has been kept from them.
Mr. H.P., indeed, we'll never know. There's no denying that several negatives got attached to Clinton, but setting aside all of those issues, Clinton was the best qualified.
Although some polls were favorable to Bernie, in the end, he didn't have the practical experience in global affairs that Clinton had. And he was consistently too far left for Middle America to embrace. The nation had to be abused by Trump & Co. for a few years before some of Bernie's proposals could become attractive. Even now, there's not enough buy-in on Bernie's platform. And of course, now, he's a decade older.
Odd, I'm still in my mid 30....er 40s -- 50s? um...ok I'm 76. [For the record, I feel at least a generation younger than trump even though it's just 4 years difference]
I think Dale is right about Bernie. All the people who couldn't accept Clinton would have choked on Bernie. And I don't think he had the national exposure in 2016 to beat the trump(Russia) machine.
Also, like Elizabeth Warren (my personal favorite), Bernie is far more valuable to the country as a Senator who fights for liberal causes in Congress than he would be as a progressive President fighting against Congress.
But since we don't have time machines, it's time to look to the future. Who do either you or Dale see as a viable 2028 candidate who can not only win the election but also hold the country (or at least the Party) together in the aftermath of the current administration.
MAGA plans are in the open: steal the elections by doing things in Nov, Dec & Jan that they hope will overwhelm the courts and succeed because the Judicial Branch cannot act, or doesn't want to act swiftly. The importance of organizations like Democracy Docket cannot be underestimated. Don't give money to D folders like Schumer, contribute to Democracy Docket, HCR, Civil Discourse, Katie Phang, Timothy Snyder, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, etc!
Quick note: Marc Elias leads Democracy Docket and gets an order of magnitude more of my contributions. I feel his team will be key in preventing the success of the MAGAverse's plans.
You are so right! Marc Elias and his team have already won almost every case against this Mob regarding voting rights. With other law firms folding to the whims of a mad man, Elias Law has stood firm. If we ever rid ourselves of this criminal organization in our government, these lawyers should get a medal.
Absolutely! Marc Elias does much of the heavy lifting when litigating redistricting, civil rights, representation of the people, free and fair elections.
HRC and Aaron Parnas are my go to - one gets the history and lessons of our democracy and how it applies to the corruption in the past and in today's world, and Aaron Parnas provides the latest updates on all the important events taking place and applies his law background to the perspective in a digestible and succinct manner - truly Amazing and really all I feelnlike I need to see! I highly recommend consuming Aaron's morning post for today, Monday, 8/3 as it is an incredible assessment of the agreement debacle holding up the Blanche confirmation.
How about contributing to Sherrod Brown and Jon Ossoff? Both are seasoned public servants and average Dems like me don’t have “real money” (more than $3-$5) to give them.
Virginia, I would appreciate you (or anyone else reading) for suggestions how to donate to a particular campaign without half being siphoned off to the DNC?
My personal answer has been to write postcards on my own dime for candidates I want to support--which was a HUGE MISTAKE in the case of Fetterman!
A few years ago, I recall reading a post here where the commentor was furious as a local seat who they said easily could have gone to the Dems did not get support from the DNC, and thus the GOP person won. That unleashed a slew of replies where others claimed the same thing had happened in their area, and that is why they now refused to send money.
MIselle, you must find your favored candidate on ActBlue and donate directly to him/her. This will cut out the DNC and all the PACs. Please add a 5-10% tip to support ActBlue itself.
Miselle, I get appeals from up to 50 candidates (own websites) every day. Both Sherrod Brown and Jon Ossoff have them (jon@ sorry I don’t remember the rest, but betting you can easily get it). If you have difficulty, let me know and I will send you web address from what I’m getting.
As obviously deranged and lawless as trump is, why are Republicans STILL protecting him? Do they think they will retain power when this selfish oaf cannot buy ALL the courts and judges? Do they think billionaires will protect them or buy an illegal midterm result? Or are Republicans so fully corrupt there is no turning back?
Not to defend any of the scummy lot, but they're like riders on a merry-go-round that keeps speeding up, overheating, and is now beginning to fly apart. They won't disembark, however, even to save their political skins. Like deer in the headlights, frozen -- or maybe just too punch-drunk with immediate power to realize they're really being boiled alive.
So we have to push them off. All of them. I hope enough millions will finally figure this all out -- it's not a Todd Blanche bagman problem, not a drunken, low T Kegsbreath problem, not a corrupt judge problem, not even a Rancid Baby Huey problem --- it's a REPUBLICAN problem. The tumor has to be excised at its source, by all of us, this November.
Mary Ann, I feel the same way! I've been more on the roller coaster, myself. At times, there is a tad of good news and I'm exhilarated, as Iwe summit the top and as I feel us plummeting towards relief, I think, we made it, we made it, we made it!! It's over! Other times, I'm climbing up that hill with a sick dread in my heart.
Sadly for me, though, I've been having a harder time catching my breath between the hills. I've cut back on consumption of politics so much, for my own sanity.
You do what you need to do to stay healthy. I keep cutting back on my consumption, then sucked back into it. So far, I haven't fallen over the edge and into the abyss.
I love your descriptions of the deer in the headlights repugs! I heard today on Velshi that the reason Cornyn and tillis are not really serious about standing up to Blanche is they don’t want to be ostracized and unable to perhaps become lobbyists or other jobs. To me it seems that they don’t want to lose their fiends in the party. Not big hero’s! I think that ought to be enough.
Are any of those compliant Republicans in the Epstein files? Do Russia/Trump have kompromat about them? What is the financial investment of those compliant Republicans in the various Trump ventures and criminal enterprises?
For a good number of them, being in Congress is the best, most profitable gig they will ever have. It appears some of them are barely qualified for any other job.
Hi Linda. The answer to your question is overwhelmingly the last rhetorical option you list (they are fully on board with corruption). Remember the bible story about Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees; that’s what you’re up against. The full force of the US Government is bending daily more and more to corruption. From abroad, we see this without any blinkers of patriotism or memories of previous greatness.
Does anyone remember Madeline Kahn starring in Blazing Saddles singing "I'm tired..." It's how I feel about the constant insanity of this president.... Yet I keep reading so I remember to continue to protest, support candidates and VOTE BLUE.
That is their objective. That you, the public, will become so exhausted from the firehose of all their schemes and outrageous activities that you will give up. Please don’t. Take some time off to relax and prevent burnout (like even Jess Craven is doing this week). And like Heather does when she goes kayaking and spending time with her family.
I hear this frequently, but I have to ask: give up what? What would I be failing to accomplish by tuning out this mess? The only contribution I feel like I can make by staying tuned in is to be constantly outraged, frustrated. Fred, I honestly sympathize with your sentiment, and to be honest, I can’t actually tear myself away from the news - I follow it constantly (a ‘perk’ of being retired) - but there are moments …
Personally, I would suggest you indulge in the occasional revenge fantasy. The only thing more satisfying than imagining vanquishing a nemesis is voting the SOBs out of office...and we may soon be doing just that.
Gordon, I sometimes feel "they" are succeeding in drowning me with their firehose. It's impacting me in ways I don't like, so I have to back away from the computer, the smart phone, the endless rage filled emails from friends. I used to be able to get away with short breaks--a day or two, but they are growing longer, as I'm trying to save energy, and sanity, for what lies ahead.
Imagine there is a blue tsunami. While I'm praying for and will work for that, what happens next? YES, impeachment and conviction and maybe war crimes prosecuted, but it won't be a fun or easy time. It's scary (but still better than the alternate). I'm attempting to occupy myself with things that are better for my health (my writing, my website, gardening and exercising) in the hopes there will be something left of me to endure.
Thanks for the "Blazing Saddles" reference. So much resonance to our current situation: Mel Brooks as the shifty dim-wit Governor Le Petomane! Harvey Korman as his viciously amoral, scheming AG Hedley Lamarr!
Those brain-dead characters remind me so much of Our Beloved President and his evil advisor Stephen Miller (whose resemblance to Josef Goebbels is uncanny, though I prefer to think of as POTUS' own nasty Grima Worm-tongue, to switch over to LOTR characters).
Thinking back on Blazing Saddles again, I can at least get a good laugh out of the memory of the movie -- not so much thinking about the bloody mayhem being caused by those hapless, evil nitwits.
The rule of law depends on more than laws. It depends on the public believing that justice is administered impartially, that evidence is presented honestly, and that power is exercised consistently.
Once those assumptions begin to fail, every prosecution becomes suspect—even the legitimate ones.
The reflecting pool fracas is a distraction from a far more consequential story. Jen Easterly, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Biden administration, has written an op-ed in the NY Times on the cyberattacks on water facilities in seven states, likely by Iran, and what needs to be done to repair Trump’s destruction of our cybersecurity defenses.
The danger to national security has to be addressed urgently. It can be done before the midterms because it can garner bipartisan support, likely enough to survive a Trump veto. It would point to the opposition's willingness to reach a bipartisan solution while pointing directly at the Trump regime's incompetence. It would be one step on the long road to rebuilding trust in the ability of our institutions to function.
In my own post on this issue yesterday, I argued that the catfight about the reflecting pool was the distraction to hide the abject failure of the Trump regime to protect our homeland from the attacks of modern warfare. It is not just about the rise of drones. Being an ocean away from an enemy is not enough. It was not 25 years ago on 9/11. But it is even easier now that jihadists can be replaced by hackers, and bots can probe for vulnerabilities and write custom code to exploit them.
The first attacks in 2024 were a probe with a jokey warning note. These new ones are a wider test of how secure our systems are against intrusion and our capabilities for rapid response.
There will be more attacks. Trump’s attempts at distraction and blaming Tim Walz, rather than necessary transparency and an honest evaluation of the threat, are demonstrating how weakened we are.
You could argue that everything is a distraction from everything else. What that gets you at the end of the day, I'm not sure. The Reflecting Swamp wasn't intended to be a distraction, it was intended by a fantasist terrified of reality to masquerade as reality. And it has failed -- predictably, dismally, laughably. Jeanine Pirro turning against her own boss is actually the real story beneath the story. Rats scurrying off the sinking Mango Titanic in search of what few lifeboats there are to save themselves. Beneath the disaster humor lurks, which is an encouraging thought indeed.
Every situation we face now is dire. Some are truly terrifying. All are morally asphyxiating. But each stems from the moment millions of Americans, relying on their basest instincts rather than their brains, elected idiots and scumbags to high office, ignoring the likelihood that a few powerful 'grey cardinals' would trade on those instincts simply to grift the system. On paper, perhaps, it feels like one is supposed to substitute for the other. No doubt Steve Bannon would claim it's all part of the architecture of flooding the zone with shit. At times, it certainly feels justified to claim that. But it's more like the natural fuckupery and contempt for law that comes after people chose to feed the wrong wolf at the door, and thereby jettison integrity, expertise, knowhow, and common sense right out the window.
Climbing out of the snakepit will be a tough slog no matter what. We will need all the positive thinking we can muster, acknowledging all the dangers, yet not fixating on them.
This administration's dismantling of our cybersecurity system will result in more serious attacks that create the kind of chaos they depend on to keep power and destroy democracy. Not incompetence at all, part of the design. Thanks for putting more light on this along with Jen Easterly.
Anything can be turned into a distraction for something else--just as long as you keep flooding the zone and stirring the turds floating in the cesspool. Some distractions fail to gain traction--like the attempt to have the "Board of Peace" announce a deal saying that Hamas had agreed to disarm. Bibi tossed a wet blanket on that one fast.
So the war is to cover up the Epstein files but the reflection pool investigation is to cover up his war, Epstein files, low approval ratings. What next, start a fire and name it Reichstag?
Ask Steve Bannon. There is no need for logic —there is just the imperative to interrupt the current narrative so people become mentally exhausted and drop the logical connections and the story line. I don’t think what’s used as distraction is planned, but anything that happens can be messaged into something outrageous enough to be distracting. Trump does it with the “weave”, partly still purposefully, and when he is tired and when the drugs are wearing off, and he’s sundowning from the dementia.
Heather’s work is so powerful because she maintains the throughline in her letters. Legacy media doesn’t do that very often any more— and most of the news aggregators on Substack just provide an endless stream of the juiciest bits of random clickbait sandwiched between rage rants.
Thanks, Georgia, for this important nod to an essential aspect of Heather's work. And thanks to you for the deep reporting that you do on what Heather doesn't get to.
What we are witnessing here is the obliteration of trust. Absent that, legitimate dialogue and reasoned decisions become impossible. Once lost, regaining it is a steep climb, indeed.
What magnifies the carnage is the loss of trust within our Nation and the loss of trust in our Nation on the world stage a well.
To experience that in the last decade of our 250 years of slowly, sometimes painfully, making good on many of the aspirations we began with is heartbreaking, to say the least.
However, as our friend, Joyce Vance argues so eloquently, Giving Up is Unforgivable.
Thank you for reminding us that "giving up is unforgivable." It's also exactly the wrong thing to do.
Now, more than ever, we all have to be guided by doing our utmost to do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time. The difficulty of the moment still doesn't absolve us of the responsibility to think and act clearly, decisively, wisely.
I figure if Joyce Vance can keep reporting on the minutiae of court cases that DOJ keeps losing, if Marc Elias can continue fighting the beast, if Heather can go tippety-tap at 2am to chronicle it all, while reminding us that we have seen parallel moments like this before in our history, if Norm Eisen can wage the good fight by engaging in hand-to-hand chickenshit combat (and win his cases), if those older than me continue to volunteer to be poll workers and poll watchers even now, can keep donating, keep showing up, and even smiling throughout....well, what's my excuse?
Exactly. I think every day about my two Navy flying buddies whose lives ended fifty years too soon on New Year's Day in 1959. They remind me that they and almost 1.2 million other Americans have given up a lot more than a little time on our behalf. They invested everything in us; we cannot rightly ignore that.
Beautifully said. Rebuilding trust may be one of the hardest democratic projects we’ll face. But you’re right—we don’t get to give up on it. That’s exactly when it needs us most.
In other news, billionaires are doing whatever they please: "Supply Side Economics".
Although:
"Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. Capital has its rights, which are as worthy of protection as any other rights. Nor is it denied that there is, and probably always will be, a relation between labor and capital producing mutual benefits." -- That Lincoln guy.
The broader American public knows criminal Donald anymore is just ranting.
An empty, mean vessel, just helplessly ranting.
Americans know this because of the broad contrast the cruel fat man makes with his total emptiness of programs that could, should help the people. He has nothing for them. And, worse, his inflationary spiral from his idiot tariffs makes things worse. His rising, rising gas prices not only make things worse but their large-numbered colors broadcast in neon also broadcast the fool Donald's obvious contempt for the American people.
And this all compounds with Republicans in Congress evidently still egregious in their cowardly support for the rapist, the murderer, the flagrant violator of the people's Constitution and all their institutions and laws shredded by this bastard and his acolytes.
Phil, he is just ranting until one of his acolytes puts an executive order in front of him for his signature. The action takes place until a federal judge temporarily stops the action. Since He Who Must Not Be Named has immunity for his “official” actions, the time gap between executive action and judicial reaction allows any rants to do damage. In the short term, he still has power as long as his rants align with the wishes of one of his merry band.
And I would hope that the esteemed members of the SCOTUS would hear those words. It is difficult to respect a justice system that is so obviously corrupt from the head down. The rule of law has become something that can be bought. Restoring faith in it is definitely going to be a long, hard slog.
It seems that like disease, plutocratic corruption has never been absent from human societies, but after the abuses of the "Gilded Age", we made far better headway against it, using rule of law and the court of public opinion to expand the rights of the many as opposed to concentrating power in the hands of a few. Historically unaccountable power has tended to corrupt, thus the necessity for checks and balances to achieve human rights and justice. That's the gist of our founding documents. In "The Federalist" Madison says:
"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."
It's no easy thing, but our founding, core, defining idea as a new nation conceived in liberty, was patently division of power.
It's not just retired judges either, but also sitting judges who are fed up with the number of opaque SCOTUS rulings on important issues via the Shadow Docket.
Yes, Mary, the danger and damages persist, continue, wreck more harm, more murders.
I was watching Sarah Kendzior with Mark Thompson earlier today, and they proffer the worsening, too, of criminal Donald's loyalties to his world coterie of oligarchs, fellow dictators.
Curiously, this is an old story, whose details stew in the old saga of Donald with his allies of 30 years ago, Jeffrey and Ghislaine -- and the 1200 underage girls and young women they not only raped themselves, but trafficked also to that same international mix of oligarchs, celebrities, secret agents, and criminals then.
Phil, thank you for that link. I had to go watch it and come back here. I'm a real fan of Sarah's writing and recently finished The Last American Road Trip that I related to soooo much, having visited so many of these same places on trips with my students and family. I also related to her emotion in wanting her kids to see these places before they vanish. I was obsessed with giving my students that same awareness of what was theirs before it vanished.
The interview by Mark Thompson holds the Democratic Party to account too, something I do routinely that brings lots of anger from the "blue no matter who" crowd. I have a lot more empathy for Sarah's understanding of the reality of American governance than I do with the current portrayal of it by the Democratic "Party." I understand why Americans cringe when they start to see this reality.
And she's always been positively great fingering the criminal Donald and his longstanding affiliation not only with the Jeffrey/Ghislaine trafficking, but the still-largely hidden, seamier sides of all those internationally-linked oligarch thugs.
As I was finishing Sarah's The Last American Road Trip, I took in a concert in Colorado Springs by the group Old Crow Medicine Show. In a timely sort of way, one of the cuts on their latest album is "The Last American Waltz." I couldn't help relating it to that book and the situation of such great loss that we face. You may enjoy it. I find it beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6uLWTGGcG4
The guy's and girl's voices pair marvelously. The lyrics seem most apt as in call-and-response with the dancers waltzing to it. The clothes, the colors, the musicians all celebrate the very best of what Sarah K. always finds at the heart of the best of America.
You are unlikely to improve if you deny or fail to recognize you own failings. Voting day is one of those "this and not that" decision points, with persistent consequences, so while I wouldn't put it in terms of "blue no matter who" I see the wisest choice as whichever choice on the whole will do the most good and the least harm. Often "good" and "harm" are hard to identify clearly, but a keenly thought through and honestly earnest guess is more likely the best we can do.
The rest of the time, a quest to improve our available options is appropriate. To what degree to we limit our options by equating celebrity with the complicated skill set of wise and effective leadership, or even consider what leadership in a of, by and for the people (i.e. DIY) society is properly about. Are we looking for Superman, or a wise facilitator with vision and administrative skills? We have rights as individuals and also as a whole and continuing society. Which choices best and provably extend and protect such a treasure?
"I see the wisest choice as whichever choice on the whole will do the most good and the least harm."
Absolutely agree. I find the "VBNMW" mantra often used by the DNC and operatives of the Party to steer voters to block vote for a corporate/AIPAC "Democrat" in the primary who does not intend to do the most good. That happened with Cuomo in NYC and with DeGette in Colorado.
The people are fed up with this enough to stop contributing to the Party and now contribute directly to the candidates (and maybe to the State party where it remains a largely ethical entity). That largely accounts for the national DNC bankruptcy. People know more now about how they are being manipulated and by whom. They are royally pissed and determined to make "most good" choices in spite of the Party. 35% of Mamdani's winning vote came from registered Independent Voters. 45% of our voters are Independent, who tend to research the candidates rather than fall for mindless partisan mantras and propaganda.
I have been a registered Democrat since I first became eligible to vote, though my loyalty my loyalty is not to party as such. That said, the Republican Party turned particularly ugly since Nixon, so not much choice. I try to be a decent supporter of "Liberty and Justice for all".
The problem with human organizations, necessary as they often are, is that outfits founded with the best of intentions with respect to the public good often seem to turn in on themselves, and unconsciously or deliberately, those in positions of power tend to preserve or expand their own sphere of influence over dedication to the organization's ostensible mission. That is visible in many sorts of organizations, and we don't seem to have adequate means to discourage it.
It is complicated by some of the less-rational vicarious attachments people seem to make as vicarious projections of their own identity rather than by a more substantive relationship; the sort that MAGA enthusiasts plainly project on Trump, or people who whose only connection to a sports team is that of a spectator can sometimes become uncivil in their zealous promotion or defense of a particular team. I don't claim to fully understand this,, but it is something for our society to reckon with. I think all of us are capable, and even sometimes catch ourselves, striving or fighting for something that in the grand scale of things does not really matter, or is attainable only at an unacceptable cost, neglecting better choices within our grasp.
I sit here and wonder if any of those eejits on the Supreme Court ever think about what they have wrought by giving this jerk such incredibly broad immunity. (Probably not, but perhaps now and then a little niggling itch they can’t quite reach? One wishes. Sigh.)
Yes. I actually think that they know exactly what they’re doing. They have been catered to by Leonard Leo and the Heritage foundation for many many years. The ideals were set in place in the very early 80s. They are a shameful group of arbiters and ones who we must curb their appetite to enforcing their laws rather than the laws of the land. I think we can do it, but it’s gonna take time and a lot of effort. Like Joy says “ giving up is unforgivable”.
I read an article yesterday, will have to find the source, that said the Heritage Foundation has been hollowed out of its experts as Roberts gets more and more radical. Seems institutions are broadly being whittled down, leaving the inept.
Recall some details, Marlene, of how "they know exactly what they're doing."
The Heritage Foundation -- and ALEC -- ensued directly from the 1971 Powell memo. Many other far-right foundations interlinked subsequent to that.
Might we "curb their appetite to enforcing their laws rather than the laws of the land," as you ask? Yes, I agree, "we can do it." But it won't "take time and a lot of effort."
More specifically, we can get the good human energy that comes from being copacetic with the complicated human if we start with restoring humanities to our schools. Remember, emptying schools of humanities was the first, sine qua non of both the Heritage Foundation and ALEC -- all through the remainder of the 1970s.
I'm reading Michael Pollan's great, new "A World Appears." It's all on the science on consciousness, on our advantages when we learn to embrace the complicated, the many-layered, multiversity, serendipity, even apparent contradictions (usually just a sign of insufficiency of larger context).
What's the biggest monster that kills all those possible goods? Hint, it comes when schools allow only anonymous elites to ask questions, when students and teachers may ask no questions, and the IQ which the elites worship always comes A)-B)-C)-D), to which there is always but one correct answer.
It makes me sick to see anyone supporting this corruption. This must be the central message for democrats, Democratic socialists for the midterms. It worked to get Hungary free from Orbán. It can work for us.
The Anti-Weaponization Bill should be giving them all pause, not just Cronyn and Tillis! It is so sickening. Nobody should be "in" on confirming Blanche!
Playing devil's advocate. If Blanche's confirmation makes it out of committee, then we have Collins, Murkowski and McConnell as no votes (kinda-sorta). That means every other Republican Senator votes to confirm. Is there a John McCain out there willing to sacrifice their career in a red state? I'm guessing no, but not betting on it.
Congress has an unusual moment of leverage. Wonder what Trump and crew will give up to get that confirmation done. Would suck for Trump and his spawn otherwise; that tax deal sticks as long as Blanche is confirmed. Do he, the boys, and his "org" file in Florida but Ivanka in New York?
We got played. Props to the judges though. What they did was both right and huge. Never was a reason to split that settlement that way unless you planned to sever from the start. It is exhausting watching our side chase their tails. Much more of this and elon’s gonna have to kick down his ketamine supply.
When the DOJ lawyers intentionally deceive grand juries and withhold evidence and then repeat this illegality under oath in court hearings, they should be disbarred and jailed for contempt and perjury. All DOJ grand jury hearings are now prima facie suspect of criminal malfeasance under the Trump syndicate.
Trump's willingness to withdraw his AG nomination until the new Senate is seated in January shows that he has plans to retain control of the government after the midterms.
There must be some way, somehow, to get these mobsters out of our government. Our (at least my) forefathers figured out how to get out from under the thumb of the British Empire. Who will rid us of these troublesome liars and thieves?
All they ever wanted to do was avoid paying their due amount of taxes. And you can forget about the "without representation" nonsense; precious few people in Great Britain had any sort of representation at the time.
Two questions: 1)Why do these attorneys, including Jeanine Pirro and Todd Blanche, not lose their license to practice law?
2)Do people wrongly accused get any kind of recompense for the harm that the DOJ caused them?
Ive been wondering the same thing. In a normal world, the answer to both questions would be a resounding yes.
It's my understanding that the professional organizations, not Republicans, not Democrats, not elected officials...and not John Roberts' Supreme Court, set the standards for ethical practice and competence to qualify for professional registration and to maintain statutory licensing. If the professions' licensing boards are playing the politics as an excuse not to act, those with responsibility to do so are likely violating their own professional organizations' bylaws. In playing the politics, they take away the credibility of every licensed professional in EVERY state, so your question 1 is indeed one I would like to see answered.
I don't see how the law profession can afford this. I doubt other licensed professions like medicine, nursing, engineering, etc. would long tolerate such disservice.
On your question 2, I believe he will need to file suit for false arrest, which I suspect would get settled quietly out of court because the details of how this arrest occurred would disclose the actions of the entire chain of command during discovery.
Ed, it's sad that professional legal organizations and states won't step up and sanction this whole menagerie of legal evil. Also, settling suits quietly would keep from disclosure; can't have that.
I am wondering what the status of the Trump suit is against the BBC since the BBC, being smarter than Trumplandia, demands Trump's financial records, an unexpected twist for Trump, might show how much income taxes he owes while trying to cheat the American people. Sticky!
I just gave an example of how California stepped way-up to remove John Eastman.
Repeat, David Hearn is represented by NORM EISEN! Norm's legal team is 19-0 in very recent cases against fascists.
Norm racked 160 court victories against the Trump Gang. You can follow Norm's work on 'Democracy Docket'. Norm rocks.
I will continue to donate to NORM & update status on LFAA & CIVIL DISCOURSE.
Also, in The Contrarian Substack, which Eisen founded with former Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin, he often reports on cases he is working on.
Note: Unlike most Substacks which look pretty-much like newsletters, The Contrarian is evolving into more of an online newspaper. This is a fitting development as the Washington Post continues to disintegrate. Or more accurately, continues to be demolished.
Have a look at William Spivey's history substack too. It's a lot more scholarly than bloggy or newspapery.
And paid subscriptions to the Contrarian supports the lawsuits brought by Norm Eisen and Democracy Defenders lawyers.
Don't leave out Marc Elias.
Marc is doing the heavy lifting needed to prevent the oligarchs efforts from taking away Constitutional voting rights by federalizing the elections. That is the most important battle we are now in.
I respect Marc Elias & Team.
Is that what it takes? Investing your time, energy and money and finding a good lawyer to protect you from trumped ( no pun intended) assault?
His suits are designed to harass and intimidate people into silence rather than convict. It is the weapon of choice of the monied Epstein class to maintain control over people and their organizations that might constitute resistance and dissent. Lawyers who collude in doing this should ALL be disbarred. Some of them belong behind bars.
Isn’t Democracy Docket Marc Elias’s - another tireless, pro-voting rights attorney - newsletter? Norm Eisen founded Democracy Defenders, dedicated to upholding democracy and the rule of law.
Let's hope that the BBC can reveal what our venal media refuse to do: show the country just how much the Trump family has stolen from the American people. Cheers to the BBC!
And the Brits have a king?
An exceedingly powerless one at that.
"what our venal media refuse to do: show the country just how much the Trump family has stolen from the American people."
The Trump family has not stolen a penny from the "American people." But they have engaged in some pretty bad conflicts of interest. But the latter isn't theft.
Really? Are you not counting the billions being spent on an illegal and useless war? Or the money taken from health insurance programs, medicaid and snap? What about the destruction of our iconic monuments in DC? What about tariffs that have raised prices in grocery stores and gas stations? All of these and more are stealing money from us. The billionaire one percent aren't paying for anything except to line the pockets of the man in the WH to buy the favors and deals that they want to become richer and more powerful . And the robbery won't end in two years because we will have to pay to have everything restored that has been taken away for years and years to come.
?
collecting money personally for exercising the powers of the presidency (hundreds of pardons purchased by donations) is stealing money from the public - not to mention that the pardons cancel restitution orders under which the pardoned criminals were going to have to pay millions to their victims, but not any more. So it's a two-step theft: (i) pay Trump, (ii) don't pay victims, who are members of the public.
I believe that the justice dept. missed the deadline given and had to surrender all the documents being requested by BBC so it looks like they are standing even stronger in this case. Time will tell but I would put my money on the BBC.
I expect Trump to discontinue the suit. A civil party cannot be compelled to continue an action it begins, though some court systems could make the discontinuing party pay some of the expenses the defendant has paid to defend up to the point of discontinuance.
Trump is very good at starting lawsuits but often does not pursue them. It's the fear value and the expense of defending them that do the work for him.
And for the completely baseless suits against ABC and CBS that the defendants settled, the defendants wanted something else from the government - permissions to merge etc - that Trump could have prevented (completely improperly, but ....) - so they did not fight as hard as someone who did not want favors (like the BBC) can do.
I can’t wait to see the results of that BBC lawsuit.
Ho hum… it just another bad day at the office.
Bill, we have somebody actors prosectors, now disabled prosecutors, that are having very bad day at their used-to-be-offices.
I get it.
The BBC will be ignored.
Trump would have to withdraw the lawsuit. I’m sure there will be shenanigans with withholding evidence etc but he has to cooperate or withdraw his suit.
Serious sanctionable shenanigans.
That's what I expect him to do.
Move on to the next imaginary crisis.
They can’t be as long as the suit is active.
Name just one group that prosecutes their own -- The police across the US kill over 1000 people a year, many of whom are running away from them. In spite of repeated orders from top ICE officials to not shoot into vehicles, ICE agents continue to shoot into vehicles and killing the occupants with immunity and impunity. Ever try to get a hairdresser fired who continually ruins someones hair before a big event like a wedding? Yeah, they don't police their own either.
I was a programmer for over 45 years and fixed many fuck-ups caused by incompetent programmers. Some of those problems go days before someone realizes the customers are getting screwed. And I'm talking up to several thousand dollars and hundreds of customers. One person that make a mistake by entering a change of interest rate by a decimal point (.00x vs .0x) is now the lead programmer of an off-shore team. It took six of us to almost a month to fix that issue.
Can you think of any profession/job in the US where they actually punish the guilty?
Trump and company have killed hundreds of thousands, and continue to do so, and it's just become "normal."
Attorney John Eastman was disbarred.
Rudy Giuliani was disbarred.
Here in Minnesota we CONVICTED Derek Chauvin and his ass sits in prison.
Minnesota rocks!
YES!!!
I watched the trial. You guys did good.
Imagine what we could do if we got our hands on that pig in the White House!
FIU Installs Sanctioned Trump Attorney As Interim Law Dean, Overruling Its Own Search Committee
“Epstein’s sanction stems from Trump’s “one neat trick” lawsuit against himself. The president sent his lawyers to sue the IRS over a tax records leak that occurred during Trump’s first administration.”
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/07/fiu-installs-sanctioned-trump-attorney-as-interim-law-dean-overruling-its-own-search-committee/
Florida International University is a top-tier public university.FIU contact info:⬇️
https://www.fiu.edu/about/contact-us/index.html
Floridians please 📲📲📲
Why did FIU do this? Who forced them to hire him? Is this DeSantis’s work?
The FIU president (with “scant serious higher-ed experience) is DeSantis’ former Lt. Governor…
actually FIU is NOT a top-tier university. It has nowhere the stature of any of the big 10 public university. It's been subject to Republican low-IQ manipulation for years. Bring me Ohio State, the University of Illinois or Michigan anytime. They are top-tier. Florida is low tier.
Same old question: who will guard the guardians?
Blanche has apparently signed a document terminating the slush fund and in some way limiting the Trump tax evasion. Cornyn and Tillis, having strutted their moment on the ‘stage of righteousness’ will now probably join the rest of the Republican lickspittles and endorse Blanche even though his blatant Trump-pleasing prosecutions are an equaling appalling dereliction of duty and responsibility.
But Trump will pay a price. Those of his supporters who thought they were going to get a big payout for Biden’s ‘lawfare’ aren’t going to be happy.
I hope against hope that at least one--Cornyn perhaps--will hold out and block Blanche at the committee level. It just takes one nay to deny the nomination going to full Senate. That said, if Blanche gets what he wants I am equally sure that the fund will be resurrected perhaps with different wording so that they can say it is a different bill and trump will get his way as he always does and never seems pleased enough to relax and just stop.
It will be interesting to see if, assuming Blanche is blocked, whether Trump will maintain him as acting AG as he has said he would.
Blanche has willingly placed himself in the same trap as every other Trump cabinet member. One has to please Big Daddy, but that becomes increasingly difficult because Trump himself is constantly demanding the increasingly impossible.
The growing number of judges who are calling out DOJ lawyers (who are finding themselves in the same boat) for “practices unbecoming” are adding to Blanche’s problem even as he strives to do that impossible. One recalls the (supposedly) Chinese adage: be careful what you ask for; you may get it.
Aaron Parnas in Substack's The Parnas Perspective reported this morning that only Todd Blanche signed that the weaponization fund is dead. Parnas, the reporter, is also a lawyer, and his analysis is that all parties need to sign for it to be dead, so Trump and his sons need to sign as well as someone Treasury Dept.... So Beryl, you're probably right.
One way or another Trump will pay them with our money. I hope a future administration, hopefully the next one will Sue to get the money back.
New Mexicos natural gas company was just bought by venture capitalists. The accompanying announcement (I don't know why I got this, I'm in Colorado) touts reduced bills for customers.
Not bloody likely.
I am a licensed psychologist. And I believe that our professional organizations and our licensing board is more concerned with protecting their image. I suspect that there are many good “ fill in the blank “ professionals who have tried to do the right thing and been met with resistance or worse.
Your figure on police killings is way too low. Police regularly kill more of our own citizens than all mass shooters EVERY year.
See https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)01609-3/fulltext.
Lancet is a peer reviewed publication. Substack, including this one, is not, and that is important.
😱🤯🤬🤬🤬
The same old question: who will guard the guardians.
"Can you think of any profession/job in the US where they actually punish the guilty?" Yes. Law, medicine, engineering. The major exception is academics. They don't punish anyone despite incompetence that shames programmers.
"Trump and company have killed hundreds of thousands, and continue to do so, and it's just become "normal." Where'd you dig up that fallacy?
Yes. The academic journals that are still managed by scholars operating within professional organizations do punish the guilty, Peer review and active scholarship are the mechanisms. When peer review fails, other researchers soon invariably discover the disservice, and the "punishment" is publicly getting the authors' papers exposed and retracted.
Fortunately, political patronage hacks appointed by both parties to run universities cannot get their hands on these journals or the peer review system, although some tried to interfere. A past VP and President at Idaho State University tried and got publicly rebuked in The Chronicle of Higher Ed. for it. Scott Walker's administration in WI tried to intimidate scholars from participating as authors, editors, and reviewers of scientific journals that published on climate change by taking away tenure so the party hacks could get at the scholars.
That is why maintaining the autonomy of scholars and keeping their information system beyond reach of corrupt politicians and parties is so necessary. The peer review information system made available through our public libraries is the last "free press" this country has.
"The police across the US kill over 1000 people a year, many of whom are running away from them."
Not correct: " Data gathered by Mapping Police Violence shows that approximately 32% of all individuals killed by law enforcement are attempting to flee (by running, driving off, or escaping) when lethal force is used."
If the crime is sufficient, or there is fear of someone armed fleeing, that is exactly what police should do. So what's the problem?
In most Policing Organisations in the US, merely fleeing from the Police is mandated to be a non-capital crime, per the Supreme Court, and officers are forbidden from shooting at fleeing persons or, more likely, vehicles.
When the law is broken, they are prosecuted. You can;t generalize. You have to look at each case and situation.
What law says a policeman can never shoot a person fleeing, when the circumstances in their judgment warrant it?
And yet ICE and CBP have immunity and impunity from all murders and violence they commit.
I don't know about you but I can think of a couple of things more intensely abused that poor djt. Lady Liberty in NY harbor comes to mind as does the Constitution. The Constitution is nothing but a door mat for trump & his cronies & for the 6 bought & paid for Supreme Court justices that contort themselves into positions a life long yoga instructor would find impossible to perfect.
Looks like my Mom was right. The US will rot from within! So much for the Golden Age of the US, the only thing that makes it golden is the gold doodads he glues all over the place.
Time to replace the regime with at least some modicum of dignity & truth. It's going to be a long uphill battle to repair, remake, revive the US after this period & it will be harder still given that 1/3 of the population seems to think that what's going on is just fine. Those people will not go quietly, I'm pretty sure of that. What's the saying: "There are none so blind as those who will not see."?
return, A very very long uphill battle. It is so much easier to destroy than to build something that may take years. In the meantime, the world is on fire literally. Here in the PNW, we have many large fires including the one destroying parts of Spokane and suburbs.
I’ve been following the fires in PNW and Spokane, mostly by watching the excellent Zeke Lunder on The Lookout on YouTube.
Horrific.
I had just moved to Sonoma County when the 2017 fires came through, and my family was so so close to the Palisades and Altadena fires. Never seen any like them, and hope to not again. But we will.
I hope you and your loved ones are ok.
Thomas, thank you. We are. I live in Salem, Oregon, which is far from Spokane. We do have some large wildfires here in Oregon, mostly in eastern and central Oregon. We may get smoke today with a wind shift and the entire week is going to be very hot raising the risk of fires and people suffering from the heat. And lots of fruit in our garden is getting ripe too early, but it is too hot to be out most of the day.
Yes, I live in Ca & had to evacuate during the fires that ravaged the California coast a few years ago. I was very fortunate the fires never reached my home but many. many people lost their homes! But at least we know that there is no climate change right??????? Sure, & there is no corruption in this regime!!! It was only Biden & Obama that did terrible things during their reigns of terror!!!!!!!
return, worse possible person to be the occupant of the WH. We had big fires in 2020 up the Santiam canyon and some level three friends showed up at our house. We had terrible smoke. Still smells like smoke up the canyon.
Fires in Canada too 🙁
My mother's favorite phrase to tell me I was wrong was that one. She worshipped Trump, and insisted l was blind. She is dead now, but the curse lives on and will never be erased from our once decent government, IMHO.
Every state exercises disciplinary authority over the attorneys in its states. My understanding is that Bondi wasn’t disciplined because the Florida Bar has declined to do so. I don’t know what New York will do. Some states like Michigan and California are unified bar associations, where every attorney licensed in the states must be a member of the state bar. In other states, the highest court in the state regulates admission to the bar and handles disciplinary matter.
Flash: Blanche has agreed to provide a written statement.
In addition to bar licensure, individual courts have inherent contempt power and sanction authority.
In Florida the ultimate authority is the Florida Supreme Court, which is stacked with right wing ideologues. The Bondi decision was obviously political, not professional. Not true in most states.
Big deal. He provides a statement. Putting anything in writing means less than nothing to this administration. Trump will just charge ahead and Blanche will help him.
I know it is, this is why the prior bar complaint signed by a number of attorneys and law professors went nowhere fast.
In short, when it comes to the legal profession, the fox is guarding the henhouse. They took decades to disbar Roy Cohn, who manufactured evidence and perjured himself under oath at the McCarthy vs Army Congressional hearings. Who had illegal ex parte conversations with his Judge buddies all the time, and boasted in public about his network and how he illegally used it.
Is there any professional licensing board that does NOT play politics as an excuse not to act against their members? There should be an OIG equivalent at each state level that is totally independent and one at the national level that reports directly to Congress--not to DOJ--that can be appealed to if the State OIG refuses to prosecute an obviously corrupt Prosecutor or Defense Lawyer.
Sadly, I think this issue is one of the reasons why so many people are cynical now toward professionals of all kinds. Lawyers, doctors, even teachers and therapists. People no longer trust the 'experts', and I wonder if part of the reason is because of this reluctance among licensing boards to police their own? I would think that, logically, boards would want to get rid of the bad apples as soon as possible, but apparently not. This is especially dangerous and egregious when it comes to doctors.
CLS, in a sense, you almost answered your own question. Most licensing boards, regardless of discipline, are built through politics. In nearly all cases, board members are genuinely qualified and competent in their fields. BUT ... their credentials are not what land them on boards. It's politics.
It becomes very difficult for one to police those friends – with the potential of destroying their careers – who got one appointed or voted onto the board. "Professional courtesy" always trumps public good.
Thank you, Dale, for this helpful albeit depressing reminder! It kind of feels like corruption is everywhere now. Allowing a clearly-dangerous colleague to continue practicing just seems incredibly unethical....
Correct Ed:
"Professional organizations" i.e. the respective State Bard promulgate & enforce ethical violations. California has full fledged trials. That is exactly how JOHN EASTMEN was taken down.
The Cal State Bar Trial of of John Eastman produced reams of admissible evidence & importantly a judgment that be admitted by war of "judicial notice" evidentiary law in other cases & their state proceedings.
So file complaint with dc bar assn
A similar situation existed after Abu Ghraib and documented torture at Guantanamo involving psychologists. Repeated attempts to hold psychologists accountable, both by the American Psychological Associates and numerous state licensing boards were stonewalled: https://www.justsecurity.org/25378/apa-role-psychology-boards-state-courts-propping-torture/
I answered both. I only practiced law for 30 years, so my opinions don't count as much as someone who worries about these two inconsequential, petty examples, one of which has already been self-corrected.
"First thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." Henry VI, Wm. Shakespeare.
I remember reading somewhere that there was already a law (procedure?) in place for people who feel they’ve been harmed by the gov’t (DOJ?) to request compensation, and that compensation funds for such already exist. IOW the slush fund is totally unnecessary for the purported purpose. I remember some mention of a case under Obama where some money was paid out that raised some eyebrows. I wish I could remember more detail. Anyway, the slush fund is really about paying his pretorian guard.
Re: DOJ's Reflecting Pool Prosecutorial FRAUD!
See, YouTube · Glenn Kirschner:
·"... case - dismissed for prosecutorial misconduct before the grand jury. GLENN KIRSCHNER. New. 262K views . Go to channel Glenn Kirschner ...Read more"
Each & every prosecutor/coconspirator is subject Rule 11 sections before any judge(s) that have jurisdiction THEN referred to their respective State Bars for removal from the practice of law.
David Heard's attorney, NORM EISEN has already confirmed that his Team will pursue all legal remedies for his client, the Olympian.
And I hope he reams them all a fresh new exit orifice.
Christine, LOL. My first smile of the am. Thank you.
On a normal world Susan, it would nor be a need to ask this kind of questions.
Depends on the state. The initial ethics complaint filed against Pam Bondi was dismissed by the Florida Bar Association - and sustained by the Florida Supreme Court. Supposedly, the Florida Bar's longstanding practice is to NOT investigate allegations of ethics violations against a "sitting government official."
A subsequent ethics complaint was filed in late May (see attached link). Not sure where that stands at this time.
https://ldad.org/letters-briefs/bondi-ethics-complaint-as-ag
Yet another reason to NOT ever move to Florida.
CLS, Someone recently asked us if she should visit Florida and got an emphatic NO.
As a long time Floridian, I would say that people can enjoy visiting Florida for all the things that attract visitors, if they are not political junkies. There are plenty of nice, rational folks living here who are working to overcome the current MAGA infestation of our political system, which is a reflection of Trump's influence and residency here.
My cousin lived in Stuart. When we visited we were not impressed and found it pretty depressing. We did climb the Jupiter lighthouse. I know that some people in Florida are attempting to turn things around and kudos to them. I did enjoy visiting the beaches which are very different from beaches here in the PNW. I am from Indiana and right now, i would not visit there either. Oregon at the moment is full of fires everywhere but the Willamette Valley. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We are in for a very hot week.
Which proves that 'normal' is constantly being redefined...aside from that normal does not equate to just...
Were your "normal world" the case, there would be no prosecutors. Who would want to take the risk? And with no prosecutors, you'd have no rule of law, the solemn goal of commenters here.
Robert Hubbell, Esq. (https://substack.com/@roberthubbell) in his August 1 Substack post answers your question:
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/we-are-beginning-to-see-the-outlines?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=271358&post_id=209349011&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=flasu&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Robert provides clear and level-headed analysis as well as motivation to take action. As he likes to say, "we're not potted plants."
In a last ditch effort to get confirmed, Blanche is now telling Senators the $1.7 Billion raid on our Treasury is off. But Donald is "willing to settle" for immunity for past criminal tax evasion. That's rich since the so called "settlement" was between Donald and himself. See Judge Williams' ruling here. There was no case. Therefore there can be no settlement. It's all phony, bad faith, bamboozle, flim flam, hornswoggle, fraudulent baloney. Donald is giving himself immunity for tax evasion. Plain and simple.
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.706172/gov.uscourts.flsd.706172.106.0.pdf
This new "deal" confirms that Blanche is a crook working for a crook. And that the GOP Senators work for the Trump Family now. Against us.
Where, oh where, are those pesky little Epstein files?
I see suspect this slush fund and tax evasion immunity are more of the attempts to circumvent the talk of the Epstein files away from public attention something Trump has done repeatedly throughout both of his terms. The Epstein files will be the crime of the century and the biggest cover-up in our country’s history.This information will dwarf anything going on with the slush fund case and all others.I call my reps every day asking for these files to be released.We all should.
Katie Phang seems to be making progress. The judge is reviewing unredacted files “in camera”. I hope we hear of progress soon.
⬆️👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Blanche will just change the number to 1.8 Billion or 1.6 Billion and claim he's not breaking his promise that the 1.7 billion deal is dead. They will find a way back to establishing this -- and if Cornyn and Tillis believe otherwise, well, there is no hope for them.
Funny, though, that trump says, out loud, once Cornyn and Tillis are out of the Senate, he’ll re-nominate blanche. Yet anyone with half a brain KNOWS a huge purge of Nazis, er, Republicans, is imminent this November. So, is the buffoon telling us the coming election will be either fixed or canceled?
Talerico is leading Paxton for Cornyn’s seat. 🤞
I don’t think that’s necessarily true—Trump may try to interfere just for the heck of it. OTOH, if he doesn’t meddle in election results, he’ll go ahead and find a way to get himself out from any tax prosecution. He must owe gazillions.
I think the phony settlement in the SDFL case is the tip of a melting iceberg. The Epstein fact pattern has to be foremost. The meeting AT THE WHITE HOUSE in July, last year makes Blanche a possible PERP. At a minimum he's a material witness.
AI Overview
In July 2025, high-ranking White House aides held a tense, secret meeting in the Situation Room without President Trump to manage the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein files scandal. Vice President JD Vance and top officials confronted a severe internal security crisis after realizing sensitive discussions had leaked.
According to reporting by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, Blanche played a key protective role during a July 17, 2025, White House meeting aimed at managing political fallout from Epstein disclosures. Blanche proposed defensive measures to shield the president, including challenging the release of grand jury materials and maneuvering to mitigate political damage. For more details, read the article at The New York Time
Please reference the article.
Deburgh, your list of synonyms for Trump's treachery is awesome!
Yeah! Thanks for your attention in that matter.
AbsaFaLutely Poyfict: captures the fake reality teevee, Jerry Springer Show absurdity of the whole sorry matrix. It is malicious carnival show distraction while the national treasury is looted & US world standing is dissolved. The 47 maladministration knows it only works on magalonians but it seems an intentional time waster until November. So-called Republican’s dismantling of election integrity systems may be enough to overcome the massive disgust among non-MAGA tribe-members to keep the shitshow running. We’re headed toward massive boycotts against 47’s corporate funders & general strike.
Excellent conclusion, DeBurgh, well and concisely stated. Thank you.
Exactly. This whole charade is a broken record markedly to the hope/point of NORMALCY , the growing numbers so sick of hearing it and little but fodder for the comedians done. Behind the scenes are frustrated people , dying innocents, and general malaise whilst the price of a cup o’coffee grows higher…all clever continued by the same design tricky Rickey and Reagan got away with..eventually it works. That the numbers of guilty turned coat is late in ‘the game’ but the playbooks of every autocrat the sellout the horrendous movement of money upward. Mission accomplished.
Heather calm growing popularity and teaching Mr and Mrs J.Q.Public of their falling into the trap -the result of saturated brainwashing,” algorithms” , and corporate taking over.
It’s what they do best.
That Americans rally forth is a saving grace we rely on..is the long way to Robin Hood’s Barn like so many countries experience. The grand ITOLDYASO..right? Education failing, skyrocketing issues of wealth inadequacy, health issues or mistakes called “hoax” by any other name effective disassemble the laws or procedures plugged away at..btw THE way we halved poverty and progressed to the greatest country ( alas no longer …the snickering world politely suggests).
The demented man leading the circus so perfectly convenient on that escalator and now with the “asses” someone mentioned yesterday in a comment…are folks …well covered.
I applaud those staying protest, uncovering the lies, ruling on the illegalities , showing up the with truth and boldly maneuvering amongst the strongmen threats. The murders are still not acknowledged and specifically our constitutional equal rights hard fought for…even by the “written law” tromped on by very petty pariahs.
Sad.
Too big for one’s britches took years longer than I thought it would.
I saw US from a small boat in the French canals as “the bad teenagers on the block,” seeing Exceptionalism grow during the Iraq War. Hubris may be the word everyone understands and DT is the prime example (or was until he went into dementia).
It seems Cornyn and Tillis will settle for supposedly getting rid of the slush fund and letting the pedophile president keep his immunity. Cowards.
Remember their names when that double talk proves -yet again- to be nothing but lies , they’ll find ‘a way’ for same ending and manipulate meaning to exact the payoffs. Wanna lay bets?
It generally would take more than simply being wrongly accused. In this case actual malice should be easy to prove. Hearn has civil cases against not just Pirro and the DOJ but also Bessent.
And Hearn has a prestigious lawyer with an excellent record. One of the country's top lawyers.
Norm Eisen. A subscription to the Contrarian substack helps support his work.
Burgum rather than Bessent? (Hate them both so possibly interchangeable.)
Good catch. Mixed the two up. Definitely meant the Sec of Interior.
If Bessent’s smarminess and condescension weren’t so repellent to me, I probably wouldn’t have noticed!
That is the best, succinct description of that sycophant yet.
Susan, from the time I was a small boy, I observed that people with extreme halitosis all shared a certain specific facial appearance focused on the shape and movement of their mouths when speaking. Don't ask me to describe the appearance because I can't. But I can tell you Bessent has that look.
Of course, sitting next to diapered Don, probably nobody notices.
They have to sue. Maybe the weaponization fund would be available to them. (I jest!)
Strangely enough, when Senator Jim Jordan was asked about this by CNN, he declined to answer claiming he did not have all the facts.
It always amazes me that certain Republicans never seem to have the time to read up on current issues which are pertinent to their jobs, never read headlines, never watch an interview…..ummm, I haven’t seen anything regarding that allegation so I am not going to comment- they follow the Sargent Schultz (Hogan’s Heroes) I know nothing!
Jordan is just a MAGA tool and grandstander in hearings. Legislation is beyond his abilities.
True. Gymmie is one of the dimmer dipshits in the House (among a large cohort of of dim and dippy Republican Reps).
TL, would it be accurate to describe all of them as "dim sum?"
(I'll be here all week. Please tip your waitresses."
God help us Russell, if Gym Jordan ever becomes a Senator. He's a Congresscritter from a deep red district in Ohio.
A heavily gerrymandered deep red district in Ohio.
Flagrant dishonest bully.
That’s rich.
I think he’s in the house?
Unfortunately, yes, Gym Jordan IS in the House. No place for him in OH now that that OH has Vance (forever).
Deny, deflect, delay- straight out of trump's playbook. All his disciples have read it.
The handbook from the Roy Cohn school of PR and communication.
Never go on record until Trump talking points are received.
Those penalties may yet come to pass, but going through the legal process takes time. By the time penalties are imposed (if they ever are), the Trump regime will have been spreading lots of other shit, just as Bannon said they would from the beginning. It’s a Gish Gallop of shit, day after day, month after month, year after year. It’s impossible to keep up. This is how the rule of law is demolished. Trump and the 77 million people who put him in office care don’t need no stinkin’ law. They know their targets and will obliterate them by clogging the system like a bucket of bro-wipes clogs the toilet.
Bucket of bro wipes. Now that's an image I can't unsee.
And the legal process is notoriously expensive so the fat cats like Leo have a huge advantage in that respect.
Bro-wipes?
Similar to, or same as "dude-wipes", which are basically man-sized baby wipes for man babbies who cannot be bothered with plain old 'tp' like us ordinary folk. And like Mr. Vander Poel, a mental image I can't erase.
Rex Page,
I have never been able to understand the attraction to Trump.
His life has been full of corruption and the mistreatment of women.
He makes unwise decisions.
His "buddies" are "cut from the same cloth".
r
Trump attracts his supporters by exhibiting unbridled bigotry. Many of his supporters might favor, for example, taxing the rich, but they will not favor taxing the rich if the some of the increased revenue might benefit people other than white Americans. Systemic favoritism of white Americans in government programs is the crux of Trump’s political power. The Republican Party has delivered that systemic favoritism, and made it central to their message, since 1968, and Trump epitomizes it even more convincingly than Ronald Reagan did (who was convincing enough to sell it to the white working class while at the same time busting their unions). It sells big with the dominant political cohort in US politics, namely a 20-point majority of white voters. Democrats cannot (and should not) adopt that message. Democrats can eke out victory by massive get-out-the-vote success, but in no other way. Certainly not by selling fair governance to the 60% of white voters who adamantly oppose it.
Rex Page (Left Coast),
How could such a horrible person become President of the United States of America???.....because, sadly he is a reflection of who we have become...at least that is my opinion.
Too many of us crave and are impressed with wealth. The outside of fellow human beings with several homes, children and grandchildren who live and dress well and travel the world is what they/we envy.
Whether a person is wise or kind is not a priority. It is those who can make the best deal who win! Whether our leaders are sympathetic and compassionate to the poor or cripples or mentally disabled is never a concern....not our problem!
I see it differently, Emily Pfaff. When I was growing up in the 1950s, the US had decent governance. It started when FDR put it in place. However, to put decent governance in place, FDR had to avoid offending the dominant political cohort, namely white voters. So, decent governance was carefully designed to deliver benefits to the dominant cohort and deny benefits to the rest of the population. Brown v Board in 1954 changed that. Democrats (but not Dixiecrats) began to deliver a few benefits to people outside the dominant cohort, and the members of the dominant (white) cohort began screaming bloody murder. “Bussing! Bussing! Bussing!” was their rallying cry (the equivalent of “Woke! Woke! Woke!” today). Brown v Board was the crack in the dam. LBJ delivered the flood with the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, both of which (necessarily) passed with bipartisan support over strident objections from Dixiecrats. After that, in 1968, Nixon/Atwater learned from George Wallace that racism sells everywhere. Subsequently, the Republican Party put the Southern Strategy in operation. The Southern Strategy worked and has continued to deliver Republican victories in every election since then, except when special circumstances upset the apple cart (Southern sympathy with Carter in 1976, Perot in 1992, unprecedented turnout of black voters in 2000, reaction to 46 in 2020). Reagan was such an effective seller of white supremacist beliefs that he got 70% of the white working class to vote for him despite his promise to bust their unions (a promise he delivered on, forthwith). The conversion of white working class voters from predominantly Democratic to predominantly Republican is still in place and apparently will persist indefinitely.
I don’t think white voters, as a cohort, are any less decent as human beings today than they were in the 1950s. It’s just that in the 1950s, they needn’t worry about any benefits of good governance going to people outside their cohort. In fact, I think the fraction of decent human beings in the white cohort has increased from roughly 10% in 1950 to roughly 40% today. In 1950, 90% of white voters held white supremacist beliefs. It’s dropped to 60% today. That, together with the decline in the fraction of voters who are members of the white cohort makes it possible for Democrats to eke out victories when they get extraordinary turnout of their voters in elections.
So, in my judgment white Americans are better people, on the average, today than they were in 1950 but not enough better for Democrats to be successful enough in elections to put good governance in place. It’s not that they’re incompetent or lack political energy. It’s just that bigotry is so easy to sell, and good governance that is also fair to Americans outside the white cohort is so hard to sell.
Rex Page(Left Coast),
Thank you for a well written comment. I was born in the 50's and grew up with my mom and dad and older sister and little brother on a cotton/tobacco farm in eastern North Carolina. Persons of color made up the work force. When minimum wage became required, neighbors helped one another with fewer if any persons of color.
"It's just that bigotry is so easy to sell, and good governance that is also fair to Americans outside the white cohort is so hard to sell."
Hey and don't forget we're paying for it! And we'd pay for any damages if that were so.
Here on Mt. Desert Island Maine, Fed Soc court capture honcho, Charles Koch bagman, and religious extremist Leonard Leo orchestrated the very public arrest of a young neighbor on false charges of harassing Leo and his family, but in fact for saying something Leo didn't like. The DA dismissed the charges. The young man sued the police for civil rights violations. The town's insurers paid for settling the case. Leo went on to bitch to The Maine Wire, a disinformation rag Leo funds. And which doxed the young neighbor's family and local business.
A month after that arrest, Leo attempted to have another neighbor arrested - for protesting the first arrest.
Of course, Leonard Leo was not sued. Nor held accountable in any way for his role. As is often the case, as with the Trump regime, tax payers footed the bill.
1. Audio of Leonard Leo influencing police in arrest of protester who has filed suit in federal court
"... the protester whose disorderly conduct charge was dismissed by the Hancock County district attorney in the spring, has filed suit in U.S. District Court in Bangor against the two officers who arrested him at the behest of dark money operative Leonard Leo."
.https://theqsjournal.substack.com/p/breaking-news-audio-of-leonard-leo.
2. Maine man sues police over arrest outside prominent conservative activist’s house | Maine Public
Morgan said Durand-McDonnel never engaged in any such conduct. But he added that the arrest never should have happened because Maine law makes clear that officers must actually witness disorderly conduct. And in this case, Morgan says officers were taking Leo's word for it based on recordings of their conversations that were captured on their microphones and dashboard camera.
"A lot of what he did was captured on cruiser camera,” Morgan said. “He was doing nothing wrong and doing what a lot of people should be doing, which is engaging civically and having a peaceful political protest with other people in that community and that neighborhood."
The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Bangor alleges that the officers "made this illegal and retaliatory arrest to silence Durand-McDonnell’s free speech and at the direct behest of Leo, a powerful and wealthy conservative political activist who has used millions of dollars as political speech to influence American politics and courts."
.https://www.mainepublic.org/courts-and-crime/2023-07-20/maine-man-sues-police-over-arrest-outside-prominent-conservative-activists-house.
3. Federal Lawsuit Against Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Officers Potentially Set For April
Eli Durand-McDonnell’s suit against Lt. Kevin Edgecomb of the Mount Desert Police Department and Officer Nathan Formby of the Bar Harbor Police Department stems from a late July 2022 incident at the Northeast Harbor home of conservative activist Leonard Leo. The lawsuit was filed in federal court earlier this summer. Durand-McDonnell lives in Bar Harbor. The officers are part of a shared police force for both towns.
.https://barharborstory.substack.com/p/federal-lawsuit-against-bar-harbor.
4. Man arrested at Leonard Leo protest gets $62.5K settlement – Bar Harbor Story
A Bar Harbor man who sued police after he was arrested at a protest outside conservative legal activist Leonard Leo’s home on Mount Desert Island received $62,500 in a settlement with the officers who handcuffed him and took him to jail.
Eli Durand-McDonnell was arrested as he and others were protesting in Northeast Harbor in July 2022 over Leo’s influence in getting the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn federal protections that made abortion legal.
.https://barharborstory.com/2024/05/10/man-arrested-at-leonard-leo-protest-gets-62-5k-settlement/.
5.Leonard Leo Very Upset After Maine Cops Settle First Amendment Lawsuit
It might shock you to learn that conservative judicial puppetmaster Leonard Leo, a man who loves free speech rights for corporations, does not universally support the First Amendment. This is the earth-shattering conclusion of comments Leo recently made regarding a protest outside one of his several lavish homes—a protest that resulted in an arrest, a lawsuit, and, now, a settlement.
.https://ballsandstrikes.org/law-politics/leonard-leo-maine-cops/.
lin+, I admire your diligence as an ally. Citizens standing up for citizens (and non-citizens) is the mass power of We the People.
It's an ethical violation for a lawyer to use criminal process to seek a civil remedy.
It's the threat to present criminal, administrative or disciplinary charges to gain an advantage within a pending civil suit that gets your ass in a sling.
I remember this. Wasn’t it around the same time you were harassed for drawing on the sidewalk with chalk? And yes, it’s nuts that taxpayers footed the bill for Leo’s fit of pique.
lin, we visited Bar Harbor in May and photographed chalk protests on sidewalks in town. As we drove back and forth to the KOA I was curious as to which lavish mansion belonged to the creep
Do you recall the date?
Is this what you saw?
1776 = No Kings
1941-45 = AntiFascist
2026 = No Kings + AntiFascist
Carry It On
"Leo and his wife purchased the property [46 South Shore Road] for $3.3 million, $985,000 less than its appraised value, according to public records and real estate listings. The sellers were the heirs of chemical giant W.R. Grace chairman and CEO J. Peter Grace, who was the head of the U.S. branch of the Knights of Malta, a 971-year-old conservative Roman Catholic order to which Leo also belongs. Two months before the closing – which occurred at the height of the Senate debate over the Kavanaugh nomination – the Leos also paid off the mortgage on their primary home in McLean, Virgina, the Post reported on May 21.
“Leo is promising his allies that he’ll return the law to the pre-New Deal era, the robber baron era, and here he is managing to buy the cottage of one of the great robber barons,” says Lisa Graves, a former chief counsel on judicial nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee and board president of the Center for Media and Democracy, a liberal-leaning government transparency watchdog group."
.https://www.centralmaine.com/2019/08/18/why-did-trumps-judge-whisperer-buy-a-house-on-the-maine-coast/.
7 wealthy summer residents halted MDI workforce housing
.https://themainemonitor.org/mdi-workforce-housing/.
Yep, that was it. May 4th
https://share.icloud.com/photos/092-aEroBdGwmAe1qdCJXGXYA
ThankYou! Glad to know the message was documented. It only lasted a few more days.
There is a town allied right wing vigilante group. They got the town to remove the message. But believing the lie that it is permanent paint, the town used a strong organic solvent. Organic solvents don't dissolve chalk. This one, as listed on the container, can dissolve elements of the concrete and deposit them on the surface as a black stain. Which it did. The stain has lasted longer than the chalk paint does when its left alone.
Sort of redacted ; )
Jeff, maybe their lawyers could put into the settlement that NO taxpayer money can be used for Trumplandia to pay up.
Blanche has made a deal with Cornyn on the weaponization fund, while narrowing the immunity of Trump and his family and organizations from IRS actions for past misdeeds.
The written deal that satisfied Sen. John Cornyn and helped advance Todd Blanche's nomination also addressed concerns about the IRS-settlement provisions. According to CBS News, Cornyn's office said the senator had reached an agreement with DOJ regarding both the fund and the scope of the IRS settlement. The order issued by Blanche formally rescinded the fund and also narrowed the tax-audit provision, clarifying that any audit-immunity agreement applies only retroactively to claims already open at the time of the settlement and does not protect Trump from examination of future tax filings.
Kalshi as of 1:34 AM 8/3 has a 75% probability he would be confirmed by September 1, spiking up from 25% starting at 8 PM 8/2. AP and Reuters reported it just after 1:00 AM. Wonder when it was announced to the new paying customers of Truth Social API? You too can get in on the insider trading opportunities for a mere $100,000/month. $191,000 volume on the wager.
I am wondering where Cornyn will land in January in his post-Congressional life. Anybody taking bets? Kalshi now asks for the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number to place a bet. Of course they won't tolerate insider trading....
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/acting-ag-todd-blanche-reaches-deal-holdout-senators-end-18b-anti-weap-rcna590525
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/todd-blanche-anti-weaponization-fund-order/
https://kalshi.com/markets/kxagconf/when-will-trumps-ag-pick-be-confirmed/kxagconf-26
This "deal" is as much smoke as the bogus $10 Billion lawsuit between Trump and the government he controls. This latest Blanche "deal" confirms that Donald just gave himself immunity for his past criminal tax evasion. The first time in our history a President has granted to himself the ability to defraud the IRS. And defraud us citizens.
The GOP Senators have all read Judge Williams' ruling and her recommendation that Blanche be held accountable for defrauding the court. But they will vote for him because they all work for the Trump Family now. Not us. Read her ruling. Spot on.
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.706172/gov.uscourts.flsd.706172.106.0.pdf
Of course they were going to vote for him. I still haven't seen the actual IRS written agreement posted anywhere, The reporting says the immunity applies to investigations that are already "open". I guess it depends on what you consider open.
Memories are short. Donald was convicted of 34 instances of business fraud against property tax authorities, insurance companies and banks. He was let off the hook by the Justice Dept when he was elected President again. This latest IRS scam is right in line with the business frauds. Pathological. Here's Judge Engeron's ruling.
https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2024/02/nyag-v-trump-verdict-20240216.pdf
off the hook While he is President - so, VOTE like Hell!
There’s been an ongoing IRS investigation over his valuation of various properties for tax purposes. It’s not an insignificant amount.
How is the tax immunity deal even considered? Immunity for past tax offenses? Why?? Giving immunity for defrauding the public of tax dollars? Immunity for being a tax cheat? Unbelievable.
No one should get "tax immunity." Can the taxpayers sue?
I wonder that also.
🎯
You know Georgia, I know that you've mentioned this, and I certainly have as well, but folks just keep blowing past the idea and I can't understand why it's not plain, clear and actionable as opposed to just reading and fretting. The big power behind all the maga power is 'the money.' A lesson I learned a long time ago that works is if one wants to really harm a person, power, etc., "hit them in the pocket." There are many beside myself cataloging all the money bag creatures that have supported these monsters. I say find them and tax them as dearly as possible. I've named some; Wendy's hamburger corp., Ford Motor Co. - that's two who support the beast. A really really big one though that's got tentacles far and wide, and has supported this entire movement including P.2025 is Koch Industries. Why not incite righteous actions against their wallets ? Yes, they are a private corporation, but their products and subsidiaries are discoverable. I think the word would get out fast if just one like Koch started getting hurt, or even threatened; Focus on just one. Thoughts ?
Zuckerberg. He has made a string of poor business decisions and is late to the AI hosting boom, and the EU is after his ass with a 12B Euro fine for his “addictive scroll design” that harms users, especially minors. Then there are a couple of other EU suits amounting to another close to 2B Euros.
Musk because Tesla is going in the dumper because it can’t compete with Chinese-made EVs in world markets and the designs are stale and he has lost the US subsidy for EVs. Grok is a disaster as a bot, and the only real money maker is Starlink and the satellite launch business. Space Ex’s price is half of what it was just weeks ago after its peak after the IPO. And he certainly has obvious exposure on his donations to the hard right and potential election interference in a number of countries besides the US.
Yet he says he’s going to spend $100B to elect republicans this year.
Starlink....starlink.....hmmmm? Is that the company that has satellites blowing up, and one about to crash onto the moon? That one?
(dark humor here, kiddos)
That's all well and good Georgia, but we who sit on our azzes and fret over all this need to "'Do Something" besides sit around read and fret ! I'm saying there are actions we can take - today ! Declare all out war on the corporations that meddle with our elections, supporting their own Mussolini - such as Koch Industries. I say if we just pick one - just one, go after their wallets with torches and pitchforks, the word 'will' get out in a hurry, that 70 percent of America is 'pissed' and coming after them for their support of these criminals. Make an example of just one. Maga, P 2025, Heritage, _rump- they don't give two hoots if we call them names or write the congress critters that support them out of fear or political persuasion... But I guarantee you their sponsors - if outed and protested broadly and publicly do care, moreso for their 'bottom lines.' That's where the rubber meets the road.
So I would say the two top targets should definitely be Musk and Zuckerberg. Musk because he is IMHO worse than Trump by far and a bigger scam artist, and Zuckerberg because he is the weakest of the rest of the bros. Both have engaged in questionable business practices and are getting fined by the EU so we don’t have to rely on the DOJ here to investigate. Koch just doesn’t have any name recognition with the average American, but there are a lot of pissed-off shareholders with TSLA down -37% from its all-time high, SPCX down -50% from its all-time high, and META down -25% from its all-time high who are not happy campers right now. Time to mobilize the rage on these guys.
Dear, I couldn't agree more ! We read fret and flail - what damn good is that ? Hit their donors in the pocket and all media that's not a part of the plot, including social media movements; Make the bastards wallets hurt ! That gets their attention 'right away' - transactional corporate control freak bastards ! Koch needs - for our purposes, requires a much higher profile. They were part and parcel of project 2025 from the get go - a primary funder in fact as I'm told !!! We can and must increase their known profile !
D4N, my father always said until you hit them in their wallets nothing will change. Smart man.
Absolutely; Those were the words of my wise mother.
Yes, follow the money, and money talks. The past year has seen targeted boycotts, e.g. Tesla Takedowns, Home Depot, Target, Amazon, Avelo Airlines--each with varying success but with some sort of success better than nothing. Avelo was targeted for federally contracted deportation flights and discontinued its operations on the West Coast. Target acknowledged boycott effects.
Indivisible.org advocates for the strategy of mobilizing people power to affect electoral politics, and last year added using economic pressure. They also note that we need to continue building the muscle to do a bigger national action such as a general strike. Union rules are a challenging consideration. There are groups across the country who continue to educate the public about the need and the preparation for a general strike.
Many grassroots organizations are currently focused on getting Democrats elected in November in as many places as possible, most critically in the House and Senate. This is Phase 1. When Democrats have regained political control, they/we can refocus on employing economic pressure as Phase 2.
Thank you Ellie for adding on to this. ~Grateful~
You don't know that Blanche has made a "deal" with Cornyn. Kalshi doesn't know anything more than you (or I do). And some gambling market doesn't know diddly about it, either. If a deal was made, it would have already been done and Cornyn would have voted yes. He did not. That is significant. As for the rest, it's simply Baby Huey trying to claim his right to a bag man, as befits the head of a crime organization. Cornyn and Tillis denied that to him.
Baby Huey imagines that he'll have a newly elected Senate that will approve his bagman after January and the two 'lame ducks' have flown away. Not likely.
I take it back -- Cornyn's staff just announced that they did make some kind of "deal" to allow the good Senator to vote yes. But that doesn't mean Tillis will. And even should it advance to the floor, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski would have to be suicidally nuts-on-wheels to vote yes.
Anything is possible, of course, but it's not Cornyn and Tillis who look like dead ducks right now, some late-nite twitter tweet notwithstanding.
And how will McConnell vote? Telepathically?
mail-in…
🤣
Are the prediction markets betting on whether or not McConnell is even alive?
Polymarket has markets about whether Mitch McConnell steps down from the Senate before his term ends and related political outcomes. You can see the book on Polymarket. The betting is around 30% yes. The biggest holder has accumulated a position of 247,426 yes tokens currently trading at $0.30 each so a bet of $74,227.8 (You can trade the tokens after you place the bet.) The spread is currently a penny.
The resolution conditions are:
“This market will resolve to “Yes” if Mitch McConnell formally announces an intention to step down or otherwise vacates his U.S. Senate seat before his current term is scheduled to end (January 3, 2027, 11:59 PM ET). Otherwise, this market will resolve to “No.”An announcement will qualify only if it indicates that McConnell will leave office prior to the scheduled end of his term. Statements reaffirming an existing plan to retire at the end of his term will not qualify. The primary resolution sources will be official statements from Mitch McConnell, his office or representatives, and/or official communications from the U.S. Senate or government.”
https://polymarket.com/predictions/mitch-mcconnell
Kalshi has a market on whether Mitch McConnell resigns/steps down before the 2026 midterms. Its rules specifically define the outcome around resignation rather than simply whether he is alive. https://kalshi.com/markets/kxretiremm/mitch-mcconnell-resigning/kxretiremm-26
One interesting detail: Kalshi's McConnell resignation market explicitly notes that, in the event of death, the contract does not simply resolve "Yes"; instead, the exchange has special settlement rules.
GJ, according to the inerrant evangelical Bible (personally autographed by the great theologian, Donald JeffreyEpstein Trump), Satan maintains a battalion of demons who regularly carry messages to earthly humans. So Mitch will have no problem sending in his vote.
Oh I so hope Susie does vote for Blanche...in addition to her taking "campaign contributions" from racist sleazebag Elon Musk, for this re-election campaign (her 5th! (for her 6th term)), it would be fantastic political ad fodder for the Dem candidate running against her! She's already pretty desperate; I've never heard her personal political ads having her beg for money before and her PAC, Pine Tree Results, is running some of the nastiest mudslinging hit pieces I've ever heard in Maine politics.
But there is little doubt it will get even nastier before we can pry her scrawny butt from that cushy Senate seat that she >thinks< belongs to her and her alone.
Don’t forget Leonard Leo. She’s deep in his pocket as well.
Oh no, I haven't forgotten that miserable little scum, but if he has held a fundraiser for her, it's been kept mighty quiet. More likely he has contributed dark money to her PAC. I think her usual donors are holding back a bit until they see her come up in the Maine polls. Except with the rural red-necked MAGAs, Susie has lost a lot of her former popularity and is now politically vulnerable. Big donors don't throw away their money--they want a return on their investment.
Aside from grifting, her number one skill is self promotion and constantly reminding folks when she can scarcely take credit. That's what I've read anyway TL.
"Stop the World, I want to get off!" But before I do, if there is a signed rescission by Blanche, the question becomes, will DJT rescind his nomination?
I don’t think so, at least not right away—Blanche has to dig him out of the Epstein files and support him in whatever mischief is coming with interference in the midterms. And Blanche knows where all of the bodies are buried and can claim attorney client privilege.
But if Blanche doesn’t come through for him, Trump will kick him to the curb without a second thought.
There is the possibility of sanctions/disbarment but Trump would spin that as political persecution by radical leftist judges and pardon him if there were any criminal charges referred out of the investigation. There are just so many ancillary benefits to having your personal attorney as head of the DOJ.
I think there are NY Bar complaints pending against Blanche, including letter(s) from a pile of judges.
Hey Lynell, I have been limiting my internet time of late. I haven't seen Ally around. Have you? Is she okay? Maybe I'm not looking at the right time or just have missed her posts.
Hey, Miselle. Ally is still around. I think all 3 of us are limiting our time.
I can double check on her; We chat.
MSNOW reported that both Tillis and Cornyn agreed to what ever Blanche gave them, although there were not specific details of what they agreed to. They could have stopped the nomination by not allowing it to get out of committee since they both sit on Judiciary. It's only now that the rest of the Senate gets to vote on the nomination. I think it likely that Susan Collins was hoping that the nomination wouldn't get to a floor vote.
I report on the "prediction" markets because they are the most transparent way you can see corruption from insider trading since you can see the exact time of trades and relate it to the times of announcements on Reuters and the AP. Polymarket shows the book so you can gauge how much money is moving on the outcomes. And there have been reported cases of insiders (the special ops guy on the Maduro capture and the teleprompter guy) who have been caught using insider information to make money in the prediction markets.
The "prediction" markets shouldn't even exist, IMHO. Does everything have to be monetized?!
Ellen, I'm sure your question was rhetorical, but the answer is "yes."
This is Amurrica, where absolutely everything, from wild guesses to healthcare to legislative seats to legal representation to the Oval Office itself has a price. If you got the money, you can buy it.
This is just as our well-heeled Founding Fathers intended.
AP is reporting it: https://apnews.com/article/senate-blanche-trump-justice-fund-a38decfc7f20e4f73a181914d53111da
Tillis will.
🤣🤣🤣
Blanche was already referred to New York’s disciplinary authorities for bar referral by Judge Kathleen Sullivan. I don’t know if Pirro has been referred for discipline. If she had proceeded against Hearn despite the lack of evidence, she probably should be. Blanche’s status as Trump’s private counsel ought to disqualify him for AG and it’s a huge conflict of interest.
Whatever Trump promised Cornyn is a lie, but Kavanaugh and Gorsuch both lied to Collins about upholding precedent and few people hold any of the three of them accountable. This is why Tillis and "caving Cornyn" wanted the slush fund and Trump family immunity issue to be in writing.
Trump lies all the time on Truth Social and in person, but not so much on official WH letterhead.
Even if it's in writing that the deal is dead I'll bet it will be re-packaged and called something else and rear its head again. The same way a corporation may go under and then reappear under a different name.
It's all one big shell game GJ. I pray I live long enough to see Karma come after them all!
Robert Hubbell is an attorney who believes Pirro, Blanche, and others will eventually lose their licenses to practice law, but it will take a while.
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/we-are-beginning-to-see-the-outlines
Blanche has already been referred by a judge to his state bar association in New York by judge Kathleen Williams over the slush fund case. There have also been other complaints about Blanche to that association and the association itself has opposed his appointment as Attorney General.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-trump-justice-department-irs-lawsuit-anti-weaponization-fund-settlement/
David Hearns' lawyers have said that he has asked them to advise him on legal remedies for his malicious prosecution by Pirro.
They certainly wouldn't be the first Trump lawyers to lose their licences.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-lawyers-disbarred-law-licenses-suspended-chesebro-giuliani-cohen-1978351
Does the AG actually have to have a license or pass the bar?
Kennedy isn't a doctor and he's Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Nor is he a scientist. He and Dana Bash had quite a kerfuffle on CNN yesterday.
He is a magic-thinker and professional bloviator. “My mind is made up; don’t try to confuse me w facts.” If you disagree w him, he quickly resorts to shouting. He believes, so he doesn’t have to know. He’d be dismissed as a joke and simpleton if he didn’t hold a powerful government position.
No, he doesn’t, which I find perplexing.
thank you
What are the courts going to do? It takes months to get decided as people die. And once it does in favor of justice, it’s just whack a mole…they just rename what was deemed unconstitutional and start again. Tariffs are back.
There is no way on earth Blanche keeps that promise about the slush fund….which like HCR state was never about redemption for falsely accused. 1.8 billion will never get dispersed except to militias HIRED to muck up 2026 elections and probably kill Americans. It is all about not being prosecuted or even investigated for financial crimes. And not just him or his family…it’s anyone he’s doing business with. What the actual fuck? Why? Because his cronies and kids didn’t get the sweet kiss on the ass of immunity Trump got. And he can only pardon federal crimes, not all the state crimes being committed.
We already know for a fact the deals that have been made in the open with Trumo and the family. Saudi Arabia handing Ivanka Trumo Kushner 2 BILLION. The drone no bid contracts through the defense department for the sons. Whatever the sons are doing with crypto in around the world with the Witkoffs. It will absolutely be exposed that the family of the US government is in bed with trafickers who sell children for sex multiple times a day, with drug dealers who kill either through the addiction, overdose or murders committed for territory, with arms dealers who probably sold the missiles and weapons that killed American soldiers. All those billions flowing through crypto into Trum pockets is dirty, dirty dirty.
''Justice, Now Available in Trump Size''
The Trump Justice Department has apparently adopted a bold new legal standard: indict first, yell about it on television, and hope nobody asks to see the grand-jury transcripts.
That strategy hit a pothole in the case against David Hearn, who was accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The government’s only witness admitted the pool was already damaged before Hearn got there and could not say how much additional damage he supposedly caused.
Then Hearn’s lawyers asked what the government had told the grand jury.
Suddenly, the case disappeared.
What an extraordinary coincidence. One minute, the Republic is under attack by a man near a reflecting pool. The next minute, someone requests the paperwork and the Justice Department remembers it has somewhere else to be.
James Comey, meanwhile, was indicted after posting a photograph of seashells arranged to read “8647.” That is where federal law enforcement is now. Seashell surveillance. Somewhere, an FBI agent is questioning a clam without an attorney present.
Presiding over this constitutional carnival is Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal defense lawyer and current acting attorney general. Trump wants the Senate to confirm him, but if that does not happen, Trump says he will simply keep Blanche in the acting position.
Why bother with confirmation when you can just declare the audition permanent?
Then there is the proposed $1.776 billion fund for people convicted of crimes connected to January 6. At last, a government assistance program Republicans can support. Storm the Capitol, threaten lawmakers, smear feces on the walls, and perhaps Uncle Sam will help cover your inconvenience.
The same deal also promised to drop certain tax-related claims against Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization, while preventing future audits.
Trump insists he gets nothing from this.
Nothing, except protection from prosecution, freedom from audits, money for his followers, and a Justice Department operated by his former lawyer.
He finished his latest statement by blaming “Crooked Joe Biden” and “Obuma!”
Not Obama. Obuma.
We may be watching the rule of law collapse in real time, but apparently autocorrect has also surrendered.
My questions also!
Betsy, truly excellent questions. I hope we can get answers to them soon!
Yes. Abuse of orovmcess. Judge chastised. Def gets legal fees. Abuse of process.
Can anyone answer this: Why would Republicans who want to be re-elected be backing the president with the lowest approval ever, thereby committing political suicide?
It seems that everything that trump and his administration are doing is illegal from starting the Iran war to axing Headstart (!!!). People continually ask why are people in it doing his bidding? I believe that everyone who has had their finger on any part of these illegalities is terrified of losing power and being imprisoned (as trump is) once the Democrats take over after the midterms. This explains the intricate plots of voting infractions and the hundreds of millions that trump and musk have drummed up in order to get these lame and sorry Republicans re-elected....
I’m so sick and tired of this nonsense.
I really checked out at the White House spokesperson standing in front of a totally fucked up Lincoln Reflecting Pool, insisting that it was “fixed perfectly by president Trump”, whilst all the world could see it was overgrown with algae and the coating loosening everywhere. The symbolism of this is simply stupefyingly adequate. And to top it off, the Orange Toddler King stamps his tiny feet and insists it was “VANDALS” who caused the damage. Well, technically, that is correct…. The vandal’s name is Donald J. Trump.
The vandals were using a cloaking device, that’s why we can’t see them.
A cloaking device made in Russia, no doubt. They really know how to obfuscate things.
🤣🤣🤣🥴
🤣
<snort>
Aren’t we all?!?! I’m with you, Cherae.
Our country may now fully qualify as the all time comedy show.
Unfortunately, the show is being put on by fascists. I wish we would talk more about the concentration camps now in America, 10,000 abducted off our streets daily, an innocent man shot by ICE in his car then his body dragged out and handcuffed, the price of gas and groceries, our food system compromised, hospitals closing and on and on.
I wish we would talk more about left wing purity test voters/non-voters who make common cause with GOP legislators, the Roberts Court GOP majority, and strategically united Republican voters to put Republicans in power and advance American ChristoFascism in all its abuses.
Right wing extremists have appropriated Yes *We* Can to take power.
While a significant number on the Left are stuck on No *I* Won't, Never Will *I* Ever and You Can't Make *Me* to cede power to right wing extremists.
Every single one of the 30 progressive candidates who won elections have run under the Democratic Party umbrella. These Democrats are running without AIPAC money and are openly against Netanyahu's government. They are against the genocide in Gaza. They preach the Democratic Party platform of affordability and helping the working class. Pelosi has recently come out in support of one of those candidates. Obama is increasingly talking about the need for younger people in the Democratic Party. Mamdani has been doing great things in NYC. I invite you to study what he has done.
It appears the "you can't make me" tone is emanating from the centrist Democrats. Take a look at what Schumer and the DNC are doing in Michigan. It makes me very sad to see this.
lin I am an elder woman. After the second loss to djt I did some real soul searching as a lifelong Democrat. For the past 2 years I have read and researched and listened-to everyone.
My biggest regret is ignoring GAZA as long as I did. My big sadness is that it appears that Israel has subsumed the Democratic Party. I spent weeks reading about Israel, talking with Jews, learning about AIPAC, researching AIPAC money trails, voting records and dark PAC money.
I understand the rigor of resistance from the centrist Democrats. What I am hoping is that the "big tent" the Democratic Party leaders espouse will accommodate change within the Party. I have no desire to rip up the Democratic Party. Myself and others are wanting to rebuild a stronger Party that can defeat fascism in our Government.
My apologies for the length. I respect your comments and wanted to give my response my full attention.
Have a lovely week.
Totally agree. I've been a staunch Democrat since I was 18 and the GOP chose Nixon over Rockefeller. (Too young to vote, not too young to knock on doors for Hubert Humphrey.) I'm so saddened by the party infighting in my Michigan.
My preferred Senate candidate dropped out before the the worst of the sniping, my second choice tried, it seems to me, to stay out of the name-calling at least for a while, but... don't they realize when the Party fights itself they are writing campaign for some trump-lover?
I'll vote for whichever Democrat wins the primary, because, at this point in time, even the worse Democrat will be better than any Republican who is still part of the mess MAGA has made of the GOP.
Yes. In a Democratic primary no AIPAC money is the ethical stance. In the general election Vote Blue.
And unrelenting pressure on the party.
Yes. Vote Blue No Matter Who cannot mean only progressives must hold their nose in the general election. The status quo Democrats need to vote for progressives who win the primary.
In Maine, Chuck Schumer, Janet Mills et al are not content to have forced Platner out. They have not endorsed Troy Jackson. Maine logger, union organizer, state senate president - and still not good enough? Disgusting.
Absolutely. Time for the left to become proactive rather than reactive.
Mamdani.
Yes. Don't throw away the good in pursuit of the perfect. Some Dems just refuse to do that.
What does this mean Miselle? I am seeing progressive candidates running under the Democratic Party banner. They are not spending time bashing the Democratic Party. They are talking about doing things for us. They are talking policy. I invite you to watch Mamdani's campaign speeches. Then investigate what he is accomplishing in NYC. No one is talking about a "perfect." This seems to have sprung up as a reaction rallying cry from the centrist wing of the Democratic Party.
What "Dems" are refusing to do what? When we speak in vague terms we do not help the Party get strong enough to defeat the fascists.
If only it was actually funny instead of sickening.
Our country currently qualifies as a banana republic run by a dictatorial clique in the White House.
As the current president of the US likes to call it: “A shithole country.”
We are living under a fascist form of Government in America.
But who runs the dictatorial clique in the White House?
Russell Vought in collusion with the Federalist Society as they follow the Project 2025 plan they co-wrote.
Mary W, here's how I see it: Russell Vought is the director of the cabal, but he isn't working alone. Stephen Miller is supplying the motivation and muscle behind the racist and citizen intimidation efforts. Scott Bessent is managing the financial demolition team. But Vought is a hands-on manager, so he's taking care of executive orders, misogyny, LGBTQ persecution, neutralizing the rule of law and reshaping the nation as a theocratic oligarchy.
Suzie Wiles is a member of the cabal, but her role is indirect. She's in charge of shielding Donald and keeping him distracted and entertained so he doesn't get in the way of the important work.
The Roberts Six on SCOTUS are adjunct members of the cabal whose role is to "bless" the regime's lawlessness, somewhat like turning water into wine. Thus, through SCOTUS rulings, the illegal miraculously become legal.
Miller, Mary, would be my guess.
Slowly, slowly we are uniting to throw the bums (nice word for the mafia and associated criminals) out
Waaaay too slowly. We should be rising up en masse right now but there is far too much complacency and ignorance for enough people to act.
This is amazing to me as well. Where is our Hungary? Or Albania?
A "banana republic", if you will. And I hereby apologise to all bananas.
“Tragedy show”, more like. I’m so saddened by what my country has become.
I am more angry than sad Betsy.
It's a very dark comedy Gary.
I’m not laughing!
you qualified for that Nov 6th, 2015
They’re trying to exhaust us and it’s working.
Just like Bannon said, "throw everything at them all at once, overwhelm them, they will never get it straight and we will win", it's a tactic that is exhausting.
The shame of it is that it’s working, at least for now. To beat this requires a fiercely organized effort. So far, that has not happened.
Yes, but it is a kangaroo court for all to see. Completely nonsensical.
Yup.
It's working on me for sure.
Definitely sick of it. I wish it were nonsense but it is evil and dehumanizing; not to mention the stress of a legal assault and huge financial burden dumped on an innocent individual.
And here’s another legal assault explained in another great lawyer’s resistance newsletter, Joyce Vance’s “Civil Discourse”:
“Last Monday, the Solicitor General asked the Supreme Court to let the Trump administration implement Trump’s executive order that would allow, among other things, federal control over who can and can’t receive a ballot in the mail. A district judge in Massachusetts enjoined the EO from going into effect for now. The Solicitor General is asking the Supreme Court to stay that injunction, which would permit the Trump administration to move forward with the EO while the cases challenging it move through the courts.” Joyce Vance will be watching and reporting on developments this week.
It is difficult to constantly witness an experienced whiny toddler's temper tantrums Cherae.
For realz, Marj. Every. Damn. Day.
Let’s put him in time-out.
Permnently!
Cherae! YES YES YES ME TOO!!!!!!!!!
Me too. It is a total drain on our collective humanity….
True. It’s a 1000% humanity suck.
(Joke. I CAN math, but I’d rather not have to. 😉)
yes; this is a sickness, and being sick makes you tired.
but let's not get too tired to fight the disease and get better.
One hundred percent. If only we could go back in time six years and make sure Merrick Garland was doing his job and also make sure Joe Biden would be stepping down right after the midterms four years ago. The damage we have sustained as a nation is so much more a result of Democratic Party dysfunction than of Donald Trump’s legitimate abilities.
In fact, imagine if they had nominated a better candidate than Hillary Clinton for the 2016 race. Donald Trump would still just be an annoying celebrity pretending to be a successful businessman.
Who would have been a better candidate?
Clinton would have been a good President, but, yes I'll agree, there were problems with her candidacy.
Not with her political stance, her policies, her intelligence, her leadership qualities, but with vulnerabilities of her personal life that the scum that wanted trump (or any non-functioning leader for the US) could exploit.
I don't think there was any other Democrat who would have fared better through the smear campaign who would have been a good President.
We’ll never know who would have ultimately prevailed in a robust, open, democratic primary process since Clinton was more or less chosen by the DNC, but Bernie Sanders had the momentum and the passion of the youth and much more progressive economic and social justice positions. And some polls showed him beating Trump whereas Clinton had very high unfavorability ratings.
Mr. HornPlayer, I've jumped in my time machine and returned to 2014 numerous times. At that period in time, there was no better-qualified candidate than Hillary Clinton available. Because of her previous experience, she would not have needed on-the-job training, unlike her opponent.
The fault was not with Clinton, but her campaign management team. They simply were not up to the challenge of competing against the GOP machine.
Having observed several political campaigns firsthand, I can tell you that the candidate is not the ultimate power in a campaign. Yes, they sign off on major decisions, but those decisions are shaped by staff before they reach the candidate. The candidate must trust their staff. They can't know what has been kept from them.
Thank you for your reply, Mr. Rowett. Please see my response above to Shirley..
Mr. H.P., indeed, we'll never know. There's no denying that several negatives got attached to Clinton, but setting aside all of those issues, Clinton was the best qualified.
Although some polls were favorable to Bernie, in the end, he didn't have the practical experience in global affairs that Clinton had. And he was consistently too far left for Middle America to embrace. The nation had to be abused by Trump & Co. for a few years before some of Bernie's proposals could become attractive. Even now, there's not enough buy-in on Bernie's platform. And of course, now, he's a decade older.
We’re all a decade older.
Odd, I'm still in my mid 30....er 40s -- 50s? um...ok I'm 76. [For the record, I feel at least a generation younger than trump even though it's just 4 years difference]
I think Dale is right about Bernie. All the people who couldn't accept Clinton would have choked on Bernie. And I don't think he had the national exposure in 2016 to beat the trump(Russia) machine.
Also, like Elizabeth Warren (my personal favorite), Bernie is far more valuable to the country as a Senator who fights for liberal causes in Congress than he would be as a progressive President fighting against Congress.
But since we don't have time machines, it's time to look to the future. Who do either you or Dale see as a viable 2028 candidate who can not only win the election but also hold the country (or at least the Party) together in the aftermath of the current administration.
agreed
MAGA plans are in the open: steal the elections by doing things in Nov, Dec & Jan that they hope will overwhelm the courts and succeed because the Judicial Branch cannot act, or doesn't want to act swiftly. The importance of organizations like Democracy Docket cannot be underestimated. Don't give money to D folders like Schumer, contribute to Democracy Docket, HCR, Civil Discourse, Katie Phang, Timothy Snyder, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, etc!
Contribute to Democracy Defenders-Norm Eisen.
And, Marc Elias.
Quick note: Marc Elias leads Democracy Docket and gets an order of magnitude more of my contributions. I feel his team will be key in preventing the success of the MAGAverse's plans.
You are so right! Marc Elias and his team have already won almost every case against this Mob regarding voting rights. With other law firms folding to the whims of a mad man, Elias Law has stood firm. If we ever rid ourselves of this criminal organization in our government, these lawyers should get a medal.
Absolutely! Marc Elias does much of the heavy lifting when litigating redistricting, civil rights, representation of the people, free and fair elections.
Norm Eisen is backed by The Contrarian substack. So is Katie Phang.
They can sue
Aaron Parnas as well
Yes, he’s incredible!
HRC and Aaron Parnas are my go to - one gets the history and lessons of our democracy and how it applies to the corruption in the past and in today's world, and Aaron Parnas provides the latest updates on all the important events taking place and applies his law background to the perspective in a digestible and succinct manner - truly Amazing and really all I feelnlike I need to see! I highly recommend consuming Aaron's morning post for today, Monday, 8/3 as it is an incredible assessment of the agreement debacle holding up the Blanche confirmation.
I bought a subscription to Aaron Parnass. He seems to work really hard for us and has integrity. 6.50 a month is a bargain for truth today.
How about contributing to Sherrod Brown and Jon Ossoff? Both are seasoned public servants and average Dems like me don’t have “real money” (more than $3-$5) to give them.
Virginia, I would appreciate you (or anyone else reading) for suggestions how to donate to a particular campaign without half being siphoned off to the DNC?
My personal answer has been to write postcards on my own dime for candidates I want to support--which was a HUGE MISTAKE in the case of Fetterman!
A few years ago, I recall reading a post here where the commentor was furious as a local seat who they said easily could have gone to the Dems did not get support from the DNC, and thus the GOP person won. That unleashed a slew of replies where others claimed the same thing had happened in their area, and that is why they now refused to send money.
Any thoughts, anyone?
MIselle, you must find your favored candidate on ActBlue and donate directly to him/her. This will cut out the DNC and all the PACs. Please add a 5-10% tip to support ActBlue itself.
Yes! This is how I support candidates. I don’t think they take anything off the top.
Thank you, John. That is helpful and what I will do.
Miselle, I get appeals from up to 50 candidates (own websites) every day. Both Sherrod Brown and Jon Ossoff have them (jon@ sorry I don’t remember the rest, but betting you can easily get it). If you have difficulty, let me know and I will send you web address from what I’m getting.
As obviously deranged and lawless as trump is, why are Republicans STILL protecting him? Do they think they will retain power when this selfish oaf cannot buy ALL the courts and judges? Do they think billionaires will protect them or buy an illegal midterm result? Or are Republicans so fully corrupt there is no turning back?
Not to defend any of the scummy lot, but they're like riders on a merry-go-round that keeps speeding up, overheating, and is now beginning to fly apart. They won't disembark, however, even to save their political skins. Like deer in the headlights, frozen -- or maybe just too punch-drunk with immediate power to realize they're really being boiled alive.
So we have to push them off. All of them. I hope enough millions will finally figure this all out -- it's not a Todd Blanche bagman problem, not a drunken, low T Kegsbreath problem, not a corrupt judge problem, not even a Rancid Baby Huey problem --- it's a REPUBLICAN problem. The tumor has to be excised at its source, by all of us, this November.
Many days I feel like I am the one hanging on to the furiously spinning merry-go-round by one arthritic finger. 😖
The difference is — you’re hanging on to your sanity; they’re hanging on to psychotic fantasies. I’m still betting on *your one arthritic finger!
Thank you! I needed that!
Mary Ann, I feel the same way! I've been more on the roller coaster, myself. At times, there is a tad of good news and I'm exhilarated, as Iwe summit the top and as I feel us plummeting towards relief, I think, we made it, we made it, we made it!! It's over! Other times, I'm climbing up that hill with a sick dread in my heart.
Sadly for me, though, I've been having a harder time catching my breath between the hills. I've cut back on consumption of politics so much, for my own sanity.
You do what you need to do to stay healthy. I keep cutting back on my consumption, then sucked back into it. So far, I haven't fallen over the edge and into the abyss.
They’re already in too deep so they need to keep criming in hopes of shaking things off without accountability.
I love your descriptions of the deer in the headlights repugs! I heard today on Velshi that the reason Cornyn and tillis are not really serious about standing up to Blanche is they don’t want to be ostracized and unable to perhaps become lobbyists or other jobs. To me it seems that they don’t want to lose their fiends in the party. Not big hero’s! I think that ought to be enough.
Apparently, yes, yes, and yes.
You read my mind!
Are any of those compliant Republicans in the Epstein files? Do Russia/Trump have kompromat about them? What is the financial investment of those compliant Republicans in the various Trump ventures and criminal enterprises?
For a good number of them, being in Congress is the best, most profitable gig they will ever have. It appears some of them are barely qualified for any other job.
Trumo is in epstein files. Client 1
Or………….🤬
2A?
No refunds on souls for power.
Because when djt is finally gone they will face prosecution too.
They are deeply afraid of something…
Hi Linda. The answer to your question is overwhelmingly the last rhetorical option you list (they are fully on board with corruption). Remember the bible story about Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees; that’s what you’re up against. The full force of the US Government is bending daily more and more to corruption. From abroad, we see this without any blinkers of patriotism or memories of previous greatness.
Anthony, in Scotland.
Code of silence.
Does anyone remember Madeline Kahn starring in Blazing Saddles singing "I'm tired..." It's how I feel about the constant insanity of this president.... Yet I keep reading so I remember to continue to protest, support candidates and VOTE BLUE.
That is their objective. That you, the public, will become so exhausted from the firehose of all their schemes and outrageous activities that you will give up. Please don’t. Take some time off to relax and prevent burnout (like even Jess Craven is doing this week). And like Heather does when she goes kayaking and spending time with her family.
"I'm so tired. Tired of being admired. Tired of love uninspired.
I'm so tired. Tired of playing ze game. Ain't it a friggin' shame? I'm so tired....
I've been wit tousands of men. Again and again.
They promise you ze moon, then zey jump on your belly and bust your balloon...
And they're always coming and going, going and coming....and always too soon."
--Miss Lily Von Stupp (Madeline Kahn) RIP, who left us all way too soon.
Who can satisfy their lustful habits
I’m not a rabbit
"W"abbit! 😜
Somehow I missed Madeline Kahn. Thought it was Marlene Dietrich.
It was indeed — Madeleine Kahn parodying Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel.
Thank you, ICTT! I loved “Blazing Saddles,” but the song hadn’t stuck with me. Fun to have the connection.
I hear this frequently, but I have to ask: give up what? What would I be failing to accomplish by tuning out this mess? The only contribution I feel like I can make by staying tuned in is to be constantly outraged, frustrated. Fred, I honestly sympathize with your sentiment, and to be honest, I can’t actually tear myself away from the news - I follow it constantly (a ‘perk’ of being retired) - but there are moments …
Personally, I would suggest you indulge in the occasional revenge fantasy. The only thing more satisfying than imagining vanquishing a nemesis is voting the SOBs out of office...and we may soon be doing just that.
Oh, I do, believe me.
Gordon, I sometimes feel "they" are succeeding in drowning me with their firehose. It's impacting me in ways I don't like, so I have to back away from the computer, the smart phone, the endless rage filled emails from friends. I used to be able to get away with short breaks--a day or two, but they are growing longer, as I'm trying to save energy, and sanity, for what lies ahead.
Imagine there is a blue tsunami. While I'm praying for and will work for that, what happens next? YES, impeachment and conviction and maybe war crimes prosecuted, but it won't be a fun or easy time. It's scary (but still better than the alternate). I'm attempting to occupy myself with things that are better for my health (my writing, my website, gardening and exercising) in the hopes there will be something left of me to endure.
Thanks for the "Blazing Saddles" reference. So much resonance to our current situation: Mel Brooks as the shifty dim-wit Governor Le Petomane! Harvey Korman as his viciously amoral, scheming AG Hedley Lamarr!
Those brain-dead characters remind me so much of Our Beloved President and his evil advisor Stephen Miller (whose resemblance to Josef Goebbels is uncanny, though I prefer to think of as POTUS' own nasty Grima Worm-tongue, to switch over to LOTR characters).
Thinking back on Blazing Saddles again, I can at least get a good laugh out of the memory of the movie -- not so much thinking about the bloody mayhem being caused by those hapless, evil nitwits.
If only Mel Brooks were still writing today...one of the few who could summon the evil spirit of the day and turn it into pure goofball gold.
ICTT is right!
We need The Colbert Report back again. Badly!
Well, Jeff Tiedrich helps A LOT!!
Mel Brooks is 100 and still funny but I think all this would be too depressing for his “goofball “ humor.
I just keep thinking of Aristophanes and hoping we have one somewhere. Occasional moments could be done by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Ah, Le Petomane; treasure of his Regiment and the Pride and Glory of the French Army.
The rule of law depends on more than laws. It depends on the public believing that justice is administered impartially, that evidence is presented honestly, and that power is exercised consistently.
Once those assumptions begin to fail, every prosecution becomes suspect—even the legitimate ones.
The reflecting pool fracas is a distraction from a far more consequential story. Jen Easterly, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Biden administration, has written an op-ed in the NY Times on the cyberattacks on water facilities in seven states, likely by Iran, and what needs to be done to repair Trump’s destruction of our cybersecurity defenses.
The danger to national security has to be addressed urgently. It can be done before the midterms because it can garner bipartisan support, likely enough to survive a Trump veto. It would point to the opposition's willingness to reach a bipartisan solution while pointing directly at the Trump regime's incompetence. It would be one step on the long road to rebuilding trust in the ability of our institutions to function.
In my own post on this issue yesterday, I argued that the catfight about the reflecting pool was the distraction to hide the abject failure of the Trump regime to protect our homeland from the attacks of modern warfare. It is not just about the rise of drones. Being an ocean away from an enemy is not enough. It was not 25 years ago on 9/11. But it is even easier now that jihadists can be replaced by hackers, and bots can probe for vulnerabilities and write custom code to exploit them.
The first attacks in 2024 were a probe with a jokey warning note. These new ones are a wider test of how secure our systems are against intrusion and our capabilities for rapid response.
There will be more attacks. Trump’s attempts at distraction and blaming Tim Walz, rather than necessary transparency and an honest evaluation of the threat, are demonstrating how weakened we are.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/02/opinion/iran-water-hack-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2lA.wMRL.dQvLndVG-98d&smid=url-share
https://georgiafisanick.substack.com/p/the-reflecting-pool-catfight-is-the
You could argue that everything is a distraction from everything else. What that gets you at the end of the day, I'm not sure. The Reflecting Swamp wasn't intended to be a distraction, it was intended by a fantasist terrified of reality to masquerade as reality. And it has failed -- predictably, dismally, laughably. Jeanine Pirro turning against her own boss is actually the real story beneath the story. Rats scurrying off the sinking Mango Titanic in search of what few lifeboats there are to save themselves. Beneath the disaster humor lurks, which is an encouraging thought indeed.
Every situation we face now is dire. Some are truly terrifying. All are morally asphyxiating. But each stems from the moment millions of Americans, relying on their basest instincts rather than their brains, elected idiots and scumbags to high office, ignoring the likelihood that a few powerful 'grey cardinals' would trade on those instincts simply to grift the system. On paper, perhaps, it feels like one is supposed to substitute for the other. No doubt Steve Bannon would claim it's all part of the architecture of flooding the zone with shit. At times, it certainly feels justified to claim that. But it's more like the natural fuckupery and contempt for law that comes after people chose to feed the wrong wolf at the door, and thereby jettison integrity, expertise, knowhow, and common sense right out the window.
Climbing out of the snakepit will be a tough slog no matter what. We will need all the positive thinking we can muster, acknowledging all the dangers, yet not fixating on them.
Well here is what Steve Bannon says the intentional use of distraction gets the Trump administration. I defer to his judgement.
https://www.semafor.com/article/02/08/2025/almost-like-surrender-steve-bannon-on-the-media-in-trumps-days-of-thunder
I don't. Evidence that it's not working as "planned" mounts every day.
Not to us; but to the usual run of redneck, mouth breathing, cousin (sister) shagging, low IQ MAGATs? Hmmmm.
And there’s so many to chose from, unfortunately.
This administration's dismantling of our cybersecurity system will result in more serious attacks that create the kind of chaos they depend on to keep power and destroy democracy. Not incompetence at all, part of the design. Thanks for putting more light on this along with Jen Easterly.
Anything can be turned into a distraction for something else--just as long as you keep flooding the zone and stirring the turds floating in the cesspool. Some distractions fail to gain traction--like the attempt to have the "Board of Peace" announce a deal saying that Hamas had agreed to disarm. Bibi tossed a wet blanket on that one fast.
I'm afraid you are right Luke. And to think that any Republican Congressman will do the right thing is, I am afraid, a pipe dream.
But of course, investigating the damned Reflecting Pool "vandalism" takes precedence over sabotaging Michiganders' water supply!
So the war is to cover up the Epstein files but the reflection pool investigation is to cover up his war, Epstein files, low approval ratings. What next, start a fire and name it Reichstag?
Ask Steve Bannon. There is no need for logic —there is just the imperative to interrupt the current narrative so people become mentally exhausted and drop the logical connections and the story line. I don’t think what’s used as distraction is planned, but anything that happens can be messaged into something outrageous enough to be distracting. Trump does it with the “weave”, partly still purposefully, and when he is tired and when the drugs are wearing off, and he’s sundowning from the dementia.
Heather’s work is so powerful because she maintains the throughline in her letters. Legacy media doesn’t do that very often any more— and most of the news aggregators on Substack just provide an endless stream of the juiciest bits of random clickbait sandwiched between rage rants.
Thanks, Georgia, for this important nod to an essential aspect of Heather's work. And thanks to you for the deep reporting that you do on what Heather doesn't get to.
It looks like the Reflecting Pool is ironically the only water feature in the US that hasn't been subjected to vandalism.
❤️
Quite so, Kelli.
What we are witnessing here is the obliteration of trust. Absent that, legitimate dialogue and reasoned decisions become impossible. Once lost, regaining it is a steep climb, indeed.
What magnifies the carnage is the loss of trust within our Nation and the loss of trust in our Nation on the world stage a well.
To experience that in the last decade of our 250 years of slowly, sometimes painfully, making good on many of the aspirations we began with is heartbreaking, to say the least.
However, as our friend, Joyce Vance argues so eloquently, Giving Up is Unforgivable.
Heather hasn't and we can't, either.
Thank you for reminding us that "giving up is unforgivable." It's also exactly the wrong thing to do.
Now, more than ever, we all have to be guided by doing our utmost to do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time. The difficulty of the moment still doesn't absolve us of the responsibility to think and act clearly, decisively, wisely.
I figure if Joyce Vance can keep reporting on the minutiae of court cases that DOJ keeps losing, if Marc Elias can continue fighting the beast, if Heather can go tippety-tap at 2am to chronicle it all, while reminding us that we have seen parallel moments like this before in our history, if Norm Eisen can wage the good fight by engaging in hand-to-hand chickenshit combat (and win his cases), if those older than me continue to volunteer to be poll workers and poll watchers even now, can keep donating, keep showing up, and even smiling throughout....well, what's my excuse?
Exactly. I think every day about my two Navy flying buddies whose lives ended fifty years too soon on New Year's Day in 1959. They remind me that they and almost 1.2 million other Americans have given up a lot more than a little time on our behalf. They invested everything in us; we cannot rightly ignore that.
Beautifully said. Rebuilding trust may be one of the hardest democratic projects we’ll face. But you’re right—we don’t get to give up on it. That’s exactly when it needs us most.
In other news, billionaires are doing whatever they please: "Supply Side Economics".
Although:
"Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. Capital has its rights, which are as worthy of protection as any other rights. Nor is it denied that there is, and probably always will be, a relation between labor and capital producing mutual benefits." -- That Lincoln guy.
AI may end the need for most labor.
It doesn't help that you have a high court operating in the shadows.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jun/11/the-shadow-docket-review-supreme-court-steve-vladeck
Federal judges have complained about SCOTUS rulings delivered without detailed arguments provided.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/16/politics/justices-tension-supreme-court-shadow-docket-sotomayor-kavanaugh-jackson
Some judges have even been publicly rebuked by members of the conservative majority on SCOTUS.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/25/politics/supreme-court-justices-trump-lower-court
J
Alot of heat for picking up paint from a failed pond job, but nothing for someone who takes the central role in the Epstein files...
And a lot of heat for someone who touches water and none for someone who destroyed the East Wing on a whim.
Workd upside down
World.
As you would expect when the Justice Department is run by crooks.
Excellent point.
The broader American public knows criminal Donald anymore is just ranting.
An empty, mean vessel, just helplessly ranting.
Americans know this because of the broad contrast the cruel fat man makes with his total emptiness of programs that could, should help the people. He has nothing for them. And, worse, his inflationary spiral from his idiot tariffs makes things worse. His rising, rising gas prices not only make things worse but their large-numbered colors broadcast in neon also broadcast the fool Donald's obvious contempt for the American people.
And this all compounds with Republicans in Congress evidently still egregious in their cowardly support for the rapist, the murderer, the flagrant violator of the people's Constitution and all their institutions and laws shredded by this bastard and his acolytes.
Phil, he is just ranting until one of his acolytes puts an executive order in front of him for his signature. The action takes place until a federal judge temporarily stops the action. Since He Who Must Not Be Named has immunity for his “official” actions, the time gap between executive action and judicial reaction allows any rants to do damage. In the short term, he still has power as long as his rants align with the wishes of one of his merry band.
"As retired US judges, we’re not used to speaking out. But we cannot be silent
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/02/judges-lawyers-partisan
And I would hope that the esteemed members of the SCOTUS would hear those words. It is difficult to respect a justice system that is so obviously corrupt from the head down. The rule of law has become something that can be bought. Restoring faith in it is definitely going to be a long, hard slog.
It seems that like disease, plutocratic corruption has never been absent from human societies, but after the abuses of the "Gilded Age", we made far better headway against it, using rule of law and the court of public opinion to expand the rights of the many as opposed to concentrating power in the hands of a few. Historically unaccountable power has tended to corrupt, thus the necessity for checks and balances to achieve human rights and justice. That's the gist of our founding documents. In "The Federalist" Madison says:
"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."
It's no easy thing, but our founding, core, defining idea as a new nation conceived in liberty, was patently division of power.
Thank you for the article, JL.
I second that!
It's not just retired judges either, but also sitting judges who are fed up with the number of opaque SCOTUS rulings on important issues via the Shadow Docket.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/us/politics/judicial-crisis-supreme-court-trump.html
Yes, Mary, the danger and damages persist, continue, wreck more harm, more murders.
I was watching Sarah Kendzior with Mark Thompson earlier today, and they proffer the worsening, too, of criminal Donald's loyalties to his world coterie of oligarchs, fellow dictators.
Curiously, this is an old story, whose details stew in the old saga of Donald with his allies of 30 years ago, Jeffrey and Ghislaine -- and the 1200 underage girls and young women they not only raped themselves, but trafficked also to that same international mix of oligarchs, celebrities, secret agents, and criminals then.
Phil, thank you for that link. I had to go watch it and come back here. I'm a real fan of Sarah's writing and recently finished The Last American Road Trip that I related to soooo much, having visited so many of these same places on trips with my students and family. I also related to her emotion in wanting her kids to see these places before they vanish. I was obsessed with giving my students that same awareness of what was theirs before it vanished.
The interview by Mark Thompson holds the Democratic Party to account too, something I do routinely that brings lots of anger from the "blue no matter who" crowd. I have a lot more empathy for Sarah's understanding of the reality of American governance than I do with the current portrayal of it by the Democratic "Party." I understand why Americans cringe when they start to see this reality.
With you exactly, Ed.
And she's always been positively great fingering the criminal Donald and his longstanding affiliation not only with the Jeffrey/Ghislaine trafficking, but the still-largely hidden, seamier sides of all those internationally-linked oligarch thugs.
And our money-driven, money-concupiscent Dems?
As I was finishing Sarah's The Last American Road Trip, I took in a concert in Colorado Springs by the group Old Crow Medicine Show. In a timely sort of way, one of the cuts on their latest album is "The Last American Waltz." I couldn't help relating it to that book and the situation of such great loss that we face. You may enjoy it. I find it beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6uLWTGGcG4
Most excellent, wondrous, perfect, Ed.
The guy's and girl's voices pair marvelously. The lyrics seem most apt as in call-and-response with the dancers waltzing to it. The clothes, the colors, the musicians all celebrate the very best of what Sarah K. always finds at the heart of the best of America.
Thank you.
You are unlikely to improve if you deny or fail to recognize you own failings. Voting day is one of those "this and not that" decision points, with persistent consequences, so while I wouldn't put it in terms of "blue no matter who" I see the wisest choice as whichever choice on the whole will do the most good and the least harm. Often "good" and "harm" are hard to identify clearly, but a keenly thought through and honestly earnest guess is more likely the best we can do.
The rest of the time, a quest to improve our available options is appropriate. To what degree to we limit our options by equating celebrity with the complicated skill set of wise and effective leadership, or even consider what leadership in a of, by and for the people (i.e. DIY) society is properly about. Are we looking for Superman, or a wise facilitator with vision and administrative skills? We have rights as individuals and also as a whole and continuing society. Which choices best and provably extend and protect such a treasure?
"I see the wisest choice as whichever choice on the whole will do the most good and the least harm."
Absolutely agree. I find the "VBNMW" mantra often used by the DNC and operatives of the Party to steer voters to block vote for a corporate/AIPAC "Democrat" in the primary who does not intend to do the most good. That happened with Cuomo in NYC and with DeGette in Colorado.
The people are fed up with this enough to stop contributing to the Party and now contribute directly to the candidates (and maybe to the State party where it remains a largely ethical entity). That largely accounts for the national DNC bankruptcy. People know more now about how they are being manipulated and by whom. They are royally pissed and determined to make "most good" choices in spite of the Party. 35% of Mamdani's winning vote came from registered Independent Voters. 45% of our voters are Independent, who tend to research the candidates rather than fall for mindless partisan mantras and propaganda.
I have been a registered Democrat since I first became eligible to vote, though my loyalty my loyalty is not to party as such. That said, the Republican Party turned particularly ugly since Nixon, so not much choice. I try to be a decent supporter of "Liberty and Justice for all".
The problem with human organizations, necessary as they often are, is that outfits founded with the best of intentions with respect to the public good often seem to turn in on themselves, and unconsciously or deliberately, those in positions of power tend to preserve or expand their own sphere of influence over dedication to the organization's ostensible mission. That is visible in many sorts of organizations, and we don't seem to have adequate means to discourage it.
It is complicated by some of the less-rational vicarious attachments people seem to make as vicarious projections of their own identity rather than by a more substantive relationship; the sort that MAGA enthusiasts plainly project on Trump, or people who whose only connection to a sports team is that of a spectator can sometimes become uncivil in their zealous promotion or defense of a particular team. I don't claim to fully understand this,, but it is something for our society to reckon with. I think all of us are capable, and even sometimes catch ourselves, striving or fighting for something that in the grand scale of things does not really matter, or is attainable only at an unacceptable cost, neglecting better choices within our grasp.
I sit here and wonder if any of those eejits on the Supreme Court ever think about what they have wrought by giving this jerk such incredibly broad immunity. (Probably not, but perhaps now and then a little niggling itch they can’t quite reach? One wishes. Sigh.)
Yes. I actually think that they know exactly what they’re doing. They have been catered to by Leonard Leo and the Heritage foundation for many many years. The ideals were set in place in the very early 80s. They are a shameful group of arbiters and ones who we must curb their appetite to enforcing their laws rather than the laws of the land. I think we can do it, but it’s gonna take time and a lot of effort. Like Joy says “ giving up is unforgivable”.
I read an article yesterday, will have to find the source, that said the Heritage Foundation has been hollowed out of its experts as Roberts gets more and more radical. Seems institutions are broadly being whittled down, leaving the inept.
Here’s the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/magazine/heritage-foundation-trump-republicans.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2lA.KJR9.Fus-VzGV23AA&smid=url-share
Recall some details, Marlene, of how "they know exactly what they're doing."
The Heritage Foundation -- and ALEC -- ensued directly from the 1971 Powell memo. Many other far-right foundations interlinked subsequent to that.
Might we "curb their appetite to enforcing their laws rather than the laws of the land," as you ask? Yes, I agree, "we can do it." But it won't "take time and a lot of effort."
More specifically, we can get the good human energy that comes from being copacetic with the complicated human if we start with restoring humanities to our schools. Remember, emptying schools of humanities was the first, sine qua non of both the Heritage Foundation and ALEC -- all through the remainder of the 1970s.
I'm reading Michael Pollan's great, new "A World Appears." It's all on the science on consciousness, on our advantages when we learn to embrace the complicated, the many-layered, multiversity, serendipity, even apparent contradictions (usually just a sign of insufficiency of larger context).
What's the biggest monster that kills all those possible goods? Hint, it comes when schools allow only anonymous elites to ask questions, when students and teachers may ask no questions, and the IQ which the elites worship always comes A)-B)-C)-D), to which there is always but one correct answer.
It makes me sick to see anyone supporting this corruption. This must be the central message for democrats, Democratic socialists for the midterms. It worked to get Hungary free from Orbán. It can work for us.
Today's winning protest sign: "The only person Trump ever hired who was qualified to do their job was Stormy Daniels."
And she had to work very hard...
🤭
The Anti-Weaponization Bill should be giving them all pause, not just Cronyn and Tillis! It is so sickening. Nobody should be "in" on confirming Blanche!
Bet by tomorrow morning they will have the votes to confirm
Blanche just met with Cornyn and Tillis and it looks like a done deal. Cowards all !
Playing devil's advocate. If Blanche's confirmation makes it out of committee, then we have Collins, Murkowski and McConnell as no votes (kinda-sorta). That means every other Republican Senator votes to confirm. Is there a John McCain out there willing to sacrifice their career in a red state? I'm guessing no, but not betting on it.
Congress has an unusual moment of leverage. Wonder what Trump and crew will give up to get that confirmation done. Would suck for Trump and his spawn otherwise; that tax deal sticks as long as Blanche is confirmed. Do he, the boys, and his "org" file in Florida but Ivanka in New York?
We got played. Props to the judges though. What they did was both right and huge. Never was a reason to split that settlement that way unless you planned to sever from the start. It is exhausting watching our side chase their tails. Much more of this and elon’s gonna have to kick down his ketamine supply.
When the DOJ lawyers intentionally deceive grand juries and withhold evidence and then repeat this illegality under oath in court hearings, they should be disbarred and jailed for contempt and perjury. All DOJ grand jury hearings are now prima facie suspect of criminal malfeasance under the Trump syndicate.
I call bs that they were not pulling this with grand juries before. No doubt it is worse now, but I don’t buy that this is new.
I’m scheduled for Federal District Court jury duty this fall. How to prepare for an indicted ham sandwich? I expect I’ll be asked to convict it.
If you serve on a jury, you can submit written questions to the judge, such as questions about evidence. If you are dissatisfied, then vote to acquit.
none of the other republicants will do anything to stop the corruption...they are complicit. They are in congress to get rich on americans' backs.
Outrageous
“… one of the most respected professionals, according to everybody, in the Country,”
Professional what?
Liar?
Blanche switched his party affiliation when he became the felon’s personal attorney. How can a guy fall so far, so fast?
When you associate yourself with the likes of Donald John Trump you fall far fast.
Earth's core.
Follow the money.
Trump's willingness to withdraw his AG nomination until the new Senate is seated in January shows that he has plans to retain control of the government after the midterms.
Of course he does, but best laid schemes gang aft agley.
That is the fear, Pete.
He had "plans" to bring Iran to heel when he started his ridiculous war. Trump's "plans" are often not at all well-laid.
There must be some way, somehow, to get these mobsters out of our government. Our (at least my) forefathers figured out how to get out from under the thumb of the British Empire. Who will rid us of these troublesome liars and thieves?
All they ever wanted to do was avoid paying their due amount of taxes. And you can forget about the "without representation" nonsense; precious few people in Great Britain had any sort of representation at the time.
The forefathers are the one that PUT us in this position when they designed the Constitution.
Everything is working as intended. It makes sense as long as you realize what the intentions were.
And they never were 'Freedom and Justice for All'.