In a special election today, voters reelected Tennessee state representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, whom the Republican supermajority in the state house voted on April 6 to expel for their participation in a demonstration in favor of gun safety.
"St. George in Retirement Syndrome: Many who fight injustice come to define themselves by their fight against injustice, so that, as they defeat the injustice, they must invent new injustices to fight against simply to maintain their identity" (Gurwunder; The Prism newsletter).
If there is a theory that can sum up Donald Trump and his allies and by extension the entire Republican brigade, then the above quote can clearly reveal. As Trump is being cornered in the court, he tries to cleverly pick sections of law that favors him and singularly claim that his rights are not being served. While the First Amendment grants everyone the right to express themselves in any way, it does not allow them to act against the same constitution (turning against the will of the people as expressed through the election). Similarly, Republicans' fight are often done through the right-wing media. As the House Committee tries to solve the stalemate surrounding the son of the president, Republicans are trying as much as possible to leak findings from the Committee and feed them to their media. While they claim that they have a secret dosure to reveal, they are yet to do so. Strategically, this is their approach to be under constant sympathy by keeping a cycle of injustices created by them to continue benefiting from them. They "manipulate the facts presented by their own witness just to keep fueling the far-right media’s obsession with fabricating wrongdoing by President Biden." If Biden was not the president, would have Republicans shoved off the case from the court shelf and demand prosecution? I don't think so and reverse is also true, but the timing of it is what they want to harvest emotions from the public as they prepare for 2024.
Behind the court curtains, I am sure Trump is desperate to undermine the judge and call hers despicable names.
For those who have been supporting and intending to subscribe to my newsletter for free, nashukuru sana (I am very thankful). Any time I write a newsletter, I have an underserved community in mind. This is what I stand for and live for. When my time to exit from this cosmos arrives, I will be happy that I have accomplished my mission of serving the underserved. Welcome to my mission to accomplish together.
If Trump was not elected in 2016, would we be paying attention to him now? Not likely. I Biden was not elected in 2020, would we be paying attention to his son? Not likely, either. But they were, and we are.
Our tendency has been to create a false parity, which in this case somehow equates committing 2 years of tax fraud with a political career riddled with serious crimes culminating with the attempted overthrow of the government of the United States. Despite all their bluster and baseless claims, the Trumpists are not fighting dragons, they ARE the dragons.
Roger Stone and his wife had not paid two years of taxes, about 2 million dollars. DOJ told them to pay up or face civil charges. They paid.They were done. Hunter Biden paid two years of taxes late, about a tenth of what the Stones had held back, and still faced criminal charges.
I keep up with news, but I didn’t know that. Thanks, Joan. May many more people learn of this. Poor Republican babies always being targeted by the evil federal government enforcing evil laws against tax evasion.
Hi Joan: Well let’s get Kamala - the prosecutor - elected and watch her go after Donald Trump’s crimes, the Supremes who are not acting in the best interest of the people and instead supporting Trump, and the various judges - like Judge Aileen Cannon - who dismissed Trump’s classified document case. Elizabeth “From Democracy to Democrazy”
Alternatively, restoring the IRS budget for enforcing tax laws against non-payment of existing taxes by those with incomes over $400,000/year would pay for itself threefold and reduce the deficit significantly.
I have read several books about Trump, and he was a criminal BEFORE becoming president. His real estate dealings were shady. He interacted with organized crime figures while owning and bankrupting the Atlantic City casinos, a violation of law. How stupid do you have to be to bankrupt a casino, in whose favor the odds are stacked?
Excellent point. I suspect that he came out of the bankruptcy process in fine financial shape. He manipulates the system - he learned at his father's feet.
And let’s not forget that Roy Cohn was TFG’s “fixer” lawyer…..a real piece of work, another teacher in the School of Grift & Graft along w/ his father. And TFG kicked him to the curb (“dropped” him) when Cohn lay dying of AIDS.
Thank you for reminding all of us that he learned to be a criminal from his father. May I add that the irony of Ivana’s being married to a convicted criminal isn’t lost on me either. Remember crime families? We never expected one as president. (But then a bright friend did warn me many years ago about the effects of television.
Another reader here in the LFFA Substack recommended Greg Olear’s in-depth explanation of tfg’s mafia connections. It’s a bit lengthy, but it clarifies so much!
Greg Olear has superb New York City sources, so I felt confident sharing the article. He reposted this original 2020 article just recently, and it is even more timely now.
Thank you, MaryPat! I couldn’t remember who posted it originally, but I found it to be the best and most informative read on tfg’s criminal background. It essentially explains his arrogance! I have shared it with others numerous times. Thanks again!
Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in 2016 by nearly 3,000,000 votes. We’re the only nation on earth where the candidate with the fewest votes wins. The electoral college is antiquated, only benefits one party (R’s) and has to go.
Since we Americans like to worship our founders and the Constitution, let’s give the Electoral College a ceremonial role. But elect President and Vice President in a way that each voter’s vote has equal weight to every other’s.
We are taught to worship the founders but most of us, including myself included don't know much about them. Some 18th Century attitudes haven't weathered well, but the founders embraced the Enlightenment, which included faith in reason, along alongside authority. The value of their bequest lies in its outcome-based applicability as our foundational procedural infrastructure, not superhuman authority of those who penned it.
The president/vice president is the only elected official I can think of whose constituents are the whole nation. From an equal protection, democratic perspective, the EC is woefully incongruent. One citizen/one vote; no more, no less. Lightly populated states are already over-represented in the Senate.
Such a sad day when the results were reported. I was volunteering at a Hillary Clinton campaign office in Berkeley, CA. We were shocked to learn James Comey, then the FBI director, sent a letter to Congress announcing the reopening of the email probe on Oct. 28, 2016, 11 days before the Nov. 8 election. Comey’s acknowledgement that he may have subconsciously expected Hillary Clinton to win the presidency when he disclosed days before the 2016 election the reopening of a probe of her emails shows that the then-FBI chief was driven by political motivation and self-interest, according to a White House spokesperson. Clinton has said she thinks Comey's announcement about the email probe so close to the election killed her chances of winning. Well Comey got his, being fired by Trump on TV.
And we must be dragonslayers, though not in the vein (pun intended) of DeSantis and his promised/threatened throat slitting of bureaucrats. What on earth possesses that individual?
Your dragonslayers reminds of early maps of the British Islands (early middle ages) where large portions of uncharted Wales were marked with "here be dragons" including pictures of dragons. Hence the symbol of Wales today.
Maybe we should change the GOP elephant to a Red Dragon.
There are said to be "lucky dragons" (different tradition though). I can think of no more fitting emblem for the modern "GOP" than a COVID-19 virus. If nothing else, they've been partners in crime.
He is so rabid about anything concerning LGBTQ people one suspects 'homosexual panic'…as originally defined, not as used as defense. That, and a significant helping of megalomania…
Sure. I agree with you. Every side tries to illegitimize the other and this case Republicans are good in dirty games more than the Democrats. It is a game of public display to maintain identity. And it is a matter of using wrong means to achieve the right thing.
I mostly agree with you, Edwin, except that I can’t figure out what “right thing” might be associated with the Republicans’ end (achieved via the wrong means). The majority of the current cadre of self-righteous right-wingers only aspires to power and economic prosperity—and is willing to destroy our nation’s economy and democracy to that end.
If Republicans go by the right thing, then they need to denounce Trump's near-likely overturn of the 2020, adopt bipartisan approach, agree to cooperate with the Democrats on House Committee. If they do these, they know they will lose their identity and voting base, so they resort to using wrong means.
“which in this case somehow equates committing 2 years of tax fraud with a political career riddled with serious crimes culminating with the attempted overthrow of the government of the United States”. Trump committed serious crimes, both before and during his time as president. Hunter Biden committed tax fraud. Hunter Biden was/is not president, or elected to any office. You seem to have unwittingly equated the misdemeanors of President Biden’s son with the felonies of ex-president Trump. Which is what Republicans would like us to do.
You nailed it. Cultivate a constant feeling of injustice “getting screwed” which fuels resentment. This is exactly what Fox and Donald Trump have been doing. There are a lot of people feel screwed and follow Trump as their spokes person.
Yes, the Trumpers are a collection of grudge holders. That includes every known Trump voter in my apartment building! Whether it is a racial grudge or government issue grudge, legal grudges, everyone I know that is still Republican fits one of these categories!
I have to admit that I harbor resentment too. I resent Donald and the Republicans trying to destroy democracy in America! I resent that they are taking freedom away from my grandchildren and great grandchildren. I that why I have come to hate Donald Trump? I that why Kevin McCarthy almost drives me to drink? Is it why DeSantis causes me nausea? The only difference is my strong belief in the System and the majority of the American people, to hold these people responsible ultimately, whether through criminal prosecution or loss of voter confidence in them, so they lose their offices of power over discisions for me and mine.
I think the next election is going to be a close call again, but I will do everything in my power to help get out the vote for Democracy. Vote Blue everyone as if your very life and future depend on it! We must not be intimated into silence! I am going to put more bumper stickers on my car, whether the MAGAS try to ambush me or not!
I just want tfg and his cadre of clowns OFF my tv and radio news. Even NPR and PBS caved into having tfg's lawyer on their programs this week. Yes, I want a silo of real news, and a filter that works so I never hear his voice again. There, that's my rant. I, like you, will do every thing in my power to push these people out of any hope of power. Vote Blue. (I wish one of the senators from my state, Wisconsin, could be forced out.)
Oh, Louise! I feel your pain! I occasionally have to take breaks from following the news because I get so infuriated by how incredibly surreal our political climate has become. I wish you courage and strength, and the comfort of knowing you have lots of company and support in this forum.
That reflects most of them being unable to take any responsibility for their situation and instead blaming everything and everyone else for their unhappiness. In this way they make themselves powerless and helpless. No insight, absolutist thinking, and childish processing. They seem like a whole group of two year olds throwing a perpetual tantrum. This isn't to say that there aren't environmental issues that might create some barriers for them, but many of them seem unwilling or incapable of finding any way around them. If they weren't so dangerous they would just be pathetic.
The “someone else is getting something I am not, but I should because I want it and I deserve it because I am me” grudge. I am reminded of the opinion that Trump’s defense is “I am Donald Trump!”
It's like the battered person's syndrome. While abusing the victim, in many ways, they complain about how poorly they've been treated and take no responsibility for the mess they've made. In fact they blame the very people they target with their nefarious behavior.
Hyping the hate pays the bills, lavishly. I always have that song from "Cabaret" running through my head when I think of these individuals and companies. "Money, money, money, . . ."
Persecution mania now is endemic to the GOP in every way. "Harvest the emotions from the public" is precisely the means by which tfg has acquired much of his means to keep his Ponzi show running. This old Navy boiler man says that when you are running low on steam your ship begins to create undertow. Resistance. The man will fall apart in this judge's courtroom. If we have gained anything as a nation here, I believe it is an overwhelming call to become more engaged gatekeepers of our beloved country and her constitution. I now view appeals for support from Democratic candidates as an invitation to join hands in the party to rid ourselves of the predatory parasites in public office. Give, if you can. Every small donor matters greatly. Small donors are the backbone of our party.
The sad part is that the middle class small donors are now so depleted financially that everyone, as the price of food goes up faster than wages not in the top 10% must give to Democrats as they formerly gave to charities.
True that my ancestral home is in a coastal area that attracts the 1%, but the national park attracts visitors. I have never, ever seen so many expensive cars on the roads as I have in the last couple of years. Lots of folks appear to be doing very well! I have wondered about how many made out well from the extra pandemic infusion of $$. Just an observation.
Thank you for the observation. Observing the opposite where I am, mailbox flooded with appeals from every charity I’ve ever donated to, rising food costs affecting grocery store selections, particularly of organic food (which I understand).
Join your local Indivisible chapter, or start one. Get information on how to write GOTV postcards to states having early primaries. Getting together with friends to do such projects is a good way to reconnect after Covid separation (though we may be back in masks again).
This is the way entire generations of white Southerners have been raised for over 150 years. They were the *real* victims in the Civil War. They were just defending themselves from Yankee aggression and defending their rights. Bring up slavery and they'll change the subject or, as we are now seeing in Florida, simply lie about it.
These people have been nursing grievances and a victim identity for generations. They have been fantasizing about mass violence for generations. They happily committed atrocities when they were in charge of the police and the courts and knew they could get away with it.
The descendants of the Confederacy are America's Nazis. They always have been. And they plan to take control by any means necessary. It would be best not to lose sight of that. Making Trump and his crew pay for their crimes will just be one more grievance to add to their list. They will be a long-term terrorist threat. We must not lose sigh of this or we are as doomed as the Germans were in the 1930s.
"Gibson's Law: In matters of law and policy, anyone can find a subject-matter expert who supports their view. Because they are more skilled at being wrong." Are Republicans good in this?
I had taken a break for 1 week and some days to recharge, but I am back now. I have more newsletters to post this week. And thank you for subscribing and your concern.
You are the only person in Substack that I know of writing about Africa, a continent of almost 1.5 billion people, so the odds would be great that I would want to hear what you have to say.
Sure and I am always thankful for your support. I have deep, authentic information about African people, culture, technology, politics, locals, underserved communities, and much more. I have prepared lots of data and stories about different aspects of life here in Africa. Over the next months, I will visit every African country to derive real, primary information that isn't showcased in the mainstream media. So, you will get more unknowns from me. Thank you Linda for believing in me 👏
Rose, too bad the judge didn’t tell TFG’s lawyer John Lauro, not to go on a friendly television show and admit that his client is guilty. Looks as though it’s not only his client who has a problem with saying the quiet parts out loud—“at least he didn’t send in the tanks”! (Can we say that invoking the Insurrection Act was part of the plan?)
I do believe his poll numbers would go up. At this point, I have no doubt his rabid cult is essentially a mindless group of frenzied fascists. To them, he can do no wrong. To them, the worse he behaves, the better. If he was ever right about anything, he was right about these people. If he shot someone on 5th Ave, it wouldn’t matter. They would follow this criminal monster right off a cliff into the abyss. Well...they already have.
The dangerous reteric that his sycophants (in office still) are saying is so dangerous and disgusting. Ron DeSantis was giving a speech in New Hampshire yesterday where he said, "The first day I am in office, I will start slitting the throats of the bureaucrats in the Deep State!" I just saw the clip of the campaign speech on Morning Joe, MSNBC, this morning.
I would hope so. Wouldn't that be nice! It would mean he would have to spend even more money to get from campaign events to campaign events to even spread such violent reteric!
The indictee is sucking all the air out of the room so our Fl “ Governor” is desperately trying to draw attention to his free-falling campaign while exposing how truly evil he is…
Well if the Orange One isn't accomplishing anything else, at least The Donald is making DeSantis expose all his ugly warts to the American Voting Public before they unwittingly vote him into the Office of the Presidency!
*jaw drop* Boyoboy, those ol' fascists no longer 'hide their light in a bushel', do they? That's right, Ron: say the quiet part out loud! However Ron is such a charmless specimen, I doubt even that will garner him any votes. Not as long as 'Trump the Persecuted Champion of the Downtrodden' (as he loves to style himself in order to con more money out of his dimmest adherents) is able to conjure any sympathy at all, that is.
A cult leader can do no wrong. Murder is one thing subverting the government is another. Consider the effect of murder compared to becoming a dictator's affect on the country and world.
2016: "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" Trump remarked at a campaign stop at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. "It's, like, incredible."
Suggestion: it’s at this point in history that we need to bring back Aristophanes. I don’t remember which play, but maybe somebody out there knows exactly the right one. I get through lots of the mess of these days just remembering that the Greeks said “the gods laughed,” which always makes me smile to remember. And Aristophanes must have kept them laughing. (Actually, Aristophanes is more accessible to us than Gilbert and Sullivan.)
My favorite was Oedipus erectus. I agree that Gilbert & Sullivan have rich material (‘I’ve got him on the list, he’ll never be missed), but Sophocles and Shakespeare have some ragged harpoons.
Heck, he doesn’t even have the cojones to fire people in person, unless it’s on a scripted “reality” TeeVee show. Maybe he inadvertently coined a term Tweet-Termination?
Bravo, Keith! Glad you’re taking him on. What I’m enjoying is that the super racist has two judges of color whose bios and intelligence are light years beyond his. I hope this doesn’t offend anyone, but I am offended by racism and enjoy sticking it to racists of any stripe, particularly those who have their photo ops with upside down Bibles!
Both judges are highly qualified women of color. Somehow it gives me great satisfaction for him to be under their thumb every day. I really enjoyed how Lauro was effectively told to shut up and sit down after three objections. This country needs to see this trial warts and all.
Not wanting to be jailed, or more likely suffering house arrest, the indicted former president will probably avoid saying things that would influence jurors but that won't stop his non-indicted supporters from doing that ... and having it spread through right-wing media such as Newsmax, OAN, or even Fox. And are the judge's words about not influencing jurors operative before a jury is even selected ... or might they apply to the entire pool of prospective jurors?
What are the chances that the dumpster and his council will be hit with a gag order? I would call what they are both doing as trying to influence potential jurors.
I hope that judge feels emboldened to use her powers to bring full consequences to bear on that aged lifetime crook who has forever escaped meaningful consequences for his multitude of crimes
Rose (WNY etc.). The judge made a nonsensical statement. Trump can be accused of committing new crimes, but for the judge to say that Trump cannot **commit** new crimes would require another trial to prove Trump committed the crimes.
Do judges today even know the law? Or is there no law. If you are accused of a crime you are guilty.
Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke during a stop at the Indiana State Fair, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, in Indianapolis:
“I don’t know if the government can meet the standard, the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt for criminal charges,” he said. “But the American people deserve to know that President Trump and his advisers didn’t just ask me to pause. They asked me to reject votes, return votes, essentially to overturn the election.”
That is like the one member of the cult who decided not to drink the Kool Aid explaining his choice not to do so to the dead bodies who had already drank it. After he had helped with passing out the straws.
I understand how one can form the the uncharitable conclusion you have formed about Pence. I am tempted in that direction as well.
However, I think Pence is just not exactly the brightest bulb in any room and, for whatever reason, unable to lead himself. A man like Pence is easily manipulated until the light comes on in his head. Which, to give him credit, the light DID come on and at a very important time in American history.
So, having met folks like Mike Pence before, who were led into situations that they could not foresee due to limited intelligence and experience, I would like to be more charitable and say:
Pence, when the real time of need presented itself, delivered a very brave, dare I offer, clutch, performance that risked and continues to risk his own life.
He is one of the most key witnesses against Trump. Do you think Putin might have plans for Pence? I sure hope he has good security.
Every GOP representative had a point in time when they had to decide to proceed with the coup or not, to take that final step and they all did take that step. 240 voted to reject the election results ( after the assault!) and each day they keep their mouths shut, breathes more life into this big lie. I was glad to hear Pence’s statement. If only I could hear others say that TFG does not belong in the White House. I don’t expect such a miracle.
My respect for Pence hovers around zero. I agree he is not the sharpest tool in the shed. And his evangelical Christian world view helps explain things (like his twisted version of reality - denial of global warming, denial of biological evolution, perhaps even denial of the age of the earth, anti-LGBTQ, etc etc). He's just not on the right page, and would make a bad president. On top of that - he is wishy washy and hypocritical. How can a man who seemingly places such weight on personal accountability and honor (just ask him), be the Trump lap dog that he was? Fortunately he had a breaking point, but as I understand it, he sought and got advise from others before coming to the conclusion that he needed to back out of the coup attempt. He needed some convincing apparently. Nope - no fan of Pence.
mike…he is bound to be right sometimes and, in this case, gloriously right…but surely that does not change Will’s apt descriptor? As a radio talk show host he was a defanged Limbaugh delivering a hard right, “unctuous” “POV”. (substituted “POV” for “punch”. ) As IN governor, you might recall, he supported extreme right conservative actions making a mess for businesses, using “public policy” to discriminate against marginalized sections of the population ( no doubt, “in the name of the ……….”.) He did it w the conviction of one who holds deeply held “beliefs”. Perhaps those personal beliefs have been meaningful for he and his family but his attempt to extract compliance w those beliefs from a divergent populace strikes me as repugnant and more than a little “unctuous”. But perhaps that is just my take on “wholly” Mr Mike Pence.
Totally two-faced…..Pence was ‘trying’ to find a way to accommodate Trump initially, Luttig set him straight …constitutionally……then Pence kept essentially denying the Jan 6th death threats as over zealous patriots…then a sycophantic support of post election Trump so as not to alienate MAGA voters Pence himself would need politically…then FINALLY the truth …when it appears Trump realistically faces JAIL.
Pence is a mealy mouth hypocrite with ‘religious overlay’…..
But the dog was nice to him when the big orange man moved out of range. Speaking of orange - it's white!! He must need some crowdfunding for hair and makeup.
He has shifted his look from “wishing orange is the skin tone of virile masculinity” to “hoping pasty white is the color of saintly, slightly frail, innocence”...
Let me see if I can remember correctly. The Trump PAC, Make America Great Again spent a quarter billion dollars so far on Trump's and co-defendants legal bills with the last FEC filing. He only has $4 million left.
Regarding the burden of proof, Jack Smith has alleged that Donald Trump knew that he (Trump) had lost the election, yet lied about it. Jack Smith, the Special Prosecutor, is not stupid. And, for Trump's attorneys to have even a small chance of persuading a jury that Trump didn't know that he had lost the election, they would have to prove that Trump is the most stupid man in America, perhaps the world. But, all of that is not going to be necessary, I think. And here's why.
Jack Smith, when he and his team drafted the indictment, they drew it up in such a way that they knew that they would have to prove to the jury that Trump did what he did knowing that he had lost the election. Why could they be so sure that they could prove this to the jury? I submit that they did this because there are several people extemely close to Trump who are not indicted: Mark Meadows, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Not being indicted means that they are most likely cooperating with the Special Counsel. And then there are those who are indicted - Rudy Giuliani, for one. Would Rudy sing like a songbird if he could avoid spending the rest of his life in prison? Does the Pope count his beads? The same holds true for the others as well.
The case may not go to trial. When Trump and his attorneys are confronted with the evidence against him, they may cut a deal - Trump to spend the rest of his life under house arrest confined to Mar-a-Lago. No participation in politics, period.
This is a case that MUST go to trial, if there is any hope for Tramp's supporters to come back to being Americans instead of cultists. A public trial, and certainly no plea deal until AFTER all witnesses are heard. And not sentenced to his gilt-over-plastic play palace, either; at the very least, a sentence of 3-5 in a minimum security prison.
Lynn, that would be much to be desired, but TFG does not want a shot of him in an orange prison jumpsuit. and the prosecution wants him out of American life and politics. Racism has infected a significant part of our population since its inception. Timothy Egan's book, "A Fever in the Heartland" makes it clear that the KKK racism of 100 years ago is the same today, reincarnated as MAGA. TFG's followers will not be swayed one iota by his being found guilty. They don't care because TFG advocates for what they want: white Protestant control of the government.
Sad, but true. Every day I wish every racist could spend time looking at the brilliant parade of every shade on MSNBC. The reporting is good to excellent, but it’s the variety of journalists, former judges, lawyers, politicians that is the true education for all who watch and learn.
Richard, thank you. Having watched almost no television except Monty Python, the Muppets, the occasional movie and Washington Week in Review for years (for 10 years in France we saw only one other boat on the canals with no TV), with the advent of Trump, alone I found MSNBC. It even got me through Covid (foggy brain reported by MD in Alabama one night when I was trying to understand what was wrong with my head). I am still learning law as the indictments come through. Didn’t know until today that Jack Smith gets a second chance if he gets a hung jury. After the indictment for DC, however, either the juror would be reprehensible or truly ill, mentally or physically, to vote against a guilty verdict. I salute the courage of the defense.
Richard, I think every thinking person wants that individual out of politics and out of the public eye forevermore - silenced permanently from continuing to corrupt the public discourse and our country. And fortunately this case will continue regardless of what that individual wants, and I hope all the way to a conviction. I don't really have any hope for the die-hard maggots, but there have to be some Tramp supporters who support that individual because they honestly and uncorruptly disagree with certain policies and actions of the Democratic party, and held their noses to vote for that stain on our national escutcheon for that reason. Those people, if there are any, are not beyond the pale, and it is to be hoped that a conviction following trial, or even a plea acknowledging guilt following testimony but before a verdict, will help the scales fall from their eyes. I really hope that not all people calling themselves republicans are in fact maggots, but that some of them still believe in the rule of law and deplore the way Tramp and the maggots (good band name for a very bad band?) have diverted their party into what it is today.
Lynn, I share your hope but there is a very hard core of KKK/MAGA types in this country that will not change, perhaps ever. DeSantis even had a Nazi symbol put up by one of his staff. When the March in 2017 in Charlottesville as going on, some were shouting "Jews will not replace us." That's Klan talk. Our schools and churches have failed miserably.
Just the appearance alone, in which he urged the crowd to march w him to the capitol and “to fight like hell, or we won’t have a democracy at all” was sufficient for those of us who watched w shocked tears in our eyes. Must say, he was the “eloquent” orator, as always.
"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." Pres. G.W. Bush, White House Correspondents' Dinner, 3/31/2001
I was thinking about this same out for Trump, yesterday. But I said to my friend Lela that that then he would have to admit either that he is mentally ill or that he lost the election. Can a narcissistic as ill as he is really do that, and admit publicly that he isn't 'Perfect' ? I doubt it, and that is why there hasn't been a deal struck yet. I bet his lawyers have been trying to get him to take government offers for deals.
It is an interesting thought: is TFG's malignant narcissism so extreme that he would "go down with the ship" instead of saving himself. He may not be able to.
The best advice I have heard so far has been from George Conway if he was asked to defend the dumpster. Plead guilty and try to get the best deal he can. Of course, not going to happen. He wants a civil war, at least.
We don't know for sure at this point. TFG will have his "come to Jesus" moment and I can guarantee you that his attorneys are going to be pushing for a settlement - Trump pleads guilty, gets house arrest or something equivalent and is barred from ever holding public office again, or even running for office. He might even be prohibited from speaking to the media or broadcasting his lies.
"The lead prosecutor for the United States, Thomas Windom, asked the judge for a speedy trial; Trump’s attorneys refused to agree, saying it would take a long time to review the huge amount of evidence."
It seems to me that they met the burden of proof, handily.
that could very well be an understatement. That 52% of Republican voters favor Trump tells us that white Christian nationalism is the driving force, even at the prospect of bringing our democracy to an end. There is no way to reason with them. None.
“... This is why I refused to testify before the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack, dismissing the probe as politicized,” Pence never said.
"When given no other real alternative, I declined to do what the poo-smearing mob chanting for my death was demanding, and bravely fulfilled my intended role as a historic non-entity. May I have another Eucharist cracker for good behavior?"
Somehow, Michael Pence discovered his manhood. Not exactly a profile in courage. I wonder if mother scolded him and told him that he has to tell the truth? His testimony and contemporaneous notes should be sufficient to convict the traitor Donald Trump.
It seems to me that the way to the Republican heart these days is to sell hate and force oneself on women who are not interested. Trump routinely has participated in both of those activities.
The two things Trump is most active with is selling hate and rape.
Conclusion: Republicans love hate and rape.
Sure seems odd that a bunch of evangelicals sitting in church getting their hair scorched off every Sunday about the many ways to hell, seem attracted to someone that all of those fire breathing preachers would seemingly assign to the hell bucket.
Pence, independent of his somewhat lackluster style, seems like a good guy and cannot attract ANY Republican support.
Kind of sad that half of America LOVES hate and rape. And Trump
Without his imprimatur, Trump would not have had the success with evangelicals that he did. He spent four long years groveling at Trump’s feet. He headed the White House’s disastrous Covid response team. Remember him visiting the Mayo Clinic and refusing to wear a mask? As Governor of Indiana, he did much to limit women’s rights, lgbt rights, and public education. He wants to eliminate the EPA and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. He advocates a 15 week national abortion ban and a ban on gender affirming care for minors. He promotes the use of coal and wants to roll back green initiatives. Can you imagine what his cabinet would look like? Not like America, that’s for sure - I imagine Mother wouldn’t allow any women.
While he may have done the right thing during that one important moment, and I’m grateful for it, his silence about it for the two and a half years since speaks volumes. Never mind his silence while it was all ongoing. Like all the rest of them, he didn’t report this scheme to the FBI. Protect and defend the constitution my ass.
I agree KR. I would like to add Liz Chaney to a similar list. She supported T***ps policy 90% of the time, but fortunately for the United States January 6th, was a step to far.
I am so conflicted about Liz Cheney. She was magnificent during the J6 hearings. And yet, I’ve heard her spout lies about Democrats killing babies. In the end, she did an honorable thing but the rest of it - those lies are not honorable.
Perhaps the best we can say is that these are NOT bad people. However, deeply held religious convictions have rendered them absolutely committed to upholding their version of “right”regardless of divergent thought on particular issues. “With god on your side…”
Pence as governor made an HIV outbreak in Indiana worse by, among other things, delaying a needle exchange program. As VP he was an extreme sycophant for a very bad man. That said, unlike Donald John, Pence actually has principles. They include opposing my existence, I’m not supporting the guy, but he does. Pence believes in honesty and democracy. Pence went along with a lot of trumpian garbage, but at a certain point the evil was too much and he refused to participate. Every right action matters.
Pence’s statement you quote is critical. He has said Donald Trump asked him to overturn the election. That is strong evidence of guilt. Do you think the government will subpoena Pence to testify? I’d be surprised if he’d do so voluntarily.
He and his lawyers are already polluting the jury pool by trying out their potential defense arguments in public, so see which ones "resonate" with people. His lawyers and other supporters are speaking about the arguments, not him, so he's not "breaking the law."
I'm hoping this Judge will have zero tolerance towards 'trials by public opinion.' I hope the judge will assert the primacy of court trials within a court of law.
Trump's attorney, as noted in the Newsmax interview last night, admitted one of the allegations in the indictment. I can't see this case going to trial.
The 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, was arraigned on criminal charges.
‘He is charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding.’
‘He is also charged with conspiring to take away “the free exercise and enjoyment of a right and privilege secured…by the Constitution and laws of the United States…the right to vote, and to have one’s vote counted,” as he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election and install himself in office over the wishes of the American people.’ (Letter)
Can the United States of America bring this man to justice? Can the United States defend its democracy? Can the American people come together as a society or remain a mass of contradictions and of hatred?
[American Citizenship] captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations.
The then chief of the executive branch (Trump) failed in his duty as president. The legislative branch failed in its duty to hold the executive accountable for those failures. Now the judicial branch is attempting to remedy those failures. The more transparent this attempt, the better. As a nation, we will probably always be a mass of contradictions, this is precisely why we must remain a nation based on the rule of law. That Trump, et. al. are facing trials and not firing squads is a triumph of our system, not a weakness. Trumpism will be with us for a long, long, time, but on August 3rd, it lost. What's coming will not be pretty, but it will be just.
Racism continues; it's easily fanned and fueled. Will that prejudice, which readily creates battle lines, grow-up to be a workable difference, for the most part, honoring the principle of equality for all? Now, if that seems like a silly question, you know why!
Fern-this is an important point. Trump came down the escalator calling Mexicans rapists, he instituted a Muslim ban, he declared that Obama was an illegitimate American, he promoted caravans of brown people at the border and separated children from their families, he said White men chanting against Jewish people are just fine, he showed his disrespect and violence toward women, he tried to throw out the votes of people of color-he incited an insurrection-I could go on.
Why do these people follow him? What was the Civil War really about? Too many Americans are driven by racism, patriarchy and xenophobia. We’ll always be divided unless we acknowledge the underlying issues. The MAGA crowd is not following him to support tax cuts for wealthy people. He’s saving them from changing demographics. They want them to preserve white supremacy.
The anti-slavery Americans won-I’m hoping that anti-racist Americans can win too. Otherwise, the American Experiment will be doomed.
I was hopeful in my younger days that the issue of race was overcomeable, when our Bio teacher in high school mentioned that miscegenation was beneficial to the species. It was a favorite term of the conservatives, via the church.
Now that I have decades of personal observation to consult, I find that I was so very wrong, and that that hope has turned into dismay.
To your point, is it possible that the public Trump who entered the political arena as a champion of the "forgotten people" filled a void in public while boosting his private image, later voiced as "I alone can fix the system? " Can Trump the actor have become the character he portrayed? He has changed his party affiliation 5 times. He learned ruthlessness from his father and from Roy Cohn, he evidently was close to the NY mob, try this on for size,
and he excels at character assassination. Everyone who doesn't assist him in his schemes is traitorous.
My hope is now replaced by dismay and the fear that our fellow Americans would rather follow him off a cliff than honor the laws, would rather live with prejudice and the denial of others' rights, would rather destroy our fragile form of government, than live and let live.
Meanwhile, the Florida governor is taking what passes for rhetoric to a new basement level by asserting that on the first day as president, he will start slitting throats in the bureaucracy. No words.
Gina, you’ve stated the perfect summation of where we are today…it all boils down to the Republican Party (MAGA) preserving white supremacy at all costs.
You’re so right. We’re hoping that Anti-Racist Americans can win the War again!
Richard, we basically agree, but the setback that HCR frequently refers to, began with the Reagan administration. It now feels atomic. The 'becoming' you refer to may be a misnomer.
Gerald Ford made a spineless, devastating decision fifty years ago by pardoning Richard Nixon. That fateful move is in no small part why we are where we are today dealing with this outsized, right wing monstrosity. Their arrogance and their smugness as they commit crime after crime, their blatant lies and propaganda knows no bounds as it has gone unpunished for decades. Enough. Is. Enough.
The difference now, 50 years later, is that current day MAGA is really KKK, white supremacy now, white supremacy forever. I'll say it again, Timothy Egan's book "A Fever in the Heartland," about the rise of the KKK in the Midwest in the early 1920's is essential reading. It brings it all together.
“We believe the current of pure American blood must be kept uncontaminated by mongrel strains and protected from racial pollution “. -Klanswomen from Arkansas-page 55 in Egan’s book
Gina, great point. That quote is actually on p. 56. There is a similar one on p. 55: "This is a struggle for the rebirth of the White Race and the preservation of civilization." How is that any different from what is going on right now? Today's Moms for Liberty are simply the KKK's Queens of the Golden Mask as well as Daughters of the Confederacy.
There is no question but that TFG deserves to rot in prison, but I think that there'll be a settlement - TFG pleads guilty and is sentenced to house arrest at Mar-a-Lago for the rest of his life with no participation in politics. The risk to this? A Republican president could pardon him.
"Yale history professor Timothy Snyder noted: 'That Trump will be tried for his coup attempt is not a violation of his rights. It is a fulfillment of his rights. It is the grace of the American republic...'"
Yes, but - neither the trial nor the massive amount it will cost the American taxpayer would have been necessary had the spineless Republicans in the Senate voted to impeach him as the House committee so brilliantly showed he deserved to be. What continues to stock in my craw is the speech made by McConnell immediately following the vote in which he said Trump would face true justice in the court system. What a demonstration of perfidy.
With McConnell suffering additional problems from his brain injury, on national TV, his time as godfather of the Senate Republicans may be coming to an end. Who will replace him as head of the Republican caucus?
How common is it for someone to be under indictment in four jurisdictions simultaneously? I doubt if Trump would be setting a record, but it seems to me that it's got to be a rather small group.
"Unprecedented" - There's that word again that so perfectly defines everything associated with tfg, and forever tainted in my ears to sound like "unpresidented" and also so overused because of him that it ought to be retired from American English.
Agree Just Janice, we need a list of synonyms & antonyms: "aberrant", "outlier"? How about retiring "unprecedented" with a phrase, "out there" or "way, way out there ". Or coin a new word, "outliar"?
JustJanice, yes, I’ve long thought that he should remain “unpresidented” for his remaining years. And in the dictionary there will be a likeness of TFG next to the definition of “unprecedented”. Oh, and next to the def of “graft” and “grift”..and…”liar” and…and….
We might also want to check with the Guinness World Records people about the record for number of criminal defense attorneys simultaneously retained by a single individual.
They have to keep the MAGA faithful fired up so they can continue soaking them for donations. The monthly legal bill must be a whopper.
Yeah for the Justin’s! And yeah for justice being done. We need to keep the heat on high. And force the truth out on social media and elsewhere. I’m commenting to articles in the WaPo when they both sides something or give something a slant. Just the facts ma’am. Thank you Heather because you provide that so well!
It does my heart good to see the Justins take the opportunity to exemplify how you can be outspoken and involved no matter how unfriendly the home terrain may be. It is the sort of visibility that leads to others in the state putting themselves out there as well. The shift in places like TN may be a ways off but this is how it begins!
Dr. Richardson, Thanks for staying up so late to bring us this information. To this information, I need to vent my anger at PBS’s broadcast of the interview between Geoff Bennett and the former AG, William Barr. Barr used his book release touting to dismiss the need for cameras in the federal court house during what will be a historic trial of the former guy and defend Barr’s interference and reversal in the Flynn prosecution. Geoff Bennett let Barr skate instead of pushing back on numerous occasions when Barr lied about how he got the job of DJT’s compliance and supportive AG helping DJT commit his crimes against the American people. Although it will not happen because lawyers seldom prosecute any of the brotherhood although we all know that prosecution of the DJT pile of cannot get work in the private sector attorneys is where the prosecutions should start. , Barr should be investigated and if possible indicted for his part in enabling the whole Trump POS cabinet’s part in their non-oversight of DJT and failure to uphold their oaths of office. These embarrassments make the Watergate plumbers look like legal scholars. If there is a Hall of Shame for scumbags, Barr should be inducted into it right beside Haldeman, Erlickman, Mitchell, now Leonard Leo and many of those whom I have thankfully forgotten.
Barr is a ‘good’ Catholic who, despite his expectation of supreme unction, will nonetheless end up in Hell for his sins. I say this as a devout atheist who fully expects other peoples’ God to follow through with eternal punishment despite the machinations of mere mortals
I watched the interview. Barr was like a bulldozer and Bennet kept at questions which Barr over- talked and blabbed on and on. I think Bennet could’ve been more aggressive, but he gave him enough rope to demonstrate that he’s a lying sophist.
Even when I wish an interviewer would push harder, the truth is that even when the interviewer doesn't get the interviewee to retract or amend or nuance a statement, we see what's being spewed, and that, too, is a function of journalism. Everyone who is venting here against Barr is right. (I'd add that even his manner demonstrates his undeserved arrogance.) The fact that Bennett didn't push as much as we might like, however, doesn't mean he was failing his job.
I had the same response, J.P., while watching that interview. I kept thinking that Barr is trying to "save his ass" by acting holier than thou. But he is dancing on a tight-rope. I also wished Bennett had challenged him more. He brought up the Mueller report, but allowed Barr's skirting the answer to be sufficient, and it shouldn't have been. Barr's making the circuit of interviews with this new book, so perhaps someone will stop being so polite and remind him of the damage he has done by doing Trump's bidding for so long.
Barr enabled T to the hilt. I bet he negotiated ground rules for the interview. Give them enough opportunity to demonstrate hypocrisy. It’s a fine balance
Such a delightful end to a long day. The “Justin’s” are reinstated in the legislature of TN; no one can attest to wrong doing by the Biden non-crime family; and Mr. Trump is instructed to abide by the law. I will have to parse Dr. Snyder’s comment more fully. Bless you, Heather. Sleep well!😴
Apparently, a take-away from the court appearance yesterday was that the judge kept referring to T***p as "MISTER T***p", something that really rankles him and something that nobody at any of his residences dares call him. It has to be "President". My guess is the judge is wanting to show that he will treated the same as any other American citizen in her court.
I agree - Plus ... Tfg did not really deserve the title of 'president' based on his extremely unpresidential behavior even when he was elected in 2016, much less should ANYBODY refer to him now as 'president'. He already has tons of elitist privileges that those that followed his incitement to attack the Capitol on Jan6 didn't get, especially those that have been incarcerated in lieu of him.
"It is the grace of the American republic. In other systems, when your coup attempt fails, what follows is not a trial."
For we who wish to keep our democracy, this is why how we conduct ourselves over the next months matters so greatly. We absolutely cannot beat them by joining them. We cannot allow our words and actions to come from a place of fear, anger, or cynicism. The baddies wish to degrade our Republic, and if we emulate them in their inability to rise above the ugliest base impulses the human race has yet to outgrow, then we will have become accomplices to that degredation. Never. We must beat their dirty tricks and endless lies with integrity, patience, optimism, and commitment to the truth. If we truly believe in these higher values, we must also believe that they can and will prevail when it really counts. It may seem exhausting, it may seem the burden is unfair, but we not only can and will accomplish what we seek, but will be able to look at ourselves in the mirror. Our nation will not end its battle with this internal darkness by succumbing to the historical cycle of retribution, it will end it with a reaffirmation of the virtues and goals of our system, and a determination to learn and grow. I remain a proud member of this nation, despite its flaws and continuing bumps in the road to progress, and I refuse to have it any other way.
This is what Dems have been doing for decades. Dems can and must be strong, They finally started by bringing Jack Smith to the fight. Now they need a media outlet that will tell the truth. Anybody listening.
Reading your words, Will, I keep hearing Michelle Obama in my head; “When they go low, we go high.” We can’t let them change us and allow them to bring us down to their level. We need to set higher standards for our nation and those who hold elected office. The djt’s and George Santos’ and mtg’s will never be tolerated again. We all deserve better. When they go low, we go high-and higher. Our nation and our world need that.
Well said, Will. This democracy must demonstrate that it is functional, alive, and well. We have got to show "...integrity, patience, optimism, and commitment to the truth." We cannot sink to their level.
I am astounded that there is an assumption in the indictment that we (Trump) have a protected right to lie when the truth is so self evident. This is not just like lying about your height in a dating app.
Is lying really protected? As far as I know, lying to Congress or the court while under oath is a jailable offense. Should we start asking all candidates to vow to only tell the truth during campaigns? (Don't laugh. I'm being serious. Really. )
It doesn’t seem to matter much. After watching MTG repeat over and over in that Georgia courtroom: “I can’t recall” when we all had seen and heard her on actual VIDEO, I lost all hope in that ‘perjury’ threat. It’s a cup with a hole in it; it holds no water.
In one way, not really. In the realm I am most familiar with (local law enforcement and testimony in the State Circuit Court), perjury is a Class C felony (lowest grate of felony which is the higher grade of criminal conduct that can result in a state prison sentence of greater than one year; a misdemeanor is lower grade of criminal conduct netting local jail time of one year or less). In the greater scheme of things, it is on par with crimes such as breaking into a building to commit a crime, or the homicide under negligent circumstances. Just a taste of the relative "grading" of criminal conduct as seen from the street view in Oregon.
As I understand the argument presented by Trump's attorney, the prosecution cannot prove that Trump did not believe he lost the election. Of course, Trump was advised by numerous advisers, aides, and lawyers that he in fact lost the election. His campaign and supporters lost every substantive court action on the issue. It seems to me that his argument can most successfully lead to an insanity defense or a defense based on intellectual incapacity/incompetence. It could help keeep him out of prison (in exchange for a stay in a federal forensic unit...).
I think the defense's use of the "free speech" and "not my intent" arguments are for the rioters he hopes will break him out of prison. Or maybe he hopes the Wagner group will break him out.
I am 76 and for as long as I can remember the South has been trying to re-fight the civil war. Now and for the past few years they are actually doing it. As in the original. Civil War, the North has had a series of ineffective generals and success has looked bleak. As in the previous Civil War, we have finally found our U.S. Grant. Dress Jack Smith up a bit and he actually looks like Grant. The March to the Sea begins in Atlanta soon and the Union will soon be victorious.
I am 68 and have lived in the South all of my life, but i want no part of a Civil war. I can't say that about my TUMP loving neighbors, they are all dedicated members of the TUMP Cult. I am glad the Union won, and i hope our Union is victorious. I live just outside of Atlanta.
I think the concept of dressing Jack up as a union general during the courtroom trial has real merit. Maybe Roberts would approve cameras in the courtroom for that. He’s an originallist. ……..right?
Seriously, can you imagine sexism, racism etc. etc. as legitimate points of view much less a ruling order? Satyagraha, the truth force that moves through history will prevail. As always, we shall overcome.
Much appreciated, Heather. From the two Justins' reinstatement in Tennessee, to the Archer transcript being released, and the arraignment in the Prettyman courthouse, it was a great day for democracy yesterday!
I think cameras at the trial of the coup plotter is particularly appropriate seeing as how it was We, the People, All of Us This Time, whose votes were targeted to be disenfranchised. Surely, we have more than a vested interest in seeing firsthand the wheels of justice carrying democracy back toward front and center where it belongs.
I think chump would approve of cameras in the courthouse. Maybe a mirror in front of his seat. So he can preen and admire himself, as the quicksand does it’s work.
Cameras on 1078's various courthouse appearances, no, thank you.
The primate brain has some perverse tendencies, one of which is to lodge pretty much everything except an actual close call with death in the Not That Terrifying™️ department. It's why advertising – or, as Orwell described it, "the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket" – works, and why there's no such thing as bad publicity.
Listening on NPR, for about four minutes, to breathless reporters trying to find some conflict among the courthouse protesters was all I needed to snap off my radio and go back to my audiobook.
That attention-seeking orange blob floating in his own swill stopped getting my attention 40 years ago when I was a 20-something attending college in NYC, and he turned his predatory kink on a handful of my club-going friends. Unsuccessfully, thanks to sheer luck and their quick thinking.
"voters reelected Tennessee state representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones" It is worth noting that, Gloria Johnson, the third state rep in the Tennessee controversy, has announced her candidacy for the US Senate against Marsha Blackburn. Her website is not yet ready to accept donations. http://www.votegloriajohnson.com As soon as it is, help her out.
Exactly right. She is among the most unappealing of the Republican Senators. Consider my political newsletter -- mostly bios of candidates for whom donations could make a difference between winning and losing: Len's Political Notes https://lenspoliticalnotes.com
Buckle up: Today we felt the first drops in a coming deluge of transparent excuses for Trump’s coup attempt. The distortion PR campaign by his lawyers and other surrogates will spend months trying to cloud reality. But justice is coming, at last.
I sincerely hope someone is keeping a list of the apologists. I already lost track, but I’m not typically inclined to count the mosquitoes I’m slapping, either.
“The judge warned him that one of the conditions of his release was that he must not commit new crimes.”
Given his past record, I will safely bet he can’t resist the impulse…
UPDATE, And less than 24 hours later:
“IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!”
"St. George in Retirement Syndrome: Many who fight injustice come to define themselves by their fight against injustice, so that, as they defeat the injustice, they must invent new injustices to fight against simply to maintain their identity" (Gurwunder; The Prism newsletter).
If there is a theory that can sum up Donald Trump and his allies and by extension the entire Republican brigade, then the above quote can clearly reveal. As Trump is being cornered in the court, he tries to cleverly pick sections of law that favors him and singularly claim that his rights are not being served. While the First Amendment grants everyone the right to express themselves in any way, it does not allow them to act against the same constitution (turning against the will of the people as expressed through the election). Similarly, Republicans' fight are often done through the right-wing media. As the House Committee tries to solve the stalemate surrounding the son of the president, Republicans are trying as much as possible to leak findings from the Committee and feed them to their media. While they claim that they have a secret dosure to reveal, they are yet to do so. Strategically, this is their approach to be under constant sympathy by keeping a cycle of injustices created by them to continue benefiting from them. They "manipulate the facts presented by their own witness just to keep fueling the far-right media’s obsession with fabricating wrongdoing by President Biden." If Biden was not the president, would have Republicans shoved off the case from the court shelf and demand prosecution? I don't think so and reverse is also true, but the timing of it is what they want to harvest emotions from the public as they prepare for 2024.
Behind the court curtains, I am sure Trump is desperate to undermine the judge and call hers despicable names.
For those who have been supporting and intending to subscribe to my newsletter for free, nashukuru sana (I am very thankful). Any time I write a newsletter, I have an underserved community in mind. This is what I stand for and live for. When my time to exit from this cosmos arrives, I will be happy that I have accomplished my mission of serving the underserved. Welcome to my mission to accomplish together.
If Trump was not elected in 2016, would we be paying attention to him now? Not likely. I Biden was not elected in 2020, would we be paying attention to his son? Not likely, either. But they were, and we are.
Our tendency has been to create a false parity, which in this case somehow equates committing 2 years of tax fraud with a political career riddled with serious crimes culminating with the attempted overthrow of the government of the United States. Despite all their bluster and baseless claims, the Trumpists are not fighting dragons, they ARE the dragons.
Roger Stone and his wife had not paid two years of taxes, about 2 million dollars. DOJ told them to pay up or face civil charges. They paid.They were done. Hunter Biden paid two years of taxes late, about a tenth of what the Stones had held back, and still faced criminal charges.
How odd....somehow that doesn't sound like equal justice before the law to me. /s
I keep up with news, but I didn’t know that. Thanks, Joan. May many more people learn of this. Poor Republican babies always being targeted by the evil federal government enforcing evil laws against tax evasion.
Do you have a quick, succinct link Joan? I would love to share that info and did not know that about the Stones. If not, I will search for it. Thanks!
https://www.floridabulldog.org/2023/06/hunter-biden-sweetheart-deal-tougher-roger-stone-tax-deal/
https://www.justsecurity.org/75954/is-roger-stone-getting-off-easy-for-tax-fraud/
Awesome!! ❤️🙏 Thank you!!
Dyn-o-mite! Thanks.
Hi Joan: Well let’s get Kamala - the prosecutor - elected and watch her go after Donald Trump’s crimes, the Supremes who are not acting in the best interest of the people and instead supporting Trump, and the various judges - like Judge Aileen Cannon - who dismissed Trump’s classified document case. Elizabeth “From Democracy to Democrazy”
Joan Friedman: End the Income Tax and all the problems you mention go away.
Alternatively, restoring the IRS budget for enforcing tax laws against non-payment of existing taxes by those with incomes over $400,000/year would pay for itself threefold and reduce the deficit significantly.
Joan: PS: Those IRS agents aren't going after the Big Boys. They are going after you and me.
I have read several books about Trump, and he was a criminal BEFORE becoming president. His real estate dealings were shady. He interacted with organized crime figures while owning and bankrupting the Atlantic City casinos, a violation of law. How stupid do you have to be to bankrupt a casino, in whose favor the odds are stacked?
Excellent point. I suspect that he came out of the bankruptcy process in fine financial shape. He manipulates the system - he learned at his father's feet.
And let’s not forget that Roy Cohn was TFG’s “fixer” lawyer…..a real piece of work, another teacher in the School of Grift & Graft along w/ his father. And TFG kicked him to the curb (“dropped” him) when Cohn lay dying of AIDS.
Cohn.
Thank you for reminding all of us that he learned to be a criminal from his father. May I add that the irony of Ivana’s being married to a convicted criminal isn’t lost on me either. Remember crime families? We never expected one as president. (But then a bright friend did warn me many years ago about the effects of television.
Another reader here in the LFFA Substack recommended Greg Olear’s in-depth explanation of tfg’s mafia connections. It’s a bit lengthy, but it clarifies so much!
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/tinker-tailor-mobster-trump?utm_source=direct&r=3y3z2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Greg Olear has superb New York City sources, so I felt confident sharing the article. He reposted this original 2020 article just recently, and it is even more timely now.
Thank you, MaryPat! I couldn’t remember who posted it originally, but I found it to be the best and most informative read on tfg’s criminal background. It essentially explains his arrogance! I have shared it with others numerous times. Thanks again!
Rose, thanks for the link
I’m forwarding your thanks to MaryPat Sercu, who originally posted that link.
Trump also committed bank fraud, multiple times. To the extent that no bank will do business with him.
John, I believe the dumpster stays afloat from a bank that has a guarantor of the Sovereign wealth fund of Russia. somewhere in Germany.
That is Deutsche Bank.
And I heard that they do not allow gaming at his hotel in Las Vegas!
Sharon, I checked with Snopes and they indicate that is a false rumor.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/nevada-gaming-denied-trump/
Thank you, Rose. I heard it when I was in Las Vegas several years ago.
Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in 2016 by nearly 3,000,000 votes. We’re the only nation on earth where the candidate with the fewest votes wins. The electoral college is antiquated, only benefits one party (R’s) and has to go.
Has to go, or has to change. Empty land should not get the same number of votes as a city.
Since we Americans like to worship our founders and the Constitution, let’s give the Electoral College a ceremonial role. But elect President and Vice President in a way that each voter’s vote has equal weight to every other’s.
We are taught to worship the founders but most of us, including myself included don't know much about them. Some 18th Century attitudes haven't weathered well, but the founders embraced the Enlightenment, which included faith in reason, along alongside authority. The value of their bequest lies in its outcome-based applicability as our foundational procedural infrastructure, not superhuman authority of those who penned it.
The president/vice president is the only elected official I can think of whose constituents are the whole nation. From an equal protection, democratic perspective, the EC is woefully incongruent. One citizen/one vote; no more, no less. Lightly populated states are already over-represented in the Senate.
Such a sad day when the results were reported. I was volunteering at a Hillary Clinton campaign office in Berkeley, CA. We were shocked to learn James Comey, then the FBI director, sent a letter to Congress announcing the reopening of the email probe on Oct. 28, 2016, 11 days before the Nov. 8 election. Comey’s acknowledgement that he may have subconsciously expected Hillary Clinton to win the presidency when he disclosed days before the 2016 election the reopening of a probe of her emails shows that the then-FBI chief was driven by political motivation and self-interest, according to a White House spokesperson. Clinton has said she thinks Comey's announcement about the email probe so close to the election killed her chances of winning. Well Comey got his, being fired by Trump on TV.
I cringe remembering that situation, courtesy of deplorable Comey!
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is one way around an amendment to make it happen, tho not enough states have signed on to “make it work”:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact#:~:text=The%20National%20Popular%20Vote%20Interstate,and%20the%20District%20of%20Columbia.
Cathy Gellert: The candidate with the most votes in 2016 was None of the Above. 38% didn't vote. Hillary and Trump pretty much split the rest.
We would all be better off if None of the Above was in the White House. Turn the place into a museum.
If trump was not born rich we would NEVER know of him. Once again money the route of all evil.
Harvey, don’t know where you got the spelling, or is it mine? I thought “root” all these years, but “route” gives a whole different sense. Thank you.
I read sometime ago someone posit that he would be selling fake merch on the streets of NYC….sounds about right, the same grift w/o the greenbacks.
And we must be dragonslayers, though not in the vein (pun intended) of DeSantis and his promised/threatened throat slitting of bureaucrats. What on earth possesses that individual?
Your dragonslayers reminds of early maps of the British Islands (early middle ages) where large portions of uncharted Wales were marked with "here be dragons" including pictures of dragons. Hence the symbol of Wales today.
Maybe we should change the GOP elephant to a Red Dragon.
There are said to be "lucky dragons" (different tradition though). I can think of no more fitting emblem for the modern "GOP" than a COVID-19 virus. If nothing else, they've been partners in crime.
Ambition-- his and his wife's.
She wants to be Jackie Kennedy.
You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.
He is so rabid about anything concerning LGBTQ people one suspects 'homosexual panic'…as originally defined, not as used as defense. That, and a significant helping of megalomania…
Malignant narcissism. "GOP" leadership is septic with it.
Sure. I agree with you. Every side tries to illegitimize the other and this case Republicans are good in dirty games more than the Democrats. It is a game of public display to maintain identity. And it is a matter of using wrong means to achieve the right thing.
I mostly agree with you, Edwin, except that I can’t figure out what “right thing” might be associated with the Republicans’ end (achieved via the wrong means). The majority of the current cadre of self-righteous right-wingers only aspires to power and economic prosperity—and is willing to destroy our nation’s economy and democracy to that end.
If Republicans go by the right thing, then they need to denounce Trump's near-likely overturn of the 2020, adopt bipartisan approach, agree to cooperate with the Democrats on House Committee. If they do these, they know they will lose their identity and voting base, so they resort to using wrong means.
Ahhhh… I see your point now, Edwin. Thanks for the clarification.
So well said and perfectly illustrated, Steve!!!
“which in this case somehow equates committing 2 years of tax fraud with a political career riddled with serious crimes culminating with the attempted overthrow of the government of the United States”. Trump committed serious crimes, both before and during his time as president. Hunter Biden committed tax fraud. Hunter Biden was/is not president, or elected to any office. You seem to have unwittingly equated the misdemeanors of President Biden’s son with the felonies of ex-president Trump. Which is what Republicans would like us to do.
You nailed it. Cultivate a constant feeling of injustice “getting screwed” which fuels resentment. This is exactly what Fox and Donald Trump have been doing. There are a lot of people feel screwed and follow Trump as their spokes person.
Yes, the Trumpers are a collection of grudge holders. That includes every known Trump voter in my apartment building! Whether it is a racial grudge or government issue grudge, legal grudges, everyone I know that is still Republican fits one of these categories!
Resentment leads to hate which can and often does lead to violence.
I have to admit that I harbor resentment too. I resent Donald and the Republicans trying to destroy democracy in America! I resent that they are taking freedom away from my grandchildren and great grandchildren. I that why I have come to hate Donald Trump? I that why Kevin McCarthy almost drives me to drink? Is it why DeSantis causes me nausea? The only difference is my strong belief in the System and the majority of the American people, to hold these people responsible ultimately, whether through criminal prosecution or loss of voter confidence in them, so they lose their offices of power over discisions for me and mine.
I think the next election is going to be a close call again, but I will do everything in my power to help get out the vote for Democracy. Vote Blue everyone as if your very life and future depend on it! We must not be intimated into silence! I am going to put more bumper stickers on my car, whether the MAGAS try to ambush me or not!
I just want tfg and his cadre of clowns OFF my tv and radio news. Even NPR and PBS caved into having tfg's lawyer on their programs this week. Yes, I want a silo of real news, and a filter that works so I never hear his voice again. There, that's my rant. I, like you, will do every thing in my power to push these people out of any hope of power. Vote Blue. (I wish one of the senators from my state, Wisconsin, could be forced out.)
Oh, Louise! I feel your pain! I occasionally have to take breaks from following the news because I get so infuriated by how incredibly surreal our political climate has become. I wish you courage and strength, and the comfort of knowing you have lots of company and support in this forum.
Louise, I wish I had said that.
That reflects most of them being unable to take any responsibility for their situation and instead blaming everything and everyone else for their unhappiness. In this way they make themselves powerless and helpless. No insight, absolutist thinking, and childish processing. They seem like a whole group of two year olds throwing a perpetual tantrum. This isn't to say that there aren't environmental issues that might create some barriers for them, but many of them seem unwilling or incapable of finding any way around them. If they weren't so dangerous they would just be pathetic.
The “someone else is getting something I am not, but I should because I want it and I deserve it because I am me” grudge. I am reminded of the opinion that Trump’s defense is “I am Donald Trump!”
It's like the battered person's syndrome. While abusing the victim, in many ways, they complain about how poorly they've been treated and take no responsibility for the mess they've made. In fact they blame the very people they target with their nefarious behavior.
The comparison between tfg and a serial abuser has been noted since he announced in 2015.
...also by any person resembling a woman living in NYC since the late 1980s.
Projection is what I am thinking all the time they are speaking out of their hat.
Hyping the hate pays the bills, lavishly. I always have that song from "Cabaret" running through my head when I think of these individuals and companies. "Money, money, money, . . ."
You have to sabotage conscience to have a shot at absolute power; a bargain with the devil, so to speak.
Persecution mania now is endemic to the GOP in every way. "Harvest the emotions from the public" is precisely the means by which tfg has acquired much of his means to keep his Ponzi show running. This old Navy boiler man says that when you are running low on steam your ship begins to create undertow. Resistance. The man will fall apart in this judge's courtroom. If we have gained anything as a nation here, I believe it is an overwhelming call to become more engaged gatekeepers of our beloved country and her constitution. I now view appeals for support from Democratic candidates as an invitation to join hands in the party to rid ourselves of the predatory parasites in public office. Give, if you can. Every small donor matters greatly. Small donors are the backbone of our party.
Well said, sailor.
Thanks,Jim. I so look forward to witness any falling apart Trump may do, in court, preferably, but anywhere publicly. Fifth Avenue, maybe?
Yes, I think we have gained in awareness that we must be engaged.
The sad part is that the middle class small donors are now so depleted financially that everyone, as the price of food goes up faster than wages not in the top 10% must give to Democrats as they formerly gave to charities.
True that my ancestral home is in a coastal area that attracts the 1%, but the national park attracts visitors. I have never, ever seen so many expensive cars on the roads as I have in the last couple of years. Lots of folks appear to be doing very well! I have wondered about how many made out well from the extra pandemic infusion of $$. Just an observation.
Thank you for the observation. Observing the opposite where I am, mailbox flooded with appeals from every charity I’ve ever donated to, rising food costs affecting grocery store selections, particularly of organic food (which I understand).
Good point Virginia!
Here we are Edwin, in the same boat. And what a fine boat it is. Shall we name it Principle?
My thoughts conclude -with so many others- such as you, Heather, Joyce ,Ruth Charlie, Simon ( Principle is a mighty boat as is her crew) ... pen .
Their ship is lips , loud lips , which pitch and bitch .
Will yet another win quell that dogged pursuit, or as history fills more shelves /has proven WE MUST STAY EVER VIGILANT.
I remain privileged to read the many you , education is afforded to far to few people,these voices DO form a collective , WE are in this together .
Thank you .
Just one of the crew on the good ship Principle.
💙💙VOTE💙💙
Join your local Indivisible chapter, or start one. Get information on how to write GOTV postcards to states having early primaries. Getting together with friends to do such projects is a good way to reconnect after Covid separation (though we may be back in masks again).
Thank you so much Patricia
🫶
This is the way entire generations of white Southerners have been raised for over 150 years. They were the *real* victims in the Civil War. They were just defending themselves from Yankee aggression and defending their rights. Bring up slavery and they'll change the subject or, as we are now seeing in Florida, simply lie about it.
These people have been nursing grievances and a victim identity for generations. They have been fantasizing about mass violence for generations. They happily committed atrocities when they were in charge of the police and the courts and knew they could get away with it.
The descendants of the Confederacy are America's Nazis. They always have been. And they plan to take control by any means necessary. It would be best not to lose sight of that. Making Trump and his crew pay for their crimes will just be one more grievance to add to their list. They will be a long-term terrorist threat. We must not lose sigh of this or we are as doomed as the Germans were in the 1930s.
"Gibson's Law: In matters of law and policy, anyone can find a subject-matter expert who supports their view. Because they are more skilled at being wrong." Are Republicans good in this?
I subscribed to your newsletter but have gotten nothing from you for a while.
I had taken a break for 1 week and some days to recharge, but I am back now. I have more newsletters to post this week. And thank you for subscribing and your concern.
You are the only person in Substack that I know of writing about Africa, a continent of almost 1.5 billion people, so the odds would be great that I would want to hear what you have to say.
Sure and I am always thankful for your support. I have deep, authentic information about African people, culture, technology, politics, locals, underserved communities, and much more. I have prepared lots of data and stories about different aspects of life here in Africa. Over the next months, I will visit every African country to derive real, primary information that isn't showcased in the mainstream media. So, you will get more unknowns from me. Thank you Linda for believing in me 👏
What are the odds he littered something the second he stepped out of the courthouse?
Rose, too bad the judge didn’t tell TFG’s lawyer John Lauro, not to go on a friendly television show and admit that his client is guilty. Looks as though it’s not only his client who has a problem with saying the quiet parts out loud—“at least he didn’t send in the tanks”! (Can we say that invoking the Insurrection Act was part of the plan?)
Mary, It seems to me that Lauro and the dumpster are dangerously flirting with a gag order. MSNBC lawyers are aghast at the behavior.
What if you put him in the middle of Fifth Avenue with, er, a gun?
I do believe his poll numbers would go up. At this point, I have no doubt his rabid cult is essentially a mindless group of frenzied fascists. To them, he can do no wrong. To them, the worse he behaves, the better. If he was ever right about anything, he was right about these people. If he shot someone on 5th Ave, it wouldn’t matter. They would follow this criminal monster right off a cliff into the abyss. Well...they already have.
The dangerous reteric that his sycophants (in office still) are saying is so dangerous and disgusting. Ron DeSantis was giving a speech in New Hampshire yesterday where he said, "The first day I am in office, I will start slitting the throats of the bureaucrats in the Deep State!" I just saw the clip of the campaign speech on Morning Joe, MSNBC, this morning.
Isn’t that a threat that should land DeSantis on some watch-list?
I would hope so. Wouldn't that be nice! It would mean he would have to spend even more money to get from campaign events to campaign events to even spread such violent reteric!
The indictee is sucking all the air out of the room so our Fl “ Governor” is desperately trying to draw attention to his free-falling campaign while exposing how truly evil he is…
Well if the Orange One isn't accomplishing anything else, at least The Donald is making DeSantis expose all his ugly warts to the American Voting Public before they unwittingly vote him into the Office of the Presidency!
*jaw drop* Boyoboy, those ol' fascists no longer 'hide their light in a bushel', do they? That's right, Ron: say the quiet part out loud! However Ron is such a charmless specimen, I doubt even that will garner him any votes. Not as long as 'Trump the Persecuted Champion of the Downtrodden' (as he loves to style himself in order to con more money out of his dimmest adherents) is able to conjure any sympathy at all, that is.
Yes! All of the above! Thank Goodness for the "Charmless" part!
One of those small blunt-nosed animals with a few short whiskers and sloping foreheads. They live in holes in the ground. Or sewers.
OMG!
Thank you. Unsurprising, but necessary to publicize.
Jessie, given what I see from my former work cohort, you have described them most accurately.
They remind me of the crowd yelling "Yaaay!!" from the old Rocky and His Friends cartoons.
It would matter. It would elevate him further. What boggles my mind is how they don’t comprehend they are more likely to be his victim then not.
A cult leader can do no wrong. Murder is one thing subverting the government is another. Consider the effect of murder compared to becoming a dictator's affect on the country and world.
2016: "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" Trump remarked at a campaign stop at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. "It's, like, incredible."
A-L I’m ready to face Donnie on Fifth Avenue at 10 paces with AR 47s. I’m confident that there would be a yellow spot under Bone Spur Donnie.
But Keith, you know that he'd never show for an evenly armed contest.
Tuba Then Donnie will have earned the Caine Mutiny rubric—Yellow Spot.
🤣🤣🤣
Suggestion: it’s at this point in history that we need to bring back Aristophanes. I don’t remember which play, but maybe somebody out there knows exactly the right one. I get through lots of the mess of these days just remembering that the Greeks said “the gods laughed,” which always makes me smile to remember. And Aristophanes must have kept them laughing. (Actually, Aristophanes is more accessible to us than Gilbert and Sullivan.)
My favorite was Oedipus erectus. I agree that Gilbert & Sullivan have rich material (‘I’ve got him on the list, he’ll never be missed), but Sophocles and Shakespeare have some ragged harpoons.
Heck, he doesn’t even have the cojones to fire people in person, unless it’s on a scripted “reality” TeeVee show. Maybe he inadvertently coined a term Tweet-Termination?
Bravo, Keith! Glad you’re taking him on. What I’m enjoying is that the super racist has two judges of color whose bios and intelligence are light years beyond his. I hope this doesn’t offend anyone, but I am offended by racism and enjoy sticking it to racists of any stripe, particularly those who have their photo ops with upside down Bibles!
Both judges are highly qualified women of color. Somehow it gives me great satisfaction for him to be under their thumb every day. I really enjoyed how Lauro was effectively told to shut up and sit down after three objections. This country needs to see this trial warts and all.
I grew up with women who sounded like that judge, firm, politely unyielding. Perfect judge tone.
Well they wanted to give Rittenhouse a cushy jobs and medals, so it’s clear they advocate murder without consequences.
Not wanting to be jailed, or more likely suffering house arrest, the indicted former president will probably avoid saying things that would influence jurors but that won't stop his non-indicted supporters from doing that ... and having it spread through right-wing media such as Newsmax, OAN, or even Fox. And are the judge's words about not influencing jurors operative before a jury is even selected ... or might they apply to the entire pool of prospective jurors?
Let's hope he can't resist!!!
Yes, Rosalind! That’s my hope.
Agreed!
His very existence is a crime...
He probably has already commited a new crime.... 24 hours has passed. We will probably hear about it in a few days.
Indeed! Less than 24 hours later, he’s intimidating potential jurors: “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!”
What are the chances that the dumpster and his council will be hit with a gag order? I would call what they are both doing as trying to influence potential jurors.
So what happens when he defies what the judge stated he could not do? Bring him in and jail him? take away his tech toys? Or???
I hope that judge feels emboldened to use her powers to bring full consequences to bear on that aged lifetime crook who has forever escaped meaningful consequences for his multitude of crimes
Rose (WNY etc.). The judge made a nonsensical statement. Trump can be accused of committing new crimes, but for the judge to say that Trump cannot **commit** new crimes would require another trial to prove Trump committed the crimes.
Do judges today even know the law? Or is there no law. If you are accused of a crime you are guilty.
Thank you.
Maggie Haberman of The New York Times:
Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke during a stop at the Indiana State Fair, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, in Indianapolis:
“I don’t know if the government can meet the standard, the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt for criminal charges,” he said. “But the American people deserve to know that President Trump and his advisers didn’t just ask me to pause. They asked me to reject votes, return votes, essentially to overturn the election.”
That is like the one member of the cult who decided not to drink the Kool Aid explaining his choice not to do so to the dead bodies who had already drank it. After he had helped with passing out the straws.
The man is... unctuous.
Will,
I understand how one can form the the uncharitable conclusion you have formed about Pence. I am tempted in that direction as well.
However, I think Pence is just not exactly the brightest bulb in any room and, for whatever reason, unable to lead himself. A man like Pence is easily manipulated until the light comes on in his head. Which, to give him credit, the light DID come on and at a very important time in American history.
So, having met folks like Mike Pence before, who were led into situations that they could not foresee due to limited intelligence and experience, I would like to be more charitable and say:
Pence, when the real time of need presented itself, delivered a very brave, dare I offer, clutch, performance that risked and continues to risk his own life.
He is one of the most key witnesses against Trump. Do you think Putin might have plans for Pence? I sure hope he has good security.
Every GOP representative had a point in time when they had to decide to proceed with the coup or not, to take that final step and they all did take that step. 240 voted to reject the election results ( after the assault!) and each day they keep their mouths shut, breathes more life into this big lie. I was glad to hear Pence’s statement. If only I could hear others say that TFG does not belong in the White House. I don’t expect such a miracle.
Not a fan of Pence, but the last few days, he is saying the right things....finally. And he did refuse to go along on January 6th.
I agree.
My respect for Pence hovers around zero. I agree he is not the sharpest tool in the shed. And his evangelical Christian world view helps explain things (like his twisted version of reality - denial of global warming, denial of biological evolution, perhaps even denial of the age of the earth, anti-LGBTQ, etc etc). He's just not on the right page, and would make a bad president. On top of that - he is wishy washy and hypocritical. How can a man who seemingly places such weight on personal accountability and honor (just ask him), be the Trump lap dog that he was? Fortunately he had a breaking point, but as I understand it, he sought and got advise from others before coming to the conclusion that he needed to back out of the coup attempt. He needed some convincing apparently. Nope - no fan of Pence.
Good point, Mike S! Despite his unctuousness, he grabbed the bull by the horns at that one critical moment.
Good points, MikeS.!!
I worry that Pence may fall down some stairs when no one is watching, like poor Ivana did...
I wondered about Ivan’s as well.
mike…he is bound to be right sometimes and, in this case, gloriously right…but surely that does not change Will’s apt descriptor? As a radio talk show host he was a defanged Limbaugh delivering a hard right, “unctuous” “POV”. (substituted “POV” for “punch”. ) As IN governor, you might recall, he supported extreme right conservative actions making a mess for businesses, using “public policy” to discriminate against marginalized sections of the population ( no doubt, “in the name of the ……….”.) He did it w the conviction of one who holds deeply held “beliefs”. Perhaps those personal beliefs have been meaningful for he and his family but his attempt to extract compliance w those beliefs from a divergent populace strikes me as repugnant and more than a little “unctuous”. But perhaps that is just my take on “wholly” Mr Mike Pence.
Yeah, we wouldn't want to hold the rich, white, privileged, entitled man to any kind of reasonably high standard.
Sabrina. I get it. I don’t like Pence either.
But. Sit really still a close your eyes and imagine that Pence DID suspend the counting of the electoral votes.
What would have happened?
Pence is flawed. But. He deserves credit for that one day where he did the right thing.
Sure, I give him credit for being a luke warm body on that day otherwise I would just as soon piss on his leg.
Totally two-faced…..Pence was ‘trying’ to find a way to accommodate Trump initially, Luttig set him straight …constitutionally……then Pence kept essentially denying the Jan 6th death threats as over zealous patriots…then a sycophantic support of post election Trump so as not to alienate MAGA voters Pence himself would need politically…then FINALLY the truth …when it appears Trump realistically faces JAIL.
Pence is a mealy mouth hypocrite with ‘religious overlay’…..
Agree
Unctuous- oily. A fitting word to use for a slime ball like Pence. A new word added to my vocabulary, thanks!
This is a beautiful word. 👏
Oleaginous has a one word definition on my fridge: Pence
Charles I was JUST this moment thinking of that word as I was scrolling, and then I saw your post! Kismet!!
Another great word! :D
I love the definition of the word unctuous!
unc·tu·ous
adjective
1.
(of a person) excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily.
"he seemed anxious to please but not in an unctuous way"
Similar:
sycophantic
ingratiating
obsequious
fawning
servile
self-abasing
groveling
subservient
wheedling
cajoling
crawling
cringing
Uriah Heepish
humble
toadying
hypocritical
insincere
flattering
adulatory
honey-tongued
silver-tongued
gushing
effusive
suave
urbane
glib
smooth
smooth-tongued
smooth-spoken
smooth-talking
slick
slippery
saccharine
oily
oleaginous
greasy
cloying
nauseating
sickening
smarmy
slimy
bootlicking
forelock-tugging
phoney
sucky
soapy
brown-nosing
apple-polishing
saponaceous
pinguid
2.
(chiefly of minerals) having a greasy or soapy feel.
Kudos to whomever it was that compiled that list of synonyms. They must have been thinking of Pence when they came up with them . . .
But the dog was nice to him when the big orange man moved out of range. Speaking of orange - it's white!! He must need some crowdfunding for hair and makeup.
He has shifted his look from “wishing orange is the skin tone of virile masculinity” to “hoping pasty white is the color of saintly, slightly frail, innocence”...
Let me see if I can remember correctly. The Trump PAC, Make America Great Again spent a quarter billion dollars so far on Trump's and co-defendants legal bills with the last FEC filing. He only has $4 million left.
Perfect descriptor. To the max! IMHO..Always has been always will be.
He was the number one sycophant the entire time he was vice president. Trumpie would’ve been OK if the Jan 6 crowd had hung Pence.
One can only hope he starts speaking out loud and clear. I mean he hasn’t got a chance of being president. What’s he got to lose?
Agreed. He is the explicit expression of cowardice and complicity.
Unctuous.
Such a perfectly descriptive word!
😂🤣 so glad to enjoy your words again!
Regarding the burden of proof, Jack Smith has alleged that Donald Trump knew that he (Trump) had lost the election, yet lied about it. Jack Smith, the Special Prosecutor, is not stupid. And, for Trump's attorneys to have even a small chance of persuading a jury that Trump didn't know that he had lost the election, they would have to prove that Trump is the most stupid man in America, perhaps the world. But, all of that is not going to be necessary, I think. And here's why.
Jack Smith, when he and his team drafted the indictment, they drew it up in such a way that they knew that they would have to prove to the jury that Trump did what he did knowing that he had lost the election. Why could they be so sure that they could prove this to the jury? I submit that they did this because there are several people extemely close to Trump who are not indicted: Mark Meadows, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Not being indicted means that they are most likely cooperating with the Special Counsel. And then there are those who are indicted - Rudy Giuliani, for one. Would Rudy sing like a songbird if he could avoid spending the rest of his life in prison? Does the Pope count his beads? The same holds true for the others as well.
The case may not go to trial. When Trump and his attorneys are confronted with the evidence against him, they may cut a deal - Trump to spend the rest of his life under house arrest confined to Mar-a-Lago. No participation in politics, period.
This is a case that MUST go to trial, if there is any hope for Tramp's supporters to come back to being Americans instead of cultists. A public trial, and certainly no plea deal until AFTER all witnesses are heard. And not sentenced to his gilt-over-plastic play palace, either; at the very least, a sentence of 3-5 in a minimum security prison.
Lynn, that would be much to be desired, but TFG does not want a shot of him in an orange prison jumpsuit. and the prosecution wants him out of American life and politics. Racism has infected a significant part of our population since its inception. Timothy Egan's book, "A Fever in the Heartland" makes it clear that the KKK racism of 100 years ago is the same today, reincarnated as MAGA. TFG's followers will not be swayed one iota by his being found guilty. They don't care because TFG advocates for what they want: white Protestant control of the government.
Sad, but true. Every day I wish every racist could spend time looking at the brilliant parade of every shade on MSNBC. The reporting is good to excellent, but it’s the variety of journalists, former judges, lawyers, politicians that is the true education for all who watch and learn.
My thoughts and feelings, precisely.
Richard, thank you. Having watched almost no television except Monty Python, the Muppets, the occasional movie and Washington Week in Review for years (for 10 years in France we saw only one other boat on the canals with no TV), with the advent of Trump, alone I found MSNBC. It even got me through Covid (foggy brain reported by MD in Alabama one night when I was trying to understand what was wrong with my head). I am still learning law as the indictments come through. Didn’t know until today that Jack Smith gets a second chance if he gets a hung jury. After the indictment for DC, however, either the juror would be reprehensible or truly ill, mentally or physically, to vote against a guilty verdict. I salute the courage of the defense.
Richard, I think every thinking person wants that individual out of politics and out of the public eye forevermore - silenced permanently from continuing to corrupt the public discourse and our country. And fortunately this case will continue regardless of what that individual wants, and I hope all the way to a conviction. I don't really have any hope for the die-hard maggots, but there have to be some Tramp supporters who support that individual because they honestly and uncorruptly disagree with certain policies and actions of the Democratic party, and held their noses to vote for that stain on our national escutcheon for that reason. Those people, if there are any, are not beyond the pale, and it is to be hoped that a conviction following trial, or even a plea acknowledging guilt following testimony but before a verdict, will help the scales fall from their eyes. I really hope that not all people calling themselves republicans are in fact maggots, but that some of them still believe in the rule of law and deplore the way Tramp and the maggots (good band name for a very bad band?) have diverted their party into what it is today.
Lynn, I share your hope but there is a very hard core of KKK/MAGA types in this country that will not change, perhaps ever. DeSantis even had a Nazi symbol put up by one of his staff. When the March in 2017 in Charlottesville as going on, some were shouting "Jews will not replace us." That's Klan talk. Our schools and churches have failed miserably.
"That individual"
Correct.
I believe there is plenty of proof of what TFG’s intent was in his thousands of tweets.
Just the appearance alone, in which he urged the crowd to march w him to the capitol and “to fight like hell, or we won’t have a democracy at all” was sufficient for those of us who watched w shocked tears in our eyes. Must say, he was the “eloquent” orator, as always.
"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." Pres. G.W. Bush, White House Correspondents' Dinner, 3/31/2001
And that fool thought it was a joke well received.
I was thinking about this same out for Trump, yesterday. But I said to my friend Lela that that then he would have to admit either that he is mentally ill or that he lost the election. Can a narcissistic as ill as he is really do that, and admit publicly that he isn't 'Perfect' ? I doubt it, and that is why there hasn't been a deal struck yet. I bet his lawyers have been trying to get him to take government offers for deals.
It is an interesting thought: is TFG's malignant narcissism so extreme that he would "go down with the ship" instead of saving himself. He may not be able to.
The best advice I have heard so far has been from George Conway if he was asked to defend the dumpster. Plead guilty and try to get the best deal he can. Of course, not going to happen. He wants a civil war, at least.
We don't know for sure at this point. TFG will have his "come to Jesus" moment and I can guarantee you that his attorneys are going to be pushing for a settlement - Trump pleads guilty, gets house arrest or something equivalent and is barred from ever holding public office again, or even running for office. He might even be prohibited from speaking to the media or broadcasting his lies.
I can see a gag order at least.
News from Neal Katyal is there is a change of venue to WV but my best guess is a mistrial.
"The lead prosecutor for the United States, Thomas Windom, asked the judge for a speedy trial; Trump’s attorneys refused to agree, saying it would take a long time to review the huge amount of evidence."
It seems to me that they met the burden of proof, handily.
that could very well be an understatement. That 52% of Republican voters favor Trump tells us that white Christian nationalism is the driving force, even at the prospect of bringing our democracy to an end. There is no way to reason with them. None.
“... This is why I refused to testify before the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack, dismissing the probe as politicized,” Pence never said.
"When given no other real alternative, I declined to do what the poo-smearing mob chanting for my death was demanding, and bravely fulfilled my intended role as a historic non-entity. May I have another Eucharist cracker for good behavior?"
Too funny, Will. Just don't chomp the cracker, Mikey,
Hilarious. Had forgotten about the “don’t chomp” admonition.
🤣👍
Somehow, Michael Pence discovered his manhood. Not exactly a profile in courage. I wonder if mother scolded him and told him that he has to tell the truth? His testimony and contemporaneous notes should be sufficient to convict the traitor Donald Trump.
I hope Pence has good security because Putin will be looking for him with some of that nerve agent he throws around at opponents.
He should avoid stair cases unless his security detail is right there.
Yes. Ivana suffered that fate.
He has secret service and mother will protect him
Someone on FB said that mother must've let him borrow his cojones back for a few minutes. :D
😂
Seth, my thoughts exactly. Thank you.
Great quote and thank you.
It seems to me that the way to the Republican heart these days is to sell hate and force oneself on women who are not interested. Trump routinely has participated in both of those activities.
The two things Trump is most active with is selling hate and rape.
Conclusion: Republicans love hate and rape.
Sure seems odd that a bunch of evangelicals sitting in church getting their hair scorched off every Sunday about the many ways to hell, seem attracted to someone that all of those fire breathing preachers would seemingly assign to the hell bucket.
Pence, independent of his somewhat lackluster style, seems like a good guy and cannot attract ANY Republican support.
Kind of sad that half of America LOVES hate and rape. And Trump
Mike Pence is NOT a good guy.
Without his imprimatur, Trump would not have had the success with evangelicals that he did. He spent four long years groveling at Trump’s feet. He headed the White House’s disastrous Covid response team. Remember him visiting the Mayo Clinic and refusing to wear a mask? As Governor of Indiana, he did much to limit women’s rights, lgbt rights, and public education. He wants to eliminate the EPA and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. He advocates a 15 week national abortion ban and a ban on gender affirming care for minors. He promotes the use of coal and wants to roll back green initiatives. Can you imagine what his cabinet would look like? Not like America, that’s for sure - I imagine Mother wouldn’t allow any women.
While he may have done the right thing during that one important moment, and I’m grateful for it, his silence about it for the two and a half years since speaks volumes. Never mind his silence while it was all ongoing. Like all the rest of them, he didn’t report this scheme to the FBI. Protect and defend the constitution my ass.
I agree KR. I would like to add Liz Chaney to a similar list. She supported T***ps policy 90% of the time, but fortunately for the United States January 6th, was a step to far.
I am so conflicted about Liz Cheney. She was magnificent during the J6 hearings. And yet, I’ve heard her spout lies about Democrats killing babies. In the end, she did an honorable thing but the rest of it - those lies are not honorable.
I agree, but I am thankful for her one moment of clarity.
Perhaps the best we can say is that these are NOT bad people. However, deeply held religious convictions have rendered them absolutely committed to upholding their version of “right”regardless of divergent thought on particular issues. “With god on your side…”
Still feels too kind.
Perhaps. I can only speculate that, in this particular case, belief "trumps" reason even with the best of intentions.
Like the old saying says, even a broken clock, yada yada.
I can be grateful that he managed to get it together in time for the critical thing, even if I don't respect the guy.
Ok. Well written response. I concur.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Pence as governor made an HIV outbreak in Indiana worse by, among other things, delaying a needle exchange program. As VP he was an extreme sycophant for a very bad man. That said, unlike Donald John, Pence actually has principles. They include opposing my existence, I’m not supporting the guy, but he does. Pence believes in honesty and democracy. Pence went along with a lot of trumpian garbage, but at a certain point the evil was too much and he refused to participate. Every right action matters.
Pence’s statement you quote is critical. He has said Donald Trump asked him to overturn the election. That is strong evidence of guilt. Do you think the government will subpoena Pence to testify? I’d be surprised if he’d do so voluntarily.
Aptly put!!
He and his lawyers are already polluting the jury pool by trying out their potential defense arguments in public, so see which ones "resonate" with people. His lawyers and other supporters are speaking about the arguments, not him, so he's not "breaking the law."
I'm hoping this Judge will have zero tolerance towards 'trials by public opinion.' I hope the judge will assert the primacy of court trials within a court of law.
Trump's attorney, as noted in the Newsmax interview last night, admitted one of the allegations in the indictment. I can't see this case going to trial.
Richard, that might explain this tactic. Mistrial would be a delay maneuver. I had not considered that move. Even MSNBC didn't see that.
Trump joins the other autocrats who have attempted “self-coups”:
Guatemala: President Jorge Serrano Elías (May 25–June 5, 1993)[30]
Indonesia: President Abdurrahman Wahid (July 1–25, 2001)[31]
Malaysia: Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (February 23–March 1, 2020)[32]
United States: President Donald Trump (January 6, 2021)[33]
Peru: President Pedro Castillo (December 7, 2022)[34]
Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Ongoing events, since he assumed office on December 29, 2022)
Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-coup
Great to have this list. Thank you WB
A very distinguished list.
The 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, was arraigned on criminal charges.
‘He is charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding.’
‘He is also charged with conspiring to take away “the free exercise and enjoyment of a right and privilege secured…by the Constitution and laws of the United States…the right to vote, and to have one’s vote counted,” as he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election and install himself in office over the wishes of the American people.’ (Letter)
Can the United States of America bring this man to justice? Can the United States defend its democracy? Can the American people come together as a society or remain a mass of contradictions and of hatred?
[American Citizenship] captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations.
____Barack Obama
“The American dream belongs to all of us.”
___Vice President Kamala Harris
The then chief of the executive branch (Trump) failed in his duty as president. The legislative branch failed in its duty to hold the executive accountable for those failures. Now the judicial branch is attempting to remedy those failures. The more transparent this attempt, the better. As a nation, we will probably always be a mass of contradictions, this is precisely why we must remain a nation based on the rule of law. That Trump, et. al. are facing trials and not firing squads is a triumph of our system, not a weakness. Trumpism will be with us for a long, long, time, but on August 3rd, it lost. What's coming will not be pretty, but it will be just.
Racism continues; it's easily fanned and fueled. Will that prejudice, which readily creates battle lines, grow-up to be a workable difference, for the most part, honoring the principle of equality for all? Now, if that seems like a silly question, you know why!
Fern-this is an important point. Trump came down the escalator calling Mexicans rapists, he instituted a Muslim ban, he declared that Obama was an illegitimate American, he promoted caravans of brown people at the border and separated children from their families, he said White men chanting against Jewish people are just fine, he showed his disrespect and violence toward women, he tried to throw out the votes of people of color-he incited an insurrection-I could go on.
Why do these people follow him? What was the Civil War really about? Too many Americans are driven by racism, patriarchy and xenophobia. We’ll always be divided unless we acknowledge the underlying issues. The MAGA crowd is not following him to support tax cuts for wealthy people. He’s saving them from changing demographics. They want them to preserve white supremacy.
The anti-slavery Americans won-I’m hoping that anti-racist Americans can win too. Otherwise, the American Experiment will be doomed.
I was hopeful in my younger days that the issue of race was overcomeable, when our Bio teacher in high school mentioned that miscegenation was beneficial to the species. It was a favorite term of the conservatives, via the church.
Now that I have decades of personal observation to consult, I find that I was so very wrong, and that that hope has turned into dismay.
To your point, is it possible that the public Trump who entered the political arena as a champion of the "forgotten people" filled a void in public while boosting his private image, later voiced as "I alone can fix the system? " Can Trump the actor have become the character he portrayed? He has changed his party affiliation 5 times. He learned ruthlessness from his father and from Roy Cohn, he evidently was close to the NY mob, try this on for size,
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/tinker-tailor-mobster-trump
and he excels at character assassination. Everyone who doesn't assist him in his schemes is traitorous.
My hope is now replaced by dismay and the fear that our fellow Americans would rather follow him off a cliff than honor the laws, would rather live with prejudice and the denial of others' rights, would rather destroy our fragile form of government, than live and let live.
Meanwhile, the Florida governor is taking what passes for rhetoric to a new basement level by asserting that on the first day as president, he will start slitting throats in the bureaucracy. No words.
Gina, you’ve stated the perfect summation of where we are today…it all boils down to the Republican Party (MAGA) preserving white supremacy at all costs.
You’re so right. We’re hoping that Anti-Racist Americans can win the War again!
Since day one I have been saying this is all about racism.
Do you ever wonder how his term would have played out had he been elected on a Democratic ticket?
Well stated, Steve. You have really defined the democratic process.
Richard, our systemic racism, including the 'rule of law' as practiced, and the economy do not signify a democracy as advertised and never has.
Fern, true, we do not have a “democracy “ but rather a democratic republic, an imperfect one at that. We are in a constant state of becoming.
Richard, we basically agree, but the setback that HCR frequently refers to, began with the Reagan administration. It now feels atomic. The 'becoming' you refer to may be a misnomer.
With a population of 330 million and growing, a pure democracy is not possible.
No president has EVER gone to prison. If this isn't the case to set a precedent, what is??
Gerald Ford made a spineless, devastating decision fifty years ago by pardoning Richard Nixon. That fateful move is in no small part why we are where we are today dealing with this outsized, right wing monstrosity. Their arrogance and their smugness as they commit crime after crime, their blatant lies and propaganda knows no bounds as it has gone unpunished for decades. Enough. Is. Enough.
The difference now, 50 years later, is that current day MAGA is really KKK, white supremacy now, white supremacy forever. I'll say it again, Timothy Egan's book "A Fever in the Heartland," about the rise of the KKK in the Midwest in the early 1920's is essential reading. It brings it all together.
Yep-Egan explains it all.
“We believe the current of pure American blood must be kept uncontaminated by mongrel strains and protected from racial pollution “. -Klanswomen from Arkansas-page 55 in Egan’s book
Gina, great point. That quote is actually on p. 56. There is a similar one on p. 55: "This is a struggle for the rebirth of the White Race and the preservation of civilization." How is that any different from what is going on right now? Today's Moms for Liberty are simply the KKK's Queens of the Golden Mask as well as Daughters of the Confederacy.
But a few should have…
There is no question but that TFG deserves to rot in prison, but I think that there'll be a settlement - TFG pleads guilty and is sentenced to house arrest at Mar-a-Lago for the rest of his life with no participation in politics. The risk to this? A Republican president could pardon him.
That particular resolution would have to go to the top and it sounds about right for Garland. God help us.
"Yale history professor Timothy Snyder noted: 'That Trump will be tried for his coup attempt is not a violation of his rights. It is a fulfillment of his rights. It is the grace of the American republic...'"
Truth.
Yes, but - neither the trial nor the massive amount it will cost the American taxpayer would have been necessary had the spineless Republicans in the Senate voted to impeach him as the House committee so brilliantly showed he deserved to be. What continues to stock in my craw is the speech made by McConnell immediately following the vote in which he said Trump would face true justice in the court system. What a demonstration of perfidy.
With McConnell suffering additional problems from his brain injury, on national TV, his time as godfather of the Senate Republicans may be coming to an end. Who will replace him as head of the Republican caucus?
Yep, that really stuck out for me too Pam.
How common is it for someone to be under indictment in four jurisdictions simultaneously? I doubt if Trump would be setting a record, but it seems to me that it's got to be a rather small group.
"Unprecedented" - There's that word again that so perfectly defines everything associated with tfg, and forever tainted in my ears to sound like "unpresidented" and also so overused because of him that it ought to be retired from American English.
Agree Just Janice, we need a list of synonyms & antonyms: "aberrant", "outlier"? How about retiring "unprecedented" with a phrase, "out there" or "way, way out there ". Or coin a new word, "outliar"?
Last resort: call 911 or the Syntax Swat Squad.
Counsellor, you made me chuckle. I had not realized that the Grammar Police had the Syntax SWAT Squad!
Oh yeah, sometimes 'ya need emergency outliar intervention for abberant babble.
PS: Love West Linn .... and Lake 'Os-We-Go', got the pronunciation down, Lake Oswego.🌞
JustJanice, yes, I’ve long thought that he should remain “unpresidented” for his remaining years. And in the dictionary there will be a likeness of TFG next to the definition of “unprecedented”. Oh, and next to the def of “graft” and “grift”..and…”liar” and…and….
We might also want to check with the Guinness World Records people about the record for number of criminal defense attorneys simultaneously retained by a single individual.
They have to keep the MAGA faithful fired up so they can continue soaking them for donations. The monthly legal bill must be a whopper.
The likes of which has never been seen before in this great country....
Yeah for the Justin’s! And yeah for justice being done. We need to keep the heat on high. And force the truth out on social media and elsewhere. I’m commenting to articles in the WaPo when they both sides something or give something a slant. Just the facts ma’am. Thank you Heather because you provide that so well!
It does my heart good to see the Justins take the opportunity to exemplify how you can be outspoken and involved no matter how unfriendly the home terrain may be. It is the sort of visibility that leads to others in the state putting themselves out there as well. The shift in places like TN may be a ways off but this is how it begins!
Yup, they put the "Just" in Justin!
Justin Pearson of Memphis, Justin Jones of Nashville and Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, The Champions of Democracy from Tennessee!
Btw, Gloria is considering a challenge to the do-nothing-useful Marsha Blackburn. I’ll let you know when you can contribute to her campaign.
Please do, MLMinET.
Dr. Richardson, Thanks for staying up so late to bring us this information. To this information, I need to vent my anger at PBS’s broadcast of the interview between Geoff Bennett and the former AG, William Barr. Barr used his book release touting to dismiss the need for cameras in the federal court house during what will be a historic trial of the former guy and defend Barr’s interference and reversal in the Flynn prosecution. Geoff Bennett let Barr skate instead of pushing back on numerous occasions when Barr lied about how he got the job of DJT’s compliance and supportive AG helping DJT commit his crimes against the American people. Although it will not happen because lawyers seldom prosecute any of the brotherhood although we all know that prosecution of the DJT pile of cannot get work in the private sector attorneys is where the prosecutions should start. , Barr should be investigated and if possible indicted for his part in enabling the whole Trump POS cabinet’s part in their non-oversight of DJT and failure to uphold their oaths of office. These embarrassments make the Watergate plumbers look like legal scholars. If there is a Hall of Shame for scumbags, Barr should be inducted into it right beside Haldeman, Erlickman, Mitchell, now Leonard Leo and many of those whom I have thankfully forgotten.
So right, Barr is a guilty bastard. I haven’t forgotten. I agree, hard to watch PBS news these days. Thought it would get better with Judy gone.
The Pander-Barr. I wish I could say I thought of that but in any case it rings in my head every time I see him talking.
Barr is a ‘good’ Catholic who, despite his expectation of supreme unction, will nonetheless end up in Hell for his sins. I say this as a devout atheist who fully expects other peoples’ God to follow through with eternal punishment despite the machinations of mere mortals
I watched the interview. Barr was like a bulldozer and Bennet kept at questions which Barr over- talked and blabbed on and on. I think Bennet could’ve been more aggressive, but he gave him enough rope to demonstrate that he’s a lying sophist.
Even when I wish an interviewer would push harder, the truth is that even when the interviewer doesn't get the interviewee to retract or amend or nuance a statement, we see what's being spewed, and that, too, is a function of journalism. Everyone who is venting here against Barr is right. (I'd add that even his manner demonstrates his undeserved arrogance.) The fact that Bennett didn't push as much as we might like, however, doesn't mean he was failing his job.
I had the same response, J.P., while watching that interview. I kept thinking that Barr is trying to "save his ass" by acting holier than thou. But he is dancing on a tight-rope. I also wished Bennett had challenged him more. He brought up the Mueller report, but allowed Barr's skirting the answer to be sufficient, and it shouldn't have been. Barr's making the circuit of interviews with this new book, so perhaps someone will stop being so polite and remind him of the damage he has done by doing Trump's bidding for so long.
Barr enabled T to the hilt. I bet he negotiated ground rules for the interview. Give them enough opportunity to demonstrate hypocrisy. It’s a fine balance
I hadn't thought of that, Seth. I bet he did negotiate the ground rules ahead of time. That would be typical Barr-style.
Such a delightful end to a long day. The “Justin’s” are reinstated in the legislature of TN; no one can attest to wrong doing by the Biden non-crime family; and Mr. Trump is instructed to abide by the law. I will have to parse Dr. Snyder’s comment more fully. Bless you, Heather. Sleep well!😴
Great synposis of the synopsis, Judith! It's as I see it as well.
Thank you!
'mr. trump'!!!!
Not even former/ex president. I love it!
Apparently, a take-away from the court appearance yesterday was that the judge kept referring to T***p as "MISTER T***p", something that really rankles him and something that nobody at any of his residences dares call him. It has to be "President". My guess is the judge is wanting to show that he will treated the same as any other American citizen in her court.
I agree - Plus ... Tfg did not really deserve the title of 'president' based on his extremely unpresidential behavior even when he was elected in 2016, much less should ANYBODY refer to him now as 'president'. He already has tons of elitist privileges that those that followed his incitement to attack the Capitol on Jan6 didn't get, especially those that have been incarcerated in lieu of him.
"It is the grace of the American republic. In other systems, when your coup attempt fails, what follows is not a trial."
For we who wish to keep our democracy, this is why how we conduct ourselves over the next months matters so greatly. We absolutely cannot beat them by joining them. We cannot allow our words and actions to come from a place of fear, anger, or cynicism. The baddies wish to degrade our Republic, and if we emulate them in their inability to rise above the ugliest base impulses the human race has yet to outgrow, then we will have become accomplices to that degredation. Never. We must beat their dirty tricks and endless lies with integrity, patience, optimism, and commitment to the truth. If we truly believe in these higher values, we must also believe that they can and will prevail when it really counts. It may seem exhausting, it may seem the burden is unfair, but we not only can and will accomplish what we seek, but will be able to look at ourselves in the mirror. Our nation will not end its battle with this internal darkness by succumbing to the historical cycle of retribution, it will end it with a reaffirmation of the virtues and goals of our system, and a determination to learn and grow. I remain a proud member of this nation, despite its flaws and continuing bumps in the road to progress, and I refuse to have it any other way.
This is what Dems have been doing for decades. Dems can and must be strong, They finally started by bringing Jack Smith to the fight. Now they need a media outlet that will tell the truth. Anybody listening.
Reading your words, Will, I keep hearing Michelle Obama in my head; “When they go low, we go high.” We can’t let them change us and allow them to bring us down to their level. We need to set higher standards for our nation and those who hold elected office. The djt’s and George Santos’ and mtg’s will never be tolerated again. We all deserve better. When they go low, we go high-and higher. Our nation and our world need that.
Well said, Will. This democracy must demonstrate that it is functional, alive, and well. We have got to show "...integrity, patience, optimism, and commitment to the truth." We cannot sink to their level.
Beautifully stated! Thank you!
I am astounded that there is an assumption in the indictment that we (Trump) have a protected right to lie when the truth is so self evident. This is not just like lying about your height in a dating app.
Is lying really protected? As far as I know, lying to Congress or the court while under oath is a jailable offense. Should we start asking all candidates to vow to only tell the truth during campaigns? (Don't laugh. I'm being serious. Really. )
💯 Jerry. 30,573 lies seems too generous.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/24/trumps-false-or-misleading-claims-total-30573-over-four-years/
Hey, William. Just in case, here's the article in gifted form.
https://wapo.st/3OmeEzF
... And these are only the lies within the 4 years of tfg's 'presidency ... need to add those for the last 2 1/2 years, possibly another 20,000+
Isn’t perjury a serious crime?
It doesn’t seem to matter much. After watching MTG repeat over and over in that Georgia courtroom: “I can’t recall” when we all had seen and heard her on actual VIDEO, I lost all hope in that ‘perjury’ threat. It’s a cup with a hole in it; it holds no water.
In one way, not really. In the realm I am most familiar with (local law enforcement and testimony in the State Circuit Court), perjury is a Class C felony (lowest grate of felony which is the higher grade of criminal conduct that can result in a state prison sentence of greater than one year; a misdemeanor is lower grade of criminal conduct netting local jail time of one year or less). In the greater scheme of things, it is on par with crimes such as breaking into a building to commit a crime, or the homicide under negligent circumstances. Just a taste of the relative "grading" of criminal conduct as seen from the street view in Oregon.
As I understand the argument presented by Trump's attorney, the prosecution cannot prove that Trump did not believe he lost the election. Of course, Trump was advised by numerous advisers, aides, and lawyers that he in fact lost the election. His campaign and supporters lost every substantive court action on the issue. It seems to me that his argument can most successfully lead to an insanity defense or a defense based on intellectual incapacity/incompetence. It could help keeep him out of prison (in exchange for a stay in a federal forensic unit...).
I think the defense's use of the "free speech" and "not my intent" arguments are for the rioters he hopes will break him out of prison. Or maybe he hopes the Wagner group will break him out.
I am 76 and for as long as I can remember the South has been trying to re-fight the civil war. Now and for the past few years they are actually doing it. As in the original. Civil War, the North has had a series of ineffective generals and success has looked bleak. As in the previous Civil War, we have finally found our U.S. Grant. Dress Jack Smith up a bit and he actually looks like Grant. The March to the Sea begins in Atlanta soon and the Union will soon be victorious.
I am 68 and have lived in the South all of my life, but i want no part of a Civil war. I can't say that about my TUMP loving neighbors, they are all dedicated members of the TUMP Cult. I am glad the Union won, and i hope our Union is victorious. I live just outside of Atlanta.
I think the concept of dressing Jack up as a union general during the courtroom trial has real merit. Maybe Roberts would approve cameras in the courtroom for that. He’s an originallist. ……..right?
Great analogy. Love the prediction of victory.
Seriously, can you imagine sexism, racism etc. etc. as legitimate points of view much less a ruling order? Satyagraha, the truth force that moves through history will prevail. As always, we shall overcome.
If you say so, it shall come to pass
Exactly Paul Engels, we are in a war and we need to focus on that.
Much appreciated, Heather. From the two Justins' reinstatement in Tennessee, to the Archer transcript being released, and the arraignment in the Prettyman courthouse, it was a great day for democracy yesterday!
I think cameras at the trial of the coup plotter is particularly appropriate seeing as how it was We, the People, All of Us This Time, whose votes were targeted to be disenfranchised. Surely, we have more than a vested interest in seeing firsthand the wheels of justice carrying democracy back toward front and center where it belongs.
I think chump would approve of cameras in the courthouse. Maybe a mirror in front of his seat. So he can preen and admire himself, as the quicksand does it’s work.
Yes please. A mirror right in front of his seat. He and Boris Epshteyn can pick nits off each other.
LOL! How big a mirror, Jeri? I'll go on Amazon and order one!
“We, the People, All of Us This Time,..”
Morning, Lynell!
Agreed that the scope of today's letter was fabulous, and that cameras are needed in the courtroom.
Morning, Ally!
Fabulous letter: ✅
Cameras on 1078's various courthouse appearances, no, thank you.
The primate brain has some perverse tendencies, one of which is to lodge pretty much everything except an actual close call with death in the Not That Terrifying™️ department. It's why advertising – or, as Orwell described it, "the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket" – works, and why there's no such thing as bad publicity.
Listening on NPR, for about four minutes, to breathless reporters trying to find some conflict among the courthouse protesters was all I needed to snap off my radio and go back to my audiobook.
That attention-seeking orange blob floating in his own swill stopped getting my attention 40 years ago when I was a 20-something attending college in NYC, and he turned his predatory kink on a handful of my club-going friends. Unsuccessfully, thanks to sheer luck and their quick thinking.
I think with C-SPAN there would be no reporters giving their unwanted take-aways.
"voters reelected Tennessee state representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones" It is worth noting that, Gloria Johnson, the third state rep in the Tennessee controversy, has announced her candidacy for the US Senate against Marsha Blackburn. Her website is not yet ready to accept donations. http://www.votegloriajohnson.com As soon as it is, help her out.
Ditch Marsha at the first opportunity
Exactly right. She is among the most unappealing of the Republican Senators. Consider my political newsletter -- mostly bios of candidates for whom donations could make a difference between winning and losing: Len's Political Notes https://lenspoliticalnotes.com
Waiting with credit card in hand....
Buckle up: Today we felt the first drops in a coming deluge of transparent excuses for Trump’s coup attempt. The distortion PR campaign by his lawyers and other surrogates will spend months trying to cloud reality. But justice is coming, at last.
I sincerely hope someone is keeping a list of the apologists. I already lost track, but I’m not typically inclined to count the mosquitoes I’m slapping, either.
The apologists are legion, like mosquitos. A plague