SNARKING ACQUITTALS-R-US AND LOYALTY OATHS

The attempt by the Texas GOP to clean up its party fell short, as the Texas Senate acquitted their state attorney general of all charges following his corruption trial, not only echoing the thrust of the national organization, but showing its ability to be one of the most extreme bodies in the country. In defense of Ken Paxton during the impeachment proceedings, Texas representative, John Smithee said, “Today it could be General Paxton, and tomorrow it could be you.” In other words, Texas is fighting for all of us, just as Trump is standing strong between THEM and US! Paxton has been a vehement supporter of the former president, calling Biden’s 2020 presidential victory an “overthrow” by pulling off a coup to take away Trump’s ‘rightful place’ in the Oval Office. The Texas GOP is noted for a 2022 resolution designating Biden “an illegitimate and acting president,” implying that he won’t long be occupying his unearned seat and might be removed at will. As Ruth Ben-Giat on her Lucid/substack.com site says, “The logic of corruption also matters here. The GOP has embraced the methods and values of authoritarianism. It now depends on propaganda (the ‘Big Lie’), intimidation, and corruption – election denial being a form of corruption – for its identity and to maintain itself in power. In particular, it is a party that has remade itself in Trump’s image, with the goal of protecting the corrupt, and, the criminal dictating its actions.”

The New Yorker magazine’s snarky contributor, Andy Borowitz, writes “thousands of hardened criminals poured into Texas over the weekend after learning how easy it is to secure an acquittal there. Interstate freeways were reportedly backed up for miles as acquittal-seeking perpetrators sought to put down roots in soft-on-crime Texas. Harland Dorrinson, a self-styled recidivist who has been convicted in Ohio, Missouri, and Wisconsin, said that he was heading to the Lone Star State because, ‘in Texas, no one is below the law. An acquittal is yours for the asking if you’re white, male, and nefarious. I check all the boxes’. When told that one must also be elected as a Republican in order to qualify for Texas’ special “conviction exemption,” the career criminal was unfazed, noting that “even Greg Abbott” managed to do that.”

As Carl Gibson writes on Nation of Change, “Despite four criminal indictments totaling 91 felony charges, two impeachments, 26 women with sexual misconduct allegations, and arguably an act of sedition, and an attempt to incite a civil war, Donald Trump remains the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. What the indictment of Trump and 18 other Republican operatives, many being longtime acolytes of GOP causes, by a Fulton County grand jury truly shows that the Republican Party goes far beyond Trump.” He goes on to say that if an indictment within the Democratic Party occurred it would likely doom the individual’s career, with Trump it has only raised his polling position, despite charges in three separate jurisdictions. Should this not be regarded as a sign that the party is morally bankrupt and rotten to the core? Georgia’s RICO statute specifies that each co-conspirator in the case is equally liable, each facing up to 20 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of five years’ prison time. DA Fani Willis has said the guilty will not be able to serve less than five years, or be able to substitute time served with probation. Gibson feels that Trump is merely a byproduct of an increasingly criminal political party, with Eastman, Clark and Chesebro shouldering as much guilt in the plot to use fake electors to subvert the election; and while the GOP’s base has frowned upon dissent within its ranks, criminal accountability may finally be coming for operatives and elected officials.

Many in the GOP believe that Trump’s position at the top of the Republican ticket spells political disaster, with a loss of the US House, giving Democrats full control of Congress. Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan who testified before DA Willis‘ grand jury, expressed his belief that a Trump nomination would be a big mistake, comparing his candidacy to that of the failed Herschel Walker campaign. “We didn’t ask who was the best leader. We didn’t ask who had the best resume. Unfortunately, Republicans looked around to see who Trump supported, and he was a famous football player, and so he became our nominee and now we’re paying the price.” Former GOP Congressman Will Hurd of Texas admonishes Trump as being toxic to the Republican Party as a whole, and his nomination “gives the 2024 election to Joe Biden.” Other shoes may drop since Jack Smith’s grand jury is still active as it meets in the DC courthouse, continuing investigations of other individuals, pointing to unindicted co-conspirators who may face the music. And of course, we all are waiting with bated breath over Fani Willis‘ pointing to the 30 other unnamed co-conspirators in her Georgia case…the fun rolls onward. However, Carl Gibson says that it the GOP stays electorally competitive, democracy may remain in peril for years to come.

Jenna Ellis, a Trump lawyer who shares some of his criminal charges for attempted election subversion, now says she will not vote for this “malignant narcissist” who can’t admit his mistakes, and his tendency to simply say he’s never done anything wrong. Ellis also has a show on American Family Radio, a rightwing evangelical network run by American Family Association, a non-profit that describes itself as having been “on the frontlines of America’s culture war” since 1977. Her charges of violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering laws, while soliciting violation of an oath by a public officer, resulted in being granted $100,000 bail after her not-guilty plea. Her claims of being a constitutional lawyer have been widely doubted, though she served as a former counsel for the Thomas More Society, a conservative Catholic group, being sought out by Trump after he saw a television commentary by her. She rose in prominence to become part of what she termed an “elite strike force team” working to overturn Trump’s defeat by Biden, then being signed by Family Radio late last year. On a recent show, she spoke with rightwing host Steve Deace, who said, “Before that man needs to be president again…[to] escape the quote-unquote, ‘witch-hunts,’ that man needs Jesus again because…his ambitions would be fueled by showing some self-awareness. And he won’t do it because he can’t admit, ‘I’m not God’.” Ellis agreed with Deace, commenting, “I have great love for him personally. And the total idolatry that I’m seeing from some of his supporters that are unwilling to put the constitution and the country and the conservative principles above their love for a star is really troubling. As Christians we need to take this very seriously and understand where we are putting our vote.” Ellis was censured by a Colorado judge in March for her spouting falsehoods about the 2020 election, and she has been criticized for hateful comments about the mass shooting at the Club Q gay nightclub, in addition to showing a cruel video concerning a Mitch McConnell hospitalization. Curiously, Ellis tore into Trump in 2016, calling him an “idiot and a bully” unable to “handle criticism” before making a complete turnaround to back him. True to form, the former prez chose not to fund her defense or fund any of his co-defendants, which spurred suggestions that she could flip on him in her testimony.

An attempt to keep Trump off Colorado’s state ballot in 2024 in a suit initiated by a group of voters was filed several weeks ago, related to his role in the J6 riots, arguing that he should be barred under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. A particular section prohibits anyone who has “previously taken an oath” to uphold the Constitution, who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding office again. The suit was filed by six Republican, and other unaffiliated state voters, by Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility, which asked the court to rule it “improper and a breach or neglect of duty” for Secretary of State Jena Griswold to allow Trump’s name on future ballots. Griswold said she hoped “this case will provide guidance to election officials on Trump’s eligibility as a candidate for office.” Florida, on the other hand, just voted to abandon a rule adopted earlier this year which would require all 2024 GOP presidential candidates to pledge support to the eventual nominee should they want to be placed on the state’s March 19 primary ballots. The winner in that revision is none other than former President Donald Trump, who has loudly refused to sign any such commitment, and a slap in the face to early signer, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Loyalty pledges have become an issue in the GOP as they attempt to unify the party behind one candidate in 2024. For instance, to appear on the first candidate debate stage in Milwaukee, individuals had to sign the pledge; but, although Trump refused to sign he also refused to appear to debate, keeping peace in the family for the present, anarchy averted.

Andy Borowitz strikes again with his revelation that “in order to qualify for the next nationally televised debate, Republican Presidential candidates must sign a pledge to go to prison in place of Donald J. Trump…confirmed by the Republican National Committee. Ronna McDaniel, the RNC chairperson, said that agreeing to serve hard time for Trump was ‘the only way’ that GOP candidates could prove their loyalty to the party. As for whether Trump had been asked to sign a pledge to go to prison for any of his Republican rivals who might become convicted of a crime, McDaniel said, ‘Absolutely not. He’s very busy these days, and we didn’t want to bother him.’ Nearly all of the GOP contenders immediately agreed to sign the pledge, with the exception of Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson, the latter of whom said he preferred to be ‘hog-tied.’ ‘I’m sorry to hear that Asa feels that way,’ McDaniel said. ‘Being asked to go to prison in place of Donald Trump is an honor that only comes around only four or five times in a lifetime.’ In a related matter, the RNC chair confirmed that none of the candidates had agreed to go to prison in place of Senator Lindsey Graham.”

CNN’s conservative commentator, S.E. Cupp, on her ‘The Lead‘ broadcast, says don’t expect Trump’s rivals to start seriously attacking him anytime soon. She notes Chris Christie’s, Asa Hutchinson’s and Texas’ Will Hurd’s blasts at the former president, but others have been stingy with any criticism. “The problem is, for these people to implicate Trump, they also have to implicate his voters. None are willing to say, ‘Listen white nationalists, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, we don’t want you. The Republican Party is not your safe space. You will not find comfort in a Nikki Haley administration’. They won’t say that because they all still want to win and they all still think they’re going to get Trump voters if they don’t swing at Trump more vigorously.” Her reality check is, “They are not going to win the cult of Trump over. It’s just not going to happen. There’s only one of him for a reason.” Right! We can only wish that were true…there’s a bunch more in the wings waiting to step into his tiny shoes!

It’s been reported that Melania Trump has rejected several requests from her husband to join him in his campaign appearances, though he claims he has been keeping her away and that she will accompany him soon, saying, “She’s a private person, a great person, and a very confident person and she loves our country very much.” He certainly has the “best words,” eh? To this assertion to Kristen Welker on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ Trump added, “And, honestly, I like to keep her away from it. It’s so nasty and so mean.” The New York Times in July reported that she’s told friends she feels betrayed by staffers and friends during her time in the White House, but still supports and believes in the relevancy of her husband’s candidacy, while steering clear of any of his court appearances. As his legal woes accumulate, PR experts say she should “keep her distance, but plan an escape route,” before the legal complexities worsen. The easiest option for her is to claim she has to spend time with Barron, or doing charity work, being busy with anything for which she can’t be faulted, and The Donald isn’t going to make an issue of it. Amid the various rumors about their marriage is that it is merely a transactional union with an iron-clad prenup, making son, Barron, the big hang-up in their relationship, especially with any rumored breakup.

One of Trump’s fanatical backers last week was unceremoniously ejected from the Buell Theater in Denver after she was accused of vaping, singing, recording the show and being generally disruptive during the performance, along with her companion, Quinn Gallagher. Representative Lauren Boebert, who has been quietly dating Gallagher for a few months, denied they were causing a disturbance, just simply enjoying the musical, ‘Beetlejuice.’  Being warned about their behavior during an intermission after several complaints, they were finally escorted out following additional accusations of being too frisky…but not before Boebert tried to ‘pull rank’ and threaten the ushers and other theater personnel. Her campaign manager verified that the couple were shown the exit, but tried to sugar-coat the circumstances, before encouraging the public to see the zany and raucous show for themselves. Boebert is seen on video honoring the various theater workers with one-finger salutes on her way out, holding Quinn’s hand as she twirled around. Gallagher, a Democrat, is a co-owner of the Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar in Aspen, where they previously staged “a winter Wonderland Burlesque & Drag Show,” per an invitation for the event during Aspen Gay Ski Week – “an evening of cocktails, appetizers, and laughs.” Perhaps Boebert should apply for a position at Hooch because Adam Frisch is campaigning hard for her congressional seat in an attempt to remove the “unneeded distraction in her district.”

After Joe Biden moved into the White House, he questioned why he had always seen two Army soldiers standing near a Rose Garden bench as if they were guarding it. He approached them, asking why they were assigned to this duty. They weren’t knowledgeable, but thought it was some kind of tradition. Biden then called former President Trump, who told him it must have been a tradition that he simply had kept in place. A call to former President Obama garnered a similar answer; then a call to George W. Bush questioning the presence of the guards provided the answer. “What?! Is the paint still wet?!” he responded.

September 11

DISAGREEING ON THAT MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA

Last week the Fulton County, Georgia grand jury report containing the suggested charges in the election tampering case, with 39 names which had been under consideration for possible indictments by DA Fani Willis wasreleased. Of the names on the list Willis selected 19 for indictments. Former Georgia senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler were included, as was South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, but the DA decided to leave them as un-indicted co-conspirators…so far. Her reasoning was likely influenced by the vote tallies of the grand jury members, which were weighted heavily toward indictment but with enough variations which may have presaged problems with future trial jurors, not to mention the complex legal arguments involving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The complexity of indicting Trump national security advisor, Michael Flynn, though the jurors voted 20 to 1 for indictment, may have given him a temporary reprieve with his exclusion. The same explanation might be applied to Trump aide, Boris Epshteyn. One dissenter is noted on each of the votes for Trump’s recommended indictments, and Willis filed several of those charges against him; but, she also included her own charge for the fake elector scheme, not recommended by the grand jurors. Of course, Trump on Truth Social, dismissed the report as having “ZERO credibility.” “Essentially, they wanted to indict anybody who happened to be breathing at the time. It totally undermines the credibility of the findings, and badly hurts the Great State of Georgia, whose wonderful and patriotic people are not happy with this charge,” he whinged.

(Not-a-)Senator(-from-Georgia-) Graham, who appeared before the grand jury after the court ordered him to do so – taking it to the Supreme Court – said he was “totally surprised” to have been on the list and, “The next election, if I have questions, I’ll do the same thing.” Representative Adam Schiff pounced on Graham after he claimed his actions were “consistent” with being a Senator. “I think Lindsey Graham’s explanation doesn’t pass the laugh test,” Schiff said. “You don’t – as a Senator, a House member or another elected official – call a secretary of state in some other state and try to get them to toss out votes. That is not the least part of the job description, and he’s lucky not to be indicted.” Graham reportedly had called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to toss ballots, “not to find votes,” in hopes of giving Trump the state’s electoral votes. The Former Guy’s attorneys filed three lawsuits asking the court to toss out the grand jury report and countermand Willis’s inquiry, along with an effort to sue the DA and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who presided over the grand jury. A heavily redacted version of the report concluded no evidence of rampant chicanery resulting in a Trump loss, after which The Don’s legal team protested that some of the report’s content might influence a jury. Declining to take up the matter, the Georgia Supreme Court wrote that Trump was simply “circumventing the ordinary channels” for obtaining relief.

Cartoonist Clay Bennett of the Chattanooga Times Free Press portrays the old Proud Boys slogan – ‘Stand back and stand by,’ with the new one – ‘Stand trial and serve time.’ The Boys took a few hits last week with sentences handed down for their insurrectionist incursion on the D.C. Mall and environs on January 6, 2021. As the last of the seditious conspiracy cases wrapped up, which resulted in various charges for over 1,100 rioters, the groundwork is being prepared for the highest profile conspiracy case yet: the trial of un-President Trump, and the 18 others indicted along with him, with another 10 un-indicteds standing in the wings, awaiting their chances. Mary McCord, former federal prosecutor and Georgetown Law professor said, “The cases involving seditious conspiracy and the case in which Mr. Trump is charged federally do all involve an effort to prevent the peaceful transition of presidential power – to overrule or override the will of the voters. Mr. Trump is a different defendant than an ‘Enrique’ Tarrio or a Stewart Rhodes.” The conspiracies alleged are not the same, with prosecutors presenting different cases to a D.C. jury than that of the extremist group leaders.

Trump faces ‘only’ four counts in DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith’s D.C. case, but the cases indicate a cause-and-effect tie with the extremist groups to engage in their various conspiracies according to Stan Twardy, a former federal prosecutor and practicing attorney. “Trump lit the match, and the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys were the gasoline that exploded here,” Twardy says of the indictments. Violence in both speech and behavior were basis of the DOJ’s cases against the Oath Keepers who predicted a civil war and had stashed weapons across the Potomac. The Proud Boys called for “war and revolution” as they dismantled barricades, breached the Capitol building and fought with law enforcement. Proud Boy ‘Enrique’ Tarrio crowed, “Make no mistake…we did this.” Trump’s case will be based on communications, revealing his words and those of his co-conspirators indicating the willingness, and agreement, to commit a crime. Mary McCord says, “Prosecutors will likely present a mix of Trump’s public statements and private ones to make their case. His legal team will likely argue that Trump had no intent to subvert the election results because he honestly believed he was the winner. Mr. Trump maintains to this day that there was fraud in the election. I think he’s tried to make the public believe that if he honestly and truly believed the election was stolen, that essentially, he couldn’t be guilty of anything because he had a right to attack the results of the election.” Trump’s delusional belief won’t necessarily clear him of misconduct as charged in Jack Smith’s indictment, with mention of the riot in which the former president sought to “impair, obstruct, and defeat the federal government function through dishonesty, fraud and deceit.”

Proud Boys, some of whom will be Old Boys by the time they see freedom outside of prison walls, were convicted in May, and last week got sentences ranging from 17 to 22 years. ‘Enrique’ Tarrio, who was seen as “the ultimate leader” by US District Judge Kelly, got 22 years, though he was not present at the J6 riot as he continued to spur his compatriots on. Four other PBs, Nordean, Biggs, Rehl, and Pezzola, got off with slightly lighter sentences, even after the prosecutors sought longer terms all the accused. The judge conceded that the conviction met the guidelines for enhanced terrorism penalties under federal law, saying further, “the terrorism adjustment overstates” their roles in the offense since they did not have the intent to kill or cause mass casualties. Though Tarrio apologized for the harm caused to the Capitol police on J6, the judge felt there was no remorse for those actions for which he was convicted. Judge Kelly said, “I think we’re talking past each other in many ways. There’s only so much that statement can go toward assuring me that deterrence is not warranted.”

Prison sentences will not deter the Proud Boys from infusing their destructive energy into the GOP, and their attempts to alter American’s lives by being in effect the Republican paramilitary force. After Oath Keepers leader, Stewart Rhodes, was sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy, that organization has experienced a decline in numbers; but, Proud Boys draw their energy from the GOP, with Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Roger Stone, Lauren Boebert, and Michael Flynn carrying their banner. Arizona Representative Paul Gosar supposedly recruited Proud Boys to block certification of election results in his state after the 2020 election to no avail. And who can forget President Trump’s call to the Boys in a debate with candidate Biden saying, “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by?” Their membership rolls increased as they became his BFFs, and they showed us of what they are capable in their insurrection. Think Trump is starting to feel a bit edgy, now that the court system is showing its power?

A post on Quorum wonders if Florida Judge Aileen Cannon in her drive to absolve Trump of all charges, will continue to risk losing her cushy forever-job, or will she follow the law and precedent? An example of following the law: A jury is picked in Trump’s purloined documents case. Immediately the defense attorneys ask that the charges be dismissed because of blah, blah and blah… only a formality, which most presiding judges decline to honor, but they don’t HAVE to deny the request. So, should Trump’s team begin by saying, “Your honor, we ask that all charges be dismissed because the Moon is in the 7th House, and Jupiter is aligned with Mars.” Judge Cannon, hearing the power and logic of the appeal, might say, “Case dismissed.” Scary enough for you?

In Jack Smith’s D.C. case, he and the Justice Department will examine closely the cases against the insurrectionists, and in particular the verdicts returned against the leaders, which might inform them of the persuasive points, and what jurors will find to be compelling evidence. Former federal prosecutor, Barbara McQuade of the University of Michigan, feels attempts to portray the J6 actions as patriotic is one facet that has been, and will be, rejected by a jury. She said, “Jack Smith can be confident that a reasonable jury can be selected that sees the events of that day for what they were – a profound display of disloyalty to the United States.” Henry (Enrique) Tarrio’s seditious conspiracy conviction lets prosecutors see that a jury understands the guilt of a person who isn’t present at the scene of the crime, since Tarrio was in Baltimore on January 6 after being arrested on separate charges. McQuade warns that no two juries are alike, with just one outlier able to bring it crashing down. Again: the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there is criminality.

Representative Jim ‘Gym’ Jordan got his sore butt handed back to him by Fulton County, Georgia DA Fani Willis last week after he attempted to interfere with her criminal investigation into Donald Trump and his minions. Jordan sent a letter demanding information and communications with the Department of Justice and Executive Branch officials, and information on federal funding the her office receives. The Ohio representative knows full well that Willis is within her rights to proceed with her case with the 19 indictments involving Trump’s four year crime spree of corruption and incompetence, but he and the MAGA crowd couldn’t care less. One writer compared Jordan’s letter to emails from ‘Nigerian princes’ which are intentionally loaded with grammatical mistakes and punctuation errors seeking to scam recipients of money or hard drive data. Smart people immediately know they are dealing with a scammer and hit ‘delete,’ leaving the ‘princes’ with the stupid recipients who won’t catch on until it’s too late…distilled brainlessness! The MAGA messages attempt to accomplish the same thing with their wacko conspiracy theories…smart people move on, or the conmen find a sucker.

Fani Willis is not one to put up with this meddling, and she forcefully responded to Jordan’s letter by telling him, “It is clear you lack a basic understanding of the law, and are overstepping your congressional authority.” The Palmer Report’s Bocha Blue feels it would make a good Saturday Night Live sketch, with Willis being a spirited and fiery woman against Jordan’s sludge-like character. Further, Willis told ‘Gym,’ “Your job as a legislator does not include criminal enforcement.” Blue describes Jordan as a ‘lurker,’ poking his nose into places it shouldn’t be, a person who has an unusually thick skull that doesn’t register phrases like ‘critical thinking skills.’ Willis essentially told the meddler where to stick his inquiry, and that his calling the prosecution a ‘political stunt‘ being related to ‘federal interests,’ does not relate to the interference in state-run elections. The charges against Trump in Fulton County rightfully belong to the state of Georgia, not the federal government! ‘Prince Gym’ tried to come across as knowledgeable, but it all fell flat in the face of Willis’ onslaught, as she pointed out several inaccuracies and misleading statements. She went on to state that his actions offend “each and every one of the settled principles of law,” as he attempted to obstruct the proceedings and advance his own partisan goals. The topper in her response used Jordan’s own words in his earlier letter to the House Select Committee: “This unprecedented action serves no legitimate legislative purpose and would set a dangerous precedent for future Congresses…the American people deserve better.” DA Willis is well-versed in the law and proper procedure, as she proved that Jim Jordan is a complete ass!

Former youth pastor and author, John Pavlovitz, who is known for his progressive social and political writings from a liberal Christian perspective posted an open letter on his website several years ago, which deserves a look-back. He says the phrase, ‘We’re just going to have to agree to disagree,’ is unacceptable, and he refuses the term. His response would be, “I believe you’re deeply, profoundly, and egregiously wrong…this is not a disagreement.” See his post here. Perfect for the after-Thanksgiving dinner-food fight!

Remember what Leonard Cohen said: “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in!”