CUBAN PEANUT FARMS A-CROSS AMERICA

Steve Schmidt in his recent post on his Warnings blog after seeing the latest discouraging polls in the Trump/Biden face-off, begins, “This will be a short post because the words need no interpretation, explanation or augmentation. They are what they are. ‘What they are is a plan to destroy America and plunge into the abyss. Eight years after Donald Trump came down the escalator there are no secrets left. Everything is open. Fascism has come to America, and it is wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross’.” Those last sentences are from the Washington Post.

Schmidt goes on to enumerate the plans Trump and his associates are mapping for using the government to punish critics and opponents in his second term in office, giving Trump the ability to appoint those he wants to investigate or prosecute, with his allies drafting plans to invoke the Insurrection Act for deploying the military to defeat any civil demonstrations that arise…a certainty. Justice Department and FBI personnel will be targeted, as will Joe Biden and his family, as Trump loudly proclaims, though accusations of corruption aren’t backed by evidence.

The Donald’s lackeys will see to it that these plans are well-formulated, even if they have to carry the Toupee Orangerie bodily across the finish line and hide him in a broom closet a la Woodrow Wilson’s babysitters. Trump’s worsening senility, noted with alarm during his time out of office, seems to be of no concern to his hordes who have kept him under wraps as much as possible, though with the numerous court proceedings it has been increasingly difficult to do so. In his appearances he has warned us that President Biden is going to get us into World War Two, and he seems to have forgotten Hillary Clinton was his opponent in 2016, remembering Barack Obama as his nemesis. His word salads, ever-present in his ‘speeches,’ sound ever more confused, dumb-founded, disoriented, a childish imitation of his previous bellowings. Even the media is forced to take notice instead of covering for the former president in order to sell air time or printed advertising with their softball interviews, questioning if he is truly a viable candidate for 2024. If he can’t be propped up adequately, the public recognition of condition may finish him off more quickly than the traipsing of the courts as they attempt to bring him to justice.

Trump’s declining mental state seems to have rubbed off onto the attorneys as they represent him in Judge Engoron’s courtroom, by Attorney Kise mentioning Breitbart conspiracy theories, or Attorney Habba complaining to the press about the unfairness of the proceedings, both playing the complete wet-behind-the-ears fools as if they are experiencing their first trial in a courtroom. They are not helping their client with their antics, indeed, he is beyond help because the trial by summary judgement has been decided…he has lost already, with only the punishment phase to be decided. Therefore, all the legal team has to do is keep Trump happy, looking like serious defenders who get a paycheck at the end. Embarrassingly, Trump doesn’t get it. He has no idea what is going on around him, so we are witnessing a guy on his trip downward, represented by attorneys who get it as they look forward to defending the next doofus in the queue.

Trump believes his ‘children’ are being dragged unfairly into his mess, though they are waist high in the big muddy as officers in the Trump Crime Family…hardly children now, being in their forties, no longer in danger of losing the innocence of a nine year old, as attorney Habba whined for the cameras. Just another element in this fantasy world. Ah yes, reminds one of that other magic place besides Walt Disney World in Florida…Mar-a-Lago, where people enter as lawyers and emerge as witnesses and defendants! Someone needs to remind the team that their client isn’t being indicted in the middle of his presidential campaign, he chose to campaign in the middle of his indictments. Colin Jost of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and its ‘Weekend Update’ segment called out Trump for complaining that he “basically doesn’t have the right to speak” after being slapped with a gag order by a federal judge. Comparing Trump to a child being grounded, in a child-like voice, he dug at Trump by saying, “She’s like literally killing me,” adding, “you’re not even my real mom!” as he slammed his bedroom door. Jost later mocked the former prez for sharing a courtroom sketch on Truth Social showing Jesus seated next to him. “Because if there’s one guy whose trial famously ended well, it’s Jesus’,” Jost said.

The two Trump boys, ages 39 and 45…wait…isn’t that their IQs?… testified last week, making remarks afterward to the assembled press on the courthouse steps, identifiable by their egg-smeared faces. Papa was scheduled to appear last Monday…so how did he score? And, daughter Ivanka was to appear Wednesday after the judge had previously allowed her to delay her testimony by a few days to better prepare. However, at this juncture, Ivanka is asking for yet another delay because of the hardship she faces “with the school week” and the judge is a bit miffed. He thinks she can afford a babysitter to deal with her kids’ school attendance! But, the judge COULD have brought up her attendance two weeks ago at Kim Kardashian’s 43rd birthday party in Los Angeles during the school week, in a new outfit, new do and nice spray tan. No matter, this judge has had it with the Trump family’s delaying tactics so her fantasy got canned…no public outcry on this one, sweetie! Remember when Barack Obama said, “I’m inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.” Contrast that to Donald Trump’s “She does have a very nice figure. I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.” Trump asked a woman at one of his rallies, “Do you have any children?” She answered, “Yes, I have one that’s just under two.” Defensively, Trump says, “I know how many one is!” One thing Trump will never defend is that awkward moment when a zombie looking for brains walks right on past him.

Trump’s choice for House Speaker, Mike Johnson, has decided to press on with the bribery investigation into the Biden family affairs. Former Speaker McCarthy had let the issue slide down on his priority list, but Johnson says, “There’s a lot of smoke here, and we’re going to find out very soon how big the fire is.” In the past, Johnson has accused the President of his alleged indiscretion, but says that the call for a rushed investigation toward impeachment should be approached with caution. House Republicans have failed in their attempts to link Biden to a Ukrainian oligarch, and the FBI has been unable to verify the tip they received. However, a Politico investigative report casts some doubt on Biden’s denial of involvement, contradicting White House claims on several points, particularly that he never discussed business dealings with family, and suggesting that incriminating emails were of Russian origin…fake news. Prominent in the denials is that Hunter Biden profited from China deals, or that his relatives benefitted from the Biden named. Politico feels strongly that the House investigation will bear fruit, with an AP-NORC poll showing that 70% of the public believes Biden acted either illegally or unethically. Will we see Mike Johnson move within one seat from the Presidency?

Speaker Johnson is a fervent supporter for trillions of dollars in cuts to our entitlements of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and at the same time raising eligibility ages, surely in the spotlight as we advance into the election run-up to 2024. The GOP acknowledges the political risks involved in cutting back benefits, yet are opposed to tax increases to shore up the programs, with even Democrats recognizing the nonsustainability in their current form. The entitlements have an annual cost of $2.7 trillion, and to examine the dilemma Johnson says he will appoint a 16-member bipartisan commission as a priority, with an announcement to come soon. In order to protect office seekers from angry or disillusioned voters no final decisions will be made until after the 2024 election. Johnson doesn’t believe he should dictate objectives or set benchmarks, but the Dems know his record speaks for itself, calling his proposed commission political cover in cutting our earned benefits. “It is unfortunate and disappointing that one of the Speaker’s first priorities is creating a mechanism intended to slash programs that American workers pay for in every paycheck, fully expecting the benefits to be there when they need them,” says Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. Alex Lawson of Social Security Works believes this is a GOP trap to lay blame on Democrats for the Republican’s policy of cutting and destroying Social Security.

Representative Matt Gaetz has given Johnson the moniker “MAGA Mike” as he crows about the power of the movement in putting Kevin McCarthy out to pasture. To be sure, he is one of the most extreme Republicans to be found. As the new Speaker said on Fox with Sean Hannity, “I am a Bible-believing Christian, and if you want to understand my politics, pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my world view.” As MSNBCs Mehdi Hassan asked, “Could you imagine if a Muslim member of Congress said the same about the Koran?” ‘Fox & Friends’ picked up where Hannity left off, as Kayleigh McEnany and Ainsley Earhardt bubbled over Kayleigh’s interview with Johnson about his Christofascism, saying, “I really believe he thinks God is leading the way, this will all get figured out.” In his first remarks to the House as the new Speaker, Johnson suggested that God had placed him in power, saying he doesn’t believe in coincidences, citing a Bible verse about God putting people in positions of authority. Religious-right activist Rick Green declared Johnson as “one of our guys.” And right-winger Benny Johnson tweeted about Mike: he’s America First & MAGA, ally of the House Freedom Caucus, mentor of Jim Jordan, legal defense for Trump impeachment trials, objected to 2020 election fraud, and called for Pelosi to be arrested. Theocracy here we come! Somewhere in Louisiana, Jimmy Swaggart is waiting for is phone to ring.

One of the quotes that popped up with the advent of our new God-appointed Speaker was one from our old nemesis, Barry Goldwater. Barry said, “Mark my words, if and when these preachers get control of the (Republican) party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe that they are acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise. I know, I’ve tried to deal with them.” Wikimedia had a treasure trove of Barryisms! When the Moral Majority’s Jerry Falwell opposed the 1981 nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor to the high court, Barry declared that every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass…John Dean later changing the anatomical reference to “nuts” as the accurate quote. Barry doesn’t stop there as he says, “I’m frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’…just who do they think they are? And where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of ‘Conservatism’. The religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in public policy.” Ah, the conscience of a conservative…remember when?

And on the lighter side, Goldwater also said, “If you don’t mind smelling like a peanut for two or three days, peanut butter is a damn good shaving cream.”

And, who can forget Bob Dylan’s, “I’m a liberal to a degree, I think everybody should be free, but if you think I’ll let Barry Goldwater move in next door and marry my daughter, you must think I’m crazy. I wouldn’t do it for all the farms in Cuba.”

INTEREST-FREE MANNA FROM HEAVEN WITH A MARTINI

The Great GOP Presidential Candidate Shakedown has begun! Former Trump VP Mike Pence announced he has suspended his campaign, with Steve Schmidt on his The Warning blog declaring Pence “a hollow man with an appetite for the prerequisites of power and the perks that come along with it.” Mikey declared from the start in 2015 that he was “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order,” even as he followed his President through all the division and malice that were the earmarks of the administration. He was enamored of the perceived power, the mansion, helicopter, Air Force 2, the fanfare and motorcades, the perks that solidified his place in the American pantheon, as he stuck by Trump’s side throughout the embarrassments, and defiling of the Constitution. He was declared anathema by the MAGATs when he refused to do Trump’s bidding, showing his disloyalty by declining to delay the electoral college vote count on that momentous January 6; and, while he did his duty during that insane insurrection, Schmidt says, “The single issue that defined Mike Pence’s service was disloyalty – disloyalty towards decency, humanity, and patriotism. He served a cruel cause with a cold heart. He well and truly tried to ride the tiger in pursuit of power – only to wind up inside…I hope the photo albums were worth it. My generation will be cleaning up this disaster for the rest of our lives.”

So, who’s next? Tim Scott is making a big play for one dollar donations in order to qualify for a place in the next GOP candidate debate, but his name may be de-listed soon, along with those of Larry Elder, Will Hurd, Perry Johnson and Francis Suarez. Some lesser lights are hanging in there, but why and for how long? Nikki Haley, while far beneath front-runner Donald Trump in the polls, has a heated competition with Ron DeSantis as her poll numbers now exceed his. Vivek Ramaswamy seems to be spending most of his time with both feet in his mouth, so who knows where he ends up? They all seem to be waving their hands in the air at the Trump Train in hopes of validating their relevancy as worthy second bananas. There’s always somebody that doesn’t get the message…the reason you don’t believe you have been lied to and brainwashed, is because you have been lied to and brainwashed…simple as that!

A couple of weeks ago most of us in California got the Earthquake Early Warning signal on our cell phones, but some instead got the worthy message, ‘SUPREME COURT BACK IN SESSION!’ No doubt this was spurred by the ongoing grifting revelations regarding Justice Clarence Thomas and his consort, Ginni ‘Imelda‘ Thomas. Their never-ending ‘handful of gimme, and a mouthful of much-obliged’ addiction continues to obligate them to their sugar daddies instead of to the American public and the Constitution. What’s it this time? The Senate Democrats have discovered Thomas never paid back in full a quarter-million-dollar-plus loan from ‘a friend’ to buy a high-end recreational vehicle in 1999. The five year term saw the Thomas twins paying only the interest of about $20K annually before the term was extended to ten years. The Senate committee concluded that the loan was never paid in full and none of the principal was satisfied, though other documentation is being sought to conclude their findings.

Health care executive, Anthony Welters, who was the cash-cow for the loan has written a note, dated November 2008, indicated he was seeking no further payments because he believed Thomas’ annual payments exceeded the total purchase price of the Prevost Marathon Le Mirage XL RV. Talk about mirages! The nine years of interest payments would still leave about an $87K shortfall for the total loan amount which at this juncture should be considered taxable income for the Justice, a figure which seems to be suspiciously missing from his 2008 financial disclosure report. The ethics lapses in Thomas’ ‘gimme’ lifestyle continue to mount, further damaging the public’s opinions of government officials, and in this case, the Supreme Court’s which has been mum on the many disclosures. Our citizenry would be much obliged if the Thomases would just come clean instead of letting the situation fester…show us the documentation of your compliance, your innocence…where are the receipts? If Senator Robert Menendez and his wife are being taken to task over their indiscretions, why not Clarence and Ginni?

It is said that Vladimir Putin bought American…he purchased one Trump and got the whole Republican party for free! And now he has the added bonus of a House Speaker in Louisiana’s Mike Johnson, hand-picked enthusiastically by none other than Mr. Trump himself. The House had a close call when it came reasonably close to electing Gym Jordan to the position, but the GOP thought better and elected a guy who will wear a suit jacket instead. Johnson is known as an ‘election denier.’ But it goes much deeper, since he supported a Texas group’s bid to overturn the election while working in conjunction with others to overturn electoral college votes in four swing states. Prior to his four term stint in Congress, Johnson was a senior lawyer and national spokesperson for the Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative group which opposes abortion, same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights. In what has now become a familiar hardcore Christian nationalist formulation, Johnson touted during his 2016 Congressional race, “I am a Christian, a husband, a father, a lifelong conservative, constitutional law attorney and a small business owner in that order, and I think that order is important. I have been called to legal ministry and I’ve been out on the front lines of the ‘culture war’ defending religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and biblical values, including the defense of traditional marriage, and other ideals like these when they’ve been under assault.”

Meidas Touch calls out the new Speaker, an opponent of gun control legislation, for blaming the recent mass shootings in Maine on both teaching evolution and abortion. Speaking at the Christian Center in Shreveport in 2016, he said that a “series of cultural shifts” in this country, led by ‘elites’ and ‘academics’ back in the 1930s who endorsed Charles Darwin’s theories erased the influence of Christian thinking and creationism from society. His religious fundamentalism marks his life and career, and he advocates for return of prayer in public schools, as he derides the “so-called separation of church and state” on the House floor, arguing that our nation’s founders did not establish the separation to prevent religion from influencing government, but rather to impede the government from restricting the influence and free exercise of religion.

Trump’s newly christened (CHRIST-ened?) lackey’s resemblance to Clark Kent may serve to conceal his full nut-job MAGAness, but we shouldn’t be fooled…he is a full-on, rabid election denier, a Bible-thumper who will bash your head in with his holy book if you don’t follow his brand of worship and his interpretation of the First Amendment. He fits in with the GOP brand very well with his denial of climate-change while getting big bucks from the oil and gas companies, is against raising the federal minimum wage, and is in the forefront of the drive to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. So, did the House Circus get what they wanted out of their inept procedure of selecting a new leader? Mike who? Obviously, not by a long shot! Remember…93% of the House GOP voted against dumping Kevin McCarthy, who was an effective party fund raiser. Now they have a powerless, unproven nobody who has already started an irritating glut of an email campaign to introduce himself…and oh, can you send money?

What it all boils down to is that the Republican House will continue to be run by committees, each in their own tiny enclaves, doing what they wish with nobody to stop them. Speaker Johnson can take whatever position he wants on a whole range of issues, but he will be bulldozed by the committee chairs who know what they are doing, and who have the power and influence to do so, leaving Johnson’s crown perilously askew. Next up? Think the GOP might come up with someone who believes in democracy, rather than one who believes he is being ordained by his god? That would be manna from heaven! Kind of reminds one of the statement by Charles de Gaulle, “How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?”

The New Yorker’s Andy Borowitz couldn’t let the ascendance of Mike Johnson pass by without some of his humor: In a stirring acceptance speech after being elected Speaker of the House, Representative Mike Johnson vowed to be “the greatest Speaker of the seventeenth century. For years, time travel was the stuff of science fiction,” he said. “Now as I take this majestic nation back four hundred years, I will make that dream a reality.” Noting that LGBTQ and women’s rights would be subject to his review, he said that he would also be taking a “hard look at some other so-called innovations, such as electricity and soap. My message to the American people is simple: I work for thee,” he said. When a reporter pointed out that there was no such thing as a Speaker of the House in the seventeenth century, Johnson replied, “I see you’ve been reading history books. Enjoy them while you can.”

And what we’ve all been waiting for, the promise of Artificial Intelligence: A guy goes into a bar that has a robot bartender and orders a martini. The robot brings him the best martini ever, and asks the man, “What’s your IQ?” A bit taken aback, nevertheless he answers, “168.” The robot then proceeds to discuss physics, space exploration, and medical technology. The guy leaves, but remaining curious, he goes back to the bar and orders another martini. With a great martini in hand, the robot asks him again, “What’s your IQ?” This time the guy answers, “100,” which prompts the robot to talk about NASCAR, Budweiser, and John Deere tractors. Exiting the bar, the guy’s curiosity is further aroused, so he goes back inside, orders a martini, and is met with the same question, “What’s your IQ?” This time he answers, “Oh, about 50,” and with that the robot moves in closer and says, “Isn’t it terrible the way Biden stole the election?”

A KRAKEN, PLEA DEALS AND TEARS ON MYPILLOWS

In what they are hailing as a consensus choice, House Republicans have nominated a college intern named Zach to be the new Speaker of the House. The freshly minted GOP nominee acknowledged that he was “kind of surprised” to be chosen as Speaker but said that he was “totally stoked about wielding that hammer.” “I’m, like, whoa – all of a sudden, I’m Thor,” he said. “This is gonna be dope.” Zach, who is taking a year off from his studies at the Northern University of Southern Florida, is well-liked within the GOP conference, insiders said. “Zach never screws up our coffee orders,” one Republican congressman said. “You couldn’t say the same for Kevin McCarthy.” Nah, that didn’t happen – only in The New Yorker magazine, courtesy of humorist Borowitz.

But it COULD happen with the way the KidzRoom is playing now. Yet another couple of weeks without a House Speaker (unless one was elected after this writing from the nine who have dared a candidacy) with Scalise and Jordan being shot down! Scalise saw the handwriting on the wall after one ballot and bowed out, but former wrestling coach Gym Jordan was persistent, thankfully less so than Kevin Mac, and got his comeuppance quickly, being pinned three times, with the Big Lie Freak even admitting he had lost an election! His underbite must have mangled his tongue something awful in the process. Representative Matt Gaetz who was the mastermind of this whole fiasco by getting McCarthy tossed out, was irate as he whined on Xwitter, complaining that his fellow traveler and MAGA enthusiast was thrown off the mat by his GOP colleagues. What could be more satisfying than having two election denying insurrectionists, supposed sex abusers given the heave-ho by their party?

Jordan had launched a fierce arm-twisting campaign to convince his Republican colleagues to cast a vote for him, calling for a Tuesday roll call vote as a bullying tactic. The threats received online and by phone to House members and their families only drew anger, and by Wednesday he was losing ground. His method of attacks was reminiscent of his wrestling days as described by those who associated with him as a student and later as a coach. Wrestling is known as the art of forcing opponents to relinquish their posture and surrender, and Jordan says, “It’s as basic as it gets.” Writer John Irving who was a wrestler in prep school observes, “Wrestling offers folks in different weight classes the opportunity to bump into people your own size, and you can bump them very hard…” Former Speaker John Boehner compares Freedom Caucus member Jordan’s political style as “legislative terrorism,” as the two battled each other to the point where Boehner couldn’t take it anymore, resigning in 2015. As Boehner says, “He is wound tighter than a baseball. You just see him walk with an intensity that you don’t see in other members.” If they met in the halls of Congress, the former Speaker would try to defuse Jordan’s intensity by asking him, “What are you planning to f___ up today?” Jordan’s partisan influence that allows him to survive in his party is the very blockade to his success, which even the Former Guy was not able to overcome.

Republicans need a Speaker who can be more commonsensical, and many are pointing toward giving that power to temporary Speaker Patrick McHenry, but he has shown little interest in taking the gavel. Some are saying that his reluctance is what makes him a good candidate, but his name does not appear among the nine who are competing for the seat. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota seems to be ahead in the running, but Trump acolytes started hitting him with attacks and calling him “Nancy Pelosi in a Suit,” though the former prez has yet to publicly attack Emmer – at this writing. An olive branch was tossed in the form of a statement to Politico which said, “Whip Emmer worked hand-in-hand with President Trump to help House Republicans fire Nancy Pelosi and retake the majority. If he becomes Speaker, Whip Emmer looks forward to continuing that productive relationship.” Not very commonsensical! Steve Bannon has called Emmer a swamp creature who hates Trump, “the biggest never-Trumper in the House,” though he voted with Trump 90% of the time during that presidency. Islamaphobe right-winger, Laura Loomer, called Emmer “a closet liberal, essentially a Democrat, and one of the worst members of Congress.” So, how did he do after Monday evening’s candidate’s forum, and in Tuesday’s vote after all that fanfare?

Regardless of the outcome, CNN reported a few weeks ago that Kevin McCarthy and his allies (more than one? really?) are going on the attack against Matt Gaetz for leading the revolt against McCarthy’s speakership by ‘expelling’ him from Congress. The ‘allies’ plan to use an upcoming report from the House Ethics Committee that will show unprecedented corruption and ethics violations by Gaetz, including the much ballyhooed child sex-trafficking activity, charges for which have stayed sidelined for far too long. Gaetz has said if his House disruptions lead to an end of his political career, getting rid of Kevin McCarthy makes it all worth it. Perhaps he can get an adjoining cell to be near his fading bronze-skinned, crew cut shorn, balding hero, DJT.

Trump’s political fundraising scam is still rummaging through the pockets of those who believe this self-proclaimed billionaire needs their money to be elected, as he uses their donations to pay legal fees in his many criminal cases. Despite a federal ban on using donor contributions for personal use, the money is actually going to political PACs which are able to spend as they please. So, Trump’s multiple daily pleas for cash to send him back to the White House are a bit deceptive since the attorneys are raking it in for themselves. Federal Elections Commission records show that The Don’s Save America PAC has spent nearly $37M to over 60 law firms and individual attorneys since January 2022, and in the first half of the current year over $20M has gone out for not only Trump, but his businesses, his children, and former White House aides and employees of the Former Guy. Can paying attorney fees for co-defendants and possible witnesses be considered witness tampering or buying a person’s loyalty?

Which brings up the plea deals of Attorney Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro in the Georgia election interference case, agreed to by DA Fani Willis for their cooperation with prosecutors. Would this have come about if Trump had agreed to send some defense monies their way? Or, was the evidence simply to damning for an easy way out? To most this wasn’t a surprise and it puts pressure on other co-defendants as they face legal jeopardy, a signal that if they want to deal the time to act is now, otherwise they go down with the ship. Scott Hall, a former bail bondsman pled guilty several weeks ago, and he along with Powell were accused of breaching an election office branch in Coffee County, Georgia. Powell played a broader role on Trump’s legal team in trying to overturn the 2020 election, though Trump, true to form, is asking, “Sidney who? She never was a part of my legal team!” The man needs to read his past emails for a refresher, as well as the plethora of emails between the attorneys on the ‘team,’ collected by the DA.

Both Powell and Chesebro faced seven felonies, but Powell pled guilty to six misdemeanors, while Chesebro pleaded guilty to one felony count. In so doing, they will avoid conviction under Georgia’s RICO Act, which accuses all defendants of entering an unlawful conspiracy to keep Trump in power, the basis of the indictment. Both individuals seem to be referenced as unindicted co-conspirators in Trump’s federal elections case in DC, and Powell still faces legal jeopardy from defamation lawsuits from Smartmatic and Dominion, the voting machine providers. Trial dates for Trump and the remaining fifteen co-defendants are not set, with Trump and Rudy Giuliani not expected to appear until late in 2024, so don’t expect them to plead guilty in the near future. Now, we wait for the shoes to start dropping since it appears Trump is not dropping any dollars in that direction with the three guilty pleas, and especially with the Kraken having devoured Sidney Powell.

And, we mustn’t forget poor Mike Lindell, crying tears on his MyPillows after losing his lawyers who unceremoniously dumped him for being in arrears on his legal fees…unable to pay them for the past two months. They claim he owes them millions and Mikey tells Politico, “I don’t know where I go from here.” The attorneys informed federal judges in Minnesota and Washington they wish to withdraw representation as Lindell faces billion-dollar lawsuits from Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, saying he had made payments in a timely fashion through 2022, but 2023 has been another story with only small payments forthcoming. Both courts then approved the law firm’s request to withdraw as they were being placed in financial jeopardy. Even as Lindell’s legal and financial difficulties increase, he continues to stand behind Trump’s groundless election fraud claims. He claims he is facing five audits by the IRS, that American Express has slashed his credit line from a million dollars to $100K and that he lost more than $100M in retail sales by being dropped by Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond, QVC, JC Penney and Wayfair, though purchases may still be made online. In July he auctioned off equipment from his factory in Minnesota, yet he bragged to Steve Bannon on his ‘War Room’ podcast that he still spends a million dollars a month…donating to Save America PAC?
Go figure!

A narcissist, a pedophile sex-offender and a Russian spy walk into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, “What can I get you tonight, Mr. Trump?”

October 16

Matlock will be back next week.

IMAGINARY LIGHTNING STRIKES AND HIGH STANDARDS

Steven Lauter, columnist for the LA Times, said it: “The problem wasn’t McCarthy.” In his view, the former speaker let his bad habit of making promises he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, keep. With both political parties distrusting him he was removed from his position as Speaker of the House with the solidarity votes of Democrats and the eight rebels led by Representative Matt Gaetz. Recent Speakers Boehner and Ryan had their own unpleasant experiences, with Kevin McCarthy establishing a first, becoming the only Speaker removed by a vote of the House of Representatives. Lauter thinks that Victim #4 awaits a similar fate, and Andrew Glassman, congressional expert at Georgetown University says, “Someone will get 217 votes, but I’m not sure that the Republican conference is governable.” A Speaker is given significant authority, with real power emerging only with the individual’s ability to incorporate the the will of the House majority, presently not a coherent attribute, so symbolically  it’s just a guy holding a wooden gavel waiting for lightning to strike. Mary Trump observed: ” Kevin McCarthy served as speaker for approximately 27 Scaramuccis.”

Several weeks ago, McCarthy reported that the House GOP was “in a good place” on the spending bill, but their closed door sessions came up with nothing, listening to Trump instead of Speaker McCarthy. As Politico commented, “McCarthy is being chopped into pieces, and he doesn’t even know it.” Shirley Kennedy in The Palmer Report wrote, “Several Republicans refused to go along with McCarthy’s defense spending bill, being joined by Democrats. One can only wonder if he now regrets repeatedly giving in to the far-right members of his party, who now seem to be holding their power and Donald Trump over his head…these people are bending to an imaginary god who has no power. They believe, however, that their power is in supporting him, but what will they do when he is convicted of the myriad crimes with which he has been charged? They even attempt to cover for him.” She goes on to say that when asked about the former president’s demand to shut the government down, “McCarthy replied, ‘He only wants to “hold the line” and “pass appropriate bills.” Please. “Trump has no idea what bills are appropriate. He’s not in the same position as the many people who voted these clowns into office, and he could care less about any of them. Similarly, McCarthy doesn’t care either.” Kevin McCarthy now finds himself in the belly of the beast that he tried to ride.

The Speaker was able to muster enough support from Democrats and Republicans to pass a spending bill, avoiding a government shutdown, but Gaetz then mounted his campaign to remove McCarthy from the speakership, accusing him of collusion with the dreaded Dems. Kevin took the challenge, telling Matt to “bring it on,” to “get it behind us and start governing.” While assuming that he had strong party support, McCarthy accused the Florida representative of showboating to distract from his own problems, such as his accusations of ethics violations of misconduct, drug use, and other allegations. In leading the successful drive to oust McCarthy, Gaetz has stirred some Republicans toward even bolder steps to hold him accountable, even expelling him from Congress. Bring it on, huh, Matty!?

The New Yorker’s political satire columnist, Andy Borowitz, writes that, “House Republicans have convened an emergency meeting to determine who must sit next to Representative Matt Gaetz going forward. Members of the conference had hoped to take a week off after the grueling ordeal of ousting Kevin McCarthy, but the matter of who would be forced to sit next to Gaetz ‘had to be settled,’ one GOP congressperson said. ‘Colleagues have declared that, if they are required to sit next to Matt, they will retire from politics instead,’ the legislator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said. ‘We could lose our majority over this.’ Republicans’ hopes that they had found a willing seat mate for Gaetz collapsed when Representative Lauren Boebert flatly refused the assignment. ‘Even I have standards,’ she reportedly said.”

Doing his part in spouting for the media, Matt Gaetz, is/was an advocate of the GOP’s impeachment of President Biden until he said too much. However, the foredoomed attempt was based on phony ‘evidence,’ or as it turns out no evidence at all. A generic House hearing was held, but votes to hold an actual impeachment inquiry disappeared along with the ‘evidence.’ As Bill Palmer writes, “Matt Gaetz is in way over his head. He doesn’t understand how to create allies within his own House Republican caucus. He doesn’t understand messaging. He thinks politicians get things done by running their mouths in front of cameras, and doesn’t understand that actual political muscle is flexed behind the scenes. So of course Gaetz got caught on camera admitting that his own party’s agenda is illegitimate. He’s that idiot.”

Steven Pastis in his Pearls Before Swine comic strip: Pig visits Wise Ass on the Hill and asks, “Oh, Wise Ass..for an immigrant to become a citizen and be able to vote, do they have to take a test?” Wise Ass answers, “Yes, a civics test.” Pig then asks, “Why do they have to do that?” Wise Ass answers, “Because if you’re gonna help us choose our elected officials you have to be knowledgeable,” whereupon Pig queries, ” Do the elected officials need to take a test?” And Wise Ass blows him away with, “No, they can be total morons.” Pig journeys down the hill and meets Rat, telling him, “The more I know the less I understand.” Amen to that!

McCarthy was only concerned about his precious speakership, with no idea on how to lead, and because of the agreements he made to get elected, he got tossed out on his ear. One is reminded of a description written by Roald Dahl of Henry Sugar, his character in the short story, ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’: “Men like Henry Sugar are to be found drifting like seaweed all over the world. They can be seen especially in London, New York, Paris, Nassau, Montego Bay, Cannes, and San Tropez. They are not particularly bad men, but they are not good men either. They are of no particular importance; they’re simply part of the decoration.”

Immediately following Kev’s dismissal, the maneuvering began to stick another victim in the seat, bringing up the names of Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim (Gym) Jordan. Endorsements are accumulating, not the least of which, is The Don’s praise for Jordan who has been a Trumper since day one. Scalise, who has called himself “David Duke without the baggage,” made a brief foray to secure backing in January, so a path to success may not arise on this go around, either. Jordan, not an ’empty suit’ but more of an ’empty shirt’ with the sleeves rolled up, may not have the support, not being able to rally the troops around his extreme conservatism, with Democrats readying themselves to pounce in light of the controversy surrounding Jordan’s years as an Ohio State wrestling coach. His baggage has become a target to be brought front and center, and Democrats will make it headline news again. Newcomer, Representative Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, and chairman of the Republican Study Committee has been discussed as a possibility because he may have new approaches to doing things instead of sticking to same slog that has bogged down the GOP for years. Jordan was the founding member of the confrontational House Freedom Caucus, and was a leader in pushing out former Speaker Boehner, who calls Gym a “legislative terrorist.”

The campaigning preceded last Tuesday’s candidate forum, followed by Wednesday’s planned vote in the GOP conference on a nominee for the position. The Dems nominated Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in the event the House majority was unable to coalesce around a candidate. McCarthy ally, Garret Graves of Louisiana, recalled the four days it took to elect Kevin, saying it would require “some divine intervention” to wrap it up quickly. Some Republicans have floated the idea of making The Former Guy a nominee, after which he said he might consider it as a temporary position to be a “unifier” and “if necessary,” but his focus is winning the presidential nomination where he sees dismissal of all charges against him.

So, all of the above can only serve as background as this is being written, and everything may still be contentiously up in the air, disputable, open to doubt or perhaps settled, at least temporarily, by the time this is posted. With the urgency in the flare up between Israel and Hamas, the leaderless House GOP has brought up the possibility of reseating Kevin McCarthy, as this state of war may need their actions sooner rather than later. Initially, Kevin was “aware and grateful” of the suggestion but was not engaged in any discussion or negotiations. Lawmakers were also considering giving clearer powers to acting Speaker Pro Tempore, Patrick McHenry, for the short term or electing him outright, both unprecedented moves. Representative Mark Alford of Missouri posted on X, “We are paralyzed as a body. World events dictate urgency.”

Conservative radio host, Hugh Hewitt, asked McCarthy if he would serve as Speaker again should a deadlock result in the tumultuous body, to which he responded, “Look, the conference will make that decision. I’m still a member. I’m going to continue to fight and act. Whatever the conference wants, I will do. I think we need to be strong. I think we need to be united. The eight (conference members who voted against him), in my view, don’t look to be – it was a personal thing.” After losing his position he said he would not run again, as he reminded the press that the vast majority of the House GOP voted for him to remain in the post. Where does/did the GOP land in this continuing debacle? Poet and musician, Patti Smith says, “We go through life. We shed our skins. We become ourselves.” We can only hope the House has shed enough skin to benefit the rest of us.

This advertisement was posted on the Quora website: “NOW THAT THE PRESIDENT IS GONE, WHY NOT VISIT THE…Trump Presidential Library, Casino and Strip Club! A perfect way to remember the Bigliest President of all!

The Trump Presidential Library, Casino and Strip Club. We’re three miles out of Vegas, turn left on the Interstate 9, follow the neon sign, we’re the first right by the Truckers Rest Diner. Free entry Monday through Thursday. No cover charge, first drink on the house.”

PLAYING CATCH UP WITH THE HANDS OF TIME

The black and gold 16-foot clock seen in the photos of Trump Tower in New York City was erected on the sidewalk over twelve years ago without the required permits and city officials are now attempting to collect those fees. The ten-year permit for this type of clock installation is usually billed at $300 per year; and though the city’s oversight on the matter was not an issue until 2015, pursuit was dropped when Donald Trump became a presidential candidate and was then successful in his election to the office. NYC’s Department of Transportation wrote the organization recently to remind them that the clock and other “structures continue to be encroachments on the public right of way and are subject to enforcement.” It remains to be seen how this might be enforced with Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron’s dissolution order for the Trump Organization last week…it may mean that removal of the ‘Trump‘ moniker from the tower as well as from the four faces of the intruding timepiece is in the offing. The attorneys for the former president were in court the day after the ruling asking for more clarity, but were denied, with the justice saying to check back later…stand back and stand by, if you will.

This is a monumental coup for New York Attorney General Letitia James in her lawsuit against Trump’s golf and real estate organization, which includes his two sons, TweedleDumb and TweedleDumber, and the executives who have been party to the perpetuation of years of fraud. Engoron made an early decision, after three years of pre-trial investigations and litigation, that Trump’s fraudulent inflation of his worth to banks and insurers added approximately $3.6B in fictional value to his annual net worth. Those knowledgeable about such matters have termed the ruling “the corporate death penalty” because it orders the cancellation of state ‘certificates’ allowing the Trump Organization and the hundreds of underlying trusts and LLCs to function as corporate entities. The order specifies that within ten days, Trump’s attorneys must submit names of three possible “independent receivers to manage the dissolution of the cancelled LLCs” to the court, which means selling corporate properties. However, the judge honored the request of the attorneys for thirty days to agree to a receiver, which then brought up the name of retired judge, Barbara Jones, an independent monitor currently, to assume that role.

This is a unique case for which there is little guidance to dissolve a multi-billion-dollar company, assets which range from not only Trump Tower, but home addresses held as LLCs, as well. Sticking points such as these led the judge say he was not prepared to make a ruling, leaving the two Tweedles with roofs over their heads for the time being. The state has alleged fraud involving two of Trump’s residences: Mar-a-Lago and the Trump Tower’s 10,000 square feet triplex penthouse where he lives on occasion…which was fraudulently tripled in size to 30,000 square feet in financial statements. Banks relied on the accuracy of this information to collateralize and maintain the hundreds of millions of dollars in Trump Organization loans. The court found that Trump valued Mar-a-Lago at $739M based falsely on the premise that it was free of any development restrictions, which gained him a generous tax benefit for which he was to give up residential development rights. Actual value of this property should have been around $75M, as estimated by the attorney general. Denying that the valuations were fraudulent, Trump’s attorneys claim that The Don was a “visionary” who saw value beyond what non-visionaries could see, as they prepare to fight fraud accusations and appeal the dissolution order. So, who gets the $25M clock?

Likely it won’t be Melania. Being the visionary that she is, she has recently renegotiated the marital pre-nuptial for the third time to protect the financial interests of Barron, her 17-year-old son, as his father’s legal troubles multiply and his financial future becomes questionable. “Melania is most concerned about maintaining and increasing a substantial trust for Barron,” a source said, as she hopes to secure “a specific amount at minimum,” and even as she seeks more money and property for her own security. Bill Palmer writes on his The Palmer Report, “Donald Trump is going to prison. His fate was sealed the minute the goons breached the Capitol.” The hype from both sides of the aisle about how he will escape prosecution and take over the country again, after four indictments and 91 criminal charges, is now looking grimmer by the day, and even Trump understands the predicament he faces. His posing questions to those around him concerning prison itself…state or federal, orange jumpsuit or not?…point to his behavior as the equivalent of a child who is realizing the enormity of his indiscretions. Yet the media is still playing his game that somehow he will remain politically viable, furthering their own game of selling cars, shampoo, miracle cures, and McDonald’s fast food – which, by the way, is not allowed in a prison populace!

Palmer goes on to say that Trump’s bragging in a civil trial deposition that his properties are worth much more than his current evaluations, resulting in a windfall should he be forced to sell, is showing that the influence of his ‘babysitters’ have prepped him for that very eventuality, by a liquidation at the end of Letitia James‘ civil trial. Being so far gone in his senile and delusional state, he’ll just accept that scenario as being real, always at the ready with another set of lies. Palmer concludes, “As always, the key part of the story is just how far gone Trump is cognitively. Based on how he now comes off in his public appearances, he seems to be at a point where his ‘babysitters’ could probably convince him of anything. That now apparently includes convincing him that his properties aren’t being forcibly sold off as part of liquidation, but are instead being sold off because he’s a financial genius. Anything to soften the blow on the way down.”

Trump’s defense in Georgia took a blow last week when Scott Hall, a bail bond business owner and one of the nineteen indicted in the Fani Willis conspiracy case, pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts, the first to do so. His plea agreement in Judge Scott McAfee’s hearing resulted being sentenced to five years’ probation, a $5000 fine and 200 hours of community service, and, being forbidden to participate in any “polling activities” while on probation. He is required to write a letter of apology to the citizens of Georgia and must testify honestly in any future proceedings in the case. Hall’s case centered on his breach of a Coffee County election office on January 7, 2021, along with a group who conspired to “intentionally interfere with and hinder and delay” the duties of another co-defendant, Misty Hampton, who was Coffee County’s election supervisor. The group’s goal was to “unlawfully access all election machines in said county in order to obtain proprietary data or property of Dominion Voting Systems used in the administration of elections in the state of Georgia.” Sidney Powell is likely in need of smelling salts, and Rudy Giuliani’s hair dye rivulets are out of control by now.

Perhaps in anticipation of being on the skids, Donald Trump, Jr. is branching out with his business acumen. He has been seen on Xwitter hyping a brand of coffee, called Blackout Coffee, a brand with conservative values! In a video from his podcast, Triggered, DonnyJ says, “You don’t have to choose between what you believe and what you buy. You’re gonna be drinking coffee anyway, and if you do, show support for a brand aligned with your conservative values. It’s American-made, it’s family-owned. And, they support what we believe in,” adding, “So, from sourcing beans, to roasting the coffee, and that processed customer support, and shipping, Blackout Coffee will never compromise on taste or quality, and they do it all while supporting freedom-loving values.” One Xwitter user wrote in response, “How does coffee become conservative…do they plant the beans in a MAGA hat?” Another user added, “Junior is gonna have to sell a lot of coffee to cover Big Daddy’s legal bills. I never thought I’d see the day when Presidential candidates have to sell coffee, t-shirts and gimme hats to get elected to the formerly greatest office in the world…” The brand’s website also offers mugs that read, “Give me coffee, or give me death,” and “Pro life-god-guns, and coffee,” among other catchy kitsch keepsakes.

Melania Trump, while keeping a low profile for the most part, managed to surface recently, making a sales pitch for – Christmas ornaments! We all remember her disdain in handling the White House Christmas decorations, as recorded by former friend and aide, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, when she infamously said, “I’m working my ass off at Christmas stuff. You know, who gives a f*** about Christmas stuff and decoration, but I need to do it, right?” True, she did sell ornaments last year, but has added “a corresponding digital collectible” to the current $35 to $45 offerings. Some have suggested she engrave the ornaments with her past utterances about the holiday. Ah, anything to keep the home fires burning.

The Flaxen-Klaxon-Hair-On-Fire, Marjorie Taylor-Greene, is still managing to stir things up online with her antics. She recalled a recent air terminal experience with an airport worker, posting, “Friendly airline employee smiles and says, ‘tell President Trump that African American Muhammad says hello and is with him!” Xwitter users jumped her for fabricating her tale, one posting, “I’ll take things that didn’t happen for $200, Alex!” Another called her out by saying, “Racists always use adjectives to describe a person for the purpose of stating that they are not racist (i.e., “African American Muhammad”); however, it’s not necessary to do so, if you’re NOT racist, because actions speak louder than words.” “Jamal must have been on a break…they love that name for their imaginary black friends,” wrote one user. Then Ms. Jewish Space Lasers got her Jewish holidays mixed up by picturing a Chanukah menorah in a posted Yom Kippur message to the Jewish community. Why does she bother? She promptly deleted the post, but not after being called a meshuggener, along with other names for her ridiculous post. One person joked that she acted quickly in order to avoid Nancy Pelosi’s Gazpacho Police. Meidas Touch’s co-founder, Brett Meiselas, punched back with, “Frankly, Jews don’t need an antisemitic maniac who gives speeches at Nazi events sending out holiday messages in the first place.” Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz of Florida adds, “Yom Kippur is where you atone for your sins. Lord knows you will be very busy.” TV comedy writer, Frank Lesser, says in Marge’s defense, “She thought it was an eight-pronged Jewish space laser.” And to help the befuddled Georgia-Marge-In-Charge in her future endeavors, SnarkTank99 designed her an Easter greeting for later posting, with a cartoonish Santa waving jovially with his bag of gifts.

Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee gifted the former president with a new handle last week when he accidentally referred to him as “President Chump” as he spoke on the floor of the House. He quickly corrected this Freudian slip, but just as quickly it spread on the internet. “Sir, you had it correct the first time,” posted one responder. We may recall Ogles having to defend his Second Amendment-family Christmas card in 2021, as the group posed with their guns…shortly after The Covenant School in Nashville suffered a mass shooting in which six died. “No regrets,” he said at the time. And, Chris Christie during the GOP presidential debate last week gave Trump a new nametag…to the chagrin of the Disney Corporation, no doubt. Trump’s no-show status at the debates…dodging any controversial embarrassments with his competitors, earns him the honorific of “Donald Duck.”

A customer goes into a bookstore, asking the clerk if they stock Trump’s new book on how to deport aliens. The offended clerk tells him, “Get the hell out and don’t come back.” The customer replies, “Yes, that’s the one…do you have it in paperback?”

Dr. Dana Ménard informs us, “The cat who was completely obsessed with my bump when I was pregnant is quite uninterested in the baby now that she’s out. It’s a weird way to find out my cat is a Republican.”

September 25

KING KONG HOUSE PARTY AND NERFS ON MEET THE FRASS

Charles P. Pierce, in Esquire magazine, asks of Kevin McCarthy: “Was it worth it, Kevin? The Speakership of the House of Representatives, I mean. The long, excruciating session of the House back in January? Fifteen long, excruciating ballots, between which, you had to negotiate with people who have pinwheels in their eyes? All of it on television, as the Democrats sat back and blithely watched the auto da fé like rubberneckers at a train wreck? All of that pain and embarrassment so you could call yourself the Speaker of the House even though everybody and his Uncle Fud knew you couldn’t actually be Speaker? Is it all worth it now, when there are too many chickens and not enough roosts?” So, here we stand…Kev has to be in his position to insure that the government is funded for the next year, but nobody is lifting a hand to help. Pierce says, “The Democrats are sitting over in the corner, making more popcorn. To the members of his own narrow majority, McCarthy is now poison among the extremists for going back on the deals he made to become Speaker, and among the more marginally sane, he is now poison for having made those deals in the first place. And Representative Lauren Boebert seems to be the only one capable of reaching across the aisle.” Snort, snort…good one!

Pierce believes our radical conservatives owe their current power to Newt Gingrich from his two years of radicalism in harassing the Clintons. “The logical end of being fed red meat constantly is cannibalism. And that’s the evolutionary stage of American conservatism at which McCarthy, that sap, finds himself now,” adds Pierce. He goes on to say that McCarthy’s fall parallels that of Gingrich after the GOP saw their House majority narrowed, particularly after Newt spent so much time on the Lewinsky scandal. He does credit him as being the architect of the first GOP House majority since 1954, giving him a couple of years of power and street cred…something Kevin lacks, and will never have.

Michelle Cottle of The New York Times contends that Mac has had it with the bullying of the zealot horde he has encouraged, but Gaetz and Greene are probably correct in that the Speaker is not following their rules, made in the smoke-filled rooms back in January, a problem with deals hatched in secrecy. Cottle says if the rabble-rousers wish to be taken seriously, they need to stop the King Kong act and at least file their threatened motion to dump McCarthy. She says, “The extremists are easy to denounce, especially with their tendency to act out like unruly teens – or Lauren Boebert at ‘Beetlejuice, but they are not to blame for the chaos consuming the House. It is Mr. McCarthy who led them to believe he would champion their policies and priorities. And it is Mr. McCarthy who elevated their influence in the conference, empowering them to wreak even greater havoc. Of course, they are going to make more and more outrageous demands. That’s what they do.”

Politico’s site reports the more than dozen Republicans, mostly Representative Byron Donalds‘ colleagues in the conservative Freedom Caucus, who are publicly torching the spending plan he brokered. With just a four-seat majority, Speaker Kevin McCarthy can only afford to lose a handful of them given that he can’t count on Democratic votes, leaving the GOP bill effectively D.O.A. The failure of the two negotiators he had empowered has brought on a full-House-party rebellion. Going beyond a simple centrist vs. right-wing clash, the Freedom Caucus itself is divided, with members backhanding the plan presented by their own leaders, along with the rising hue and cry to oust McCarthy should he rely on the Democrats to avoid a shutdown. Indiana’s Republican Representative Victoria Spartz vented, “The Republican House is failing the American people again and pursuing a path of gamesmanship and circus. Neither Republicans nor Democrats have the backbone to challenge the corrupt swamp that is bankrupting our children and grandchildren. It is a shame that our weak speaker cannot even commit to having a commission to discuss our looming fiscal catastrophe.” Charles Pierce describes Spartz as “one of the few truly eccentrics left in the Republican caucus in what passes for the GOP middle these days.”

Andy Borowitz in his The Borowitz Report in The New Yorker writes.“Calling a conflict raging in the U.S. Capitol “a clear and present danger to the world,” Volodymyr Zelensky offered to broker a peace deal between Representative Kevin McCarthy and his fellow House Republicans. The Ukrainian President warned that, if the fighting in Washington continued to escalate, it could spread to neighboring regions such as Maryland and Virginia. ‘My message to the warring parties is simple: it is time to stop the madness,’ he said. He said that he hoped to arrange a sit-down between McCarthy and House Freedom Caucus members such as Representative Lauren Boebert, ‘perhaps over a vape pipe.’ Though hopeful for a breakthrough, Zelensky acknowledged that negotiating with McCarthy and his Republican foes will be a challenge because ‘English does not appear to be their first language, either.'”

In the week following Kristen Welker’s first broadcast on Meet the Press, taking over after Chuck Todd’s retirement from the Sunday news show, she and NBC have endured a barrage of criticism for providing yet another venue for Trump to spout his drivel…with little pushback from Welker. Shades of Chuck Todd! Couldn’t we expect to be rid of this timidity in a new start which we’ve needed since losing Tim Russert? Jamess on Daily Kos says they have lost him as a viewer if NBC is simply going to act as a doormat for Donald Trump’s lies, feeling that he is not alone in that regard along with others who are grounded in reality. Kristen permitted Trump to blather on with statements untethered to reality on many critical issues without any forceful, dogged or worthwhile response. Trumpy the Clown did his usual shtick with his machine gun tongue…a stolen election, the J6 insurrection…anything that Welker brought up to have a decent exchange was dismissed. She was not prepared, and is not endowed, with the necessary intensity to take on Trump’s bombast, and is perhaps even unable to seize upon the issues of importance. Trump smelled fear and he went to work, with his torrent of outrageousness. One TV executive said, “It was a crazy way to set the tone of what Meet the Press will be under Kristen Welker.”

CNN’s senior media reporter, Oliver Darcy, makes the observation that newsrooms currently are treading into the unknown with the problem of “covering Trump.” This isn’t 1990, when decorum and honest debate, based on underlying policies were the rhetorical standard…the party of insurrection has a new leader, a new standard with bullying and shoveling the b.s. Darcy says, “When interviewing Trump, the goal cannot be to make ‘news’ like one might attempt with a typical politician. The purpose of the interview must be to hold power to account. It must be about asserting the facts in a meaningful way and forcing Trump to confront them. He will still, of course, lie – but at least the audience might be able to see through the showmanship if the interviewer displays a firm grip on the subject matter and exerts command. Unfortunately, few in the press who have taken on the assignment have proven capable of executing the difficult task in a compelling way. That doesn’t bode well for the news industry or, more importantly, democracy at large.”

So, wherein lies the need to interview Mr. Trump at all? What is there to gain since he lies like the rest of us breathe? Why go to the trouble, being unprepared to challenge the onslaught of lies in real time? He doesn’t need a national media platform if he refuses to play by the rules that are set down. Lending a modicum of respectability and credibility to the most ruinous and dishonest politician/showman/conman/grifter to further trash the goals and values of a once fact-based society is beyond comprehension. Definition of Meet the Press now making the rounds: the new home of Trump-speak – an ongoing train-wreck of compliance and deference to the perpetual Bully. Since everyone in the country is running for the US Presidency, primarily to keep themselves out of jail, they’re only here to help. The Constitutional mission of a newsroom, a free press, should be a dedication to holding government to account…not the greatest show on Earth, just the facts, Ma’am! Yeah, that’s the ticket, just the NEWS…assuming that skill-set is still an option in corporate news media.

Keith Olbermann in his Countdown podcast says he believes NBC News has launched internal investigations into Meet the Press staffers, including Kristen Welker and the executive producer, David Gelles, regarding violations of existing guidelines by airing the Trump/Welker ‘interview‘ without adequate fact-checking or warnings. The pre-taped program seems to fly in the face of “The NBC News Employee Handbook” which prohibits presenting provable falsehoods, which gave them three days between taping and broadcasting to edit any b.s. A second issue may be that a fact-check was not done in a simple dereliction of duty, but a pre-arranged agreement to convince Trump to submit to the presentation after his four-year snub of NBC. Olbermann has no proof of any of this and is on the trail. He speaks from his own experience with NBC, as he received a suspension without pay several years ago when he tangled with the network over involvement with campaigns of Raul Grijalva and Gabby Giffords. He was demoted from staff to a non-contract employee without benefits, after which he sued NBC for breach of contract, which garnered him $18M in damages. He thinks heads may roll, a la the Chris Licht/CNN dumpster fire when Kaitlan Collins had a similar ‘interview‘ with Trump on that network’s Town Hall, and that Meet the Press itself has a questionable viability. “They wouldn’t run this tripe on Dateline!” barks Olbermann.

Olbermann seems to know for certain that NBC veterans are calling for investigations based on the fact Welker and NBC News reporter, Dash Burns, wined and dined with Washington insiders including Jason Miller, Steven Cheung, and Chris LaCivita, Trump thugs all, in Milwaukee the night preceding the first GOP presidential debate. This would not necessarily be considered a breach of the NBC code, but the handbook would probably discourage such a meet-up; and, as Politico reports, the news employees paid their own expenses and not be guilty of accepting meals, gifts or other items of value from a political contact. At 10:00 am Eastern time, NBC website posted a fact check of the Welker fiasco. At 10:13 am its Meet the Press account tweeted: ‘Former President Trump made a spate of false and misleading comments about immigration, foreign policy, abortion, and more in a wide-ranging interview with Meet the Press moderator, Kristen Welker.’ So, why this post? The interview was in the can for three days before the broadcast…the content was well-known, so they knowingly aired lies, false or misleading commentary sans disclaimers or caveats. In violation of their own policy – an extinction-level event! With follow-up clips sent out on MSNBC, CNBC and NBC-owned affiliates! Then they had the nerve to interview Peter Baker of The New York Times who rationalized why the network wasn’t committing journalistic suicide by platforming a skilled, practiced, professional, psychotic liar. Insert a Shrug Emoji dressed in a suit, says Olbermann.

Summing it up, Olbermann believes NBC News, Meet the Press and Kristen Welker will never live down their premeditated decision to forfeit 75 years of journalistic credibility built up by their predecessors, and the best Welker can hope for is to be viewed as damaged goods, or a punchline, as is Kaitlan Collins after the CNN Town Hall snafu. The MAGA-Fascist lunatic right see NBC and CNN as the worst news entities, yet both organizations have engaged their networks in shocking and disgraceful episodes by prostituting their platforms to give Trump unfettered access to poison the viewing public with his lies and vows of political revenge, and the promised destruction our democratic institutions, while seeking to pardon his band of convicted insurrectionists. It seems that both networks are positioning themselves to survive in a world taken over by Trumpists in the future, or they are too greedy, blinded to the fact that they have been manipulated into pimping for the evil in our body politic. So, is it complicity or stupidity? Have they seen the actions of a Rupert Murdoch and his Fox News as successful? Olbermann casts a sidelong glance at the likes of Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, Lester Holt, and Savannah Guthrie, and even Rachel Maddow, wondering if they are completely adhering to their principles or merely standing up for the high dollars of their salaries. Will the dominoes start to fall, or will the softballs complacency turn into mere Nerf balls?

During a dull White House dinner several years ago, Melania Trump leaned over to chat with Secretary of State Tillerson.

“I bought Donald a parrot for his birthday. That bird is so smart, Donald has already taught him to say over two hundred words!”

“Very impressive,” said Tillerson, “but, you do realize he just speaks the words. He doesn’t really understand what they all mean”

“Oh, I know”, replied Melania, “but neither does the parrot.”

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!”

SANCHISMOS, COPYRIGHTS AND ROLLLING THE DICE

While the phrase ’tilting at windmills’ may not apply directly to our disgraced former president, most experts agree that he exhibits the classic paranoid personality disorder in his eccentric, odd behavior. That is borne out by his suspicions of those around him, along with his refusing to take blame for his past deeds. The Orange Don Quixote, who betrayed the country while catering to a long-time foreign enemy, had his Sancho Panza in the person of White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, who proved to be incapable of being a voice of reason in dissuading his master’s delusional treachery, his ‘sanchismos’ not able to break through The Don’s fantasies. VP Pence lost his ‘sidekick’ designation in the game to throw out the election results, making Meadows a most intriguing persona within the coup team.

He knows all the secrets, where the skeletons are hidden, and where the bodies are buried, but was playing both sides as the investigation dragged on, even as his aide, Cassidy Hutchinson, spilled the jar of beans before the J6 Committee. After his indictment, Meadows sought in a hearing to have his case moved to federal court, where he will attempt to assert immunity as a federal officer during which he was simply doing his job under the Former Guy. At this writing the judge has not made a decision on the switch, but either way, Meadows is going to have to make a decision quickly about whether he will take the bullet for Trump. Meadows’ attorney wrote in his court filings, “These and the other acts that form the basis for the charges against Mr. Meadows all fall squarely within his conduct as Chief of Staff. This is precisely the kind of state interference in a federal official’s duties that the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution prohibits, and that the removal statute shields against.” Advantages for Meadows in moving to federal court would widen the jury pool to an area more GOP-heavy, plus a televised trial is not likely which would expose him to more embarrassment during the trial.

For the above hearing, DA Fani Willis subpoenaed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and two others who were present during the infamous “find 11,780 votes” phone call that precipitated two charges against Meadows. In court filings, it was noted that a government watchdog agency found Meadows and other Trump officials in their political activity prior to the election violated federal law. “Since the defendant was forbidden by law to use his authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election or otherwise participate in activity directed toward the success of Mr. Trump as a candidate for the presidency, every single one of these activities fell outside the scope of his duties, both as a matter of fact and as a matter of law,” prosecutors wrote. Should these activities be adjudged to be in the scope of his duties, Meadows must then prove he has a tenable federal defense.

A brief written by eight prosecutors and federal officials backing the prosecutors in the Georgia case, all having served in GOP administrations. One of the individuals was J. Michael Luttig, a former federal appeals court judge with whom we are familiar from his appearance before the J6 Committee and numerous talk shows. The eight wrote, “The purpose of federal-officer removal statute – to protect federal operations by preventing retribution in state court for locally unpopular exercises of federal authority – would not be served by removal here. To the contrary, removal would be perverse, as this prosecution arises from interference with state-government operations and seeks to vindicate Georgia’s voice in a federal election, the very contest from which federal authority flows.” If the judge rules in favor of Meadows‘ move to the federal court, others indicted in the case will attempt to do the same and it is feared that all co-defendants will automatically be moved, as is being argued by indicted former Trump Justice Department official, Jeffrey Clark, whose hearing is scheduled for September 18. We can be certain that Trump is watching closely, though he unsuccessfully tried to move his New York hush money case to federal court, which is under appeal.

A commenter on the Quorum website says, “In a shocking roll of the legal dice, Mark Meadows preemptively put himself on the stand during pre-trial motions in a desperate attempt to convince a judge that participating in a wildly illegal and extremely clumsy conspiracy to overthrow our democracy with a crackpot team of America’s worst lawyers and ideological sociopaths was somehow “part of the job” of being Chief of Staff to the president…riiiiiiiiight!” Bill Palmer on his blog writes, “It’s one thing for Meadows to try the low percentage play of trying to get his Fulton Country criminal charges moved to federal court. Even though he’s unlikely to win, it can’t hurt to try, right? Actually, it can hurt to try, quite a bit, when you’re as much of an idiot as Meadows is. Meadows made the ground-breakingly stupid decision to take the stand under oath during the hearing about moving the trial. During that testimony he appears to have committed perjury, which can disqualify his request and get him hit with additional criminal charges. But it gets stupider. Meadows’ stated reason for going along with Donald Trump’s criminal plot to overthrow the election? He said that if he didn’t go along with it, ‘I know I would get yelled at’ by Trump. No really, he said this, on the witness stand. This admission wipes out a whole range of reasonable doubt defenses that Meadows might have tried to use. Meadows just made it a whole lot easier to convict him a trial. Meadows keeps proving himself to be astoundingly stupid. Fiction writers would have a hard time coming up with this character and making it believable.” As Sancho would say, “Hope is a good breakfast, but a bad supper.”

The aforementioned judge J. Michael Luttig in a recent appearance on Nicolle Wallace’s MSNBC show, claims that he has never been a “political person, or a political partisan” though he held the views, beliefs and principles, and the policy positions of the GOP during his lifetime. He is troubled by the current position and direction of today’s Republican party and is hopeful that it will come to its senses, both collectively and constitutionally. Together with Harvard’s Laurence Tribe, Luttig penned a column in the New York Times explaining their belief that Trump can be barred from holding office by using the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Both the Attorney General and the Secretary of State of New Hampshire announced that they are seriously considering barring Trump’s name from the state ballot, based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which states that those who have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” may be disqualified from running for office again…for which Trump has been indicted.

Or how about, as Bocha Blue writes on the Palmer Report, that Trump be tried as an axe murderer? He quotes Georgia Republican and former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan’s harsh words about Trump and Republicans in general as saying, “Trump has the moral compass of an axe murderer.” Sans axe, Trump managed to kill hundreds through his COVID-19 negligence, and his fomenting of the insurrection resulted in the death of one rioter and eventually several Capitol police officers. Blue says, “So yes, there is blood on Donald Trump’s hands. I thank Duncan for these remarks, not that they will have any weight with the Republican party, but in this case, it’s the thought that counts.”

The Lincoln Project website points to people trying to compare the Georgia case, with Trump and the 18 co-conspirators, to Watergate, but analyzes it as going much deeper because it indicts every member of the GOP…senators, congress members, staffers, the RNC, big money donors…corruption that goes to the very core of the GOP. And that’s why the Former Guy is being defended so vociferously…the whole bunch is tainted! President Nixon had to reckon with his own party, which had a moral conviction in evidence which has long since disappeared. Trump’s criminal enterprise is so feared that it’s easier to go along, in an attempt to legitimize the lies and false conspiracies. Sadly, these ignoramuses have the ear of a good portion of the American electorate who are scarfing up those “Never Surrender” mug-shot mugs, posters and t-shirts following Trump’s surrender.

SiriusXM radio host Dean Obeidallah thinks a legitimate legal case can be made against Trump, that he has violated U.S. copyright laws by hawking merchandise using the Fulton County mugshot. Indictment Don bragged that $7M flowed into his coffers from the $34 t-shirts and $25 mugs as soon as they were offered, but the rightful recipient of that money may be the Fulton County Sheriff’s department, an entity which could use a huge influx of funds for its ailing, poor conditions. According to a 2022 article in the University of Georgia School of Law’s Journal of Intellectual Property Law, “In the context of photographs taken by law enforcement during the booking process, the author of the mugshot photograph is the law enforcement agency.” So, does Fulton County want to see The Don in court…again…over copyright infringement?

Aldous J. Pennyfarthing writes, “After being mugshot (mugshouted? mugsharted?), Trump returned to X, which is what nobody calls the platform formerly known as Twitter, to send an X, which is what nobody calls a post formerly known as a ‘tweet,’ to his supporters in the death cult, which is what many of us call the party formerly known as the GOP. The sweet included Trump’s mugshot and a grift summons. Remarkably, QAnon folks saw something in it other than a surly, glowering weirdo who looks like he’s on Day Two of a three-day Strawberry Yoo-hoo cleanse. ‘It’s always darkest before the storm,’ one Trump supporter tweeted in response to the mugshot. ‘Tsunami Trump is coming for the swamp.'” Aldous J. questions the statement with, “Wouldn’t a tsunami make swamp immeasurably worse? Shouldn’t that be Wet Vac Trump? Or Intracranial Stent Trump?” It has been said that Donald Trump can be described as “a poor man’s idea of a rich man, a weak man’s idea of a strong man, and a dumb man’s idea of a smart man.” Touché! As Steve Schmidt said, “America has had its share of president’s who were crooks (Warren G. Harding, Richard Nixon), bigots (Andrew Jackson, James Buchanan), and incompetents (Andrew Johnson, George W. Bush). But never before Donald Trump have we had a president who combined all these qualities.”

Trump, in one of his Fox News & Agitprop interviews recalled the cognitive test he took during his presidency, under the supervision of White House doctor Ronny Jackson, and indicating that he had taken another test recently. “If you’re in the office of the presidency, we have to be sharp. The exam was 30 or 35 questions. The first questions are very easy, the last questions are much more difficult.” And we all remember the to-do he made earlier over the memory portion, of his being able to recall the words, “person, woman, man, camera, TV” Trump went on to say that his results impressed the medical staff, “They say, ‘Nobody gets it in order.’ It’s not that easy, but for me it was easy. And that’s not any easy question. They say, ‘That’s amazing, how did you do that?’ I do it because I have, like, a good memory. Because I’m cognitively there. Joe Biden should take the test.” Court, jury, verdict, prison…repeat those words several times, Donny.

After Trump’s mugshot was released, Georgia artist Chris Veal began painting a large mural on a building in Atlanta, using the photo in his creation, with right-wingers applauding what they thought was a protest against the arrest of the former prez. Veal finished his mural, to which a word bubble was added, which read, “M.A.G.A. My Ass Got Arrested.” The artist says feedback has been positive, with passersby smiling, laughing and giving him high-fives.