Glenn Kirschner – Lindsey Loses: Supreme Court says Graham must testify in Georgia grand jury probe of Trump’s crimes
The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party – November 1, 2022
MSNBC – ‘Clear Sign’ Trump Will Be Indicted: Weissmann On DOJ’s Latest Move
Mothers Against Greg Abbott – Always and Forever
Puppet Regime – Putin It Out There: Dealing with Dissent
Beau – Let’s talk about an update on the Pelosi situation….
Yesterday, PolitiZoom reported that Trump** has filed a new lawsuit against Letitia James, the Attorney General of New Yourk. He filed it in FLorida, because reasons. He refers to hmself throughout as “President Trump” as if “President” were his first name. But none of that is the punch line. The punch line is that, in footnote 12, beginning on page 32, he complains about the cost to society of “frivolous lawsuits.” My heart goes out to comedians and cartoonists. How in the world can anyone compete with that level of whatever it is? Also, Paul Peliso was released from the hospital after surgeries to mend his injuries. Good news.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Washington Post (free link) – Capitol Police cameras caught break-in at Pelosi home, but no one was watching
Quote – The 911 call and the struggle inside the home that followed have led to charges of attempted homicide of the speaker’s husband, and attempted kidnapping of the speaker, who is second in line to the presidency. The incident has also put a spotlight on the immensity — and perhaps the impossibility — of law enforcement’s task to protect the 535 members of Congress at a time of unprecedented numbers of threats against them…. An external review ordered by Pelosi shortly after the January 2021 attack found that there were more than 230 vacancies in the two months after the insurrection and recommended that the Capitol Police eventually increase the size of its force by roughly 850 officers. That would take years, given that about 100 officers leave or retire each year, and the force is now accepting only about 1 in every 16 candidates.
Click through for article. I am not slamming the Capitol Police. They have 1800 cameras, and while they are not completely unsupervised all night, mu understanding is that the supervision staff consists of two pwople. At lest the cameras providid evidence.
Letters From An American – November 2, 2022
Quote – “Anecdotal data point,” conservative commentator Tom Nichols tweeted this afternoon, “Had lunch with an old friend, a fellow former [Republican] (but not in politics or media or anything) and he said that things feel different after the Pelosi attack. Not sure why. I feel the same thing; not sure that it’ll matter, but have that same sense.”… Nichols is right: something feels different.
Click through for full letter. We need some hope – I hope Heather and Tom are right – but at least the excerpts from President Biden’s speech may help
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s taxes; fed charges for Paul Pelosi attacker; Officer Dunn testifies at Oath Keepers trial
The Lincoln Project – Hell No
Forbes Business News – ‘I Don’t Have A Clue What It Means’: Clarence Thomas Asks Lawyer To Define ‘Diversity’
Thom Hartmann – Obama’s Fiery Speech Against Oligarchy Proves Danger Of GOP (You may have heard it – but it’s worth a re-run)
MSNBC – GOP Rejection Of Democracy Leaves Force And Violence As Remaining Governing Option
Beau – Let’s talk about the Pelosi reaction….
Yesterday, A new story came out about a new political assault. The victim was a candidate for the Pennsylvania State House, which is about as far down the ballot as one can get, unless the municipality elects its dog catcher. But this attack also included an elderly man (69) and blows to the head causing unconsciousness. This is getting ridiculous. Crooks and Liars picked the story up from the local paper; there’s been no national coverage that I know of. Which makes me wonder how many other candidates for downballot offices are getting assaulted and we never hear about it.
Cartoon – 03 1103Cartoon.jpg
Short Takes –
Civil Discourse – A Tale of Two Arizona Voter Intimidation Cases
Quote – The lawyers at Protect Democracy, which represents the League of Women Voters, were busy assembling the evidence. It appears that it was the evidence they were able to put in front of the court in the second case that persuaded Judge Liburdi to reach a different outcome. The League requested an injunction to stop the voter intimidation and attached affidavits that set forth such serious claims that the Judge ordered a hearing, which took place [Novrmbrt 1]. I’m told that the testimony was very powerful…. The best part of the order requires the group to post, both on their website and on their Truth Social page, accurate information about Arizona drop box voting laws and a copy of the court’s orders. I’m imagining a lot of heads exploding when they’re told…the truth.
Click through for full article. Legal representation and the way evidence is presented matters as much as the evidence itself, and maybe more.
Crooks and Liars – Judge To True The Vote Founder: Comply Or Go To Jail
Thursday’s hearing, which took place on the 11th floor of the federal court building in downtown Houston, was the first time either Engelbrecht or Phillips have appeared in court in the matter. Engelbrecht and Phillips testified only after the judge demanded they do so — Hoyt needed their testimony so he could rule on whether the pair should be held in contempt of court for refusing, for weeks, to hand over information he’d ordered they produce to the plaintiffs.
Click through for details. The Arizona intimidators are comparable to Jan 6 participants. These two are more at the Roger Stone-Mike Lindell level.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s taxes; fed charges for Paul Pelosi attacker; Officer Dunn testifies at Oath Keepers trial
The Lincoln Project – Pelosi Attack
Meidas Touch – Sarah Palin makes HUMILIATING ADMISSION about Campaign as it SWIRLS THE DRAIN
MSNBC – Litany Of Trump Legal Entanglements Grows Ever Longer As Trump Org Criminal Trial Begins
Liberal Redneck – Voting Republican to Save the Economy
Beau – Let’s talk about a poll on climate inaction…. [It’s not every day you hear Beau distinguish so sharply between the parties]
Glenn Kirschner – How federal law enforcement should respond to the attack on Speaker Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi
Farron Balanced – January 6th Committee Gives Georgia Prosecutors Evidence That Could Sink Trump
MSNBC – Pelosi Home Invasion Comes After Years Of Trump Targeting The Speaker
Really American – Chip Franklin EXPOSES Republicans abundance of hate and absence of solutions
Rocky Mountain Mike (for Hallowe’en) – Ivana’s Casket (with CC) and if you miss the original – https://youtu.be/yuy2fA6alfE
Beau – Let’s talk about the exit strategy for Ukraine….
Yesterday, Paul Pelosi, Nancy’s husband, was assaulted and injured in their San Francisco home. And Joyce Vance was right on it, with an article about the crime of assaulting a Federal official’s family member – before they even had time to question the attacker and report details. By now, of course you’ve likely seen some details. Some of hese Substck subscriptions, even non-paid ones, can certainly make a reader of them look knowledgeable (even when the author is clearly pissed.)
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Letters From An American – October 26, 2022
Quote – Today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) warned banks that surprise overdraft fees and depositor fees for customers who deposit a check that bounces are “likely unfair and unlawful under existing law.” The CFPB is also looking into credit card fees. The Federal Trade Commission has started a rule-making process that addresses surprise fees for event ticketing, hotels, funeral homes, and so on; earlier this year, it brought actions against junk fees in the auto industry that are awaiting finalization.
Click through for column. Its primary focus is the economy, but there are a couple of other topics (the last is amusing.)
ProPublica – That Cardboard Box in Your Home Is Fueling Election Denial
Quote – Dick and Liz Uihlein of Illinois are the largest contributors to Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, who attended the Jan. 6 rally and was linked to a prominent antisemite, and have given to Jim Marchant, the Nevada Secretary of State nominee who says he opposed the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory in 2020. They are major funders to groups spreading election falsehoods, including Restoration of America, which, according to an internal document obtained by ProPublica, aims to “get on God’s side of the issues and stay there” and “punish leftists.”
Click through for article. I had never heard of ULine until a couple of years ago, when they were one of a very few companies which had an unusual item (disposable pipettes.) Not too long after that I heard about the family being RWNJ, and flagged the name in my records.
Food For Thought
Yesterday, the radio opera was L’Inganno Felice (The happy deception), another early (1812) and rarely performed opera, but this time by Gioachino Rossini. It’s in one act, and is a flimsy little story about a faithful wife, who is slandered and kidnapped by a lech she turns down. He follows up by having his sidekick put her out to sea in a leaky boat. Now, if you or I were put out to sea in a leaky boat, we would drown, but this never happens in opera. She is rescued and, in the end, restored to the happiness she had with her husband. Rossini was very much a bel canto composer, at least until he retired, so there are arias and cabalettas whoch follow formulas, but that doesn’t keep them from being highly different and highly original. Also, it’s so early it still has recitativo, the sort-of-singing-but-more-like-talking lines which move the story forward. It was considered a comedy because it has a happy ending, but today we would call it a romantiv melodrama. One thing that is unintentionally funny, though, is that the character who rescues the heroine and takes her under his wing for the ten years between the murder attempt and the resoluttion, presents her as his niece, and calls her “Nisa.” (The Italian word for niece, “nipote,” doesn’t sound at all like “niece” – but “Nisa” does.)
In other news, the Lakota people )the Standing Rock Sioux) in South Dakota are holding a Get-Out-the Native-Vote evens which includes cultural events both for adults and for children, and they are live streaming it all weekend. If you have ever wanted to see some Lakota traditions which you would normally only see at powwows, now is the time. And this is the link.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Crooks and Liars – Finally: Here’s What Early Abortion Tissue Really Looks Like
Quote – Sometimes, patients want to see the tissue after an abortion. “They are stunned by what it actually looks like,” says Fleischman. “That’s when I realized how much the imagery on the internet and on placards – showing human-like qualities at this early stage of development – has really permeated the culture. People almost don’t believe this is what comes out.”
Click through for details. Figures don’t lie, but liars do figure. Pictures may not lie, but enough liars lie about them so that they don’t have to. All those pictures you see that are supposed to be fetuses and look like babies are lies, and it’s time that was publicized,
truthout – Report: DOJ Prosecutors Say There’s Enough Evidence to Prosecute Trump
Quote – A group of prosecutors within the Department of Justice (DOJ) believe there is enough evidence to charge former President Donald Trump with a crime relating to his improper removal of government documents from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago home, following his departure from office. According to Bloomberg, which cites unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter, DOJ prosecutors believe Trump could be charged, at minimum, with obstruction.
Click through for story. The headline is imprecise, even misleading, if one doesn’t read at least the first two paragraphs, as it implies there might be enough evidence to charge him with any and every crime he has committed, and that’s not what it says at all. It says obstuction. My personal belief is that the smartest way to charge him is with whatever crime(s) will make the maximum nomber of Americans furious with him, and the minimum number of (armed) Americans go riot in the streets. Espionage might accomplish that. Ordinary obstruction maybe not so much. But we’ll see.
Food For Thought
