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State of the Union: Will Biden Resonate?

Americans have been dealt a hand with two candidates, neither of whom they particularly think should be President. Nonetheless, barring Trump being criminally tried, convicted and imprisoned before November, which has become more and more unlikely the past few months, Americans will have to choose between them.

So there's a lot riding on Joe Biden's speech tonight. I have not seen the draft, but I suspect like almost everything he does, he will land in the center, disappointing those with firm convictions at either extreme.

He's not going to come out against the death penalty, in favor of removing border walls or cutting back on prisons or cessation of jailing non-violent offenders, or even for federal legalization of marijuana. If he supports lowering pot from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule 3 substance, he is still missing the point. Marijuana should be removed from the controlled substance list entirely. Now that would be progress. [More....]

He may talk about diabetes drugs. But what about the other life-saving and life-prolonging drugs with ridiculous prices that Government insurance programs like Medicare (and private insurance) don't cover? Heart disease (not drug overdoses) is still the leading cause of death in this country.

Obesity (with or without type 2 diabetes) is a strong indicator for risk of serious heart disease, but new drugs that treat obesity are out of reach of millions because of the $1,000. a month price tag. I'm glad that Oprah can afford it, but what about everybody else? What help will Biden promise for the poor?

He's going to go after the portions of voters he can count on and those he thinks he can win over: He'll be strong on Roe v. Wade for women. He'll say we need to continue supporting the Ukraine. He will remind Israel he supports Palestine becoming a state. He'll support labor. He'll have statistics that will differ wildly from Trump's.

If he talks about the economic progress we've made since COVID-19, and says jobs are up and inflation is falling and all is right with the world, I think the Secret Service should take him shopping at a supermarket. That just is not true and we all know it. The prices for groceries and household products have soared. And show no sign of stopping.

In the end, none of it matters because there will be no change. As María in Joan Didion's Play It As It Lays would say, "Nothing applies".

What does matter: Biden is poised and has the demeanor of a statesman rather than a carnival barker. He can continue to restore the international respect we lost during Trump's last foray. Biden can work with an opposition Congress, he did it for decades. Biden honestly believes the country needs his ideas and that he has a job to finish. Given the alternative, I think he should have the chance.

Since none of the issues I most care about are on tonight's agenda, and Donald Trump is too batsh*t crazy to take seriously, I'm not sure I'll have strong opinions on tonight's speech.

For Biden's sake, and America's, I hope it goes well.

If you are watching the speech, here's a place to discuss it.
< Trump Plays the Nepo Card Again | Transcripts and More in Trump's Hush Money Trial >
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  • Display: Sort:
    None of the items (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Mar 07, 2024 at 08:12:47 PM EST
    you mention in your first five paragraphs are on anyone's radar for this election. Zero. Nada. So you are correct, none those will be addressed.

    It's the border, border, border. What he needs to hammer home is that that the GQP rejected a bill that offered some solutions. At the orange mob boss's direction. Rinse, repeat.

    And abortion and women's healthcare. Rinse, repeat.

    I believe the campaign has begun (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 07, 2024 at 08:41:39 PM EST
    If you are not watching you should be.  Joe is on fire.

    How many four letter words (none / 0) (#3)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Mar 07, 2024 at 09:12:43 PM EST
    are in the English language that can describe MTG?

    Parent
    This was really pretty great (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 07, 2024 at 09:19:14 PM EST
    He handed the hecklers their azz.  Mike looks constipated.  This is being well received.

    Parent
    Ah (none / 0) (#6)
    by coast on Thu Mar 07, 2024 at 09:31:44 PM EST
    Not enough!

    Parent
    Off topic. But on the subject of speeches (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Mar 07, 2024 at 09:43:20 PM EST
    I saw JB Pritzker's commencement speech at Northwestern. I like this guy. I would like to see him on the national stage.

    Biden Nailed It (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by john horse on Fri Mar 08, 2024 at 07:35:56 AM EST
    On issue after issue I thought Biden nailed it, contrasting what he has done or proposes to do with his predecessor (also known as He Who Cannot Be Named).

    Biden also addressed the age issue.  For over an hour, he gave a vigorous speech in which he was clearly in command.  

    Katie Britt (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Mar 08, 2024 at 09:27:46 AM EST
    When is the GOP going to learn that conservative southern women should be nowhere near the podium? Last year we had Sarah Huckabee, Aunt Lydia, and this year we had Katie Britt, the commander's wife Serena, giving the rebuttal in the kitchen no less. Who says life doesn't imitate art?

    That was (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Mar 08, 2024 at 10:16:25 AM EST
    a disaster.

    Parent
    Appeared as if (5.00 / 3) (#14)
    by KeysDan on Fri Mar 08, 2024 at 12:10:38 PM EST
    an aspiring middle school dramatist.  The cameras did not permit a full view so I am not sure if she was bare-foot and pregnant, but she was holed up in the kitchen-- like a good Republican woman. She did make Bobby Jindal's response of the past seem like a real barnburner.  And, we now thirst for an encore of Little Marco's Polaris Hills spellbinder.

    Parent
    Katie Britt (5.00 / 2) (#18)
    by Chuck0 on Sat Mar 09, 2024 at 06:38:50 PM EST
    is a fraud. The trafficking story she told happened 20 years ago in Mexico.

    Parent
    The only person happy with that performance (5.00 / 2) (#19)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Mar 09, 2024 at 07:32:59 PM EST
    is Bobby Jindal.  He is no longer the worst ever.

    Parent
    I know (none / 0) (#20)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Mar 10, 2024 at 06:57:30 AM EST
    and it was beyond disgusting.

    Parent
    Breathless in the Kitchen (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by KeysDan on Sun Mar 10, 2024 at 04:02:26 PM EST
    Scarlet Johansson's SNL parody of Britt was funny, but she did not quite get the Fundy Christian Little Girl voice of the Kitchen Lady.  

    Parent
    Now the (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Mar 11, 2024 at 08:43:51 AM EST
    actual sex trafficking victim who is an anti sex trafficking activist has spoken out and is ticked at Britt. She said she never spoke to Britt directly and only was on a panel where she discussed her sex trafficking and apparently she wasn't trafficked by a cartel either.

    This is nothing but a rolling disaster for the GOP.

    Parent

    The SOTU (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by KeysDan on Fri Mar 08, 2024 at 09:52:49 AM EST
    was, fundamentally, a clarion call  to the dangers the nation faces from the Republican Party.  The unique circumstance of the sitting president facing off with a former president.permitted a comparison of the achievements of the present administration with the previous one --and, his "predecessor".,  And, critically  the Biden  vision of  progress and hope contrasted with  the Trump  outlook for a. dark Orban- like descent into autocracy fueled by chaos, retribution, resentment and hatred of. fellow Americans.

    The  President's delivery was spirited, full of energy, enthusiasm and determination.  He brought  an historic context  to his remarks, from the  dangers cited by Franklin Roosevelt in 1941, to  his own biography of being  Vice President to the first Black President and, now, being President to the first woman Vice President.  

    He deftly and humorously addressed his age-- from once being considered to be too young--elected to the senate at age 29 and being told he could not use the senate elevator, to, now, being told he is too old.   The SOTU showed vigor and vibrancy so much so that Trump couldn't believe it, claiming (projecting?) that he was on drugs.

    And most importantly (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Mar 08, 2024 at 10:07:56 AM EST
    for the pearl clutches and bed wetters, he should be could absolutely kick republicans in the b@lls for 90 minutes and have fun doing it.

    The rights response has been hilarious.

    Too loud.  Too mean.  He talked too fast.  Too partisan.  Boohoo we are triggered.

    Get used to it.

    Parent

    Peter Baker (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by KeysDan on Fri Mar 08, 2024 at 12:13:59 PM EST
    found it to be "rancorous".  Either he doesn't own a dictionary or he missed the address and was briefed by Marge.

    Parent
    Yeah, Joe Biden called out ... (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Mar 08, 2024 at 02:15:56 PM EST
    ... the Supreme Court, his "predecessor," MAGA Republicans for doing things that are unpopular with Americans. So, of course, this is why that's bad for Biden.

    Peter Baker makes my head hurt.

    Parent

    Yes, (5.00 / 5) (#17)
    by KeysDan on Fri Mar 08, 2024 at 05:53:37 PM EST
    Alito and Thomas were not there.  Clarence finally recused himself from something.

    Parent
    No, it is not a "case of incompetence" (5.00 / 2) (#74)
    by Peter G on Mon Mar 18, 2024 at 07:17:03 PM EST
    by anyone. The term "insurrection" is not defined in either the criminal statute or the constitutional disqualification provision. Both use the same phrase, "insurrection or rebellion." I therefore don't see how either of them can be described as "more explicit." A criminal conviction, however, requires elaborate and time-consuming procedures, and ultimately proof beyond a reasonable doubt. No sensible person (until the Supreme Court rendered its shocking and incomprehensible opinion) would have thought the constitutional provision was harder to enforce.

    Happy Easter, everyone! (5.00 / 1) (#91)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 31, 2024 at 07:47:28 PM EST
    It's Merrie Monarch Festival time here in Hilo, HI. The festival is the state's largest Native Hawaiian cultural celebration, and the annual event attracts thousands of local participants and visitors and contributes about $8-10 million to the local economy. It's also spring break for schools, and our eldest daughter brought over the grandsons for the week to experience what's now a true cultural phenomenon. It'll be a fun week.

    Take care, one and all. Aloha.

    RIP - Joe Flaherty... (5.00 / 2) (#100)
    by desertswine on Tue Apr 02, 2024 at 04:46:11 PM EST
    Among Mr. Flaherty's characters were Guy Caballero, the sleazy president of the station, and Sammy Maudlin, an unctuous late-night talk show host. His character Count Floyd wore a cheap vampire costume while hosting a horror movie show, "Monster Chiller Horror Theater." The joke was that the movies the program showed -- such as "Dr. Tongue's Evil House of Pancakes" -- were seldom very scary, leaving Floyd holding the bag and often having to apologize to viewers.

    Monster Chiller Horror Theater

    Positive Effects of Immigration and Immigrants (5.00 / 2) (#107)
    by KeysDan on Thu Apr 04, 2024 at 09:52:52 PM EST
    Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve, at an Economic Forum at Stanford University yesterday, stated that immigration appeared to be greater over the past two years and has contributed to the robust economy.  Moreover, it appears to account, in great measure, for its robustness without a recession as some predicted.

    MTG..... (5.00 / 1) (#108)
    by desertswine on Fri Apr 05, 2024 at 03:01:11 PM EST
    God is sending America strong signs to tell us to repent.

    Earthquakes and eclipses and many more things to come.

    I pray that our country listens.

    Racing towards the Dark, Dark, Darkest Ages.

    PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (5.00 / 2) (#111)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 08, 2024 at 08:33:16 AM EST
    There you go again. (5.00 / 2) (#112)
    by jmacWA on Mon Apr 08, 2024 at 03:16:34 PM EST
    Everyone knows that the way to ultimate knowledge is opened up when you stare directly at the eclipse.  

    Parent
    I think it resonated (5.00 / 1) (#113)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Apr 10, 2024 at 04:09:46 PM EST
    Great (5.00 / 2) (#114)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Apr 11, 2024 at 09:24:30 AM EST
    and the GOP actually supporting laws from the 1800's are not helping.

    Parent
    "We want to take our country back" (5.00 / 2) (#116)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Apr 11, 2024 at 01:01:36 PM EST
    .... to the 1800s.

    Parent
    It did not dissappoint (5.00 / 2) (#117)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Apr 11, 2024 at 03:43:07 PM EST
    Little 'Amaleks' grow up (5.00 / 1) (#118)
    by jondee on Thu Apr 11, 2024 at 07:22:21 PM EST
    to be big Amaleks, is the predominant Israeli mentality. Now they're trying to drag the U.S into their problems with Iran.

    Also worth noting in passing: in the twenty years that the Vietnam War dragged on, 63 journalists were killed in the field; since October 7th, 95 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza. That's some precision targeting. Dead men tell no tales.


    Israel puts a missile in the Iranian consulate (5.00 / 2) (#121)
    by Chuck0 on Fri Apr 12, 2024 at 06:03:57 PM EST
    in Syria, yet now Biden is warning Iran not to retaliate. How does that work?

    If North Korea, (or any country) launched a missile into the US consulate, say, in Shanghai, what would the US response be?

    Why does Israel have carte blanche to kill anyone it wants anywhere in the world, but striking back is somehow out of bounds?

    Don't even start with any accusing me of antisemitism. I have no issues with Jews anywhere. I have issues with the current government of the state of Israel.

    From my perch, Iran at this point, has every right to launch whatever attack they deem appropriate. A nd the United States should stay the hell out of it.


    The apparent epiphany of (5.00 / 5) (#127)
    by KeysDan on Wed Apr 17, 2024 at 05:44:45 PM EST
    the fascist justices:  They have seen the light and the plight of a defendant, that is, if the defendant is an insurrectionist trying to overthrow the government so as to keep Trump in power.  

    In hearing a case of a plaintiff convicted under the statute derived from the Enron scandal that prohibits obstruction of an official proceeding by the destruction of evidence or otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes an official proceeding, these justices seemed to have unusual empathy.  They "hypothesized" that the Jan 6 rioters simply equated to legal protesters.  J6 was serious, mind you, but maybe, was not unlike pulling a fire alarm, or a protest on the Golden Gate Bridge by Gaza protestors.  And, of course, Thomas did not recuse despite the Ginny issue and proceeded to trivialize the violent insurrection, after all this statute was not used before against protestors he noted.

    While the questions do not necessarily seal the decision, the impression was that these justices are not only.hacks, but also,  not very smart hacks---certainly logic- and reasoning-challenged.  Moreover, they were embarrassingly unprepared.  It was pathetic.

    The Solicitor General, Elizabeth Prologar, however, was amazing...brilliant , exceedingly well-prepared, quick on her feet, and  diplomatic in pointing out the ignorance and stupidity of the fascist justices.  She explained the statute like a teacher to her middle school pupils, over and over again. As she had to do during the hearing on the disqualification clause of the 14th Amendment.

    ALSO IMO (5.00 / 2) (#128)
    by jmacWA on Thu Apr 18, 2024 at 05:06:01 AM EST
    If they rule in favor of the Trump insurrectionists it will signal that John Roberts has realized trying to polish up his legacy is a waste of his time, and he is OK with going down as the Chief of there rulings.

    Parent
    John Roberts is ... (none / 0) (#149)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 06:06:31 PM EST
    ... the second coming of Roger Taney.

    Parent
    I expect to see some motivated reasoning (5.00 / 1) (#131)
    by Jack E Lope on Thu Apr 18, 2024 at 05:46:04 PM EST
    I expect to see textualists reasoning that the legislative intent defines the true scope of the law, not changing the meaning of the law itself at all.

    I expect to see originalists reasoning that "official proceeding" meant something different, way back when that law was enacted.

    My stake in this decision: It may help me decide whether I need to bring my own roll of paper if I ever visit The Capitol Building. As political speech, of course.

    Parent

    Hitting someone (none / 0) (#132)
    by KeysDan on Thu Apr 18, 2024 at 08:18:33 PM EST
    on the head with a  baseball bat  infers intent to hit someone on the head with a baseball bat.    

    Parent
    TGIF (5.00 / 1) (#145)
    by fishcamp on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 03:09:05 PM EST
    And don't think about the major storms rolling off the African coast and crossing the Atlantic since they are way down by the equator.  There are more of them than I have ever seen before.  Nothing should happen for us until they get up to 15 and 20 degrees above the equator and hit the warmest water ever.  As always the torture never stops.

    They say (5.00 / 1) (#146)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 03:32:27 PM EST
    A very active year in the atlantic

    Parent
    TRUMP RALLY CANCELED FOR STORMY WEATHER (5.00 / 3) (#150)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Apr 20, 2024 at 08:50:21 PM EST
    God has a sense of humor

    Trump Rally Is Called Off Because of Storms
    April 20, 2024 at 9:28 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 16 Comments

    "After former President Donald Trump sat in a courtroom in New York for much of the last week, Saturday night was supposed to herald a return to the campaign trail and the large rallies where he often gives long, freewheeling speeches," the New York Times reports.

    "With hundreds gathered on the tarmac at an airport in Wilmington, N.C., Mr. Trump's campaign was building anticipation. Two hours before he was set to speak, the campaign sent a fund-raising blast with a message from Mr. Trump: `They can't keep me off stage! Did they think I would run and hide?'"

    "Ninety minutes later, the skies darkened to charcoal and lightning flashed. As thunderstorms swept toward the area and the National Weather Service issued watches and warnings concerning dangerous winds and hail, the rally was canceled over safety concerns."



    So Biden said his uncle Ambrose was eaten by (5.00 / 1) (#155)
    by desertswine on Mon Apr 22, 2024 at 05:23:55 PM EST
    cannibals during WWII.

    He was shot down over Papua New Guinea.  His body was never found.  Ergo; he was eaten by cannibals.

    The PNG prime minister was insulted and said that the US should come and clean up its war wreckage which lie scattered all over the South Pacific.

    I just watched the movie (5.00 / 1) (#157)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Apr 30, 2024 at 03:38:22 AM EST
    "Society in the Snow" about the 1973 Uraguayan plane crash in the mountains between Chile and Uruguay -- the passengers were students/athletes from Uruguay en route to Chile. Cannibalism was a big issue for those who survived the crash. Their condition when rescued was appalling. I wonder if any of them returned to a normal life (just another thing to google one day)

    Parent
    That is a remake of a better movie (none / 0) (#158)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 30, 2024 at 09:55:00 AM EST
    from the 90s called ALIVE

    I saw the new one.  I recommend the old one.

    Parent

    A some did return (none / 0) (#159)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 30, 2024 at 09:55:40 AM EST
    to a life.  It's also a great book.

    Parent
    I read this (none / 0) (#160)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 30, 2024 at 10:00:43 AM EST
    Agreed (none / 0) (#161)
    by KeysDan on Tue Apr 30, 2024 at 11:49:06 AM EST
    A very good read.

    Parent
    How do we know (none / 0) (#156)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 22, 2024 at 07:29:09 PM EST
    you won't eat us?

    Parent
    There's much more Japanese war wreckage ... (none / 0) (#163)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Apr 30, 2024 at 03:36:09 PM EST
    ... from the Second World War's Pacific theatre scattered about the region, than there is American. With the exception of the immediate region around the country's present-day capital of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea - which was ruled by Australia until its independence in 1975 - was effectively under Japanese occupation for nearly two years, as was the current Indonesian province of Papua on the west half on New Guinea Island, which then part of the colonial Netherlands East Indies (also occupied by Japan).

    The region was the site of some incredibly intense fighting between Japanese occupation troops and counterattacking U.S. and Australian forces between late 1942 and early 1944. The city of Rabaul on the PNG-governed island of New Britain was the site of a major Japanese naval base and thus, the target of numerous Allied air raids. A Japanese offensive to capture Port Moresby in late 1942 had been thwarted not by Allied resistance, but by a brutal outbreak of shigella dysentery, which completely immobilized the Japanese force and killed about one in four soldiers.

    In Indonesian Papua, the Korowai tribe are likely the last humans on earth who partake in cannibalism. The practice of cannibalism has also been well-documented as part of a funeral ritual among the Fore tribe in the New Guinea highlands. But while cannibalism was once widespread amongst Pacific islanders, western colonialism ensured its extinguishment throughout much of the Pacific by the late 19th century.

    It was long rumored that the late Gov. Nelson Rockefeller's 23-year-old son Michael, who disappeared in Netherlands New Guinea in 1961 (the province did not transfer to Indonesian rule until 1962), had drowned or died of exposure off the island's southwest coast after his boat overturned in ocean swells, and he and a white comrade were left clinging to it for about seven hours before Michael then decided to attempt to swim to shore. But there is anecdotal evidence that Michael had perhaps made it to land, only to fall victim to headhunters of the Asmat tribe.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    At any rate, as often happens with family history. (none / 0) (#164)
    by desertswine on Tue Apr 30, 2024 at 06:54:39 PM EST
    it didn't quite happen the way Biden thought.

    Ambrose Finnegan was a passenger on a Douglas A-20 Havoc transport plane that crashed into the ocean after both engines failed on May 14, 1944, according to a Pentagon report.

    One crew member survived and was picked up by a passing barge but no trace was found of the plane or three other people on board, including Finnegan.

    Parent

    This is huge (5.00 / 3) (#162)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 30, 2024 at 01:17:11 PM EST
    If I am not mistaken, a Schedule III drug (none / 0) (#166)
    by Peter G on Tue Apr 30, 2024 at 10:10:01 PM EST
    can be prescribed by a licensed doctor, in the doctor's professional discretion (even "off label"), and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist who has a DEA "controlled substances" registration. If so, it seems to me that that would be the most significant impact of rescheduling "marihuana" from Sched I to Sched III. If I am right, then this move would essentially "legalize it," to quote the great Peter Tosh. Jeralyn would know better than me, for sure.

    Parent
    No more CASH only (5.00 / 1) (#167)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 01, 2024 at 08:45:17 AM EST
    Is a pretty significant impact

    Parent
    And (none / 0) (#168)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 01, 2024 at 08:47:08 AM EST
    It's being prescribed by doctors every day in 38 states.

    Parent
    State-level "medical marijuana" laws (none / 0) (#169)
    by Peter G on Wed May 01, 2024 at 09:11:56 AM EST
    conflict with federal law, as long as "marihuana" remains in federal Schedule I.  The doctors in those 38 states are relying on the discretion, restraint, and good sense of federal prosecutors and drug agents not to arrest them. Not really a tenable long-term solution. But not disagreeing with you about the importance of the impact of re-scheduling on the present federal tax and money-laundering laws that prevent dispensaries from taking normal business expense deductions or from accessing normal banking services.

    Parent
    People kept saying (none / 0) (#5)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 07, 2024 at 09:21:04 PM EST
    why isn't Biden doing interviews or whatever to stop all the talk about his diminishment.

    This is why.

    From a Republican (none / 0) (#7)
    by coast on Thu Mar 07, 2024 at 09:40:46 PM EST
    I thought he performed well.  Of course I have issues with many of his policies, but he was forceful and whipped up his party.

    Thanks to Ken Buck (none / 0) (#23)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Mar 12, 2024 at 07:21:58 PM EST
    they now have a two vote majority!

    Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) said he "will resign from Congress later this month rather than serve out the remainder of his term through 2024," Axios reports.

    Washington Post: "Once Buck departs, Republicans will outnumber Democrats 218 to 213 in the House. That means Republicans can afford to lose only two votes to pass legislation along party lines when everyone is attending and voting."

    And this-

    Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura Top RFK Jr.'s Short List
    March 12, 2024 at 5:42 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 436 Comments

    "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recently approached the N.F.L. quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura about serving as his running mate on an independent presidential ticket, and both have welcomed the overtures," the Washington Post reports.

    "Mr. Kennedy confirmed on Tuesday that the two men were at the top of his list

    Jesse Ventura please.  It's time for a Do-rag VP.

    Buck (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 08:04:05 AM EST
    resigning puts Boebert in a quandary. She can run in the special election and if she wins she has to resign her current seat leaving it open. She already said she is running in that district in November but I would think it's unlikely she would win the seat against the winner of the special election. What a mess.

    Parent
    All of which (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 08:06:38 AM EST
    Buck knew very well.  This was a stunning move.  

    He didn't even tell Mikey.

    Parent

    I am (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 10:19:27 AM EST
    beginning to think that a lot of these guys hate Mikey but are too much of a coward to say so publicly.

    Parent
    Have you seen what Buck is saying (none / 0) (#28)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 01:10:14 PM EST
    it's pretty public

    Parent
    Jesse Ventura has actually (none / 0) (#24)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Mar 12, 2024 at 09:14:13 PM EST
    Said some intelligent things in the past. I read one of his books (assuming there is more than one). Aaron Rodgers on the hand, is a complete nutball. Too many hits to the head maybe.

    Parent
    Gym Jordan and House Judiary Committe (none / 0) (#29)
    by KeysDan on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 01:31:40 PM EST
    goes off the rails. Once again. Their witness, former Special Counsel Robert Hur, became Has-Ben Hur--another sacrifice (Harvard, Stanford Law, Rehnquist Clerk) on the altar of Trump.

    Hur did not like calling President Biden "exonerated" which may be thought of as being cleared of an accusation or unlawful act, but he did refer, as he did through the hearing, to his report, that no criminal charges are warranted, and he declined to charge on the documents case.  More over, his judgment would be the same even if Biden was not the still g president.

    Hur indicated, as in the report, that the evidence did not establish wrongdoing.  And, not only was there a shortage of evidence, but also, ther may be innocent explanations

    The Democrats on the Committee did an excellent job of emphasizing the contrasts and comparisons with Trump's stolen document case and underscoring the partisan hit job of the report.

    Of course, there would not have been a hearing if it were not for the gratuitous commentary accompanying Hur's declination based on the lack of evidence and criminal intent. Hur lost credibility with the release that morning of the transcript of Biden's two-day deposition. The report on Biden:  `A sympathetic well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory."  Transcript and not in report: Hur; "you appear to have a photographic understanding and
    recall".  
    The report caused a political firestorm due to Hur stating in the report that Biden could not remember the date and month of his son's death. But, the transcript indicated that was a lie.  Biden: Romberg, in this time frame, my son is either deployed or dying. But, what month did Beau die?  Oh, God, May 30th." Someone in the room added, 2015.  Biden, yes,  2015.

    That was surreal (none / 0) (#30)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 03:46:54 PM EST
    the republicans just lied and lied and said one ridiculous thing after another.

    It's true the democrats did a decent job of speaking the truth.  But everyone heard what they wanted to hear.

    The only expectation for a republican representative is to say the worst possible things about Biden.  They did their job.  I'm sure the folks at home were happy with it.

    Parent

    Of (5.00 / 2) (#31)
    by FlJoe on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 04:46:50 PM EST
    course the media, after swallowing the original bogus report hook line and sinker, spent little time on it's debunking, or missed the point entirely.

    Parent
    yes, (5.00 / 2) (#32)
    by KeysDan on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 05:05:49 PM EST
    The WaPo story disappeared.  NYTimes headline was "Hur says Biden not exonerated."  

    If you keep getting duped, you are just part of the shame.

    Parent

    Not (none / 0) (#34)
    by FlJoe on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 05:20:36 PM EST
    duped, more like mission accomplished.

    Parent
    How could (none / 0) (#33)
    by KeysDan on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 05:15:20 PM EST
    Merrick Garland have appointed Hur?  Were there no Democratic US Attorneys of integrity?  Guess, Democrats must have a Republican prosecutor, unlike
    Republicans.  It has been reported that Hur was coached for the House hearing by Trump operatives.

    The hearing did not turn out as the Republicans expected, and that alone was good. Maybe, the most effective result was for Democrats, putting the senile concerns to bed, for the likes of Ezra Klein and Jon Stewart.

    Parent

    It think it was definitely (none / 0) (#35)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Mar 13, 2024 at 06:26:11 PM EST
    plus democrats.  They looked cartoonish.  If anyone persuadable was watching.  The right got hours of FOX and NESWSMAX segments.

    Shrug.  

    Yeah, about the prosecutors.  It's simple.  We get republican prosecutors because we will take it and like it.  

    I hope we stop taking it.  I'm not holding my breath.

    The consensus moving from Biden is feeble and senile to Biden is evil and mean and loud is good.  In a META way.

    It was hilarious watching those House fools accuse Biden of everything Trump promotes as his strengths

    Parent

    Democrats have an opportunity here. (5.00 / 2) (#36)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 02:43:38 AM EST
    In a battle of attrition, the numbers and financials already favor the Biden-Harris campaign and the DNC. But I'm of a mind that the GOP's nomination of Trump is a gift. So, I'd be aggressive and press them. Hard.

    Start spending big on ads now and define Trump early, because they don't have the funds to respond in kind and further, Trump's about to be tied up in criminal court in New York. Pound him. If he's convicted at trial, so much the better. Keep hitting him as a convicted felon, unfit for office.

    The goal here would be by the time of the Republican convention this summer, the race between Biden and Trump should be effectively over. The GOP has giftwrapped for us the most fundamentally flawed and thoroughly repulsive major-party presidential candidate we'll ever see in our lifetime. Because this isn't Donald Trump the Novelty Act in 2016 or President Trump the Incumbent in 2020. It's Fascist Trump the Felony Defendant in 2024, a now-known and genuinely despicable character and the Snidely Whiplash of our times.

    The GOP is also nearly broke and starting to fracture, and Republicans' knives are out for each other. For Democrats, Biden-Harris should be a victory lap in the fall, and the question then shifts to down-ballot contests and the length of the campaign's coattails.

    One very rarely gets an opportunity in presidential politics to win going away. And quite honestly, if you can't run up the score on a guy facing double-digit felony charges and over a half-billion dollars in legal judgments, fines and interest penalties, then you're really in the wrong game.

    The opening is there for Democrats to seize the moment. Don't just campaign on the demographic margins and play to not lose. Rather for once, play to win. Dream big and think landslide because for the country's long-term sake, the MAGA Republicans need to not just be rejected, but routed.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Yes (none / 0) (#37)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 07:51:35 AM EST
    I agree.  

    Parent
    Democrats Must Counter (none / 0) (#38)
    by RickyJim on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 12:33:48 PM EST
    the most common pro-Trump arguments:

    1. "I did better economically under Trump than I am doing under Biden".
    2. "Biden screwed up the southern border by rescinding Trump executive orders to prevent the flooding in of illegal immigrants".  
    3. "Kamala Harris will be taking over soon if Biden is reelected".
    4. "Biden is the one to be punished for allowing the genocide in Gaza to happen".

    The 2016 election is proof enough that simply pointing out Trump's character faults is insufficient to win.

    Parent
    This is (5.00 / 2) (#39)
    by jmacWA on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 03:24:24 PM EST
    Delusional.  

    1."I did better economically under Trump than I am doing under Biden".

    >Maybe if you are in the 1%, most of us are not.

    2. "Biden screwed up the southern border by rescinding Trump executive orders to prevent the flooding in of illegal immigrants".  

    >Please list everything Republicans have done to ease the situation

    3. "Kamala Harris will be taking over soon if Biden is reelected".

    > If Biden isn't reelected TRUMP will be taking over... nuf said.

    4. "Biden is the one to be punished for allowing the genocide in Gaza to happen".

    > I am in no way happy with Biden's handling of Gaza, that you seem to think Trump would do better is unbelievable.

    Parent

    Pffft (none / 0) (#41)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 03:32:12 PM EST
    Calling them Delusional isn't a Winning Strategy (none / 0) (#58)
    by RickyJim on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 08:29:20 PM EST
    It's (none / 0) (#65)
    by FlJoe on Sat Mar 16, 2024 at 01:37:26 PM EST
    funny how Republicans never have to "work" to spread  or defend their lies.

    Parent
    At this point, those people who ... (none / 0) (#66)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 17, 2024 at 03:02:00 AM EST
    ... believe the border is broken and the economy was better under Trump are unlikely to be persuaded otherwise, even if I brought in an expert like David J. Bier of the Cato Institute to explain in detail to them how the Trump administration systematically undermined the U.S. immigration system and border security between 2017 and 2021.

    This is going to be a base election. I'm not here to beg for your vote by restating the already obvious. You're an adult, and if you can't figure things out at this point in order to make an existential choice between right and wrong, then the kind of help you need is well beyond my amateur standing.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    There is no reasoning (none / 0) (#75)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Mar 19, 2024 at 01:20:44 PM EST
    With Maga and I refuse to waste my time. As far as Gaza, I am not convinced that a lot of them really care and their so called protests are not helping. I am like fine. When Trump tells Bibi to flatten Gaza don't come crying. We tried telling them about the supreme court in 2016 and it was a waste of time

    Parent
    Every one (none / 0) (#40)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 03:26:02 PM EST
    a media created story.  I would just pont out he didn't have 91 felony charges in 2016.  

    There is no comparison to anything from 2016.  Trump was an unknown.  Not anymore.

    I keep saying this and no one listens.  2024 is going to be a great year for Democrats.

    I'm tired of explaining why.

    Remember where you heard that.


    Parent

    I have to disagree (none / 0) (#45)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 04:52:49 PM EST
    on the unknown part. I knew who he was 25 years ago.

    Parent
    Ha (none / 0) (#46)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 05:23:16 PM EST
    Me too.  I lived in NYC all through the 80s.

    But you have to admit.  More is now known.

    I have always thought if we (Dems) could distill a message that made people understand what a threat the right was that is an election we could win.  

    We are about to get that election.  If I'm wrong I will eat me words but I don't believe the American voters will choose autocracy.

    And the autocracy is going to be clear to everyone by November.

    Another bright spot.   Money.  Biden is raising record amounts.  Trump is losing small money doners by the minute.  2-300,000 since last time.  And who the F is going to donate to him.

    This is important all the way down the ballot.  Trump takeover of the RNC means less money for anyone not named Trump.

    Parent

    In case you missed early Trump NYC (none / 0) (#47)
    by jmacWA on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 05:04:29 AM EST
    It's pretty easy to imagine what he was like.  According to Page 6 he was just like iDJiT JR is today.

    Parent
    The Republican primary (none / 0) (#42)
    by KeysDan on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 04:25:11 PM EST
    vote for Nikki Haley showed an electoral weakness and is dangerous for Trump.  Even if just a small percentage of Haley voters stay home, it is a Biden landslide.

    Trump handlers surely recognize the danger and are likely to argue for putting Haley on the ticket---Trump is transactional, and  is likely to go along despite calling  her a bird brain; and Haley is likely to go along despite  her calling him unfit for office.  And, her protestations to the contrary.

    I have a hard time (none / 0) (#43)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 04:45:33 PM EST
    imagining him choosing a woman.  I know it's the no brainer thing to do.  And he clearly NEEDS to do it.  Oddly I think the fact he needs to will work against him actually doing it.

    I've been thinking of he chooses a woman VP it shows he is really scared.

    But you are right about her voters.  I think I heard she got 70,000 votes in GA.  When she wasn't even running anymore.

    Parent

    Republicans are talking to themselves (none / 0) (#44)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 14, 2024 at 04:52:36 PM EST
    I really think the media bubble is going to bite them on the azz.  There is a Trump NEWSMAX interview from yesterday thas been making the rounds today.

    It's LOL if you are not a Trump supporter.  They really don't understand how ridiculous they sound.  Or they do understand and are just dishing it out.  Either way they are liveing in an alternate reality.

    A win for Fani Willis. (none / 0) (#48)
    by KeysDan on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 04:39:45 PM EST
    Based on the facts and the law, Fulton county Superior Court  Judge Scott McAfee found no conflict of interest and  States Attorney Fani Willis was not disqualified from the election interference case.  Based on several subjective measures (not solely the romantic relationship with Special  Prosector Nathan Wade) the judge determined there was the appearance of impropriety--not of such to rise to the extreme and rare  disqualification, but sufficient to require the removal of Special Prosecutor Wade or the stepping aside of the States Attorney. (Note; Wade submitted his resigned Friday afternoon).

    The judge determined Ms. Willis to have had a tremendous lapse of judgment.

    However, according to the findings, the financial benefit to Ms.Willis ( the argument of the motion) netted the amount of about $100 from the pair's joint travels, essentially Dutch treats between  Ms Wills' cash reimbursements to Wade  and her direct payment of expenses.  This despite the judges gratuitous and unsubstantiated suspicions of the veracity of their  testimony.

    Moreover, it was noted that Wade was not the first person offered the position. Wade was offered the position after a former governor of Georgia turned it down. Moreover, the judge acknowledged that the hourly rate of $250 was at the lower end of rates for metro-Atlanta and that the hourly provision was not an incentive to prolong the trial.  Indeed, States Attorney Willis strive to move rapidly.

    The judge found that the motion affecting Trump and other criminal defendants attempting to overthrow the government was built on a brittle foundation that was not supported by the evidence. The criminal defendants changed focus from financial gain to when the former romantic relationship began.

    Trump, of course, is likely to appeal.  Easy to do having access to unlimited funds of supporters and the treasury of the RNC.  Hopefully. the rookie judge will let the trial begin with appeal after the trial, if necessary.

    People I thought were smart (5.00 / 1) (#49)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 05:08:46 PM EST
    are saying she should step aside.  I don't agree.  She has earned this. IMO.

    Parent
    She should (5.00 / 1) (#50)
    by KeysDan on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 05:30:28 PM EST
    not step aside.  Under Georgia law if she refuses, the entire prosecutorial team is off the case and a new Prosector and team would need to be appointed.  This would likely take the case from this distraction and delay to, essentially, the dropping of the case.

      It should be underscored that no conflict of interest was found and there was no evidence of financial gain-- the original basis of the motion of the criminal defendants.  Appearances  of impropriety are not a basis for disqualification in  Georgia, although the judge seems to think it is  while admitting it  would be extreme  and rare .

    Fani Willis was elected by the voters of  Fulton County and is. accountable to them for "appearances".


    Parent

    Note (5.00 / 1) (#51)
    by KeysDan on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 05:32:35 PM EST
     ...if she recuses

    Parent
    Justice (5.00 / 2) (#52)
    by FlJoe on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 06:14:27 PM EST
    Thomas has done far. far worse, what a joke our so called justice system is and the media a pack of braying jackasses, chasing every morsel the right wing throws at  them.

    Parent
    I some would (5.00 / 2) (#53)
    by KeysDan on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 06:50:56 PM EST
    say Ginni being involved in the overthrow of the government creates an "appearance of impropriety".

    Parent
    My impression is (5.00 / 1) (#54)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 06:53:47 PM EST
    she would have to be dragged off the case.

    Parent
    Fani (none / 0) (#55)
    by KeysDan on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 07:41:43 PM EST
    will need to be strong and continue to fight.   Republicans  will be after her on several fronts--picking up on Judge McAfee's harsh and evidence-free  scolding.  

    Parent
    Yes, A Win for the Prosecution (none / 0) (#56)
    by RickyJim on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 08:17:02 PM EST
    Wade's replacement would have to be more qualified for the job than he was and so it would make it more likely for a trial to result in a conviction.

    Parent
    There's also the possibility that ... (5.00 / 3) (#67)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 17, 2024 at 03:17:50 AM EST
    ... District Attorney Fani Willis decides to take direct control over the prosecution of Trump & Co. herself. From everything I've read about her, she's a formidable trial attorney. The defendants could well rue the day they made it personal. And quite frankly, this is one of those high-profile cases in which the DA should probably be the lead prosecutor in court.

    Parent
    On another front... (none / 0) (#57)
    by desertswine on Fri Mar 15, 2024 at 08:23:11 PM EST
    Peter Navarro is asking the Supreme Court to keep him out of prison.

    In an emergency application filed with the Supreme Court late Friday, Navarro's lawyers say his case marks "the first time in our nation's history" that "a senior presidential advisor has been convicted of contempt of Congress after asserting executive privilege over a congressional subpoena."

    I can't stand this guy.

    I guess (none / 0) (#59)
    by jmacWA on Sat Mar 16, 2024 at 05:03:06 AM EST
    Navarro is unaware of the other firsts, that IMO, affect his case.  

    Parent
    They will probably (none / 0) (#60)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Mar 16, 2024 at 08:03:21 AM EST
    take the case.   And then delay it for a year or two.

    Parent
    I do not think so. What is before them (5.00 / 1) (#62)
    by Peter G on Sat Mar 16, 2024 at 11:12:48 AM EST
    is a motion to delay Navarro's surrender for service of sentence, pending the preparation, filing and disposition of an application for certiorari, after losing his appeal (and being denying a delay) in two lower courts. Last time I researched it (for a client), not a single such motion had been granted by any Justice of the Supreme Court in any case since their authority to consider such motions was established by statute in 1984 (or maybe it was 1986).

    Parent
    Stay of surrender denied today (5.00 / 3) (#73)
    by Peter G on Mon Mar 18, 2024 at 07:02:08 PM EST
    by Chief Justice Roberts (as Circuit Justice for the D.C. Circuit, where the contempt-of-Congress case arose). (Someone here said it was Justice Thomas's jurisdiction, but it isn't/wasn't.) One-page opinion saying it appeared that Navarro's lawyers did not raise in the trial court the issues they claimed justified extending his bail pending certiorari, which creates a "forfeiture" of the issues. So he must begin serving his sentence on a date in the near future to be set by the sentencing judge.

    Parent
    It was (none / 0) (#63)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Mar 16, 2024 at 11:25:09 AM EST
    a joke

    Parent
    I understood your comment (5.00 / 1) (#64)
    by Peter G on Sat Mar 16, 2024 at 12:35:07 PM EST
    was a (well-justified) cynical remark, but I did not take it as a joke.

    Parent
    Yes, (none / 0) (#61)
    by KeysDan on Sat Mar 16, 2024 at 11:05:31 AM EST
    and the Supreme Court Justice for the circuit is....wait for it......
                                  Clarence Thomas

    Parent
    But but but (none / 0) (#68)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 18, 2024 at 11:53:13 AM EST
    you are a billionaire!?

    Trump can't post $464M bond to appeal New York fraud case, lawyers say

    The chickens are about to come home to roost.  A lot of F'ing chickens.

    Only the best chickens.

    Huuuuge Chickens! (5.00 / 1) (#69)
    by coast on Mon Mar 18, 2024 at 12:28:04 PM EST
    Remember, a bond is not required (none / 0) (#70)
    by Peter G on Mon Mar 18, 2024 at 12:54:29 PM EST
    in order to appeal. It is only required in order to appeal without the winning party having the power to collect the judgment even during the ongoing appeal process. If the AG's office wants to risk collection during the appeal, understanding they will have to repay him if he prevails, that's up to them. The party that lost at trial is not entitled to a stay just because they choose to appeal in a civil case any more than a losing criminal defendant gets to avoid or postpone serving their sentence by exercising their right of appeal. The point of the bond is to ensure that the party who prevailed at trial will be able to collect on that judgment later, if the appeal fails, as most appeals do.

    Parent
    I saw Letitia mention 40Wall St (none / 0) (#72)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Mar 18, 2024 at 05:36:23 PM EST
    and found this on wiki

    The loan on the property was transferred to a special servicer that November because there was a possibility that the state government's ongoing civil investigation of the Trump Organization could result in the organization's dissolution.[279] Following a January 2024 ruling in which the Trump Organization was found liable for civil fraud, New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office was prepared to seize the building if he could not pay a judgment of approximately $355 million.



    Parent
    Bloomberg News is reporting that (none / 0) (#76)
    by Peter G on Thu Mar 21, 2024 at 09:44:11 AM EST
    AG James has registered the civil judgment as a lien with the Westchester County Clerk's property office, suggesting that the state might be looking at seizing the family estate situated in the countryside just north of NYC.

    Parent
    He also has a fancy golf resort... (none / 0) (#77)
    by desertswine on Thu Mar 21, 2024 at 11:37:07 AM EST
    Does he personally own the golf resort? (none / 0) (#78)
    by Peter G on Thu Mar 21, 2024 at 02:08:22 PM EST
    Or is it owned by some "independent" corporate entity?  Or does he perhaps just license the use of his name to an unaffiliated company that owns and runs it? I honestly have no idea. Nor do I actually know, now that I think of it, exactly whom (and what entities, if any) the NY civil judgment is against.

    Parent
    Wait.. (none / 0) (#79)
    by desertswine on Thu Mar 21, 2024 at 05:53:07 PM EST
    Lemme find my membership card.

    Parent
    I read that (5.00 / 1) (#80)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Mar 21, 2024 at 06:23:50 PM EST
    no one knows.  That one of the very interesting things about this is the prosecutor will be able to dig through the maze of shell companies and find out where his money is.  And where it came from as well.

    Parent
    I Still Don't Understand Insurrection (none / 0) (#71)
    by RickyJim on Mon Mar 18, 2024 at 05:16:41 PM EST
    There is at least one federal statute and one constitutional provision relating to it:
    18 U.S. Code § 2383 - Rebellion or insurrection
    U.S. Code

    Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

    Fourteenth Amendment  Equal Protection and Other Rights

    Section 3 Disqualification from Holding Office
    No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.


    I can't fathom why all the discussion and legal proceedings as to regards to Trump is based on the amendment and not on the statute.  If anything, the applicability to Trump's behavior on and before Jan. 6, 2021 is made more explicit by the statute.  No quibbling about oaths taken is necessary.  It is also enforceable in Federal Court and a conviction yields disqualification as a bonus. I don't see why it should be harder to get a conviction on the basis of 2383 than the other charges on which Trump has been indicted. Is it simply a case of incompetence on the part of Jack Smith and Merrick Garland?

    When you are obviously unfamiliar ... (none / 0) (#81)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Mar 22, 2024 at 11:22:36 AM EST
    ... with the specific details and particulars of a case, e.g., the actual evidence, please refrain from disparaging the work of others as "incompetence." If Special Counsel Jack Smith didn't charge under Sec. 2383, it's likely because he wasn't confident he could sustain that charge at trial with the evidence at hand and still gain a conviction.

    Parent
    2 of the 4 Smith Charges Are Questioned (none / 0) (#82)
    by RickyJim on Fri Mar 22, 2024 at 06:57:12 PM EST
    The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from Joseph Fischer who was convicted of Jan 6 charges including one for "Interference with an official proceeding" something that Smith has based two of his charges on. The statute in question was passed, in the aftermath of Enron, to punish document shredders.

    I haven't seen anything convincing to explain why Trump was not charged with violating 2383, as the Jan. 6 Committee recommended be done in their report. For example here is what Murray and Weissmann say in a footnote their recent book "The Trump Indictments".

    First, insurrection had not been charged since the nineteenth century and would have raised questions of selective prosecution if it was charged here (although one could argue that the circumstances here were truly extraordinary and warranted such a charge).


    Parent
    There are a lot of problematic aspects (none / 0) (#83)
    by Peter G on Sat Mar 23, 2024 at 10:36:35 AM EST
    that I can see to a potential criminal charge of insurrection against Tr*mp under section 2383. Selective prosecution is not one of them, however. Of course, I do not have the credentials of professors Murray or Weissman, and I have not read their book, so perhaps I am missing something there. In particular, "insurrection" in this context is best understood -- based on sources dating to the law's enactment in 1862 -- as an organized use of mass or collective violence (some definitions also require "armed") to prevent the performance of one or more lawful governmental functions based on a grievance against the government. As he did not personally engage in the violence, Tr*mp would have to be proven to have intended each of those elements when he "set it on foot," excluding rhetoric protected by the First Amendment. I believe he may well be guilty under that standard, but I can see a thoughtful prosecutor steering clear of undertaking to prove all that if the case can be made out based on simpler charges. That said, there is a good argument (to be presented before the Supremes in the Fischer case) that the J6 prosecutors overreached in their application of section 1512, and that as a result a hundred or more of the most serious J6 convictions and/or sentences may have to be pared back.

    Parent
    I Can't See a Problem With Proving (none / 0) (#84)
    by RickyJim on Sat Mar 23, 2024 at 05:33:10 PM EST
    that Trump "incited" and "gave aid or comfort" to the Jan. 6 insurrection/rebellion. And conveniently for the prosecution, he is still doing it now, like in the E. Jean Carroll case. I don't see a need to go into the "sets on foot", assists" and "engages" parts since the list is an or of possible charges, not an and.

    Parent
    The Francis Scott Key Bridge (none / 0) (#85)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Mar 26, 2024 at 04:16:21 PM EST
    on the Baltimore beltway collapsed early this morning after being hit by container ship. My wife, being from Dundalk (north side of the bridge) is devastated. It was a landmark of her growing up.

    Joe says the US government will get it rebuilt.

    My GQP neighbor said "I'm not so sure it was an accident." This my friends is how QANON got started. This is how a pizza parlor in DC got shot up. These nutballs will deliver GD anything.

    That (5.00 / 1) (#86)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Mar 26, 2024 at 04:19:16 PM EST
    long shot if the bridge collapsing was something.

    It looked like an effects movie.  Just ad Godzilla.

    Parent

    It was startling (5.00 / 2) (#88)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Mar 26, 2024 at 08:28:16 PM EST
    how fast the whole thing collapsed. I've been over and under that bridge many times

    Parent
    This (none / 0) (#87)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Mar 26, 2024 at 04:43:06 PM EST
    Not just your neighbor. (none / 0) (#89)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Mar 26, 2024 at 11:17:00 PM EST
    Former 60 Minutes correspondent Lara Logan has likewise cast herself adrift in the misty fogbanks of QAnon crackpot-inspired lunacy. She's gone totally Looney Tunes and embraced her inner cuckoo for cocoa puffs.

    Parent
    6 workers are dead... (none / 0) (#90)
    by desertswine on Wed Mar 27, 2024 at 10:05:28 AM EST
    They were repairing potholes in the roadway.  All are reported to be immigrants from Latin American countries.

    Parent
    I think the Florida supreme court (none / 0) (#92)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 01, 2024 at 06:14:52 PM EST
    Also (5.00 / 1) (#93)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Apr 01, 2024 at 06:58:06 PM EST
    every rep running is going to have to answer how they stand on the issue. Another F-up by DeSantis.

    Parent
    From what I read, a constitutional amendment (none / 0) (#94)
    by Peter G on Tue Apr 02, 2024 at 09:12:11 AM EST
    referendum in Florida requires a 60% majority to carry. The Ohio referendum got 57%, which by any normal standard is a near landslide. Can the supporters turn out enough votes in Florida to reach 60?

    Parent
    I guess we will find out (none / 0) (#95)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 02, 2024 at 09:47:40 AM EST
    my money is on yes.

    But the bottom line is even if democrats don't win they are going to have to spend a lot of money, that they do not have, to make that happen.

    Money they hoped to spend in MI, WI and PA.

    Parent

    This (none / 0) (#96)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Apr 02, 2024 at 09:50:33 AM EST
    Florida State is comprised of 10 MARKETS:

    MOBILE, AL-PENSACOLA (FT. WALTON BEACH)
    PANAMA CITY
    TALLAHASSEE-THOMASVILLE
    JACKSONVILLE
    GAINESVILLE
    ORLANDO-DAYTONA BEACH-MELBOURNE
    TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG (SARASOTA)
    WEST PALM BEACH-FT. PIERCE
    FT. MYERS-NAPLES
    MIAMI-FT. LAUDERDALE


    Parent

    There (none / 0) (#101)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Apr 03, 2024 at 05:34:01 AM EST
    was a referendum in 2018 I think that passed with over 60% but then the legislature refused to honor the will of the voters. In Ohio the legislators are still threatening to overturn the will of the voters. I believe choice is more supported in Florida than Ohio but certainly with 60% it is a higher hurdle to pass.

    Parent
    AXIOS (none / 0) (#102)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Apr 03, 2024 at 07:24:37 AM EST

    Abortions surged in Florida after last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade that removed long-standing federal protections for the procedure.

    Driving the news: Clinician-provided abortions in Florida increased by a total of 20,460 in the year after the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, according to the Society of Family Planning's #WeCount report.



    Parent
    A lot of (5.00 / 1) (#103)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Apr 03, 2024 at 08:24:34 AM EST
    that is people from S. GA. going over the state line for care since abortion is pretty much banned here in Ga. Whichever state is closer, NC or FL, is where people go. Too bad GA decided it was okay when they voted in 2022.

    Parent
    Yes (none / 0) (#105)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Apr 03, 2024 at 01:12:24 PM EST
    This wont just effect FL.

    the south is pretty gone at this point.  

    Parent

    The Jim Crow (none / 0) (#106)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Apr 03, 2024 at 06:33:45 PM EST
    states have done it again.

    Parent
    World Central Kitchen. (none / 0) (#97)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Apr 02, 2024 at 12:22:48 PM EST
    7 Workers killed by the IDF. This is an organization that I have been supporting financially for a couple of years now. I regularly donate to WCK.

    I am now convinced it is the goal of Netanyahu and the Israeli military to kill as many people in Gaza as they possibly can. Without regard to who they are. They will kill Palestinians, Americans, Poles, hostages, whomever. This is a genocide.

    Joe Biden, stop providing weapons to Israel. Send them to Ukraine where they are needed.

    The more I see on this story (5.00 / 2) (#109)
    by Chuck0 on Fri Apr 05, 2024 at 05:36:48 PM EST
    the completely PI$$ED off I get. Eff Israel, eff the IDF, eff Netanyahu.

    I get solicitations everyday for donations (that's the downside of giving to anyone. Once you do, you end up on everyone else's mailing list).

    I never got a solicitation from WCK. I was moved by Jose Andres actions in Puerto Rico after the hurricane. It was then that I started sending them checks.

    The idea that the IDF targeted these workers is a war crime. Anyone and everyone connected to this action should be turned over to the International Court of Justice in Den Hague. If found guilty, apply the same punishment given at Nuremburg.

    You can't cry about the Holocaust for 70 years and then carry out one of your own.

    Parent

    The Israelis or the weapons? (none / 0) (#98)
    by jondee on Tue Apr 02, 2024 at 12:32:23 PM EST
    Both? (none / 0) (#99)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Apr 02, 2024 at 03:29:29 PM EST
    The Gaza Mess (none / 0) (#104)
    by RickyJim on Wed Apr 03, 2024 at 09:20:14 AM EST
    One of the better articles I've read that tries to explain US strategy is this interview of former State Department official Aaron David Miller by Isaac Chotiner. Some choice quotes:
    And, yes, the President is hemorrhaging support among progressives and more than a few mainstream Democrats, but pressing Israel, using this leverage, particularly on military systems, is going to stir up a hornet's nest among Republicans, conservatives, and the presumptive Republican nominee, who fashions himself as the most pro-Israel President in history. The Republican Party has emerged as the Israel-Can-Do-No-Wrong Party.
    Oh, if you're asking me: Do I think that Joe Biden has the same depth of feeling and empathy for the Palestinians of Gaza as he does for the Israelis? No, he doesn't, nor does he convey it. I don't think there's any doubt about that. ♦


    Donald Trump is not pro-Israel. (5.00 / 1) (#110)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Apr 06, 2024 at 02:40:27 AM EST
    He's certainly not pro-American. Rather, he's unabashedly pro-Trump. Always has been, always will be. Once you understand that, then you realize that to him, everything else is transactional. He'll support Israel only so long as he perceives it to be to his personal benefit. And once he thinks it isn't anymore, he won't be. Aloha.

    Parent
    "Israel-Can-Do-No-Wrong"? (none / 0) (#115)
    by john horse on Thu Apr 11, 2024 at 09:51:25 AM EST
    So how is that working?

    Regarding Biden and Palestine, I consider myself a progressive, against the Israeli governments apartheid/genocidal policies, and a Biden supporter.  

    Netanyahu is on a march of folly in Gaza.  What he has done in Gaza is nothing less than state sponsored terrorism.  His actions in Gaza have been so inhumane that it has shifted mainstream Democratic attitudes, especially Biden.  The  Israel-Can-Do-No-Wrong Party was the Democratic Party.  Thanks to Netanyahu it no longer is.

    g

    Parent

    Who said Israel can do no wrong? (5.00 / 1) (#154)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Apr 21, 2024 at 10:50:41 PM EST
    Benjamin Netanyahu's entire political persona has long been predicated on the vainglorious illusion that he's the indispensable man, the only one who can safeguard Israel. An examination of the historical record shows that actually, he's had the opposite effect. Israel is probably facing its most perilous moment since the joint military attack by Egypt and Syria in October 1973 overran the Israeli front lines along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights.

    Parent
    Student Protest and Anti-Palestinian Propaganda (5.00 / 2) (#170)
    by john horse on Wed May 01, 2024 at 03:41:26 PM EST
    It is more than a little dismaying to see how much mainstream media is parroting Israel government propaganda/talking points (I'm looking at you MSNBC) in regards to Gaza.

    This comes in the form of a rhetorical sleight of hand in which they conflate being against the policies of the Israeli government with being anti-Jewish. Therefore, being against what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza means you are pro-Hamas.  This was the same sleight of hand used to attack protests against the Iraq war and black lives matter.

    For example, they claim that the slogan "From the river to the sea" means the eradication of Israel.  To be sure, there are some student protestors who are pro Hamas, and do favor wiping out Israel.  But also to be fair, they do not represent the overwhelming majority of student protestors.  As Congressman Talib has pointed out "From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate," (also) cautioning that conflating anti-Israel sentiment with antisemitism "silence(s) diverse voices speaking up for human rights."

    The problem is that people like Talib are ignored by the mainstream media.

    Parent

    I agree with most of what you wrote, but (5.00 / 1) (#171)
    by Peter G on Wed May 01, 2024 at 04:44:21 PM EST
    I really do not understand how "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free" is reasonably understood to mean anything but that Israel, as a nation, should not exist. How can "Palestine" (not Palestinians, but Palestine as an entity) be "free" in the area of the world where Israel is located (that is, precisely between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean), while Israel continues to exist? The call is not for a free Palestine located "between" the river and the sea, but "from" the river "to" the sea, that is, covering the entire area? Can two nations exist in the same location? Next to each other (that is, "between"), yes, but not superimposed (that is "from ... to"), can they?

    Parent
    I think it's possible (4.50 / 4) (#172)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 01, 2024 at 04:57:54 PM EST
    the people pushing the use of that slogan understands what it means but lots of the college students don't.  

    I think a lot of this is being stoked by people who are not students,  I know they used to say that about us but. Still.

    It pi$$es me off to keep hearing this compared to 1968.  There was no disagreement on campus in 1968.  There was no student resistance to student activism.  And there was definitely no students targeting students.

    As for the convention crap, Nixon might have been a criminal but he did not have multiple felony charges not to mention possible felony conviction.

    I wish everyone would shut up about 1968.  

    Parent

    I agree. (5.00 / 1) (#177)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 02, 2024 at 09:02:48 AM EST
    The press has reported that 2/3 of the people arrested on the Columbia campus are not students and over half arrested at UCLA are not students.

    There will be no 1968 no matter how much the press wants it because you have an 80 year old nominee who remembers it and party elders who remember it as a young adult (Clinton) and as a child (Obama). I remember this whole 1968 crap being regurgitated back in 1996 when the convention was held in Chicago. The press just can't help itself.

    I could be wrong here but I think the GOP convention is going to be the disaster because it seems Haley and DeSantis are thinking about Trump being a convicted felon and overthrowing him at the convention would be better than running a convicted felon for president. They just seem to be biding their time along with some others.

    Parent

    I've been saying for months (5.00 / 1) (#178)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 02, 2024 at 09:42:33 AM EST
    It's not over till the fat lady in the MAGA hat songs at the convention.

    If he is convicted there will be an attempt to do this.  I think.

    Please please please

    Parent

    I doubt (5.00 / 1) (#186)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 02, 2024 at 01:55:10 PM EST
    anything will be a deal breaker for his fans---who would rue the day.  What's a little old felony conviction?   There is already an $83 million defamation judgment  over rape in the fitting room of a department store, civil fraud conviction of over $400 million, felony charges galore.......of course, some brave/foolish Republican   may, on an off chance, give it a try.   But, the rest of the fascists would rather lose than let their Lord and Savior, Trump, go.
    Trump/Noem 2024.

    Parent
    That could well be (none / 0) (#187)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 02, 2024 at 02:28:22 PM EST
    They are truly F'ed if the do or if they don't.

    But I still believe an actual conviction could change things.  I truly believe 75% of the country has totally tuned this out.  Most will eventually tune in.

    No one but people like us read that TIME interview.

    And it appears the spinless SC will remand fact finding back to Judge Chutkan and she will do just that.  

    And most of all the polls will begin to change.  When that happens all bets are off.  IMO.

    Parent

    I agree (5.00 / 1) (#192)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 02, 2024 at 04:10:58 PM EST
    that a felony conviction will change thinking among the rara Avis---the undecided. Indeed, some polling indicates that to be the case. If so, and along with the Haley stay-at-homes, president Biden and American democracy will win by a landslide.   Otherwise, I believe President Biden will still win by a comfortable
    margin.

    Joe Biden is the most progressive president, domestically, since LBJ.  His foreign policy is solid, save for his bad bet on Bibi and its consequences. However, the atrocities of the Oct 7 attack on Israel by Hamas required an Administration response in accord with the signed multiple bilateral defense cooperation agreements as well as general support for an ally in the face of a brutal attack.

     The disproportionate response of the right wing Israeli government without achieving the goals of eliminating Hamas and safely returning the hostages held by Hamas have left Israel less safe and have tainted US efforts at home and abroad.

    .However, it. is likely that a cease fire will become in effect within the next couple of months, and once obtained will be extended. With that, continued negotiations and summer vacation, student protests will abate. Maybe, the Detroit  suburbs  will recognize that they will find little solace in Trump's virulent anti-Muslim plans as set forth in Time magazine. President Biden, on the other hand, is working toward reversing the horrors of the present.

    Parent

    I'm not so sure Capt (none / 0) (#188)
    by coast on Thu May 02, 2024 at 03:07:22 PM EST
    I think most who are on the fence (independents) or lean right see the current trial and the RE trial as overzealous prosecutions.

    The current trial, if convicted, will more than likely be overturned.  The contortions necessary to even bring this to trial are amazing.  Maybe Peter can enlighten me better.  The fine for the RE conviction should be drastically reduced.  It was completely out of purportion to the offense.

    The issues that turn it for me, besides my view that he is simply a total a$$, are the rape case and the alleged fake electors.

    IMO it looks like a bit of piling on, which is not a good look when its aimed at a candidate for the Presidency in an election year.

    Full disclosure I really don't want to see either candidate elected.  This may be the first election that I sit out since I've been able to vote.

    Parent

    Well (5.00 / 2) (#189)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 02, 2024 at 03:27:40 PM EST
    They got Al Capone for tax evasion.  I think many, including me, see this trial in a similar light.

    I welcome Peters opinion but mine has changed since this trial has started when I had doubts about these changes.  
    Now they are this: sure, this might in some ways be a placeholder for the most serious charges.
    But it appears to me what the prosecution is doing, pretty darn well as far as I can see, is say; these are the laws Trump broke.  Here are the receipts and witnesses proving he broke them.  You might not think they are the most serious offences but it's getting harder and harder to say he is "not guilty".

    Trump has 30%.  I think in the end that might be close to what he gets.  I don't think this election will be close.  In the modern sense of the word.

    Parent

    Adding (5.00 / 1) (#190)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 02, 2024 at 03:29:52 PM EST
    It's not just democracy.  It's abortion.  If not for abortion I would be sweating bullets in spite of all the legal stuff.

    I'm not.

    Parent

    I completely agree with you here. (5.00 / 2) (#191)
    by coast on Thu May 02, 2024 at 03:47:29 PM EST
    Republicans have screwed themselves with their stance on abortion.

    Parent
    Agreed (5.00 / 1) (#194)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 02, 2024 at 04:21:33 PM EST
    It has been my view that the case brought by Alvin Bragg against Trump would likely be the most important in not only its legal aspects, but also, in its political implications.

    It has all the components of a case that rivet public attention--check out tabloids in the court room and covered non-stop in the media.  Not an instance of any publicity is good publicity.  It is all easy for Americans to get. And, many thanks to Stephanie Clifford for choosing the stage name---Stormy Daniel's.

    Parent

    Well (5.00 / 2) (#195)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 02, 2024 at 05:14:07 PM EST
    I get this because it was conventional wisdom and compared to his other many crimes it seemed trivial. However I have been paying attention to the trial and Bragg bought the receipts. This clown cooked up a scheme with David Pecker and the National Equirer to do a catch and kill scheme simply because he was running for president. The NE had to pay a fine to the FEC for campaign finance violations of 180K, Pecker took an immunity deal and Cohen went to jail for this crime. Add in the fact that he has to be submissive to the judge for the 1st time in his life and falls asleep in court and complains about the courthouse temperature...well, that just adds to the clownish behavior along with the fact that he has been cited already for criminal contempt and probably will be more. The only people that see this as helping Trump or are immune to this are maga. Adjudicated rape and fraud didn't change their minds and this won't either.

    Parent
    And he looks small (5.00 / 2) (#197)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 02, 2024 at 05:46:29 PM EST
    and weak.  And frightened.

    Parent
    Nothing will (none / 0) (#196)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 02, 2024 at 05:35:57 PM EST
    alter his fan base. However it seems there are other Republicans that realize they can continue to lose over and over or they can take the hit now and rebuild. It's really kind of a lose/lose situation but Trump has cost them a lot of elections already.

    Parent
    Let me explain (1.50 / 2) (#173)
    by john horse on Wed May 01, 2024 at 08:08:15 PM EST
     
    Good grief!

    Did you read Talib's explanation of the slogan?

    "From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate... "

    Last time I looked, "peaceful coexistence" does not mean that Israel should not exist.

    Lets go beyond parsing slogans.  Don't you think that the Palestinians have a right to be free, to have human rights, and to peacefully coexist? Or must they live the rest of their lives under an apartheid system.

    Parent

    That might be what she want it to mean (5.00 / 3) (#175)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 02, 2024 at 07:31:36 AM EST
    Of course to mean that you have to ignore it has meant this for decades.

    From the River to the Sea"
    noun \ `fruhm `thə `RIVər `too `thə `si \

    : the catch-all phrase symbolizing Palestinian control over the entire territory of Israel's borders, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea



    Parent
    You All Are Right (5.00 / 2) (#179)
    by RickyJim on Thu May 02, 2024 at 10:59:43 AM EST
    What we have now in the Levant are two groups, both currently dominated by religious fanatics, who claim that region belongs entirely to them and the other deserves squat.  

    Parent
    From the river to the sea (1.50 / 2) (#174)
    by john horse on Thu May 02, 2024 at 06:33:24 AM EST
    How can "Palestine" (not Palestinians, but Palestine as an entity) be "free" in the area of the world where Israel is located (that is, precisely between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean), while Israel continues to exist?

    The area from the river to the sea (Jordan river to the Mediterranean) includes Gaza and the West Bank.  If all of this land is part of Israel as you seem to be arguing, then its Palestine and the Palestinians that don't have a right to exist.  

    Parent

    I hate the modern state of Israel. (5.00 / 2) (#176)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 02, 2024 at 07:37:00 AM EST
    I have preached against the illegal settlements for many years.

    I am not anti semitic.  I hate Beebee.  I don't hate Jews.

    Screaming a clearly antisemitic slogan and pretending it means something else, because I say so, is not helpful.  Or smart.

    IMO


    Parent

    What I "seem to be arguing"?! (5.00 / 1) (#180)
    by Peter G on Thu May 02, 2024 at 11:11:28 AM EST
    "Good grief," to coin a phrase. I never remotely said, argued, or even hinted or implied that, nor do I agree with it. I try very hard to say exactly what I mean, and I don't appreciate having words put in my mouth. I believe, fwiw, that there is a "two-state solution" that can be achieved, preferably including a confederation of the two states, one Jewish (but not theocratic or fundamentalist) in character, one Muslim (same), both democratic, peaceful, and free, with secure borders and no attempted expansion by either.

    Parent
    Thanks for the clarification (1.00 / 1) (#181)
    by john horse on Thu May 02, 2024 at 12:57:35 PM EST
    Nobody appreciates words being put into their mouth.  But doesn't your interpretation of the slogan "from the river to the sea" do exactly that?

    The meaning of words and slogans change over time.
    Most protestors who use the slogan interpret it in the same way that Talib interprets it.  Not a claim that Israel does not have a right to exist but a call for freedom, human rights and peaceful coexistence for all people in that region.  

    Both Hamas and Netanyahu (for different reasons) interpret the slogan as a call for the elimination of Israel.

    Which interpretation you adopt is a choice.    

    Parent

    Choice of interpretation (3.67 / 3) (#193)
    by coast on Thu May 02, 2024 at 04:18:28 PM EST
    There in lies the problem.  The fact that there is an interpretation, IMO the one held by the majority of people, that the slogan is offensive should be enough to refrain from saying it at all.

    I was born and raised in the south.  The song Dixie was simply a part of growing up.  When originally written, it was origanlly an aspirational song. I sang it in college with my friends.  

    As time passed, I matured and came to understand how offensive the song was to many.  So I don't sing it or play it.  If others are singing or playing it I tell them to please stop.  Why because its the decent thing to do.

    You may be right that many of these younger protesters might not fully appreciate how offisive the phrase is.  Hopefully they will mature and change their ways.  However, many of these protestors are not students and Talib certainly isn't.  Her aim, and the aim of those who are older and saying it, is to be provactive.  It has nothing to do with a wish for peaceful coexistance.  Its simply being hateful.

    If your trying to raise a call for freedom and human rights in the region, then simply come up with a different slogan.  Don't use one that is inextricably offisive.

    Parent

    How would you know this? (none / 0) (#182)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 02, 2024 at 01:13:48 PM EST
    Most protestors who use the slogan interpret it in the same way that Talib interprets it.

    Parent
    It occurs to me (1.00 / 1) (#183)
    by john horse on Thu May 02, 2024 at 01:21:50 PM EST
    Peter,
    I don't want to put words into your mouth but it occurs to me that you don't have a problem with respecting the freedom, human rights of Palestinians and coexistence between Israel and Palestine.

    You just think that the slogan is a bad slogan.  I will say that if you need to explain what a slogan really means, then that might be true.

    Parent

    The meaning is not in doubt (5.00 / 1) (#184)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 02, 2024 at 01:25:36 PM EST
    to anyone but Tlaib

    Using the phrase for public figures can be costly. Tlaib's censure is a punishment one step short of expulsion from the House.

    Last month, Vienna police banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration, citing the fact that the phrase "from the river to the sea" was mentioned in invitations and characterizing it as a call to violence.

    And in Britain, the Labour party issued a temporary punishment to a member of Parliament, Andy McDonald, for using the phrase during a rally at which he called for a stop to bombardment.

    "We won't rest until we have justice. Until all people, Israelis & Palestinians, between the river & the sea can live in peaceful liberty," he tweeted.

    Then he explained: "These words should not be construed in any other way than they were intended, namely as a heart felt plea for an end to killings in Israel, Gaza, and the occupied West Bank, and for all peoples in the region to live in freedom without the threat of violence." _



    Parent
    That account of the Labour MP (5.00 / 1) (#198)
    by Peter G on Thu May 02, 2024 at 07:05:14 PM EST
    is interesting. I have no problem with what he said. He expressly subverted the slogan and made clear what he was advocating instead. I would support that and don't agree he should have been reprimanded in any way.

    Parent
    PUT NO MORE COMMENTS ON (5.00 / 1) (#199)
    by Peter G on Thu May 02, 2024 at 07:49:37 PM EST
    this post. Move both discussions (Middle East and Tr*mp trials), as well as any others, to the new post that Jeralyn just put up.  If there are more than 200 comments under a post, the nesting collapses.

    Parent
    No, actually, I do not "just" believe (5.00 / 3) (#185)
    by Peter G on Thu May 02, 2024 at 01:43:22 PM EST
    it is a "bad slogan." I believe that the slogan means what it says, that it is not a reasonable interpretation of its plain meaning to assert that it really means what Cong. Talib asserted (as I pointed out in my original post, focusing on both the proper noun and the prepositions), and that the people who claim otherwise are either deluding themselves or lying. In addition, I do not agree with the policy that the slogan advocates. And finally, I believe sticking to the clear meaning of words, and not pretending they mean something else, is essential to reasoned discourse and thus to problem-solving. In this, I stand with Lewis Carroll (scroll to "Language").

    Parent
    What were you doing in n this date (none / 0) (#119)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Apr 11, 2024 at 08:04:27 PM EST
    June 17, 1994

    I was at work at Digital Domain in Venice CA.  The whole company was in the big screen room watching the chase

    Now we'll never know.. (5.00 / 3) (#120)
    by desertswine on Thu Apr 11, 2024 at 09:37:01 PM EST
    who the "real" killer(s) is(are).

    Parent
    I was in SoCal last week. (none / 0) (#122)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Apr 13, 2024 at 04:48:26 AM EST
    I went to a funeral of a high school classmate's spouse who was laid to rest last Friday at Valley Oaks Cemetery in Westlake Village between Agoura Hills and Thousand Oaks. Directly across the roadway from her plot, a few rows up, is the grave of Ron Goldman. I was surprised how peaceful and tranquil it was, because on the other side of the wall is a Costco. (And on the opposite east side of the cemetery is the final resting place of singer Karen Carpenter and her parents.)

    It's rather startling to realize Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson were murdered 30 years ago in June. She's buried down in Orange County at a Catholic cemetery in Lake Forest, just to the north of Mission Viejo.

    May they now rest in peace.

    Parent

    You were before my time I think... (none / 0) (#165)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Apr 30, 2024 at 08:56:41 PM EST
    In the mid-90's I joined the motion picture division of Fujifilm. We worked with DD fairly often.

    Parent
    I would have raised my hand (none / 0) (#123)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 15, 2024 at 05:52:50 PM EST

     Half of Possible Trump Jurors Said They Couldn't Be Fair
    April 15, 2024 at 4:15 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 190 Comments

    New York Times: "Of the 96 possible jurors brought into the room, more than 50 raised their hands to say they couldn't be fair. They were immediately excused."

    And I guess a fair number just wanted nothing to do with this.  Which is understandable.

    Exactly What Was the Question? (none / 0) (#124)
    by RickyJim on Mon Apr 15, 2024 at 06:11:48 PM EST
    Were they asked if the could be fair to both the defendant and prosecution?

    Parent
    They were asked if (none / 0) (#125)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Apr 15, 2024 at 07:13:21 PM EST
    they could be fair.  As far as I know.

    Parent
    I was listening (none / 0) (#126)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Apr 16, 2024 at 06:05:55 AM EST
    to Karen Agnifilo who used to work in the Manhattan DA's office say this is not ununsual. She said it's pretty typical to get 1/2 of the prospective jurors to say they can't be fair because even in low profile cases there are a lot of people that just do not want to do jury duty.

    I would have had to raise my hand too because I already think Trump is guilty as heck.

    Parent

    OPENING ARGUMENTS MONDAY MF (none / 0) (#129)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Apr 18, 2024 at 04:20:20 PM EST

    Jury of 12 Is Seated in Trump Criminal Trial
    April 18, 2024 at 4:53 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 61 Comments

    "Twelve New Yorkers have been selected to decide Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan, the first for a former American president and a crucial challenge to his bid to regain the Oval Office," the New York Times reports.

    "Seven new jurors were added in short order Thursday afternoon, hours after two others who had already been picked were abruptly excused. As many as six alternates were still being selected."

    "The judge overseeing the case, Juan M. Merchan, asked the selected jurors to return to court on Monday, saying he was hopeful opening statements would begin then."



    They still have tomorrow (5.00 / 1) (#130)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Apr 18, 2024 at 04:30:42 PM EST
    to pick the alternates and deal with any dropouts.

    Parent
    Why Pick the "Alternates" Now? (none / 0) (#133)
    by RickyJim on Thu Apr 18, 2024 at 09:17:33 PM EST
    The more intelligent way is call all 18 jurors and to pick the 12 to decide the case, by lot, from those left after closing arguments.  Is that illegal in New York?

    Parent
    I don't know much about jury selection (5.00 / 1) (#134)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 08:12:53 AM EST
    but one thing I do know is this has gone much faster and more efficiently that anyone expected.

    There were predictions all over that this could take months.  Or weeks at the very least.

    I would say this judge knows what he is doing.

    Add to that he proved he knows how to make Trump pay for his bull$hit beyond fines by saying NO yesterday.

    No, we are NOT giving you the witness list, which is normally done, because you will try to intimidate them.


    Parent

    This (none / 0) (#135)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 08:16:45 AM EST

    Prosecutor says they won't name witnesses in advance because of Trump's social media posts
    Donald Trump attorney Todd Blanche asked for the names of prosecutors' first few witnesses because it's possible testimony could start as soon as Monday.

    Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said usually they would extend that courtesy, but because Trump posts on social media about the witnesses, "we're not telling him who the witnesses are."



    Parent
    This is supposedly (5.00 / 1) (#137)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 08:37:59 AM EST
    really bad news for the defense because they are going to have to prep for every witness every day. But honestly they have only themselves to blame. They could have demanded that Trump's cell phone be taken away and had a babysitter for him to keep him confined at Maralardo until the case began.

    Parent
    I have (none / 0) (#136)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 08:36:24 AM EST
    been impressed with Judge Merchan. He runs a no nonsense court. I think he will end up locking up Trump in the courthouse jail cell if he doesn't straighten up.

    Parent
    Looking forward (none / 0) (#138)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 09:09:43 AM EST
    to the Tuesday hearing ng on the gag order.

    And the hearing on the bond on Monday.

    Parent

    Yeah (none / 0) (#139)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 09:53:28 AM EST
    the bond has kind of fallen out of the news but it seems scammy. It seems the bond company needs to prove that there is actually money backing the bond if I understand it.

    Trump gets himself in so much trouble simply because he is so damn cheap. If he had just paid Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal directly he probably wouldn't be in a criminal court right now. but no, he wants to write it off his taxes and so he concocts a scheme to pay people.

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    Scammy (none / 0) (#144)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 03:02:18 PM EST

    New York AG asks for the judge in Trump's civil fraud case to REJECT the Knight surety and declare the bond to be "without effect."

    It doesn't meet the "requirements of trustworthiness and competence," the AG says.



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    Since I so often find myself disagreeing (none / 0) (#151)
    by Peter G on Sun Apr 21, 2024 at 10:13:21 AM EST
    with RickyJim's take on legal questions, I will say here that I agree with him that it would be a better system not to designate who are the twelve and who are the alternates until all are chosen. What New York's court rules require, I have no idea.

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    I think I heard (5.00 / 1) (#153)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Apr 21, 2024 at 11:35:52 AM EST
    they, the alternates, are in the always courtroom separate from the jury and they don't deliberate

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    Thanks, But Did You Mean (none / 0) (#152)
    by RickyJim on Sun Apr 21, 2024 at 10:54:12 AM EST
    until it is time for deliberations?  I would even allow the alternates to take part in deliberations even though they won't be voting unless something happens to one of the regular jurors during that time.

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    Actual quote from MSNBC (none / 0) (#140)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 01:27:51 PM EST
    "I just want to know what you are seeing, what you are hearing.....what you are smelling'

    An eyewitness...said that the man threw pamphlets into the air before he lit himself on fire. ... Some of the pamphlets referenced former President George W. Bush, former Vice President Al Gore & the lawyer David Boies, who represented Mr. Gore in the 2000 ...recount."
    The Recount
    @therecount
    Just minutes after the full jury was selected in Donald Trump's New York hush money criminal trial, someone appears to have set themself on fire outside the courthouse, per CNN's @thelauracoates.

    The video is everywhere

    Speaking of smelling (none / 0) (#141)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 01:32:22 PM EST
    Odor in the court!

    Meiselas: What I'm hearing from credible sources is that Donald Trump is actually farting in the courtroom... I'm hearing it from actual credible people that as he's kind of falling asleep, he's actually passing gas and that his lawyers are really struggling with the smell.



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    We've all heard (5.00 / 1) (#142)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 02:18:21 PM EST
    about how he smells just now what was the cause of the smell. Now we know. LOL. Of course an overweight elderly person who lives on diet cokes and fast food is going to pass gas constantly.

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    in (none / 0) (#143)
    by FlJoe on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 02:46:24 PM EST
    related news
    A report that the House Freedom Caucus has activated its Floor Action Response Team (FART) has sparked a wave of mockery on social media as a result of the body's acronym.


    With democrats help (none / 0) (#147)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 04:43:32 PM EST
    he cleared the air

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    They just (none / 0) (#148)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Apr 19, 2024 at 05:35:05 PM EST
    can't help being clowns.

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