Republicans often use titles that confuse or just plain lie about issues or organizations to make themselves look better. I never call anti-abortion groups "pro-life" groups just because they chose that name. It's totally misleading for several reasons. And we all know, as Lawrence O'Donnell pointed out tonight, that Fox News is not a real news network, so he doesn't use the word "News" when he refers to that network. Why use their titles and help them market a lie to the public on behalf of insurrectionists?
I think Representative Daniel Goldman announced a much better title for McCarthy's "Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government." It's easier to say and much more accurate. Representative Goldman calls it "The Republican Committee to Obstruct Justice."
Agree that we need to seize their rhetoric and turn it on its head, every time. Another title for this new “weaponization” select subcommittee could be “The Select Subcommittee to Protect Criminals Including Those Seated on this Committee”
Frank Luntz has advised repubs on the critical use of wording for decades. I first noticed how the W/Dickie verbiage was just a sliver short of outright lies. Of course, Rupert did it best, loudest, and longest.
I appreciate your point, Paul. And I appreciate learning such a descriptive new word like "bafflegab!" So thank you!
However, continuing on the "fairness" road, the Inflation Reduction Act will save people money which is the inference of the title despite not including how they will save. So while the title is generic, it's not doing something opposite the meaning of the title. People want to save money.
On the other hand, Republicans delight and rely on using titles and buzz words that are often the total opposite of what they pretend to be. I think Democratic "bafflegab," is totally different than what I have chosen to call (with help from the British) fascist Republican "snafflegab." ie stealing the truth.
Curiously, Weisselberg remains an employee of the Trump Organization and will be on “paid leave” while serving a prison sentence for defrauding the Trump Organization.
Of course. Mafia guys go on "paid leave" when they go to prison for the organization and the boss, and they keep their secrets.
Is there anything to stop Weasel-berg from working as a CFO when he returns to public life?
The Trump Organization is to be sentenced this Friday the 13th - I don't have a lot of hope, but maybe this day will work in favor of all the taxpayers he ripped off.
The Trump organization is a private company, and Weisselberg is not a CPA, so I think the answer is "No." He is no longer the CFO of the Trump org, but is an employee on payroll (for lying to cover up for Trump).
I am not going to stay awake at night worrying about the GQP’s alleged investigations but I am as upset as you are at Garland. It baffles me that he and the people in the DOJ are more concerned about their optics rather than the atrocious crimes committed by members of Congress. This is a race between the turtle and rabbit but I won’t give credence to the turtle. I will, however, give it to the snail that tripped the turtle up in trying to get to the finish line. Brazil acted quickly and succinctly. The US did not. Honestly, we have too many lawyers, too many laws. How about the law of “One and Done”?
Marlene, You are right on point. It is disgusting that Representatives who should be facing criminal charges are running our government and leading important committees. As one who long ago felt Robert was too focused on Merrick Garland’s lack of action regarding January 6, 2021 I find that today I am anguished by the incredible silence. Sorry, even with all the “Jack Smith will get the job done” it is so disconcerting to still see NO significant action by DOJ.
Why? First, for the very reason Robert raises, perceptions. Those perceptions give the Republicans yet another opportunity to shape the narrative to their ends. Take note that Heather Cox-Richardson points out that Sean Hannity of FOX News broadcast from a House conference room last evening. (I pull my hair out in total disgust.)
Second, there have been at least two reports to my knowledge that connect Steve Bannon to Brazil’s recent riots. He and Roger Stone have demonstrated a broad and deep capacity to ferment insurrection internally and internationally. I’d remind folks that Bannon has been, at times, active in Italy and within the traditional ranks of hardcore Catholics leaders. Brazil, Bannon, & Stone are but a few. There are way too many bad actors from Congress to local communities, from FOX to dark money groups that keep this writer awake at night.
It is imperative that Garland or Smith do their jobs to build upon the exceptional work of the House Select Committee to Investigate January 6, Mueller’s work, and the unending dribble of court actions like the Weisellberg’s slap on the wrist sentence.
And now we have news of classified papers found in a building where Biden had an office. I can just imagine how that will play to perceptions!!!
Otherwise, I agree entirely with what you wrote. Now it's up to the Democrats to get out their bullhorns and loudly and repeatedly say that to create a false equivalence with Trumps' top-secret documents situation and the entirely different Biden classified documents situation is to compare (rotten) apples with oranges.
Yes! And they need to speak up loudly about issues in addition to the classified document story.
The insurrectionist party has been programming their cult for years in simple words, repeated ad nauseum. How many thousands of times have you heard the cult leader and his followers call every move that tries to hold them to account for their lies and crimes a "witch hunt?"
It's past time for the Democrats to use whatever accurate short phrase that holds the fascist party's feet to the fire. Something everyone in America can easily understand. The anti-democracy party. Insurrectionists. Liars. The domestic terrorist party. The party for rich white men. The party of deliberate cruelty and violence. The white supremacist party. The party that values their guns more than America's children. The party of chaos and destruction.
Whatever is brief, accurate and simple. And it needs to start now.
Yes, John, I read HRC’s Letters also and I share your angst about Hannity even being allowed in the Capitol. My hair is grayer and thinner, at this juncture. If nothing else comes out of this debacle, we see that a lot of our policies aren’t strong enough to hold real white-collar criminals responsible. But oh, if you’re black, Asian, Mexican, green or blue or poor, the book is thrown at you!
I came upon this interesting Politico magazine interview from July 2022 with Andrew Weissman, former Mueller prosecutor. He discusses some of the difficulties in prosecuting TFG and his goons; but he also lays out the team approach needed to investigate and make an effective case for indicting and prosecuting the parties. He also observes that the lack of a signed conspiracy agreement (haha) does not preclude a conspiracy charge.
I like Andrew Weissman. I watch him on MSNBC quite often and he has expressed dismay as to how DOJ has dragged their feet. I think Garland has shut himself off to public opinion. In one aspect, that’s okay but in another, he should be cognizant of WE, The People, expect from him.
Your negative tone reflects, what I suspect, most of us are feeling. The progress we've made in the past two years feels like it's being wiped out as we watch. It's exhausting, but we just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, doing whatever we can to fight back. I can't help the feeling that it's a losing battle, but I also have to believe that we will be successful.
I constantly hear from my fellow left-of-center friends who despair of ever seeing Trump in the docket. My attempts to assure them that the wheels of justice ARE grinding, however slowly, elicit reactions ranging from doubt to derision. But tonight Robert Hubbell places these attenuated investigations in a proper context, giving me hope that at least ONE of these will lead to an indictment. He raises an interesting point--that the reluctance of Atty. Gen. Garland to prosecute may reflect his fear of the inevitability of just one Trumpist juror leading to a hung jury. I hope this isn't the case, as bringing Trump before the bar is I think the crucial event. Should a jury fail to convict due to one or two holdouts practicing jury nullification, so be it. Trump has proclaimed his "exoneration" in his impeachment trials because "only" 57 US Senators thought him guilty, and he may well try to spin the facts if "only" 10 or 11 jurors consider him guilty. But we--and the nation--know better, to say nothing of history. As for the stark comparison Robert makes between how the Brazilian political establishment deals with insurrection and our scattershot approach, I take a certain solace in our difficulty of having one political faction criminally pursue its predecessor. It should be difficult, indeed near impossible. The detritus left by Donald Trump is epic in scope; it is far more comforting to me than disturbing that our system makes retribution, however deserved, extremely difficult.
I do believe that Jack Smith will do his job rapidly and well. He knows how to prosecute dictators. He knows their wiley ways. He certainly has not been wasting any time. Maybe this will be the real Ground Hogs Day celebration!
I've given up on Merrick Garland. He has not been a prosecutor for over 24 years. He's been a judge and just seems to completely lack a sense of urgency. There is not much that is going to get done in the next two years.
However, If the extremists in the US House are going to waste our taxpayer dollars on sham investigations perhaps the Senate can conduct some legitimate investigations in the months ahead:
1. The Secret Service: the missing texts from January 6, staffing levels and quality of staffing and other concerns.
2. The IRS under the former director: Why weren't the former President's taxes audited for a number of years when he was in office. Why is it taking over 2 years for the IRS to process a late relative's estate tax return. Why wasn't my last estimated tax payment check (I never pay online to the IRS.) not cashed for 3 weeks!
3. Elon Musk. I've been off Twitter for almost two months. I really like Post.News. I've read and heard that Twitter has become a complete cesspool of far right hate, descriptions of disgusting things that I would not even write here, and threats of violence. The misogynist Andrew Tate has been arrested and held in Romania on charges of organized crime, human trafficking and rape. Yet he or someone in his crime syndicate are still posting on Twitter. I'm no lawyer, but isn't there something legally that can be done?
4. The Federal Election Commission (FEC): Are campaign finance reports even audited at all anymore. Who is in charge there? What are their qualifications? Shouldn't they get performance reviews at least annually?
5. Fake charities such as JD Vance's charity set up to combat the opiod epidemic. This charity was found by Business Insider to be a charade as his top political advisor was paid by the charity.
6. Fraud that was prevalent with the Paycheck Protection Program.
Jim Jordan ignored a J6 subpoena, yet now chairs Judiciary. Steve Bannon, still out on bail, is said to have advised Bolsonaro, likely providing him the insurrection blueprint. Yikes.
Yikes fall short of the outrage and concern felt in regard to the on-going mischief making of Bannon and a slew of other Trump cohorts - mobsters all are they.
Okay, so I’m sleeping soundly, but waking very early, in the potential twilight of our democracy! If Trump and his co-conspirators are not indicted, I think the rule of law will be degraded, if not erased. Even if just one Trumpist hangs the jury, the facts will play out in an even more dramatic way than they did in the J6 sessions, and we the American people will see what really happened. And even the MAGA crowd will know in their little hearts that it was wrong.
I believe the J6 committee report lays out so clearly the culpability of TFG, et al, that a jury will have no difficulty understanding the case. I think a hung jury is a more likely outcome than a “not guilty” verdict. The pressure on 1 or 2 or 3 jurors will be excruciating, and those hold-outs will be branded and made pariahs by millions of Americans, despite the kudos that would be lavished on them by the traitors.
You're pinning a lot of hope on Jack Smith. It's very understandable as no one else seems a better bet. But what I wish was that there were a few good republicans out there. A few who join George Conway in calling out the indefensible. Did you read that the current seditionists called in Sean Hannity for a love fest in the office building for the House? Have they no shame?
Rep. Andy Ogles, a freshman Congressman from Tennessee, said on CSPAN this morning that the somewhat heated conversation between him and McCarthy during the fight to elect a Speaker was the result of a text he received from the “donor class” urging him to switch his vote to McCarthy.
There you have it. A frank, casual admission by a member of Congress that monied interests, who have easy access to elected officials, are able to text them directly and demand they vote a certain way. How many of us have our Representatives cell phone number?
And stay focused on Hakeem Jefferies. His acceptance speech is outstanding...and it builds as it goes on. As Robert reminded us, Jefferies spoke without reading with clarity and force. McCarthy read his dull speech as if evenhe was not convinced..
I’m really putting my hopes on Jefferies speaking out loudly. I was soooo impressed with his acceptance speech and the alphabetical listing of the differences between the Democrats and the GOP.
Yes-that speech! I believe he got under the skin of some of the people (so called) in that room- you could hear the protest and boos- while he looked up, quickly refocused, and went to the next letter of the alphabet. Bam.
Yes, Hakeem seems like a bright light for Dems. What really gives me hope is that he was Nancy Pelosi’s protégé! I say Speaker Pelosi is most deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal!!! I believe too few people recognize the debt of gratitude we owe this patriotic, intelligent hard-working (on behalf of the children and all Americans), deserving American!!!
I appreciate you drawing attention to the importance of accountability and consequences. It is also important that all understand the significance and importance of the accountability be relatively swift so that it is evident that it is directly connected to the events demanding accountability. It is also important that the consequences are proportional to the offences demanding accountability. We are already seeing that accountability for the events of January 6th are too long delayed and when delivered may not be proportional to the offences demanding consequences.
Accountability and consequences are what protect democracy and the Rule of Law. Accountability and consequences protect our institutions that protect us all as well as our rights, freedom, and liberty. The absence of accountability and consequences endanger us all and our future.
Thanks Bruce. How much might this be related to a much larger problem - our judicial system seeming overwhelmed in many areas, and running months if not years behind?
Then, secondly, is the source of that overwhelmed state due, to a significant degree, to underfunding from a nation that is constantly wrestling with whether we want strong or weak laws and enforcement where white collar crime is concerned? Just look at the GOP response to expansion of staffing at the IRS!
Most of us don’t now expect any charged wealthy person to come to trial within 1-2 years of when a crime occurred. It’s my impression that’s from a combination of delays by their lawyers + a slow and swamped court system.
I’m not an attorney, so these are just impressions and questions.
I am feeling so sad, so hopeless, so angry, so disappointed, so worried about the governance of our country; about accountability for political leaders’ crimes; about our future under the insidious hands of the group of twenty; about Trumpism that has seeped into all branches of government and social media; about Jim Jordan who as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee will be investigating the investigators; about Garland’s slowness in prosecutions, and now the news of finding
Classified Documents in Biden’s office. All of this and more weighs on me who is normally a very positive and can do person
Nina, I have been thinking about Biden's documents and have begun to think we need to lean into the situation. What do I mean? Have Biden flood the media with detail; offer to testify before Congress; waive executive privilege. Do everything Trump isn't doing. Biden has nothing to fear; Trump does. So challenge Trump by example.
Yes, I've been saying the Democrats [and Biden] should grab their bullhorns and broadcast EVERYWHERE and OFTEN the differences between the two situations and that to compare the two is a completely false equivalence.
I too felt like this was all too much and am pulling back on following the details. Big picture. Reading the opening and closing of a lot instead of the description of all of it. Garden cataglogues for a while.
I wish I could “pull back “ too but I feel I have to be aware of the destruction in order to try to combat it even though I feel pretty helpless and all I can do is vote and communicate with my Independent Senator King and
Democrat Chellie Pingree. What has happened to honesty and doing the right and honorable thing with consciousness, kindness, empathy and humility?😳
I have to do that for a while, too. Election overload, plus the storm and a bad fall that left me bruised but nothing broken (whew). I went through all the stuff I read, and pared it way down. Cancelled some subscriptions, and refocused my priorities with the others. My computer is trying to die, and I got a new one, because that is my main form of connecting with the outside world. I haven't even moved stuff over yet but better soon- this one is doing weird stuff. I have to replace my oil tank, and given the furnace is at least 20 years old, I applied for a low-interest loan and will be changing over to heat pumps. That is both exhilarating and overwhelming in itself, and I can hardly wait (installer is 6 months out). Garden catelogues sound perfect.
Sounds like a heavy burden, Annie, on the home front, and a bad fall to add to all else. Paring way down the external madness seems a wise choice. I too find garden pics of lovely flowers soothing. Remembering beauty is a necessity for me. Though truth be told, I often forget. Here's to our (that of this community) collective remembering.
As to Stern's op-ed about the one jurror: it infuriates me to point of wanting to do violence when prosecutors are more concerned about their win/loss percentage than they are about seeking justice. Too many women who've been sexually assaulted know that little dance. It's hurtful, it undermines faith in "the rule of law", and it tells those who have been injured that they don't count. At this point I feel like we're being told our collective horror, trauma, and the injuries to our country from the January 6th attempt to overthrow the 2020 election results just don't matter, because the prosecutors might lose. Pretty pathetic justice system if that's the case.
Republicans often use titles that confuse or just plain lie about issues or organizations to make themselves look better. I never call anti-abortion groups "pro-life" groups just because they chose that name. It's totally misleading for several reasons. And we all know, as Lawrence O'Donnell pointed out tonight, that Fox News is not a real news network, so he doesn't use the word "News" when he refers to that network. Why use their titles and help them market a lie to the public on behalf of insurrectionists?
I think Representative Daniel Goldman announced a much better title for McCarthy's "Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government." It's easier to say and much more accurate. Representative Goldman calls it "The Republican Committee to Obstruct Justice."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/10/mccarthy-investigations-weaponization-biden-mexico/
Brilliant!
Agree that we need to seize their rhetoric and turn it on its head, every time. Another title for this new “weaponization” select subcommittee could be “The Select Subcommittee to Protect Criminals Including Those Seated on this Committee”
Frank Luntz has advised repubs on the critical use of wording for decades. I first noticed how the W/Dickie verbiage was just a sliver short of outright lies. Of course, Rupert did it best, loudest, and longest.
To be fair, bafflegab is as old as politics. I seem to recall a climate bill titled the Inflation Reduction Act. 😊
I appreciate your point, Paul. And I appreciate learning such a descriptive new word like "bafflegab!" So thank you!
However, continuing on the "fairness" road, the Inflation Reduction Act will save people money which is the inference of the title despite not including how they will save. So while the title is generic, it's not doing something opposite the meaning of the title. People want to save money.
https://citizensclimatelobby.org/inflation-reduction-act/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign={campaign}&utm_term=what%20is%20the%20inflation%20reduction%20act&gclid=CjwKCAiA2fmdBhBpEiwA4CcHzUeTIame8hWkhLSnSq-_QFCU-ETvmCe3nep6leHLsuBAcLHrwOx67xoCAdkQAvD_BwE
On the other hand, Republicans delight and rely on using titles and buzz words that are often the total opposite of what they pretend to be. I think Democratic "bafflegab," is totally different than what I have chosen to call (with help from the British) fascist Republican "snafflegab." ie stealing the truth.
I read being led by a bit in one’s mouth. Makes you wonder who has the reins.
To be fair, you are great at bafflegab
Curiously, Weisselberg remains an employee of the Trump Organization and will be on “paid leave” while serving a prison sentence for defrauding the Trump Organization.
Of course. Mafia guys go on "paid leave" when they go to prison for the organization and the boss, and they keep their secrets.
Is there anything to stop Weasel-berg from working as a CFO when he returns to public life?
The Trump Organization is to be sentenced this Friday the 13th - I don't have a lot of hope, but maybe this day will work in favor of all the taxpayers he ripped off.
The Trump organization is a private company, and Weisselberg is not a CPA, so I think the answer is "No." He is no longer the CFO of the Trump org, but is an employee on payroll (for lying to cover up for Trump).
I am not going to stay awake at night worrying about the GQP’s alleged investigations but I am as upset as you are at Garland. It baffles me that he and the people in the DOJ are more concerned about their optics rather than the atrocious crimes committed by members of Congress. This is a race between the turtle and rabbit but I won’t give credence to the turtle. I will, however, give it to the snail that tripped the turtle up in trying to get to the finish line. Brazil acted quickly and succinctly. The US did not. Honestly, we have too many lawyers, too many laws. How about the law of “One and Done”?
It’s maddening. That the we are being governed (so called) by members of congress who were involved in Jan 6- and nothing has been done about it.
How about the laws that all of us who pay our taxes must follow and they thumb their nose.
Marlene, You are right on point. It is disgusting that Representatives who should be facing criminal charges are running our government and leading important committees. As one who long ago felt Robert was too focused on Merrick Garland’s lack of action regarding January 6, 2021 I find that today I am anguished by the incredible silence. Sorry, even with all the “Jack Smith will get the job done” it is so disconcerting to still see NO significant action by DOJ.
Why? First, for the very reason Robert raises, perceptions. Those perceptions give the Republicans yet another opportunity to shape the narrative to their ends. Take note that Heather Cox-Richardson points out that Sean Hannity of FOX News broadcast from a House conference room last evening. (I pull my hair out in total disgust.)
Second, there have been at least two reports to my knowledge that connect Steve Bannon to Brazil’s recent riots. He and Roger Stone have demonstrated a broad and deep capacity to ferment insurrection internally and internationally. I’d remind folks that Bannon has been, at times, active in Italy and within the traditional ranks of hardcore Catholics leaders. Brazil, Bannon, & Stone are but a few. There are way too many bad actors from Congress to local communities, from FOX to dark money groups that keep this writer awake at night.
It is imperative that Garland or Smith do their jobs to build upon the exceptional work of the House Select Committee to Investigate January 6, Mueller’s work, and the unending dribble of court actions like the Weisellberg’s slap on the wrist sentence.
And now we have news of classified papers found in a building where Biden had an office. I can just imagine how that will play to perceptions!!!
You of course meant FQX news, John.
Otherwise, I agree entirely with what you wrote. Now it's up to the Democrats to get out their bullhorns and loudly and repeatedly say that to create a false equivalence with Trumps' top-secret documents situation and the entirely different Biden classified documents situation is to compare (rotten) apples with oranges.
Yes! And they need to speak up loudly about issues in addition to the classified document story.
The insurrectionist party has been programming their cult for years in simple words, repeated ad nauseum. How many thousands of times have you heard the cult leader and his followers call every move that tries to hold them to account for their lies and crimes a "witch hunt?"
It's past time for the Democrats to use whatever accurate short phrase that holds the fascist party's feet to the fire. Something everyone in America can easily understand. The anti-democracy party. Insurrectionists. Liars. The domestic terrorist party. The party for rich white men. The party of deliberate cruelty and violence. The white supremacist party. The party that values their guns more than America's children. The party of chaos and destruction.
Whatever is brief, accurate and simple. And it needs to start now.
Agreed.
Then there's the good proposed motto: "When Republicans win, you lose."
Maybe if Dems hadn’t trashed Bloomberg he would have helped. No bigger bullhorn
Glad somebody remembered Bannon’s travels, and that slippery slime Roger stone slimes his way into every nook and cranny.
Yes, John, I read HRC’s Letters also and I share your angst about Hannity even being allowed in the Capitol. My hair is grayer and thinner, at this juncture. If nothing else comes out of this debacle, we see that a lot of our policies aren’t strong enough to hold real white-collar criminals responsible. But oh, if you’re black, Asian, Mexican, green or blue or poor, the book is thrown at you!
I am in your camp.
I came upon this interesting Politico magazine interview from July 2022 with Andrew Weissman, former Mueller prosecutor. He discusses some of the difficulties in prosecuting TFG and his goons; but he also lays out the team approach needed to investigate and make an effective case for indicting and prosecuting the parties. He also observes that the lack of a signed conspiracy agreement (haha) does not preclude a conspiracy charge.
https://www.politico.com/amp/news/magazine/2022/07/12/weissmann-garland-justice-trump-investigation-00045502
I like Andrew Weissman. I watch him on MSNBC quite often and he has expressed dismay as to how DOJ has dragged their feet. I think Garland has shut himself off to public opinion. In one aspect, that’s okay but in another, he should be cognizant of WE, The People, expect from him.
Hi Marlene. You know very well truth is the first victim in a legal construct. It’s all about winning. It’s merely a bonus to win with the truth.
Your negative tone reflects, what I suspect, most of us are feeling. The progress we've made in the past two years feels like it's being wiped out as we watch. It's exhausting, but we just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, doing whatever we can to fight back. I can't help the feeling that it's a losing battle, but I also have to believe that we will be successful.
Denise, Your key point is right on “we have to believe.”
I constantly hear from my fellow left-of-center friends who despair of ever seeing Trump in the docket. My attempts to assure them that the wheels of justice ARE grinding, however slowly, elicit reactions ranging from doubt to derision. But tonight Robert Hubbell places these attenuated investigations in a proper context, giving me hope that at least ONE of these will lead to an indictment. He raises an interesting point--that the reluctance of Atty. Gen. Garland to prosecute may reflect his fear of the inevitability of just one Trumpist juror leading to a hung jury. I hope this isn't the case, as bringing Trump before the bar is I think the crucial event. Should a jury fail to convict due to one or two holdouts practicing jury nullification, so be it. Trump has proclaimed his "exoneration" in his impeachment trials because "only" 57 US Senators thought him guilty, and he may well try to spin the facts if "only" 10 or 11 jurors consider him guilty. But we--and the nation--know better, to say nothing of history. As for the stark comparison Robert makes between how the Brazilian political establishment deals with insurrection and our scattershot approach, I take a certain solace in our difficulty of having one political faction criminally pursue its predecessor. It should be difficult, indeed near impossible. The detritus left by Donald Trump is epic in scope; it is far more comforting to me than disturbing that our system makes retribution, however deserved, extremely difficult.
Agree 100%! If 11 of 12 jurors vote to convict, everyone will know what happened. We must not be afraid to take the risk.
The impeachments were a joke to repubs and just allowed the arses to scream “not guilty.”
I do believe that Jack Smith will do his job rapidly and well. He knows how to prosecute dictators. He knows their wiley ways. He certainly has not been wasting any time. Maybe this will be the real Ground Hogs Day celebration!
Soon I hope!
“I do believe....” BUT WHEN?!!
Ground Hog's Day is Feb. 2, 2023. Let's hope it is a cloudy day so there isn't six more weeks of waiting. 🦫
I've given up on Merrick Garland. He has not been a prosecutor for over 24 years. He's been a judge and just seems to completely lack a sense of urgency. There is not much that is going to get done in the next two years.
However, If the extremists in the US House are going to waste our taxpayer dollars on sham investigations perhaps the Senate can conduct some legitimate investigations in the months ahead:
1. The Secret Service: the missing texts from January 6, staffing levels and quality of staffing and other concerns.
2. The IRS under the former director: Why weren't the former President's taxes audited for a number of years when he was in office. Why is it taking over 2 years for the IRS to process a late relative's estate tax return. Why wasn't my last estimated tax payment check (I never pay online to the IRS.) not cashed for 3 weeks!
3. Elon Musk. I've been off Twitter for almost two months. I really like Post.News. I've read and heard that Twitter has become a complete cesspool of far right hate, descriptions of disgusting things that I would not even write here, and threats of violence. The misogynist Andrew Tate has been arrested and held in Romania on charges of organized crime, human trafficking and rape. Yet he or someone in his crime syndicate are still posting on Twitter. I'm no lawyer, but isn't there something legally that can be done?
4. The Federal Election Commission (FEC): Are campaign finance reports even audited at all anymore. Who is in charge there? What are their qualifications? Shouldn't they get performance reviews at least annually?
5. Fake charities such as JD Vance's charity set up to combat the opiod epidemic. This charity was found by Business Insider to be a charade as his top political advisor was paid by the charity.
6. Fraud that was prevalent with the Paycheck Protection Program.
Thank you for your thoughts.
That is a VERY good list!
Thank you! I forgot about the MAL documents. Wonder if there should be an update from the National Archives!
LH, it appears Garland has long ago lost any potential to ever be described as “recognizing or acting urgently.”
Jim Jordan ignored a J6 subpoena, yet now chairs Judiciary. Steve Bannon, still out on bail, is said to have advised Bolsonaro, likely providing him the insurrection blueprint. Yikes.
Yikes fall short of the outrage and concern felt in regard to the on-going mischief making of Bannon and a slew of other Trump cohorts - mobsters all are they.
Mr. Hubbell, Thank you again for your accurate coverage of the complex series of events. We appreciate the work you do. Rest as you need it.
Okay, so I’m sleeping soundly, but waking very early, in the potential twilight of our democracy! If Trump and his co-conspirators are not indicted, I think the rule of law will be degraded, if not erased. Even if just one Trumpist hangs the jury, the facts will play out in an even more dramatic way than they did in the J6 sessions, and we the American people will see what really happened. And even the MAGA crowd will know in their little hearts that it was wrong.
Agree!
If 45 and the other seditionists are not indicted, and trials don’t take place, I think the dems will loose most if not all minority support.
Why vote when the government continues to prosecute people of color and let the white ones go free?
History has its eye on us.
I believe the J6 committee report lays out so clearly the culpability of TFG, et al, that a jury will have no difficulty understanding the case. I think a hung jury is a more likely outcome than a “not guilty” verdict. The pressure on 1 or 2 or 3 jurors will be excruciating, and those hold-outs will be branded and made pariahs by millions of Americans, despite the kudos that would be lavished on them by the traitors.
“Not guilty” is all they will blather, til hell freezes over
You're pinning a lot of hope on Jack Smith. It's very understandable as no one else seems a better bet. But what I wish was that there were a few good republicans out there. A few who join George Conway in calling out the indefensible. Did you read that the current seditionists called in Sean Hannity for a love fest in the office building for the House? Have they no shame?
Obscene! History will turn on them, and when it does, they will be remembered for the political terrorists they are.
And our grandchildren will live under the rule of the criminals. My grandson is 3 and he doesn’t deserve the future we are allowing for him.
From your mouth to God's ears
Sean Hannity -- the GOP's Goebels.
NONE! Nor does FOX - Hannity or Carlson.
Next Steve Bannon will be in there giving direction. Which, unfortunately for the rest of us, he's really good at.
Rep. Andy Ogles, a freshman Congressman from Tennessee, said on CSPAN this morning that the somewhat heated conversation between him and McCarthy during the fight to elect a Speaker was the result of a text he received from the “donor class” urging him to switch his vote to McCarthy.
There you have it. A frank, casual admission by a member of Congress that monied interests, who have easy access to elected officials, are able to text them directly and demand they vote a certain way. How many of us have our Representatives cell phone number?
Yes, he did switch his vote.
Thanks. I may include this in tonight's newsletter. Disgusting.
If you do decide to include this, here’s a link to the CSPAN video. Section about donor class begins at about 4:25.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?525110-6/washington-journal-rep-andy-ogles-discusses-priorities-118th-congress
And stay focused on Hakeem Jefferies. His acceptance speech is outstanding...and it builds as it goes on. As Robert reminded us, Jefferies spoke without reading with clarity and force. McCarthy read his dull speech as if evenhe was not convinced..
I’m really putting my hopes on Jefferies speaking out loudly. I was soooo impressed with his acceptance speech and the alphabetical listing of the differences between the Democrats and the GOP.
Yes-that speech! I believe he got under the skin of some of the people (so called) in that room- you could hear the protest and boos- while he looked up, quickly refocused, and went to the next letter of the alphabet. Bam.
Yes, Hakeem seems like a bright light for Dems. What really gives me hope is that he was Nancy Pelosi’s protégé! I say Speaker Pelosi is most deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal!!! I believe too few people recognize the debt of gratitude we owe this patriotic, intelligent hard-working (on behalf of the children and all Americans), deserving American!!!
I appreciate you drawing attention to the importance of accountability and consequences. It is also important that all understand the significance and importance of the accountability be relatively swift so that it is evident that it is directly connected to the events demanding accountability. It is also important that the consequences are proportional to the offences demanding accountability. We are already seeing that accountability for the events of January 6th are too long delayed and when delivered may not be proportional to the offences demanding consequences.
Accountability and consequences are what protect democracy and the Rule of Law. Accountability and consequences protect our institutions that protect us all as well as our rights, freedom, and liberty. The absence of accountability and consequences endanger us all and our future.
Good point! Proportionality.
And immediacy of accountability.
Thanks Bruce. How much might this be related to a much larger problem - our judicial system seeming overwhelmed in many areas, and running months if not years behind?
Then, secondly, is the source of that overwhelmed state due, to a significant degree, to underfunding from a nation that is constantly wrestling with whether we want strong or weak laws and enforcement where white collar crime is concerned? Just look at the GOP response to expansion of staffing at the IRS!
Most of us don’t now expect any charged wealthy person to come to trial within 1-2 years of when a crime occurred. It’s my impression that’s from a combination of delays by their lawyers + a slow and swamped court system.
I’m not an attorney, so these are just impressions and questions.
I am feeling so sad, so hopeless, so angry, so disappointed, so worried about the governance of our country; about accountability for political leaders’ crimes; about our future under the insidious hands of the group of twenty; about Trumpism that has seeped into all branches of government and social media; about Jim Jordan who as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee will be investigating the investigators; about Garland’s slowness in prosecutions, and now the news of finding
Classified Documents in Biden’s office. All of this and more weighs on me who is normally a very positive and can do person
Nina, I have been thinking about Biden's documents and have begun to think we need to lean into the situation. What do I mean? Have Biden flood the media with detail; offer to testify before Congress; waive executive privilege. Do everything Trump isn't doing. Biden has nothing to fear; Trump does. So challenge Trump by example.
Yes, I've been saying the Democrats [and Biden] should grab their bullhorns and broadcast EVERYWHERE and OFTEN the differences between the two situations and that to compare the two is a completely false equivalence.
I do think he will do that. Dems should all have their messaging in tandem with one another.
I too felt like this was all too much and am pulling back on following the details. Big picture. Reading the opening and closing of a lot instead of the description of all of it. Garden cataglogues for a while.
I wish I could “pull back “ too but I feel I have to be aware of the destruction in order to try to combat it even though I feel pretty helpless and all I can do is vote and communicate with my Independent Senator King and
Democrat Chellie Pingree. What has happened to honesty and doing the right and honorable thing with consciousness, kindness, empathy and humility?😳
I have to do that for a while, too. Election overload, plus the storm and a bad fall that left me bruised but nothing broken (whew). I went through all the stuff I read, and pared it way down. Cancelled some subscriptions, and refocused my priorities with the others. My computer is trying to die, and I got a new one, because that is my main form of connecting with the outside world. I haven't even moved stuff over yet but better soon- this one is doing weird stuff. I have to replace my oil tank, and given the furnace is at least 20 years old, I applied for a low-interest loan and will be changing over to heat pumps. That is both exhilarating and overwhelming in itself, and I can hardly wait (installer is 6 months out). Garden catelogues sound perfect.
Sounds like a heavy burden, Annie, on the home front, and a bad fall to add to all else. Paring way down the external madness seems a wise choice. I too find garden pics of lovely flowers soothing. Remembering beauty is a necessity for me. Though truth be told, I often forget. Here's to our (that of this community) collective remembering.
I'm with you on that, and I just ordered my garden seed yesterday!
As to Stern's op-ed about the one jurror: it infuriates me to point of wanting to do violence when prosecutors are more concerned about their win/loss percentage than they are about seeking justice. Too many women who've been sexually assaulted know that little dance. It's hurtful, it undermines faith in "the rule of law", and it tells those who have been injured that they don't count. At this point I feel like we're being told our collective horror, trauma, and the injuries to our country from the January 6th attempt to overthrow the 2020 election results just don't matter, because the prosecutors might lose. Pretty pathetic justice system if that's the case.