I appreciate your consistent commitment to truth and accuracy. The clarifications on the laws regarding the electoral process are very helpful.
Great news about your cabin. Whew! Those who are lucky enough to visit places like this consider them more than property. They are sources of renewal and perspective - where relaxation rebuilds health and new ideas are revealed.
So glad to hear you and your home are safe. Yosemite is the home of our heart --much less remote, but deeply loved--to lose a "home of your heart" in such beauty and in your family for generations feels at the border of personally unbearable. I hope that you can do something celebratory there soon. You need a ritual A close neighbor of ours also has a family cabin in a remote Sequoia area; we've been sending our thoughts to them as well.
Glad to hear about your fire. We too were in the terror column with the Caldor fire and our cabin on the south west side of Lake Tahoe. Climate change may take over all other issues.....argh.
I understand that Representative Gosar suggested the possibility of "blanket pardons" not President Trump. What were the pardons to be for? Rallies aren't illegal. Forcible entry to the Capitol is.
yes, good point. Gosar suggested that he had spoken to Trump, but there is no direct evidence that Trump offered pardons. And yes, they knew they were engaged in an insurrection.
While we have reason to like the progress of the Jan 6 commission, I fear that this is one of those things in which the Republicans are pulling a "Wizard of Oz" on us: don't look behind the curtain. The Jan 6 investigations and prosecution will go on and last at least through 2024, and the malefactors may even escape with the help of the Supreme Court. Meanwhile the Republicans are carefully insuring victory in elections with redistricting and in voting laws that allow voter nullification and making it harder to vote.
Our focus has to be on the passing of the Voter Rights acts, filibuster be damned, get a carve out or whatever it takes to restore Federal authority over voting.
I'm still left with my question from yesterday. Can state legislatures certify voter fraud, probably falsely, and then decertify those votes thus changing the electoral count for their state?
No., I do not believe so. The Brennan Center tracker does not indicate any ability of a legislature to do so. Whether individual counties might refuse to certify a vote is a different question, but a court can order election offcials to do so.
The road will be dangerous for a while. It is a one-lane, very steep road that is 22 miles long. Likely to be mudslides and debris flow. the road is closed during the winter, so we will see the damage in the spring.
As a former tax lawyer, I am skeptical of wealth taxes on an annual basis. It's just too hard to evaluate wealth and to avoid evasion. Better to raise income tax rates (when I started in practice the maximum rate was 90%, but no one paid that) and extend and steepen the estate tax.
I maintain my faith that the American people--most of us, anyway--will see through the smoke that T___p and his Republican acolytes are blowing. But I must admit that that faith will be shaken if Terry McAuliffe (a Clinton Democrat I've never liked) blows it in Virginia.
Another excellent newsletter, Robert.
I appreciate your consistent commitment to truth and accuracy. The clarifications on the laws regarding the electoral process are very helpful.
Great news about your cabin. Whew! Those who are lucky enough to visit places like this consider them more than property. They are sources of renewal and perspective - where relaxation rebuilds health and new ideas are revealed.
I think you will enjoy this wonderfully sarcastic/funny perspective published in medium today. https://medium.com/politically-speaking/i-can-finally-relax-now-that-ive-become-a-republican-51d4d0acf67e
Too long but funny. Where is Jonathan Swift when we need him.
I will check it out. Thanks!
So glad to hear you and your home are safe. Yosemite is the home of our heart --much less remote, but deeply loved--to lose a "home of your heart" in such beauty and in your family for generations feels at the border of personally unbearable. I hope that you can do something celebratory there soon. You need a ritual A close neighbor of ours also has a family cabin in a remote Sequoia area; we've been sending our thoughts to them as well.
Good to hear that you, your family, and the home are safe. And kudos to you for recognizing the firefighters.
I’m so glad the cabin is finally safe! Kudos to Rolling Stone, too. As always, thank you for keeping your readers anchored in reality.
Glad to hear about your fire. We too were in the terror column with the Caldor fire and our cabin on the south west side of Lake Tahoe. Climate change may take over all other issues.....argh.
Glad to hear about your cabin!
I understand that Representative Gosar suggested the possibility of "blanket pardons" not President Trump. What were the pardons to be for? Rallies aren't illegal. Forcible entry to the Capitol is.
yes, good point. Gosar suggested that he had spoken to Trump, but there is no direct evidence that Trump offered pardons. And yes, they knew they were engaged in an insurrection.
The former guy is very good and not leaving behind any direct evidence, isn't he? ☹️
Good point.
Reality needs to remain stubborn!
While we have reason to like the progress of the Jan 6 commission, I fear that this is one of those things in which the Republicans are pulling a "Wizard of Oz" on us: don't look behind the curtain. The Jan 6 investigations and prosecution will go on and last at least through 2024, and the malefactors may even escape with the help of the Supreme Court. Meanwhile the Republicans are carefully insuring victory in elections with redistricting and in voting laws that allow voter nullification and making it harder to vote.
Our focus has to be on the passing of the Voter Rights acts, filibuster be damned, get a carve out or whatever it takes to restore Federal authority over voting.
Agreed, but I remain doubtful that Sinema and Manchin can be swayed on the filibuster.
I'm still left with my question from yesterday. Can state legislatures certify voter fraud, probably falsely, and then decertify those votes thus changing the electoral count for their state?
No., I do not believe so. The Brennan Center tracker does not indicate any ability of a legislature to do so. Whether individual counties might refuse to certify a vote is a different question, but a court can order election offcials to do so.
I was wondering yesterday about the fire, mudslide possibilities, etc. near your cabin. Thanks for the update. So much to read now!
The road will be dangerous for a while. It is a one-lane, very steep road that is 22 miles long. Likely to be mudslides and debris flow. the road is closed during the winter, so we will see the damage in the spring.
As a former tax lawyer, I am skeptical of wealth taxes on an annual basis. It's just too hard to evaluate wealth and to avoid evasion. Better to raise income tax rates (when I started in practice the maximum rate was 90%, but no one paid that) and extend and steepen the estate tax.
I maintain my faith that the American people--most of us, anyway--will see through the smoke that T___p and his Republican acolytes are blowing. But I must admit that that faith will be shaken if Terry McAuliffe (a Clinton Democrat I've never liked) blows it in Virginia.
I understand your concern about the wealth tax, but there are only 614 billionaires in America. We know where they live and how they make their money.
Credit or blame goes to voters, not Terry McAuliffe.