It’s been quite a day. It began with Axios sharing photos of what purported to be White House toilets with torn up paper in them. The notes on that paper appear to have former president Trump’s distinctive handwriting on them. Axios got them from New York Times
Good question Ann. From the prior 15 boxes of documents that were taken back from tfg & delivered to the US Archives, the DOJ has a 100 page inventory of his stolen documents including confidential & top scret records. Let a grand jury see what was in Trumps locked safe instead of boxes in the "beautiful" Mar a Lago basement.
Bryan, I thought of you, along with Bone Spurs, early this morning, while we're on the Paper Trail. Now, we are really talking and searching for THE PAPER -- THE DOCUMENTS! See you later, Bryan.
FERN, you know I like the US code Section 2071 penalty, .... tfg would be barred from holding public office. Likely, the DOJ has a drafted complaint based on the15 boxes The FBI is searching for documents that prove criminal intent not more "love letters" from North Korea. "Don't mess with the Archivist." i admit it; I LOVE DOCUMENTS.
Of course, you nailed it, Bryan. Here's some more folks:
'Early reports that the F.B.I. search of former President Donald J. Trump’s residence in Florida related to an investigation into whether he had unlawfully taken government files when he left the White House focused attention on an obscure criminal law barring removal of official records. The penalties for breaking that law include disqualification from holding any federal office.'
'Because Mr. Trump is widely believed to be preparing to run for president again in 2024, that unusual penalty raised the prospect that he might be legally barred from returning to the White House.'
'Specifically, the law in question — Section 2071 of Title 18 of the United States Code — makes it a crime if someone who has custody of government documents or records “willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies or destroys” them.' (NYTimes) See gifted link below.
Heard from a credible retired judge that US code could be superseded by Constitution which has only 2 requirements…born here and of a certain age (35?) Said if US code used would likely end up in courts forever ending finally at MAGA SCOTUS.
"US officials said there is no detailed record, even in classified files, of Trump’s face-to-face interactions with the Russian leader at five locations over the past two years,” the Post reported."
Please keep in mind that within the State Department 'interpreters' and 'translators' serve different functions and follow different protocols. Interpreters work with spoken language and translators with
written texts. Their work procedures and work products are different.
"And the other reason is the kinds of notes that interpreters take in order to do consecutive interpretation differ radically from the kinds of notes that substantive officers take when they are the official note-takers. Our interpretation notes are based on our short-term memory. They're full of little symbols and squiggles and arrows.
Basically, what interpreters do when they're taking notes is they draw a kind of road map through the material they're hearing. They are immediately thereafter able to reconstruct this piece of material. But if you show them those notes in two or three weeks, their eyes would glaze over and say..."
The fact that there is no official transcript of these meetings should be enough to charge him with dereliction of duty. Unprecedented and a clue to what was to come
It is my guess that there needed to be a stenographer to report (on a steno machine) the oral remarks in English made by tfg and the remarks made by Putin as orally interpreted by the interpreter. Then a written transcript (in English) is made by the stenographer for publication. That was my experience in the Carter days, but I have no memory of any one-on-one meetings like is being discussed here.
In my day, I was employed by a private firm who contracted out to the White House to perform the services of providing official transcripts. We worked inside the WH, but were not employees of the government. Makes for better transparency, don't you think?
Here's an interesting article about one WH stenographer that worked in the Obama administration as well as the beginning of 45's.
"We type up our transcripts from our audio, so it hasn't been tampered with and it not only goes to the press office, the press, but also the presidential archive," she says. "That's really important to have an accurate recording at all times, especially when the press is involved, just to make sure that we are recording the truth and that no one has complicated that."
Trump's criminal conversations take place with Putin directly, and when he is on the golf course. No notes. Lindsay Graham went from Trump critic to Trump ass-kisser after one of those golf course meetings, which I assume involved blackmail.
You're welcome, MaryPat! Unless things have dramatically changed, it would not be the interpreters who would be making the official record. It's the stenographers.
Morning Lynell. I’m just heading out to start another “help a friend move” event. This time I’m driving a 26 foot rental truck from Medford to Seattle.
The fact that the only people in the secret meeting were either russians or that russian spy, whooops..American president...should have been the subject of great concern to someone...it is obvious something bad occurred... yet no investigation...WTF!?
“ Basically, what interpreters do when they're taking notes is they draw a kind of road map through the material they're hearing. They are immediately thereafter able to reconstruct this piece of material.”
Your description was really helpful for me to understand how note-taking for these different purposes differs so greatly!
The quote is from the NPR interview cited in my comment: "Our next guest served 18 years as head of interpreters at the State Department. She was in the room interpreting when U.S. officials sat down with Fidel Castro, with Augusto Pinochet and many others Stephanie van Reigersberg, welcome to ALL THING CONSIDERED."
Burnt, shredded, flushed not very long after the meeting. Every translated word imprinted in the Presidential mind, every pressure of the Russian handshake treasured in memory.
Ann and Jeri and others -- I have this dim recollection that tfg confiscated the translator's notes as the meeting ended. Something like that. So that nothing could go to the press. Part of this recollection is that there were no other witnesses in this meeting between tfg and Putin other than the translators/interpreters. Just 4 people? This is something we could hope that HCR could investigate. Or one of us, who has the time and dogged determination!!
That's my recollection as well, that he took the notes....or perhaps that he allowed no note taking. I believe we knew that within a day or two of the meeting.
I believe the reports on that meeting have indicated that Trump excluded any others form that meeting. It was Trump, Putin, and Putin's translator. I wish I could remember which of several sources reported that...
Good morning everyone. I'm reading over all the comments and the replies to the comments and reports of what various sources and personal recollections suggest, and my first thought is the wish that we had, somewhere, a journalist or researcher to map all this out so we at least had a more or less solid summary of who has written about this, how many completely different opinions or pieces of evidence we have for how many crimes. I'd be interested to know, for instance, which of the mainstream media, have similar evidence and take similar positions on yesterday's search of Trump's basement and safe.
Failing something like a summary, I would have to say that, although reading about what has seemed a slow, tedious process, has tried my patience, Professor Richardson's Letter today makes it clear that it's producing results. I hope that's right.
Both the Washington Post and New your times have had recent columns listing the administration's accomplishments. Check out some of the opinion columnists like Jennifer Rubin. Also check out the comments section (but this can be laborious and require a thick skin).
Do you know I did something this year I never, ever would have imagined. I cancelled my subscription to the NYTimes. My news sources at this moment are Letters from an American, Robert Hubbell's Newsletter, the Washington Post occasionally when I can read it without getting myself into a state over either their misleading headlines or the kinds of errors in grammar, usage, and just plain typos that indicate they save money by doing away with editors and proofreaders. Oh, and I confess to actually subscribing to the quirky, fascinating, intelligent slate.com. I have no idea what any of that information has to do with your comment, John. You're right about Jennifer Rubin. I got disgusted by the Times doing what all the mainstream media do--absolutely creating the news. I got especially miffed at the Times because their writers are the best in the business and so do the best job of manipulating our thought-life.
Here endeth the First Lesson. And clearly time for my afternoon tea.
I kept The New Yorker. I have found, over many years, back when the magazines were piling up in corners, that I can't live without it. The writing is so good that I will read articles on subjects that are of no interest to me just because of the writing. When I taught a senior elective that I called something like "The personal and Social Essay" (not quite right) our "text books" were The New Yorker; Newsweek (before they changed their format to Faux People Magazine) when there were essays; a couple ;of volumes of Joan Didion's essays. The essay assignment the students said was the hardest thing they'd ever had to write. First, we read a lot of movie reviews in The New Yorker (which, as I'll bet you know, are fully developed essays), then we took 3 or four class periods to watch a film, "LA Confidential." Everybody loved the movie until I told them the assignment. Write a review of the movie in the style of a New Yorker review. They moaned, they groaned. Then they got together several times on the weekend to watch the movie again, taking notes and talking about it. Then they wrote the reviews. Best set of essays I've ever gotten from a class. I love Slate. The serious articles are top quality and, if the news becomes too much, one can always read Dear Prudence.
That's a good one to vet, Patricia. Haven't heard it before. Wouldn't surprise me. There are a few supremely good investigative reporters who might be on to this who subject now.
It is usually the little violations that catch big criminals. Mobsters for tax evasion, politicians for small bribes-gifts, etc. Perhaps because the big crimes are carefully covered up so smaller crimes become tedious de rigueur? Archival documents is a nice clean black and white factual crime to puncture the festering boil Trump's criminality. Ha ha The Plumbers make a cameo appearance both in Watergate and Trump's Toiletgate!
Hopefully, we all can recover fully from having been infected (and affected) by that lethal cancer! Indictment, speedy trial, and "Guilty of all charges" verdict will help!
Quite a remarkable news day. I admire how you highlighted the themes of accountability and deterrence, especially with the comparison of Nixon and now Trump all these years later. While Nixon skated, at least Trump is on a path — or more like an interstate highway — to justice.
I had an impromptu sidewalk chat with neighbors this evening about the Mar a Lago news. I observed that a former president's residence was searched by the FBI for the first time in our history, and we weren't revved up by the news. That's how jaded and difficult to shock we've become when it comes to Trump, and today's chat surely was at least the hundredth time we've talked about him and what he's done to the country.
Of course if he's convicted of some of his many crimes, we'll meet on the corner and with all who stroll by and probably high-five each other, then break out drinks.
I like that, Michael: “…..at least Trump is on a path—or more like an interstate highway—to justice.”
I’ll be toasting with you and your neighbors when he’s convicted of some of his many crimes. We can only hope he will be convicted of all of them eventually.
And De Satin is much worse. Smarter (although it wouldn’t take much) than Rump, and maybe more politically established (although I don’t know why). He is a Mussolini wannabe. Taking everyone’s rights away and enjoying every minute that gives him more power. I live in blue state Oregon and perceive threat from him. I hope he is voted out Christine. 💙💛
Karen, It appears that Andrew Warren is out to expose DeSantis. He's entered the political ring with the aim to get the governor on the ropes. What do you think?
'This should concern everyone' | Warren plans to fight his Hillsborough state attorney suspension.'
'Andrew Warren said he plans to fight his suspension in court and, if necessary, in the Florida Senate.'
'TAMPA, Fla. — Suspended Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said he was escorted from his office by armed security last week in a move he likened to a third-world political coup.'
'He said he plans to fight his suspension in court and, if necessary, in the Florida Senate.'
'Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Warren had been neglectful in his duty and showed incompetence when it came to prosecuting certain crimes and criminals.'
'But Warren said crime statistics show otherwise.'
'Warren said the move was purely political since he has publicly said he’d oppose prosecuting cases against women and doctors who violate the state’s 15-week abortion law.'
'That law is still being challenged in the courts.'
“It doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat, Republican or libertarian. Everybody should be outraged. Everybody. This is not how our democracy works,” Warren said. “If the governor, the king, can just throw out elected officials, what’s the point of having elections? This is what happens in Venezuela and in Russia - and in North Korea. This is not democracy. This is not America.' (WTSP-TV)
Yes. Judge Warren the elected prosecutor in Tampa. He is a tough but fair judge. His statement of not prosecuting the abortion cases is that FL’s “new” law is is still under review. DeSantis made a tactical blunder doing this because he is an elected, not appointed, official and people are very irate about this. Tampa is a major urban area and Desantis wants to flex his authoritarian muscle in the major Florida cities.
Stay tuned. This is going to be a fight that I do not think DeSantis can win.
Karen, Thank you. I believe we are very close together and that includes our opinions of DeSantis. Yes, Floridians experience his cruelty most directly, however, Ron DeSantis' character and political philosophy are inhumane and autocratic. He is a danger to us all.
“The Republican Florida governor later this month is hosting a series of rallies with conservative education group Turning Point Action to boost campaigns for Arizona Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters and the state’s GOP nominee for governor, Kari Lake; Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance; and Pennsylvania’s GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, who was at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.”
I’m not sure today is the day I can even speak about Turning Point USA and Hillsdale College. Suffice to say that I have not spoken to an educator who is not deeply offended and insulted as a professional educator in the State of Florida for being casually branded as a groomer of children for devious outcomes. It is beyond anything I’ve ever seen in public education. Especially because of the heroic effort of teachers during COVid lockdowns when they were expected to perform miracles to keep the common good intact. Which they did. I have a hundred stories if not more of teachers that deserve credit and recognition, not scorn and censorship by the Governor and former and present commissioners of eduction. I’ll give them a grooming at the woodshed after the can of whoop ass is fully opened.
Trump's political future ended on Jan. 6, or at least that day signaled the impending end. And Republican leaders, who fear him, have kept fawning over him publicly all while big money interests have been turning to DeSantis and some others.
DeSantis is the most dangerous politician of my lifetime. And I say that after seeing the damage Trump wrought. But he also has as much charisma as my big toe.
Joseph McCarthy was the worst in my lifetime. Tricky Dick was really bad, but the repugnants pardoned him. We must stay focused. DeSantis is a creep, bully and fascist, frankly. Let’s fight with all we’ve got!
But has this ever really been about his “political” future? Or is it more about his “stay out of jail” future, and his “Fundraising-4-Me” future? “Politics” was just the tangential con, a means to an end, the ripe hustle. It played to his every exploitive instinct.
We could use a busfull of people eager to work. One of the reasons that businesses can't find help is the curtailment of immigration. Our small business of 24 employees, pre-pandemic, is at 19. The manager of our neighborhood Safeway said that their staffing is short 30%. Most repubs are all show no substance. Facts point to the need for well regulated immigration policies.
Am early voting today. Crist , if he wins the Primary, needs to hammer home that DeSantis has only one thing on his mind--running for President. If he is re-elected Governor he will see that as his first vote of approval to be President and he will continue to use Florida as his springboard to that. Having mandated non mandates to death here he will emerge from the Florida debris with face fixed firmly on DC. You are so right! DeSantis is the " new Trump"! Exponentially more dangerous ( if that is possible given all that is being revealed!).
I’m hoping DeSantis is too smarmy for real Republicans to stomach. I mean, real Republicans who have come to the realization trump was terrible for our country. ( not many of them, unfortunately) I’m also hoping trump’s minions write him in on the ballot if the GOP nominated DeSantis…split their vote and water it down.
Abso-f*ckinglutely. Pushing his Turning Points USA rallies upcoming and his fascist education agenda. If he says CRT or “Don’t Say Gay” one more time, people might vote him off the planet.
I envy you that you live in a neighborhood with like-minded neighbors. I dare not speak of anything political in my red neighborhood, or indeed, in my township. Heck, I can’t even mention anything with most of my friends. It makes me feel very isolated.
Cathy, talk to US. Talk to anyone in this group that you feel comfortable with. We are there for each other. That is why I love Heather and all she is doing to help educate us and shore up what we already believe: human decency and the dignity of all people to pursue happiness and what we all want in life.
Elisabeth has an excellent point. We are a Community here. Good people that look out for each other. I'm sure most of us would give you their email if you were more comfortable discussing issues in that way. I would hate that you didn't feel like you could speak freely.
That does sound very isolating, so sorry. We live in a 55+ community and have a like-minded circle who come back (AZ) every winter; year-round residents are redder and more vocal but I have a friend, more outgoing than me, who sometimes whispers to me, “I found another one of our people”. We’re out there, just quieter!
Carol, had to smile at " found another one of our people". That is how it is in my little neighborhood. We are quietly identifying our clan. There are only a handful at the moment. I cannot even safely put out yard signs-- that is how bad it is. One lady told me I was a nice person but that something was wrong with my brain!!
Bless her heart! During the 2020 election a dem activist up the street gave me some Biden-Harris yard signs..then another popped up…and another. A sight to behold
I’m sure there are some in my Fl neighborhood who believe “something is wrong with my brain.” I’m literally surrounded by Trump voters but also finding some of the “quieter” ones during early morning walks with my four-legged.
Yard Sign ✔️Bumper Sticker✔️T-shirt✔️ Didn’t Believe I’d Ever Go There ✔️
Volunteering for a woman 👏candidate seeking to oust our much entrenched US House, Freedom Caucus, Trump -endorsed Rep .
So far, so good…although I’ll keep you posted if my “ Comstitutional” Sherriff comes knocking on my door.😜
When you are together soon, play this and decide when you are going to get loud and shock a few people out of their red pants. https://youtu.be/Q91hydQRGyM
I face the same, Cathy. This group keeps me sane and ready to fight another day. My reputation though is not for keeping my opinions to myself. *smirk*
I hope you can consider us a “surrogate neighborhood”. I understand the isolation, only mine was in my professional environment (I was a liberal cop). Reach out any time here.
Thank you, Ally! I absolutely think of everyone here as my “neighborhood” and I am so grateful that I found Heather, and all of you. Every day when I come here I recognize the names of commenters and feel you are all now my friends. I don’t know what I would do without you. ❤️
I am glad you are here Cathy. Ally who lives in Oregon like me is now a Facebook friends. We are lucky in that our friends are all like us and we have wonderful neighbors in back of us who share our views. The others close by that we know are Rs, but did not vote for death star. The former R pol next door is now an I. He can't stand the current R party. Across the street we have a D wife who comes over now and then to talk politics and a R husband who is a jerk. I am sure further afield in the area are some who would happily shoot us for our political views. Btw, I went to undergrad in western Michigan, Kalamazoo College. My grandparents lived in Conklin, then a small farm town west of Grand Rapids. My family were all Rs, but I managed to get past that.
I feel your pain. I have found a small group in my rural county that is like minded and we rally together on FB and every so often for potluck gatherings. It helps us all to vent.
We volunteer for Oregon State Parks in the summer and go to southern Arizona for the winter.
Oregon is a blue state, but has red spots and the east side is red. Arizona is a red state but Tucson and Nogales are blue spots.
My point is that the US is a mixture and we have found, even without a secret handshake, like-minded people everywhere. Here in the west the elderly are often the most progressive.
Cathy I live in a Michigan neighborhood of mostly like-minded (Biden) folks, but our one Proud Boy has cow towed us so much that none of us put up signs. We say we know who NOT to vote for that way.
I want you to come up and enjoy our Traverse City wine, beer, mead, fudge, cherries, peaches and beaches! And help me put up candidate signs on major country roads (sounds like an oxymoron, but we get a couple million tourists)! Then climb The Dunes, swim at Good Harbor, canoe The Platte and finish up with dinner at The Cabbage Shed!
When I come to that neck of the woods, it’s to visit my cousins who have summer property on Crystal Lake! Gorgeous! As a kid, we vacayed on Lake Charlevoix.
I love The Dunes. Always a strange phenomena to me. First time I went there, I pretended I was in the desert on an Indiana Jones type adventure.
Crystal Lake IS gorgeous! Was there Saturday. Lake Charlevoix is wonderful, too. An the dunes are the best babysitter in the world. "Gramma, Gramma watch this!" So glad you know this area!
Thanks Wendy! And isn't our west coast magnificent!! We never take it for granted. Enjoyed some body surfing at Elberta Beach last week with grandkids. Felt 7 instead if 70!!
Absolutely beautiful! I'm from Detroit then NW suburbs, now Denver. Been all along the West coast. Most recently got lost going from St. Helen to Ludington State Park. Google maps took us on sandy back roads. 'Hey Rich! Stop turning left!!!' Each trip I discover someplace new or revisit the old. Went through Manistee and saw a canoe launch from my youth. I'm 69 and will look for a surfing sister next time we visit the 'west.'
St. Helen middle of nowhere Blue Gill Capitol of the World!! Best tasting fish anywhere! My job (until pandemic) took me through all those beautiful places. That "discovery" is so fun (as long as you have GPS signal!). So glad you still get back to explore and enjoy it. I've only been back to Denver once since we lived there in Northglenn in the early 80's. We wanted to be sure our kids got to feel the majesty of the mountains, and enjoy Estes Park and elk and The Corn Palace, of course.
Who needs GPS? I don't have it in my car - I expect I could use it on my phone but... I love DeLorme road atlases. They include many tertiary unpaved roads and have provided me quite a few interesting shortcuts between here and there.
Yes- when and if Trump is finally called to account, it will be a day of great celebration. His ability to avoid consequences has been harmful to the morale of Americans and all those who have believed that America was not just the most powerful country in the world but a country that stood up for democracy.
Hi Michael - "Of course if he's convicted of some of his many crimes, we'll meet on the corner and with all who stroll by and probably high-five each other, then break out drinks." I wish I lived in a place like that. In my neighborhood it would be much more likely that my neighbor would have flared nostrils and rage in his/her heart, ready to break out the AR-15, that their beloved ex-leader is being unfairly maligned by the leftist commie government currently in charge. And, in the coming civil war (they think), that I would be on the wrong side and therefore subject to who knows what. That of course would not be said outright - they are more civil than that - but certainly thought. Like Rick (voldemort) Scott says - we are evil.
Love that you call “RedTide Rick” Scott « VOLDEMORT » !!! He is indeed evil, he made his money by stealing from Medicare & pled the 5th. His contest with Bill Nelson, who cares about Florida, was close & had a recount. Scott needs to be voted out, but since he’s not up for it this time, let’s say “Adios!” to skeevy Marco Rubio, who hates to work for Florida.
At least the DOJ is making sure that the AR-15 club's rabid leaders are in jail before tRump is indicted. Now to get Faux newsleaders and other media inciters deprived of their megaphones.
A resource I find really valuable is Cathy Learoyd who responds on these pages and is President of Texas Hill Country League of Women Voters. As discouraging as the political reality in your state is, they have been able to do some exciting things like registering high school students to vote, and teaching them how to research candidates. Every little bit helps.
She is terrific via Zoom for our "Heather's Herd" meetings the 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month, 1 pm - 2:30. If you are interested, let Cathy L know when you see her comments here, or Ellie Kona or Annette in FL. They have a way to share emails here without alerting a few thousand others on the site. Really helpful. I've had to miss a few meetings with grandkids visits, but can pick right up again whenever it works for me. All The Best!
HUGS, Suz. And, sadly, your predictions may be more accurate than mine. Russia has armed American cowboys (and cowgirls), and tRump has fed them Nazi gruel for 5 years. But there is reason to hope. My drugs include a Michigan Democratic Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State (in a formerly red state), a fair redistricting last year, and some of the best wine, beer and mead in the country, all within 30 miles!
Of course! This is so obvious why the FBI searched Bozo's house today. I just realized this after listening to all the pundits yammering. None of them see it. Garland is brilliant. This will be the easiest charge to get a conviction on. No weaseling out of it, no lying or obtuse legal theories. It's so clear. The MOST important thing for Garland to accomplish is to make sure that Bozo can never again run for public office. The federal records act says that anyone who steals, destroys, yada yada yada public records shall be subject to max 3 years of jail time and/or a fine "**AND SHALL FORFEIT HIS OFFICE AND BE DISQUALIFIED FROM HOLDING ANY OFFICE UNDER THE UNITED STATES.**” . There it is.
Was he told not to take or destroy the documents? Yes and there is incontrovertible evidence to support that. Did the archivist demand their return and did he not return them all? Yes and there is incontrovertible evidence to support that. Did he destroy documents? Yes and there is incontrovertible evidence to support that. Did the FBI find some of those documents at his home? We have to assume so otherwise why raid it today. So yes and there is incontrovertible evidence to support that.
There you have it. A slam dunk guilty verdict and whether they ever send him to jail or not, he can never run for president or anything else ever again. Garland had 1 job. This is it. Sure, I suspect he'll go after him for the other stuff and so will Georgia and New York, but those are far more dicey to get a full conviction. But if he can nail him on this one little thing, he's done what he needs to do to save the country.
Andrea Please note- what the FBI did was execute a search warrant, not conduct a “raid.” As always, language matters and Twitter last night was full of fake outrage over this. Not a raid. A legal search with credible evidence to look for of possible criminal activity. If we use the proper terminology too, we can take some of the wind out of their sails.
You are absolutely spot on regarding Garland’s brilliance. Nail Trump on mishandling of Presidential documents. Take him out of the running permanently. Make him irrelevant. Then convict him. And make it impossible for him to fundraise. If he can’t run for office, he’ll lose his followers eventually but if he’s in jail, he lose so much more. Fingers crossed!
You are quite right about the terminology. I wrote it in the heat of the moment and should have been more precise. As George Lakoff teaches, framing is critical. I’ll correct it.
I wouldn’t worry so much about this. I’ve heard “raid” used to describe perfectly legal searches before without anyone raising an eyebrow. I T does, however, have a connotation of pirates seizing a ship.
But Sheila and Andrea, we still have to worry about his 70 million idiot followers….he will be irrelevant, but they won’t! I am still shocked to see the threats and violence promised by MAGAS. They have proven they are violent, are armed to the teeth and hate most of their fellow citizens, especially if they voted for Biden or anyone other than 45. They are killing our Black citizens, Jewish citizens and will continue to behave this way unless we get guns really banned in our society. I, personally, am coming for their guns!
Marlene, I kept track of the covid deaths through The NY Times website. It was a devastating reality check about how bad T really was. He literally caused the death of those million + people through his inaction and gaslighting. OMG
I lived in upstate New York (near Woodstock!) during the pandemic. I saw so many magats in their big trucks and American flags waving as they ran around town shouting about the stolen election, I lost faith in their ability to be decent people. They hated the vaccines, did not get vaccinated, were angry about mask mandates (all the supermarkets insisted) and so on. It really showed me a different “America” than the one I grew up in. I lived in Florida when T was elected and discovered all my condo neighbors were Trumpers. I sold the place and left. I was married to an Indian man and felt their racism when we were never invited for parties or drinks at the pool. It’s bad out there, but I want to work for a better day for our children and grandchildren. It’s worth it to me to fight this backwardness in the US.
Can’t ❤️ but how horrible for you and your family! I honor your fight against the dumb, the ignorant, the dangerous in our society. Have been fighting against injustices for over 50 years. It’s worth it.
I wish someone would verify this factoid. Everything Trump does is Fake. He is a shining example of fake. Though maybe “shining” is the wrong adjective to use about someone so without any lightl
In the law enforcement realm a raid is viewed as a type of search warrant service where there are additional elements of search warrant execution to consider or question: is the evidence easily destroyed; is/are the person/s present a safety/escape risk; are there factors about the residence itself that must be considered?
I’d liken a raid to be a dangerous environment for execution of the search warrant.
Wikipedia told me this “ A police raid or razzia[1] is an unexpected visit by police or other law-enforcement officers, often in the early morning or late at night, with the aim of using the element of surprise in an attempt to arrest suspects believed to be likely to hide evidence, resist arrest, be politically sensitive, or simply be elsewhere during the day.” (razzia is is a military term)
I think there are elements of using the term “raid” by the target of the search warrant that reveal the nature of the person served.
I changed the wording. I will point out that whenever the FBI searches or raids a building, there is always a legally executed search warrant in place before they do it - or there should be. The only difference between a search and a raid is the level of force involved.
Thank you, Andrea! Great summation of which I believe will be true. I would get greater satisfaction if he is indicted and serves a prison sentence. That would be the icing on the cake.
That’s the most hopeful summation of yesterday’s actions I’ve read. You narrowed it down to something realistic and have given me real hope. I couldn’t wait for Heather’s letter and all your comments. Both are needed to round out the news. Thank you all!
Agree completely , the crime and physical evidence are crystal clear , with the chances of conviction being very high. We all saw photos of the 15 boxes and now the FBI took even more. Could there be something else going on at DOJ that we do not even know about?
I agree with everything you wrote in your comment, Andrea. I think, though, that there may be something incriminating in those documents that TFG may be very worried about.
I agree. I would not be surprised if he hung on to them for criminal use - extortion, blackmail, sale to foreign powers, even just sale to private collectors. Or because they implicate him in criminal acts. But I suspect the former because if the latter, why not just destroy them.
Not really “one little thing”. Wait til we see what he stole! His Achilles Heel….all based on his greed, dishonesty, desperation to be a dictator. How wonderful this day is.
Yes Andrea. First day I’ve not read any Garland bashing on this forum. A great Attorney General and I thank him for taking precious time to clean up the department. Especially knowing what we know now. I really envision him on the Supreme Court before the end of President Biden’s term.
VOTE BLUE in the on and upcoming massive blue wave.
I think this was Garland's destiny. We already knew him because of the SCOTUS hearings, and he would have been (and may still become) one of our best Supreme Court Judges in history. But his experience with the big Oklahoma City bombing case has served him and us very well over the past year. He's doing this right.
Brilliant, yes. Bbbut, first "Bozo" must go before a judge and be found guilty. I don't see that happening anytime soon, much less before 2028. Until then he'll just continue to prance around with all his neo-confederates. My personal hope is that he shits-the-bed.
Republicans, whom I will now call Neo-Confederates, complain that the January 6 committee is one sided and Trump hasn't had a chance to tell his side. Of course he's done little else since Jan 7. But of course never under oath. By his choice.
Mueller, following his colleague, friend, and fellow Republican Bill Barr's lead, never called Trump to testify under oath, and it prevented his committee from finding evidence of intent and therefore of collusion.
Trump is preparing to testify in NY. Now this. He may be brought to justice yet.
With all the money tfg has raised off of his impeachment, J6 and the subsequent hearing and now the FBI raid, he’s raised enough funds to pay off his loan with Deutschmark bank. But, has he done that?
I use the term neo-confederacy to describe the current government of Missouri, which I recently left after nearly 50 years living there. I think it accurately describes the situation.
I bet it felt wonderful to leave Missouri behind. Same for me as we left Texas this year, and I was born there. Only people on the other side of the aisle questioned (with disbelief) our decision to leave. Everyone else knew exactly why chose to escape.
I used the word “trumpetry” in a comment yesterday referring to CPAC blither and blather speeches given there. Usual meaning is “blaring sounds of trumpets”. I’d say there is now a MAGA edition def for that word. He puts a smirch on the sweet sound of that instrument.
And lately I do not use definitions such as Neo-Confederates, albeit the accuracy of the words. I’m at the point of “flaming treasonous as*holes” to coincide with trump’s flushing fetish. And McCarthy can join him.
Found this somewhere “trumpery, n.…1. Deceit, fraud; 2. Anything calculated to deceive by false show; anything externally splendid but intrinsically of little value, worthless finery; 3. Things worn out and of no value, useless matter, trifles, rubbish, nonsense. Trumpery, a….trifling, showy, but worthless, trashy, paltry.”
Never found a better description. Apparently from an old dictionary…
That sounds like the right definition for a version of Trump. Hope to see it in a campaign ad against a candidate for fascism. Like Kari Lake in Arizona.
For those of us of a certain age, we used the word "crapola" in place of trumpery. I can't tell you how many times I have asked a Trump supporter - Can you not see that Trump is full of crap???
Neal Stephenson used that term to refer to American Christian isolationists in Montana in his book "Fall," an excellent book that describes the continuing "arc" of politics in the U.S. of A. as part of a long, very well realized, sci-fi story. The nuclear attack on Moab, Utah, is priceless!
I didn't say it yesterday but, I too like your term "Neo-Confederates" as a replacement for "conservatives" although I'm not sure that it even requires the prefix "Neo" as they still believe in the same as the original Confederates did,....white supremacy and minority rule.
Garland came through today and took the bold step needed. Chump true to form is using all the terms he has woven into his maga-cult over recent years to incite and call his "troops" into action. There may indeed be violence but, we are still watching the unravelling of a major political party caught in their very own Faustian-bargain as McCarthy, Lapdog Lindsey, their Faux "news" channel and entire deranged cult are forced into publicly backing TFG who could ironically leave them all and very well be a flight risk at this point. Even DeSepsis is using the moment.
TFG has spent years cultivating his base of victims thru rallies and endless lies for this moment believing that their violence (that "he alone" can unleash) will save him. But, interestingly the slow wheels of our system of laws has Bannon about to "flood his own zone (cell)", Alex Jones has been at least partially neutered and even Manafart is using his felonies to grift. The writers of Virgin River couldn't even weave and connect this many dramas.
Between now and Trump’s indictment and trial, we must expect MAGA partisans to “flood the zone “ with every sort of lie and fill in all the unknowns with self serving deceptions.
No. They question and degrade and deflect every single true thing said about them. I plan on continuing to support every fact revealed. And then tell them “f*ck you and the horse you rode in on”. I will not be on the defensive any longer in discussions politically tinged.
Screw their flooding. Especially Tuckems hysteria laugh and pie hole blather. Cheap theater.
Looking forward to putting every campaign sign for every candidate who is for Democracy snugly in the yards all over this fall. Hmmmph.
I agree. We must not be on the defensive. We know their methods, so we can plan counterattacks. Dismissing their antics, being above them simply doesn't work. We must attack forcefully and continually. Look how brilliantly we kept Republicans on the defensive about burn pits. Let's clone that success.
I would ask them to explain precisely how that grooming procedure works in detail and give me the evidence that it happened. Every time they made an unsupported assertion, I would ask, "and the evidence for this is...?"
Then I would come back and keep asking them to outline the grooming process in fact-supported detail every time they deflected.
You can do the same for any right wing lie. Don't try and shut it down. Open it up and give them the floor to explain how it works in detail. They have no idea because they don't think. Asking for explanations demands they justify their knee-jerk nonsense. Ask open questions that require the person to piece together a plausible narrative where none exists.
Teachers have asked repeatedly. Especially since now back for new school year. Most students starting back this week. There is never answer to the questions you suggest because there is no answer because it’s not true.
So we say, "I notice you refuse to answer this simple question. Tell me about your refusal to answer this simple question. What are you hiding? Why are you play-acting your sick pedophile fantasies in public instead of doing your real job? Tell us!!"
In military terminology, this is called "harassing fire." If you want to attack a well-defended position, you lay down a barrage to keep the enemy so occupied ducking and dodging that you can get up close and finish the job. And you make it so troublesome that they can't just ignore it.
MAGA has already begun its usual nonsense: deflect and distract with comments about Hunter Biden. Surprised they didn’t pull Hillary out of their bag of tricks.
Ask them how Hunter Biden owning a laptop makes Trump any less guilty. Press for an explanation. Ask how the fact that Hillary exists makes Trump less guilty. Say "please explain."
I don’t talk to “those people” frankly. I had to “unfriend” a cousin (first) who I really liked and then when he oozed such nonsense on my page, I had to erase him from my life. So, I would like to pose your questions in a calm way to any Magas, but I don’t have that possibility.
Of course it is and “they” orchestrated the timing before the midterms. Because they do not want him to declare for 2024. They are paving over trump on their treasonous road and getting ready for heir apparent DeSantis. Watch McConnell and the lot do their scurrying rats trick again.
Looking for your opinion: If Charlie Christ gets the nomination (probably, right?) and if Charlie beats DeathSantis in the governors race....what does that do to the putz's prospects for the White House? Does he become damaged goods? Or does he claim the governor's race was stolen and make a run for the big job anyway? What's the view from FL?
Your current governor may be more dangerous than TFG. He can actually put a sentence together and vicious is his middle name. The governor who is loved by Nazis is immoral where TFG is "only" amoral. But I am splitting hairs, right?
DeSantis has 250 million in his war chest. Governor or not he is running for the big job. His ads are already pointing that way. If he is re-elected Governor forget any attention to our State-- his eyes are elsewhere. He is better educated than Trump but that only increases the depth of his ideological dysfunction. He is young, used to be " pretty" , has a photogenic ambitious wife and has no qualms about using his young children in his optics. He has grown increasingly more unhinged. Suspending State Attorney Andrew Warren was like a ref calling a pre- emptive foul on a player ( not for something he did but for something he thought he might do). If he continues his project of mandating Florida into a so-called " freedom" we will be living in a straight jacket.
My only hope is that people who produce slime often slip in it!!!!
Thank you for answering Bill’s question, Carol. Everything you said is exactly correct. I’ve been phone banking today. Busy. Just want primary to be done and see if Crist and Fried will join forces. I hope so. I also hope to see money pour in to Dem election fund for Guv and Senator. Lots of money.
Am early voting this morning. Christine, as TC is saying, the battle is on and has taken a turn. Thank you for all your work!!
We all need to be in high gear now. (I may have mentioned earlier that I was recruited to run in the Dem Primary for Congress in 1984 vs Bill Chappell ( Carol S. Granstrom). We were the underdog but T.K. Wetherall took me to lunch after it was over and said if I had had 2 more weeks we would have made Chappell very, very nervous!!!)
All to say, that there is a timing to all this and we cannot waste a minute or let up on the gas!!!
Wow. Yes. Inspiring me to work harder for our wonderful Dem candidate for Congress, Dr. Bob Lorinser. It's a huge district covering all of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the Tip of The Mitt. Yet, he will be hosting a meet & greet here in our little village Thursday eve. So, gotta make some calls & texts & emails &... Thanks Carol.
DeSantis may get the republican die-hard tricksters, but doubt that he will get the devoted cult nuts who love chump like they pretend to love God. Unless, of course, Rupert tells them to. Still will be uphill.
I agree Christine, which is why Democrats should be focusing on DeSatan and treat him like the Republicans treated Hillary. They could start with demonizing him for his neo-fascist authoritarianism. They should keep asking, do you want the country to become like Florida, and rattle off all the cruel and harmful policies he has inflicted and tried to inflict on Floridians. He is on the wrong side of every issue!
It is way past time for Democrats to give the Republicans a taste of their own medicine. Now is the time to lay the groundwork to cut the legs out from under this cruel autocrat. He is as far from what America stands for as anyone in the Republican Party, and that says a lot!
BTW, DeSatan is out campaigning for Trump candidates right now. If you make him a pariah, then you will also damage these candidates.
DeSatan is a soft target because he has no defense for his vile and ruthless tactics. It is time for Democrats to control the narrative.
Yes, and add Fox to that list. Never was there a maligned word about Trump when they didn't rush to the word salads to defend their sweetie. Rupert is down on him, but nevertheless they all are in lockstep to f-over the truth. Isn't there some law or way to stop this? Clearly they have some culpability a la Alex Jones. They too are instigators of great harm.
Watched the story unfold last evening on TV. MSNBC and CNN did a credible job with expert commentary, considering the absence of real details. I checked out Fox occasionally, where their misinformation and diversion machinery was in full swing. The order of the day there was to refer to it as a 'raid,' not the the enforcement of a court order, and it wasn't carried out by the Department of Justice via the FBI, but by Democrats. History, ultimately, will hold Fox accountable for the damage our democracy permits it to do to it. There is a tightrope between the protection the First Amendment provides and criminal activities such as those of which Alex Jones is accused. Fox teeters on that tightrope. (A good political cartoonist might someday picture the Attorney General slicing that tightrope and Fox tumbling into an abyss resembling the pit depicted in a painting by Hieronymus Bosch.)
At the very least we can be sure that TFG will never be in the White House again. A conviction would stop his rallies and spreading of disinformation, and we desperately need that ASAP.
I know, we don't yet know enough about the FBI's visit to the Trump home to draw sweeping conclusions, but I feel as if a weight has been lifted, and now I can breathe again.
It also appears that our long heat wave in central Italy has finally broken, and there is a cool breeze blowing in from the west. Good morning everyone!
It’s lovely, rainy and cool in Western India, where I live and work. I am a happy camper today with all the news form Heather and elsewhere on the net.
Hi David, I live in a small hamlet called Meherabad, Maharashtra, about 120 miles northeast of Bombay and 60 miles from Pune. Yes, monsoon arrived almost on time, but has been pretty good this year. I am a farmer living with a local Indian family. It’s an exciting way to enter the last third of my journey…..
Could it be we’re finally seeing TFG’s ending? It would be such a relief to know he’d never be able to hold an office in these United States again! Archivists are my new heroes!
In the case of Ahmaud Arbery, I hope this brings his family solace. The gall of them to hand over a video of them committing murder thinking it would absolve them all! Just a purely evil racist superiority on their part! Now they’re worried for their safety. How do they think Arbery felt?
How different our government landscape might look today had Nixon served a sentence! Deterrence indeed!
This hit my mailbox too soon in my evening (I prefer reading it with first cup of MORNING coffee!) and I’ve only read a few paragraphs. Anyway, yes I DO remember Heather’s admonishment about not messing with archivists, both in a letter and a fb discussion! I loved her description about the laws around documents and how they belong to us, the PEOPLE!!
This paragraph had me laughing out loud. Some things never change. Tfg will squeeze out the last penny of fundraising till the very last. Now it's all just a hilarious pathetic show. Go to prison trump and stop wasting our time.
Tonight, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is expressing outrage, the Fox News Channel is talking about Hunter Biden, and Trump’s base is calling for war, but Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is silent. For his part, Trump is fundraising off the executed search warrant.
It's more than preposterous of tfg to use the search warrant as a fundraising event; it's outrageous and scandalous that hundreds of thousands of 'Americans' (his fans) are still donating to him (or is the majority of the donors those grateful citizens that were beneficiaries of his tax laws?) "“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” – Albert Einstein
Everything he does is preposterous. This is the other side of the "We love you, you're very special" coin. This is "Poor me, my beautiful home attacked, ransacked! Love me, I'm very special, and I really need money to stay that way..."
tfg already misappropriated $ 250M of donations from people who thought he would need money for an "official election defense fund" - that fund never existed. Money went in big parts to family and friends and 'conservative' think tanks. Why don't people see through his lies and scams? he is the only one who committed election fraud. And like others in today's comments I am intrigued to know if the FBI found papers that reveal what tfg and putin talked about for two hours in one-on-one talks in Hamburg and Helsinki a few years ago; tfg reportedly confiscated the notes of the US interpreter ... I can't believe this 'person' is set to run for president of the USA again. That must not happen
And he publicly humiliated Ivana when he held a press conference to announce he was marrying his mistress Marla Maples. The man has no heart whatsoever.
I think someone needs to create a chart showing trump’s fundraising numbers after his actions and frame it as the grift it is. Ex-wife dies? Fundraise. Federal search warrant executed? Fundraise. And then show how the money is spent. What’s the ROI for the supporters ( beyond that warm blanket of “owning the Libs” )for “investing in trump”? Is “owning the Libs” worth that much of your discretionary income supporters? Really?!?! You will spend that much to “feel righteous”, but not for schools, roads, healthcare, air quality, food safety, etc, etc, etc.
Absolutely! And then give it a lot of prominence - Facebook, or other suitable channel to the gullible. The fuss over ex-wife is, or would be from anyone else, extremely bizarre. What to do with her that's not expensive? paint the coffin gold, bury her on the (his) golf course. One tiny bunch of flowers and her name. But why "Trump"? That was two marriages ago. Hers, not his. And I want to know when his court appearance has been rescheduled.
Just on the grift for “defending” his law suits. There was no there there….except into his bank account to the tune of $250 MILLION DOLLARS. No foundation, no organization, just his effing bank account. I am sure someone has done an analysis of his grifts. Starting when he conned the taxpayers of New York City to bankroll his first hotel renovation on 42nd St. The chickens will come home to roost….
Well, maybe he is so ashamed of “his” president, who he silently and not so silently, has supported all along, he is left speechless. He’s another grifter making money off the public through his political maneuvering. He came into congress with relatively little wealth and is now bloated with money and campaign funding, he and his crooked wife. These people all make me as sick as 45.
Maybe he's quietly priming his guns, after the trumpet blast a couple of days ago: " “Mitch doesn’t have a clue – he is sooo bad for the Republican Party!”
What initially struck me upon hearing the news of the FBI’s search of Trump’s Florida residence was that August 8th was the date nearly 50 years ago when President Richard Nixon was forced to resign the office of the Presidency because of the evidence of crimes that had been discovered by investigators.
Throughout the evening, I particularly was struck, contrary to today, that back in 1974 the Republican Party did not rise to protect President Nixon when evidence of crimes was revealed. Fast-forward to today’s political world, wherein the top Republican in the House of Representatives threatened AG Garland, intimating, when Republicans retake the House, that House subpoenas would be coming his way.
Could we possibly need further convincing that this fall, aside from running on their accomplishments, Democrats, up and down the ballot, need to amplify the opposing Party’s lack of regard for the rule of law, for the balance of powers, and, last but not least, for truth itself?
Yes, that really made me very sad. She fought so hard against her breast cancer for 30 years. I am a 2x BC survivor so this hit home for me. Olivia had it three times. May she be on a peaceful journey.
Sheri, the good news is destroying government documents, since they belong to US The People, will disqualify him from running for any office. I want his pension and secret service to be taken off the public dole as soon as possible. Such a welfare whore….
Prison for him. Start with the "Manhattan Detention Center" known as "the Tombs", then move his rear-end to Rikers Island (before it closes). Gift him Epsteins cage
Where is the translator’s transcript of the President Trump/Putin private meeting?
Have wondered that for years. Time for translator to start singing
Good question Ann. From the prior 15 boxes of documents that were taken back from tfg & delivered to the US Archives, the DOJ has a 100 page inventory of his stolen documents including confidential & top scret records. Let a grand jury see what was in Trumps locked safe instead of boxes in the "beautiful" Mar a Lago basement.
Bryan, I thought of you, along with Bone Spurs, early this morning, while we're on the Paper Trail. Now, we are really talking and searching for THE PAPER -- THE DOCUMENTS! See you later, Bryan.
FERN, you know I like the US code Section 2071 penalty, .... tfg would be barred from holding public office. Likely, the DOJ has a drafted complaint based on the15 boxes The FBI is searching for documents that prove criminal intent not more "love letters" from North Korea. "Don't mess with the Archivist." i admit it; I LOVE DOCUMENTS.
Of course, you nailed it, Bryan. Here's some more folks:
'Early reports that the F.B.I. search of former President Donald J. Trump’s residence in Florida related to an investigation into whether he had unlawfully taken government files when he left the White House focused attention on an obscure criminal law barring removal of official records. The penalties for breaking that law include disqualification from holding any federal office.'
'Because Mr. Trump is widely believed to be preparing to run for president again in 2024, that unusual penalty raised the prospect that he might be legally barred from returning to the White House.'
'Specifically, the law in question — Section 2071 of Title 18 of the United States Code — makes it a crime if someone who has custody of government documents or records “willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies or destroys” them.' (NYTimes) See gifted link below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/08/us/politics/donald-trump-president-criminal-law.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuomT1JKd6J17Vw1cRCfTTMQmqxCdw_PIxftm3iWka3DFDm4SiPkORJCH_0bRZKF4INc02T2fSJpdKqIqXLlq1OJEPkBgTRXtqYGFnZUDKiFwrYusGGMq2paHFZYJzQjXVEjrYuFu2O_4-BucLDm7BfDC1X0mJw9k8cB6Ilmp2WgPka_DDrVy2Nhh3fcnVZt_QTgDYXWLrOCoX0slQKiObRDY7gQyWe9LC3qEzZPHteV2IEgFAknGTXh__W829NpXXdsSN63_JBYkE9Hs1fRTUic7adf0WOBiAtTchL5osrXSqByTycvQx_s-F65cvLysoX8Uqhi5QGAu6ZELiCNe_amY&smid=url-share
Bryan, I know that you'll be back with more. You're more than a HOUND DOG but so glad you've got the bite we're looking for.
elvis presley-hound dog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQ8GDBA8Is
FERN, I have caught a rabbit or two in Court back when ....
What hat did you pull them from? I'm in the dark, Bryan, and don't like that, so, please elaborate.
Heard from a credible retired judge that US code could be superseded by Constitution which has only 2 requirements…born here and of a certain age (35?) Said if US code used would likely end up in courts forever ending finally at MAGA SCOTUS.
The toilet paper trail
🦓?
Sniffing all about for the papers Bone Spurs took. Bryan is an excellent legal papers/documents hound. Cannot wait to hear his bark.
Who let the dogs out?
🐕🙂
Can always use a good canine unit, Marypat.
"US officials said there is no detailed record, even in classified files, of Trump’s face-to-face interactions with the Russian leader at five locations over the past two years,” the Post reported."
Please keep in mind that within the State Department 'interpreters' and 'translators' serve different functions and follow different protocols. Interpreters work with spoken language and translators with
written texts. Their work procedures and work products are different.
"And the other reason is the kinds of notes that interpreters take in order to do consecutive interpretation differ radically from the kinds of notes that substantive officers take when they are the official note-takers. Our interpretation notes are based on our short-term memory. They're full of little symbols and squiggles and arrows.
Basically, what interpreters do when they're taking notes is they draw a kind of road map through the material they're hearing. They are immediately thereafter able to reconstruct this piece of material. But if you show them those notes in two or three weeks, their eyes would glaze over and say..."
https://www.state.gov/interpreting-ols/
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/interpreters-and-translators.htm
https://www.state.gov/about-us-ols/translating/
https://www.vox.com/world/2019/1/14/18182455/trump-russia-putin-notes-wapo-wsj
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-has-concealed-details-of-his-face-to-face-encounters-with-putin-from-senior-officials-in-administration/2019/01/12/65f6686c-1434-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/14/685276555/former-white-house-interpreter-weighs-in-on-possibility-of-subpoena
The fact that there is no official transcript of these meetings should be enough to charge him with dereliction of duty. Unprecedented and a clue to what was to come
It is my guess that there needed to be a stenographer to report (on a steno machine) the oral remarks in English made by tfg and the remarks made by Putin as orally interpreted by the interpreter. Then a written transcript (in English) is made by the stenographer for publication. That was my experience in the Carter days, but I have no memory of any one-on-one meetings like is being discussed here.
In my day, I was employed by a private firm who contracted out to the White House to perform the services of providing official transcripts. We worked inside the WH, but were not employees of the government. Makes for better transparency, don't you think?
Here's an interesting article about one WH stenographer that worked in the Obama administration as well as the beginning of 45's.
"We type up our transcripts from our audio, so it hasn't been tampered with and it not only goes to the press office, the press, but also the presidential archive," she says. "That's really important to have an accurate recording at all times, especially when the press is involved, just to make sure that we are recording the truth and that no one has complicated that."
https://www.krvs.org/2018-07-23/ex-white-house-stenographer-with-no-official-transcript-trump-can-muddle-the-truth
Since my day, audio recordings took the place of steno machines. And during Obama's administration, stenographers became part of the WH staff.
https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2014/01/obama-puts-stenographers-on-staff-182483
Trump's criminal conversations take place with Putin directly, and when he is on the golf course. No notes. Lindsay Graham went from Trump critic to Trump ass-kisser after one of those golf course meetings, which I assume involved blackmail.
Yes. Rumor has it one black robed judge retired early under similar circumstances.
Wow! Thanks for inside info Lynell!
You're welcome, MaryPat! Unless things have dramatically changed, it would not be the interpreters who would be making the official record. It's the stenographers.
Morning, Lynell!
Morning, Alexander!!
Fascinating!!!
Thanks, Ally...Morning!!
Morning Lynell. I’m just heading out to start another “help a friend move” event. This time I’m driving a 26 foot rental truck from Medford to Seattle.
Jeri:
The fact that the only people in the secret meeting were either russians or that russian spy, whooops..American president...should have been the subject of great concern to someone...it is obvious something bad occurred... yet no investigation...WTF!?
I can't imagine what people were thinking when he went behind closed doors with Putin. Even I did not like that and felt it was very fishy!
Jeri, hoping I'd see a post from you today! I am thinking that you need a Dark Brandon tshirt to wear at your assisted living facility!! :)
Seems that what you don't report to the IRS is as significant as what you do.
“ Basically, what interpreters do when they're taking notes is they draw a kind of road map through the material they're hearing. They are immediately thereafter able to reconstruct this piece of material.”
Your description was really helpful for me to understand how note-taking for these different purposes differs so greatly!
The quote is from the NPR interview cited in my comment: "Our next guest served 18 years as head of interpreters at the State Department. She was in the room interpreting when U.S. officials sat down with Fidel Castro, with Augusto Pinochet and many others Stephanie van Reigersberg, welcome to ALL THING CONSIDERED."
Burnt, shredded, flushed not very long after the meeting. Every translated word imprinted in the Presidential mind, every pressure of the Russian handshake treasured in memory.
Putin was counting on him, still is, I’ll wager
Trump was the best bet (for his agenda) Putin ever made.
Trump is Putin's wet dream for how to get back at Hillary, and for how to infiltrate and damage the U.S.
Ann and Jeri and others -- I have this dim recollection that tfg confiscated the translator's notes as the meeting ended. Something like that. So that nothing could go to the press. Part of this recollection is that there were no other witnesses in this meeting between tfg and Putin other than the translators/interpreters. Just 4 people? This is something we could hope that HCR could investigate. Or one of us, who has the time and dogged determination!!
I just replied to Patricia a few minutes ago, attaching a sample of Putin speaking very good English.
That's my recollection as well, that he took the notes....or perhaps that he allowed no note taking. I believe we knew that within a day or two of the meeting.
I believe he took her notes....
Yeah... She needs to be checking her brake lines.
In the toilet
Yup
Great question! I'm sure the DOJ is asking the same and searching, searching. It might have been flushed.
I'm imagining a political cartoon of Trump caught flushing the Constitution down the toilet.
Flushed with pride (hubris).
That transcript was burned, or ripped up and flushed, on-site in Helsinki, I expect.
Where is that translator!?
I believe the reports on that meeting have indicated that Trump excluded any others form that meeting. It was Trump, Putin, and Putin's translator. I wish I could remember which of several sources reported that...
Good morning everyone. I'm reading over all the comments and the replies to the comments and reports of what various sources and personal recollections suggest, and my first thought is the wish that we had, somewhere, a journalist or researcher to map all this out so we at least had a more or less solid summary of who has written about this, how many completely different opinions or pieces of evidence we have for how many crimes. I'd be interested to know, for instance, which of the mainstream media, have similar evidence and take similar positions on yesterday's search of Trump's basement and safe.
Failing something like a summary, I would have to say that, although reading about what has seemed a slow, tedious process, has tried my patience, Professor Richardson's Letter today makes it clear that it's producing results. I hope that's right.
Both the Washington Post and New your times have had recent columns listing the administration's accomplishments. Check out some of the opinion columnists like Jennifer Rubin. Also check out the comments section (but this can be laborious and require a thick skin).
This is a piece by Paul Waldman from yesterday:
https://wapo.st/3SCsyiE
And this is one of the comments:
Borrowed from another poster. All in a little more than 18 months.
And now more Democrats accomplishments
Thank You President Biden
* Reversal of Trump Executive Orders
* American Rescue Plan
* 500 Million Covid-19 Vaccine Shots
* Added 9 Million jobs
* 5% GDP during his first year
* Reduced $380 Billion, a record amount, from the deficit in his first year
* Greatest and Fastest Economic Recovery in History
* Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
* Climate Change and emissions Executive Orders
* Expanded Affordable Care Act to 5 Million new customers
* Nominated and Confirmed a Historic rate of Judges
* Nominated and Confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court
* Largest increase in Manufacturing Jobs in 30 years
* CHIPs Bill
* Made Juneteenth a National Holiday
* Restored the Violence Against Women Act
* 3.5% Unemployment with lowest jobless claims in 50 years
* Over 50 days straight of dropping gas prices
* Estimated Deficit Reduction of $1.7 Trillion for 2nd Year
* Lowest Child Poverty rate in history
* Allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices
* $380 Billion investment in Clean Energy
* $30 Billion in support of Ukraine against Russia
* Renewed Veterans Burn Pit Healthcare bill
* Killing Al Qaeda #1 Ayman Al-Zawahiri
* Implemented Firearms and Gun Safety Bill
Do you know I did something this year I never, ever would have imagined. I cancelled my subscription to the NYTimes. My news sources at this moment are Letters from an American, Robert Hubbell's Newsletter, the Washington Post occasionally when I can read it without getting myself into a state over either their misleading headlines or the kinds of errors in grammar, usage, and just plain typos that indicate they save money by doing away with editors and proofreaders. Oh, and I confess to actually subscribing to the quirky, fascinating, intelligent slate.com. I have no idea what any of that information has to do with your comment, John. You're right about Jennifer Rubin. I got disgusted by the Times doing what all the mainstream media do--absolutely creating the news. I got especially miffed at the Times because their writers are the best in the business and so do the best job of manipulating our thought-life.
Here endeth the First Lesson. And clearly time for my afternoon tea.
I ended my NYT subscription, too, keep the Atlantic. Forgot about Slate. May be a good substitute. I like quirky!
I kept The New Yorker. I have found, over many years, back when the magazines were piling up in corners, that I can't live without it. The writing is so good that I will read articles on subjects that are of no interest to me just because of the writing. When I taught a senior elective that I called something like "The personal and Social Essay" (not quite right) our "text books" were The New Yorker; Newsweek (before they changed their format to Faux People Magazine) when there were essays; a couple ;of volumes of Joan Didion's essays. The essay assignment the students said was the hardest thing they'd ever had to write. First, we read a lot of movie reviews in The New Yorker (which, as I'll bet you know, are fully developed essays), then we took 3 or four class periods to watch a film, "LA Confidential." Everybody loved the movie until I told them the assignment. Write a review of the movie in the style of a New Yorker review. They moaned, they groaned. Then they got together several times on the weekend to watch the movie again, taking notes and talking about it. Then they wrote the reviews. Best set of essays I've ever gotten from a class. I love Slate. The serious articles are top quality and, if the news becomes too much, one can always read Dear Prudence.
That's a good one to vet, Patricia. Haven't heard it before. Wouldn't surprise me. There are a few supremely good investigative reporters who might be on to this who subject now.
Yes, that's it, Patricia.
It is usually the little violations that catch big criminals. Mobsters for tax evasion, politicians for small bribes-gifts, etc. Perhaps because the big crimes are carefully covered up so smaller crimes become tedious de rigueur? Archival documents is a nice clean black and white factual crime to puncture the festering boil Trump's criminality. Ha ha The Plumbers make a cameo appearance both in Watergate and Trump's Toiletgate!
My laugh for the day
"Toiletgate!" 1st prize!
Second prize goes to “festering boil of Trump’s criminality “. The visual works for me, but not a great way to start the day.
Agreed. I have always seen him as a festering cancer spreading throughout the government and country.
Hopefully, we all can recover fully from having been infected (and affected) by that lethal cancer! Indictment, speedy trial, and "Guilty of all charges" verdict will help!
I am hoping a good indictment lances the boil...but you are right, his acolytes are akin to metastatic cancer.
From West (Wing) Flushing.
Great Pun!
Quite a remarkable news day. I admire how you highlighted the themes of accountability and deterrence, especially with the comparison of Nixon and now Trump all these years later. While Nixon skated, at least Trump is on a path — or more like an interstate highway — to justice.
I had an impromptu sidewalk chat with neighbors this evening about the Mar a Lago news. I observed that a former president's residence was searched by the FBI for the first time in our history, and we weren't revved up by the news. That's how jaded and difficult to shock we've become when it comes to Trump, and today's chat surely was at least the hundredth time we've talked about him and what he's done to the country.
Of course if he's convicted of some of his many crimes, we'll meet on the corner and with all who stroll by and probably high-five each other, then break out drinks.
I like that, Michael: “…..at least Trump is on a path—or more like an interstate highway—to justice.”
I’ll be toasting with you and your neighbors when he’s convicted of some of his many crimes. We can only hope he will be convicted of all of them eventually.
Trump is done. Get ready for DeSantis. It’s been their plan for months.
And De Satin is much worse. Smarter (although it wouldn’t take much) than Rump, and maybe more politically established (although I don’t know why). He is a Mussolini wannabe. Taking everyone’s rights away and enjoying every minute that gives him more power. I live in blue state Oregon and perceive threat from him. I hope he is voted out Christine. 💙💛
Karen, It appears that Andrew Warren is out to expose DeSantis. He's entered the political ring with the aim to get the governor on the ropes. What do you think?
'This should concern everyone' | Warren plans to fight his Hillsborough state attorney suspension.'
'Andrew Warren said he plans to fight his suspension in court and, if necessary, in the Florida Senate.'
'TAMPA, Fla. — Suspended Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said he was escorted from his office by armed security last week in a move he likened to a third-world political coup.'
'He said he plans to fight his suspension in court and, if necessary, in the Florida Senate.'
'Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Warren had been neglectful in his duty and showed incompetence when it came to prosecuting certain crimes and criminals.'
'But Warren said crime statistics show otherwise.'
'Warren said the move was purely political since he has publicly said he’d oppose prosecuting cases against women and doctors who violate the state’s 15-week abortion law.'
'That law is still being challenged in the courts.'
“It doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat, Republican or libertarian. Everybody should be outraged. Everybody. This is not how our democracy works,” Warren said. “If the governor, the king, can just throw out elected officials, what’s the point of having elections? This is what happens in Venezuela and in Russia - and in North Korea. This is not democracy. This is not America.' (WTSP-TV)
Yes. Judge Warren the elected prosecutor in Tampa. He is a tough but fair judge. His statement of not prosecuting the abortion cases is that FL’s “new” law is is still under review. DeSantis made a tactical blunder doing this because he is an elected, not appointed, official and people are very irate about this. Tampa is a major urban area and Desantis wants to flex his authoritarian muscle in the major Florida cities.
Stay tuned. This is going to be a fight that I do not think DeSantis can win.
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Wow!!!
Thank you Fern. I am appalled at de Santis and his authoritarian over reach. What ever I can do to support Andrew Warren I will do.
Karen, Thank you. I believe we are very close together and that includes our opinions of DeSantis. Yes, Floridians experience his cruelty most directly, however, Ron DeSantis' character and political philosophy are inhumane and autocratic. He is a danger to us all.
❤️
Karen, fight back. That is all we have, our wits, our voices and our VOTES.
Yes, and he’s getting ready to whip up the base..
“The Republican Florida governor later this month is hosting a series of rallies with conservative education group Turning Point Action to boost campaigns for Arizona Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters and the state’s GOP nominee for governor, Kari Lake; Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance; and Pennsylvania’s GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, who was at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/08/desantis-headline-gop-rallies-00050337
I’m not sure today is the day I can even speak about Turning Point USA and Hillsdale College. Suffice to say that I have not spoken to an educator who is not deeply offended and insulted as a professional educator in the State of Florida for being casually branded as a groomer of children for devious outcomes. It is beyond anything I’ve ever seen in public education. Especially because of the heroic effort of teachers during COVid lockdowns when they were expected to perform miracles to keep the common good intact. Which they did. I have a hundred stories if not more of teachers that deserve credit and recognition, not scorn and censorship by the Governor and former and present commissioners of eduction. I’ll give them a grooming at the woodshed after the can of whoop ass is fully opened.
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Agree. He's dead man walking.
Trump's political future ended on Jan. 6, or at least that day signaled the impending end. And Republican leaders, who fear him, have kept fawning over him publicly all while big money interests have been turning to DeSantis and some others.
DeSantis is the most dangerous politician of my lifetime. And I say that after seeing the damage Trump wrought. But he also has as much charisma as my big toe.
Joseph McCarthy was the worst in my lifetime. Tricky Dick was really bad, but the repugnants pardoned him. We must stay focused. DeSantis is a creep, bully and fascist, frankly. Let’s fight with all we’ve got!
But has this ever really been about his “political” future? Or is it more about his “stay out of jail” future, and his “Fundraising-4-Me” future? “Politics” was just the tangential con, a means to an end, the ripe hustle. It played to his every exploitive instinct.
Yes, your big toe is the winner there. Chump has the cult idiots, but DeSantis has the evil ideologues
He is as vile as Abbott. Probably smarter, but Texas has that trifecta of evil - Abbott, Patrick, and Paxton.
Add Cruz and Cornyn
And not a one of them is worth the gunpowder to blast them to Hell.
I read last evening that Texas is dumping busloads of migrants in NYC. That evil trifecta just keeps running its own nation.
...and apparently this has been going on for months? If true, where's the media on this?
We could use a busfull of people eager to work. One of the reasons that businesses can't find help is the curtailment of immigration. Our small business of 24 employees, pre-pandemic, is at 19. The manager of our neighborhood Safeway said that their staffing is short 30%. Most repubs are all show no substance. Facts point to the need for well regulated immigration policies.
Know anyone looking for a PT/FT job in Denver?!
We’ll come for DeSantis too. Don’t you worry your pretty little head….
And the last thing we want is DeSantis.
That is 1000% correct, Sister Linda.
Am early voting today. Crist , if he wins the Primary, needs to hammer home that DeSantis has only one thing on his mind--running for President. If he is re-elected Governor he will see that as his first vote of approval to be President and he will continue to use Florida as his springboard to that. Having mandated non mandates to death here he will emerge from the Florida debris with face fixed firmly on DC. You are so right! DeSantis is the " new Trump"! Exponentially more dangerous ( if that is possible given all that is being revealed!).
I’m hoping DeSantis is too smarmy for real Republicans to stomach. I mean, real Republicans who have come to the realization trump was terrible for our country. ( not many of them, unfortunately) I’m also hoping trump’s minions write him in on the ballot if the GOP nominated DeSantis…split their vote and water it down.
Did DeSantis participate/attend the CPAC boogaloo?
Allow me to provide a hint, Kim.
Abso-f*ckinglutely. Pushing his Turning Points USA rallies upcoming and his fascist education agenda. If he says CRT or “Don’t Say Gay” one more time, people might vote him off the planet.
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The sequel sucks.
It will be a single malt neat for me.
and pour me a double single malt neat with a Champagne chaser
I hadn't thought of that.
I envy you that you live in a neighborhood with like-minded neighbors. I dare not speak of anything political in my red neighborhood, or indeed, in my township. Heck, I can’t even mention anything with most of my friends. It makes me feel very isolated.
Cathy, talk to US. Talk to anyone in this group that you feel comfortable with. We are there for each other. That is why I love Heather and all she is doing to help educate us and shore up what we already believe: human decency and the dignity of all people to pursue happiness and what we all want in life.
Elisabeth has an excellent point. We are a Community here. Good people that look out for each other. I'm sure most of us would give you their email if you were more comfortable discussing issues in that way. I would hate that you didn't feel like you could speak freely.
Here is my email for anyone in our group. lbailey007.lb@gmail.com
My door is always open.
That does sound very isolating, so sorry. We live in a 55+ community and have a like-minded circle who come back (AZ) every winter; year-round residents are redder and more vocal but I have a friend, more outgoing than me, who sometimes whispers to me, “I found another one of our people”. We’re out there, just quieter!
Carol, had to smile at " found another one of our people". That is how it is in my little neighborhood. We are quietly identifying our clan. There are only a handful at the moment. I cannot even safely put out yard signs-- that is how bad it is. One lady told me I was a nice person but that something was wrong with my brain!!
I have an OMG GOP WTF sticker on my car. The joy I feel when someone sidles up and says “ I like your sticker”.
Bless her heart! During the 2020 election a dem activist up the street gave me some Biden-Harris yard signs..then another popped up…and another. A sight to behold
I’m sure there are some in my Fl neighborhood who believe “something is wrong with my brain.” I’m literally surrounded by Trump voters but also finding some of the “quieter” ones during early morning walks with my four-legged.
Yard Sign ✔️Bumper Sticker✔️T-shirt✔️ Didn’t Believe I’d Ever Go There ✔️
Volunteering for a woman 👏candidate seeking to oust our much entrenched US House, Freedom Caucus, Trump -endorsed Rep .
So far, so good…although I’ll keep you posted if my “ Comstitutional” Sherriff comes knocking on my door.😜
I’m sure you’re already on a watchlist of some kind!
When you are together soon, play this and decide when you are going to get loud and shock a few people out of their red pants. https://youtu.be/Q91hydQRGyM
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I face the same, Cathy. This group keeps me sane and ready to fight another day. My reputation though is not for keeping my opinions to myself. *smirk*
LOL.
I hope you can consider us a “surrogate neighborhood”. I understand the isolation, only mine was in my professional environment (I was a liberal cop). Reach out any time here.
Thank you, Ally! I absolutely think of everyone here as my “neighborhood” and I am so grateful that I found Heather, and all of you. Every day when I come here I recognize the names of commenters and feel you are all now my friends. I don’t know what I would do without you. ❤️
I am glad you are here Cathy. Ally who lives in Oregon like me is now a Facebook friends. We are lucky in that our friends are all like us and we have wonderful neighbors in back of us who share our views. The others close by that we know are Rs, but did not vote for death star. The former R pol next door is now an I. He can't stand the current R party. Across the street we have a D wife who comes over now and then to talk politics and a R husband who is a jerk. I am sure further afield in the area are some who would happily shoot us for our political views. Btw, I went to undergrad in western Michigan, Kalamazoo College. My grandparents lived in Conklin, then a small farm town west of Grand Rapids. My family were all Rs, but I managed to get past that.
My son & daughter-in law went to Western! Great school!
We had a joke....first at K, then at Western, and then to the state mental institution. Climbing the hills, so to speak.
We feel the same about you, Cathy. I am always ready to talk turkey….
Hey, Neighbor! (From up the road in Interlochen).
Honestly Ally, can we figure out how to be neighbors? I love your spirit.
🗽💜
That would be so cool!!
I feel your pain. I have found a small group in my rural county that is like minded and we rally together on FB and every so often for potluck gatherings. It helps us all to vent.
We volunteer for Oregon State Parks in the summer and go to southern Arizona for the winter.
Oregon is a blue state, but has red spots and the east side is red. Arizona is a red state but Tucson and Nogales are blue spots.
My point is that the US is a mixture and we have found, even without a secret handshake, like-minded people everywhere. Here in the west the elderly are often the most progressive.
Cathy I live in a Michigan neighborhood of mostly like-minded (Biden) folks, but our one Proud Boy has cow towed us so much that none of us put up signs. We say we know who NOT to vote for that way.
Do you want me to come up there and put them up? LOL!
🗽💜
Christine, wait a minute, I'll get my car keys. We'll go fix this.
I want you to come up and enjoy our Traverse City wine, beer, mead, fudge, cherries, peaches and beaches! And help me put up candidate signs on major country roads (sounds like an oxymoron, but we get a couple million tourists)! Then climb The Dunes, swim at Good Harbor, canoe The Platte and finish up with dinner at The Cabbage Shed!
When I come to that neck of the woods, it’s to visit my cousins who have summer property on Crystal Lake! Gorgeous! As a kid, we vacayed on Lake Charlevoix.
I love The Dunes. Always a strange phenomena to me. First time I went there, I pretended I was in the desert on an Indiana Jones type adventure.
Salud, MaryPat. 🗽💜
Crystal Lake IS gorgeous! Was there Saturday. Lake Charlevoix is wonderful, too. An the dunes are the best babysitter in the world. "Gramma, Gramma watch this!" So glad you know this area!
Oh, and music to beat the band!
Why do you let ANYONE “cow tow” you? Fight the good fight!
There's the guns, the mental illness, the chainsaw. We are all nice.
💞
Oh lordy that's hard
Not surprising at all 👌
You can talk to us!
Thanks Rosalind! It really helps!
I think of you, Cathy, and MaryPat when touring the west coast of Michigan. Sending good vibes your way!
💙💜❤
Thanks Wendy! And isn't our west coast magnificent!! We never take it for granted. Enjoyed some body surfing at Elberta Beach last week with grandkids. Felt 7 instead if 70!!
Absolutely beautiful! I'm from Detroit then NW suburbs, now Denver. Been all along the West coast. Most recently got lost going from St. Helen to Ludington State Park. Google maps took us on sandy back roads. 'Hey Rich! Stop turning left!!!' Each trip I discover someplace new or revisit the old. Went through Manistee and saw a canoe launch from my youth. I'm 69 and will look for a surfing sister next time we visit the 'west.'
St. Helen middle of nowhere Blue Gill Capitol of the World!! Best tasting fish anywhere! My job (until pandemic) took me through all those beautiful places. That "discovery" is so fun (as long as you have GPS signal!). So glad you still get back to explore and enjoy it. I've only been back to Denver once since we lived there in Northglenn in the early 80's. We wanted to be sure our kids got to feel the majesty of the mountains, and enjoy Estes Park and elk and The Corn Palace, of course.
Who needs GPS? I don't have it in my car - I expect I could use it on my phone but... I love DeLorme road atlases. They include many tertiary unpaved roads and have provided me quite a few interesting shortcuts between here and there.
Sounds like a wonderful job to have in Michigan. Or Colorado! Our paths may have crossed in many places. And now HCR!
Woohoo, wild child. Love you.
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💃
Yes- when and if Trump is finally called to account, it will be a day of great celebration. His ability to avoid consequences has been harmful to the morale of Americans and all those who have believed that America was not just the most powerful country in the world but a country that stood up for democracy.
Hi Michael - "Of course if he's convicted of some of his many crimes, we'll meet on the corner and with all who stroll by and probably high-five each other, then break out drinks." I wish I lived in a place like that. In my neighborhood it would be much more likely that my neighbor would have flared nostrils and rage in his/her heart, ready to break out the AR-15, that their beloved ex-leader is being unfairly maligned by the leftist commie government currently in charge. And, in the coming civil war (they think), that I would be on the wrong side and therefore subject to who knows what. That of course would not be said outright - they are more civil than that - but certainly thought. Like Rick (voldemort) Scott says - we are evil.
Love that you call “RedTide Rick” Scott « VOLDEMORT » !!! He is indeed evil, he made his money by stealing from Medicare & pled the 5th. His contest with Bill Nelson, who cares about Florida, was close & had a recount. Scott needs to be voted out, but since he’s not up for it this time, let’s say “Adios!” to skeevy Marco Rubio, who hates to work for Florida.
ABSOLUTELY! I say” shut the f up every time Voldemort opens his Skeltor mouth.
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At least the DOJ is making sure that the AR-15 club's rabid leaders are in jail before tRump is indicted. Now to get Faux newsleaders and other media inciters deprived of their megaphones.
A resource I find really valuable is Cathy Learoyd who responds on these pages and is President of Texas Hill Country League of Women Voters. As discouraging as the political reality in your state is, they have been able to do some exciting things like registering high school students to vote, and teaching them how to research candidates. Every little bit helps.
She is terrific via Zoom for our "Heather's Herd" meetings the 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month, 1 pm - 2:30. If you are interested, let Cathy L know when you see her comments here, or Ellie Kona or Annette in FL. They have a way to share emails here without alerting a few thousand others on the site. Really helpful. I've had to miss a few meetings with grandkids visits, but can pick right up again whenever it works for me. All The Best!
HUGS, Suz. And, sadly, your predictions may be more accurate than mine. Russia has armed American cowboys (and cowgirls), and tRump has fed them Nazi gruel for 5 years. But there is reason to hope. My drugs include a Michigan Democratic Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State (in a formerly red state), a fair redistricting last year, and some of the best wine, beer and mead in the country, all within 30 miles!
P.S. We women worked really hard to get those 3 women elected, and the redistricting petition passed.
Of course! This is so obvious why the FBI searched Bozo's house today. I just realized this after listening to all the pundits yammering. None of them see it. Garland is brilliant. This will be the easiest charge to get a conviction on. No weaseling out of it, no lying or obtuse legal theories. It's so clear. The MOST important thing for Garland to accomplish is to make sure that Bozo can never again run for public office. The federal records act says that anyone who steals, destroys, yada yada yada public records shall be subject to max 3 years of jail time and/or a fine "**AND SHALL FORFEIT HIS OFFICE AND BE DISQUALIFIED FROM HOLDING ANY OFFICE UNDER THE UNITED STATES.**” . There it is.
Was he told not to take or destroy the documents? Yes and there is incontrovertible evidence to support that. Did the archivist demand their return and did he not return them all? Yes and there is incontrovertible evidence to support that. Did he destroy documents? Yes and there is incontrovertible evidence to support that. Did the FBI find some of those documents at his home? We have to assume so otherwise why raid it today. So yes and there is incontrovertible evidence to support that.
There you have it. A slam dunk guilty verdict and whether they ever send him to jail or not, he can never run for president or anything else ever again. Garland had 1 job. This is it. Sure, I suspect he'll go after him for the other stuff and so will Georgia and New York, but those are far more dicey to get a full conviction. But if he can nail him on this one little thing, he's done what he needs to do to save the country.
Remember, Al Capone was jailed for tax evasion.
Brilliant!
Andrea Please note- what the FBI did was execute a search warrant, not conduct a “raid.” As always, language matters and Twitter last night was full of fake outrage over this. Not a raid. A legal search with credible evidence to look for of possible criminal activity. If we use the proper terminology too, we can take some of the wind out of their sails.
You are absolutely spot on regarding Garland’s brilliance. Nail Trump on mishandling of Presidential documents. Take him out of the running permanently. Make him irrelevant. Then convict him. And make it impossible for him to fundraise. If he can’t run for office, he’ll lose his followers eventually but if he’s in jail, he lose so much more. Fingers crossed!
You are quite right about the terminology. I wrote it in the heat of the moment and should have been more precise. As George Lakoff teaches, framing is critical. I’ll correct it.
😎 Perfect!! ( and I totally get that “heat of the moment” thing. Happens to me every day.... want that man in jail SO bad....)
I wouldn’t worry so much about this. I’ve heard “raid” used to describe perfectly legal searches before without anyone raising an eyebrow. I T does, however, have a connotation of pirates seizing a ship.
The FBI would prefer we not use the word "raid" when they are "executing a search warrant" which is not a surprise.
Ah, I love that name: George Lakoff!
But Sheila and Andrea, we still have to worry about his 70 million idiot followers….he will be irrelevant, but they won’t! I am still shocked to see the threats and violence promised by MAGAS. They have proven they are violent, are armed to the teeth and hate most of their fellow citizens, especially if they voted for Biden or anyone other than 45. They are killing our Black citizens, Jewish citizens and will continue to behave this way unless we get guns really banned in our society. I, personally, am coming for their guns!
Elisabeth, make that less than 70 mil. Remember that Trump’s lies and the withholding of masks and medicines, caused 1 million+ to die.
Marlene, I kept track of the covid deaths through The NY Times website. It was a devastating reality check about how bad T really was. He literally caused the death of those million + people through his inaction and gaslighting. OMG
Elisabeth, I personally know two tRump voters who finally saw the light. Have faith.
As frequent commenter, Jeri, points out--some of those MAGAs are the (her quote) "old crone" living at her assisted living facility.
I lived in upstate New York (near Woodstock!) during the pandemic. I saw so many magats in their big trucks and American flags waving as they ran around town shouting about the stolen election, I lost faith in their ability to be decent people. They hated the vaccines, did not get vaccinated, were angry about mask mandates (all the supermarkets insisted) and so on. It really showed me a different “America” than the one I grew up in. I lived in Florida when T was elected and discovered all my condo neighbors were Trumpers. I sold the place and left. I was married to an Indian man and felt their racism when we were never invited for parties or drinks at the pool. It’s bad out there, but I want to work for a better day for our children and grandchildren. It’s worth it to me to fight this backwardness in the US.
Can’t ❤️ but how horrible for you and your family! I honor your fight against the dumb, the ignorant, the dangerous in our society. Have been fighting against injustices for over 50 years. It’s worth it.
Do it Sister! We are a massive groundswell happening! Can you feel it?
Unita. 🗽
A Quartz Report claims that "Perhaps 60% of Trump's Twitter Followers are Fake" based on an algorythm for identifying hoaxes.
I wish someone would verify this factoid. Everything Trump does is Fake. He is a shining example of fake. Though maybe “shining” is the wrong adjective to use about someone so without any lightl
Dark Asshole.
In the law enforcement realm a raid is viewed as a type of search warrant service where there are additional elements of search warrant execution to consider or question: is the evidence easily destroyed; is/are the person/s present a safety/escape risk; are there factors about the residence itself that must be considered?
I’d liken a raid to be a dangerous environment for execution of the search warrant.
Wikipedia told me this “ A police raid or razzia[1] is an unexpected visit by police or other law-enforcement officers, often in the early morning or late at night, with the aim of using the element of surprise in an attempt to arrest suspects believed to be likely to hide evidence, resist arrest, be politically sensitive, or simply be elsewhere during the day.” (razzia is is a military term)
I think there are elements of using the term “raid” by the target of the search warrant that reveal the nature of the person served.
I changed the wording. I will point out that whenever the FBI searches or raids a building, there is always a legally executed search warrant in place before they do it - or there should be. The only difference between a search and a raid is the level of force involved.
Thank you, Andrea! Great summation of which I believe will be true. I would get greater satisfaction if he is indicted and serves a prison sentence. That would be the icing on the cake.
That would be “the cake” Marlene. The whole effing cake.
That’s the most hopeful summation of yesterday’s actions I’ve read. You narrowed it down to something realistic and have given me real hope. I couldn’t wait for Heather’s letter and all your comments. Both are needed to round out the news. Thank you all!
I agree!!!
Agree completely , the crime and physical evidence are crystal clear , with the chances of conviction being very high. We all saw photos of the 15 boxes and now the FBI took even more. Could there be something else going on at DOJ that we do not even know about?
I agree with everything you wrote in your comment, Andrea. I think, though, that there may be something incriminating in those documents that TFG may be very worried about.
I agree. I would not be surprised if he hung on to them for criminal use - extortion, blackmail, sale to foreign powers, even just sale to private collectors. Or because they implicate him in criminal acts. But I suspect the former because if the latter, why not just destroy them.
Yes, why not destroy them? That’s what toilets are for, n’est ce pas?
He tried. He really tried!
Not really “one little thing”. Wait til we see what he stole! His Achilles Heel….all based on his greed, dishonesty, desperation to be a dictator. How wonderful this day is.
Yes Andrea. First day I’ve not read any Garland bashing on this forum. A great Attorney General and I thank him for taking precious time to clean up the department. Especially knowing what we know now. I really envision him on the Supreme Court before the end of President Biden’s term.
VOTE BLUE in the on and upcoming massive blue wave.
🗽
I think this was Garland's destiny. We already knew him because of the SCOTUS hearings, and he would have been (and may still become) one of our best Supreme Court Judges in history. But his experience with the big Oklahoma City bombing case has served him and us very well over the past year. He's doing this right.
tRump is being Al Caponed!
I love it!
Brilliant, yes. Bbbut, first "Bozo" must go before a judge and be found guilty. I don't see that happening anytime soon, much less before 2028. Until then he'll just continue to prance around with all his neo-confederates. My personal hope is that he shits-the-bed.
I hope he dies way before 2028 and before 2024 if God is in His heaven looking down on the sorry state of affairs in his Garden of Eden.
Republicans, whom I will now call Neo-Confederates, complain that the January 6 committee is one sided and Trump hasn't had a chance to tell his side. Of course he's done little else since Jan 7. But of course never under oath. By his choice.
Mueller, following his colleague, friend, and fellow Republican Bill Barr's lead, never called Trump to testify under oath, and it prevented his committee from finding evidence of intent and therefore of collusion.
Trump is preparing to testify in NY. Now this. He may be brought to justice yet.
Yes, and this morning I was wondering what happened to the Deutschebank scandal? He owes them some $400 million in loans? It’s all so juicy….
In the back of my mind all the time. Also as it relates to our vacated SC seat.
Especially this!
Which SC seat?
With all the money tfg has raised off of his impeachment, J6 and the subsequent hearing and now the FBI raid, he’s raised enough funds to pay off his loan with Deutschmark bank. But, has he done that?
I use the term neo-confederacy to describe the current government of Missouri, which I recently left after nearly 50 years living there. I think it accurately describes the situation.
Parallel development! I hope it catches on. A new take on
NeoCons.
I bet it felt wonderful to leave Missouri behind. Same for me as we left Texas this year, and I was born there. Only people on the other side of the aisle questioned (with disbelief) our decision to leave. Everyone else knew exactly why chose to escape.
Escape.😔
Neo-Confederates-wonderful! Trumpanzies- Politicians who embrace the Big Lie! Any further additions to The Urban Dictionary-MAGA edition?
I used the word “trumpetry” in a comment yesterday referring to CPAC blither and blather speeches given there. Usual meaning is “blaring sounds of trumpets”. I’d say there is now a MAGA edition def for that word. He puts a smirch on the sweet sound of that instrument.
And lately I do not use definitions such as Neo-Confederates, albeit the accuracy of the words. I’m at the point of “flaming treasonous as*holes” to coincide with trump’s flushing fetish. And McCarthy can join him.
🗽
Found this somewhere “trumpery, n.…1. Deceit, fraud; 2. Anything calculated to deceive by false show; anything externally splendid but intrinsically of little value, worthless finery; 3. Things worn out and of no value, useless matter, trifles, rubbish, nonsense. Trumpery, a….trifling, showy, but worthless, trashy, paltry.”
Never found a better description. Apparently from an old dictionary…
Jeri Chilcutt -- "Found this somewhere “trumpery, n.…1. Deceit, fraud; ..."
In case you need a source to cite: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/definition-of-trumpery/
𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 [𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱] 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 1400𝘴
Also interesting:
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘋𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘧, 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 — 𝘵𝘰 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴’ 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 — 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘵.
😏
That sounds like the right definition for a version of Trump. Hope to see it in a campaign ad against a candidate for fascism. Like Kari Lake in Arizona.
Salud, Jeri. 🗽
For those of us of a certain age, we used the word "crapola" in place of trumpery. I can't tell you how many times I have asked a Trump supporter - Can you not see that Trump is full of crap???
Oh this definition is PRICELESS! I’m copying and pasting it!
Love this. Thanks.
I guess 10-15 flushes Trump complained about would be needed if one is trying to flush a big wad of torn up documents.
I’ll go with the flaming, treasonous assholes….
Perfect!!
I take issue with the phrase “trumpanzies “ as it is an egregious slander to chimpanzees. ;)
You beat me to it, Michele. But I made the same comment….
Someone coined American Taliban the other day. Has a nice ring to it.
Neal Stephenson used that term to refer to American Christian isolationists in Montana in his book "Fall," an excellent book that describes the continuing "arc" of politics in the U.S. of A. as part of a long, very well realized, sci-fi story. The nuclear attack on Moab, Utah, is priceless!
Just don’t insult chimpanzees….my only quibble with your Urban Dictionry….
🤭😂🤣
I didn't say it yesterday but, I too like your term "Neo-Confederates" as a replacement for "conservatives" although I'm not sure that it even requires the prefix "Neo" as they still believe in the same as the original Confederates did,....white supremacy and minority rule.
Garland came through today and took the bold step needed. Chump true to form is using all the terms he has woven into his maga-cult over recent years to incite and call his "troops" into action. There may indeed be violence but, we are still watching the unravelling of a major political party caught in their very own Faustian-bargain as McCarthy, Lapdog Lindsey, their Faux "news" channel and entire deranged cult are forced into publicly backing TFG who could ironically leave them all and very well be a flight risk at this point. Even DeSepsis is using the moment.
TFG has spent years cultivating his base of victims thru rallies and endless lies for this moment believing that their violence (that "he alone" can unleash) will save him. But, interestingly the slow wheels of our system of laws has Bannon about to "flood his own zone (cell)", Alex Jones has been at least partially neutered and even Manafart is using his felonies to grift. The writers of Virgin River couldn't even weave and connect this many dramas.
DeSepsis! My new fave!
My beach (sanity) reads for the summer are actual beach stories, by the same VR writers, but don't tell anyone.
I prefer "Christofascists" myself....
Neo-Confederates - very good. But Trump has been "telling his side" since he started to run the first time, hasn't he?
Christofascists, though Nazis pretty much nails it.
Between now and Trump’s indictment and trial, we must expect MAGA partisans to “flood the zone “ with every sort of lie and fill in all the unknowns with self serving deceptions.
Be ready to question everything they say.
No. They question and degrade and deflect every single true thing said about them. I plan on continuing to support every fact revealed. And then tell them “f*ck you and the horse you rode in on”. I will not be on the defensive any longer in discussions politically tinged.
Screw their flooding. Especially Tuckems hysteria laugh and pie hole blather. Cheap theater.
Looking forward to putting every campaign sign for every candidate who is for Democracy snugly in the yards all over this fall. Hmmmph.
Salud, Jim. 🗽
I agree. We must not be on the defensive. We know their methods, so we can plan counterattacks. Dismissing their antics, being above them simply doesn't work. We must attack forcefully and continually. Look how brilliantly we kept Republicans on the defensive about burn pits. Let's clone that success.
Yes.
Exactly. The gawd awful magats down here actually believe elementary school kids were all set to be groomed by their teachers. It defies logic.
I spit on them. Shameful and a disgrace to the professionalism of teachers.
Unita, Gail. 🗽
I would ask them to explain precisely how that grooming procedure works in detail and give me the evidence that it happened. Every time they made an unsupported assertion, I would ask, "and the evidence for this is...?"
Then I would come back and keep asking them to outline the grooming process in fact-supported detail every time they deflected.
You can do the same for any right wing lie. Don't try and shut it down. Open it up and give them the floor to explain how it works in detail. They have no idea because they don't think. Asking for explanations demands they justify their knee-jerk nonsense. Ask open questions that require the person to piece together a plausible narrative where none exists.
Teachers have asked repeatedly. Especially since now back for new school year. Most students starting back this week. There is never answer to the questions you suggest because there is no answer because it’s not true.
🗽
So we say, "I notice you refuse to answer this simple question. Tell me about your refusal to answer this simple question. What are you hiding? Why are you play-acting your sick pedophile fantasies in public instead of doing your real job? Tell us!!"
In military terminology, this is called "harassing fire." If you want to attack a well-defended position, you lay down a barrage to keep the enemy so occupied ducking and dodging that you can get up close and finish the job. And you make it so troublesome that they can't just ignore it.
YESSSS, Christine! ... except leave the poor horse out of it ... it deserves our love and respect.
We will get it in our barn and nurse it back to health in our democracy!
Unita. 🗽
MAGA has already begun its usual nonsense: deflect and distract with comments about Hunter Biden. Surprised they didn’t pull Hillary out of their bag of tricks.
Tomorrow
Ask them how Hunter Biden owning a laptop makes Trump any less guilty. Press for an explanation. Ask how the fact that Hillary exists makes Trump less guilty. Say "please explain."
Or, very puzzled, “How does that affect what Trump did?”
I don’t talk to “those people” frankly. I had to “unfriend” a cousin (first) who I really liked and then when he oozed such nonsense on my page, I had to erase him from my life. So, I would like to pose your questions in a calm way to any Magas, but I don’t have that possibility.
They will
Noted. Mr, Carroll has posted again, bringing up that very theme.
Yes. He collects coins at the troll bridge like Trump find raises.
Ah, I haven't noted him yet--I thought he disappeared! I hope people don't engage with him!
They did!!
Been doing that for 7 years, longer for republicans
Hell no! Put them on the back foot and keep them there.
The timing is pure poetry. Is this (finally) the fall of the house of Trump? We shall see...
Of course it is and “they” orchestrated the timing before the midterms. Because they do not want him to declare for 2024. They are paving over trump on their treasonous road and getting ready for heir apparent DeSantis. Watch McConnell and the lot do their scurrying rats trick again.
Looking for your opinion: If Charlie Christ gets the nomination (probably, right?) and if Charlie beats DeathSantis in the governors race....what does that do to the putz's prospects for the White House? Does he become damaged goods? Or does he claim the governor's race was stolen and make a run for the big job anyway? What's the view from FL?
Your current governor may be more dangerous than TFG. He can actually put a sentence together and vicious is his middle name. The governor who is loved by Nazis is immoral where TFG is "only" amoral. But I am splitting hairs, right?
DeSantis has 250 million in his war chest. Governor or not he is running for the big job. His ads are already pointing that way. If he is re-elected Governor forget any attention to our State-- his eyes are elsewhere. He is better educated than Trump but that only increases the depth of his ideological dysfunction. He is young, used to be " pretty" , has a photogenic ambitious wife and has no qualms about using his young children in his optics. He has grown increasingly more unhinged. Suspending State Attorney Andrew Warren was like a ref calling a pre- emptive foul on a player ( not for something he did but for something he thought he might do). If he continues his project of mandating Florida into a so-called " freedom" we will be living in a straight jacket.
My only hope is that people who produce slime often slip in it!!!!
Thank you for answering Bill’s question, Carol. Everything you said is exactly correct. I’ve been phone banking today. Busy. Just want primary to be done and see if Crist and Fried will join forces. I hope so. I also hope to see money pour in to Dem election fund for Guv and Senator. Lots of money.
Unita, Sister! 🗽
Am early voting this morning. Christine, as TC is saying, the battle is on and has taken a turn. Thank you for all your work!!
We all need to be in high gear now. (I may have mentioned earlier that I was recruited to run in the Dem Primary for Congress in 1984 vs Bill Chappell ( Carol S. Granstrom). We were the underdog but T.K. Wetherall took me to lunch after it was over and said if I had had 2 more weeks we would have made Chappell very, very nervous!!!)
All to say, that there is a timing to all this and we cannot waste a minute or let up on the gas!!!
Wow. Yes. Inspiring me to work harder for our wonderful Dem candidate for Congress, Dr. Bob Lorinser. It's a huge district covering all of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the Tip of The Mitt. Yet, he will be hosting a meet & greet here in our little village Thursday eve. So, gotta make some calls & texts & emails &... Thanks Carol.
❤️
He says “uh” after every sentence. It’s disgusting.
DeSantis may get the republican die-hard tricksters, but doubt that he will get the devoted cult nuts who love chump like they pretend to love God. Unless, of course, Rupert tells them to. Still will be uphill.
I agree Christine, which is why Democrats should be focusing on DeSatan and treat him like the Republicans treated Hillary. They could start with demonizing him for his neo-fascist authoritarianism. They should keep asking, do you want the country to become like Florida, and rattle off all the cruel and harmful policies he has inflicted and tried to inflict on Floridians. He is on the wrong side of every issue!
It is way past time for Democrats to give the Republicans a taste of their own medicine. Now is the time to lay the groundwork to cut the legs out from under this cruel autocrat. He is as far from what America stands for as anyone in the Republican Party, and that says a lot!
BTW, DeSatan is out campaigning for Trump candidates right now. If you make him a pariah, then you will also damage these candidates.
DeSatan is a soft target because he has no defense for his vile and ruthless tactics. It is time for Democrats to control the narrative.
Yes Chips. 1000% agree. I’ve already referred to Desantis 3 times today on phone banking as the putz that he is.
🗽
Exactly, Christine. Oh, and good morning to you.
Salud, Sister Pam. What critters are flying around or coming on foot or fin on your property lately on a visit?
🗽
Yo, Christine....it's been too damn hot for critters. But....some joy here at the news from Merde a Lardo.
Annabel, There is at least a ten-alarm fire in the House of Trump. A good beginning of the end….
It’s never “the end..” until trump’s supporters turn on him. Until then he’s a fundraising martyr. Follow The Money.
Yes, and add Fox to that list. Never was there a maligned word about Trump when they didn't rush to the word salads to defend their sweetie. Rupert is down on him, but nevertheless they all are in lockstep to f-over the truth. Isn't there some law or way to stop this? Clearly they have some culpability a la Alex Jones. They too are instigators of great harm.
Watched the story unfold last evening on TV. MSNBC and CNN did a credible job with expert commentary, considering the absence of real details. I checked out Fox occasionally, where their misinformation and diversion machinery was in full swing. The order of the day there was to refer to it as a 'raid,' not the the enforcement of a court order, and it wasn't carried out by the Department of Justice via the FBI, but by Democrats. History, ultimately, will hold Fox accountable for the damage our democracy permits it to do to it. There is a tightrope between the protection the First Amendment provides and criminal activities such as those of which Alex Jones is accused. Fox teeters on that tightrope. (A good political cartoonist might someday picture the Attorney General slicing that tightrope and Fox tumbling into an abyss resembling the pit depicted in a painting by Hieronymus Bosch.)
I can see it!! (And hopefully for real soo n).
In his 'Garden of Earthly Delights,' the rightmost panel of the triptych!
At the very least we can be sure that TFG will never be in the White House again. A conviction would stop his rallies and spreading of disinformation, and we desperately need that ASAP.
I know, we don't yet know enough about the FBI's visit to the Trump home to draw sweeping conclusions, but I feel as if a weight has been lifted, and now I can breathe again.
It also appears that our long heat wave in central Italy has finally broken, and there is a cool breeze blowing in from the west. Good morning everyone!
It’s lovely, rainy and cool in Western India, where I live and work. I am a happy camper today with all the news form Heather and elsewhere on the net.
Sounds like the monsoon arrived on schedule. Lucky you! Where in western India, if I might ask?
Hi David, I live in a small hamlet called Meherabad, Maharashtra, about 120 miles northeast of Bombay and 60 miles from Pune. Yes, monsoon arrived almost on time, but has been pretty good this year. I am a farmer living with a local Indian family. It’s an exciting way to enter the last third of my journey…..
Tell us more!
How much time do you have, Hope?
❤️
Morning David. Heats coming back this week in Paris
Here too, Stuart, I imagine. Oh well..
Ah yes, Suz, the world has changed. When were you last over here?
So much to digest today!
Could it be we’re finally seeing TFG’s ending? It would be such a relief to know he’d never be able to hold an office in these United States again! Archivists are my new heroes!
In the case of Ahmaud Arbery, I hope this brings his family solace. The gall of them to hand over a video of them committing murder thinking it would absolve them all! Just a purely evil racist superiority on their part! Now they’re worried for their safety. How do they think Arbery felt?
How different our government landscape might look today had Nixon served a sentence! Deterrence indeed!
Thank you Heather!
This hit my mailbox too soon in my evening (I prefer reading it with first cup of MORNING coffee!) and I’ve only read a few paragraphs. Anyway, yes I DO remember Heather’s admonishment about not messing with archivists, both in a letter and a fb discussion! I loved her description about the laws around documents and how they belong to us, the PEOPLE!!
This paragraph had me laughing out loud. Some things never change. Tfg will squeeze out the last penny of fundraising till the very last. Now it's all just a hilarious pathetic show. Go to prison trump and stop wasting our time.
Tonight, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is expressing outrage, the Fox News Channel is talking about Hunter Biden, and Trump’s base is calling for war, but Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is silent. For his part, Trump is fundraising off the executed search warrant.
It's more than preposterous of tfg to use the search warrant as a fundraising event; it's outrageous and scandalous that hundreds of thousands of 'Americans' (his fans) are still donating to him (or is the majority of the donors those grateful citizens that were beneficiaries of his tax laws?) "“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” – Albert Einstein
Everything he does is preposterous. This is the other side of the "We love you, you're very special" coin. This is "Poor me, my beautiful home attacked, ransacked! Love me, I'm very special, and I really need money to stay that way..."
tfg already misappropriated $ 250M of donations from people who thought he would need money for an "official election defense fund" - that fund never existed. Money went in big parts to family and friends and 'conservative' think tanks. Why don't people see through his lies and scams? he is the only one who committed election fraud. And like others in today's comments I am intrigued to know if the FBI found papers that reveal what tfg and putin talked about for two hours in one-on-one talks in Hamburg and Helsinki a few years ago; tfg reportedly confiscated the notes of the US interpreter ... I can't believe this 'person' is set to run for president of the USA again. That must not happen
Propaganda works. Helsinki was treasonous in my opinion.
Don’t forget that this is the guy who added a fund-raising plea to the announcement of his former wife’s death.
And he publicly humiliated Ivana when he held a press conference to announce he was marrying his mistress Marla Maples. The man has no heart whatsoever.
Albert knew
Love the quote!
I think someone needs to create a chart showing trump’s fundraising numbers after his actions and frame it as the grift it is. Ex-wife dies? Fundraise. Federal search warrant executed? Fundraise. And then show how the money is spent. What’s the ROI for the supporters ( beyond that warm blanket of “owning the Libs” )for “investing in trump”? Is “owning the Libs” worth that much of your discretionary income supporters? Really?!?! You will spend that much to “feel righteous”, but not for schools, roads, healthcare, air quality, food safety, etc, etc, etc.
Absolutely! And then give it a lot of prominence - Facebook, or other suitable channel to the gullible. The fuss over ex-wife is, or would be from anyone else, extremely bizarre. What to do with her that's not expensive? paint the coffin gold, bury her on the (his) golf course. One tiny bunch of flowers and her name. But why "Trump"? That was two marriages ago. Hers, not his. And I want to know when his court appearance has been rescheduled.
That's a good point, Anne-Louise--I didn't even think about why it said "TRUMP"
Just on the grift for “defending” his law suits. There was no there there….except into his bank account to the tune of $250 MILLION DOLLARS. No foundation, no organization, just his effing bank account. I am sure someone has done an analysis of his grifts. Starting when he conned the taxpayers of New York City to bankroll his first hotel renovation on 42nd St. The chickens will come home to roost….
Yes, Jane, I was laughing out loud, too. He fundraises off everything. As long as it’s about him. Such a grifting and soulless shell of a human.
Now, why is Mitch McConnell silent?
Well, maybe he is so ashamed of “his” president, who he silently and not so silently, has supported all along, he is left speechless. He’s another grifter making money off the public through his political maneuvering. He came into congress with relatively little wealth and is now bloated with money and campaign funding, he and his crooked wife. These people all make me as sick as 45.
He’s checking the political wind direction.
Yes.
Maybe he's quietly priming his guns, after the trumpet blast a couple of days ago: " “Mitch doesn’t have a clue – he is sooo bad for the Republican Party!”
His damage to us all is legendary. He’s likely not done yet
Republicans are bad for their own party...the party of sedition and treason.
Ahhhh, Moscow Mitch’s poor wittle feewings were hurt? Awwwww…..poor wittle baby. Funny thing is, he IS soooo bad for any party.
Because M Mc is looking out for himself - carefully. Remember his take-down on Jan 6?
Speaking of which, who else saw Lindsay backpedal on his January 6 comments Sunday on State of the Union?
My guess is that he’s savvy enough to keep his mouth shut until he see how this will shake out.
Hasn't decided on where the best turtle food is going to come from. 😩
🤣
Indeed!
knows he shoulda let Obama put Garland on SC?? speaking of grift...
:)
What initially struck me upon hearing the news of the FBI’s search of Trump’s Florida residence was that August 8th was the date nearly 50 years ago when President Richard Nixon was forced to resign the office of the Presidency because of the evidence of crimes that had been discovered by investigators.
Throughout the evening, I particularly was struck, contrary to today, that back in 1974 the Republican Party did not rise to protect President Nixon when evidence of crimes was revealed. Fast-forward to today’s political world, wherein the top Republican in the House of Representatives threatened AG Garland, intimating, when Republicans retake the House, that House subpoenas would be coming his way.
Could we possibly need further convincing that this fall, aside from running on their accomplishments, Democrats, up and down the ballot, need to amplify the opposing Party’s lack of regard for the rule of law, for the balance of powers, and, last but not least, for truth itself?
One of these days (soon, I hope), you will be telling us that they’ve come to lock him up - at least, I really, really hope so….
No reason to simply hope, Nickie. The DOJ and others are coming for him….we all need a bit of patience….
There is much to be said about the incredible amount of news dumped on Monday. I will say only this:
Ahmaud Arbery, you will never be forgotten. Rest in peace
Yes indeed.
Whew! What a day. And the passing of Olivia Newton-John was a gut punch to our youth to cap it off.
It’s just about too much to process.
Yes, that really made me very sad. She fought so hard against her breast cancer for 30 years. I am a 2x BC survivor so this hit home for me. Olivia had it three times. May she be on a peaceful journey.
God, I hope they find enough evidence to prove him guilty so he can’t run for president.
Sheri, the good news is destroying government documents, since they belong to US The People, will disqualify him from running for any office. I want his pension and secret service to be taken off the public dole as soon as possible. Such a welfare whore….
If the document angle is true, doesn’t this disqualify any congress people who pushed the fake electors scam?
All ex Presidents get Secret Service protection for life; don’t know if the pension can be revoked.
We can make that happen. He is a treasonous traitor to our country and does not deserve any rights inherit within.
Prison for him. Start with the "Manhattan Detention Center" known as "the Tombs", then move his rear-end to Rikers Island (before it closes). Gift him Epsteins cage
You mean the cage where Trump and others had Epstein murdered? THAT cage?
By all means!
Even in Leavenworth??
Jeri, that’s one of the foremost practical reasons for NOT putting him in jail. The SS has to be housed too.
l see nothing practical in Not putting him in jail. He needs to go. He committed crimes against all of us. I want his bum fried in a hot cell.
Me too, but he has SS protection for life. Of course, we’ve never had a president in jail before. (Think the SS would go with him to the showers?)
I’ll drink to that, Pensa….nice strong scotch or a martini maybe….a girl can dream.
We have got to change THAT rule…omg.