Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

This fight is for everything.

I really should read my own blog.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

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Reader Interactions

205Comments

  3. 3.

    Alison Rose

    I can picture the row of attorneys sitting at a conference table playing Telephone after every question, so that the answer ends up being nonsensical. Which would be fitting.

  4. 4.

    patrick II

    Trump claims he will be arrested Tuesday, calls for protests — ABC
    Should be an exciting day.

    There is no chance at all there will be any dignity in this.

  10. 10.

    Dangerman

    @patrick II: Protesting is fine but if the Dumb Numb Nut incites violence, can’t the Judge just say “Dude, bail revoked, jail for you until you can act human?”

  12. 12.

    patrick II

    @Alison Rose:

    Sadly, I have a question about that.  If drag queens appeared at a public protest that children might see in Florida — might they be arrested?

    I don’t know and it is pretty fucking heartbreaking how far this country, at least some parts of it, have fallen.

  17. 17.

    NotMax

    @Dangerman

    To the tune of “Copacabana.”

    He’s charged with RICO
    He wears a long tie
    Now he haunts his gilded halls
    With their ketchup-splattered walls
    He almost blends right in
    With orange-tinted skin
    But Donald went a bit too far
    Thus he stands before the bar
    …

  20. 20.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Alison Rose: LOL!  Who adds “purple?” Who adds “monkey?” Who adds “dishwasher?”

    And for March Madness, who adds “basketball joooooooones?”

  23. 23.

    John S.

    @patrick II:

    That view is especially stark for me.

    After living in South Florida for 40 years, I moved to Washington state last summer. Looking back at Florida with my new perspective living here, it’s amazing how much more of freak show it has become in such a short period of time.

  26. 26.

    Alison Rose

    @patrick II: This is a concern, yes. I’m not necessarily speaking firmly here, but more…wistfully, I suppose.

     

    @WaterGirl: I was picturing something more like the counter-protests when the Westboro Baptists would show up to picket someone’s funeral or some shit.

  27. 27.

    kalakal

    @Alison Rose: I’m with Watergirl on this, I think the only people the MAGAs should see are a lot of unamused security forces. Trump and his fans want a reenactment of Bushwick

  29. 29.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Alison Rose:

    My hope is that the protests will be as pitiful as the CPAC attendance this year.

    I’m not sure, but yeah, I’m expecting protests to be anemic as Hell if they even happen.  Huge amounts of online screaming, because you don’t have to get up out of your armchair for that.  Man, I would love it if Trump gets arrested and there are no noticeable protests.  A real “They’re just not that into you anymore,” moment for Trump.

  31. 31.

    artem1s

    man at this point TFG can’t have many options when it comes to legal representation. How can he even run a business anymore? Anyone, let alone lawyers, who comes into even casual contact with anything he does is going to question how much it’s going to cost them in legal fees. The odds on any transaction becoming a net loss is pretty high.

  32. 32.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @Baud:

    I’ll second that.

    Trump is behaving like a rabid animal and is an irredeemable puke stain on the presidency.

  34. 34.

    BlueGuitarist

    Kevin McCarthy whining about enforcing laws and dishonestly complaining about violence in Manhattan should frequently be reminded that his home town of  Bakersfield (R mayor) has a much higher murder rate than New York or San Francisco, and that red states have a higher murder rate than Blue states.

    Link:

    https://www.thirdway.org/report/the-red-state-murder-problem

    Krugman had a good column about it in October 2022.

    Republican leadership results in more crime, and that doesn’t include crimes like widespread wage theft, where Rs favor the thieves.

    Republicans exploit the media unwillingness to provide appropriate factual context or distinguish between harsh rhetoric and effective policy.
    Republicans are against public safety, public health, and public education.
    Republicans are the pro crime party is an underreported story.

  35. 35.

    Steeplejack

    From what I’ve read, Trump is the only one saying that Tuesday is the day he’ll be arrested. What happens if nothing happens? Is he revealed as the panicked blowhard that he is? Or did the government back down because they were a’skeered of him and his mighty host of patriots? 🤔

  36. 36.

    oldgold

    My hope is this encourages the special counsel to expedite of the documents case. The news this past week indicates this might be occurring. The indictment needs to come soon as possible.

    If at all possible, it would be best if the documents case is tried before the others.  Each of the other cases are much more problematical in terms of securing a conviction.  And, just one acquittal, could prove to have disastrous consequences.

  37. 37.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @mrmoshpotato:

    @Baud:

    In the past, I believed that if Trump faced the real prospect of prison time he’d follow the example of Samuel Norton, the warden from The Shawshank Redemption, who blew his brains out rather than surrendering to the police.

  40. 40.

    JoyceH

    @Wyatt Salamanca: ​
     

    I’d consider Trump a flight risk. Heck, the guy has his own PLANE, and luxury property overseas. If he gets hit with the big charges, I see him winging away. (Would the Secret Service go with him?)

  41. 41.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @Steeplejack:

    Trump is the only one saying that Tuesday is the day he’ll be arrested.

    It’s too bad that Trump can’t be compelled to get a psychiatric evaluation because he seems to be in the midst of a mental breakdown.

  43. 43.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @JoyceH:

    You make a great point.  Trump should have to surrender his passport and be ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device.

  45. 45.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @trollhattan:

    For starters, somebody needs to fix his stuck caps lock.

    I agree and he should also be given a rabies vaccine and some anti-psychotic medication.

  47. 47.

    patrick II

    @Baud:

    In some states, I don’t think they will be able to get permits.  And what happens then? — bigger parades of braver people in protest or smaller parades of soon-to-be-arrested people? Will people be able to appear in drag (either way)?

  50. 50.

    Lapassionara

    @Wyatt Salamanca: Ditto. I’m trying to figure out how we can avoid having the Donald and Melanie Trump Portraits in the National Gallery, not to mention having a Trump Presidential Library. The mind boggles at the thought.

    ETA, Melania, it’s Melania autocorrect

  54. 54.

    Tony G

    @patrick II: Trump’s cult members are lazy cowards.  I predict that very few protestors will show up.  Those who do show up will be treated much more gently by the NYPD than the Black Lives Matter protestors were treated a few years ago.

  55. 55.

    patrick II

    @Baud:

    O.K.  In some states drag shows now are adults-only entertainment.  What happens to those who show up in drag?  Do you think they will still come out? Or is it only drag shows that are adults only.

    I’m not sure where protecting children, by law, from the sight of a man in a dress ends.

  56. 56.

    Soprano2

    @JoyceH: IMHO he won’t flee unless he faces the prospect of actual jail time,  because fleeing charges would be seen as an admission of guilt.

  57. 57.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @Lapassionara:

    Trump Presidential Library.

    Given that Trump lacks the attention span to read a comic strip, there’s no greater oxymoron than the phrase “Trump Library”

  62. 62.

    WaterGirl

    @Steeplejack: I understand that.  But you posed the question about the prosecutors possibly backing down.  That’s what I was responding to.

    There’s nothing Trump can do to make anyone back down. Anyone who is working toward prosecuting Trump will not be influenced by what Trump does.

  64. 64.

    Geminid

    @Soprano2: Trump is also very serious about his presidential campaign, and thinks he can win. For him right now, the only way out is through.

    I would not say this is a rational posture, but I think that deep down, Trump is a desperate guy. He’s also an empty, narcissistic creature who craves the adulation of his supporters. He can still get that at campaign rallies like the one he’ll hold in Texas next Saturday.

  65. 65.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @Anoniminous:

    Trump is the ideal candidate for a lobotomy.

    Maybe we’ll catch a break and he’ll have a stroke or heart attack forcing him to drop out of the presidential race.

  66. 66.

    Another Scott

    @Wyatt Salamanca: Nah, he would never do violence to his beautiful body.  He’d take some pills, maybe, but would never shoot himself.

    He’s famously disgusted by blood.

    I assume the process next week, if there is a process next week, will take at least a couple of days (assuming he’s presently at MaL and needs to appear in person in front of a judge in Manhattan).

    We’ll see!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  68. 68.

    Alison Rose

    In “politicians who don’t fucking suck” news:

    NEW: California will be manufacturing some of America’s most affordable insulin.

    The new CalRx insulin will be just $30.

    It will be available to all Californians — and across the nation.

    Next up: Manufacturing our own Naloxone.
    — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 18, 2023

    (More details)

    I like my state.

  69. 69.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @Another Scott:

    If there is a process next week

    Trump will do whatever he can to make it the biggest, most ridiculous circus of all-time. I can’t wait until this country is finally able to move past this frothing, raging Neanderthal.

  70. 70.

    Renie

    I use to work downtown NYC and if his supporters show up during working hours, esp lunch hours, people who work down there are not going to be at all charitable about them getting in the way of New Yorkers wanting to get where they are going.

    I would assume the cops will block off the area around 100 Centre St and do it as early in the AM as possible, assuming he willing shows up.

    But I would love to see him refuse to leave Florida and there be an extradition issue with DeSantis caught in the middle.  What a shitstorm that would be!!! LOL

  73. 73.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    @Renie:

    But I would love to see him refuse to leave Florida and there be an extradition issue with DeSantis caught in the middle.

    I would not like that. I want Trump and DeSantis tearing each other down, not DeSantis defending Trump. If DeSantis isn’t afraid Trump will win, then he is free to endear himself to Trump supporters by loudly protesting his indictment.

    I want Trump to pay for his crimes, but I want him to destroy DeSantis (or damage him enough) before he’s locked away.

  76. 76.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @patrick II: It’s really targeting trans people, to make it illegal to be a trans person in public. There’s a reason why these laws are intentionally vague.

    It’s an even eviler version of the “three articles of ‘gender appropriate’ clothing” laws that were used for decades to persecute trans people, drag queens, femme gay, butch lesbians, etc.

  79. 79.

    Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg

    What was it that Josh Marshall called people who lit their reputations on fire for Trump? “Dignity Wraiths”?

    A whole new herd is being created….

  80. 80.

    Deputinize Eurasia from the Kuriles to St Petersburg

    @Dangerman:

    This is one where you ask a judge for a gag order.

    ”Mr Trump, this case is to be tried in court, not the streets. During the pendency of these proceedings, you are prohibited the use of social media, under penalty of contempt, which can include pretrial incarceration. This is a condition of your pretrial release.”

  83. 83.

    Alison Rose

    @Sister Golden Bear: It also always seems lopsided because we know when they think of “drag” they only think of anyone who isn’t a cis woman wearing dresses and makeup and such. I mean…there was a time when cis women wearing pants was SHOCKING and VULGAR and whatnot. When these laws want to go after trans people by supposedly going after “public drag performance”, do they also intend to arrest anyone born with a uterus for wearing slacks? Sarah Polley accepted her Oscar in a tux, would they consider that a drag “performance”?

    Not that I expect these asshole to make any sense. But still.

  85. 85.

    JMG

    CNN has reported that Trump’s lawyers would prefer a remote hearing where their client remained in Florida to plead not guilty. There’s almost sure to be no bail imposed because Trump is really not a flight risk, seeing as he’s accompanied by law enforcement personnel (Secret Service) at all times. Trump is reported to say he wants to go to New York and make a speech on the courthouse steps. Just the ticket for a speedy acquittal!!! Golly, he’s dumb.

  86. 86.

    Another Scott

    Oh, man. The BBC news reporting on the radio now is just painful.

    “Why is this jury meeting in secret? Is that unusual?? Lots of people around the world are used to the openness of the US judicial system, it seems unusual…”

    The expert was flustered by the question and tried to answer it, rather than (as she should have done) stepping back and saying that “the system in the US is that a criminal indictment can only be served after a grand jury has verified that there is probable cause that a crime has been committed, and grand jury testimony is always secret…”

    I think they wasted 2-3 cycles of questions on that before I clicked it off. Life is too short.

    (sigh)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  87. 87.

    patrick II

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    It is the vagueness that bothers me.  I don’t know the answer to the questions  I have asked.  I can’t imagine being arrested for being in drag at a parade, but the vagueness is intimidating, which it is meant to be.

    In totalitarian societies they have many laws, most of which are ignored but enforced arbitrarily and at the government’s will.  It keeps the populace in place. t

    They are intimidated because they could be arrested at any time for something that is O.K. 90% of the time.

    Same tactics here. I don’t think people would be arrested, but many aren’t sure enough to find out and may dress accordingly. Welcome to fascism.

    For book laws too. And abortion laws.  No one knows what is safe. Doctors are refusing to do necessary surgery, Rosa Parks has been “whitewashed” from at least one Florida history schoolbook because it might conflict with the law.  No one knows, so play it safe. In the longer term that calls for rebellion, and that in turn calls for more government violence against its citizens.  Sorry, going way down the road here.

    But in the meantime, no one knows what is culpable and so many will choose to play it safe.

  88. 88.

    MisterForkbeard

    @MattF: Right. If he’s arrested and there’s protests, he’ll say he wins because of the masssive outrage against Democrats. If he’s arrested and there’s no protests, he’ll talk about how he (unlike Dems and BLM) he made sure everything was peaceful.

    If he’s not arrested (on Tuesday) or he’s not lead away in handcuffs, he’ll say he won because they scared the DOJ and Democrats.

    The whole thing is really sad.

  89. 89.

    Another Scott

    @JMG: As I understand it, bail is about more than not being a flight risk, it’s about guaranteeing appearance.  Him demanding special treatment and somehow arguing that he doesn’t need to appear before the judge in person would make me want to deny bail, myself.  Or barring that, make it really bigly.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  91. 91.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Steeplejack: I was thinking about this. The Secret Service was likely apprised of when an arrest or indictment was most likely to happen, and I’m sure they would have told Trump.

    But it might not be happening. Totally possible that Trump is just lying.

  92. 92.

    WaterGirl

    @JMG: It would be a mistake to let Trump “plead” from Florida.  That sends absolutely the wrong message.

    The little people don’t fucking get to do that.

    No one is above the law, Mr. Trump.

  94. 94.

    David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch

    Just returned from the store where there’s panic buying of popcorn going on over fears of a popcorn shortage come Tuesday.

  95. 95.

    WaterGirl

    @patrick II: They did search his residence in Florida.  I’d say that’s a very strong message that no one is above the law.

    They are going after his attorneys based on the crime-fraud exception, I’d say that’s a pretty strong message.

    But yeah, he has mostly skated without consequences throughout most of his life.

    Not anymore, though.

  97. 97.

    WaterGirl

    The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

    Since newspapers have one job and they are no longer doing it, I guess it’s up to the legal system to make sure there are consequences.

  101. 101.

    MisterForkbeard

    DeSantis is going to be the interesting bit here. I think the smart play for him is to yell and wail about it, but then to say “unlike the Democrats, Republicans are the party of law and order and if they Feds come for him we’ll let them. Because we’re the adults and Trump is innocent, as a trial will show.”

    Basically, act like a crazy fucker that hasn’t jumped off the ledge. He’d get enormous good will from the media for a ‘moderate’ response, points with Trumpers for screaming about the weaponization of justice, and it helps tear down his main rival (who will be in a felony criminal case).

  105. 105.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @JMG:

    Trump is reported to say he wants to go to New York and make a speech on the courthouse steps.

    Just what I’d expect from a brain damaged demagogue.

  106. 106.

    JoyceH

    Upthread was a mention of a Trump Presidential Library. Personally, I doubt there will ever be one. Presidential libraries are government-administered but privately funded. Previous former presidents put in a LOT of work fund-raising and planning for their libraries. I just can’t see Trump putting in the effort, when so many other ventures are easier to skim from.

  108. 108.

    JPL

    @MisterForkbeard:  Ron D Santos is a coward, liar and will do whatever it takes to win the primary.   He’ll call it a witch hunt.   When they removed the Roberto Clemente book from libraries in schools, he said it was liberals who did it to embarrass him

    trump will reward the governor.   haha I tease, of course trump will tear him down and accuse him of being a liar.

  110. 110.

    Another Scott

    @MisterForkbeard: Apparently he cannot stop the extradition if the warrant is valid (and about the only way it could be invalid is if TFG wasn’t in the state at the time of the crime).

    BusinessInsider.com:

    […]

    If an indictment is filed against Trump, the most likely scenario is that he would show up voluntarily for booking, legal experts told Insider.

    Lawyers for the Bragg’s office would tell Trump’s lawyers, and they’d mutually agree on a time and place — probably the district attorney’s office at One Hogan Place in downtown Manhattan — to book him, take his fingerprints, and shoot his mugshot.

    “They’ll take him upstairs, they’ll put him in a holding area, they’ll process him internally, and then he’ll be brought in front of the judge several hours later and he’ll be released on his own recognizance,” Michael Bachner, a New York-based lawyer and former assistant district attorney in Manhattan, told Insider. “And that’ll be that.”

    But there is always the chance Trump won’t comply.

    He’s repeatedly attacked the Manhattan investigation over the years and was found in contempt of court for refusing to comply with subpoenas in a different case brought by the New York State Attorney General’s office. It’s easy to imagine him defying the legal process and remaining home at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

    “It would just be, in my opinion, like the epitome of stupid,” Bachner said. “But I do agree that Trump has at times certainly exhibited conduct that many of us would characterize as stupid.”

    […]

    Dave Aronberg, the top prosecutor in Palm Beach County, which includes Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago, said as much in an interview with CNN in 2021.

    He pointed out that the governor’s power in extraditions is merely administrative.

    “The governor’s power to stop an extradition is really nonexistent,” Aronberg said. “He can try to delay it, he can send it to a committee and do research about it, but his role is really ministerial, and ultimately the state of New York can go to court and get an order to extradite the former president.”

    DeSantis could, however, slow down the process. According to Bachner, he could ask his legal affairs office or a prosecutor to review Hochul’s extradition demand and write a report on it before signing off on it. But if the extradition demand is legitimate, he’ll have to sign it within 60 days, Bachner said. He could also delegate and let another member of the Florida executive branch sign off on Hochul’s extradition demand, according to Bachner.

    It’s unlikely that DeSantis will look too closely under the hood of the indictment if it’s issued, Bachner told Insider.

    “If there’s a fully voted indictment, they’re not gonna start investigating the underlying facts of the indictment to determine whether it was sufficient or not,” Bachner said. “Once there’s an indictment voted, it would be shocking that a judge would not order extradition. Trump knows that.”

    […]

    We’ll see!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  111. 111.

    sab

    @JoyceH: He will raise the money and then steal it. No reading materials there, since National Archive just stole back its own documents. And the other cool stuff has already been stolen by the Trump family. Possibly some big suits and too long ties on display? But I can’t see them funding a building.

    Is there a dead casino in Atlantic city that needs a purpose? Maybe DeSanctimonious can raise some money for one near Palm Beach, or on Ivanka’s new island home.

  112. 112.

    Geminid

    From Roll Call Wednesday, March 15:

        Emily’s List rolled out its first Congressional endorsements of the 2024 cycle, backing 18 House incumbents whose races are expected to be crucial for determining control of the chamber.

    The reporter noted that 15 of these Representatives are on the target list for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

    Those are: Mary Peltola AL; Yadira Caravel CO; Sharice Davids KS; Angie Craig MN; Jahana Hayes CT; Susan Wild PA; Val Hoyle and Andrea Salinas OR;

    Emilia Sykes OH; Hilary Scholten MI; Dina Titus and Suzie Lee NV; Abigail Spanberger VA; and Kim Schrier and Marie Gluenkamp Perez WA.

    The mouthy NRCC Chairman, Richard Hudson of North Carolina, claims that “these Democratic Representatives should be shaking in their boots.”

    Emily’s List also endorsed three Congresswomen not on Hudson’s hit list: Brittany Pettersen CO, as well as Lauren Underwood and freshman Nikki Budzinski of Illinois.

  114. 114.

    sab

    @Geminid: Emilia Sykes just sent me a funds plea. Heck yes.! Plugging her in to replace my used to be Tim Ryan regular donation. I gave her a lot before, but it was front loaded like Emily’s list. Early is yeast, late is too late (not true, but I ain’t rich so that is how I usually give.)  Now I’ll just put her on my regular list like Sherrod Brown.

    ETA Connie Schultz would be appalled at my failure to proof read before posting. Correction was nearly as bad as the original typos… Do not ridicule my tiny e-reader keypad!

  115. 115.

    Kent

    @trollhattan: @Wyatt Salamanca: For starters, somebody needs to fix his stuck caps lock.

    True story.  I had a elderly aunt (now MAGA) who called me over to her house way back in the day because her computer was “stuck on italics”.

    This was back in the time of AOL and before the internet.

  116. 116.

    Kent

    @Another Scott: No, he won’t comply.  He will have his attorneys throw a blizzard of paperwork at the court challenging the arrest on every specious reason but some appellate court will stay things until it is all heard.

    Even thought his is state court, He’ll try to find some Trump judge somewhere in Federal court to issue a stay of some sort.  And then we will be off and running.

  117. 117.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Another Scott: Oh, I don’t mean DeSantis can actually do anything meaningful about it, not really.

    Just that I think his smart play is to slow it down a little, call it tyranny and scream about Democrats… and then to let it happen and not actually do much while pretending he’s for Rule of Law, because hurting Trump helps his own candidacy.

  118. 118.

    Baud

    @Kent:

    A delay in the NY case caused by Trump’s shenanigans wouldn’t be too bad.  Gives the GA and the federal case time to pile on.

  119. 119.

    Geminid

    @Scout211: Thank you for the correction!

    I don’t think Republicans can beat Ms. Peltola next year. She is a very formidable politician. Last October, an Alaska pollster said Mary Peltola was easily the most popular politician in Alaska.

    I loved her campaign slogan: “Fish Family Freedom.” I told it to a friend who had lived in Alaska 9 years, and her response was, “Perfect.”

  121. 121.

    MomSense

    I think we are at the point in this democratic experiment where each of us needs to decide what we are prepared to do to protect the LGBTQIA+ community, black and Latinx people and women.

    The GOP, the various white supremacist groups , Qanoners, and others are working themselves up to do even worse things.  That they are so organized in the legislation they are passing means that they have big money behind them and organizational strength.

    I am definitely not saying we need to prepare for violence but we do need to organize, and get serious about non violent resistance training.

  123. 123.

    Geminid

    @JPL: I think that at this point, Trump will try to focus protesters’ energy on his campaign rallies. He’ll want to pump up his numbers so as to intimidate other Republicans, especially his rivals.

    I’ll be interested in the crowd size at his rally next Saturday in Waco, Texas. He did not draw very good crowds at his stand-alone rallies last year. Maybe his victimhood will juice participation. It will be like a big Whine Festival.

  124. 124.

    lowtechcyclist

    @zhena gogolia:

    @patrick II: Only 2015?

    Before 2015, it was easy enough for those of us outside the NYC area to ignore him.

    I miss those days.  The Before Trump Times.  Before the Orange Flu infected a good deal of America.

  125. 125.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @Geminid:

    I don’t think Republicans can beat Ms. Peltola next year.

    I saw Peltola interviewed a few times during the last campaign cycle and was impressed.  She came across as very smart and likeable.  I hope she’ll consider running for the Senate at some point and I loved her campaign slogan as well.

  126. 126.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @Baud: ​

    I’m assuming a delay, possibly months. Legal commentary I read was saying that even if DeSantis refuses to do the extradition paperwork, there are mechanisms that don’t involve him, and there’s a maximum of 60 days for that all to take place.

    This was stated as though a delay of 60 days between indictment and arrest was a short period, something that wouldn’t bug us non-legal folks at all.

  128. 128.

    JMG

    @JoyceH: When Trump was elected, one of my son’s friends declared that there would be billboards advertising the Trump Presidential Library declaring “we have the loosest slots in town!”

  130. 130.

    Ohio Mom

    @Lapassionara: I hate to tell you this but there is already a painting of Trump in the National Portrait Gallery.

    My BFF went there yesterday with her son and texted me her photos of a number of the portraits — Nixon by Norman Rockwell, an expressionistic Kennedy, a weird one of FDR with studies of his hands in the bottom margin, Clinton by Chuck Close. There was a pretty interesting range of artistic approaches.

    In Trump’s portrait, he is sitting in the Oval Office with that overwrought wallpaper he chose behind him and a row of dark flags. They might be the flags of the different armed forces, none are the Stars and Stripes. Overall, the room is dark and gloomy. Lots of muddy browns.

    He’s not as orange as he could be, and his hair styling is also toned down. He’s wearing a black suit and a bright red tie, naturally, He has a stern look on his face and he looks a little younger than he is.

    If you didn’t know who you were looking at, you would give the painting a passing glance. Another white man in a suit, like so many of the other presidential portraits.

  132. 132.

    sab

    I am 69. Also have 40 ish years experiemce as a tax accountant

    I America things aren’t what

  133. 133.

    Geminid

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: My guess is that Trump will show up for his arraignment. His attorneys can still use pretrial motions and appeals therof to drag the proceedings out. It’s possible this case might not even go to trial before 2025.

  140. 140.

    dnfree

    @WaterGirl: You are so exactly right about what saved us on January 6.  If there’d been protesters from the left, I think two things at least would have happened:  the left would have been blamed for the violence (the right would have been just defending themselves), and Trump would have taken it as a chance to impose martial law.

  141. 141.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Baud:

    The three finalist bid cities are Atlanta, Chicago, and NYC.  Not sure when a final decision will be made, but fairly soon, I should think.

    ETA: Or what JPL said.

  144. 144.

    JPL

    @SiubhanDuinne: It would be electrifying if a trial and convention were held at the same time.   I don’t mean that in a good way.   Even I would be concerned in my little safe haven north of the city.

  145. 145.

    WaterGirl

    @SiubhanDuinne: When you list those 3, GA is the obvious choice.

    You can’t reward NY for their fuckups in November, we get nothing out of Chicago and GA makes sense.

    I wonder why / how those 3 ended up as the finalists?

  147. 147.

    JPL

    @Baud: It is a good choice, and I’m sure that trump will delay charges so both events won’t occur at the same tim

  148. 148.

    schrodingers_cat

    OT: In art related news I managed to revive some of my artist grade watercolor tubes from the early 90s from India. I am going to try my hand at making clear gesso, I have all the ingredients. And also some canvas panels. Wish me luck!

  150. 150.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    @JPL:

    It would be electrifying if a trial and convention were held at the same time.

    If Fani Willis gets all her ducks lined up, maybe we could see a trial and convention simultaneously in Atlanta instead of New York.

  151. 151.

    Another Scott

    The G20 is going to be held in New Delhi in September.  VVP has previously said –  before the ICC arrest warrant dropped – that “chances are high” that he will “participate.”  India is a party to the ICC (but apparently didn’t enforce other ICC warrants when they had the chance).  It seems likely to me now that he’ll find an excuse to attend remotely (and he’ll be pissed-off about it).

    But wouldn’t it be delicious if TFG and VVP were both in holding awaiting trial in the fail?  Imagine Zelenskyy calling them both up, telling them to keep their chins up, that he’s working really hard to find that mysterious voting server and the bioweapons labs that he’s heard so much about…

    ;-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  155. 155.

    Steeplejack

    And now we get Trump’s version of the page 22 correction to the earlier inflammatory headline. NYTimes:

    With a Manhattan grand jury indictment likely but its timing unclear, Donald J. Trump sought to rally supporters to his side, declaring that he would be arrested on Tuesday and calling for protests.

    Mr. Trump made the declaration on his site, Truth Social, at 7:26 a.m. on Saturday [. . .].

    Two hours later, a spokesman issued a statement saying that Mr. Trump had not written his post with direct knowledge of the timing of any arrest, adding, “President Trump is rightfully highlighting his innocence and the weaponization of our injustice system.”

    [. . .]

    The statement from Mr. Trump’s spokesman did not explain how he had landed on Tuesday as an arrest date. One person with knowledge of the matter said that Mr. Trump’s advisers had guessed that it could happen around then, and that someone might have relayed that to the former president.

    What a maroon.

  159. 159.

    Another Scott

    Meanwhile, … VOANews.com:

    WASHINGTON —
    Soon after a train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals in Ohio last month, anonymous pro-Russian accounts started spreading misleading claims and anti-American propaganda about it on Twitter, using Elon Musk’s new verification system to expand their reach while creating the illusion of credibility.

    The accounts, which parroted Kremlin talking points on myriad topics, claimed without evidence that authorities in Ohio were lying about the true impact of the chemical spill. The accounts spread fearmongering posts that preyed on legitimate concerns about pollution and health effects and compared the response to the derailment with America’s support for Ukraine following its invasion by Russia.

    Some of the claims pushed by the pro-Russian accounts were verifiably false, such as the suggestion that the news media had covered up the disaster or that environmental scientists traveling to the site had been killed in a plane crash. But most were more speculative, seemingly designed to stoke fear or distrust. Examples include unverified maps showing widespread pollution, posts predicting an increase in fatal cancers, and others about unconfirmed mass animal die-offs.

    “Biden offers food, water, medicine, shelter, payouts of pension and social services to Ukraine! Ohio first! Offer and deliver to Ohio!” posted one of the pro-Moscow accounts, which boasts 25,000 followers and features an anonymous location and a profile photo of a dog. Twitter awarded the account a blue check mark in January.

    […]

    I’m sure you’re just as shocked, shocked as I am.

    It’s good this is coming out rather quickly, but still a lot of damage has been done. And Melon loves him some clicks!!

    Grr…,
    Scott.

  160. 160.

    Sure Lurkalot

    “Another politically charged prosecution against former [POTUS]…people have a right to express the frustration that they feel to see a liberal Manhattan DA poised to indict a former president”
    “The idea of indicting a former president of the United States is deeply troubling to me as it is to 10s of millions of Americans.”
    “No one is above the law. I’m confident President Trump can take care of himself.”

    Mike “profile in courage (and non-sequiturs)” Pence.

  162. 162.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: True!  It’s probably a story for a lot longer than 4 days, I would think.  Lots of politicians and reporters there in the sunup to the convention, etc.

  163. 163.

    Jay

    @sab:

    are you okay? Yeah, crappy times, but is your health okay?

    Just worried with two garbled comments and then a blank.

  167. 167.

    Chris T.

    @There go two miscreants: [re autocorrect’s mis-spelling of Melania]

    Malaria. Melamine. Muscilage.

    For that last one, you mean “mucilage” (the goopy gluey stuff), I think. I prefer the alternate spelling “Melanoma” myself.

  168. 168.

    WaterGirl

    @Sure Lurkalot:

    To my reading, these are two completely contradictory statements.

    “The idea of indicting a former president of the United States is deeply troubling to me as it is to 10s of millions of Americans.”

    “No one is above the law.”

  172. 172.

    Quinerly

    Anybody got a gift link to the T Nichols article in The Atlantic up within the last 5 hrs? I’m out of clicks.

    Thanks!

  174. 174.

    Juju

    I know this is off topic, but am I the only one who read Joe Tacopina as Joe Tapioca? It’s like Patsy Baloney. I can’t stop seeing it that way.

    Joe Tapioca is the Patsy Baloney of Pam Perma Bondis.

    I’m done.

  175. 175.

    CaseyL

    On a happier note, today we got a lovely taste of spring in Seattle:  warm and sunny. I went for a walk in one of my favorite neighborhoods for walkabouts (Sunset Hill, offering great views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains) and it was delightful.

  176. 176.

    Another Scott

    @WaterGirl: It’s good propoganda, but what’s the “action item”?

    Don’t let MAGA republicans win?

    Ok.

    But what about apparently non-MAGA republicans?  The people other than Tuckems and McCarthy and TFG and MTG and Gaetz and Boebert?  What about McConnell?  What about Johnson?  What about Graham?  What about all the rest of them that vote in lockstep to block things like COVID funding and SNAP funding and expanded child tax credits?  Are they Ok to LP?  Apparently so because they aren’t telling people to vote for Democrats.

    DeSantis was in favor of more weapons for Ukraine in 2014 when he was in the House, now he says a giant war in Europe just a ‘territorial dispute’.

    As has been obvious for 40+ years, and even moreso since 2015, the problem isn’t “MAGA”, the problem is the Republican Party.

    Eyes on the prizes.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  178. 178.

    Chris T.

    @CaseyL: Yes, but my allergies are going nuts. The Rite of Spring.

    (Meanwhile, as soon as spring actually arrives, our weather will go back to winter mode.)

  182. 182.

    Geminid

    @JPL: The Georgia trial could get pushed back too. Both it and the New York cases will be state trials. When the numerous pretrial motions filed by Trump’s attorneys get rejected, their appeals will go to state courts, but I think they could end up in federal courts also.

    And the prosecution may have to appeal adverse judgements by the trial court or by the first level appellate court. That’s one reason Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial still hasn’t started.

    I’m just glad this isn’t the Israeli judicial system. Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted on three corruption counts in November, 2019. The first hearing in Jerusalem District Court wasn’t until May of 2020, and the first witness did not testify until April, 2021.

    They lost most of that May because of the war with Gaza, and the protracted formation of a new government that ran into June. Later that year the exposure of an Israeli spyware company resulted in another delay. It took two almost two months to verify that Israeli law enforcement hadn’t used the spyware on Netanyahu.

    Then the trial crawled along in fits and halts until it was suspended for last fall’s election, after which Netanyahu couldn’t form a new government until the end of December. The first day back on January 9, the three judges temporarily suspended proceedings on account of a Netanyahu attorney yelling at them and the prosecutor.

    The judges got the trial crawling along again, but then two of them decided to take March off (they’re allowed 30 days sabbatical each year). Passover is next month, so the trial might not resume until the last week of April.

    Netanyahu could still  be convicted this year. Then the appeals will begin.

  183. 183.

    Wyatt Salamanca

    Joe Tapioca is the Patsy Baloney of Pam Perma Bondis.

    @Juju:

    Tacopina is straight out of central casting.  His buffoonery is a perfect match for Trump’s clownishness.

  194. 194.

    Geminid

    @WaterGirl: The DNC may not have thought this issue through. Now the issue is probably being pressed hard by the two other finalists, and their union allies.

  196. 196.

    Geminid

    @Baud: My guess is that just a few cities have that kind of capacity in unionized hotels. and evidently the alternatives to Atlanta are two of them.

    This would not have been an issue in years past, but now the party is leaning into its ties with organized labor.

    If the DNC chooses a city other than Atlanta, they will probably emphasize all the other positive reasons and not make too much of the issue of unionized hotels, at least not publically.

  198. 198.

    Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony

    @Geminid: I get that all these delays and hurdles are built into the system to protect the innocent. However, justice delayed is can be justice denied. When crooks can drag stuff out for YEARS, it increases massively the costs to the system and makes DAs more reluctant to go after the rich. Plus, these people are still running around doing damage. I feel like the scale has tipped too far in the direction of protecting defendents and needs to move more toward making prosecutions more timely.

  202. 202.

    WaterGirl

    @Another Scott: Her FAQ doesn’t impact, even one bit, my believe that people with money not only game the legal system, but outright abuse it.

    John Edwards was right about one thing.  There are two Americas. Or maybe it’s more correct to say there are more than two.

    There’s black and white.  There’s male and female. There’s filthy rich and not.  And so on.

  204. 204.

    Geminid

    @Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony:

     

    @WaterGirl: One thought I have about Trump and his legal maneuvers is that fundamentally, Trump is a political problem. I would be reluctant to make many if any changes in our system of criminal law because of how he games the legal system, as exasperating as that might be.

    I think the only way to counter Trump’s political challenge is to beat him and his allies at the polls, and as thoroughly as possible.

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