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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let me file that under fuck it.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

I really should read my own blog.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

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You are here: Home / Politics / Trump Indictments / Not a Good Day for Trump, Part Infinity

Not a Good Day for Trump, Part Infinity

by WaterGirl|  September 6, 20235:22 pm| 236 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Politics, Trump Indictments

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I am so not tired of winning!

Let’s see.

Today a judge ruled against Trump in the second E. Jean Carroll case; now all the jury has to do is decide  damagers  damages.

Today Yuscil Taveras struck a deal with Jack Smith to testify in the MAL case, and therefore won’t be charged.

Today a NY judge ruled that Trump doesn’t get to delay his fraud case.  With a bonus hand-written note from the judge stating that the arguments are totally without merit!

Let us savor!

That didn't take long.

A New York judge REJECTED Trump's bid to delay trial in his civil fraud case, with a handwritten notation that his lawyers' arguments are "completely without merit."

Background from earlier, via @EvaSurovell @TheMessenger https://t.co/0bNtXfA6EO pic.twitter.com/GPDew3rt1C

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) September 6, 2023

BREAKING: Taveras has struck a plea agreement w/ Jack Smith’s office. At one point, he was represented by a trump-paid lawyer but flipped once he was advised by a public defender. He will not be charged in the Mar-a-Lago case in exchange for his testimony. https://t.co/BMxgXFrxGO

— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) September 6, 2023

“I’ll deny Mr. Chesebro’s motion to sever from Mrs. Powell. I’ll deny in part Mrs. Powell’s motion to sever from Mr. Chesebro” pic.twitter.com/XPAHtUX8ey

— Acyn (@Acyn) September 6, 2023

Not directly a Trump case, but Cheese-bro doesn’t get to separate from Kracken, and vice versa!

What else good happened?

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Reader Interactions

236Comments

  1. 1.

    Quaker in a Basement

    September 6, 2023 at 5:26 pm

    What else good?

    I got to read “Cheese bro and Kraken.” That was the highlight of my day!

  2. 2.

    Tom Levenson

    September 6, 2023 at 5:28 pm

    My lack of financial talent is revealed again, as I have once more failed to invest in popcorn futures.

  3. 3.

    Ken

    September 6, 2023 at 5:28 pm

    For a moment, I thought the the thing under “completely without merit” was a big circled F, then I realized it’s the judge’s initials, not a grade.

  4. 4.

    Tom Levenson

    September 6, 2023 at 5:29 pm

    My lack of financial talent is revealed again, as I have once more failed to stock up on popcorn futures.

  5. 5.

    Old School

    September 6, 2023 at 5:30 pm

    The Georgia RICO case seems like it may take up a chunk of Trump’s time.

    Prosecutors in Fulton County, Ga., say they expect that a trial in their election interference case would last four months – not including jury selection – and they’d expect to call more than 150 witnesses.

  6. 6.

    zhena gogolia

    September 6, 2023 at 5:31 pm

    @Ken: Me too!!!

  7. 7.

    Marmot

    September 6, 2023 at 5:32 pm

    Today a judge ruled against Trump in the second E. Jean Carroll case; now all the jury has to do is decide damagers.

    Omg how do I apply to be a damager!?

  8. 8.

    trollhattan

    September 6, 2023 at 5:34 pm

    @Old School: Four months? Wow. And that poor jury.

  9. 9.

    BeautifulPlumage

    September 6, 2023 at 5:34 pm

    Paxton is still on trial in TX

    Navarro is still on trial

    (OT: I accepted a job offer this morning – excited to be working again after my summer break.)

  10. 10.

    Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.)

    September 6, 2023 at 5:34 pm

    Running for president was the dumbest fucking thing that dumb fucking fuckhead ever did, and he’s done a lot of dumb fucking shit. I can’t believe he or anybody around him could have believed it would end any other way if he won.

  11. 11.

    Baud

    September 6, 2023 at 5:35 pm

    @BeautifulPlumage:

    Congrats!

  12. 12.

    Almost Retired

    September 6, 2023 at 5:35 pm

    Is Taveras the guy who drained the swimming pool into the data center?   Don’t you hate it when that happens?

  13. 13.

    trollhattan

    September 6, 2023 at 5:39 pm

    Cleaning up the California referendum process–baby steps. Pro tip: if the Cal Chamber is ag’in it, you’re probably for it. Regrettably, it’s been reined in from the first proposal.

    California voters will likely see clearer ballot language on statewide referendums after lawmakers on Tuesday endorsed a bill that would eliminate the often puzzling “Yes” or “No” choice. If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs AB 421 into law, voters will instead be asked whether they want to “keep the law” or “overturn the law.”

    The changes would take effect immediately and be in effect for the 2024 election because of an urgency clause attached to the measure. The Senate approved the bill 29-8, surpassing the two-thirds majority required to send the bill onward.

    The Assembly concurred with a vote of 54-17 when the roll was closed. Assembly Majority Leader Isaac Bryan, a Los Angeles Democrat and the bill’s author, characterized the Legislature’s approval as a win even though the version that passed was significantly slimmed down from the original proposal. “It feels like a light step because we were so ambitious. That speaks to the change that’s needed,” Bryan said. “Did we go for everything and the kitchen sink at the beginning? We absolutely did, because the people deserve for us to fix these processes completely.”

    The original bill took aim at both the signature-gathering process for referendum petitions and the language on the ballot. Portions that were amended out would have established new registration and training requirements for paid signature-gatherers; required disclosure of the top three funders on the petition form, and mandated that campaigns gather at least 10% of signatures using volunteers. Those funders would also have been listed on the ballot itself. Instead, the final version of the bill requires that the top three backers of the referendum be disclosed in the official voter information guide prepared by the Secretary of State’s office.

    The effort was championed by good governance groups and labor unions, such as SEIU California, whose policies are increasingly becoming the targets of business-backed referendum campaigns. Supporters argued that paid signature-gatherers flock to California and make upwards of $10-$15 per signature. “Clearing up confusion on the ballot means putting power back where it should be: in the hands of voters,” said Tia Orr, executive director of SEIU California, in a statement Tuesday. SEIU has been supporting fast-food workers whose state-approved labor council will face a referendum next November that was bankrolled by corporations such as McDonald’s and Chipotle.

    The California Chamber of Commerce, which advocates for business interests, still opposes the bill even without many of the more stringent requirements. In its letter of opposition, CalChamber argues that changing the ballot language to the “keep/oppose” format “makes the vote about the Legislature’s action, not about the proposed statute itself.” The organization posits that such a “profound difference from the historic intent and function” of the referendum process would only be changeable by constitutional amendment rather than statute.

    https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article278999269.html#storylink=cpy

  14. 14.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 5:39 pm

    Wait, wait! I got it … with our Kraken and Cheese-bro we’re getting a nice white whine!!

  15. 15.

    trollhattan

    September 6, 2023 at 5:39 pm

    @Almost Retired: Waste of perfectly good chlorine.

  16. 16.

    MisterDancer

    September 6, 2023 at 5:40 pm

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.): I can’t believe he or anybody around him could have believed it would end any other way if he won.

    I’m of the personal speculation that he didn’t plan to win, and in fact was convinced he wouldn’t.

    Nothing to back that speculation formally; I recall some reporting on Election Night and some other business that gave that impression, but for once I’m not looking anything up :)

  17. 17.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 5:41 pm

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.): this absolutely.  Have opined for a while that if he had stuck to real-estate bottom-feeding, money-laundering, and the occasional side grift like Trump U., then he never would have got in trouble, or at least not much that couldn’t be bought out of with a fine.  But nooooo.

    @MisterDancer: concur. I think it was a brand-building ego trip that got outta control, and that still wouldn’t have worked without the active assistance of The New York Times and the Director of the FBI.  (Why else would he have ended up with not-even-B-list Pence as VP?)

  18. 18.

    smith

    September 6, 2023 at 5:41 pm

    @Almost Retired: No, he’s the IT guy who couldn’t/wouldn’t wipe the server. The pool guy is going to trial.

  19. 19.

    Quaker in a Basement

    September 6, 2023 at 5:42 pm

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.): It’s always been my belief that even Trump didn’t think he’d win. His decision to run was just another way to promote the “brand.”

  20. 20.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 5:44 pm

    @smith: so waddaya wanna bet that “wipe” the server was what triggered the whole brilliant idea?

  21. 21.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    September 6, 2023 at 5:45 pm

    @BeautifulPlumage: Congrats on the job!

    To anyone who knows: Am I correct in thinking that Trump has to be at that Georgia trial? He can’t just decide to do something else that day?

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.): Yeah, if he’d just stayed doing what he’d been doing, no one would have bothered the crook

  22. 22.

    Marmot

    September 6, 2023 at 5:46 pm

    @Quaker in a Basement:

    @bbleh:

    I got that feeling too. And he was always going to say he’d been cheated out of a win.

  23. 23.

    jonas

    September 6, 2023 at 5:46 pm

    @Old School: More like a lot of his lawyers’ time. Just screening and seating the jury will take weeks or months. His legal bills have to be staggering and while his PAC seems to have been able to grift the rubes enough to keep his attorneys in their Bentleys so far, I’m not sure how long that can keep going. Remember, he’s also trying to run for president, which is what the PAC is *supposed* to be paying for.

  24. 24.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    September 6, 2023 at 5:47 pm

    TBH, I get a little embarrassed for some of my twitter follows when they get too worked up about the Windsors, but this…

    Jake Sherman @JakeSherman
    Trump signals to @hughhewitt that he would be interested in debating Megan Markle.
    Trump says that he “didn’t like the way she dealt with the Queen.”

    “Let’s set it up. I’d love to debate her”

  25. 25.

    laura

    September 6, 2023 at 5:47 pm

    Christ, what an asshole × infinity.

  26. 26.

    Baud

    September 6, 2023 at 5:48 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    “Think of the ratings.”

    There’s always another media stunt with that guy.

  27. 27.

    smith

    September 6, 2023 at 5:49 pm

    @bbleh: Several experts think it’s big trouble for the Cheese if he can’t stand alone. “‘Forever linked to a lunatic’: Legal experts call Fulton County ruling a ‘nightmare scenario for Ken Chesebro'”

    Personally, I think it’s there’s an appealing symmetry for an arrogant, coup-justifying attorney to be forever linked to a lunatic.

  28. 28.

    BeautifulPlumage

    September 6, 2023 at 5:49 pm

    @bbleh: good one!

  29. 29.

    trollhattan

    September 6, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    Say it ain’t so, Homeland Security.

    Undercover Government Agents on Social Media

    More than 3,000 pages of internal records obtained by a Brennan Center lawsuit show that the Department of Homeland Security routinely uses fake social media accounts to gather information about people, with insufficient protections for privacy rights. The revelations add to long-running concerns about government use of social media at all levels and underscore the need for robust reforms. Chief among these are “clear and enforceable controls and transparency requirements,”
    https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/documents-reveal-widespread-use-fake-social-media-accounts-dhs

  30. 30.

    Josie

    September 6, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    @BeautifulPlumage: ​
     And Abbott has been ordered to remove the floating buoys from the Rio Grande by the end of next week.
    Congratulations on the job.

  31. 31.

    Baud

    September 6, 2023 at 5:51 pm

    OT it has awakened.

    India’s Moon Lander Detects Movement Underneath The Surface

    The event is currently under investigation

  32. 32.

    BeautifulPlumage

    September 6, 2023 at 5:53 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: huh, didn’t know she was running for the GOP primary for president.

  33. 33.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 5:55 pm

    @MisterDancer: I believe that Mango Mussolini believed he had an outside chance to beat Hillary, which is why he ran against her and not Obama, he knew he would get his clock cleaned. He viewed this as a most excellent grift opportunity, soak the rubes for as much as he could during the campaign and then run the stolen election grift. Once he got elected, and once the shock wore off for him and he grasped the levers of power, the light came on that he had the keys to the mother lode. The amounts that he could grift were unlimited or limited only by lack of imagination, and anything that he could do to be the last elected President of the United States and become the ruler of the US was not off limits.

  34. 34.

    smith

    September 6, 2023 at 5:55 pm

    @bbleh: TFG apparently tried the flooding-the-basement-where-the-incriminating-files-are-stored trick once before years ago, and it worked like a charm for him. Unfortunately, those were paper files, and probably the IT guy was the only one in the bunch who had a clue about how well that might work with electronic files. I am really looking forward to hearing at the trial exactly how they attempted this genius caper.

  35. 35.

    BeautifulPlumage

    September 6, 2023 at 5:56 pm

    @Josie: I hadn’t heard that about Abbott. Good.

  36. 36.

    BeautifulPlumage

    September 6, 2023 at 5:57 pm

    @Baud: not now, moon, read the room. We have trials, etc to follow.

  37. 37.

    WaterGirl

    September 6, 2023 at 5:57 pm

    @Ken: @zhena gogolia:  I thought the F might be shorthand for Fuck You

  38. 38.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 6, 2023 at 5:57 pm

    @trollhattan:

    Four months? Wow. And that poor jury.

    Poor? Hey hey hey, each juror is going to pull in 25 big ol’ smackeroonies PER DIEM.

  39. 39.

    Other MJS

    September 6, 2023 at 5:57 pm

    The name “Chesebro” makes me suspect we are living in a simulation.

  40. 40.

    jonas

    September 6, 2023 at 5:57 pm

    @bbleh: I’ve been struck this past year with how much trouble Trump has gotten himself into because he was doing stuff he thinks Hillary did and got away with. He mentions it in the recordings surrendered by Cochran. Steal classified documents? Hey, Hillary did the same thing! (Narrator: “No, she did not.”). Wipe a server with incriminating evidence on it? Hillary did that! (Narrator: “No, she did not.”)

    What he ended up doing was committing serious felonies, whereas Clinton was guilty of, at the most, carelessness. But he was too high on his own lib-hating supply to realize that.

  41. 41.

    Tom Levenson

    September 6, 2023 at 5:57 pm

    I see this as yet further proof, were any needed, that I lack all financial acumen.

    Yet one more time, I have completely failed to invest in popcorn futures.

  42. 42.

    Dangerman

    September 6, 2023 at 5:58 pm

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.): He wasn’t expected to win. PR stunt (see Paulsen, Pat) that went to shit.

  43. 43.

    West of the Rockies

    September 6, 2023 at 5:58 pm

    @smith:

    Speaking of naughty pool boys, what became of Falwell and the Mrs. and their poolboy?  Living in disgrace, I hope.

  44. 44.

    wjca

    September 6, 2023 at 6:01 pm

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.): . I can’t believe he or anybody around him could have believed it would end any other way if he won.

    It never occurred to him (or those around him — at least the ones he listened to) that he might win.  Running was entirely an advertising gimmick, pure and simple.  And then . . . oops!

  45. 45.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    September 6, 2023 at 6:01 pm

    @MisterDancer: Like you, I couldn’t find it now, but there’s a middling GOP strategist who said that she (IIRC) was brought into an early meeting during which the stated plan was for trump to come in second or third in the first few primaries then make a big show of endorsing the front-runner in return for some showy groveling.

    I think it’s in Michael Lewis’s book, for which Christie was pretty clearly a main source, that trump looked terrified when it looked like he was going to win. I’ve always thought the plan was to lose the GE, then launch a rival to Fox with some of that sweet, sweet Russian cash, while laundering more of same.

  46. 46.

    MisterForkbeard

    September 6, 2023 at 6:02 pm

    @bbleh: And the active assistance of the Russians, etc.

  47. 47.

    Marmot

    September 6, 2023 at 6:02 pm

    @Baud: oh it’s that damn black rectangular obelisk signaling the other one over by Jupiter.

    Hope this time it’s just not so artsy, jeez.

  48. 48.

    Baud

    September 6, 2023 at 6:03 pm

    Hard to believe that Trump in 2016 overestimated the decency of American voters.

  49. 49.

    smith

    September 6, 2023 at 6:04 pm

    @West of the Rockies: Pool boys do seem to be a leitmotif among the Goober elite, aren’t they? Seems the Falwell pool boy predictably went Hollywood. I’m guessing the MAL pool boy won’t have such a rewarding fate.

  50. 50.

    jonas

    September 6, 2023 at 6:04 pm

    @trollhattan: I know employers supposedly can’t fire people for serving on a jury (who knows what GA law is), but seriously, how many people in a county could seriously just walk away from their work for a third of the year to serve on this case without any repercussions? Or from their families if they have small kids to take care of during the day?

    I guess the jury will consist primarily of wealthy, non-working Atlanta housewives whose kids are grown and out of the house or something.  One hell of a season of RHOA!

  51. 51.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 6, 2023 at 6:04 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I think there’s an extraneous “eb” in “debate.”  He’s trying to say what he said years ago of Meghan’s late mother-in-law: “I’d love to date her.”

  52. 52.

    Ruckus

    September 6, 2023 at 6:05 pm

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.):

    Stupid is as stupid hangs on….

  53. 53.

    WaterGirl

    September 6, 2023 at 6:05 pm

    @Marmot: I don’t think it requires any special training!

  54. 54.

    West of the Rockies

    September 6, 2023 at 6:05 pm

    @Marmot:

    All of these worlds are yours, save Europa.  Attempt no landing on Europa.

  55. 55.

    jonas

    September 6, 2023 at 6:06 pm

    @Baud: I wonder if he curses James Comey as much as we do for his last-minute assist.

  56. 56.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 6:06 pm

    @smith: big trouble for the Cheese if he can’t stand alone

    ISWYDT

    @MisterForkbeard: good point. And the usual sociopathic donor stratum of the Republican Party who thought they still had the Frankenstein Monster under control.

  57. 57.

    Marmot

    September 6, 2023 at 6:06 pm

    @Baud: Ouch. If there were ever a sentence that was hard to look at, that’s it.

  58. 58.

    Sebastian

    September 6, 2023 at 6:07 pm

    In the eternal words:

    ”Let us savor!”

  59. 59.

    Another Scott

    September 6, 2023 at 6:07 pm

    Meanwhile, … DOI.gov:

    WASHINGTON — The Biden-Harris administration today announced significant steps to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic Refuge) and more than 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). These bold actions to protect the Arctic region build on President Biden’s historic conservation and climate agenda, which already includes protecting more than 21 million acres of public lands and waters across the nation, and securing the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action in history.

    In the Arctic Refuge, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has authorized the cancellation of the remaining seven oil and gas leases issued by the previous administration in the Coastal Plain. The leases were suspended in June 2021 following the issuance of Secretary’s Order (S.O.) 3401, which identified “multiple legal deficiencies in the underlying record supporting the leases.” 

    In addition, the Department today proposed new regulations for the NPR-A that would ensure maximum protection for the more than 13 million acres of Special Areas in the reserve, while supporting subsistence activities for Alaska Native communities. The proposed rule, previewed in March 2023, adds to President Biden’s actions to protect millions of acres of lands and waters in the Arctic, including withdrawing approximately 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea, ensuring the entire United States Arctic Ocean is off limits to new oil and gas leasing.

    “With climate change warming the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet, we must do everything within our control to meet the highest standards of care to protect this fragile ecosystem,” said Secretary Haaland. “President Biden is delivering on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in history. The steps we are taking today further that commitment, based on the best available science and in recognition of the Indigenous Knowledge of the original stewards of this area, to safeguard our public lands for future generations.”

    […]

    Those are some pretty huge tracts of land.

    Good, good.

    (via Reuters)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  60. 60.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 6:08 pm

    @Doc Sardonic:

    🎶 He is flooding out the basement
     where the notes of crime are stored.
    He hath loosed his team of lawyers
    but he can’t keep them aboard.
    And his Truth is all but gone.

  61. 61.

    twbrandt

    September 6, 2023 at 6:08 pm

    @smith: Popehat called the upcoming trial “Cheese and Crackers”.

  62. 62.

    Marmot

    September 6, 2023 at 6:09 pm

    @West of the Rockies: LOL! It’s full of stars.

    ETA: We are totally going to Europa before they can tell us otherwise—no takebacks!

  63. 63.

    trollhattan

    September 6, 2023 at 6:09 pm

    @Baud: Fuhhh, does anybody remember the safe word?

  64. 64.

    Ryan

    September 6, 2023 at 6:11 pm

    Cheese and kracken, cheese and kracken.

  65. 65.

    trollhattan

    September 6, 2023 at 6:12 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Gosh, now I’m jealous.

    How much for a bag of Cheetos from the courthouse vending machine?

  66. 66.

    WaterGirl

    September 6, 2023 at 6:15 pm

    @Baud: Just the dragon burping, nothing to worry about.

  67. 67.

    trollhattan

    September 6, 2023 at 6:15 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’ve known narcissists but Trump plows new ground in his comparing himself to literally anybody on the planet with name recognition.

  68. 68.

    wjca

    September 6, 2023 at 6:15 pm

    @Baud:

    India’s Moon Lander Detects Movement Underneath The Surface

    The event is currently under investigation

    The earth’s gravity impacts the moon and results in seismic activity.   And this is surprising to whom?

  69. 69.

    twbrandt

    September 6, 2023 at 6:15 pm

    @Tom Levenson: have you considered investing in the South Sea Company?

  70. 70.

    Ken

    September 6, 2023 at 6:16 pm

    @Baud:

    a “seemingly natural” event

    Giant space amoebae are natural.

  71. 71.

    Roger Moore

    September 6, 2023 at 6:17 pm

    @MisterDancer:

    Trump may not have planned on winning, but he looked like he wanted to win.  At the very least, he wasn’t doing any of the many things he could have done to subtly tank the election if he genuinely wanted to lose.

    Just as an example, look at the payoff to Stormy Daniels.  The evidence says he didn’t actually care about the potential damage to his reputation, since he talked about stiffing her after the election was over.  He cut his deal with her specifically because he thought it would help his election chances.  That’s the behavior of someone who wants to win, not someone who’s ambivalent or secretly wants to lose.

  72. 72.

    Scout211

    September 6, 2023 at 6:19 pm

    Apologies if this has already posted, but super good news:

    Federal judge orders Texas to remove floating barriers aimed at deterring migrants on Rio Grande

    A federal judge ordered Texas to remove floating barriers in the Rio Grande and barred the state from building new or placing additional buoys in the river, according to a Wednesday court filing, marking a victory for the Biden administration.

    Judge David Alan Ezra ordered Texas to take down the barriers by September 15 at its own expense.

  73. 73.

    wjca

    September 6, 2023 at 6:19 pm

    @twbrandt: have you considered investing in the South Sea Company?

    What utter nonsense.  Everyone with sense is getting into tulip bulbs!  Can’t miss

  74. 74.

    Marmot

    September 6, 2023 at 6:20 pm

    @trollhattan: I’ve known one, and this is not at all out of the ordinary. They will say anything at all, if they think it’ll bring in more narcissistic supply.

  75. 75.

    Ken

    September 6, 2023 at 6:21 pm

    @Tom Levenson: Yet one more time, I have completely failed to invest in popcorn futures.

    Buy at the peak! It’s an investment strategy that millions have followed!

  76. 76.

    trollhattan

    September 6, 2023 at 6:24 pm

    @Scout211: They could drag them to an empty lot and put up signs reading The Most Dangerous Playground in Texas.

  77. 77.

    Dan B

    September 6, 2023 at 6:24 pm

    @BeautifulPlumage:  Congrats!  And lower financial stress is a bonus.

    We’re back from four glorious days at the ocean with six other friends, all couples and great cooks!

  78. 78.

    smith

    September 6, 2023 at 6:25 pm

    @Roger Moore: From all we’ve seen of him, it’s unlikely TFG would volunteer to lose at anything. “Loser” is one of his favorite epithets.

  79. 79.

    UncleEbeneezer

    September 6, 2023 at 6:25 pm

    So after much deliberation I finally decided how I want to spend the big FIVE-O Birthday.  We are going to go back to Taos, NM!  Very excited.  We went there in 2019 for Fall Color but only stayed a couple days and were pretty exhausted since we had long drives in and out of town.  This time we will be going in Winter and only driving in from ABQ.  Plan to ski on my Birthday and check out Christmas Eve at The Pueblo which has what sounds like a pretty amazing Mass and native ceremony.  And we LOVE New Mexican cuisine so we are already drooling at the thought of green chili stew, posole, sopapillas etc.  On Christmas Day we’ll fly to Denver for a couple days with my Sister (and her family) and my Dad.  It’ll be nice to have a real winter experience for the first time in several years.

  80. 80.

    WaterGirl

    September 6, 2023 at 6:26 pm

    @Scout211: How is it that the governor can’t be indicted for depraved indifference to human life, or whatever they call it in TX?

    Or maybe depraved indifference is supported in TX!

  81. 81.

    Nelle

    September 6, 2023 at 6:26 pm

    @Another Scott: Thanks for noting this!  I missed this.  When I met my husband, he was a bush pilot, mostly operating on the Refuge.  It’s gorgeous – I had eight summers up there.

  82. 82.

    Elizabelle

    September 6, 2023 at 6:26 pm

    @smith:

    Linked to one lunatic (Kraken variety), while trying to flee a set of other lunatics.

    How. Not sad.  Hope Chesebro loses his law license, too.

  83. 83.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    September 6, 2023 at 6:27 pm

    @BeautifulPlumage:

    Congratulations!

  84. 84.

    WaterGirl

    September 6, 2023 at 6:28 pm

    @BeautifulPlumage: Seems like this has been a great year for you so far!

  85. 85.

    FastEdD

    September 6, 2023 at 6:29 pm

    @trollhattan: Good news about ballot initiatives. Most are purposely misleading. I’ve worked for the CA Federation of Teachers on a few. The only time I’ve ever let out my Inner Asshole is around paid signature gatherers from other states. “Cut taxes, you Son Of A Bitch? You fuckers are the ones who cost us $300 million in a stupid recall that was decided 15 minutes after the polls closed. Get the fuck out of here and go home!! Get a real job!”

  86. 86.

    twbrandt

    September 6, 2023 at 6:29 pm

    @UncleEbeneezer: sounds like a great birthday plan!

  87. 87.

    Marmot

    September 6, 2023 at 6:30 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Or maybe depraved indifference is supported in TX!

    Hang on there. Depraved indifference to depraved malevolence is the National GOP’s official moral range.

  88. 88.

    smith

    September 6, 2023 at 6:31 pm

    So Mitch McConnell called a press conference today to answer questions about his health. He referred reporters to the nothingburger report from the Senate physician, and ended the press conference after 90 seconds. I’m sure we can all agree that this will put those nagging doubts to rest.

  89. 89.

    Ruckus

    September 6, 2023 at 6:33 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I’ve served on several juries in 2 states and never got paid a dime. I had jury duty last week but they have greatly changed the process. You can register online now, after you get the summons. And you check in every night for the week you are on duty to see if you even need to show up the next day. You can do this by phone or internet. When I went to check online for my last day it said “Thanks for your service, you do not need to show up tomorrow. A lot better than sitting in a room with everyone else all day, every day for a week, waiting to see who gets picked.

  90. 90.

    Roger Moore

    September 6, 2023 at 6:34 pm

    @smith:

    Several experts think it’s big trouble for the Cheese if he can’t stand alone.

    I see what you did there!

  91. 91.

    Jeffro

    September 6, 2023 at 6:34 pm

    @Roger Moore: he’s cunning enough to have (probably) sensed the danger of greater scrutiny that comes with being POTUS…

    …but the lure of being the most powerful person in the world + the grifting opportunities + the fear of losing (even if he might have wanted to lose, initially) all played a part.

    As did his shock, I’m sure, that the GOP base continued to support him no matter what (and I mean literally, NO MATTER WHAT)

    I mean that seriously – he had to be surprised that the GOP base just had no bottom whatsoever.  “You mean…you’re just like me?”

  92. 92.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 6, 2023 at 6:35 pm

    @wjca:

    have you considered investing in the South Sea Company?

    What utter nonsense. Everyone with sense is getting into tulip bulbs! Can’t miss

    As always I take my cues from Dorothy L. Sayers. Megatherium Trust or go home!

  93. 93.

    Roger Moore

    September 6, 2023 at 6:38 pm

    @jonas:

    I know employers supposedly can’t fire people for serving on a jury (who knows what GA law is), but seriously, how many people in a county could seriously just walk away from their work for a third of the year to serve on this case without any repercussions?

    A surprising number of people can serve on long trials.  Naturally, there are retired and unemployed people, who don’t have an employer to worry about.  Some jobs, mostly for the government and government contractors, allow unlimited jury duty service with full pay.  It cuts down on the jury pool and introduces some potential biases, but the courts know they can deal with trials that long because they’ve done it before.

  94. 94.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    September 6, 2023 at 6:39 pm

    @smith:

    He referred reporters to the nothingburger report from the Senate physician, and ended the press conference after 90 seconds. I’m sure we can all agree that this will put those nagging doubts to rest.

    I remember when “Dr.” Ronny Hackson saying Trump was the healthiest man in human history and that he would live to the see the heat death of the universe

    Are the Senate/House physicians just pawns?

  95. 95.

    Bill Arnold

    September 6, 2023 at 6:39 pm

    This will be interesting for American politics:
    Mexico supreme court decriminalizes abortion across country – Decision to remove abortion from federal penal code comes amid trend in Latin America of loosening restrictions on procedure (6 Sep 2023)

  96. 96.

    twbrandt

    September 6, 2023 at 6:40 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: y’all need to read Money For Nothing, by a guy named Tom Levenson.

  97. 97.

    Ruckus

    September 6, 2023 at 6:43 pm

    @Dangerman:

    I believe that he was/is more than crazy enough to believe that he would win. He’s been this shitty person his entire shitty life. He learned a lot from his slumlord father. No good bits of course, just a lot. He’s been SFB his entire life. I remember reading about him in Forbes decades ago.

  98. 98.

    smith

    September 6, 2023 at 6:43 pm

    @Bill Arnold: So TX will build a razor-wire-topped border wall the keep pregnant women in.

  99. 99.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 6, 2023 at 6:47 pm

    @Ruckus:

    I aged out of jury duty 11 or 16 years ago (can’t recall whether the cutoff age was/is 65 or 70), but the last time I was called was well before internets and other fancy on-line malarkey. I believe the standard juror pay was $15/day, which didn’t even cover parking at the courthouse, let alone a bad cup of coffee, a disagreeable cheese sandwich from a vending machine, and the frustration of driving in unfamiliar traffic jams. You had to show up and sit around for hours. Maybe you’d be dismissed, maybe you wouldn’t. I was summoned three or four times, but never empanelled (to my sorrow — I would really have liked to serve on a jury). Anyhow, it’s not going to happen now, for me, but I do admire the transparency and easy communications now. I hope that would encourage more people to serve as jurors.

  100. 100.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    September 6, 2023 at 6:47 pm

    @Bill Arnold:

    WOW! Good news for Mexico. It’ll definitely be interesting to see how the TX and AZ (the state leg, at least) state governments reacts to this.

  101. 101.

    Jay

    September 6, 2023 at 6:48 pm

    Among the names of 18 people indicted in Georgia along with Donald Trump for allegedly conspiring to steal the U.S. election is one few Canadians know: Mike Roman.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVENTS & MORE FROM TYEE AND SELECT PARTNERS
    CONTEST: Win Tickets to Wynton MarsalisCONTEST: Win Tickets to Wynton Marsalis
    One night only! The acclaimed jazz musician plays Vancouver this October.

    And why should we? He’s never grabbed headlines like some of the others charged — big shots like former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani or former presidential chief of staff Mark Meadows.

    But Canadians had better get acquainted with Roman — an American whose resume includes preaching to Conservative party insiders and working alongside former prime minister Stephen Harper at a multinational body built to deliver elections for right-wingers.

    Roman matters because in Canada, as well as the U.S. and many other countries today, third-party groups, often homegrown and emphatically authoritarian, pose a real threat to democracy. They are helping to elect governments that are subverting basic freedoms in the West.

    https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2023/09/06/Mike-Roman-Canadian-Ties/

  102. 102.

    narya

    September 6, 2023 at 6:50 pm

    @MisterForkbeard: Not just their assistance–I would not be the least bit surprised if they encouraged it.

    I agree w you all–I think his massive ego was ripe for that particular urging/encouragement, and that his handlers saw it as a way to get their hands on stuff (info, especially) that they wanted as well as to sow chaos. Pile on his grift-everything approach, and you get a stupid, profoundly unserious, nasty asshole, plus the hangers-on who wanted their own piece of the pie.

  103. 103.

    Baud

    September 6, 2023 at 6:50 pm

    @Bill Arnold:

    It’s cool to be free now that freedom is anti-American.

  104. 104.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 6, 2023 at 6:51 pm

    @twbrandt:

    Money for Nothing? Sounds like a scam. If I were you I’d stay away from this Levenson dude — if that’s even his real name.

  105. 105.

    twbrandt

    September 6, 2023 at 6:53 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: 😱

  106. 106.

    Omnes Omnibus

    September 6, 2023 at 6:54 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: You are thinking of Mayhew, perhaps?

  107. 107.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 6, 2023 at 6:56 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    It’s hard to keep everyone straight around here. I have the same confuzzlement with you and Steve in the WTF.

  108. 108.

    Bill Arnold

    September 6, 2023 at 6:58 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:
    Yeah, like “Son of the Place Of The Flood” or maybe “Son of Yeast” , or “Son of Sourdough”.

  109. 109.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 6:58 pm

    OT…..For those Juicers in North Carolina and Virginia. There is a hurricane in the Atlantic named Lee, he is going to be a bad motherfucker, projected to be a Cat 4 by the weekend. He currently is heading WNW but is modeled to turn toward the NE Monday or Tuesday and head that direction. I am not trying to be an alarmist, but might want to keep an eye on this one.

  110. 110.

    Omnes Omnibus

    September 6, 2023 at 7:02 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: I am sure Steve and I are both equally affronted by that.

  111. 111.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 7:03 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Twin mothers of different sons?? Noooooo, ah twin sons of different mothers….that’s the ticket

  112. 112.

    Roger Moore

    September 6, 2023 at 7:06 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    California has at least always offered free parking to jurors and either mileage (at less than IRS rates) or a free public transit pass.  I usually skip that because I already have a transit pass from my employer, and the train is a much more convenient way of getting downtown than driving.  It’s still only $15/day for us, and that’s only after the first day.  IMO, they should pay jurors at least $120/day, which would be minimum wage assuming an 8 hour day.

  113. 113.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    September 6, 2023 at 7:07 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Sometimes I mix people up if the nyms are somewhat similar, for example ruemara/rikyrah

  114. 114.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    September 6, 2023 at 7:09 pm

    @UncleEbeneezer: That sounds amazing!

  115. 115.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    September 6, 2023 at 7:11 pm

    @UncleEbeneezer:

    That sounds like an awesome vacation to celebrate your birthday!

  116. 116.

    hueyplong

    September 6, 2023 at 7:11 pm

    @Doc Sardonic: NC resident here and I agree that this looks like potential trouble.

  117. 117.

    UncleEbeneezer

    September 6, 2023 at 7:16 pm

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Thanks we loved Taos and my wife has an awesome friend who lives there.  It will be great to see her again.

  118. 118.

    karen marie

    September 6, 2023 at 7:20 pm

    @trollhattan: First thing that came to mind is, what, if anything does the State of Georgia pay jurors?  In Massachusetts, after the first three days (when employers have to pay) jurors may get $50/day but the judge has to approve any such request by a juror.

    In Fulton County, you get paid but it’s not much.

    Fulton County pays you a $25.00 per day expense allowance to cover expenses such as parking and lunch. After the completion of your service, a check along with a certificate of attendance will be mailed to you within 21-30 business days. You will receive $25.00 for each day of service. In some cases, if you serve on a jury, you may receive two (2) separate checks: one for your first day of service and another check for the remainder of your service. You can also donate your payment to the Fulton County Public libraries.

     

    Few people can afford that kind of haircut, especially for a four month long trial.

  119. 119.

    SiubhanDuinne

    September 6, 2023 at 7:22 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    My work here is done.

  120. 120.

    UncleEbeneezer

    September 6, 2023 at 7:24 pm

    Teri Kanefield has good advice for a commenter (and anyone else) who is outraged/frustrated by the pace of Justice:

    If you are frustrated, I would suggest that you stop watching cable news commentators and get away from the screen because you are a victim of rage merchants.

    You are talking like someone who watches a lot of cable news programs and listens to rage-merchants on social media. Taking a wild guess, you listen to someone like Glenn Kirchner (or others like him).

    if my guess is correct, that is the source of your confusion. What you think is “public perception” is the perception of a small subset of people who listen to these “experts.” They are there to engage and entertain you, not educate you.

    Stop listening to them and your confusion will lessen.

  121. 121.

    Jeffro

    September 6, 2023 at 7:26 pm

    @Doc Sardonic: noted and thanks!

    Here in central VA, we know we won’t get the worst of the effects but might finally get some serious rain, so…we’ll just hope that everyone else does well if/when the storm goes through.

  122. 122.

    Miss Bianca

    September 6, 2023 at 7:27 pm

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.):

    Running for president was the dumbest fucking thing that dumb fucking fuckhead ever did, and he’s done a lot of dumb fucking shit.

    Nothing to add, I just had to savor that sentiment again. In those fucking words.

  123. 123.

    phein64

    September 6, 2023 at 7:28 pm

    @Ruckus: As a Federal employee, I just get my regular pay and have to submit any checks for jury duty to my personnel office.  Although I do get to keep any reimbursement for parking!

  124. 124.

    phein64

    September 6, 2023 at 7:31 pm

    @karen marie: Federal employees don’t take any such haircut, we get paid as usual and give checks for jury duty to the government.   So, it’s quite possible that this jury will be loaded with Federal (including military civilians) employees, which I think would be a good thing.

  125. 125.

    lamh36

    September 6, 2023 at 7:31 pm

    Sorry for missing the hello on the previous thread, had a break in work when I posted and just now home with some time to kill!

    Just wanted to say to all who asked…I’m doing great.  Since my active days, lost some family, gained some family, lost a job title, gained a better job title.  Moved away from NOLA, moved back to NOLA, soon maybe moving away from NOLA again (long story, but a happy one).  Travelled to some new places, travelled to some of the same old places.

    While I’ve not been as active on BJ, I have not stopped being active on social media (IYKYK) and I’ve been keeping a mod or two updated on my happenings.

    Been in a lurking type of mood, but I’m going to DEF be coming off lurking and back hopefully back to more active commenting.

    No worries, I’ll be back.

  126. 126.

    kalakal

    September 6, 2023 at 7:32 pm

    OT. Today has been a disaster. The sprinkler system in the library had a catastrophic break down. First some dripping being caught in buckets then boom! Ceiling tile hits the floor with a 3ft length of pipe in it, fire alarms blaring and a 40ft high waterfall descending on the stacks and microfiche viewers. Building evacuated. Firefighters escorted us in after power and water shut off to get personal stuff. Bottom 3 floors flooded, broke my heart looking at the collection. Going in tomorrow to see what the archives are like. No one hurt though I was lucky, had it happened 5 minutes earlier it would have caught me just as I was emptying the drip buckets.

  127. 127.

    Miss Bianca

    September 6, 2023 at 7:32 pm

    @smith:

    forever linked to a lunatic

    yeah, there’s a whole horror novella right there that phrase. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

    (Mine is an evil laugh)

  128. 128.

    Baud

    September 6, 2023 at 7:33 pm

    @lamh36:

    Awesome.

  129. 129.

    twbrandt

    September 6, 2023 at 7:34 pm

    @kalakal: how awful. Do keep us updated.

  130. 130.

    smith

    September 6, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    @kalakal: How awful. It’s hard to think of a worse place for that to happen than a library.

  131. 131.

    Omnes Omnibus

    September 6, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    @lamh36: Howdy stranger.

  132. 132.

    Miss Bianca

    September 6, 2023 at 7:37 pm

    @jonas:

    I’ve been struck this past year with how much trouble Trump has gotten himself into because he was doing stuff he thinks Hillary did and got away with.

    My God, you’re right. I never thought of it that way before, but it seems so head-smackingly apparent now that you’ve mentioned it. How ironic – I mean, in the serious dramatic irony sense – if Trump gets hoist by his very own Q-Anon petard.

  133. 133.

    BeautifulPlumage

    September 6, 2023 at 7:38 pm

    @WaterGirl: well, if we ignore the sister passing and the apt bldg fire 😺.

    And thanks everyone for the kind words. It took longer than I expected to find something & I was getting a bit depressed as well as stressed. Things are definitely going well and I am grateful.

  134. 134.

    lamh36

    September 6, 2023 at 7:43 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: hellooooo!

  135. 135.

    Miss Bianca

    September 6, 2023 at 7:43 pm

    @UncleEbeneezer: That sounds lovely! I have the big 6-0 coming up the week after next and I have no particular plans to speak of, but dropping everything and running off to New Mexico is sounding strangely tempting…

  136. 136.

    BellaPea

    September 6, 2023 at 7:44 pm

    @Miss Bianca: I think the Orange Ass thought he would up his salary for his stupid reality show by running for president, then got caught up in the whole “leader of the free world” excitement. He’s screwed up everything he’s ever done in his life, including his time as POTUS 45.

  137. 137.

    lamh36

    September 6, 2023 at 7:45 pm

    @Baud: I’ve missed this crazy cabal of peeps here at BJ.

    May not be posting back to my old ways, but def will be back at regular intervals and less lurking

  138. 138.

    Miss Bianca

    September 6, 2023 at 7:45 pm

    @smith: If I were Biden, I’d call a press conference about my health for 90 minutes, just to rub it in.

  139. 139.

    BeautifulPlumage

    September 6, 2023 at 7:46 pm

    @lamh36: good to see you back!

  140. 140.

    hotshoe

    September 6, 2023 at 7:46 pm

    @Doc Sardonic: ​

    ” … currently is heading WNW but is modeled to turn toward the NE Monday or Tuesday and head that direction … “

    I don’t see who is doing that modeling about Hurricane Lee. I checked the National Hurricane Center a couple seconds ago, and their warning cone shows five days from now: 2PM Monday north of Dominican Republic, south of Bermuda. From what I know about ocean temps (the news of hot tub water off Florida) there is no doubt about it having the temps needed to strengthen to major hurricane and stay major after five days.
    But it seems a bit alarmist to predict future impact on US east coast. Seems likely it will turn north away from US.

    Probably the folks on Carolina coast don’t need another reminder to check their go bags. Probably still ready to go from Idalia.

    Good luck over there, folks!​

  141. 141.

    BeautifulPlumage

    September 6, 2023 at 7:47 pm

    @kalakal: noooooooo! Glad no people were hurt, but that must be so hard to see and now clean up.

  142. 142.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    September 6, 2023 at 7:47 pm

    @kalakal:

    Oh no! I remember several years ago my folks’ basement partially flooded when the sump pump failed and an entire set of Sherlock Holmes novels along with a few other books were ruined, became bloated stuck together messed. I feel your pain

  143. 143.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    September 6, 2023 at 7:48 pm

    @lamh36:

    Long time no see!

  144. 144.

    Jeffro

    September 6, 2023 at 7:49 pm

    I know he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and at times it’s hard to realize he’s doing satire (because he does it so well) but comedian Brent Terhune’s latest “Obama tried to have sex with me too” video is a classic!

    He’s getting better w/ his writing and tying bits together, I think.  Terhune, not Obama LOL

  145. 145.

    Baud

    September 6, 2023 at 7:50 pm

    @lamh36:

    Getting the band back together!

  146. 146.

    Miss Bianca

    September 6, 2023 at 7:50 pm

    @kalakal: Oh, no. How awful. I am so sorry to hear it.

    ETA: Seriously, what a nightmare. Glad you made it out safely!

  147. 147.

    Suzanne

    September 6, 2023 at 7:53 pm

    @lamh36: FAAAAAAANtastic to see you back! Glad you won’t be a stranger.

  148. 148.

    lamh36

    September 6, 2023 at 7:53 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): feels like forever right!

  149. 149.

    cain

    September 6, 2023 at 7:53 pm

    @lamh36: Yay!

  150. 150.

    MomSense

    September 6, 2023 at 7:54 pm

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.):

    Ayuh.

    He fucked himself.

  151. 151.

    lamh36

    September 6, 2023 at 7:54 pm

    @Baud: right…let’s see if there any more juice in these old bones of mine :-)

  152. 152.

    Hoodie

    September 6, 2023 at 7:57 pm

    @UncleEbeneezer: We went to the Vespers at Taos Pueblo last Christmas Eve after skiing at Crested Butte.  Gorgeous drive through Cochetopa canyon and into the San Luis valley.  The Vespers is a one of a kind event.  Hundreds (if non thousands) show up, but it is eerily quiet once the bonfires are lit.  The church is very small, so you really can’t do the mass (and seemed kind of uncool for outsiders to take up space).  The procession is a blend of Catholicism and native culture, all conducted in Tiwa.  The whole scene — the smell of the pinon bonfires and Taos Mountain looming above it all — is surreal.  You feel like kind of lucky that the pueblo shares this with outsiders.   No pictures allowed.  After the procession, it seemed to turn into a sort of Taoseno hang out.

  153. 153.

    Jeffro

    September 6, 2023 at 7:57 pm

    WaPo has up a piece about how trumpov’s J6 scams cost his supporters 700 years in prison and counting.

    You know who should be asked for their thoughts about that?

    GOP elected officials.  From now until the end of time until they finally drop the bastard

    (same thing)

  154. 154.

    Betty

    September 6, 2023 at 7:58 pm

    @kalakal: How very sad. Happy to hear there were no injuries, but assessing the damage will be painful.

  155. 155.

    TheOtherHank

    September 6, 2023 at 7:59 pm

    Way back when I served on a vehicular manslaughter jury (in California). The process when I was selected was the judge asking basic questions, what are your opinions about the police, will this cause a financial hardship, etc. Then the lawyers took turns asking questions and each side got to tell 10 people to leave for any reason they wanted. Lots of people were sent home due to financial hardship considerations: their work didn’t pay for jury duty time, they owned their own business. My job at the time paid for 2 weeks of jury duty, I told the judge that it wasn’t going to be financial hardship until day 11 of the trial, then I would get grumpy. He said it would be 1 week. He was right.

    I was the last juror selected and the defense had used up all 10 of his you-can-go-away options. Based on the people he did tell to go away, I think he would have booted me too if he could have.

  156. 156.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 8:01 pm

    @hotshoe: Here’s the current model set: https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/atlantic/2023/hurricane-lee?map=model

    Also check here and hit the play button in the lower left:

    https://www.windy.com/?29.133,-64.336,5

  157. 157.

    Jackie

    September 6, 2023 at 8:03 pm

    @MisterDancer: That’s been reported from multiple people and sources, so I believe it.

    What I don’t really understand is if TIFG really didn’t want the job, why he cheated like hell to keep it. Other than he discovered what real power is and didn’t want to give that up.

    Plus that “Loser” stink…

  158. 158.

    WaterGirl

    September 6, 2023 at 8:04 pm

    @lamh36: I’m pretty sure we all hope to see you here again soon!

  159. 159.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    September 6, 2023 at 8:04 pm

    @kalakal: OMG. I’m horrified. I hope tomorrow proves better than you anticipate.

  160. 160.

    WaterGirl

    September 6, 2023 at 8:05 pm

    @kalakal: Oh, no!  (Overall)  Very happy that you are okay!

  161. 161.

    Roger Moore

    September 6, 2023 at 8:06 pm

    @Jeffro:

    The problem is the GQP officials have a built in out.  They’ll blame the whole thing on overzealous prosecutors going after people they shouldn’t have bothered prosecuting rather than Trump.  It’s never their fault.

  162. 162.

    WaterGirl

    September 6, 2023 at 8:06 pm

    @BeautifulPlumage: um, no, the judges say we cannot dismiss either of those things.

    I take back what I said!  Except for the congratulations.

  163. 163.

    gwangung

    September 6, 2023 at 8:08 pm

    @lamh36: Yayyyy….back!

  164. 164.

    MomSense

    September 6, 2023 at 8:09 pm

    @lamh36:

    Nice to “see” you here!

  165. 165.

    MomSense

    September 6, 2023 at 8:10 pm

    @kalakal:

    Damn, I’m really sorry.

  166. 166.

    Roger Moore

    September 6, 2023 at 8:10 pm

    @lamh36:

    Let me join in everyone welcoming you back.  I hope we hear a lot more from you soon!

  167. 167.

    Chacal Charles Calthrop

    September 6, 2023 at 8:10 pm

    @MisterDancer: I agree. Trump’s plan was to run, lose, & then use his fame to be the figurehead of a media empire to rival Fox News.

    but Putin had other plans, and so Trump won.

    personally I thought Trumps graft would bring him down, but that was too trusting & naive; instead, Trump got addicted to the power. I never anticipated anything like January 6th.

  168. 168.

    kalakal

    September 6, 2023 at 8:11 pm

    @Doc Sardonic:

    @hotshoe:

    Here’s the latest spaghetti models. They’re in surprisingly good agreement

    https://www.trackthetropics.com/lee-2023/

  169. 169.

    Burnspbesq

    September 6, 2023 at 8:13 pm

    @Josie:

    And Abbott has been ordered to remove the floating buoys from the Rio Grande by the end of next week.

    Fifth Circuit, lawless fucks that they are, will more than likely give Texas a stay pending appeal. And they wouldn’t be obviously wrong to do so. Unless you think the state’s case is entirely frivolous, the prospect of having to take the barrier out, and then put it back if you win on the merits, is a non-trivial hardship for the state.

  170. 170.

    lamh36

    September 6, 2023 at 8:14 pm

    @WaterGirl: I’ll be back in the swing of things in no time!

  171. 171.

    Tom Levenson

    September 6, 2023 at 8:16 pm

    @twbrandt: I have. Alas, I missed that opportunity as well. The last South Sea securities were retired 201Xs. (Sic!!!)

  172. 172.

    Burnspbesq

    September 6, 2023 at 8:17 pm

    @Tom Levenson:

    Yet one more time, I have completely failed to invest in popcorn futures.

    Look at the bright side: at least you didn’t short them. In that scenario, you’d be headed for the Bankruptcy Court.

  173. 173.

    kalakal

    September 6, 2023 at 8:21 pm

    @Tom Levenson: Beanie Babies are looking seriously undervalued. Time to Buy The Dip!

  174. 174.

    Burnspbesq

    September 6, 2023 at 8:22 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    Or maybe depraved indifference is supported in TX!

    You’re not winning a Republican primary without it.

  175. 175.

    Miss Bianca

    September 6, 2023 at 8:24 pm

    @Hoodie: Ah, you’re making me nostalgic. My favorite sister, who died a couple years ago, used to live in Pecos, NM, and Christmas time was always my favorite time to visit her. She was very tight with a lot of the Pueblos – she taught at Santo Domingo, and then at the Santa Fe Indian School – so we would always go to Taos or one of the other Pueblos for ceremonies.

    Oh, man…now I *really* feel the need to get back there.

  176. 176.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 8:24 pm

    @Doc Sardonic: @hotshoe: @kalakal: yes, NHC’s “cone” is unusually narrow, at least thru 96h.  (Have interests in the Caribbean so have been tracking this one for a while.)  And in my (informal, unscientific) experience, getting this strong at this point actually suggests less of a threat to the coastal US than one that’s weaker but is still holding a W-to-WNW course.

    But as they say, “interests in ____ should continue to monitor…”

  177. 177.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    September 6, 2023 at 8:25 pm

    @lamh36:

    Time has both slowed to a crawl and sped up exponentially since 2020, so it does feel like forever and only just yesterday at the same time! Glad you’ll be commenting more once again

  178. 178.

    Trivia Man

    September 6, 2023 at 8:27 pm

    @BellaPea: I’m convinced he wanted to win just so he would never have to Stop at a red light in NYC ever again. He’s always been a bridge and tunnel guy desperate for approval or acceptance from the cool kidz in Manhattan. Of all possible benefits he got – thumbing his nose at rich folks stuck in traffic might be his favorite.

  179. 179.

    Subsole

    September 6, 2023 at 8:28 pm

    @BeautifulPlumage:

    Congrats on the job!

  180. 180.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 8:28 pm

    @kalakal: Yeah, my concern is how close he gets to the coast before he makes that hard right, cause he is going to be big.

  181. 181.

    Alison Rose

    September 6, 2023 at 8:30 pm

    @Burnspbesq:

    Or maybe depraved indifference is supported in TX!

    Pretty sure it’s the real state motto. Everything’s bigger in Texas–including our utter disregard for human life!

  182. 182.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    September 6, 2023 at 8:30 pm

    @Burnspbesq:

    You live TX, right? When exactly did TX Republicans lose the plot?

  183. 183.

    lowtechcyclist

    September 6, 2023 at 8:30 pm

    @Jay: ​
     

    Win Tickets to Wynton Marsalis
    One night only! The acclaimed jazz musician plays Vancouver this October.

    And why should we?

    Because he’s a great jazz musician?

    He’s never grabbed headlines like some of the others charged — big shots like former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani or former presidential chief of staff Mark Meadows.

    I dunno, maybe not Rudy, but I’d say Marsalis has grabbed more headlines than Meadows! ;-)

  184. 184.

    Martin

    September 6, 2023 at 8:31 pm

    LOL. Peter Navarro pleading poverty.

    Now, I know him personally, and have for decades, and I’ve always fucking hated that guy – had to deal with him constantly. One of the most entitled people I had to deal with professionally, so I don’t at all mind the comeuppance. I presume he still has his OC house he can sell for legal fees.

    But he also doesn’t understand statistics, which is a hell of an admission from a former business econ professor. He says he’s only 4 years away from the average lifespan for a male. He’s not. Average lifespan stats that people quote are from birth. Every year you and your parents manage to keep you alive push that out. If you are already 63, you have another 18 miserable years to spend in prison, not four.

  185. 185.

    Subsole

    September 6, 2023 at 8:31 pm

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.):

    God, I can.

    Their stupidity is outstripped only by their sheltered arrogance.

  186. 186.

    lowtechcyclist

    September 6, 2023 at 8:32 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: ​
     

    Money for Nothing? Sounds like a scam. If I were you I’d stay away from this Levenson dude — if that’s even his real name.

    I’m just waiting on the sequel, “Chicks for Free.”

  187. 187.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 8:33 pm

    @bbleh: Difference now, I think is water temps, not sure about the water around the Leeward Islands, Bahamas etc. I know here in Florida the beach’s and the coastal waters are what my old man would call pee warm.

  188. 188.

    Subsole

    September 6, 2023 at 8:33 pm

    @jonas:

    Meh. Every dollar he hoovers up is one less dollar going to an equally rancid cause/org.

    It’s funny. Best thing that man has ever done in his life is be a sucking gut wound on the GOP.

  189. 189.

    Trivia Man

    September 6, 2023 at 8:33 pm

    @TheOtherHank: did you convict? I’ve never served but I wonder if some lawyer might inaccurately gauge my potential vote based on my outward appearance: White, cis het, male, financially secure, boomer… it might not shake out the way they think.

  190. 190.

    kalakal

    September 6, 2023 at 8:36 pm

    @bbleh: The actual wind fields can be huge, when you look at the wind probability graphics you can get a clearer idea of where should be worried. I always feel glad to be outside the Cone of Doom but I’ve had some fun 100 miles and more from the storm center. Irma’s storm force wind field was 800 miles across

  191. 191.

    hotshoe

    September 6, 2023 at 8:36 pm

    @kalakal:
    Yeah, that’s what I meant — it’s a bit alarmist to start “warning” the Carolinas already.
    Out of the spaghetti models, none currently show Lee continuing on a straight course for the Southeast US.
    However, it’s interesting that one AccuWeather guy presents the possibility that the trough, which will likely force Lee’s northward turn (next week), will still fail to keep it offshore completely, and Lee may make landfall somewhere north, New York, even Nova Scotia, later.
    Good to think it will be reduced in strength by the time that happens, if it happens.​

  192. 192.

    lamh36

    September 6, 2023 at 8:36 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): True…time flies.  I have a new 2 1/2 year old neice and soon to be 1 more nephew in December!  Bringing the grand total to 3 neices and 4 nephews!

  193. 193.

    Martin

    September 6, 2023 at 8:37 pm

    @jonas: Any public sector employee is pretty much guaranteed to be able to take off work indefinitely to serve on a trial. I got chosen to be on a jury on a murder case expected to take 4 months (pled out on the first day). No big deal for me or my employer. Annoying, sure, but I still get paid, we arrange for an interim person to do my job, see you next term.

  194. 194.

    kalakal

    September 6, 2023 at 8:37 pm

    @Doc Sardonic: My thoughts too, at least people will be west of the center but that looks to be a very powerful storm

  195. 195.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 8:38 pm

    @Trivia Man: Can’t ever tell, last time I got picked I asked prosecutor how close to the bottom of his class he graduated and told the defense attorney he was an idiot. I ended up on the jury.

  196. 196.

    lowtechcyclist

    September 6, 2023 at 8:40 pm

    @Doc Sardonic: ​
     

    OT…..For those Juicers in North Carolina and Virginia. There is a hurricane in the Atlantic named Lee, he is going to be a bad motherfucker, projected to be a Cat 4 by the weekend. He currently is heading WNW but is modeled to turn toward the NE Monday or Tuesday and head that direction. I am not trying to be an alarmist, but might want to keep an eye on this one.

    I’d worry more if Lee decided to head into central Pennsylvania.

  197. 197.

    Trivia Man

    September 6, 2023 at 8:42 pm

    @Doc Sardonic: nice!

  198. 198.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 8:44 pm

    @Doc Sardonic: that indeed appears to be a kind of, um, general problem.  “Rapid intensification” has become quite a thing just in the last few years.  And totally coincidentally, this is in line with what “big picture” models of global warming have been predicting for quite some time — not necessarily more storms but more severe storms, etc.

    That said, from what little I understand, the course doesn’t depend particularly on water temperature, but rather on the other — much bigger — atmospheric phenomena, like big highs and big lows and troughs and ridges and fronts and all the other  little critters that populate the dreams of meteorologists.  And in my experience, the course of this guy looks less like ones that whack the Carolinas.  But IANAM, butterflies flap their wings in Tokyo, interests should monitor, yada yada.

    (Also now seeing reports that he may get to Cat 5.)

    @lowtechcyclist: ironically, the day may not be far off when the entire mid-Atlantic, occasionally including places like Gettysburg, has to keep an eye on these things.  Just like invasive insects, they’re spreading north as things warm up.

  199. 199.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 8:44 pm

    @kalakal: That’s why I like that windy.com site. You can see the wind flow currents and the animated forecast model showing movement. It was interesting watch Idalia move from where she was predicted to hit and to where she did.

  200. 200.

    hotshoe

    September 6, 2023 at 8:46 pm

    @lowtechcyclist: ​
     
    See, that’s what might really happen.
    IF you “missed out” on the Idalia experience, and if you “missed out” on the Vermont flash floods, you might need a reminder to get your go bag ready, just in case.

    Good luck to all y’all over there!

  201. 201.

    Omnes Omnibus

    September 6, 2023 at 8:47 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): ​
      At least as far back as 1963.

  202. 202.

    wjca

    September 6, 2023 at 8:47 pm

    @Jackie: What I don’t really understand is if TIFG really didn’t want the job, why he cheated like hell to keep it. Other than he discovered what real power is and didn’t want to give that up.

    Close.  What he had discovered was what really great grift opportunities it opened up.  And he’s all about the grift, so keeping it going linger was important to him (to put it mildly).

  203. 203.

    WaterGirl

    September 6, 2023 at 8:47 pm

    @lamh36: Yay!

  204. 204.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 8:50 pm

    @bbleh: Water temperature is basically food for the storm, I read somewhere after one of the storms clobbered us that the hurricane is Mother Nature’s ceiling fan. They help get rid of excess heat, kinda makes sense why for while after one it cools down a little. While my area didn’t get hit, it has cooled but not nearly as much as past experience.

  205. 205.

    HinTN

    September 6, 2023 at 8:50 pm

    @Doc Sardonic: Maybe I’ll get one of my two weeks at the beach. I sure hope it turns north.

  206. 206.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 8:51 pm

    @hotshoe: not to minimize the damage — which I think the MSM kinda did — but “the Idalia Experience” sounds like a fabulous marketing concept for … something.  Definitely with darker-skinned almond-eyed models in black dresses and tight hairstyles in high-chiaroscuro shots.  Now all we need is a product …

  207. 207.

    Spanky

    September 6, 2023 at 8:51 pm

    @twbrandt:

    y’all need to read Money For Nothing, by a guy named Tom Levenson.

    I’m still waiting for the sequel,  “Chicks for Free”.

  208. 208.

    kalakal

    September 6, 2023 at 8:51 pm

    @Doc Sardonic:

    Yes, I like Windy. Track the Tropics is very helpful and links to just about everything.

  209. 209.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 8:53 pm

    @Doc Sardonic: weather is Mother Nature’s ceiling fan.  Heat wants to move, and water is an excellent medium for moving heat.  Hurricanes are like those small but amazingly strong floor-drying thingies they put in wet hallways.

    Unfortunately, the hallways seem to be getting wetter.

  210. 210.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 8:54 pm

    @bbleh: Be a good name for a band outfitted as you describe.

  211. 211.

    CaseyL

    September 6, 2023 at 8:54 pm

    I am absolutely convinced that running for President wasn’t solely, maybe not even primarily, Trump’s idea.

    Some people think he’s been a Soviet/Russian asset since the mid-1980s.

    His campaign manager was Paul Manafort, consigliere to Russian mobsters; his close advisor was Giuliani, also said to have been in bed with the Russian mob for decades. Rex Tillerson, his first Secretary of State, wanted a deal with Russia to get access to its oil fields for Exxon.

    And then there’s the NRA, funneler and launderer of Russian money for ages. And the GOP who, in taking NRA money, also became entwined with Russian oligarchs.

    The coup planners – the less insane ones, like Eastman and Clark; not the outright lunatics like Powell – are adherents to the Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society, which has been plotting the downfall of the US since the Civil RIghts acts passed in the mid-60s.

    What I’m saying is, Trump was a tool for a lot of groups allied by their desire to do America harm, whether for ideological reasons (Federalists, Heritage) or strategic reasons (Russia). They had to think he was the best investment they’d ever made until Covid hit and his sheer stupidity and greed became impossible for the MSM to overlook. I’m sure they were looking forward to the final dismantling of American democracy and the Western Alliance in Trump’s second term.

    Without minimizing for one nanosecond the horror and evil Trump set loose, we may be fortunate he was the spearhead for the autogolpe conspiracy. I bet the Heritage-Federalist axis is pretty fucking angry at the J6 insurrectionists, because the insurrectionists made it impossible to ignore what Eastman/Clark/GOP State leaders were up to. Trump encouraged and incited them and the whole world saw that… as the whole world did NOT see the legalistic/statehouse maneuverings, until those were revealed by the investigation into January 6.

  212. 212.

    Doc Sardonic

    September 6, 2023 at 8:55 pm

    @bbleh: Better description than ceiling fan

  213. 213.

    lowtechcyclist

    September 6, 2023 at 8:56 pm

    @hotshoe:

    IF you “missed out” on the Idalia experience, and if you “missed out” on the Vermont flash floods, you might need a reminder to get your go bag ready, just in case.

    Good luck to all y’all over there!

    I was in northern Virginia for Agnes in 1972, in Columbia, SC for Hugo in 1989, and here in Calvert County, MD for Isabel in 2003.

    That’s enough for me, I’ll be quite happy to “miss out” on any present or future tropical storms.

  214. 214.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    September 6, 2023 at 8:57 pm

    @bbleh: KItty Litter?

  215. 215.

    rumpole

    September 6, 2023 at 8:57 pm

    @Lord Fartdaddy (Formerly Mumphrey, Smedley Darlington Mingobat, et al.):

    Points for creative use of the f word.  I think it couldn’t have ended any other way if he lost.  (The only thing this fucking guy ever worked hard at was pissing off DOJ.)

  216. 216.

    HinTN

    September 6, 2023 at 8:58 pm

    @kalakal: It’s gonna be offshore flow where we’re planning to be. Maybe no mandatory evacuation… Torrential rain, up with I can put.

  217. 217.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    September 6, 2023 at 9:00 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    At least as far back as 1963.

    I see what you did there

  218. 218.

    wjca

    September 6, 2023 at 9:04 pm

    @CaseyL: Some people think he’s been a Soviet/Russian asset since the mid-1980s.

    Whoever has been his handler, especially the past decade, definitely deserves a high performance bonus.  (Assuming Putin does those.) Because Trump has to be a nightmare to maneuver, especially subtly — just ask his lawyers.  And he’s far to much of a loose cannon to just give him orders, even do-it-or-else orders (even when he believes the “or else” is real), and expect him not to blurt out something at the wrong moment.

  219. 219.

    Chacal Charles Calthrop

    September 6, 2023 at 9:06 pm

    @CaseyL: this sounds spot on to me

    althoigh I doubt Trump was ever a Russian asset in the classical sense of the term. He’d never be able to keep quiet about it, if he were. He’d be showing off, the way he showed classified docs to a bewildered Kid Rock who asked, “aren’t these maps and shit? should I be seeing this shit?”

  220. 220.

    Spanky

    September 6, 2023 at 9:06 pm

    @lowtechcyclist: Dammit! I didn’t find anything with a search for replies to twbrandt.

  221. 221.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 9:07 pm

    @CaseyL: Some people think he’s been a Soviet/Russian asset since the mid-1980s.

    In his case I believe the term is “agent of influence.”  Not an active operative or committed ideological ally or captive of blackmail, but rather someone who believes that his interests are served by using his influence to support or promote the interests of the principal — “help us and we both win” — and who is carefully encouraged in that belief.

    Now in Trump’s case there may be an implied “stick,” eg if you don’t help us then records of certain financial transactions might somehow get into the hands of people in your government who don’t think they’re entirely legal.  But why should we talk about that when lots of offshore money is financing your properties and Trump Tower Moscow beckons?

    He’s dirty, Mitch is dirty, a big chunk of a whole generation of national Republican leaders are dirty to a greater or lesser degree, but proving it … good luck

    @wjca: absolutely concur!  I don’t think he would ever be “given orders,” because any handler worth his/her salt would understand his psychopathy in detail.  Rather, it would always be “we’re gonna help you be even more of a winner than you are already!” and “here’s how you’re gonna beat X and pay back for Y!”  It would be mostly carrot, and any “order” or threat would be implicit at most, lest he get his back up.

    And yes, his handler deserves the Order of Lenin, or whatever they hand out these days.  An agent of influence in the Oval Office.  Good God!

  222. 222.

    geg6

    September 6, 2023 at 9:19 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    My employer will pay us for jury duty if we  end up serving and the per diem covers parking (our county courthouse has free parking) or maybe a decent lunch.  My campus would hate it (I’m the only person who does what I do there), but I could serve for a long trial.  Alas, I am often called and never even make it to voir dire.

  223. 223.

    TheOtherHank

    September 6, 2023 at 9:20 pm

    @Trivia Man: We did convict. It turns out that I do not approve of racing in an out of traffic on the freeway at speeds in excess of 100 MPH, losing control of the car while trying to avoid a car that was obscured by another car, flying across the ditch, bouncing off the soundwall (that’s when the passenger in the car flew out of the back window when his seatback broke and he slid out from under the seatbelt), and then endo-flipping down the ditch until the car comes to a stop, with the passenger dead at the foot of the soundwall. All of which happened in full view of multiple witnesses (the aforementioned traffic that the driver was weaving around).​

  224. 224.

    piratedan

    September 6, 2023 at 9:24 pm

    @bbleh: been following the Georgia state trial and it have seen it debated as to whether or not Meadows should flip and why would Willis even want him.  I could see getting him to flip would be doing Jack Smith a solid as Fani appears to have DJT and his cadre dead to rights and if Meadows doesn’t want to do a stretch in GA but would rather do his at Club Fed…. well all he would have to do is name names.  Who funded the coup? who in Congress was in on it?  Locking THAT down would be priceless and while it may not break the GOP, watching the media trying to spin it as being “bad for Biden” would be one helluva stretch…

  225. 225.

    Miss Bianca

    September 6, 2023 at 9:30 pm

    @Doc Sardonic:

    last time I got picked I asked prosecutor how close to the bottom of his class he graduated and told the defense attorney he was an idiot. I ended up on the jury.

    Oh, so it was *revenge*. LOL!

  226. 226.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 9:31 pm

    @piratedan: alas I fear Meadows will give not one iota more than he must to wiggle out of a major conviction.  I’d bet he’d plea to something minor — probation, fine, whatever — rather than spill all the beans, and I’d bet he’ll waffle and squirm and “not recall” until everyone else in the courtroom is ready to strangle him before he gives up one Congress-critter or donor he doesn’t absolutely have to.

    He is one of the worst.  And he has a very good lawyer.

  227. 227.

    wjca

    September 6, 2023 at 9:33 pm

    In the morning thread, @Miss Bianca mentions that she has not previously encountered FODS (clean living on her part, I guess), which was my prediction for the Supreme Court’s response to the Alabama AG.  Apologies for not respinding sooner.

    The iconic definition is

    FODS — Fuck Off, Dump Shit

  228. 228.

    Miss Bianca

    September 6, 2023 at 9:36 pm

    @wjca: Oh, my! Well, thanks for the update!

  229. 229.

    piratedan

    September 6, 2023 at 9:38 pm

    @bbleh: I have no doubt that his lawyer is solid, gonna be hard to ignore the fact that without a deal, he’s doing time in Georgia.  No reason to do him any favors and he has to know that his defense of “I was working for the Government when I did those crimes” means that he’s guilty of breaking federal law, not Georgia state law even it its “ruled” in his favor.  It’s not a Schroedinger’s defendant situation, either way he’s guilty, it’s a matter of who incarcerates his ass.  If he thinks that the Fed penal system is better than GA, then he has to go into what is in his own best interests here.

    I kind of think that while Meadows would lock down additional prosecutions of Members of Congress, I kind of think that Jack Smith already has a shit ton of stuff that he’s holding back because he believes that he needs to take Trump off the board first.

  230. 230.

    wjca

    September 6, 2023 at 9:51 pm

    @Doc Sardonic:  last time I got picked I asked prosecutor how close to the bottom of his class he graduated and told the defense attorney he was an idiot.

    My last time, we had both an ADA and a PD who seemed to be fresh out of law school on their first actual trial.  I ended up, afterwards, writing them a joint multi-page combination of comments and suggestions.  Hey, how else do you find out what specific weaknesses you need to work on?  Everything from what to question potential jurors about (see last paragraph) to how to do a decent PowerPoint for your closing argument (yeah, that issue again; they were both awful).

    The trial itself featured a homeless senior citizen accused of assault and battery by a security guard.  For the security guard’s testimony to be squared with crime scene photos, you would have to accept that a thrown hammer could hit him in the ribs, and then bounce back the way it came a distance of at least 5 car lengths.  Without breaking any ribs.  I don’t know about you, but my ribs’ modulus of elasticity doesn’t allow that.  Which made for a credibility problem in my eyes.

    The hardest part of deliberations was the fire fighter who took the position that “I’ve worked with lots of cops.  If they arrested the guy, he must be guilty of something.”  And yes, those were his exact words.  He was also incensed at having to serve; thought there should have been a plea deal to save him the trouble.  So we got him to acquiesce to Not Guilty by the prospect of having to return for another day.

  231. 231.

    wjca

    September 6, 2023 at 9:54 pm

    @wjca: let’s try that again, without spelling assist

    F.O.D.S.: Fuck Off, Dumb Shit.

  232. 232.

    Ken

    September 6, 2023 at 10:13 pm

    @Martin: LOL. Peter Navarro pleading poverty.

    Possibly one side effect of these trials will be a Warren Buffett “tide goes out” moment, when we find a whole lot of people aren’t nearly as wealthy as they would like people (and banks) to think. Giuliani is another candidate for that category.

  233. 233.

    bbleh

    September 6, 2023 at 10:15 pm

    @piratedan: absolutely concur re guilt, concur re Smith, not so sure about conviction, especially of anything major.  He’s only charged with 2 counts in GA, and as the the RICO charge I’d bet he can argue successfully that he was a minor player and mostly just a factotum.  As to what cards Smith is holding, I have NO idea — they have an awful lot of electronic records for one thing — but I also have no idea what deals they may be discussing, and he’s certainly in a position to deal!

    Whatever, even if there’s a question of how badly they’re gonna get screwed (in a bad way, I mean), they’re still gonna get screwed, and it’s great entertainment for the rest of us.

  234. 234.

    Ken

    September 6, 2023 at 10:16 pm

    @TheOtherHank: Good lord. But what needed to be decided at the trial? Whether it was manslaughter, negligent homicide, or just plain homicide?

  235. 235.

    karen marie

    September 6, 2023 at 10:26 pm

    @wjca:

    “I’ve worked with lots of cops. If they arrested the guy, he must be guilty of something.”

    Wasn’t there a question during empanelment that covered this?

    It’s one of the model questions that’s always asked potential jurors in Massachusetts.

    THE COURT: Would any of you believe the testimony of a police officer either more or less than the testimony of another witness simply because the person is a police officer?

     

    Or did he lie to the Court?

  236. 236.

    Ruckus

    September 6, 2023 at 10:58 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    It is interesting for a non lawyer. As I’ve stated I’ve served on juries, I’ve been released from service once because I was the only employee at the business I owned. I think this is about a close as most of us get to being part of the operating of a democracy after voting. I wouldn’t want to be on the jury in GA, because first of all I’d likely have to be at one time or another in the same room as SFB, and second of all I’m not actually sure I could be actually anywhere near impartial

    There is an age limit? I’ve never heard of that. I can imagine having one.

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