Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“And when the Committee says to “report your income,” that could mean anything!

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

“But what about the lurkers?”

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” is supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

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

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

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

Consistently wrong since 2002

When we show up, we win.

I was promised a recession.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

Dead end MAGA boomers crying about Talyor Swift being a Dem is my kind of music. Turn it up.

“I never thought they’d lock HIM up,” sobbed a distraught member of the Lock Her Up Party.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Receipts? (Open Thread)

Receipts? (Open Thread)

by | 79 Comments

This post is in: 

Joseph Tacopina is no longer on Trump’s legal team in two different cases.  A bit of speculation from Andrew Weissman.

Fair warning.  The NYT article that’s linked in the tweet is Maggie H, so click at your own risk.

🌼

Follow up on the thread about Fani Willis that I posted yesterday.

Receipts?Open thread.

Reader Interactions

79Comments

  1. 1.

    waspuppet

    Yeah why didn’t she hire strictly on merit like Trump did with Unofficial Secretary of State and Chief of Staff Jared Kushner?

  4. 4.

    Manyakitty

    I’ve seen a surprising lack of pixels spilled about Willis and what should be a massive story. Hope it continues to fizzle.

  5. 5.

    mrmoshpotato

    @waspuppet:

    Yeah why didn’t she hire strictly on merit like Trump did with Unofficial Secretary of State and Chief of Staff Jared Kushner? 

    Couldn’t find someone with a pasty enough and disgusting enough face?

  6. 6.

    Another Scott

    A good statement by Willis.

    We have to always remember – politics is slow.  Trying to “get in front of a scandal” has been weaponized against us and good people have been hurt in the process.  We need to always, always, always, slow down and think.

    Remember dsquared’s maxim – never give known liars the benefit of the doubt.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  7. 7.

    WaterGirl

    @trollhattan: There are definitely factions in the middle east that actively want this to turn into a regional conflict.  Obviously hoping we can avoid that.  Glad Biden is at the helm, along with our state department.

  8. 8.

    Betty Cracker

    I can’t help but notice that no where does Willis simply deny the allegations. Hoping that’s because she’s a careful lawyer who plans to reply via a filing.

  12. 12.

    WaterGirl

    @Betty Cracker: I imagine we will find out soon enough.

    Personally, I don’t care if she and the guy are having an affair.

    I think the allegations that could hurt her are the “she hired a guy for a ton of money and he wasn’t qualified” allegations, so I am glad to see her calling out there racist bullshit.

  16. 16.

    Another Scott

    @trollhattan: AlJazeera.com:

    At least eight explosions were heard in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, early on Tuesday.

    Air traffic at Erbil Airport was also halted, three security sources told the Reuters news agency.

    A later IRGC statement, shared by Iran’s IRNA news agency, claimed the group had targeted the headquarters of Israeli spy agency Mossad in Erbil.

    “This is a terrorist attack, an inhumane act that has been carried out against Erbil. Erbil will not be scared or shaken,” Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw said, according to the Iraqi news outlet Rudaw.

    [ Play Video
    Video Duration 00 minutes 21 seconds
    00:21 ]

    It was not immediately clear if there were any deaths or injuries associated with the blasts, but two United States officials told Reuters that the strikes did not affect any US facilities and there were no US casualties.

    Meanwhile, Hemn Hawrami, a leading politician in the Kurdistan Democratic Party, said on the social media platform X that at least five people were dead in the explosions.

    “Tonight’s unjustifed [sic] attacks in Erbil by the IRGC targeted a civilian house. The owner of the House, Peshraw Dizaiy and 4 member[s] of his family lost their lives,” he wrote. Those deaths have yet to be confirmed.

    […]

    I’d be careful about stuff on Twitter unless it’s from a known-trustworthy source.

    Fingers crossed.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  20. 20.

    Frank Wilhoit

    Occam’s Razor says that Tacopina, like so many, many others before him and so many yet to come, couldn’t figure out how to get paid.  Also, too — reading past the usual atrocious editing, it seems like the only issue is the account receivable.

  23. 23.

    gene108

    The Willis allegations seem like a good defense attorney going all out for client.

    They might be true or might not be true, but it’s what defense attorneys should do.

    I worry that even the least bit of sloppy prosecutorial work can get Trump off of the charges. A Republican dominated state government is looking for any excuse to find a way to shut this trial down.

  25. 25.

    Betty Cracker

    @Manyakitty: Yeah, that’s my assumption too. As a human being, I don’t give a fuck. But as a citizen, if my crappy MAGA DA gave a lucrative contract to a person he had a relationship with, I would consider that improper, so I gotta hold Dems to the same standard. Much more importantly, I hope this won’t give Trump and minions a way to delay the trial.

  26. 26.

    JWR

    @trollhattan: And NBC TV News just said that a U.S. registered ship was hit, but not badly damaged, by Houthi fire. Wait, here’s CNN, which might already have been mentioned:

    CNN — A Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile struck a US-owned and operated cargo ship on Monday, US Central Command said in a statement.

    The attack against the Gibraltar Eagle appears to be the first time the Houthis have successfully struck a US-owned or operated ship, raising the stakes in the Red Sea after the US vowed that further Houthi launches would be met with a response.

    I don’t think Biden will take the bait, but these Houthi’s seem determined to end the world as we know it.

  30. 30.

    gene108

    @Frank Wilhoit:

    Occam’s Razor says that Tacopina, like so many, many others before him and so many yet to come, couldn’t figure out how to get paid.

    My limited experience in dealing with attorneys in NJ is lack of prompt payment isn’t going to allow an attorney to drop a client.

    It’s probably Trump wanting Joey Tacos to do something unethical to illegal.

  31. 31.

    Marleedog

    @baud

    No offense, but questions in a title are a red flag for me. I know it’s a style these days, but I hate it.

    I forget where I read it but it was ststed that the answer to a question in a headline is always “No.” In this case the real shooting will not start, at least not yet.

  32. 32.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @gene108: The Willis allegations seem like a good defense attorney going all out for client.

    They might be true or might not be true, but it’s what defense attorneys should do.

    Really?

  35. 35.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Betty Cracker: But as a citizen, if my crappy MAGA DA gave a lucrative contract to a person he had a relationship with, I would consider that improper, so I gotta hold Dems to the same standard.

    Improper, yes. Does it have a bearing on any individual prosecution? That’s a separate question.

    So if that crappy MAGA DA had a patronage hire, would that mean every prosecution they undertook was invalid?

    I don’t think so. Not unless they then worked together to forge evidence, coerce witnesses, or something specific to the case at hand.

    Lacking such an instance, this is a problem for Atlanta’s voters to decide and them, alone.

  39. 39.

    Baud

    @TBone:

    Yemen: America is at War-ish.
    The Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists of Ansarullah were attacked by the US & and UK. How long before the REAL shooting starts?

  40. 40.

    Betty Cracker

    @zhena gogolia: None so far, but the defense attorney claims the special prosecutor’s sealed divorce papers document a relationship with Willis and has asked for them to be unsealed. Is the lawyer lying? I guess that’s possible, but according to reports in the AJC, she is a respected legal figure in Atlanta, not some MAGA kook like Sidney Powell. We’ll see.

  41. 41.

    gene108

    @Betty Cracker:

    @Manyakitty:

    I care if someone hires a person they are having an affair with. One problem we have in shutting down political corruption is the apathy that’s developed towards the standard of an official having to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

    I get that from Gingrich onwards the standard has been weaponized to make it somewhat meaningless, but I think there are still some basic principles to the standard that can still be applied like not hiring people you’re having an affair with, or not hiring unqualified* family, like TFG did with Jared and Ivanka.

    *One spill over of this is the popular perception Hunter Biden had no professional qualifications to do anything other than trade on the family name, which isn’t true.

  42. 42.

    Manyakitty

    @Betty Cracker: I can’t help but think of Josh Marshall’s (I think it was him) description of dignity wraiths. People shed reputations that took them lifetimes to build, and for what? Yeesh.

  46. 46.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Betty Cracker: Part of the discussion says the hire didn’t have this or that credential. OK. What credentials do they have?

    So he never prosecuted a case? What has he done? Is there a legitimate, affirmative case that can be made to hire this individual beyond the personal relationship?

    I suspect there was. And even if there wasn’t, why is that cause for Trump’s team to complain? If anything, it provides an advantage for their side.

  48. 48.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @gene108: You seem to be saying that defense attorneys, as a matter of course, should make allegations of misconduct regardless of their truth.  That seems unethical to me.

  52. 52.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: In most cases with a URL the “?” signifies the beginning of the tracking of how you got to the URL.  You can always delete the “?” and whatever comes after it.

    This is the URL for this post as I am typing this comment.

    https://balloon-juice.com/2024/01/15/receipts-open-thread/?updated=1705363538#comment-9071501

    So in the case of BJ, what comes after it is what would take you directly to that comment.  If you deleted ? and beyond, it would take you to this post, but not to the specific comment.

  54. 54.

    Cheez Whiz

    @Betty Cracker: I’m still trying to find out what was “compromised” by his hiring. I noticed the same thing, which usually means there is or was some kind of intimate relationship. But where’s the Quid? Where’s the Pro? Where’s the Quo? Are Republicans seriously playing the Caesar’s Wife card here?

  55. 55.

    Another Scott

    @Omnes Omnibus: +1

    If the facts are on your side, argue the facts.

    If the law is on your side, argue the law.

    If neither are on your side, pound the table.

    If you can’t pound the table, go personally after the prosecutor as being unethical??

    Yeah, I don’t think the 4th one should be a normal approach.

    My $0.02.  IANAL.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  57. 57.

    japa21

    @Omnes Omnibus: ​
      Not close. Unfortunately, I have a grandson who is a big Dallas fan. According to his father, he was extremely distraught.
    Although I don’t foresee a similar result in SF, I also didn’t see the one yesterday either.

  58. 58.

    Scout211

    Well, Trump doesn’t need to worry that he’s lost three attorneys today.

    “President Trump has the most experienced, qualified, disciplined, and overall strongest legal team ever assembled as he continues to fight for America and Americans against these partisan, Crooked Joe Biden-led election interference hoaxes,” spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement.

    That Steven Cheung, so honest and sincere.

    ///

  61. 61.

    Geminid

    @JWR: There was a good article on the Houthis and their military activities published December 15 in Eurasia Daily Report* titled, “Calibrated  Escalation: The Yemeni-based Houthi’s Threats Against Israel and Red Sea Shipping.”

    The author gives a good short background of the Houthis and their military organization AnsarAllah(sp?). One factor at play: the Houthis had a difficult time recruiting the last couple years, but that changed when they started firing missiles at Israel last October. Now young men are coming from all over Yemen to join the fight. These fresh troops can’t get at the U.S. Navy or Israel, but my fear is the Houthis may restart their war against other Yemeni forces that subsided with ceasefire last year. The UN said that war was causing the worlds worst humanitarian crisis and it would be a shame if it resumed.

    * Eurasian Daily Monitor is put out by the Jamestown Foundation. This think tank’s reporting is sort of on the “NeoCon” side, but it reports a lot on conflicts that are not covered so well by other sites and seems fairly reliable.

  65. 65.

    Geminid

    @TBone: I like Malcolm Nance, but Adam Silverman is somewhat dismissive of him

    Ed. That was another commenter who warned you about posting Nance on one of Silverman’s Ukraine thread.

  67. 67.

    TBone

    @Geminid: I don’t remember ever posting on any Ukraine thread here.  It’s kind of a point with me, so I don’t know what you refer to.  I similarly don’t post on Israel/Hamas threads because, as was pointed out here earlier, it’s a tragedy that I cannot add anything of value to. OOPS I just saw your edit! Now I am confuzzled.

  68. 68.

    Geminid

    @TBone: I was just trying to clear up some confusion about who is implying that Malcolm Nance is “chopped liver.” It was a different commenter, not me. I have no problem with Malcolm Nance, and find value in his Twitter threads.

  69. 69.

    TBone

    @Geminid: thanks, I was merely referring to Nance’s summation being very close to what you posted, which I also appreciated. I erred when I typed “response” instead of “posted.” The warning you mentioned was baffling.

  70. 70.

    Josie

    I find it interesting that Mr. Tacopina has removed himself so soon after Trump demanded to testify in the second New York rape case. Possibly he didn’t think that was such a great idea, and they came to a parting of the ways as a result.​

  71. 71.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @TBone: Silverman has been arguing for a while that we are in a war with Russia and have been since the late 2000s.  He is frustrated that many national security people do not agree with him.

  72. 72.

    TBone

    @Omnes Omnibus: I think so too, and so would my Dad (Russian history prof.). He told me a long time ago when I asked his opinion of Putin that his KGB background raised hairs on his neck (Dad was also a former cop).  Fuck that guy (Putin).  Oh, and STASI.

  74. 74.

    Geminid

    @TBone: Not long after Russia invaded Ukraine, Malcolm Nance hopped a plane to Ukraine* and spent the next few months there, not as a reporter but as an enlistee in their foreign legion. He has a Navy Intelligence background and probably contributed in that capacity.

    *Actually, not to Ukraine but likely Poland, and then overland to Ukraine.

  76. 76.

    TBone

    @Geminid: I know that, I have (pirated) photos of him there and also when he got back, sitting in a bar with a tall, cool drink and one helluva look on his face.  He’s a badass from Philly!

  77. 77.

    Nelle

    I’m watching the media frenzy about three people.

    Claudine Gay and the plagiarism issue.  But no similar response to Neil Gorsuch’s plagiarism issue.

    Lloyd Austen and putting the military at risk.  But no similar response to Tommy Tuberville’s blockage, which went on for month after month.

    Now, Fani Willis and her hire.  But no similar response to Trump hiring his son-in-law, who couldn’t pass a security clearance.

    And any objection to this is met with an accusation of playing a race card.  White men are the default.  Only other people have a race.

    Probably expressed this poorly.  Brain is tired.  But so, so, so glad that the caucuses will be over, the circus will move on, and we can focus on complaining about subzero temps and basement subzero windchills here in Iowa.

  79. 79.

    wjca

    @Mr. Bemused Senior: “war” or not we are under constant attack from Russia, I agree.

    Life was so much simpler and straightforward when “war” meant somebody was sending a bullet (or a spear point) your way.  Made it pretty obvious both that it was happening and who was attacking.  Electrons are a lot harder to backtrace.

    And even harder to explain to the masses.  Which, if you want to react on a war footing as a democracy, you have to figure out how to do.  Which is especially hard when the attack involves helping one side or the other in our politics.  Tracing money is hard enough.  Tracing the origin of political memes is nearly impossible.

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