Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

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

Spilling the end game before they can coat it in frankl luntz-approved dogwhistles.

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

Republicans in disarray!

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Trump’s legal defense is going to be a dumpster fire inside a clown car on a derailing train.

“Joe Biden deserved better than he got from some folks in his own party.”

People are complicated. Love is not.

Not all heroes wear capes.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

Democrats have delivered the Square Deal, the New Deal, the Fair Deal, and now… the Big Joe Biden Deal.

I am pretty sure Katy Tur wasn’t always such a bootlicking sycophant.

You are here: Home / Politics / Activist Judges! / Hope and Inspiration On a Wednesday Morning

Hope and Inspiration On a Wednesday Morning

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I always feel better knowing that Sheldon Whitehouse is not giving up on making our judicial system work.  He calls them out and actually tries to make change.  Dick Durbin in my senator, and I wish he would make Senator Whitehouse the chair of Judiciary Committee.  Sadly, in all these years, Durbin has never once called to ask for my advice!

This look like good news to me – it certainly seems to have the potential to be better than the current judge shopping that is so destructive to the rule of law.  But I am not really familiar with this group and what power it actually has.  Does anybody know?

The Judicial Conference of the United States has strengthened the policy governing random case assignment, limiting the ability of litigants to effectively choose judges in certain cases by where they file a lawsuit.

The policy addresses all civil actions that seek to bar or mandate state or federal actions, “whether by declaratory judgment and/or any form of injunctive relief.” In such cases, judges would be assigned through a district-wide random selection process.

“Since 1995, the Judicial Conference has strongly supported the random assignment of cases and the notion that all district judges remain generalists,” said Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr., secretary of the Conference. “The random case-assignment policy deters judge-shopping and the assignment of cases based on the perceived merits or abilities of a particular judge. It promotes the impartiality of proceedings and bolsters public confidence in the federal Judiciary.”

In most of the nation’s 94 federal district courts, local case assignment plans facilitate the random selection of judges. Some plans assign cases to a judge in the division of the court where the case is filed. In divisions where only a single judge sits, these rules have made it possible for a litigant to pre-select that judge by filing in that division.

In a November 2021 letter, Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Patrick Leahy, a Vermont senator who since has retired, raised concerns about a concentration of patent cases filed in single-judge divisions.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., referenced this letter in his 2021 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary, calling for a study of judicial assignment practices in patent cases.

“Senators from both sides of the aisle have expressed concern that case assignment procedures … might, in effect, enable the plaintiff to select a particular judge to hear a case,” Roberts said. During the patent-case study, the Court Administration and Case Management Committee (CACM) determined that similar issues might occur in bankruptcy and other types of civil litigation. Public debate grew when several highly controversial lawsuits, seeking nationwide injunctions against federal government policies, were filed in single-judge court divisions.

In submitting the proposed policy to the Judicial Conference, the CACM Committee said that some local case assignment plans risked creating an appearance of “judge shopping.” The committee also noted that the value of trying a civil case in the nearest court division becomes less important when the impact of a ruling might be felt statewide or even nationally.

The amended policy applies to cases involving state or federal laws, rules, regulations, policies, or executive branch orders. District courts may continue to assign cases to a single-judge division when they do not seek to bar or mandate state or federal actions, whether by declaratory judgment and/or any form of injunctive relief.

In addition to the Judiciary policy, the CACM committee will disseminate guidance to all district courts regarding civil case assignment.

The 26-member Judicial Conference is the policy-making body for the federal court system. By statute, the Chief Justice of the United States serves as its presiding officer and its members are the chief judges of the 13 courts of appeals, a district judge from each of the 12 geographic circuits, and the chief judge of the Court of International Trade.

What else are you seeing along the lines of hope and inspiration?

I love that some right-wing idiot is now referring to Biden as Jacked Up Joe.
But I hope we don’t end up with photos like this.

Hope and Inspiration On a Wednesday Morning

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

150Comments

  1. 1.

    Jeffro

    If they have switched from Senile Joe to Jacked-Up Joe, then I got nothin’…NOTHING BUT GLEE, that is!  =)

    The amount of cognitive dissonance on the right is just, wow.  No wait, that’s not quite it.  The ability to power through amazing amounts of cognitive dissonance on the right is the truly ‘wow’ thing here.

    Have a Jacked-Up day, Jackals!

  5. 5.

    Ramalama

    I love that some right-wing idiot is now referring to Biden as Jacked Up Joe.
    But I hope we don’t end up with photos like this.

    Joe Biden’s complete EVISCERATION of Paul Ryan during the VP debate (thus saving Obama’s lousy performance against Romney) makes me feel less nervous about … Biden pulling a Ryan wrt photo sessions.

  6. 6.

    WaterGirl

    @Ramalama: I don’t know… I can totally picture Joe’s campaign putting out something like that Paul Ryan photo – but with Joe Biden, of course – to mock Hannity for the jacked up joe comment.

  7. 7.

    Caveatimperator

    @WaterGirl:

    The White House has embraced the Dark Brandon memes, for example.

    They know that Democrats will go for these kinds of hyper-tough images if they’re played for laughs. They’re just stupid if they’re too serious. We laugh at the photoshopped pictures of Trump with muscles not merely because they’re implausible, but because the artists aren’t joking around.

  8. 8.

    Chief Oshkosh

    I’ve read some more about Hur’s transcript vs Hur’s report and seen more reporting. I do not see how he was allowed to do what he did. Did no one at DOJ compare the two documents prior to dissemination? And even now, shouldn’t there be some consequences for lying in an official report (regardless of Hur’s resigning from DOJ)? JFC on a pogo stick, I’ve been chewed out for making honest errors in federal gov’t reports. What should the consequences be for someone who lied

    ETA: I guess the consequences are a sinecure in a RW “think” tank.

  9. 9.

    Jackie

    When Sheldon Whitehouse gives an interview from his office I automatically look over his left shoulder to see if the framed photo is still prominently displayed: it is!

    THE PHOTO of Nancy Smash standing and leaning over the table pointing her finger accusingly at TIFG while every other person (ALL men) seated at that long table are hanging their heads in shame and/or discomfort and/or embarrassment.

    Sen. Whitehouse admires Nancy as much as we all do.

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    @Chief Oshkosh: I didn’t follow the details closely, but I believe that Merrick Garland released the report with no edits.  Then – after Hur pulled his little trick of resigning the day before the hearing – the DOJ released the actual transcripts.

    Do I have that wrong?

  12. 12.

    Frankensteinbeck

    It seems to me that judge shopping benefits conservatives vastly more than liberals.  Lunatic left-wing judges that ignore the law and precedent to make up their own legal world aren’t really a thing, and we don’t actively try to establish them in places where they can be exploited.  Conservatives have done a Hell of a lot of damage with judge shopping, and reducing their ability to do that is a very good thing.

  14. 14.

    Kay

    @Chief Oshkosh:

    And even now, shouldn’t there be some consequences for lying in an official report

    FWIW, I agree. That whole performance, start to finish, is embarrassing for his employer. Really low standards for basic things like “honesty”. I genuinely wonder about the rest of his work – it should be reviewed. If he lied on this he probably lied on other issues.

  15. 15.

    Eunicecycle

    @Jackie: I love that picture, too. I remember that the Rs tried to make the narrative that she was being “aggressive” (not ladylike, you know?) but of course we all said, “Hell yes!”

  17. 17.

    Baud

    Chuck Rosenberg on Morning Joe was defending Hur. It was weak. Lost some respect for him. McCaskill was livid

  18. 18.

    WaterGirl

    @Kay: I like to think that Merrick Garland will wait a few days and then release an official announcement.

    The report by Robert Hur does not comport with the standards and requirements of the DOJ.  We will be reviewing previous work done by Robert Hur to insure that it is up to the standards of the DOJ.

  19. 19.

    Eunicecycle

    @Kay: it’s probably already been said here before, but Hur is the guy who tried to make sure Andrew McCabe didn’t get his pension by having him fired on his last day. I believe McCabe won it back in the courts but still, what a dick move.

  21. 21.

    Eunicecycle

    @Baud: I lost respect for Chuck when he whitewashed Bill Barr when he first became AG. He later recanted but still. Barr was in GHWB’s administration and recommended all the pardons. Blech!

  23. 23.

    WaterGirl

    Wow.  A new low?

    𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡

    The whole thing so you don’t have to think about clicking.

    𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡

    : a mentally unstable person

    especially: a person having an 𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 and antisocial personality marked by 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 for one’s actions, 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆 for others, and often 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀.

    (Ps: He also misspelled her name)

  25. 25.

    WaterGirl

    I can’t decide which is worse, what’s her name, the senator from Alabama dishonestly using the trafficking story in her rebuttal or Trump, former president and current presidential candidate, posing with a picture of a recently murdered girl for political gain.

    They are both sick.

  26. 26.

    Citizen_X

    I wanted to hear more about what Whitehouse was talking about. Did he say there was an article he wrote about Shelby Co. and Citizens United? Anyone have a link? I don’t have Xitter.

  27. 27.

    Jackie

    @Eunicecycle: Nancy used that photo as a postcard fundraising for the DNCC during the ‘20 elections. I put a magnet on the back and it’s still displayed prominently on my fridge. It still inspires me!😊

  30. 30.

    Eolirin

    @WaterGirl: While smiling! And having autographed her picture like one would for a fan!

    Deeply weird shit, and that his support endures despite his complete inability to act like anything resembling a normal human is the truly scary part of all of this.

  31. 31.

    JoyceH

    @Eunicecycle: And Trump had it in for McCabe because Trump fired Comey when he was on a business trip to the west coast and McCabe allowed him to return on the government plane he took out there. Trump thought he should have been stranded and made to pay his own way home.

  32. 32.

    Jeffro

    @WaterGirl: the way he speaks so adoringly of Ashli Babbitt, Laken Riley, and the J6 “hostages” terrorists is absolutely sickening.  Real psycho stuff.

  33. 33.

    H.E.Wolf

    WaterGirl asks: What else are you seeing along the lines of hope and inspiration?

    I’m seeing a steady influx of new and returning volunteers for our state Democratic Party.

    In non-political hope and inspiration: the two college-age students in our extended family are smart, widely-interested, and aware of (and acting on) intersectional issues without being soap-box-y.

    And they vote!

  35. 35.

    Jackie

    Off topic, but I had to post this – I suggested a few days ago that Tulsi’s on TIFG’s VP Short List!

    Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) “has stopped cooperating” with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vice presidential vetting team, Politico reports.

    “Instead, the former congresswoman, who left the Democratic Party, has turned her attention to former President Donald Trump’s candidacy. Gabbard recently hosted a fundraiser for the former president at his Mar-a-Lago club following last week’s Super Tuesday elections.”

  37. 37.

    Jackie

    And Rep Mike Sherrill is on Morning Joe discussing TWO! Discharge Petitions to get funding passed for Ukraine!

    And, I saw McConnell is telling TIFG’s House puppet to get off the pot and bring the Ukrainian bill to the floor NOW.

    I think things are going to get heated for Moses Johnson this week!😁

  39. 39.

    Parfigliano

    Maybe I missed it but has anyone seen any statements from the dead womans parents pro or con concerning their daughters death being used as a campaign club by the GOP?

  40. 40.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @Chief Oshkosh: So DOJ edits the Hur report, releases it and Hur runs straight to FoxNews and tells everyone that “Garland redacted reports concerning Biden’s mental acuity” and that becomes the narrative going forward.  See, there’s no difference between Bill Barr and Merrick Garland!!1!  Then the GOP House calls Garland in to testify and begins another round of sham hearings about how Biden has weaponized DOJ.

    Garland made the entirely justifiable conclusion that his getting involved in the report would do more damage to the “Independent” part of the Special Counsel provision than letting Hur’s report go out as is.  Given the recent history of one James Comey and another Bill Barr, both using the position of AG to try to influence a major election (something that Garland very much opposes, and we should too) it’s not exactly a crazy position, whether you agree with it or not.  Why he chose to appoint Hur is a mystery to me and I think people can rightfully point to that as an own-goal, though in the end Hur didn’t bring charges against Biden, which is the much more important measure for judging this whole thing, imo.  But this decision not to appear to be meddling with the work of a Special Counsel who is by definition supposed to be independent, is much more understandable.

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Judge McAfee is issuing his ruling and has dismissed some of the charges against TIFG. Yikes! Stay tuned, details are just emerging.

  43. 43.

    Eyeroller

    @UncleEbeneezer: I think that sequence of events would have had less impact on the “so-called MSM” than letting the unredacted report go out with the insinuations about Biden’s mental acuity, which gave them an “official” imprimatur. But of course it’s impossible to know for sure.

    Hiring Hur in the first place was the real mistake, but as Baud noted above, the elites know each other and stick together.  Hur was probably–and apparently still is–a member of the “Big shot DC Lawyers/Former DOJ Bigwigs” club.  Garland probably just assumed that hiring him would show how non-partisan it all was, and didn’t expect a blatantly partisan hit job to be produced.

  50. 50.

    catclub

    @Jeffro: The amount of cognitive dissonance on the right is just, wow.

     

    So if every accusation is a confession, they know that Trump is drugged up to his eyeballs?

  51. 51.

    catclub

    CNN Headline – not clicked on – natch:

    Nick Saban says the things he believes in ‘no longer exist’ in college football

    Unpaid labor?

  52. 52.

    japa21

    @Omnes Omnibus:  As long as the RICO charges remain, I’m good.  And as soon as I read that he was throwing out some charges, I figured she was safe. We’ll see, but nothing to get all het up about.

  53. 53.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @Eyeroller: Dems gave us everything we need to spread the word to anyone who will listen about the key differences between Biden’s documents and Trump’s, as well as the dishonesty of Hur’s bullshit commentary.  Now we can 1.) use that to help re-elect Biden or 2.) keep whining and Monday-morning-Quaterbacking about Garland.  It’s pretty clear to me which of those is  the better use of our time.  We have an election to win.  It’s time to move on.

  54. 54.

    catclub

    @Eyeroller: and didn’t expect a blatantly partisan hit job to be produced.

     

    When the guy before Ken Starr did not come up with a blatantly political hit job, they fired him and hired Ken Starr.

  55. 55.

    rikyrah

    This is Whitehouse’s wheelhouse. He’s like a dog with a bone, and it’s a righteous and just bone, so I hope he never lets up.

  57. 57.

    Quinerly

    @eclare:

    I am not panicking. Just so behind on news and time to myself.

    Houseguests here for almost 2 weeks. I am off my game and wearing down a bit. First week was fabulous but it’s time to wrap this visit up. It truly amazes me people want to come to Santa Fe but have no interest in food, culture, actual sightseeing, museums, hiking. Mini rant over….

  61. 61.

    WaterGirl

    @Eolirin: “I love you” was the creepiest of all!  She is dead, and it’s all about him.

    It really is like a cult.  They have turned off all critical thinking, or maybe they never had it in the first place?  Not sure which is more distressing.

  62. 62.

    Harrison Wesley

    I had forgotten all about that photo.  Been a long time since they ran that infomercial for the Walking Dead Workout.

  65. 65.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly: It truly amazes me people want to come to Santa Fe but have no interest in food, culture, actual sightseeing, museums, hiking. Mini rant over….

    Wherever I go, I need to see things I hadn’t, and at some point inevitably take off by myself to see things nobody else wants to because I don’t even know where I am going to wander.

    Sometimes I get in trouble for it tho.

  67. 67.

    rikyrah

    They are trying to get as many licks in as possible before those new district maps kick in in November, and their gerrymandered to hell supermajority goes away.

     

     

    Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) posted at 2:02 PM on Tue, Mar 12, 2024:
    BREAKING: Senate Republicans have now baselessly fired 21 of my appointees since I took office, escalating their unprecedented efforts to threaten, intimidate, and fire anyone who disagrees with them and turn a basic function of democracy into a political circus.

    My statement  https://t.co/85o9PgYo3S
    (https://x.com/GovEvers/status/1767627273404891164?t=vaeW2AVl_44zJ2kZrQCw-g&s=03)

  70. 70.

    cain

    @UncleEbeneezer:

     But this decision not to appear to be meddling with the work of a Special Counsel who is by definition supposed to be independent, is much more understandable.

    Politicizing the report and then going partisan shows that he did not live up to the standards of independence and instead fueled politics.

    Garland should be rightfully pissed that Hur inserted himself. I think Garland would have been justified doing whatever. I will say that what he did with the transcript was pretty clever. Hur got fucked hard there and his reputation is in tatters. No one who isn’t MAGA is going to trust him.

  72. 72.

    HinTN

    @Quinerly: What happened to the old saw / truism that after three days guests begin to resemble dead fish?

    Also too, why come at all if you care nothing for the wonderful things about a place?

  73. 73.

    RaflW

    I’d forgotten that, like a lot of gym rats, Paul Ryan skipped most of his leg days. #scrawny

  74. 74.

    WaterGirl

    @Jackie: Two discharge petitions is a good sign.  But why two?  And will some people only sign one of them and others only sign the other?  I hope that’s not the case!

  77. 77.

    TBone

    Nice to wake up and see my crush Sheldon 😍 still kicking ass and taking names. On the espionage fulfillment center indictment, I don’t have a WAPO subscription but this link worked for me:

    This is not a matter of opinion; it is, instead, the distinction drawn by special counsel Robert K. Hur when he declined to seek charges against Biden. Trump was known to have documents and tried to keep them. Hence the indictment.

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/there-s-new-reason-to-think-trump-still-has-classified-documents/ar-BB1jLs5X

  80. 80.

    mrmoshpotato

    Dick Durbin is my senator, and I wish he would make Senator Whitehouse the chair of Judiciary Committee. Sadly, in all these years, Durbin has never once called to ask for my advice!

    LOL!  He hasn’t called for my advice either!

  81. 81.

    Josie

    @Eolirin: ​
     That smile. It is exactly the same in every photo he poses for. It’s like a mask that he puts on and takes off. So creepy.

  82. 82.

    Kelly

    Upbeat? Mrs Kelly get her first cataract surgery today. In about a month when both eyes are done and healed she’ll have distance vision for the first time in her life. We’re outdoorsy so it’ll be great for her on those days that her glasses always fogged up. She’ll still need reading glasses.

  83. 83.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    You would be the perfect houseguest for me. Door is open!

    I had thoughts that since this is a married couple  who have never been out of St. Louis much (recently retired) that they would spend days on their own sightseeing. I put lots of info, travel stuff, plus, a list of “Quinerly’s Suggestions” in their room.

    They have mostly sat around the house. I have tried to push them out of the nest to no avail. It amazes me people spend money and effort to go places and just want to sit around. This is the second married couple who has done this here, plus a single chick who came to visit from Soulard a year plus ago. I am an early riser, plus high energy level. It just baffles me….the sitting around.

  84. 84.

    Hoodie

    @WaterGirl: If you watched Kimmel’s monologue last night, it included a video of Dumpy at his dumpiest being serenaded by some wacko at his club (about the 4:40 mark).   People think Biden looks old, but Trump looks awful.  Most of the time he hides it with his tent-like suits and bronzer.

  85. 85.

    Quiltingfool

    I would listen to Senator Whitehouse read the phone book, every day and twice on Sunday.  I like his voice.  He also knows how to explain things in a straightforward, no bullshit, manner.

    Why can’t we have him representing Missouri?  Wait, I know the answer and it ain’t pretty.  Ozark Hillbilly would agree?

  86. 86.

    Quinerly

    @eclare:

    Yes. Most every day.  See my response to Ozark. #83

    I am in the homestretch. They head back to St. Louis tomorrow.

  87. 87.

    Jackie

    @WaterGirl: I believe one is for the Ukrainian/border funding bill and one is for a stand alone Ukraine/Israel funding bill?

    This RawStory article is jam packed with House GQP gossip – from the discharge petition(s), Buck’s abrupt retirement, McConnell’s pushing Johnson, the in-House MAGA squabbles, and more! It provides links for more details. Worth the read, IMO!

    https://www.rawstory.com/id-rather-sit-down-with-hannibal-lecter-johnsons-grip-on-speakership-slips-further/

  97. 97.

    Soprano2

    @Baud: Ellie Hoenig (sp?) was on CNN last night defending him too, saying he didn’t really do anything wrong. How can you say that when your report makes claims that the transcript doesn’t support? I guess it was just a coincidence that the claims he made played directly to Republican talking points. The whole CNN panel seemed to believe Schiff was over the top by asking him if he were anticipating becoming a federal judge if TFG were elected.

  98. 98.

    Soprano2

    @Eunicecycle: Yes, and that dick move cost the government millions of dollars. It was small and petty, but it was playing directly to TFG’s grievances.

  100. 100.

    japa21

    OK, this is not really meant as a defense of Hur.  The slant of his report was inexcusable and unprofessional.  However, I am not sure it is totally fair to say that he lied.  Yes, he said that Biden had a photographic memory of the layout of his house.  He didn’t say it about everything.  Did Biden have trouble with recalling certain things?  Yes he did.  Did he misstate the year of Beau’s death? Yes, he did.

    Are those particular lapses evidence of eminent dementia or senility?  No they aren’t.  Did Hur state at any time in his report that Biden as senile or suffering from dementia?  No he didn’t.  His report presented his perception of Biden, not a factual representation.  It presented how he perceived Biden would be viewed by a jury.

    No, he didn’t lie.  Nonetheless he should be excoriated for the gratuitous swipes he took at Biden.

  101. 101.

    Paul in KY

    @catclub: The generally poor kids he recruits were now unseemly in their questions about the NIL lucre they may receive if ’employed’ by Bama.  Horrors!

  103. 103.

    Soprano2

    @TBone: This is something the press almost never explains or talks about, that the charges against TFG in the documents case aren’t about him having the documents. The charges are about obstruction of the investigation and lying about the documents and trying to retain them after he was told he needed to give them back. If he had given them all back when the Archives asked for them no charges would have been filed against him! They never make this clear when they talk about what Biden and Pence did compared to what TFG did. I think a lot of people think the charges are about the amount of documents TFG had, rather than all the obstruction and lying he did about them.

  104. 104.

    Soprano2

    @Quinerly: That baffles me too, if it were me I would have planned out what we wanted to see each day. I use Rick Steve’s suggestion to make a chart of each day with “morning” and “afternoon”, so that we don’t try to go to a place when it’s closed. Of course, we won’t be travelling anymore because hubby’s travelling days are over. :-(

  105. 105.

    WaterGirl

    @japa21: No, Hur really did lie.  Call it what it is.

    Dancing on the head of a pin is something Hur and the republicans can try to do, but we shouldn’t be doing it for them.

  109. 109.

    StringOnAStick

    @Kelly: Mrs. Kelly is going to love being able to see distance without glasses!  The only reason I did Lasik in 1996 was I couldn’t tolerate contacts well and skiing in foggy glasses/goggles was so obnoxious; I imagine that kayaking is the same.  Keep an eye out for those sunglasses that are no correction but have magnification in the bifocal location, they’re great to have for outdoors activities.

  110. 110.

    Paul in KY

    @Soprano2: It is also about him ‘having’ them, as he lost all access once Pres. Biden was sworn in. Also about the illegal storage of same. Plus the stuff you said.

  112. 112.

    TBone

    @Hoodie: thanks, I needed that!  Stayed up to see it on Monday night and was rewarded with Robert DeNiro.  Didn’t see it last night so thanks for posting.

  114. 114.

    Kenneth J Fair

    Your question about the Judicial Conference of the United States is answered at the end of the article above:

    The Judicial Conference of the United States sets rules and policies for the federal judges in the United States. The 26-member Judicial Conference is the policy-making body for the federal court system. By statute, the Chief Justice of the United States serves as its presiding officer and its members are the chief judges of the 13 courts of appeals, a district judge from each of the 12 geographic circuits, and the chief judge of the Court of International Trade.

    It makes the rules for the federal court system. So this new rule about court-shopping will go into effect and apply to all federal courts in the United States. This is very good.

  117. 117.

    Jackie

    In Other Breaking News:

    The House easily passed a bill to force ByteDance to divest its holdings in TikTok, 352 to 65 with one voting present.

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not said if he will take up the bill.

    And:

    Attorneys for Hunter Biden said that their client will not appear at a public hearing on the impeachment of his father, President Joe Biden.

    In a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), attorney Abbe Lowell said there was a scheduling conflict with a criminal case.

    But Lowell described went on to say scheduling is “the least of the issues.”

    “Your blatant planned-for-media event is not a proper proceeding but an obvious attempt to throw a Hail Mary pass after the game has ended,” he wrote.

    https://www.rawstory.com/hunter-biden-public-hearing/

    Talking media heads are gonna be busy today!

  118. 118.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @UncleEbeneezer: Not what I said or even intimated.  But noted that that you argue from a hypothetical scenario of your own creation that so thoroughly fits your support for Garland’s failed approach. Totally circular argument.

    But back to reality. Here’s the law on Special Counsel:

    § 600.8 Notification and reports by the Special Counsel.
    (a) Budget…
    (b) Notification of significant events…
    (c) Closing documentation. At the conclusion of the Special Counsel’s work, he or she shall provide the Attorney General with a confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions reached by the Special Counsel.

    Note that distinct lack of language of what the AG is mandated to do with the confidential report from the SC.

    Garland is responsible for the work product coming out of DOJ, including a responsibility that reports, even SC reports, are accurate and truthful. Period. Regardless of what his motivations were, the buck stops with him. Everything you’re arguing, and apparently a lot of what Garland was thinking, revolves around political considerations.

    Garland could have compared the transcripts of Hur’s investigation to Hur’s final report, noting to Hur that there were several factual discrepancies that needed clarification prior to further action being taken on the report. This is essentially what Democrats did yesterday on live TV. Whether that is good or bad politically is a question, but it should not drive the AG’s execution of his responsibilities. Alternatively, AFAIK, Garland could have release both the transcripts and the SC report at the same time, and could have helpfully highlighted discrepancies. That at least would have been a presentation scenario that was closer to providing the truth to the American public.

    At best Garland released to the public a work product that was entirely misleading, and that he should have known was misleading. That is not the job of the AG.

  119. 119.

    NotMax

    @Quinerly

    I can understand it. That more or less fits in as an extension of my default barnacle lifestyle during NY trips to Mom’s abode. I’ll take in a show or two* on B’way or Off-Broadway should there be anything playing which piques my interest, but she really isn’t up to accompanying anymore. And I’m quite content just hanging out on her balcony (where I can smoke see-gars)** and ducking out to pick up take-out meals from interesting dining venues nearby.

    *last year was one good one and one ultimately disappointing; absolutely nada the year prior.

    **surfing the web or streaming media on the device that doesn’t work as a phone in the U.S. but instead acts as a small tablet – kickass quality screen; connected to a quality portable Bluettooth speaker.. Can also listen to (but not watch) stuff on her TV while on the balcony through the same speaker.

    If want to light a fire under their posteriors, perhaps on one day you could drag out your biggest pot and use it to boil and simmer cabbage? :)

  121. 121.

    Gvg

    @Josie: I think it’s the same photo, with staff editing the card he holds. Photoshop or green screen. That’s why he never changes. The staff has poor judgement and so does he.

  122. 122.

    Kelly

    @StringOnAStick: Mrs Kelly also can’t tolerate contacts so she’s been putting up with fogged glasses all her life. Her first grade teacher figured out she needed glasses. Her mother just thought she was a bit slow learning her numbers and letters.

    I’ve been using sunglasses with the reader bifocal for a long time. A nice pair for skiing. The cheap safety glasses with a reader work really well kayaking. They stand far enough from my face to limit fogging and at $15 I can lose a pair now and then.

  123. 123.

    Gvg

    @Soprano2: why should it need explaining?  It seems common sense that classified docs should never have left the White House, and should have always been treated more carefully than Trump was reported to have done. I picked that attitude up as a child from the news, social studies, people around me and their reaction to the news, popular culture, etc. Of course, my dad worked for a defense contractor and he explained why he didn’t talk about his work….but he wasn’t that, unusual. Other kids had parents working with those kinds of rules all through our society. It bugs us that Trump thinks the rules aren’t for him, different justice. I really don’t get why his cultists don’t hate him.
    I also think the journalists and media may not always get what needs to be explained because they are more aware of some things than average. Like needing to explain why you need to look both ways before crossing the street, they don’t even stop to assume it doesn’t need to be explained.

  124. 124.

    StringOnAStick

    @Kelly: I’m getting closer to needing readers, and I can now tolerate disposable single use contacts for the slight correction I now need for days when ski goggles are essential, like yesterday at Hoodoo. I love the idea of safety sunglasses with readers, where do you get those?

  125. 125.

    stinger

    @Eolirin: ​
     

    While smiling! And having autographed her picture like one would for a fan!

    Reminds me of him and Melanoma posing, thumbs-up, big grins, with a just-orphaned baby. Sick.

  126. 126.

    StringOnAStick

    @Gvg: My dad the lifetime rabid right wing R has stated he will never again vote for tRump, and it’s because of the classified documents case.  That’s what pushed him from being “disappointed” in tRump but willing to defend him if you started pointing out his failures , to absolutely refusing.  He is not going to come home to the R party line for President this year.  I don’t know about down ballot.

  128. 128.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Soprano2:

    @Quinerly: That baffles me too, if it were me I would have planned out what we wanted to see each day.

    It baffles me why you two are baffled. Qly told us his visitors haven’t done much traveling and little outside STL, so they (1) likely haven’t made touring one of their priorities before retirement, and therefore (2) haven’t developed the skills needed to squeeze every last drop out of a trip. In particular, those who aren’t used to being out of their comfort zones can develop a sort of “location agoraphobia,” particularly if they’re older and have doubts about their ability to make their way around unfamiliar places.

    Hey, I’ve been to Prague close to 20 times – it’s the city I know best outside of my home town – and yet when I visited last spring, the symptoms of my advancing mental decrepitude (forgetfulness, sudden inability to recognize locations, etc.) made it really hard to leave my host’s apartment.**

    Eventually circumstances forced me to get out, and it turned out the rumors of my imminent demise were greatly exaggerated. But still. And I’m an experienced Eurotraveler; it’s much easier to tell folks what countries on the European mainland west of the Russian Federation I haven’t visited.***

    ** It caused major strain in our friendship, but happily we are back on good terms, and I hope to see him again this spring.

    *** FTR: Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Moldova, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania. Yes, I have been to Ukraine, and I was in the Baltic republics during the days around 9/11.​

  129. 129.

    Paul in KY

    @Gvg: When I was I was in the USAF, I had the dreaded COMSEC extra duty. Gag. Was at a Chief of Operations TDY up at Scott AFB and a fellow officer out on West Coast told me his sad COMSEC story:

    It appeared his SGT in charge of the vault was getting severe grief from his wife about extra time at office, much of it being spent destroying the key cards, etc. He got the bright idea of just taking them home with him and stored them under his bed in a suitcase.

    One day his kids were home on a school offday and managed to find the loot. They then played mailman and put them in a bunch of mailboxes at the apartment complex. The result of all this was that the Sgt. got 4 years in Leavenworth & the officer who relayed the story was getting dismissed from service.

  133. 133.

    frosty

    @Quinerly: ​On our road trips, we’ll get someplace like a National Park and stay for (say) three days. I schedule stuff to do and see for two and leave one for doing nothing and hanging out (and cooking, and maybe groceries), at Ms F’s request. It seems to work.

    Let me know if you have space in your driveway for us to back a trailer in!

  135. 135.

    Quinerly

    @Uncle Cosmo:

    All great points. But, first of all, they really aren’t that old, imo. A little bit older than I am but still in their 60’s. I think there are health issues, but I don’t ask about health. I really don’t like to discuss anyone’s health. I have kept them hydrated. That is as far as I go.

    I guess it’s a lack of curiosity about their surrounds that baffles. Long trip, yet no research beforehand.

    I had planned a lot of things for them. Very little interest. I had to drag them to The Plaza and Museum Hill. They seemed very disinterested. No desire to go into any museums.

    I did give a sit down brunch for them with some of my friends here. They enjoyed that. Took them out to Pecos for a short hike and over to Madrid and Cerrillos, NM. Have a friend whose family owns turquoise mines, plus a trading post in  Cerrillos, NM. We spent a few hrs with him discussing mining turquoise and turning the product into cabochons. He sells and buys all over the world and sells a lot to the Native American artists. They were very interested in that….”because it was insider/nontouristy. His family’s trading post is being used in AMC’s “Dark Winds”….(Tony Hillerman novels). We spent a few hrs with a friend who is almost 80 and has lived off the grid since the 1970’s. She has yak and rescue horses from the Rez. I set us up with another friend who has micro goats…..they seemed interested in all of that.

    No interest in Chimayo, Taos, Abiquiu, or Albuquerque, though.

    So my “insider” stuff seemed to be a hit.

  136. 136.

    WaterGirl

    @Kenneth J Fair: Thank you.  I did read that paragraph, and I knew they “set the rules” but I wasn’t clear on whether the Chief Justice could look at the rules and pat their heads and say “that’s nice” while completely ignoring the rules.

    I very much hope that, unlike a lot of the rules we thought we had, these are actually RULES.

    Hopefully they don’t wait years to going into effect!

  138. 138.

    WaterGirl

    @Gvg:

    It seems common sense that classified docs should never have left the White House

    High-level people such as presidents, vice presidents, top people at the FBI, etc ARE allowed to take classified documents home with them.

    But even in their homes, they are supposed to be treated a certain way, and certainly not left in boxes in the bathrooms.

  139. 139.

    frosty

    @Quinerly: ​ Thanks! I like doing the posts – they’re going to be a reminder of where I’ve been and what I’ve done if memory fades.
    I’d like to see pictures from some of your trips. Did you ever think about OTR? It’s not hard to do. At least for me, ’cause I’ve already picked out the good pictures and written a caption.​
     

    ETA: We’re hitting Arizona for our Snowbird Road Trip next year instead of Florida. Ms F is working on the itinerary. Santa Fe may or may not be on the list. Lunch or Happy Hour at least, if it is.

  140. 140.

    Quinerly

    @Paul in KY:

    It’s a nice set up here that works for guests.  Houseguests stay at the far end of the house and can spread out in 2-3 rooms if they want. So it’s not like we are all underfoot.

    Unfortunately, March is the worst month for allergies in Santa Fe. I also have a lot of outside living space with a great view  that really can’t be enjoyed this time of year. My little area where I now live is kinda famous for dark skies, star gazing, and sunsets. My great friends here have no interest in any of that. Lots of TV watching and internet surfing. I sat around my outside fireplace and listened to the coyotes last night with JoJo. That’s the kinda stuff I do at night

  141. 141.

    Quinerly

    @Soprano2:

    I tend to overplan. But the research is a lot of fun for me. It’s a learning thing.

    Plus, since I prefer to travel by car, with a dog, I like to be very prepared and know pretty much what I am doing each day.

  143. 143.

    frosty

    @Quinerly: We overplan too – don’t want to arrive without a campsite reservation. It’s happened a couple of times and worked out OK.

    During the pandemic Ohio shut down all state parks *and private RV parks*. We stayed overnight in a Cracker Barrel parking lot.
    On 2004 on our western trip with our sons, we left Canyon De Chelly early because we saw everything we wanted in one day instead of two. Figured we’d hit a motel before our Grand Canyon reservation. Every motel parking lot was full of people trying to get a room. We found out there was camping at the Navajo National Monument, pulled in, opened up our popup, and sat there really happy we carried our room with us!​

  146. 146.

    Paul in KY

    @Quinerly: Sounds super cool! Have never been to New Mexico. My parents went and loved it.  Dad was stationed at Sandia when Oppenheimer was there.

  150. 150.

    The Lodger

    @WaterGirl: So it would be useful to McAfee not to involve some key state legislators and the SoS in the case. Political careers can be so fragile.

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