Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

I desperately hope that, yet again, I am wrong.

Never forget that he train is barreling down on Trump, even as he dances on the tracks.

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

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Let’s finish the job.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

I also would like a pony to improve my balloon juice experience.

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

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

The Supreme Court is corrupt. Democrats must win in November and force court reform.

Bark louder, little dog.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about it’s history.”

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

You are here: Home / Economics / Grifters Gonna Grift / Sunday Evening Mood-Lifter Open Thread: Steve Bannon Is Going to Prison

Sunday Evening Mood-Lifter Open Thread: Steve Bannon Is Going to Prison

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Sunday Evening Mood-Lifter Open Thread: Steve Bannon Is Going to Prison

(Jack Ohman via GoComics.com)

 
Mr. Charles P. Pierce, at Esquire — “Steve Bannon Must Finally Report to Jail”:

… Except for a certain former president*, nobody had been cut as many breaks by the “two-tiered justice system” he bleats so loudly about as Bannon had. He probably should have been locked up months ago. He was found guilty two damn years ago. He has spent this rich deposit of temporal largesse issuing threats and doing further damage to the democratic institutions of the country. (He also tried to open a Catholic intellectual “gladiator” school in Rome until the Italian government kicked him out.) He got busted while cruising on a Chinese billionaire’s yacht. He helped to scam people out of money to build a wall that was even less real than the one his patron was not building elsewhere. Thursday’s development is another little ray of sunshine, and I intend to bask in it.

Per NBC News, “Trump is losing a key voice in the months before the election as Steve Bannon heads to prison”:

Just last week, former Fox News host Megyn Kelly urged Steve Bannon to take control of Donald Trump’s campaign.

“We need Steve Bannon,” Kelly said during an episode of her show discussing Trump’s hush money conviction. “Get somebody who knows how to fight dirty.”

This week, a judge told Bannon he’s going to jail.

The development could silence someone in the final months of the presidential election who has served as an inspiration for much of the MAGA movement and been one of Trump’s most aggressive zealots — thanks in large part to his “War Room” show, which he has built to lead the grassroots of the Republican Party to the ballot box in November…

But it’s not just his show. MAGA Republicans quickly bemoaned the political implications of losing Bannon as a political operative while he appeals his 2022 conviction for defying a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The sentence was already suspended pending appeal, but in May, a federal appeals court refused to undo the conviction.

Bannon was ordered to report to prison by July 1 and is scheduled to serve a four-month term, which would see him released days before the election.

“It’s not ideal. He commands a huge audience,” said Charlie Kirk, a Trump ally and right-wing activist who founded a conservative student organization that has built strong ties with the evangelical wing of the party. But he said that Bannon’s absence from the air could “prompt a rallying cry that will turn out to be much larger than even the show,” by driving higher turnout and galvanizing the base.​​

David Bossie, a close ally of Trump’s and co-chair of the Republican National Convention, called it an effort “to silence Steve,” telling NBC News that Bannon “does a lot of crucial and strategic work behind the scenes that will have an impact on the conservative movement and the campaign.”…

In 2016, Bannon fortified Breitbart News, the arch-conservative publication he helmed, into a relentlessly pro-Trump tool. After the election, he joined Trump as a senior White House aide but fell out of favor and was bounced from the administration after less than a year.

His show offered him a vehicle to return to Trump’s inner circle. He championed the push to overturn the 2020 election, Trump’s baseless claims of rampant fraud and the fight against the former president’s enemies in Congress and inside the Republican Party.

Bannon is not a household name for most Americans, but among the pundit and governing class — and particularly among die-hard political junkies — he is a behemoth…

The program is not a one-man operation, and Bannon has co-hosts who could keep the lights on while he’s in prison, including many who remain in Trump’s inner circle.

Waging the fight alongside Bannon over the years are some of Trump’s closest political aides — key players in the former president’s campaign operation, like Jason Miller and Steven Cheung, and legal defenders like Boris Epshteyn, who called the show the “beating heart of the MAGA movement.”

Trump himself is a fan, watching clips from the show and sometimes longer segments, Miller said…

Lots more detail at the link, if you’ve got the stomach for it.

One can but hope…

Reader Interactions

78Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    And this is who thinks they’re the superior race?

    When all you’ve got is your genetic connection to people who have accomplished things, that’s what you got with.

  4. 4.

    Elizabelle

    I wonder if Bannon is a current alcoholic, and how they treat that when he’s incarcerated. I am delighted to see him report to the clink.

  5. 5.

    Ten Bears

    Solitary because he probable really stinks

    And uh … I’ve done 4 months waiting to be sentenced 

    I am laughing at the ‘superiority’

  9. 9.

    cain

    @Percysowner:

    The man could show up with an upside down cross and upside down flag and give fealty to the Devil and Putin and he’d not lose a single “Patriot”.

    The right wing noise machine will start putting out messaging questioning if the Bible has been nothing but fake news and propaganda that is pro-Yeweh but actually it’s Lucifer Morningstar we should be all worshipping after – after all, isn’t capitalism, greed and telling people what to do is what Lucifer wanted for all of us?

  12. 12.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    He’s going to a Club Fed facility for 4 months.  Get back to me when he’s in Papillion’s solitary cell on Devil’s Island.

  13. 13.

    Elizabelle

    I think it’s kind of perfect that after all his gambits to avoid reporting to prison, he’s doing so at a crucial time in the electoral cycle. Delighted to see that.

  17. 17.

    Elizabelle

    Also, Anne and other front pagers:  I appreciate this post, and can we always have an open thread alongside Medium Cool?  Not all of us participate in that, and it’s good to have an active thread to collect and discuss other topics.

    Mind you, I do appreciate cruising the Medium Cool archives after the fact.

  21. 21.

    TBone

    Dotard has his pre-sententence interview tomorrow.  Fat bastard got it set up to occur virtually. 😡 Damnit.  I was counting on the stench to overwhelm the probation officer and cause a big stink in the media.

    How many defendants get this treatment, I wonder.  I know arraignments are frequently done remotely, but I know many probation officers would NEVER allow it.

  25. 25.

    John Revolta

    If they don’t let him talk on the phone, or allow any visitors, then I’ll consider him as being “silenced before the election.” But I seriously doubt that’s gonna happen.

  27. 27.

    geg6

    @satby:

    Yes!  His skin is horrible.  Usually only seen on methheads and alcoholics.  And let’s not even mention his festering cold sore.

  32. 32.

    Geminid

    @John Revolta: If nothing else, Bannon can write letters for his replacement hosts to read. Maybe publish the collected letters at some point later on.

  36. 36.

    Another Scott

    @satby: Thanks for that.

    Relatedly, …

    NPS.gov – Eisenhower and Evers:

    […]

    During World War II, over one million African Americans served in the U.S. armed forces. While some saw combat, many Black soldiers were away from the frontlines in support roles. Their work, though often overlooked, was essential, and many became the unsung heroes of the war – without them, victory was impossible.

    In June 1944, once General Eisenhower gave the command to move forward with the invasion of Normandy, after months of planning, strategizing, and agonizing over the largest amphibious invasion in history, he watched as a vast armada of soldiers, sailors, and airmen from dozens of nations went forward with what he termed the “Great Crusade.”

    Among those hundreds of thousands who went forward was Medgar Evers. Though not on the front lines of combat, Evers and other African American soldiers played an invaluable role in not only the invasion of Normandy, but in the fight to liberate Normandy, France, and Europe itself.

    Evers served with the segregated 325th Port Company, part of the Red Ball Express truck convoy system. Named for the red dots used to mark priority express trains in the United States, the Red Ball Express was famous for its efficient and essential supply delivery. This convoy deployed Army trucks in a nonstop loop transporting much needed resources such as gasoline, ammunition and food made it to the front lines.

    The months ahead were pivotal for both Eisenhower and Evers. For Eisenhower, he led a vast Allied coalition that faced new challenges and stresses daily. For Evers, the war in Europe meant learning that life outside the United States did not always mean an escape from the segregation he experienced at home. Like many African Americans serving in World War II, Evers was still subject to racism and discrimination overseas, though primarily from white officers. Years later he wrote of becoming acquainted with a French family, noting that their kindness stayed with him for years to come and provided a stark contrast to how some of his own countrymen treated him.

    After the war, both Eisenhower and Evers used their wartime experiences to influence their post-war world. For Ike, his time leading a vast Allied coalition prepared him for further leadership roles—Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, president of Columbia University, Supreme Commander of NATO Forces in Europe, and eventually, President of the United States.

    For Medgar Evers, though he had fought for democracy abroad, he returned home to a country that still refused him the same rights that other citizens enjoyed. Shaped by the experiences of war, Evers was unable to stand by silently while injustices and racial inequality scarred the nation.

    From 1954 to 1963, Evers served as the Mississippi field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. His team also lead investigations into violent crimes against African Americans, including the murder of Emmett Till. His unwavering work for progress was dangerous and pro-segregationists and members of white supremacy groups, threatened his life.

    […]

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  43. 43.

    lowtechcyclist

    @TBone:

    Repost:  Rooty Tooty called Fani Wilis a ho.

    And the allegedly Christian audience laughed and cheered.

  46. 46.

    karen marie

    Donald Trump is in breach of a British High Court order to pay £300,000 in legal costs to the former spy who compiled a salacious dossier alleging Russian interference in the 2016 US election.

    What a filthy motherfucker.

  47. 47.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @Suzanne: …or eating a vegetable sometime. Vodka doesn’t count.

    Doesn’t count as a vegetable? Oh noes!!1!

  49. 49.

    Chief Oshkosh

    If Bannon appeals further, does he get to go back home? Or is he really being sent to jail this week, regardless of further appeal?

  54. 54.

    Jackie

    @O. Felix Culpa:

    He could use skincare advice. Although he might be a case of the ugly within showing outside.

    Are you implying beauty – or the lack of – is deeper than skin deep?

  56. 56.

    Soprano2

    @satby: They are and they do. There’s a condition called meth mouth. I’ve seen before and after pictures of people addicted to meth, sometimes it doesn’t look like the same person.

  61. 61.

    kalakal

    Bannon has the strongest ‘last guy at the party’ vibe I’ve ever seen. Looking at him he’s going to have a hell of a time drying out in jail

    Sad!

  64. 64.

    Jackie

    This caught my attention! Democratic doctors are uniting!

    “Democratic-leaning doctors flex political muscle in abortion debate”

    The wave of state abortion restrictions that began after the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022 has led Democratic-leaning doctors to become an organizing and political force against such laws.

    Doctors driving the backlash say many of the new state laws jeopardize patients’ health and restrict their ability to practice medicine.

    Their push coincides with the erosion of the historical alliance between Republicans and the American Medical Association, which has staked out progressive stances on topics including trans care and gun violence.

    *snip*

    At least six Democratic doctors are running for competitive House seats this year, seizing on voters’ concerns about reproductive health and high health care costs, Axios Pro’s Victoria Knight reported.

    Ohio pediatrician Lauren Beene, who worked on the Ohio ballot measure, said she hadn’t been involved in politics before the Supreme Court eliminated the federal right to an abortion.

    That all changed when she heard from patients and their parents about the consequences of losing abortion access in a state that was among those with a ban after six weeks of pregnancy.

    “We really felt strongly that doctors needed to be at the front of this movement for reproductive rights, because it’s our responsibility to make sure our patients can get the care that they need,” Beene told Axios.

    Beene and other doctors who spoke with Axios recognized their potential influence as political messengers. While Americans’ confidence in major institutions has dropped, doctors are still highly regarded.

    In Congress, it’s often Republican doctors — who are larger in number and have their own caucus — driving conversations about how medicine is practiced.

    Kristin Lyerly, a Wisconsin OB-GYN running as a Democrat for an open House seat, says that having more physicians in Congress who support abortion rights would “completely redefine the conversation that we’re having” about access to care.

    Lyerly was a plaintiff in a successful lawsuit challenging a Wisconsin abortion ban that dated back to 1849.

    At the federal level, physicians played key roles in getting the Food and Drug Administration to approve an over-the-counter birth control pill and allow telehealth abortion care, said Jamila Perritt, an OB-GYN and president of Physicians for Reproductive Health.

    For the GQP viewpoint click the link: https://www.axios.com/2024/06/09/abortion-restrictions-democratic-doctors

  66. 66.

    Jackie

    @SiubhanDuinne: I don’t know who had the biggest grin; Macron or Joe.

    Macron had that “I got you the perfect gift!” grin, while Joe had that “You gave me the perfect gift!” grin.

    I think they truly like each other.

  70. 70.

    Ruckus

    @zhena gogolia:

    He looks like he got sucker punched by Muhammad Ali. Now Ali passed in 2016 but if Ali sucker punched him, I wouldn’t expect it to have healed, even in over 8 yrs. Plus he seems to take such good care of himself – NOT.

    He seems like maybe he’s not actually human. Of course strange humans have existed, so it is possible that he is one of them.

  71. 71.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Jackie:

    Agreed!

    Whereas the only thing Macron could offer that TCFFG valued was a military parade. Personally, I’ll take aviator shades over regimental parades any time.

    tl;dr: shades > parades

  72. 72.

    Jackie

    People were apparently paid to attend Donald Trump’s rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, according to Tennessee Democratic election commissioner Chris D. Jackson, although it’s not clear who did the paying.

    Jackson took to social media over the weekend to draw attention to a Craigslist post appearing to offer payment for attendance at the MAGA event.

    “BREAKING: Trump Caught Paying People to Attend Rally,” the official reported. “A Craigslist ad has been found offering payment for people to attend Trump’s rally in Las Vegas today.”

    https://www.rawstory.com/trump-caught-paying-people-to-attend-nevada-rally/

    Anyone surprised? TCFG had his own staff providing the mini-crowd at his day after conviction speech. He’s not getting a free audience anymore. SAD!

  73. 73.

    CaseyL

    @Jackie: There was a group of four or five black guys who apparently had a long-term contract, because they kept showing up as backdrop for many of TCFG’s rallies.

    Not sure if they’re still doing that gig.

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