Today, Katie Benner of the New York Times broke the story that former president Trump tried to use the Department of Justice to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Five emails provided to Congress show Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, asking the acting attorney general, Jeffrey A. Rosen, in December, to investigate rumors of voter fraud. One of the fantastical stories Meadows wanted investigated was the story that “people in Italy had used military technology and satellites to remotely tamper with voting machines in the United States and switch votes for Mr. Trump to votes for Joseph R. Biden Jr.”
The Department of Justice is not the president’s to command. It is supposed to enforce the laws of the United States and administer justice. The office of the president has its own lawyer—the White House counsel—and the president can also have their own personal representation. That Trump tried to use our own Department of Justice to overturn the will of the American voters is eye-popping.
But that was not the only news of the day. We also learned that the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, told Trump advisor Steven Bannon on a public show that had he not been able to block a great deal of mail-in voting in 2020, Biden would have won Texas.
We also learned that Oregon Representative Mike Nearman, who was already in trouble for opening the doors of the Oregon Capitol to anti–coronavirus restriction rioters on December 21, held a meeting beforehand, on December 16, to plot the event. An attendee filmed the talk, which set up “Operation Hall Pass.” That operation ultimately opened the Oregon capitol building to far-right rioters, who endangered the entire legislature. The video, which shows Nearman winking and nodding at setting up the invasion, has raised questions about whether other Republicans worked with insurrectionists in other settings.
The Department of Justice is the federal equivalent of state attorneys general whose mission is to act as a conduit between the executive and judicial branch. The executive has investigatory responsibilities which are then, when adjudged to have provided adequate information about criminal behavior or malfeasance, tasked with forwarding same to the courts. It is a recognized problem that perople who are supposed to be performing ministerial functions are taking part in developing information and then, via plea bargains, they undercut the influence of the courts. It is up to Congress to beef up legislation to rein in the Department of Justice. According to Horowitz' testimony such legislation has been passed by the House, but is one of the bills the Senate is sitting on. In the quest for executive impunity, Republicans first argued that as the Commander in Chief of the military during war time, the authority of the President would be supreme. And that was one of the reasons for our endless foreign engagements under the AUMF (authorization to use military force) Act and propelled GWB into Iraq. Then, a series of SCOTUS decisions demonstrated that even the authority of the Commander in Chief is restricted by Constitutional requirments. The supposed opinion by the Department of Justice that a sitting President could not be held to account for apparent violations of law is, in a sense, the last refuge of the supremacists. What they want, what the Catholics in the Executive and the Judicial branches want is a secular equivalent to the Roman Catholic Pope speaking ex cathedra. Why is a "leader" who can act with impunity desirable? Because he provides cover for a lot of skullduggery committed in his name. Acting with secrecy and impunity is the holy grail of those who lust for power. Donald Trump was the perfect do-nothing front.
Which from my ancient POV, makes Republican talk about "socialism" particularly absurd. Bernie may call himself a "democratic socialist" but he has never proposed nationalizing any industry except health insurance (which Truman also proposed). Yet you'll recall that Henry Wallace ran against Truman on the grounds Harry was not progressive enough, while Norman Thomas was the actual Socialist in the race.
"Former President Donald Trump dashed the hopes of Republicans on Saturday who spent the weeks leading up to his public reemergence encouraging him to keep his focus on policy and Democratic shortcomings, rather than re-litigating his 2020 election loss once again. In a nearly 90-minute speech to North Carolina Republicans gathered for their annual state convention, Trump baselessly claimed that his defeat by President Joe Biden last November was "the crime of the century" and likened the 2020 presidential contest to a "third-world" election."
Hope they were bored spitless. If they haven't figured out after the last four+ years that the ONLY thing that matter to Girth Vader is himself they get what they deserve.
Lots of hooting going on over at Twitter 'cause nobody can see a zipper on the front of trump's pants and people think he has his suit pants on backwards. I remember in Mary Trump's book the time Fred came downstairs in shirt, tie, jacket, shoes and socks but no pants.
Did Trump Have His Pants on Backwards? [Click] I think that the suggestion he is wearing elastic stretch pants without a fly over an adult diaper seems most likely.
If he's wearing adult diapers (which, to be truthful I have long suspected), that would seem to underscore his vast insecurity, being so image conscious.
Republican Ken Paxton said the quiet part out loud, acknowledging that, even in Texas, the GOP can't win without cheating. Says Biden would have won Texas if he hadn't blocked enough mail-in votes.
Will no one sit down and have a talk with his head? Will no one make it clear that good things for WVa will not happen if he continues spitting in other Democrats' peaches?
It's not quite on target, but I recall the old joke about the fellow drinking at the bar who feels the need to visit the restroom. As he is leaving he tells the fellow next to him that he spit in his drink. When he comes back, the fellow next to him says "I spit in it too."
Dare I type this for the Bloggers gods to see? I am able once again, and for the moment, to post from my iPhone! Blogger does not recognise me as an Admin via my phone, so no delete powers from there. But it's still nice to be able to post with a little more ease. Hoping it holds this time.
The West Can End the Water Wars Now [Click] Far-right radicals in Southern Oregon are threatening to bust open an irrigation canal. Instead, the region could be a model for managing watersheds in a warmer world.
listener, to answer your question on the last thread, Keto is pretty much a duplication of the first week of the Atkins diet, which was hailed or condemned on the great diuresis it caused. And the main reason Atkins kicked off so well: everyone lost tons of pounds to begin and then, being low carb, kept up pretty well. The dieters loved it, but the conservative docs hated it and did considerable scare-mongering.
Last of Soviet soldiers who liberated Auschwitz dies at 98 [Click] For a while I worked for a man who had been among the Americans who liberated Dachau; we lost touch with one another a long time ago, but I figure he would be around a hundred years old if he were still alive. His aunt marched in the funeral procession for the workers who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire.
June 5, 2021
ReplyDeleteHeather Cox Richardson
Today, Katie Benner of the New York Times broke the story that former president Trump tried to use the Department of Justice to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Five emails provided to Congress show Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, asking the acting attorney general, Jeffrey A. Rosen, in December, to investigate rumors of voter fraud. One of the fantastical stories Meadows wanted investigated was the story that “people in Italy had used military technology and satellites to remotely tamper with voting machines in the United States and switch votes for Mr. Trump to votes for Joseph R. Biden Jr.”
The Department of Justice is not the president’s to command. It is supposed to enforce the laws of the United States and administer justice. The office of the president has its own lawyer—the White House counsel—and the president can also have their own personal representation. That Trump tried to use our own Department of Justice to overturn the will of the American voters is eye-popping.
But that was not the only news of the day. We also learned that the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, told Trump advisor Steven Bannon on a public show that had he not been able to block a great deal of mail-in voting in 2020, Biden would have won Texas.
We also learned that Oregon Representative Mike Nearman, who was already in trouble for opening the doors of the Oregon Capitol to anti–coronavirus restriction rioters on December 21, held a meeting beforehand, on December 16, to plot the event. An attendee filmed the talk, which set up “Operation Hall Pass.” That operation ultimately opened the Oregon capitol building to far-right rioters, who endangered the entire legislature. The video, which shows Nearman winking and nodding at setting up the invasion, has raised questions about whether other Republicans worked with insurrectionists in other settings.
The Department of Justice is the federal equivalent of state attorneys general whose mission is to act as a conduit between the executive and judicial branch. The executive has investigatory responsibilities which are then, when adjudged to have provided adequate information about criminal behavior or malfeasance, tasked with forwarding same to the courts. It is a recognized problem that perople who are supposed to be performing ministerial functions are taking part in developing information and then, via plea bargains, they undercut the influence of the courts. It is up to Congress to beef up legislation to rein in the Department of Justice. According to Horowitz' testimony such legislation has been passed by the House, but is one of the bills the Senate is sitting on.
ReplyDeleteIn the quest for executive impunity, Republicans first argued that as the Commander in Chief of the military during war time, the authority of the President would be supreme. And that was one of the reasons for our endless foreign engagements under the AUMF (authorization to use military force) Act and propelled GWB into Iraq. Then, a series of SCOTUS decisions demonstrated that even the authority of the Commander in Chief is restricted by Constitutional requirments.
The supposed opinion by the Department of Justice that a sitting President could not be held to account for apparent violations of law is, in a sense, the last refuge of the supremacists. What they want, what the Catholics in the Executive and the Judicial branches want is a secular equivalent to the Roman Catholic Pope speaking ex cathedra.
Why is a "leader" who can act with impunity desirable? Because he provides cover for a lot of skullduggery committed in his name. Acting with secrecy and impunity is the holy grail of those who lust for power.
Donald Trump was the perfect do-nothing front.
Supreme Court rulings go back at least to the decision that Truman's wartime powers did not extend to nationalizing the steel industry.
DeleteWhich from my ancient POV, makes Republican talk about "socialism" particularly absurd. Bernie may call himself a "democratic socialist" but he has never proposed nationalizing any industry except health insurance (which Truman also proposed). Yet you'll recall that Henry Wallace ran against Truman on the grounds Harry was not progressive enough, while Norman Thomas was the actual Socialist in the race.
Deletehttps://www.cnn.com/2021/06/05/politics/donald-trump-north-carolina-speech/index.html
ReplyDelete"Former President Donald Trump dashed the hopes of Republicans on Saturday who spent the weeks leading up to his public reemergence encouraging him to keep his focus on policy and Democratic shortcomings, rather than re-litigating his 2020 election loss once again.
In a nearly 90-minute speech to North Carolina Republicans gathered for their annual state convention, Trump baselessly claimed that his defeat by President Joe Biden last November was "the crime of the century" and likened the 2020 presidential contest to a "third-world" election."
Hope they were bored spitless. If they haven't figured out after the last four+ years that the ONLY thing that matter to Girth Vader is himself they get what they deserve.
https://www.indy100.com/news/donald-trump-north-carolina-speech-b1860447
ReplyDeleteLots of hooting going on over at Twitter 'cause nobody can see a zipper on the front of trump's pants and people think he has his suit pants on backwards. I remember in Mary Trump's book the time Fred came downstairs in shirt, tie, jacket, shoes and socks but no pants.
Did Trump Have His Pants on Backwards? [Click] I think that the suggestion he is wearing elastic stretch pants without a fly over an adult diaper seems most likely.
DeleteIf he's wearing adult diapers (which, to be truthful I have long suspected), that would seem to underscore his vast insecurity, being so image conscious.
DeleteRepublican Ken Paxton said the quiet part out loud, acknowledging that, even in Texas, the GOP can't win without cheating. Says Biden would have won Texas if he hadn't blocked enough mail-in votes.
ReplyDeleteSalt Lake Tribune: QAnon? The ‘big lie’? What might it take to get Latter-day Saints to stop believing in them? [Click] Pardon me, but if people are conditioned to believe the Mormon origination story, what else might they not believe? The bit about the story of the Gadianton robbers from the Book of Mormon was interesting; I hadn’t heard of it before.
ReplyDeleteManchin Will Vote Against Election Overhaul Bill [Click]
ReplyDeleteWill no one sit down and have a talk with his head? Will no one make it clear that good things for WVa will not happen if he continues spitting in other Democrats' peaches?
DeleteWell said, Alan
DeleteIt's not quite on target, but I recall the old joke about the fellow drinking at the bar who feels the need to visit the restroom. As he is leaving he tells the fellow next to him that he spit in his drink. When he comes back, the fellow next to him says "I spit in it too."
DeleteDemocratic Report Raises 2022 Alarms [Click]
ReplyDeleteLilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor, born 4 June 2021
ReplyDelete(Prince Harry and Meghan announce birth of baby girl)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57378117
People said Williston, North Dakota, would boom for decades. Instead, Michael Patrick Flanagan Smith learned, it went the way of every other legendary boomtown [Click]
ReplyDeleteHow a ghostly outline revealed the secret of Modigliani’s lost lover [Click]
ReplyDeleteLittle*Granddaughter seems back to normal. Running and playing in the sprinkler with no hint that anything was wrong.
ReplyDeleteGrandad Wil remarked, “Kids are rubbery.”
Good news!
DeleteYea, verily!
DeleteDare I type this for the Bloggers gods to see? I am able once again, and for the moment, to post from my iPhone! Blogger does not recognise me as an Admin via my phone, so no delete powers from there. But it's still nice to be able to post with a little more ease. Hoping it holds this time.
ReplyDeleteSsssssshhh...
DeleteThe West Can End the Water Wars Now [Click] Far-right radicals in Southern Oregon are threatening to bust open an irrigation canal. Instead, the region could be a model for managing watersheds in a warmer world.
ReplyDeletelistener, to answer your question on the last thread, Keto is pretty much a duplication of the first week of the Atkins diet, which was hailed or condemned on the great diuresis it caused. And the main reason Atkins kicked off so well: everyone lost tons of pounds to begin and then, being low carb, kept up pretty well. The dieters loved it, but the conservative docs hated it and did considerable scare-mongering.
ReplyDeleteAh, I see.
DeleteFor me, what does it, is dropping sugar. I do that Jan-Feb-March each year, but I think I need to do it more.
What does the deed for Wil is to count calories (and watch the fat and salt, due to his heart issues).
Germany’s Christian Democrats gain clear pluraity in Saxony-Anhalt state election ahead of national vote. [Click] Saxony-Anhalt lies in the drainage of the Elbe River, so tends to be very conservative.
ReplyDeleteLast of Soviet soldiers who liberated Auschwitz dies at 98 [Click] For a while I worked for a man who had been among the Americans who liberated Dachau; we lost touch with one another a long time ago, but I figure he would be around a hundred years old if he were still alive. His aunt marched in the funeral procession for the workers who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire.
ReplyDeleteThe man I worked for was, like Mr. Dushman, a Jew.
DeleteCoronavirus Variant Tracker [US] [Click]
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
DeleteGlobal G7 deal may let Amazon off hook on tax, say experts [Click] Well, I sure hope they get that fixed.
ReplyDelete