March 20, 2023
Late Morning/Afternoon Update:
Zeke Miller of the AP: "President Joe Biden issued the first veto of his presidency Monday in an early sign of shifting White House relations with the new Congress since Republicans took control of the House in January.... Biden sought to kill a Republican-authored measure that would ban the government from considering environmental impacts or potential lawsuits when making investment decisions for people's retirement plans. In a video released by the White House, Biden said he vetoed the measure because it 'put at risk the retirement savings of individuals across the country.' His first veto represents a more confrontational approach at the midway of Biden's term in office, as he faces a GOP-controlled House that is eager to undo parts of his policy legacy and investigate his administration and his family."
Dalel Mawad, et al., of CNN: "Two no-confidence votes against French President Emmanuel Macron's government have failed in the country's parliament, clearing the way for his hugely unpopular pension reforms to be implemented and sparking new protests in Paris. The government triggered special constitutional powers last Thursday to push through controversial legislation that would raise the age of retirement from 62 to 64 for most workers. Lawmakers critical of the move called the no-confidence votes that were held on Monday. The first motion was brought forward by the small parliamentary group 'LIOT,' which represents various small parties, and was seen as the most likely of the two to threaten the government. It received 278 votes -- just nine short of the 287 majority needed to pass. The second vote -- tabled last week by far-right party National Rally -- drew less support, with only 94 lawmakers voting in favor. The government's narrow survival will exacerbates the legitimacy crisis that Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne's cabinet and Macron's presidency are facing."
Alan Feuer & Zach Montague of the New York Times: "Four people who marched with the Oath Keepers militia into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were convicted on Monday of conspiracy to obstruct the work of Congress, bringing an end to the third and final trial examining the role that members of the far-right group played in the attack. The four defendants -- Sandra Parker, Laura Steele, Connie Meggs and William Isaacs -- were also found guilty of an array of other charges, including destruction of government property and conspiracy to prevent members of Congress from discharging their duties by certifying the results of the 2020 election. Two other people charged in the case -- Ms. Parker's husband, Bennie Parker, and Michael Greene, a close associate of Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers -- avoided conviction on conspiracy charges, but were both found guilty of illegally entering and remaining on the Capitol grounds."
Don Lemon & Jason Morris of CNN: "Atlanta-area prosecutors are considering bringing racketeering and conspiracy charges in connection with Donald Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. Investigators have a large volume of substantial evidence related to a possible conspiracy from inside and outside the state, including recordings of phone calls, emails, text messages, documents, and testimony before a special grand jury. Their work, the source said, underscores the belief that the push to help Trump was not just a grassroots effort that originated inside the state." ~~~
~~~ Richard Fausset of the New York Times: "Lawyers for ... Donald J. Trump filed a motion in a Georgia court on Monday seeking to quash the final report of a special grand jury that investigated whether Mr. Trump and some of his allies interfered in the 2020 election results in Georgia. The motion also seeks to 'preclude the use of any evidence derived' from the report, and asks that the office of Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, be disqualified from the case." MB: Waah, waaah, waaaah. Good luck with this one, Donald. You're just aggravating the judge who has to rule on such a waste-of-time motion.
Soros, Soros, Soros. Natasha Korecki of NBC News: "After remaining silent over the weekend, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took shots at the 'Soros-funded prosecutor' in Manhattan involved in an ongoing hush money case against ... Donald Trump. 'I have no interest in getting involved in some manufactured circus by some Soros-DA,' DeSantis said at a news conference Monday, referring to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 'He's trying to do a political spectacle. He's trying to virtue signal for his base. I've got real issues I got to deal with here in the state of Florida. I don't know what's going to happen but I do know this: the Manhattan district attorney is a Soros-funded prosecutor,' he added." MB: Have you got that now? A Jewish man has funded a Black D.A., see. And that can only be bad news. (I have no idea if Bragg received a political contribution from Soros or from a Soros-funded PAC. And I'm not going to look it up, because I really, really don't care.)
Kylie Atwood of CNN: "An American aid worker who was kidnapped in Niger more than six years ago and held hostage by terrorists has been released, President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted on Monday. 'I'm gratified & relieved to see the release of U.S. hostage Jeff Woodke after over 6 years in captivity. The U.S. thanks Niger for its help in bringing him home to all who miss & love him. I thank so many across our government who've worked tirelessly toward securing his freedom,' Sullivan tweeted. Jeffery Woodke is now being offered support and transport. He was released outside of Niger in the Mali-Burkina Faso area, [a senior administration] official said."
~~~~~~~~~~
Yasmeen Abutaleb of the Washington Post: "President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call on Sunday that democratic values -- including 'genuine checks and balances' -- had to remain a pillar of the U.S.-Israel relationship, a veiled warning to Netanyahu about his incendiary plan to overhaul the country's judicial system. During the phone call between the two leaders, Biden expressed 'concern' about Netanyahu's plan in a 'candid and constructive conversation' that lasted about 45 minutes, according to a senior administration official...."
DOJ Tries to Curtail Judge-Shopping. Perry Stein of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department has challenged three high-profile lawsuits filed in Texas against Biden administration policies, accusing state politicians of choosing small, conservative federal court divisions that have little relevance to their cases but nearly guarantee them a sympathetic judge. It's part of the administration's first concerted effort to fight what some legal experts say is a growing problem of 'forum shopping' -- a strategy in which plaintiffs are alleged to cherry-pick judges they want to hear their cases, bucking the random assignment of judges that is considered a tenet of the American legal system. One of the requests was denied. The other two are pending. In the fall, the Justice Department succeeded in convincing a Texas judge in a fourth case -- involving a death-row prisoner -- that he had no jurisdiction to rule on the matter.... Even the perception of judge shopping, the federal government argued, could erode public trust in the justice system.... Most federal court divisions across the country include multiple judges, who are assigned at random to cases as they are filed.... [But] according to legal experts, the opportunity to judge shop in Texas is unique because of just how many single-judge divisions there are, most of them in rural, heavily Republican areas."
The Woes of Trump, Ctd.
So Much Crime, (So Little Time). Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "The investigations [into Donald Trump's various (alleged!) criminal acts] are confronting prosecutors with tough choices. They must decide whether and how to charge not just Mr. Trump, but also associates who could face jeopardy for actions to which he was not a direct party.... The publicly known understanding of the evidence is incomplete. It is not clear, for example, in several instances what facts investigators have been able to gather about Mr. Trump's personal knowledge, directions and intentions related to several of the matters. Here is a look at some of the criminal laws that different prosecutors appear to be weighing and how they might apply to Mr. Trump's actions." ~~~
~~~ Apparently some MAGA Republicans can learn: ~~~
~~~ Eric Tucker & Michael Kunzelman of the AP: "... Donald Trump's calls for protests ahead of his anticipated indictment in New York have generated mostly muted reactions from supporters, with even some of his most ardent loyalists dismissing the idea as a waste of time or a law enforcement trap. The ambivalence raises questions about whether Trump, though a leading Republican contender in the 2024 presidential race who retains a devoted following, still has the power to mobilize far-right supporters the way he did ... before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It also suggests that the hundreds of arrests that followed the Capitol riot, not to mention the convictions and long prison sentences, may have dampened the desire for repeat mass unrest.... The New York Young Republican Club has announced plans for a protest at an undisclosed location in Manhattan on Monday, and incendiary but isolated posts surfaced on fringe social media platforms from supporters calling for an armed confrontation with law enforcement at Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. But ... there were few signs his appeal had inspired his supporters to organize and rally around an event like the Jan. 6 gathering."
Olivia Beavers & Jordain Carney of Politico: "Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Sunday pushed back on Donald Trump's calls for protests if he is ultimately indicted.... 'I don't think people should protest this, no,' McCarthy told reporters during [at press conference held] the first night of the House GOP's three-day annual issues retreat. 'We want calmness out there.'... But the top House Republican sought to smooth over Trump's wording, in a throwback to a frequent GOP tactic during his four years in the White House, suggesting he likely meant to 'educate' people about the actions by [Manhattan D.A. Alvin] Bragg. '... He's not talking in a harmful way, and nobody should.'" MB: Hey, kids, are you educated yet?
Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "... the frenzied posts from [Donald] Trump reflected his deep panic and anxiety over the imminence and likelihood of criminal charges..., the sources said, not least because he is powerless to stop the district attorney's office from moving forward with a case that will take the US into new legal territory as Trump revs up his 2024 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump and his allies have suggested in recent days that an indictment in the hush money case could benefit him politically..., but it is also true that Trump himself is deeply fearful of criminal charges. Trump discussed the hush money case every day last week.... Trump has expressed interest in appearing in person at the Manhattan criminal court, where he believes he can turn proceedings into a spectacle before a gaggle of reporters, sources said, and raised the prospect on Saturday afternoon...."
Jonathan Swan & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump's political operation is trying to use the news of his expected indictment by a Manhattan grand jury to turn the strident base of the Republican Party against his expected rival for the 2024 presidential nomination, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. Immediately after the former president predicted on Saturday that his arrest was imminent, Mr. Trump's operatives and friendly media outlets began publicly pressuring Mr. DeSantis to condemn the law enforcement officials in New York, portraying his silence on the matter as bordering on treason.... An aide to Mr. DeSantis did not respond to a request for comment.... Nikki Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor who entered the presidential race last month, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina have not said a word."
Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "A Manhattan grand jury that is expected to vote soon on whether to indict Donald J. Trump may hear testimony Monday attacking the prosecution's star witness, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The testimony would come from a lawyer, Robert J. Costello, who would appear at the request of Mr. Trump's lawyers, the people said. Mr. Costello was once a legal adviser to Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trump's former fixer, who has been a key witness for the Manhattan district attorney's office. Mr. Costello and Mr. Cohen had a falling out, and Mr. Costello would appear solely to undermine Mr. Cohen's credibility, the people said.... Mr. Trump's lawyers have asked that Mr. Costello testify, but the final decision rests with the grand jury; it is unclear whether they have made a decision." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The AP story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: At about the same time the linked NYT story above dropped, Michael Cohen appeared on MSNBC & said that the Manhattan D.A.'s office has asked him to be available Monday to appear as a "rebuttal" witness before the grand jury. Cohen did not know (or did not reveal) any details, including whose testimony he might be called upon to rebut. An NBC story, which mirrors the NYT & AP reports, is here. It does not mentions Cohen's appearance on MSNBC but includes video of the MSNBC interview (I guess; the video never loaded for me).
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Marcy Wheeler: "... on Saturday morning, on his failing social media platform, [Donald Trump] tweeted out incitement that included the following, in all caps: An unsubstantiated claim about illegal leaks probably based on Fox News reporting about efforts to prepare for potential violence as a response to a Trump indictment next week; An attack on Alvin Bragg's record on crime; A claim Bragg is funded by George Soros, the kind of coded antisemitism Trump is including in virtually all his communications these days; An assertion that he would be charged on something that 'numerous other prosecutors!' had debunked as a fairy tale; An overstatement of the degree to which he is leading in polls and an admission that he is the 'former' President; A day, Tuesday, when he would be 'arrested' A call to 'protest,' invoking one of the same cries used to incite a coup attempt on January 6, 'take our country back.'
"The response was almost instantaneous, with one after another journalist screen-capping the tweet in its entirety.... It's like Pavlov's dogs, pure reflexive behavior at this point: The more incendiary Trump's tweets, the more quickly journalists rush to disseminate them unfiltered on Twitter.... The most newsworthy detail in Trump's tweet (beyond the incitement) -- the day he would be charged -- was just made up, a guess based off the same information all the rest of us have.... Trump's team simply guessed what day he'll be charged so as to make a call to fight newsworthy enough for kneejerk journalists to help it go viral for him.... He made the presidential race about him again, exclusively about him.... Finally, all this was done without any mention of the actual facts of the case."
Ken Meyer of Mediaite: "Former Vice President Mike Pence faced an intense interview from ABC News's Jon Karl -- during which he was forced to directly respond to Donald Trump defending his supporters who wanted to hunt him down and execute him.... In one part of the conversation, Karl asked Pence about Trump attempting to blame him for the siege Trump's supporters launched on the U.S. Capitol.... [After Pence responded,] Karl followed up by rolling audio from an interview he conducted with Trump back in 2021 -- during which Trump defended the Capitol rioters chanting 'Hang Mike Pence' because the vice president refused Trump's unconstitutional demand that he overturn his 2020 election defeat.... [Pence responded,] '... There is no excuse for the violence that took place at the Capitol on January 6th, and I'll never diminish it as long as I live....'" Includes video of the interview. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Sunday called on Congress to lift the federal insurance levels for bank deposits above $250,000, a week after the Biden administration announced it would protect all depositors at Silicon Valley Bank, regardless of how much money they had in the failing institution. Currently, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, insures only up to $250,000 in deposits at banks. On CBS's 'Face the Nation,' Warren, a member of the Senate Banking Committee and a commercial and bankruptcy law expert, suggested raising that figure to anywhere from $2 million to $10 million. 'Small businesses need to be able to count on getting their money to make payroll, to pay the utility bills,' she said. 'Nonprofits need to be able to do that. These are not folks who can investigate the safety and soundness of their individual banks. That's the job the regulators are supposed to do.'"
The Fed Repeatedly Warned SVB It Had Serious Weaknesses. Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "Silicon Valley Bank's risky practices were on the Federal Reserve's radar for more than a year -- an awareness that proved insufficient to stop the bank's demise. The Fed repeatedly warned the bank that it had problems, according to a person familiar with the matter. In 2021, a Fed review of the growing bank found serious weaknesses in how it was handling key risks. Supervisors at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, which oversaw Silicon Valley Bank, issued six citations. Those warnings, known as 'matters requiring attention' and 'matters requiring immediate attention,' flagged that the firm was doing a bad job of ensuring that it would have enough easy-to-tap cash on hand in the event of trouble. But the bank did not fix its vulnerabilities. By July 2022, Silicon Valley Bank was in a full supervisory review -- getting a more careful look -- and was ultimately rated deficient for governance and controls. It was placed under a set of restrictions that prevented it from growing through acquisitions.... It became clear to the Fed that the firm was using bad models to determine how its business would fare as the central bank raised rates.... By early 2023..., [a Fed] checkup identified additional deficiencies -- but at that point, the bank's days were numbered." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Andrew Sorkin, et al., of the New York Times: "UBS has agreed to buy Credit Suisse, its beleaguered rival, the Swiss government said on Sunday, in a hastily arranged deal meant to shore up the global financial sector after a week of turmoil. Swiss government leaders and regulators said that the deal was the most effective way of reassuring investors after Credit Suisse's shares tumbled following the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month.... Credit Suisse's troubles were largely of its own making, tied to years of scandals and financial missteps that have cost it billions of dollars in trading losses and legal fines." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Beyond the Beltway
New York. Althea Legaspi of Rolling Stone, republished by Yahoo! Entertainment: "A man was arrested outside 'Drag Story Hour NYC' hosted by New York Attorney General Letitia James on Sunday following a clash between more than 100 protesters, New York Post reports.... [The] event took place at The Center, an LGBTQ+ community center on West 13th Street, where video footage shows a man in a gold mask being arrested outside after protesters purportedly clashed over drag performers reading stories to kids, and tax dollars helping fund the event.... Video appearing to be filmed from outside the event depicts at least one person wearing a far-right Proud Boys sweatshirt who was in attendance and was told to 'get the fuck out of here' by opposing protesters. The man was joined by another, who appeared to have blood on his face...." ~~~
~~~ Marie: All I could find about this altercation came from poorly-written stories. As nearly as I can tell, the Proud Boys got in an altercation with supporters of the event, and the Proud Boys got the worst of it. I don't know what the Proud Boys expected; they were in the West Village, for pete's sake, not far from the Stonewall Inn. I'm totally against violence, of course, but I'm not all that broken up about drag queen supporters getting the better of a gang of bigots.
Way Beyond
Ukraine, et al.
The Guardian's live updates of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.
The New York Times is liveblogging developments in Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow. the Washington Post's live updates are here.
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Reader Comments (9)
Pavlov’s viewers…
After the revelations of TuKKKer KKKarlson’s hatred of Trump, many observers (the not so observant ones) wondered how that knowledge would affect Fox viewers. How would this tiny dose of reality affect their systems, conditioned for years to lies? Would they start to demand more actual journalism? Actual truth?
Hell no. But they’re all fully prepared to eviscerate anyone who tries to wake them from their dogmatic slumber (apologies to Kant).
After Fox called Arizona for Biden, the A list liars like KKKarlson were outraged. “They’re ruining the brand!” In other words, deviating from the lies that made Fox what it is was (and still is) unacceptable.
Stephen King once wrote a book about MAGA-Fox fans. It was called, appropriately enough, “Misery”. Here’s the quick version, a successful novelist is in a car wreck. He’s found by a woman who describes herself as his number one fan. Except she learns that he’s about to kill off her favorite character. The writer wants to branch out, but the fan of his earlier stuff isn’t having it. She drugs him, breaks his legs, and threatens to kill him unless he gives her the fantasy she craves.
A true MAGA-Fox viewer. And if they don’t get the lies they’re addicted to, watch out.
Pavlov’s viewers.
They don’t care what KKKarlson said about Trump as long as he keeps them hooked on traitor lies.
Misery.
AK: perfect picture to present here--"Misery" apt word for the state of affairs. I remember that film, thinking at the time how far out that display was and surely the phrase "you can't make that stuff up" which of course King did and did he glean how true it was or could be?
'Misery' was a really great movie. James Caan and Kathy Bates,
1990, and I think Lauren Bacall.
It was also a broadway play with Bruce Willis.
I got out my old popcorn popper for tomorrow to watch trump do
the perp walk. What wine goes with popcorn?
@Akhilleus: Interesting to connect MAGAlow-maniacs to "Misery." I never read the book, but I saw the movie! The "number one fan" has in common with the MAGA crowd that she believes she can change history (in her case, the history of her favorite character) by violent means. And she's more than willing to act on that violence to get what she wants. She's sees nothing wrong with it. Moreover, like the MAGA fantacists, her "hero" is a fictional character. (Sure, there's a "real" Donald Trump, but he is in no way the noble savior god the MAGAites have imagined.)
I think King still lives in rural Maine. No doubt he met more than one MAGA-type before he wrote "Misery."
@Forrest Morris: Since we're discussing popular literature made into popular movies, I'll borrow from Hannibal Lecter: try "a bad chianti."
(See if you can still get the kind that comes in a bottle encased in straw. It was decades before I found out there really is such a thing as "a nice chianti.")
Forrest,
I’m tempted to suggest corn likker, not a wine, but as they say, wine is fine, but likker is quicker.
For obsessives, those plot twists seem inevitable, almost to the point where the reader/observer comes to expect the unexpected.
A true believer willing to ignore all evidence? Sure, that's what true believers do. And we properly view the insanity with disgust. What is wrong with these people? Are they even human?
Reminds me of Theodore Sturgeon story, "Bright Segment," which left quite an impression on my. The had staying power. it's now almost sixty years old.
The story is about a lonely man who rescues a young lady who's been brutally attacked. He mends her wounds, cares for her and then, given his circumstances and psychology, the inevitable end.
Creepy as that ending is, horrible as the man's actions were, I still remember feeling some sympathy for the man Sturgeon depicted.
I feel none for the miserable MAGA's..
BTW, I'd bet King has read Sturgeon...
Another motion by whiny baby, tiny hand Trump. Have you noticed the glaring similarities in all his motions? They all say “Fuck you all. Gimme what I want!”
The only motions of his that are of, or have any effect on the real world are bowel movements. The effect is they stink.
Hey, very much like his legal motions.
Marie,
MAGAlow maniacs. Good one.
The original definition, a delusional mental illness that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur, needs only the addition of “and constant victimization requiring violent responses” to encompass the warped psychology of the MAGA mob.