The Conversation -- September 21, 2023

Groundhog Day All Over Again. Annie Karni of the New York Times: "Right-wing House Republicans dealt another stunning rebuke to Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday morning, blocking a Pentagon funding bill for the second time this week in a vivid display of G.O.P. disunity on federal spending that threatens to lead to a government shutdown in nine days. Just hours after Mr. McCarthy signaled he had won over some of the holdouts and was ready to move forward, a handful of Republicans broke with their party to oppose the routine measure that would allow the military appropriations bill to come to the House floor for debate, joining with Democrats to defeat it. It was a major black eye for Mr. McCarthy, who has on multiple occasions admonished his members in private for taking the rare step of bringing down such votes, known as rules, proposed by their own party -- a previously unheard-of tactic.... 'This is a whole new concept of individuals that just want to burn the whole place down,' Mr. McCarthy said on Thursday." The NBC News report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Yo, Kevin,"burning the whole place down" has been a GOP tactic at least since the Gingrich era, and you've lit a few matches yourself. So don't act all shocked when the mob nails you to the stake.

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The New York Times is including President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Capitol Hill and the White House in its regular daily Ukraine liveblog.

Succession. Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times: "Rupert Murdoch is retiring from the Fox and News Corporation boards, the company announced Thursday morning, making his son Lachlan the sole executive in charge of the global media empire he built from a small local newspaper concern in Australia starting 70 years ago. The elder Mr. Murdoch will become chairman emeritus of the two companies, the company said in a release. Mr. Murdoch, 92, had shown no intention to step down or even slow down -- even after he named Lachlan as the heir to his business empire in 2019, when he sold his vast entertainment holdings to the Walt Disney Company.Even now, in his emeritus status, he will continue to offer counsel, Lachlan Murdoch said in a statement." Here's the AP story.

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Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "The Biden administration said late Wednesday that it would allow hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans already in the United States to live and work legally in the country for 18 months. The decision followed intense advocacy by top New York Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams and party leaders in Congress. It will affect about 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country before July 31, temporarily protecting them from removal and waiving a monthslong waiting period for them to seek employment authorization. In an unusual break with a president of their party, the New York Democrats had argued that the city's social safety net would tear under the weight of more than 110,000 recently arrived migrants unless they were allowed to work and support themselves more quickly. Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, said that he made the decision because conditions in Venezuela 'prevent their safe return' but stressed that immigrants who had entered the country since August were not protected and would be 'removed when they are found to not have a legal basis to stay.'" Politico's story is here.

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "Attorney General Merrick B. Garland offered a fiery defense of the Justice Department's investigation of Hunter Biden on Wednesday, telling a House committee he was 'not Congress's prosecutor' -- and would not reveal details of the inquiry no matter how much pressure lawmakers applied. During a grueling hearing before the House Judiciary Committee that foreshadowed a bruising impeachment fight ahead, Mr. Garland repeatedly refused to answer questions about internal deliberations or offer explanations for decision-making in the investigation, or the two federal indictments of ... Donald J. Trump.... Many of the claims and insinuations [Republicans] leveled against Mr. Garland -- that he is part of a coordinated Democratic effort to shield the Bidens and persecute Mr. Trump -- were not supported by fact. And much of the specific evidence presented, particularly the testimony of an investigator who questioned key decisions in the Hunter Biden investigation, was given without context or acknowledgment of contradictory information.... Countering their claims, [Mr. Garland] denounced escalating threats Trump supporters have directed against prosecutors, including the special counsel Jack Smith, and F.B.I. agents, prompting significant increases in security." ~~~

     ~~~ Farnoush Amiri & Lindsay Whitehurst of the AP: "House Republicans clashed with Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday, accusing him and the Justice Department of the 'weaponization' of the department's work in favor of President Joe Biden's son Hunter.... Republicans on the committee -- led by chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio -- set the tone with accusations that the Justice Department is favoring the Biden family while targeting his likely 2024 opponent, [Donald] Trump.... Questioning in the Republicans' arsenal focused on allegations that the Justice Department interfered in the yearslong case into Hunter Biden and that the prosecutor in charge of that case [-- whom Trump appointed --] did not have the full authority he needed to bring necessary charges." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I listened to about a half-hour of the hearing until I couldn't stand it anymore. Jordan, as usual, was outrageous in his disrespect for Garland and his refusal to let Garland answer the "questions" (okay, accusations) he raised.

Today, in a hearing with the Attorney General of the United States, Jim Jordan boldly, and perhaps proudly, demonstrated just how astonishingly stupid he thinks Republican voters are. -- Lawrence O'Donnell, Wednesday ~~~

~~~ Eric Swawell (D-Calif.) strikes back at Jordan and "the law firm of Insurrection, LLP":

Carl Hulse & Annie Karni of the New York Times: "House Republicans inched closer on Wednesday to overcoming deep internal divisions and reaching an agreement that would allow them to advance stalled spending legislation, as Speaker Kevin McCarthy bowed to the demands of far-right lawmakers for steep spending cuts that stood little chance of surviving in the Senate. The emerging deal was unlikely to bring Congress closer to averting a shutdown in 10 days, and it remained unclear whether Republicans could even reach agreement among themselves on a purely symbolic measure that underscored Mr. McCarthy's precarious hold on his job." MB: IOW, McCarthy may or may not have the votes to pass pass spending bills that have no chance of passing the Senate. Congrats, My Kev. You're a real leader.

Sarah Ferris, et al., of Politico: "The long-shot idea that Democrats could bail out the beleaguered Speaker Kevin McCarthy is suddenly getting real. Small groups of centrist Democrats are holding secret talks with several of McCarthy's close GOP allies about a last-ditch deal to fund the government, according to more than a half-dozen people familiar with the discussions." MB: Is something really secret if it's published in Politico?

"The Tyranny of the Small Minority." Paul Kane of the Washington Post: "... the increasing accumulation of power by a small band of Republicans has left the House almost completely dysfunctional.... With a very narrow Republican majority, rules and tradition have been so contorted that as few as five members -- out of 435 districts -- are controlling the chamber and dictating outcomes.... In addition to threatening to block rule votes to sabotage legislation deemed insufficiently conservative, these few hard-right Republicans are also issuing threats to use even more obscure procedural motions to toss [Speaker Kevin] McCarthy out of his job. The most rational option for the speaker would normally be to negotiate with Democrats.... But McCarthy has badly damaged his ties to Democrats by, first, reneging on the debt-and-budget deal he cut with President Biden in May in an attempt to appease his hard-line faction.... Then, last week, McCarthy declared an impeachment inquiry centered on the business dealings of Biden's son, Hunter, though lawmakers have yet to produce direct evidence linking the president to those activities.... Democrats dealt with their own ideological flank in the last four years of the tenure of Rep. Nancy Pelosi's (Calif.) as speaker, but they never lost a procedural rule vote and she never faced a call to get expelled from her post. 'Because we didn't have any nihilists,' Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), who served as Pelosi's deputy for 20 years, said Wednesday."

Karoun Demirjian & Kayla Guo of the New York Times: "The Senate confirmed Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. of the Air Force on Wednesday as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, circumventing Senator Tommy Tuberville's blockade of Pentagon promotions. The vote was 83 to 11, and was expected to be followed by confirmations of the Marine Corps and Army chiefs, which also have been held up for months by Mr. Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, over the Defense Department's abortion-access policies. General Brown is set to succeed Army Gen. Mark A. Milley when he steps down as Joint Chiefs chairman at the end of the month." (This is an update of a story linked yesterday.)

Dareh Gregorian & Frank Thorp of NBC News: "Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., on Wednesday offered to 'save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor next week' if House Republicans 'stop trying to shut our government down.' Fetterman issued the statement poking at congressional Republicans -- or as he put it, 'those jagoffs in the House' -- as he was presiding over the Senate in shorts, a short-sleeve button-down shirt, and no tie. His relaxed attire while presiding comes just days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., quietly changed the Senate's informal dress code to allow lawmakers to casual attire on the floor.... The loosened dress code has been ridiculed by Republicans, including Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who joked that she planned to wear a bikini instead." (Also linked yesterday.)

Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, a decision that gives policymakers more time to assess whether they have raised interest rates enough over the past 18 months to fully wrestle inflation under control. But policymakers also released a fresh set of economic projections suggesting that they still expect to make another rate increase before the end of 2023 -- and that borrowing costs are likely to remain higher than officials had previously expected in 2024. In all, the Fed's decision and its outlook suggested that a resilient economy is keeping central bankers both optimistic about growth and firmly in inflation-fighting mode." The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Travis Gettys of the Raw Story: "Donald Trump is concerned enough by the criminal charges against him that he's been obsessively asking his lawyers and confidants about what jail would be like for him. The former president has one question in particular -- would authorities make him wear 'one of those jumpsuits' -- that he's been consumed with in recent months, sources close to Trump told Rolling Stone.... 'Would he be sent to a "club fed" style prison -- a place that's relatively comfortable, as far these things go -- or a "bad" prison?' the sources told Rolling Stone. 'Would he serve out a sentence in a plush home confinement? Would government officials try to strip him of his lifetime Secret Service protections? What would they make him wear, if his enemies actually did ever get him in a cell[?]'... 'What would happen -- including in the Fulton County, Georgia criminal case against him and various co-defendants -- if he were convicted and sentenced, but also re-elected?' the sources added." ~~~

~~~ One of the best YouTube parody songs ever:

Amy Gardner & Holly Bailey of the Washington Post: "Lawyers for three [Georgia] electors who were charged in a sweeping indictment along with [Donald] Trump and 15 others made their first appearance in court Wednesday with ... [this] argument: that the electors were acting as federal officers, empowered by the U.S. Constitution and federal law -- and therefore immune from state-level prosecution. At the very least, the lawyers argued, the three are entitled to prosecution in federal, not state, court.... A key element of their defense Wednesday was that federal law -- as well as the Constitution -- expressly allows states to send more than one slate of electors in the event of a contested election. When they convened, voted and signed electoral certificates that were then sent to Washington, they were acting within the law to preserve Trump's legal remedies while a lawsuit contesting the Georgia election made its way through court, their lawyers said." An NBC News story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Zachary Cohen of CNN: "Pro-Donald Trump lawyer Lin Wood is a 'witness for the state' in the Georgia election subversion case, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis revealed Wednesday. The reference to Wood was buried in a new court filing by the DA's office that raised potential conflicts of interest for six defense attorneys because they previously represented witnesses or other defendants in related proceedings. Wood was previously subpoenaed by prosecutors in the Georgia probe but his status as a witness for the state was not previously known." (Also linked yesterday.)

Eewww! Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "Cassidy Hutchinson, the former Trump aide turned crucial January 6 witness, says in a new book she was groped by Rudy Giuliani, who was 'like a wolf closing in on its prey', on the day of the attack on the Capitol. Describing meeting with Giuliani backstage at Donald Trump's speech near the White House before his supporters marched on Congress in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election, Hutchinson says the former New York mayor turned Trump lawyer put his hand 'under my blazer, then my skirt'." (Also linked yesterday.)

Alan Feuer & Zach Montague of the New York Times: "Ray Epps, the Trump supporter who was swept up in one of the most persistent right-wing conspiracy theories connected to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a single misdemeanor charge for his role in the attack on the Capitol. The 20-minute plea hearing, conducted by video in Federal District Court in Washington, came one day after the Justice Department charged Mr. Epps with disrupting the orderly conduct of government business by entering a restricted area on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6.... Mr. ...Epps, who voted twice for Donald J. Trump, became the unlikely focus of a conspiracy theory promoted on Fox News and by right-wing commentators. It held that he had been a covert government asset who helped instigate the riot as a way of discrediting Trump supporters."

She Couldn't Stomach Bill Barr. Susan Haigh & Eric Tucker of the AP: "A former federal prosecutor who helped investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe said Wednesday she left the team because of concerns with then-Attorney General William Barr's public comments about the case and because she strongly disagreed with a draft of an interim report he considered releasing before the election. 'I simply couldn't be part of it. So I resigned,' Nora Dannehy told Connecticut state legislators during her confirmation hearing as a nominee to the state Supreme Court. It marked the first time Dannehy has spoken publicly about her sudden resignation from the probe overseen by former special counsel John Durham.... [Donald] Trump expected the investigation to expose what he and his supporters alleged was a 'deep state' conspiracy to undermine his campaign, but the slow pace of the probe -- and the lack of blockbuster findings -- contributed to a deep wedge between the president and Barr by the time the attorney general resigned in December 2020. The investigation concluded last May with underwhelming results...."

Elections 2024. A Blue Wave? Nathaniel Rakish of 538: "Democrats just scored a big win in an election on Tuesday: Democrat Hal Rafter defeated Republican James Guzofski 56 percent to 44 percent in a special election to fill a Republican-held seat in the New Hampshire state House.... It's also the latest example of Democrats outperforming in a special election, a trend that could be a harbinger of a very good year for Democrats in 2024.... Democrats have been posting special-election overperformances of that magnitude all year long, in all kinds of districts. And on average, they have won by margins 11 points higher than the weighted relative partisanship of their districts."

** Fenit Nirappil of the Washington Post: "Just as a summer covid wave shows signs of receding, the Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is reviving a program to mail free rapid coronavirus tests to Americans. Starting Sept. 25, people can request four free tests per household through covidtests.gov. Officials say the tests are able to detect the latest variants and are intended to be used through the end of the year. The return of the free testing program comes after Americans navigated the latest uptick in covid cases with free testing no longer widely available. The largest insurance companies stopped reimbursing the costs of retail at-home testing once the requirement to do so ended with the public health emergency in May. The Biden administration stopped mailing free tests in June." Access to this article is free to nonsubscribers.

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Marie: Everyone who has passed through childhood knows that a childish interest in genitalia is as normal as breathing. But the children of Texas -- almost all of whom no doubt have shared that interest -- are not to be schooled about it, lest, I suppose, any shame they may have attached to their curiosity be retained. ~~~

     ~~~ Texas. Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "A Texas teacher has been fired after a middle school class was assigned to read a graphic novel adaptation of 'The Diary of Anne Frank' that officials say had not been approved by the school district. The Hamshire-Fannett Independent School District announced that a teacher had assigned an eighth-grade class to read a passage from 'Anne Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation,' which includes passages Frank wrote about female and male genitalia, and a possible attraction to women. The unabridged version of Frank's diary has been removed from schools in Texas and Florida this year after complaints from parents over the book's sexual content." The Guardian's story is here.

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Ukraine, et al. Zelensky Proposes Putting Some Teeth in the U.N. Richard Pérez-Peña, et al., of the New York Times: "President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, denouncing Russia's 'unprovoked aggression,' told the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday that if it did not break the grip of Russian veto power, it would be powerless to resolve conflicts around the world, adding his voice to the rising calls to overhaul how the body works. 'Ukrainian soldiers are doing with their blood what the U.N. Security Council should do by its voting,' Mr. Zelensky said on Wednesday, arguing that 'veto power in the hands of the aggressor is what has pushed the U.N. into deadlock.'... Mr. Zelensky advocated changing U.N. rules to allow the General Assembly, which is made up of all member countries, to override a Security Council veto by a two-thirds vote. But that change would, itself, be subject to a veto, making it a nonstarter for the foreseeable future.... Many other countries have raised the issue of recasting the Security Council this week, calling for broader and more equitable representation for them, and at least limitations on veto power, if not its abolition.... Mr. Zelensky argued that the United Nations was wrong to allow the privileges of the Soviet Union, after it collapsed, to be inherited in the 1990s by Russia, 'which, for some reason, is still here among the permanent members of the Security Council.'" MB: Sounds reasonable to me.

News Lede

CNN: "A manhunt is underway for a suspect in a 2021 killing who was accidentally released from a detention center in Indianapolis last week, a sheriff's office said Tuesday, asking for the public's help finding him. Kevin Mason, 28, was 'mistakenly released' from an adult detention center in Marion County on September 13, two days after his arrest, 'due to a faulty records review' by staff, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.... Mason was arrested in Indiana on September 11, having been sought on three Minnesota warrants, including one asking he be held on suspicion of murder in connection with a 2021 shooting in Minneapolis, the sheriff's office said.... Two inmate records clerks involved in Martin's release have been fired, and an internal investigation is being conducted.... The sheriff's office waited six days to alert the public of Mason's accidental release because it wanted to maintain a 'tactical advantage,' [James] Martin [of the sheriff's office] told reporters." Emphasis added.

The Conversation -- September 20, 2023

Farnoush Amiri & Lindsay Whitehurst of the AP: "House Republicans clashed with Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday, accusing him and the Justice Department of the 'weaponization' of the department's work in favor of President Joe Biden's son Hunter.... Republicans on the committee -- led by chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio -- set the tone with accusations that the Justice Department is favoring the Biden family while targeting his likely 2024 opponent, [Donald] Trump.... Questioning in the Republicans' arsenal focused on allegations that the Justice Department interfered in the yearslong case into Hunter Biden and that the prosecutor in charge of that case [-- whom Trump appointed --] did not have the full authority he needed to bring necessary charges." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I listened to about a half-hour of the hearing until I couldn't stand it anymore. Jordan, as usual, was outrageous in his disrespect for Garland and his refusal to let Garland answer the "questions" (okay, accusations) he raised.

Karoun Demirjian & Kayla Guo of the New York Times: "The Senate was expected on Wednesday to confirm three generals to serve on the president's top military advisory council, steering around a monthslong blockade of military promotions by Senator Tommy Tuberville, Republican of Alabama, who has held up hundreds of nominees in protest of a Pentagon abortion access policy. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, moved on Wednesday to force votes on confirming Gen. Eric Smith of the Marine Corps and Gen. Randy George of the Army as the chiefs of staff for their respective services, and Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. of the Air Force as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But the move left hundreds more military promotions in limbo, still stymied by Mr. Tuberville's objections. Mr. Schumer had been reluctant to force votes on individual nominees for fear of being seen as capitulating to Mr. Tuberville."

Dareh Gregorian & Frank Thorp of NBC News: "Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., on Wednesday offered to 'save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor next week' if House Republicans 'stop trying to shut our government down.' Fetterman issued the statement poking at congressional Republicans -- or as he put it, 'those jagoffs in the House' -- as he was presiding over the Senate in shorts, a short-sleeve button-down shirt, and no tie. His relaxed attire while presiding comes just days after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., quietly changed the Senate's informal dress code to allow lawmakers to casual attire on the floor.... The loosened dress code has been ridiculed by Republicans, including Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who joked that she planned to wear a bikini instead."

Jeanna Smialek of the New York Times: "Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, a decision that gives policymakers more time to assess whether they have raised interest rates enough over the past 18 months to fully wrestle inflation under control. But policymakers also released a fresh set of economic projections suggesting that they still expect to make another rate increase before the end of 2023 -- and that borrowing costs are likely to remain higher than officials had previously expected in 2024. In all, the Fed's decision and its outlook suggested that a resilient economy is keeping central bankers both optimistic about growth and firmly in inflation-fighting mode." The AP's report is here.

Amy Gardner & Holly Bailey of the Washington Post: "Lawyers for three [Georgia] electors who were charged in a sweeping indictment along with [Donald] Trump and 15 others made their first appearance in court Wednesday with ... [this] argument: that the electors were acting as federal officers, empowered by the U.S. Constitution and federal law -- and therefore immune from state-level prosecution. At the very least, the lawyers argued, the three are entitled to prosecution in federal, not state, court.... A key element of their defense Wednesday was that federal law -- as well as the Constitution -- expressly allows states to send more than one slate of electors in the event of a contested election. When they convened, voted and signed electoral certificates that were then sent to Washington, they were acting within the law to preserve Trump's legal remedies while a lawsuit contesting the Georgia election made its way through court, their lawyers said." An NBC News story is here.

Zachary Cohen of CNN: "Pro-Donald Trump lawyer Lin Wood is a 'witness for the state' in the Georgia election subversion case, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis revealed Wednesday. The reference to Wood was buried in a new court filing by the DA's office that raised potential conflicts of interest for six defense attorneys because they previously represented witnesses or other defendants in related proceedings. Wood was previously subpoenaed by prosecutors in the Georgia probe but his status as a witness for the state was not previously known."

Eewww! Martin Pengelly of the Guardian: "Cassidy Hutchinson, the former Trump aide turned crucial January 6 witness, says in a new book she was groped by Rudy Giuliani, who was 'like a wolf closing in on its prey', on the day of the attack on the Capitol. Describing meeting with Giuliani backstage at Donald Trump's speech near the White House before his supporters marched on Congress in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election, Hutchinson says the former New York mayor turned Trump lawyer put his hand 'under my blazer, then my skirt'."

Akhilleus is right: This is a super translation, and I'm sure the subtitles are 100% accurate:

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Tyler Pager, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden outlined his vision for tackling global challenges in his annual address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, seeking to use the marquee speech to bolster cooperation from allies and partners amid signs of shifts and strains in the world's alliances. 'The United States seeks a more secure, more prosperous, more equitable world for all people because we know our future is bound to yours,' Biden said. 'And no nation can meet the challenges of today alone.'... Biden tried to catalyze world opinion behind continuing to supply Ukraine with arms and other aid. 'If we abandon the core principles of the [U.N. Charter] to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected?' he said. 'If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure? I'd respectfully suggest the answer is no. We must stand up to this naked aggression today and deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.'... Beyond Ukraine, Biden focused on a wide range of global development issues, such as climate change and infrastructure, that are particularly important to less-wealthy nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America, regions that are often referred to as the Global South." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

For decades, it would have been unthinkable for an American president to stand in Hanoi alongside a Vietnamese leader and announce a mutual commitment to the highest level of countries partnership. But it's a powerful reminder that our history need not dictate our future. -- President Joe Biden, speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 19

     ~~~ A transcript of the President's speech, as delivered, is here (via the White House). Lawrence O'Donnell cited the section on Vietnam -- which begins the remarks -- as a sign we should not give up hope.

~~~ Richard Pérez-Peña, et al., of the New York Times: "The entire world has a vested interest in helping defeat the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, casting his appeal for more allies and aid as a matter of security -- even survival -- for many other nations. Delivering one of the most anticipated speeches of the annual gathering of world leaders, Mr. Zelensky painted Russia as a habitual aggressor, citing Moscow's military interventions in Moldova, Georgia and Syria, its increased control over Belarus and its threats against the Baltic States. 'The goal of the present war against Ukraine is to turn our land, our people, our lives, our resources, into a weapon against you, against the international rules-based order,' he said." ~~~

     ~~~ Wolf Blitzer of CNN interviewed President Zelensky yesterday. This was my favorite part: ~~~

Blitzer: ... former President Trump ... [said] -- if he were elected president again -- he would get you and Putin together and make what he called a fair deal. He said something could have been negotiated with Crimea and other parts of the country. What's your reaction....?

Zelensky: ... If he's got some smart ideas, he could share it with us, of course.... He can publicly share his idea now. Not waste time. Not to lose people.... Otherwise, he is not, I mean, presenting a global idea of peace. So the idea is how to take the part of our territory and to give Putin? That is not the peace formula.

Blitzer: So you're not ready to negotiate a territorial compromise with Putin?

Zelensky: We're not ready. But the question is to Trump..., what [is the] United States really ready to give to Putin from your territories?

Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "Attorney General Merrick B. Garland &-- a prime target for House Republicans seeking to push unproven claims that the Justice Department is protecting President Biden and his son Hunter Biden -- is set to defend himself at a high-stakes, high-volume hearing on Wednesday. Mr. Garland will appear before the House Judiciary Committee for a routine oversight hearing that, in years past, would center on policy, crime, law enforcement initiatives and civil rights. These days, it is a forum for lawmakers to air their grievances and to bolster an impeachment inquiry against the president grounded, thus far, in inconclusive evidence. 'I am not the president's lawyer,' Mr. Garland is expected to say, according to excerpts from his opening remarks released hours ahead of his testimony. 'I will also add that I am not Congress's prosecutor. The Justice Department works for the American people.'" CNN's report is here.

Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "Hardline conservatives in the House sank a procedural vote on a Pentagon funding bill Tuesday, a significant setback for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Five Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the rule for the appropriations bill, bringing the final vote to 212-214 -- short of the majority support needed." (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here.

Melanie Zanona, et al., of CNN: "Tensions are flaring inside the House Republican conference as it barrels toward a government shutdown, with the infighting spilling out into public view and growing increasingly nasty.... At the center of much of the drama: Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, attacking Speaker Kevin McCarthy in personal terms. But he's also engaged in social media spats with fellow hardline conservatives who helped broker a House GOP plan to fund the government first revealed on Sunday evening.... [Meanwhile,] moderate Republicans are privately discussing teaming up with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown if the House GOP plan to temporarily fund the government fails on the floor this week, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Stephen Collinson of CNN: "The Republican Party's war on itself has turned its inoperative House majority into a 'clown show' and a 'dysfunction caucus' and is handing wins to the Chinese Communist Party -- and that's just what some of its own members say about it. Days of recriminations between far-right hardliners, moderates, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his nihilistic tormentors reached a new peak on Tuesday in extraordinary scenes of inter-party infighting on the south side of the US Capitol.... In a sign that Democrats are considering their options, their leader Hakeem Jeffries will meet the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus on Wednesday. The group has a bipartisan plan to fund the government by temporarily extending current spending levels and include aid for recent domestic national disasters, Ukraine funding and some border security provisions.... Weighing on Republican moderates will be the risk they could cost the speaker his job. A bill that passed the House with Democratic votes could be the final straw for McCarthy's enemies and cause a vote to unseat him." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Hey, here's something that would work: a half-dozen or so GOP House members who represent districts Biden won could switch parties, then vote with the new Majority Leader Jeffries. A win for everybody -- oh, except My Kevin, MTG, Matt Gaetz, et al.

Impeachment. Everything Is Going Very Smoothly. Annie Grayer & Jeremy Herb of CNN: "New testimony from a number of FBI and Internal Revenue Service officials casts doubt on key claims from an IRS whistleblower who alleges there was political interference in the federal criminal investigation of Hunter Biden's taxes. According to transcripts provided to CNN, several FBI and IRS officials brought in for closed-door testimony by House Republicans in recent days said they don't remember US Attorney David Weiss saying that he lacked the authority to decide whether to bring charges against the president's son, or that Weiss said he had been denied a request for special counsel status. Those twin claims, made by IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, form the basis of Republican accusations that the Justice Department's investigation into Biden's taxes was tainted by political influence and that Weiss and Attorney General Merrick Garland tried to protect Hunter Biden in the investigation. The new testimony comes as House Republicans begin an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and his family, potentially undercutting one element of that effort." Shapely testified that Weiss made the comment in a meeting which five other agents attendants. Three of the five have testified now, and all three disputed Shapely's claim. Weiss, too, previously pushed back on Shapley's claim. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: IOW, House Republicans think it's a good idea to impeach Joe Biden based on a claim about the Hunter Biden case that four other officials have testified is false. But, undeterred ~~~

     ~~~ Spencer Kimball of CNBC: "The House Oversight Committee will hold the first hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden on Sept. 28, a committee spokesperson said Tuesday. 'The hearing will focus on constitutional and legal questions surrounding the President's involvement in corruption and abuse of public office,' the spokesperson said in a statement." (Also linked yesterday.)

Is It "Chutzpah" or "Hutzpah"? Al Weaver of the Hill: "Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told senators that he will attempt to force a one-off vote Wednesday to confirm Gen. Eric Smith to become the new commandant for the Marine Corps, while he maintains his blockade on more than 300 other military promotions. Tuberville told Senate Republicans on Tuesday during their weekly conference lunch that he will go to the floor and attempt to bring Smith's nomination up for consideration, which would tee up a cloture vote unless Senate Democrats object to his effort."

Marie: The other day I linked an ABC New report that said, "Sources said that after [Donald] Trump heard the FBI wanted to interview [aide Molly] Michael last year, Trump allegedly told her, 'You don't know anything about the boxes.' It's unclear exactly what he meant by that." This pretense of ignorance irritated me because it's perfectly clear that Trump was instructing Michael to lie to federal investigators. "t turns out that even the Gray Lady is familiar with mobspeak: ~~~

     ~~~ Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan of the New York Times: "A former assistant to Donald J. Trump has informed investigators that the former president told her to say she did not know anything about the boxes containing classified documents that he had stashed at his private club in Florida after leaving the White House, according to a person briefed on her comments. The assistant, Molly Michael, who worked for Mr. Trump in the area outside the Oval Office and then in his post-presidential office, told the investigators about Mr. Trump's comments when she was interviewed as part of the inquiry into his handling of sensitive government documents. 'You don't know anything about the boxes,' Mr. Trump told Ms. Michael when he learned that federal officials wanted to talk to her in the case." MB: Michael knew plenty about the boxes, and was one of the people who took photographs of the boxes being stored around Mar-a-Lago. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: There's another piece of the Haberman-Swan report that is of interest, and they drop the ball here. When the NYT reporters contacted Trump for a statement about their impending report, they got this: "'These illegal leaks are coming from sources which totally lack proper context and relevant information,' said Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Mr. Trump. 'The Department of Justice should investigate the criminal leaking, instead of perpetrating their baseless witch hunts.'" As Andrew Weissmann noted on-air on MSNBC, the report from Michael or someone associated with her is not a "leak," much less an "illegal leak" that warrants DOJ investigation. Under the law, witnesses are allowed to tell the public what their testimony was. ~~~

... Donald Trump told [Molly Michael] straight up, "You are to lie to investigators. You are to tell them you know nothing about boxes or documents," which was untrue.... That is textbook obstruction of justice. That is textbook witness tampering. Potentially, really devastating evidence [against Trump] here. -- Elie Honig, CNN legal analyst ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'm not sure it's completely clear from either the ABC News report or NYT report precisely what Trump was doing with the classified documents Trump handed her. "... Molly Michael told investigators that -- more than once -- she received requests or taskings from [Donald] Trump that were written on the back of notecards, and she later recognized those notecards as sensitive White House materials -- with visible classification markings," ABC News reported. IOW, Trump was so cavalier with classified documents that he was jotting down to-do lists for his secretary on the backs of some classified docs that one supposes he didn't want to save to show off to various people who visited him. He must be too cheap to buy note paper.

Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "Ray Epps, a Jan. 6 participant whose removal from the FBI's Capitol Violence webpage sparked conspiracy theories that he was a federal informant, was charged in connection with the Capitol attack on Tuesday. Epps is charged with one misdemeanor count, disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds. He was charged by information, suggesting that he plans to enter a plea deal. Not long after he was charged, a virtual plea agreement hearing was set for Wednesday, Sept. 20 before Chief Judge James Boasberg." (Also linked yesterday.)

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) speaks (hypothetically!) on the Senate floor about "creepy billionaires" buying Supreme Court justices:

Kara Scannell of CNN: "President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, plans to plead not guilty to federal gun charges, he said in a court filing Tuesday. He is also asking for his initial court appearance to be held remotely. In a letter to Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke, attorney Abbe Lowell said Hunter Biden will plead not guilty to the three felony gun charges relating his possession of a revolver in 2018 whether the appearance is held over video or in person. 'Mr. Biden is not seeking any special treatment in making this request. He has attended and will attend any proceedings in which his physical appearance is required,' Lowell wrote Tuesday." (Also linked yesterday.)

Larry Neumeister of the AP: "A former U.S. congressman from Indiana was sentenced Tuesday to 22 months in prison for making illegal stock trades based on inside information while working as a consultant and lobbyist after he left office. Former U.S. Rep. Steve Buyer, 64, a House Republican from 1993 to 2011, was also ordered to forfeit $354,027, representing the amount of illegal gains, and to pay a $10,000 fine. Buyer, a lawyer and Persian Gulf War veteran, once chaired the House Veterans' Affairs committee and was a House prosecutor at ex-President Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment trial." MB: I don't recall Buyer at all, but I'll bet he was in high dudgeon over Bill Clinton's misdeeds. (Also linked yesterday.)

Jennifer Hansler of CNN: "Five Americans freed from Iranian detention this week returned to US soil early Tuesday following an initial stop in Doha, Qatar, two US officials told CNN. Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz and Siamak Namazi, along with two Americans who have not been publicly named arrived at Fort Belvoir's Davison Army Airfield for an emotional reunion with their family members. The freed Americans, who were released Monday as part of a wider deal that includes the US unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian funds, will have the option to participate in a Department of Defense program known as PISA (Post Isolation Support Activities) to help them acclimate back to normal life now that they are back in the United States." (Also linked yesterday.)

Presidential Race 2024. Brian Slodysko, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden on Monday told a packed Broadway theater full o big-name stars hosting a fundraiser in his honor that he was running for reelection because Donald Trump was determined to destroy the nation. Democracy is at stake, he told the audience at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater. Hate groups have been emboldened, he said. Books are being banned. Children go to school fearing shootings. 'Let there be no question, Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans are determined to destroy American democracy,' he said...."

Marie: Over the weekend, I linked a story which quoted a wacky portion of a speech by Donald Trump. In it, he talked about "people doubles." I thought maybe he was talking about "body doubles," though that didn't seem to make sense in context, if the random words surrounding "people doubles" qualify as context. Contributor Patrick, however, closely examined the text and decided -- correctly, I think -- that what Trump meant by "people doubles" was "using the same derogatory sobriquet for two different people," as in "crooked Hillary" and "crooked Biden." Well, now, thanks to Chris Hayes, I learn that a great swath of the GOP believes in "body doubles" conspiracies. During Trump's presidency, for instance, there was a popular conspiracy theory that a body double replaced Melania Trump for many or all appearances. Now, the right has popularized a theory that Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) uses a body double when he has to speak because he could not have so thoroughly recovered his speech and comprehension faculties after suffering a debilitating stroke last year: ~~~

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North Carolina. This Week's Winner of the Dumbest Criminal Prize. Matthew Chapman of the Raw Story: "A North Carolina man charged with rape came up with what he thought was the perfect plan, reported The Daily Beast: fake his own death, then disappear with the authorities none the wiser. The only problem? He forgot he was still wearing an ankle monitor. Melvin Emde, age 41, was due in court in Brunswick County to answer charges of statutory rape of a child on August 7, when his son called deputies in Louisiana and told them his father had been lost overboard in a kayaking accident on the Mississippi River. Police, however, were still tracking his ankle monitor, and could tell he was at a Walmart buying two prepaid phones. Police decided to pretend to fall for the ruse to catch him off guard.... Meanwhile, Emde tried to cross the Georgia state line on a motorcycle with no plate, leading a Georgia state trooper on a chase that ended when he crashed the bike. He gave authorities a false name, but his fingerprints identified him."

Pennsylvania. David Chen of the New York Times: "Democrats kept control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Tuesday after winning an open seat in a special election in the Pittsburgh area. The state's lower chamber had been split 101-101 between Democrats and Republicans since July, when former Representative Sara Innamorato, a Democrat, stepped down from her seat representing the 21st House District to run for Allegheny County executive. And while Republicans had hoped for an upset in Ms. Innamorato's former district, which includes part of Pittsburgh and its northern suburbs, that did not happen: Lindsay Powell, a Democrat who has strong ties to party leaders in Washington -- including Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader -- easily defeated Erin Connolly Autenreith, a Republican who is the chairwoman of a local party committee. With 95 percent of the vote counted, Ms. Powell had 65 percent, and Ms. Autenreith 34 percent." An NBC News story is here.

Pennsylvania. Marisa Iati of the Washington Post: "Pennsylvania announced Tuesday that it has implemented automatic voter registration to ease the process of casting a ballot, joining 23 other states and the District of Columbia. Residents who are eligible to vote and who obtain or renew a driver's license or identification card at Pennsylvania's Department of Motor Vehicles now will be guided through the voter registration process by default. If they don't want to be added to the voter rolls, they have to actively opt out. The change fulfills a campaign promise for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), whose state is likely to be crucial to the 2024 presidential race. He promoted the new system Tuesday as a 'common sense' step to make elections more secure and less costly for taxpayers." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Gee whiz. Democratic-led states keep getting better as Republican-dominated states get worse.

The Conversation -- September 19, 2023

Kara Scannell of CNN: "President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, plans to plead not guilty to federal gun charges, he said in a court filing Tuesday. He is also asking for his initial court appearance to be held remotely. In a letter to Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke, attorney Abbe Lowell said Hunter Biden will plead not guilty to the three felony gun charges relating his possession of a revolver in 2018 whether the appearance is held over video or in person. 'Mr. Biden is not seeking any special treatment in making this request. He has attended and will attend any proceedings in which his physical appearance is required,' Lowell wrote Tuesday."

Tyler Pager, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Bidenoutlined his vision for tackling global challenges in his annual address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, seeking to use the marquee speech to bolster cooperation from allies and partners amid signs of shifts and strains in the world's alliances. 'The United States seeks a more secure, more prosperous, more equitable world for all people because we know our future is bound to yours, Biden said. 'And no nation can meet the challenges of today alone.'... Biden tried to catalyze world opinion behind continuing to supply Ukraine with arms and other aid. 'If we abandon the core principles of the [U.N. Charter] to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected?' he said. 'If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure? I'd respectfully suggest the answer is no. We must stand up to this naked aggression today and deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow.'... Beyond Ukraine, Biden focused on a wide range of global development issues, such as climate change and infrastructure, that are particularly important to less-wealthy nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America, regions that are often referred to as the Global South."

Mychael Schnell of the Hill: "Hardline conservatives in the House sank a procedural vote on a Pentagon funding bill Tuesday, a significant setback for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Five Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the rule for the appropriations bill, bringing the final vote to 212-214 -- short of the majority support needed."

Jennifer Hansler of CNN: "Five Americans freed from Iranian detention this week returned to US soil early Tuesday following an initial stop in Doha, Qatar, two US officials told CNN. Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz and Siamak Namazi, along with two Americans who have not been publicly named arrived at Fort Belvoir's Davison Army Airfield for an emotional reunion with their family members. The freed Americans, who were released Monday as part of a wider deal that includes the US unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian funds, will have the option to participate in a Department of Defense program known as PISA (Post Isolation Support Activities) to help them acclimate back to normal life now that they are back in the United States."

Melanie Zanona, et al., of CNN: "Tensions are flaring inside the House Republican conference as it barrels toward a government shutdown, with the infighting spilling out into public view and growing increasingly nasty.... At the center of much of the drama: Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, attacking Speaker Kevin McCarthy in personal terms. But he's also engaged in social media spats with fellow hardline conservatives who helped broker a House GOP plan to fund the government first revealed on Sunday evening.... [Meanwhile,] moderate Republicans are privately discussing teaming up with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown if the House GOP plan to temporarily fund the government fails on the floor this week, according to multiple sources...."

Impeachment. Everything Is Going Very Smoothly. Annie Grayer & Jeremy Herb of CNN: "New testimony from a number of FBI and Internal Revenue Service officials casts doubt on key claims from an IRS whistleblower who alleges there was political interference in the federal criminal investigation of Hunter Biden's taxes. According to transcripts provided to CNN, several FBI and IRS officials brought in for closed-door testimony by House Republicans in recent days said they don't remember US Attorney David Weiss saying that he lacked the authority to decide whether to bring charges against the president's son, or that Weiss said he had been denied a request for special counsel status. Those twin claims, made by IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, form the basis of Republican accusations that the Justice Department's investigation into Biden's taxes was tainted by political influence and that Weiss and Attorney General Merrick Garland tried to protect Hunter Biden in the investigation. The new testimony comes as House Republicans begin an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and his family, potentially undercutting one element of that effort." Shapely testified that Weiss made the comment in a meeting which five other agents attendants. Three of the five have testified now, and all three disputed Shapely's claim. Weiss, too, previously pushed back on Shapley's claim. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: IOW, House Republicans think it's a good idea to impeach Joe Biden based on a claim about the Hunter Biden case that four other officials have testified is false. But, undeterred ~~~

     ~~~ Spencer Kimball of CNBC: &"The House Oversight Committee will hold the first hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden on Sept. 28, a committee spokesperson said Tuesday. 'The hearing will focus on constitutional and legal questions surrounding the President's involvement in corruption and abuse of public office,' the spokesperson said in a statement."

Larry Neumeister of the AP: "A former U.S. congressman from Indiana was sentenced Tuesday to 22 months in prison for making illegal stock trades based on inside information while working as a consultant and lobbyist after he left office. Former U.S. Rep. Steve Buyer, 64, a House Republican from 1993 to 2011, was also ordered to forfeit $354,027, representing the amount of illegal gains, and to pay a $10,000 fine. Buyer, a lawyer and Persian Gulf War veteran, once chaired the House Veterans' Affairs committee and was a House prosecutor at ex-President Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment trial." MB: I don't recall Buyer at all, but I'll bet he was in high dudgeon over Bill Clinton's misdeeds.

Brian Slodysko, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden on Monday told a packed Broadway theater full of big-name stars hosting a fundraiser in his honor that he was running for reelection because Donald Trump was determined to destroy the nation. Democracy is at stake, he told the audience at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater. Hate groups have been emboldened, he said. Books are being banned. Children go to school fearing shootings. 'Let there be no question, Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans are determined to destroy American democracy,' he said...."

Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "Ray Epps, a Jan. 6 participant whose removal from the FBI's Capitol Violence webpage sparked conspiracy theories that he was a federal informant, was charged in connection with the Capitol attack on Tuesday. Epps is charged with one misdemeanor count, disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds. He was charged by information, suggesting that he plans to enter a plea deal. Not long after he was charged, a virtual plea agreement hearing was set for Wednesday, Sept. 20 before Chief Judge James Boasberg."

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Michael Shear & Farnaz Fassihi of the New York Times: "Five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran were allowed to leave the country on Monday, President Biden said, after two years of high-stakes negotiations in which the United States agreed to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue and dismiss federal charges against five Iranians accused of violating U.S. sanctions. The announcement that the Americans took off in a plane from Tehran just before 9 a.m. Eastern came as Mr. Biden and Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's president, were to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting of world leaders in New York on Tuesday. The five Americans -- some of whom had been held for years in Evin Prison, one of the most notorious detention centers in Iran -- flew to Doha, the capital of Qatar, for a Cold War-style exchange with two of the five Iranians. Three others declined to return to Iran, according to U.S. officials. In a statement, Mr. Biden said that 'five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home.'" CNN's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)"

Last night's proposal in the House can be boiled down to two words: slapdash, reckless. Slapdash because it is not a serious proposal for avoiding a shutdown, and reckless because if passed it would cause immense harm to so many priorities that help the American people. -- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) ~~~

~~~ Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "Speaker Kevin McCarthy's bid to gain the upper hand in a battle over federal spending hit stiff opposition from within his own ranks on Monday, leaving him with dwindling options and little time to find his way out of a funding impasse that could lead to a government shutdown in less than two weeks. Roughly a dozen Republicans made it clear that they were staunchly opposed to the proposal unveiled on Sunday, which combines a stopgap spending measure with steep funding cuts and new border controls, indicating they could not be induced to change their votes through leadership pressure.... With Mr. McCarthy's slim majority, opposition from a dozen Republicans would make it impossible for him to advance the bill, as Democrats are uniformly opposed and so far are in no hurry to bail out the speaker.... Given the [spending] cuts, the immigration provisions opposed by Democrats and the lack of assistance for Ukraine, the stopgap proposal has no chance of passing as is in the Senate....

"[MEANWHILE.] After weeks of bipartisan progress, the Senate ran into roadblock on Thursday when Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, objected to a plan to consider three different spending bills together. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, announced on Monday that the Senate would vote later this week to suspend its rules and overcome Mr. Johnson's objection so the spending package could move forward, a maneuver that would require 67 votes.... Some G.O.P. senators seemed open to the idea, but Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Republican, indicated that they would likely discuss the issue at a private party meeting on Tuesday." MB: Ditch the filibuster, Chuck.

Katherine Faulders, et al., of ABC News: Trump "aide Molly Michael told investigators that -- more than once -- she received requests or taskings from [Donald] Trump that were written on the back of notecards, and she later recognized those notecards as sensitive White House materials -- with visible classification markings.... The notecards with classification markings were at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate when FBI agents searched the property on Aug. 8, 2022 -- but the materials were not taken by the FBI, according to sources familiar with what Michael told investigators. When Michael, who was not present for the search, returned to Mar-a-Lago the next day to clean up her office space, she found the documents underneath a drawer organizer and helped transfer them to the FBI that same day, sources told ABC News.... Sources said that after Trump heard the FBI wanted to interview Michael last year, Trump allegedly told her, 'You don't know anything about the boxes.' It's unclear exactly what he meant by that." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It's unclear? It's unclear? It's perfectly clear to everone who's ever been told to lie about something: Following news that investigators are about to interview you about "the boxes," "You don't know anything about the boxes" is a order not to reveal to the FBI what you know about the boxes. If the ABC News reporters really "aren't clear" about the meaning of Trump's remark, they should go see a mob movie, any mob movie. ~~~

~~~ For the edification of reporters without a clue, here's another example of Trump's mob-speak: ~~~

     ~~~ Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump said he hoped Mark Meadows ... was still 'loyal' to him. Mr. Trump made his comment during a lengthy interview with Kristen Welker, the new moderator of NBC's 'Meet The Press,' broadcast on Sunday morning. Mr. Trump has been warned by the federal judge in a case also stemming from his efforts to stay in office, brought against him by the special counsel Jack Smith, to avoid saying anything that might affect the testimony of witnesses. His comment about Mr. Meadows could attract new interest." MB: Got that, Mark? ~~~

     ~~~ Here's Andrew Weissmann reacting to Trump's ask for Meadow's "loyalty."

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Aaron Rupar of Public Notice: "Kristen Welker's whitewashing of [Donald] Trump began in the opening seconds of her debut as Chuck Todd's replacement on 'Meet the Press.' 'I sat down with the former president at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey -- his first network interview since leaving office,' she said, walking alongside Trump on his golf course, and omitting the real reason for his banishment: not that he left office, but that he incited a violent insurrection in an attempt not to leave. And Trump's return to NBC only got more problematic from there.... Instead of coming ready for a fight, Welker conducted herself as though she's Trump's therapist.... When she wasn't trying to get Trump in touch with his feelings, Welker was overwhelmed by his nonstop lying." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I continually come away from media coverage of Trump with the impression that people in the news business -- especially those in teevee "journalism" -- just don't give a flying fuck. It's their job to get ratings, not to serve as the Fourth Estate and mete out checks on bad behavior or bad practices of public officials. They think that "polite" and "personable" are better qualities than "confrontational" or "probing." And the so-called behind-the-scenes editors and producers are just as bad, if not worse. When a politician tells a big fat lie and the interviewer doesn't adequately push back, there should be flashing chryons on the screen calling out the lie. The Welker interview was pre-recorded, so there's no excuse for airing it without on-screen fact-checks.

Marshall Cohen, et al., of CNN: "A federal judge was skeptical Monday of former Trump-era Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark's efforts to move his Georgia election subversion case to federal court.... Clark wasn't present at the hearing, an absence that became especially notable after US District Judge Steve Jones said he would not accept a sworn statement from Clark as evidence in the case. The hearing ended after about three hours with no ruling from the judge, who seemed visibly frustrated and annoyed at times. At one point, his probing questions directed at one of Clark's attorneys led Trump attorney Steve Sadow, who was in the courtroom, to whisper, 'This is not good.'.... Even if his official job description didn't include most election litigation, those matters were in his lane because 'the president put it in his lane,' [his attorney] said.... [In December 2020,] Trump considered installing Clark as acting attorney general so he could send a letter to the state officials falsely claiming the Justice Department found widespread 'irregularities in the 2020 election.... Former Justice Department official Jody Hunt testified at the hearing and bolstered [Fani] Willis' case by saying that the person in Clark's role wouldn't have been involved in investigating election fraud. Hunt was head of the DOJ's Civil Division under Trump before Clark took over the role in an acting capacity in 2020." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Amy Gardner & Holly Bailey of the Washington Post: "As a Justice Department lawyer after the 2020 election, Jeffrey Clark drafted a letter to top Georgia officials declaring that the agency had reason to doubt the legitimacy of the state's election only after he was pressed to do so by ... Donald Trump, Clark's lawyer [Harry MacDougald] told a skeptical federal judge Monday.... U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones appeared wary of the claim, pressing MacDougald for evidence that Trump had directed Clark to act. MacDougald did not offer any and even appeared uncertain when Jones asked him whether Clark's draft letter was written after a meeting between him, Trump and several other senior Justice Department officials." (Also linked yesterday.)

     ~~~ Marie: It may be that Trump's attorney Steve Sadow said "This is not good" because Clark's lawyer fingered Trump as the person who told Clark to lie to state officials.

The Woes of Rudy, Ctd. Ben Protess of the New York Times: "Rudolph W. Giuliani, already under criminal indictment and at risk of losing his law license for his effort to keep Donald J. Trump in office after the 2020 election, is now being sued by his own lawyer. The lawyer, Robert J. Costello, who had been leading Mr. Giuliani's defense against an onslaught of legal woes, signed onto the lawsuit brought by his firm on Monday to recover more than $1.3 million in unpaid legal fees. The development deals a stunning blow to Mr. Giuliani, as he nears a financial breaking point." ~~~

     ~~~ Here's the AP report: "Giuliani's last payment, according to the lawsuit, was $10,000 on Sept. 14 — about a week after Trump hosted a $100,000-a-plate fundraiser for Giuliani at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club." The AP's story covers some of Rudy's other financial difficulties.

Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "President Biden is coming under increasing pressure from some Democratic lawmakers to do something none of his predecessors appear to have done in office: join striking workers walking a picket line. As the United Auto Workers strike against all three of the nation's biggest automakers, numerous Democrats in Michigan and around the country have expressed concern as Biden's likely rival in next year's election..., Donald Trump, tries to woo union voters and weaken a crucial Democratic constituency by making his own visit to a strike site. Trump is planning a rally in Detroit next week with union workers, including autoworkers, during the next GOP primary debate, although it is unclear if he will also visit the picket line.... Biden has applauded the UAW's targeted strike against Detroit's Big Three manufacturers, and on Friday called on General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis to improve their wage proposals to the union. The president's aides believe he has already gone above and beyond backing labor through numerous executive orders and legislation aimed at bolstering worker outcomes."

Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things.... Their number is negligible and they are stupid. -- President Dwight Eisenhower (R), letter to his brother Edgar, 1954 ~~~

~~~ ** The Hydra Monster That Ate Its Cynical Creators. Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "It's good to see [Mitt] Romney speaking up now, but the party he's criticizing is in large part a monster that people like him helped create. For the basic story of the Republican Party, going back to the 1970s, is this: Advocates of right-wing economic policies, which redistributed income from workers to the wealthy, sought to sell their agenda by exploiting social intolerance and animosity. They had considerable success with this strategy. But eventually the extremists they thought they were using ended up ruling the party." Read on.

Working from Home Is Great for the Environment. Allyson Chiu of the Washington Post: "In an analysis of various work scenarios, people's behaviors and sources of emissions, researchers found that switching from working onsite to working from home full time may reduce a person's carbon footprint by more than 50 percent. Hybrid schedules where people work remotely for two to four days a week could also cut emissions by 11 to 29 percent, according to the study."

Elon to Bibi: Hate Speech Is Free Speech. Will Oremus & Elizabeth Dwoskin of the Washington Post: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday publicly pressed tech billionaire Elon Musk to condemn antisemitism and find a way to combat it on his social media platform X as the pair met at a Tesla factory in Fremont, Calif.... While the meeting [-- which was live-streamed on X-Twitter --] was largely cordial, Musk sidestepped Netanyahu's call to forcefully denounce anti-Jewish hatred, which research shows has spiked on the platform since Musk bought it nearly a year ago. Musk has restored accounts previously banned for hate speech and has repeatedly criticized a prominent Jewish human rights organization, stoking a recent wave of antisemitic attacks. Musk told Netanyahu that, while he's personally against antisemitism, 'free speech does at times mean that someone you don't like is saying something you don't like. If you don't have that, then it's not free speech.' He did not address his own role in promoting it." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Musk's position is nothing more than a flawed excuse to promote his own antisemitic views. While the First Amendment protects some hate speech from government censorship, it does not prevent a private company from promoting or condoning hate speech. I doubt Walmart employees are allowed to wear Nazi armbands, for instance, or the New York Times moderators accept white supremacist public comments. Despite Musk's troubling ability to conduct his own pro-Russia international policy, his social media platform is not bound to publish hateful rhetoric. ~~~

     ~~~ Why, here's YouTube barring accused sexual predator Russell Brand from making money from his YouTube channel(s). Brand denies the accusations and has not been charged, much less convicted, of anything.

A reminder that people seldom suddenly become jerks: ~~~

~~~ Paul Farhi & Will Sommer of the Washington Post: "... the reaction to [Jann] Wenner's comments [denigrating female & Black artists] crystallized criticisms that have periodically swirled around him and the magazine for decades. Rolling Stone long promoted rock's male superstars -- and personal Wenner favorites -- such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger over newer artists and genres such as grunge, metal, R&B and hip-hop.... During its 1970s heyday, the magazine developed a 'boys' club' reputation, with just one female writer on its masthead -- Robin Green, who stayed only three years.... Rock critic Ellen Willis refused to write for Rolling Stone, telling Wenner's co-founding editor that the magazine 'habitually refers to women as chicks and treats us as chicks.'... 'The thing about Jann, the thing that made him successful but also is his Achilles' heel, is that he's a narcissist who lacks self-awareness,' said [Wenner biographer Joe] Hagan.... 'This is how he talks inside the bubble he lives in. He receives a lot of affirmation for it, and he thinks it's okay.'"

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** Alabama. Bill Britt of the Alabama Political Reporter: "APR has now identified connections between Alabama officials who led the 2023 redistricting process - which disregarded the U.S. Supreme Court's order -- with far-right power broker Leonard Leo's dark money network, described this past week by Politico as 'a billion-dollar force that has helped remake the judiciary and overturn longstanding legal precedents on abortion, affirmative action and many other issues.'... Alabama's calculation to defy the Supreme Court was made not simply by state legislators in Alabama but has been driven by nationally connected political operatives at the center of the well-documented right-wing effort to reshape the composition and jurisprudence of the Supreme Court and to overturn the remaining key protections established by the 1965 Voting Rights Act.... With few exceptions, the justices Leo has ushered to the bench have reliably voted to permit the partisan gerrymanders and strict restrictions on voting access that have proliferated in recent years from red-state legislatures, which themselves work in tandem with -- and sometimes under the direction of -- Leo's dark money groups.... There now appears to be a significant connection between Alabama's ... map redrawing process, Leo's powerful national dark money network, and [Justice Brett] Kavanaugh[, who voted with the majority in the original case to force the legislature to draw another majority-minority district]." Thanks to RAS for the link.

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Canada, India. Ian Austen & Vjosa Isai of the New York Times: "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada said on Monday that 'agents of the government of India' had carried out the assassination of a Sikh community leader in British Columbia in June, an explosive allegation that is likely to further sour relations between the two nations. Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr. Trudeau said that he had raised India's involvement in the shooting of the Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Group of 20 summit meeting earlier this month 'in no uncertain terms.' He said the allegation was based on intelligence gathered by the Canadian government. 'Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,' Mr. Trudeau told lawmakers." ~~~

     ~~~ Gerry Shih & Karishma Mehrotra of the Washington Post: “India expelled a Canadian diplomat on Tuesday in a tit-for-tat move after Canadian officials accused Indian government operatives of gunning down a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia and threw out an Indian diplomat they identified as an intelligence officer." An AP story is here.

Ukraine. Matthew Bigg & Andrew Kramer of the New York Times: "Two weeks after replacing its defense minister, Ukraine dismissed all six of its deputy ministers on Monday, deepening the housecleaning at a ministry that had drawn criticism for corruption in procurement as the military budget ballooned during the war. The shake-up in President Volodymyr Zelensky's wartime leadership team came as he headed to the United States, keen to demonstrate to American officials and other Western leaders that his government is not squandering -- on either graft or mismanagement -- the tens of billions of dollars in aid they have sent to Ukraine."