April 24, 2022
Afternoon Update:
Youpi! New York Times live updates: "Emmanuel Macron won a second term as president of France, triumphing on Sunday over Marine Le Pen, his far-right challenger, after a campaign where his promise of stability prevailed over the strong temptation of an extremist lurch. Early projections at the close of voting, which are generally reliable, showed Mr. Macron, a centrist, gaining 58.2 percent of the vote to Ms. Le Pen's 41.8 percent. His victory was much narrower than in 2017, when the margin was 66.1 percent to 33.9 percent for Ms. Le Pen, but wider than appeared likely two weeks ago. The French do not generally love their presidents, and none had succeeded in being re-elected since 2002." The AP's report is here. ~~~
~~~ NYT Update: "Ms. Le Pen conceded to Mr. Macron not long after the polls closed." MB: Apparently, she didn't learn a thing from her friend Donald "I Won" Trump.
Hope Yen of the AP: "Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren is slamming Rep. Kevin McCarthy as a 'liar and a traitor' over recordings that show the House Republican leader -- despite his denials -- placing responsibility on ... Donald Trump for the Capitol riot and suggesting Trump should resign. It's unusually strong language to use against the House Republican leader, who is in line to become speaker -- second in presidential succession -- if Republicans win control of the House in the November elections. But Warren's statement reflects a swell of Democratic criticism against McCarthy."
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Putin's War Crimes, Ctd.
The New York Times' live updates of developments Sunday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here: "President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine sounded a note of optimism before the expected arrival of an American delegation in the capital on Sunday, saying his country had begun to receive the sort of heavy weaponry it needs and could eventually defeat the invading Russian forces. 'It is only a matter of time before all Russian murderers feel what a fair response to their crimes is,' Mr. Zelensky said in his evening address on Saturday. 'It is only a matter of time before all our people all over Ukraine feel what a strong peace is.' Mr. Zelensky said he would meet in Kyiv, the capital, with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, the highest-level American officials to visit since the start of the war, to discuss the delivery of more weapons. Neither the State Department nor the Defense Department have publicly confirmed the visit. The two officials are expected to arrive on Sunday, Mr. Zelensky said, as Ukraine's Eastern Orthodox majority marks Easter." ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Sunday are here: "Missile strikes killed at least eight people in the southern port city of Odessa, Ukrainian officials said, as many residents were preparing to celebrate Orthodox Easter on Sunday.... In Mariupol, Ukrainian authorities accused Russian forces of striking the Azovstal steel plant, where many of the city's remaining defenders are holed up.... Vladimir Putin publicly ordered his forces last week not to storm the site but to seal it off." ~~~
~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Sunday are here. The Guardian's full report is here.
Cara Anna & Inna Varenytsia of the AP: "The sun came out as Ukrainians marked Orthodox Easter in the capital, Kyiv, on Sunday with prayers for those fighting on the front lines and others trapped beyond them in places like Mariupol. St. Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kyiv was ringed by hundreds of worshipers with baskets to be blessed.... President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a service elsewhere in Kyiv urged Ukrainians not to let anger at the war overwhelm them."
Unsung Heroes: the Belarusian Railroad Saboteurs. Liz Sly of the Washington Post: "Starting in the earliest days of [Russia's] invasion [of Ukraine] in February, a clandestine network of railway workers, hackers and dissident security forces went into action to disable or disrupt the railway links connecting Russia to Ukraine through Belarus, wreaking havoc on Russian supply lines.... The Belarus railway saboteurs can at least claim a role in fueling the logistical chaos that quickly engulfed the Russians, leaving troops stranded on the front lines without food, fuel and ammunition within days of the invasion. Alexander Kamyshin, head of Ukrainian railways, expressed Ukraine's gratitude to the Belarusian saboteurs. 'They are brave and honest people who have helped us,' he said. The attacks were simple but effective, targeting the signal control cabinets essential to the functioning of the railways, members of the activist network said. For days on end, the movement of trains was paralyzed, forcing the Russians to attempt to resupply their troops by road and contributing to the snarl-up that stalled the infamous 40-mile military convoy north of Kyiv."
Whatever Became of Gerhard Schröder? Katrin Bennhold of the New York Times: Former German Chancellor "Gerhard Schröder, who is paid almost $1 million a year by Russian-controlled energy companies, has become a pariah. But he is also a symbol of Germany's Russia policy.... All of Germany is reconsidering the ties with Russia that -- despite years of warnings from the United States and Eastern European allies -- have left Germany deeply reliant on Russian gas, giving Mr. Putin coercive leverage over Europe while filling the Kremlin's war chest. That dependency grew out of a German belief -- embraced by a long succession of chancellors, industry leaders, journalists and the public -- that a Russia bound in trade would have too much to risk in conflict with Europe, making Germany more secure while also profiting its economy. Mr. Schröder ... has become the most prominent face of that long era of miscalculation, not only because he expresses no regret, but because he has also profited handsomely from it, earning millions while promoting Russian energy interests."
A Party Without Principles. Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times: "There was a time in the nation's capital when lines mattered, and when they were crossed, the consequences were swift and severe.... Yet when the House Republican leader, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, was shown to have lied about his response to the deadliest assault on the Capitol in centuries and ... Donald J. Trump's culpability for it, there was little expectation that the consequences would be swift or severe -- or that there would be any at all.... It was Mr. Trump himself who showed just how few consequences there could be for transgressions that once seemed beyond the pale for the nation's leaders in 2016, when he survived the release of leaked audio in which he boasted of sexually assaulting women -- then went on to win the presidency.... Tribalism and party loyalty now outweigh any notion of integrity, or even steadfast policy beliefs."
Dan Balz of the Washington Post: "In his ceaseless drive to become the next speaker of the House, [Kevin McCarthy] has demonstrated weakness, hypocrisy and a willingness to lie to save his skin.... McCarthy has ... been craven in bowing to Trump's wishes, fearing that crossing the former president could compromise both his party's hopes of capturing the majority in November's midterm elections and his own desire to lead a Republican-controlled House next year as speaker. He also has been weak in the face of calls to discipline the most extreme members of the House GOP conference -- those who have been the most loyal to Trump and his conspiracy theories, including the false claim that he won the 2020 election.... Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has played a different game but one that also reveals his shared fear of going into open warfare with Trump...."
Ha Ha. Speaking of Blind Ambition. Sarah Burris of the Raw Story: "According to recordings released to New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns, [Kevin] McCarthy was pushing Donald Trump to resign, while also making it clear to the caucus that he opposed Trump's behavior. McCarthy previously said reports about his comments were false -- until the authors released the tapes. Speaking to Joy Reid on MSNBC Friday, Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson said that from what he understands the anti-McCarthy attacks are secretly coming from Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). '... Today, the buzz in D.C. is all about Elise Stefanik, that she's the one who is behind some of this and she's putting the knife into this guy.... I think Kevin should get a food taster at this point.'" Includes video of the segment. ~~~
~~~ Marie: I speculated the other day that the source of the recordings was Liz Cheney or her staff. But it would be so much better if Stefanik -- who replaced Cheney in the House GOP hierarchy, with Kevin's blessing -- was the culprit.
Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is unlikely to be disqualified from the 2022 ballot, and a hearing on that subject Friday probably didn't change this. But the hearing did afford the public our first sworn testimony from a member of Congress about Jan. 6, 2021. Regrettably, the testimony did not shed much light. Greene was combative, evasive and ... repeatedly responded to questions by saying she didn't recall. But a few answers stand out, either because Greene's responses didn't make much sense, or because they're likely to be revisited in the future." Blake runs down four questions along with Greene's phony answers.
** The Conspirators Plot the Insurrection. Luke Broadwater & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "Before the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Trump White House officials and members of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus strategized about a plan to direct thousands of angry marchers to the building, according to newly released testimony obtained by the House committee investigating the riot and ... Donald J. Trump's efforts to overturn the election. On a planning call that included Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff; Rudolph W. Giuliani...; Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio; and other Freedom Caucus members, the group discussed the idea of encouraging supporters to march to the Capitol, according to one witness's account. The idea was endorsed by Representative Scott Perry, Republican of Pennsylvania, who now leads the Freedom Caucus, according to testimony by Cassidy Hutchinson, an aide to Mr. Meadows, and no one on the call spoke out against the idea.... [The filing] disclosed testimony that Mr. Meadows was told that plans to try to overturn the 2020 election using so-called alternate electors were not 'legally sound' and that the events of Jan. 6 could turn violent." Read on. Politico's story, also linked yesterday, is here.
Robert McFadden of the New York Times: "Senator Orrin G. Hatch, the Utah Republican who crusaded for conservative causes and outlasted six presidents in a seven-term Senate career that corresponded to the rise of a right-wing movement in America, died on Saturday in Salt Lake City. He was 88." The AP's obituary is here.
Beyond the Beltway
Michigan Republicans Choose Election Deniers. Miles Parks of NPR: "Michigan Republicans picked two candidates -- who deny the 2020 election results and have been endorsed by former President Trump -- to serve as the state's next top elections officer and top law enforcement official. Kristina Karamo, a community college professor who rose to prominence after claiming she saw election fraud in Detroit in the last presidential race, won the three-person race for secretary of state with about 67% of the vote at Saturday's GOP endorsement convention in Grand Rapids. On the November ballot, her opponent will be incumbent Democrat Jocelyn Benson. Matt DePerno, an attorney who has pushed Trump's false claims of election fraud, won the party's endorsement for attorney general. In a runoff race, DePerno took 54% of the vote to defeat former state House speaker Tom Leonard, who was seen as the more establishment Republican candidate. DePerno is now running against incumbent Democrat Dana Nessel.... At this weekend's GOP convention, the party voted resoundingly to support ... Trump's false claims about the 2020 election."
North Carolina. Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "'A local Republican Party leader in North Carolina threatened to get a county elections director fired or have her pay cut unless she helped him gain illegal access to voting equipment, the state elections board told Reuters. The party official, William Keith Senter, sought evidence to support false conspiracy theories alleging the 2020 election was rigged against ... Donald Trump,' the wire service reported Saturday. Reuters identified Senter as chair of the Surry County Republican Party. His threats were directed at the county's selections director, Michella Huff. 'Senter was "aggressive, threatening, and hostile," in two meetings with Huff, the state elections board said, citing witness accounts,' Reuters reported. 'Huff, who refused Senter's demands, was disturbed by the incident of political intimidation.'"
Utah Senate Race. Lindsay Whitehurst of the AP: "Utah Democrats pulling hard to defeat Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the unusual step Saturday of spurning a party hopeful to instead get behind an independent, former presidential candidate Evan McMullin. Democrats were swayed by calls from prominent members who said McMullin, a conservative who captured a significant share of the vote in Utah in 2016, was the best chance to beat Lee in the deeply conservative state that hasn't elected a Democratic U.S. senator for more than 50 years."
Way Beyond
France. Rick Noack, et al., of the Washington Post: "Polls have opened in a French presidential election runoff that is being closely followed around the globe for its potential to redefine France's position in the Western world, the country's approach to immigration and Europe's relationship with Russia.... This election has already brought the far right closer to the French presidency than ever before." The AP's story is here. The Guardian's report is here.
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Reader Comments (5)
Marie: I immediately thought of you when I read this story. Don't know if you are inclined to hike the trails but if you do better take a pit bull or a sledge hammer with you cuz these days you could get shot by some sick bloke who reads your column and finds it not to his liking. My son Josh, the one I wrote about yesterday re: empathy, frequently climbs the hills, mountains and trails in N.H. and he and his pit bull spend days with tent and food. I suspect the couple in this story, being of a mixed marriage, was the catalyst for the crime. They lived near the trail and walked it frequently so they were well known in the neighborhood I suppose. This is another horrific tale of gun violence –––something this country can't control.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/stephen-djeswende-reid-double-homicide-concord-new-hamsphire-hiking_n_62648be3e4b0d0774860be6f
Margie's trial the other day kept making me think of those worthless prevagen commercials and all the Right's disingenuous attacks on Biden's memory.
With all the recordings of liars floating around I'd like someone to get Margie talking about how she owned the libs on the stand. There is a good chance that she would admit to perjuring herself multiple times. The only hard part would be finding someone willing to prosecute the lies. Where is the Left's John Durham, except someone who actually believes in justice and the law?
@P.D. Pepe: Thank you. The couple who was murdered lived fairly close to me. There is a local PBS show called "Windows to the Wild" (or something like that) which features a guy who hikes around New Hampshire with different groups, usually in the mountains. I occasionally watch the show for the vicarious pleasure; I will never go mountain-climbing/hiking. Yesterday's show featured Black & native American hikers & interracial families. Since the hikers on the show usually are white people, that was a nice change. Some of the hikers -- Black & white -- were bearing "Black Lives Matter" T-shirts. Now, I see it's a danger. I have a hiking trail right outside my door, and I do take it (not mountainous); it has never seemed scary. Till now.
I hope they catch whoever murdered this couple, but I gather from the article they have a clue, and I'm not sure how sharp the local constabulary, including the state police, is. The guy who built my cottage murdered somebody in cold blood, and they didn't catch him for 20 years, even tho a family member of the murdered guy never stopped lobbying for more attention to the case. (Eventually, the unsolved murder was featured on one of those national crime shows, and information flowed from there -- it turned out quite a few people knew whodunnit, and over two decades, nobody told.)
@RAS: Very funny. I'll bet Biden can recall whether or not he asked Trump to declare martial law. I suppose I couldn't have stood it, but I'm sort of sorry now I didn't watch Margie on the stand. Yeah, I know it's available on C-SPAN, but I'm still taking a pass.
I took a pass, also. I can't stand looking at her scraggly peroxide locks, her lumpy upper arms and that cross of gold dangling over the place where her heart would be if she had one. Someone on Charlie's column called her Perjury Taylor Greene and that about says it all for me. She is pure "trailer trash" and that isn't too mean.