December 3, 2021
Afternoon Update:
Uh-oh. CNN reports that a manhunt, involving the FBI & U.S. Marshals, is underway in a search for James & Jennifer Crumley, who apparently are fugitives on the run to avoid arraignment on involuntary manslauter charges. CNN has live updates here, but currently (at 3:35 pm ET) there are no details. A CNN pundit pointed out that the Crumleys live close to the U.S.-Canadian border. There's a BOLA for a black 2021 Kia SUV, Michigan plate DQG-5203. (I think I got that right, but maybe not.) And there goes your typical Trump-supporting Mom. ~~~
~~~ According to an update of the AP story also linked below, "A lawyer says two parents charged with involuntary manslaughter in a Michigan high school shooting left town for their own safety but are returning to face arraignment. Shannon Smith spoke after authorities said they were searching for Jennifer and James Crumbley. They are the parents of Ethan Crumbley, who is charged with murder and terrorism in the deaths of four students at Oxford High School on Tuesday." MB: Update update: However, according on on-air reports on both CNN & MSNBC, the couple did not show up for their arraignment, which was scheduled for 4 pm CT & the manhunt continues. ~~~
~~~ Paulina Firoza, et al., of the Washington Post: "Prosecutors said Friday they would file charges against the parents of the student accused of fatally shooting classmates at a Michigan high school. James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of 15-year-old Ethan, will be charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said. Authorities say the teenager killed four students and wounded seven people at his high school Tuesday, using a semi-automatic handgun purchased by his father in the deadliest school shooting in more than three years." ~~~
~~~ Corey Williams & Ed White of the AP: "A prosecutor says the parents of a teen accused of killing four students at a Michigan high school were summoned a few hours earlier after a teacher found a drawing of a gun, a person bleeding and the words 'help me.' Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald made the disclosure Friday as she filed involuntary manslaughter charges against Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley. McDonald says the gun used in the shootings at Oxford High School was purchased by James Crumbley a week ago and given to the boy." ~~~
~~~ Sarakshi Rai of the Hill: "The mother of the Michigan school shooting suspect, Ethan Crumbley, texted her son 'don't do it' when news of the active shooter situation went public, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said at a press conference on Friday. Jennifer Crumbley, who met with school officials after teachers reported concerns regarding her 15-year-old son's behavior just hours earlier, texted her son immediately on hearing the news, McDonald said. The prosecutor said Jennifer Crumbley texted her son at 1:22 p.m. and at 1:37 p.m his father, James Crumbley, called 911 to report that his gun was missing. He told the operator that his son may have been the active shooter.... McDonald provided further details about the incident, saying that Ethan Crumbley was found searching for ammunition on his cellphone during class by a teacher. The teacher then reported him to the school for the first time. Referencing that incident, the prosecutor said that after school officials contacted Jennifer Crumbley, she exchanged text messages with her son on that day saying, 'lol, I'm not mad at you, you have to learn not to get caught.' McDonald said that in a second reported incident a teacher found a drawing on the morning of the shooting, showing a gun pointing at words that read 'the thoughts won't stop, help me' and someone being shot twice."
** Kyle Cheney of Politico: "John Eastman, the attorney who helped ... Donald Trump pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election, has asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, according to a letter he delivered to the Jan. 6 committee explaining his decision not to testify.... Eastman's decision is an extraordinary assertion by someone who worked closely with Trump to attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. He met with Trump and pushed state legislative leaders to reject Biden's victory in a handful of swing states and appoint alternate electors to the Electoral College, effectively denying Biden's victory. The former Chapman University law professor also pressured Pence, who is constitutionally required to preside over the Electoral College certification on Jan. 6, to unilaterally refuse to count some of Biden's electors and send the election to the full House for a vote -- or delay long enough to give states a chance to submit new electors."
Jacqueline Alemany & Mariana Sotomayor of the Washington Post: "House Republicans have decried the public feuding this week among a small group of GOP lawmakers as detrimental to the party's ability to win back the House in the 2022 midterm elections because it distracts from their attacks on Democrats' agenda. But little has been said publicly by party leaders or rank-and-file members about whether they find the source of this feuding problematic: Islamophobic attacks by some Republicans against a Democratic congresswoman who is Muslim. The party's focus on the political ramifications of the infighting rather than the substance of the disagreement has led civil rights groups and Democrats to charge that Republicans are embracing, or at least enabling, bigotry." MB: Kind of, "Now, now, kids, let's all get together and remember we're a white Christian nation."
Linda Greenhouse Is Not Amused. New York Times: "There are many reasons for dismay over the Supreme Court argument in the Mississippi abortion case, but it was the nonstop gaslighting that really got to me. First there was Justice Clarence Thomas, pretending by his questions actually to be interested in how the Constitution might be interpreted to provide for the right to abortion, a right he has denounced and schemed to overturn since professing to the Senate Judiciary Committee 30 years ago that he never even thought about the matter. Then there was Chief Justice John Roberts, mischaracterizing an internal memo that Justice Harry Blackmun wrote.... And then there was Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who rattled off a list of 'the most consequential cases in this court's history' that resulted from overruling prior decisions.... [His] ... goal was ... to normalize the deeply abnormal scene playing out in the courtroom.... I will give the gaslighting prize to Justice Kavanaugh [for pretending that the Court's decision in favor of Mississippi would be an expression of 'neutrality.']... Justice [Amy] Barrett's performance during Wednesday's argument was beyond head-spinning." Thanks to PD Pepe for the link.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tony Romm & Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "House and Senate lawmakers on Thursday approved a bill to fund the federal government into early next year, narrowly averting a shutdown after some Republicans sought to seize on the imminent fiscal deadline to fight President Biden over his vaccine policies. The two successful evening votes spelled an end to a brief yet tense period that would have brought Washington to a halt come Saturday morning, a development that Democrats had described as irresponsible and dangerous in the middle of a deadly pandemic. The new agreement, which awaits Biden's signature, covers federal spending until Feb. 18. At that point, lawmakers must adopt another short-term measure or complete work on a dozen long-stalled appropriations bills that fund the government for the remainder of fiscal 2022, which ends in September." (This is an update of a story linked yesterday afternoon.) The AP's report is here. ~~~
~~~ Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post: "After a 10-month flurry of legislating, [this week's Senate gridlock] heralded a potentially excruciating new era of governing for President Biden and other Democratic leaders, who must deal not only with an emboldened GOP leadership that sees House and Senate majorities well within their grasp, but a cadre of conservatives eager to hijack the basic processes of government if only to make a point.... House Republicans have made opposing anything Democrats do a litmus test for loyalty to the party, meaning Democrats and their slim majority will likely have to do all the legislative lifting themselves regardless of the issue for the remainder of this Congress." ~~~
~~~ Burgess Everett & Marianne Levine of Politico have more on Senate gridlock. Both this & DeBonis's stories were written before the short-term funding bill passed, but that was no big breakthrough. Senate rules encourage gridlock, and Republicans are taking full advantage of the rules, especially when they can generate stupid or even dangerous impasses.
Jonathan Swan & Alayna Treene of Axios: "Mitch McConnell has told colleagues and donors Senate Republicans won't release a legislative agenda before next year's midterms, according to people who've attended private meetings with the minority leader.... 'It happens all the time,' [a] source told Axios. 'Donors especially are always asking for an agenda of some kind and McConnell pushes back hard. Because he knows that all it does is take the focus off unpopular Dem policies and gives Dems something tangible to tear apart....One of the biggest mistakes challengers often make is thinking campaigns are about them and their ideas.'... 'No one gives a sh-t about that. Elections are referendums on incumbents.'" MB: The most important reason for Mute Mitch's silence on a GOP "agenda" is that Senate Republicans don't have one single legislative goal that is popular with voters. Reduce taxes on the rich? Nyet. Hamstring every environment-friendly measure? Nope. Undo even our crap health insurance assistance? Nah. Throw money at military contractors? Uh-uh. And so forth.
Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post: "Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told President Joe Biden's judicial nominee Dale Ho that he won't support his nomination because he thinks he's too angry to be a judge. 'Mr. Ho, you're a smart man. I can tell. But I think you're an angry man,' Kennedy said during Ho's Wednesday hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. 'We don't need federal judges who are angry. We need federal judges who are fair and can see both points of view.'... Ultimately, Kennedy said his time was up and that Ho ― who politely answered questions throughout the hearing ― was too angry for him to support. The irony wasn't lost on one Democratic senator who pointed out that Kennedy previously voted to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who screamed and sneered at senators during his confirmation hearing." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Bendery is missing Sen. Leghorn's point here. What may seem to be hypocrisy is not hypocritical at all. It's racist. Ho is obviously of Asian or part-Asian descent. White men are allowed to "scream & sneer" in Leghorn's worldview, but Asians are supposed to appear subservient to white men & bow a lot. And Leghorn wants to make sure everybody understands that. I'd like to wring his neck, the way you do a chicken that about to make an appearance in the gumbo.
Speaking of O'Kavanaugh, Alexandra Petri of the Washington Post summarizes Wednesday's Supreme Court arguments on the Mississippi anti-abortion law. Sometimes you have to laugh so you don't just sob in your beer. I still like beer.
Kyle Cheney & Nicholas Wu of Politico: "In interviews, members of the committee [investigating the January 6 insurrection] say [former Trump Chief of Staff Mark] Meadows may have damaged his case for maintaining the secrecy of his contacts with ... Donald Trump on Jan. 6 by divulging selected details in his book, due to publish Tuesday. 'It's ... very possible that by discussing the events of Jan. 6 in his book, if he does that, he's waiving any claim of privilege. So, it'd be very difficult for him to maintain "I can't speak about events to you, but I can speak about them in my book,"' said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), one of the panel's nine members.... 'You can't assert a privilege that you have waived by virtue of your other actions,' said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.)" ~~~
~~~ Marie: In addition, Schiff pointed out while appearing on MSNBC Thursday evening that the committee has questions for Meadows that don't involve his conversations with Trump so executive privilege would not apply even if it were possible for Trump to invoke it in his own interactions with Meadows.
Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "A federal judge in Michigan has ordered a group of lawyers who brought a failed lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results to pay about $175,000 in legal fees to the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit, the latest in a series of rulings from federal judges seeking to hold lawyers accountable for trying to use the courts to overturn a democratic election. U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker had already ordered that the group of nine lawyers -- including Sidney Powell and L. Lin Wood, both allies to ... Donald Trump -- be disciplined for their role in the suit, which in August she called 'a historic and profound abuse of the judicial process.'"
Contributor Monoloco has given us some food for thought/bitter pill to chew on: "Take a close look at one Michigan voter who was always a Democrat until she had to make a tough choice in 2016. Elated when her candidate won, she wrote him a letter explaining her thought process. She posted her letter on a blog where the Daily Beast recently uncovered it. Read the letter and then explain where Democrats went wrong in 2016, and how to reach this voter -- and the millions of her ilk -- in 2022-2024. (Oh, and PS: She's making headlines now as the mother of the Michigan shooter.)" MB: I do urge you to read the letter. We'd like to learn your reactions. PD Pepe had quite a wise observation about it, published at the end of yesterday's Comments thread. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Lauren Effron of ABC News: "Actor Alec Baldwin told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview that he had 'no idea' how a live bullet got onto the set of his film, 'Rust,' but that he 'didn't pull the trigger' on the firearm that killed one person and wounded another." Sonia Rao of the Washington Post has more background, but no elaboration on Baldwin's new claim. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) Simon Romero & others of the New York Times add more context.
The Pandemic, Ctd., Brought to You by the Unvaccinated & the GOP
The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Friday are here. The Washington Post's live Covid-19 updates for Friday are here.
Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "President Biden, confronting a worrisome new coronavirus variant and a potential winter surge, laid out a pandemic strategy on Thursday that includes hundreds of vaccination sites, boosters for all adults, new testing requirements for international travelers and free at-home tests. After nearly a year of pushing vaccination as the way out of the pandemic, Mr. Biden has been unable to overcome resistance to the shots in red states and rural areas. His new strategy shifts away from a near-singular focus on vaccination and places a fresh emphasis on testing -- a tacit acknowledgment by the White House that vaccination is not enough to end the worst public health crisis in a century. Mr. Biden's announcement came as several new cases of the Omicron variant were reported in the United States, including five people in New York State, a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to New York City and a Colorado resident who had recently returned from southern Africa. Hawaii also reported its first known case, and California its second." ~~~
~~~ The White House laid out its strategy in this release.
Zeke Miller of the AP: "... after taking it on the chin for months, [President] Biden and his allies are increasingly willing to hit back, casting Republicans as the true obstacle to the nation's recovery from the pandemic.... Biden was elected on the promise of depoliticizing the virus response and following the science, so responding in kind wasn't seen as an option early on.... But now, as public patience wears thin amid the emergence of the new omicron variant and some GOP lawmakers' threats to shut down the government over vaccine requirements, the White House and its allies are seizing on what they see as a political opening. 'It's clear that Republicans have decided that the fate of the Biden presidency is tied to COVID,' said Democratic communications strategist Eric Schultz, who worked in the Obama White House. 'And Republicans have chosen to be on the side of the virus.'"
The idea of “real Americans” and “fake Americans” is pure propaganda. The idea that you can just be “over” a virus because you wanna be is pure idiocy. Both fit squarely into the Jim Jordan wheelhouse. pic.twitter.com/xtzjO5PBvO
— PoliticsGirl (@IAmPoliticsGirl) December 3, 2021
~~~ Thanks to Brian Williams for the lead.
One Way to Whittle Down Military Spending: Discharge 19,000 Troops. Alex Horton of the Washington Post: "As many as 19,000 active-duty Marines and Navy sailors chose not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus by their shared Nov. 28 deadline, a dilemma for military leaders who have threatened to expel personnel refusing to comply with the Biden administration's mandate. In both services, the number of holdouts is around 9,500, according to official counts. And while the Marines' margin of 5 percent unvaccinated had been anticipated, it was an unexpected outcome for the Navy, which in announcing its final tally this week acknowledged that officials had uncovered last-minute 'discrepancies' with its data-tracking system that revealed a larger pool of unvaccinated sailors than had been projected."
Ben Shpigel of the New York Times: "The N.F.L. on Thursday suspended Antonio Brown, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star receiver, and defensive back Mike Edwards without pay for the next three games for misrepresenting their Covid-19 vaccination status, an egregious violation of protocols that were jointly agreed upon by the league and its players' union. A review conducted by the N.F.L. and the N.F.L. Players Association concluded that Brown and two other players, Edwards and the free-agent receiver John Franklin III, had acquired fake vaccination cards. Franklin will have to sit out three games if he is signed by a team. The Tampa Bay Times on Nov. 18 first reported that Brown had obtained the card, prompting the review."
New Jersey. Mike Catalini of the AP: "Disorder and confusion erupted in the halls outside the New Jersey Assembly on Thursday as several [-- at least ten --] Republican lawmakers defied a new requirement to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test and were blocked by state troopers -- albeit briefly -- from entering the ornate chamber. Hours later, a state appellate court handed a victory to Republicans who had sued to block the proof-of-vaccination requirement, granting the GOP's application for a stay of the order and setting a potential hearing date for later this month. It was not immediately clear what effect the ruling would have on the requirement."
Germany. Frank Jordans of the AP: "Unvaccinated people across Germany will soon be excluded from nonessential stores, restaurants and sports and cultural venues, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced Thursday, and parliament will consider a general vaccine mandate as part of efforts to curb coronavirus infections. Merkel announced the measures after a meeting with federal and state leaders, as the nation again topped 70,000 newly confirmed cases in a 24-hour period. She said the steps were necessary to address concerns that hospitals could become overloaded with patients suffering from COVID-19 infections, which are much more likely to be serious in people who have not been vaccinated." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Beyond the Beltway
Illinois. Julia Jacobs & Mark Guarino of the New York Times: "Jussie Smollett's lawyers suggested in court on Thursday that two brothers at the center of the case attacked the actor to scare him into hiring them as his personal security, and later, to avoid prosecution, falsely told the police that Mr. Smollet had planned it all as a hoax. The brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, have each testified that Mr. Smollett gave them detailed instructions on where and how to mildly attack him in January 2019.... During more than 11 hours of testimony, which touched on minute details like Mr. Smollett's grocery list and workout regimen, they told the court that Mr. Smollett instructed them to yell racist and homophobic slurs at him -- and say, 'This is MAGA country' -- during the attack."
New York. Felicia Sonmez of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department is investigating the sexual harassment allegations against former New York governor Andrew M. Cuomo (D), the latest repercussion to stem from the sweeping report issued by the office of the state's Democratic attorney general.... Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi confirmed the existence of the investigation."
New York. Lola Fadulu of the New York Times: "The trial [of Ghislaine Maxwell], which began on Monday in Federal District Court in Manhattan, is seen by many of his accusers and others as the trial [Jeffrey] Epstein never had, and prosecutors have sought to show that Ms. Maxwell, 59, played a pivotal role in her longtime companion's sexual abuse of teenage girls.... Prosecutors have accused Ms. Maxwell of helping Mr. Epstein recruit his victims. She faces six charges, including sex trafficking, enticing and transporting minors for illegal sex act and three conspiracy counts."
Way Beyond
William Booth & Karla Adam of the Washington Post: "Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, won a significant victory in the British courts Thursday in her legal battle against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, a tabloid that printed excerpts of a letter Meghan wrote to her estranged father in the frenzied run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry. Meghan contended that because the contents of the letter were private and concerned personal matters that were not of legitimate public interest, she enjoyed a reasonable expectation of privacy. The appeals court agreed.... The Court of Appeal rejected an attempt by Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Mail on Sunday and the MailOnline, to force a trial over its publication of extracts from Meghan's plaintive 'dear daddy' letter to Thomas Markle, who Meghan and Harry say has embarrassed them through his dealings with tabloid journalists and photographers."
News Lede
CNBC: "The U.S. economy created far fewer jobs than expected in November, before a new Covid threat created a scare that growth could slow into the winter, the Labor Department reported Friday. Nonfarm payrolls increased by just 210,000 for the month, though the unemployment rate fell sharply to 4.2%, even though the labor force participation rate increased for the month to 61.8%, its highest level since March 2020. The Dow Jones estimate was for 573,000 new jobs and a jobless level of 4.5%."
Share Article
Reader Comments (21)
No Shame, No Morals, No Principles, but Plenty of Phony
Amy Phony Barrett, one of the five right wing liars getting ready to overturn Roe (and perhaps a lot more), wrote a high and mighty, Uber principled sounding piece for a law journal sometime back. In it, she drew out the problems of being a Catholic judge who was morally bound to do the Church’s bidding. However, that same judge also has an obligation under the Constitution:
“But neither may she ‘betray the public trust’ by manipulating constitutional law and precedent ‘in order to save (unborn) lives.’”
Okay, okay…the idea of one of these three card monte charlatans caring about the public trust when there’s a chance to make a piñata out of a law (even “settled law”) they despise is, I’ll admit, a great big bollicky knee slapper. But hang on, it gets better.
The solution to this conundrum, sez Phony Amy? Recusal! That Catholic judge who cares about not manipulating constitutional law to get what she wants MUST recuse herself.
But that was then. Now, however, all that business about public trust and not manipulating settled law and precedent is right out. “Oh, did I say that?” asks Ames the P? “Well, crap on a crosier! I must have been out on a toot with Bart.”
Right. Not just a phony. THE phony.
https://crooksandliars.com/2021/12/amy-coney-barretts-own-words-she-should
A pretty humorless day, yesterday was. The Petri piece? Tried it; didn't like it. Found nothing funny in it, in my beer or out.
Petri took on quite a load. There's just nothing funny about a bunch of five or six highly educated white men and women solemnly saying things that wouldn't pass a late night freshman college dorm gabfest test. Wise words? Hardly. True? Not a bit. Naive? Yes, but nonetheless hugely consequential.
Senator Kennedy Leghorn says he doesn't want angry judges. Marie neatly took care of Kennedy's obvious hypocrisy, but I don't want angry judges either. I do, however, want judges who have the ability or even the interest in seeing around the corner to the possible effects of their childish philosophizing. What a bunch of egotistical goons.
It would be hard for my opinion of this court's intellect to be lower.
On to the Monoloco letter:
Presume it's authentic. Since the writer seems so interested in authenticity, that would be my first and perhaps only question.
Beyond that, however, the writer is either authentically or inauthentically much like those judges I just mentioned. In a sane society, demonstrably too silly and stupid to be allowed to express an opinion.
Of course, Clinton had problems as a candidate, but her politics had been consistently liberal and informed. The Pretender's ignorance was manifest; he was an obvious fraud, a fact obvious to anyone who had paid attention.
So what did this so-called Democrat like in him? Guns. She sure liked her guns.
Other than that, she just chose to believe all the promises. Everything from low drug prices to the Wall that wouldn't have kept Italians out of the country. Dumb.
Then there was the strangely jarring intrusion of complaints about the Common Core into her love letter to the Pretender. What was that about? Retrospection might say it was about her son's early problems at school. She had to have something to blame and Common Core was handy Don't know if it was the "common" or the "core" part that bothered her, but to such personalities meaning doesn't matter. Today it would would be CRT.
That did it for me. She may have called herself a Democrat, but the irrational grievances expressed in everything she said tell me otherwise. Even if she didn't know it, she was already a Republican.
Authentically.
@Ken Winkes: I don't think Judge Ho is necessarily an angry guy, at least not any more angry than, say, Justice Sotomayor when she complained about the "stench" in her courtroom. What Kennedy took as "angry" were (1) Ho's advocating for his clients (which of course was his job), and (2) a few of Ho's tweets which Kennedy liberally misquoted & misinterpreted.
Maybe I'm projecting or something, but I maintain that Leghorn's objections to Ho are Hos' failure to meet Kennedy's expectation of Ho's fitting into racist tropes about Asians. Kennedy is a smart guy, and he learned long ago as a Democrat in a majority-white, conservative state how to dogwhistle, and he hasn't forgotten how to do it: "You know how to whistle, don't you...? You just put your lips together and blow."
Marie,
Sorry for the misunderstanding. I was not trying to say I thought Kennedy was right in naming Judge Ho angry or that Judge Ho was angry at all. In fact, I thought you skewered Senator Leghorn right and proper.
All I meant was that I didn't want angry judges either because anger makes them--as it does us all-- stupid.
Indignant at colleagues' stupidity, though? That's OK.
I do have a few misgivings about the letter to Trump, one of them
being over usage of the F word. You can get your points across
using only proper English as far as I'm concerned.
I would ask this woman to review her letter with all of her wants
and requests and tell us exactly how each was handled by Trump,
if they even came up during his 4 miserable years.
She asks him to make health care affordable. Did that happen?
She wants him to shut down big Pharma. Does that mean we don't
need to have new drugs developed?
She claims to be a realtor, so doesn't want her right to bear arms
taken away. I can't recall ever hearing or reading about a realtor
in Michigan being shot by a client. She didn't show the house enough,
so they shoot her? I would just list with another agent since I don't
have a gun.
Here's an inconsistency: couldn't help her son with 4th grade math.
Pardon me, but there's a lot of math involved in real estate. One
needs to pass tests and be licensed in this state and math is part of it.
"I sacrifice my car insurance to make sure my son gets a good
education." Driving without auto insurance is illegal, especially if
you kill someone while driving to that house showing.
I think the negativity with common core comes from the fact that
there are a lot of lazy people in this country. I make it to school every
day and you also want me to learn math and english?
Common core sets standards for all 50 states, so if I live in Alabama
(God forbid) and transfer to Oregon, I won't be 2 or 3 grades behind
in math and english. I could relate my personal experiences
moving from Texas to Michigan eons ago, before standards. Fortunately I had lots of encouragement from both teachers and
family.
Will we hear from this woman again? I certainly hope so.
@Forrest Morris: Apparently we will hear from this woman again because reportedly she may be indicted on account of her son's murdering a number of his classmates with a gun her Second Amendment rights afforded the family.
And, yeah, I agree about the language of the letter. You don't write an open letter to the POTUS* that repeatedly features some version of the word "fuck." She voted for that fuckhead and she should fucking be more fucking respectful.
WALLOWING IN DIRT:
Last night Rachel told us about hundreds–-or did she say thousands?––of Americans who refuse to get vaccinated but resort to the magic of dirt to ward off any kind of virus. You can order this magic dirt through some company that charges a goodly price for it. These dirt dummies bathe in it, eat it, smear it all over their face and body, believing in its magic elixir to ward off any viral poison––babies and dogs are not left out of these procedures. Two University labs have done a study on this dirt and discovered it contains lead and arsenic ( but no lace).
Now reading this you would think––"oh, that Pepe, she done make shit up again–-guffaw, guffaw––––– BUT–tis true, my friends, tis true. Rachel presented this story seriously with actual pictures of this magic dirt--but she, like me, are dumfounded at the belief system these folks harbor in their bosoms.
And this morning my D.C. friend sent me this:
"I know you watch Rachel, so I'm guessing you saw her tonight, reporting on the wingnuts who eat and bath in magic dirt to revaccinate, and prevent or cure Covid.
The only thing that surprises me, is that anyone is surprised. Hundreds of millions of nominally sane people, every Sunday, eat a magic cracker, and drink some magic grape juice, believing themselves to be committing an act of cannibalism, that will make them immortal.
Whaddaya want for crazy?"
As for as our Leghorn-foghorn senator who fancies himself a wise old southern gent reminds me of those southern baptists that have a spine forged in a hotter fire –-but coat it with southern charm––than the majority of Americans who take a softer, albeit, sustained view on their religion. He preens, he fluffs his feathers and pretends that hot spine of his is just good ole country boy rhetoric.
By the way–––John Paul Stevens––a judge for the ages–--once said that he would amend the constitution to deprive states of sovereign immunity for violating federal law.
Here's Linda Greenhouse's "The Supreme Court Gaslights It's Way to The end of Roe:"
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/03/opinion/abortion-supreme-court.html
What was that old saying? "Eat dirt and die," or something to that
effect.
Was feeling a little sorry for Justice Roberts yesterday as he desperately tried to forge some kind of credible rationality out of the nonsense most of his colleagues uttered, but now that I've read the Greenhouse column (thanks, PD), I'm feeling kinda sorry for the whole bunch of judicial imposters.
What a public place to occupy, when your moral and intellectual shortcomings are cast in such bright light. That ACB really is a piece of work. Guess she got that abandoned baby idea from the Bible. Moses and the bullrushes, wasn't it?
But I think I see a way out for the Originialist nutcases, though. Kavanaugh suggested "neutrality." Maybe the Court could simply refuse to take up any case that does not intersect directly with the Constitution's language.
We might lose abortion rights at the federal levels, but all those bogus corporate rights, never enumerated in the Constitution, would go by the wayside, too.
And we could save some money and go back to five justices. The Court would have so little to do.
BTW, the crazy letter we've now all read suggested another party label for the GOP, which I have dubbed the Greedy Old Party.
As I took in the woman's insensate anger, I thought maybe POP, Pissed Off Party, would better serve. And they all seem to like those AR-15 noisemakers, too.
Forrest: Probably "Everybody has to eat a peck of dirt before they die."
It was one of my mother-in-law's favorite aphorisms, referring to a lifetime of dealing with what comes, as best you can, not about what you do on your deathbed.
And speaking of dirt, as I've mentioned here before, my paternal aunt often noted that "If it weren't for the Democrats we'd all be eating dirt." I never knew if that referred to a poverty diet, or what you get in the grave. But she had no doubts about what the New Deal did for us.
One more on dirt and I'll shut up.
Every time we go to our favorite nursery center to get landscaping
supplies, I laugh at the sign there: "Dirt is what's under your
fingernails; you want our good soil for your garden." So true.
Heil Ron!
It seems as if a week doesn’t pass but that we read about yet another wingnut attack on democracy.
Ron DeSantis, Florida’s very own Mussolini, has announced that in order to be a true fascist-authoritarian goose stepper, he needs geese to step along at his command.
In the Frank Capra film “Meet John Doe”, a Trump-like character played by Edward Arnold, who excelled at nasty rich guy roles, is looking for ways to slither into the White House by rigging the election. In addition to his political fervor which sees average Americans as pawns to be moved around the board, this character also has his own paramilitary outfit, complete with the Waffen SS peaked visor caps, jodhpurs, leather boots, and crisscrossed leather belts.
DeSantis must seen this movie and decided that he just had to have this sort of thing for his very own self!
Of course, he claims that his SS guys would be used for “state emergencies”, like Democrats voting and school kids wearing masks.
Next thing you know, he’ll be demanding labor camps and public executions of anyone giving him a hard time.
R’s with their own secret police will probably be a trend. Because we don’t already have enough brutality on the right.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/03/ron-desantis-plans-florida-paramilitary-force-outside-federal-control
@Akhilleus: I was shocked to read this story. No, really. The compact clause of the Constitution reads, "No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay."
Apparently Congress is letting the states get away with these guards, even though some have been, uh, controversial, to say the least. Congress should disband them all immediately.
Hmmm ... FL already has an emergency preparedness/response organization, and it is one of the best in the country. It has great relations with DHS, FEMA, NG, USCG, USN, USAF -- the folks with the money, lift, boats and response goods.
https://www.floridadisaster.org/dem/
What can Ron DeS be thinking? Republic of Florida? Floridastan? Floridia?
Ronistan. With himself as lifetime ruler. Although in that case, he’d have to forgo the $24 B or so that state mooches from the federal government (third highest). I’m sure he could make that up with a few confederate Go Fund Me cries for help.
@Patrick & @Akhilleus: In any event, Ron surely will not be welcome in the Conch Republic. It might have to be North DeSantistan.
So (soon former?) attorney Eastman now thinks he might have done something wrong?
Wonder what it might have been..
Can SCOTUS "justices" be sued for committing perjury during their confirmation hearings?
What? "...saying that Ethan Crumbley was found searching for ammunition on his cellphone during class by a teacher..."
Do phones have 9mm clips fitted these days? Do they have barrels and triggers too?
@unwashed: Nope, but cellphones have the Googles if you install the app.