July 7, 2022
Afternoon Update:
Marie: I forgot this one this morning, but if Democrats wanted Joe Biden to be more forceful, apparently he delivered in Cleveland yesterday:
~~~ Seth Richardson of Cleveland.com: "President Joe Biden said Wednesday during a Cleveland stop touting a Democratic-backed fix to multiemployer pension funds that social security, Medicare and Medicaid could be in jeopardy if Republicans take back control of Congress and the White House. During an afternoon appearance at Max S. Hayes High School on the West Side, Biden trumpeted provisions to the American Rescue Plan to keep at-risk pensions solvent through at least 2051 while also using the official White House visit to knock GOP lawmakers for refusing to support the legislation. He also warned that Republicans could target cuts to other benefits programs.... The pension fix, which was originally introduced as the Butch Lewis Act before being included in Biden and the Democrats' economic stimulus plan, will help stave off any cuts to the pension plans that could have come about as the PBGC, which insures pension plans, was barreling toward insolvency in 2026.... Biden also criticized Republicans in Washington for voting against the plan. Members of the party called the pensions 'ratholes' as it moved through Congress, he said."
Marie: I've been hoping somebody would do this: ~~~
~~~ "What Are the Odds?" Francesca Paris & Josh Katz of the New York Times: "The New York Times has reported that the Internal Revenue Service gave one of its most rigorous types of audits to James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, and to Andrew G. McCabe, his former deputy.... What are the odds?... If this problem were to appear in a textbook about probability, it might read like this: If there are 154 million marbles (the approximate number of tax returns filed each year) in a giant urn, and some small number of them are red (those representing Mr. Comey and Mr. McCabe among them), what are the chances that you will draw two or more red marbles if you randomly draw a few thousand from the urn (the number of audits in that year)?... If we limit the exercise to only Mr. McCabe and Mr. Comey -- this equation yields a probability of roughly one in 950 million. Those are considerably steeper odds than your chances of winning the Powerball." Emphasis added. The writers go on to suggest some other factors which reasonably would increase the odds of Comey's & McCabe's audits: like the fact that the IRS tends to choose high-earners (i.e., like Comey & McCabe) more often than others for the special audit. But still. ~~~
~~~ Jeff Stein of the Washington Post: "The commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service faces a new onslaught of questions after a report Wednesday showed that two foes of ... Donald Trump had been selected for a rare audit during Trump's administration. Charles Rettig, whose elevation by Trump to lead the service in 2018 surprised many tax professionals..., faced new scrutiny after the New York Times revealed that both former FBI director James B. Comey and his deputy, Andrew McCabe, were the subject of highly unusual audits that the IRS says was selected at random.... [Rettig] started out as a Trump ally..., shielding the former president's tax returns from public view in the face of a House Democratic lawsuit. But Rettig has proved a willing partner for the Biden administration, as well, supporting its efforts to close the gap between what taxpayers owe and what they pay, and implementing expansive new stimulus measures.... The revelation [about Comey & McCabe] will also bring new scrutiny to former Trump treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, since Treasury oversees the IRS." ~~~
~~~ Update. Kara Scannell of CNN: "The head of the Internal Revenue Service has asked a watchdog to investigate the decision to conduct rare tax audits of former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the agency announced Thursday. 'The IRS has referred the matter to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for review. IRS Commissioner (Charles) Rettig personally reached out to TIGTA after receiving a press inquiry,' the IRS said in a statement."
Charles Blow of the New York Times on showing the carnage: "... on some level, not allowing the public access to some version of the gore is extending a form of disinformation, permitting a warped, naïve or incorrect impression to persist when it could be corrected.... We need to see these images not for shock value but for truth value." MB: Blow describes some observations by Dr. David Baum, an OB/GYN who was on the scene at Highland Park because he was attending the parade with his family. Baum, according to Blow, has taken to calling the scene "horrific" & "unspeakable," but when I heard him on cable news a short time after the mass murder, Dr. Baum described heads partially blown away & body cavities open to expose torn-up organs. These are the pictures that should go on every Republican legislator's desk. Then let them talk about prairie dogs.
Georgia. Livia Albeck-Ripka of the New York Times: "An explosive device that 'unknown individuals' detonated early Wednesday destroyed a granite monument in Georgia that was built under mysterious circumstances more than four decades ago and promoted by state officials as 'America's Stonehenge,' the authorities said. The monument, known as the Georgia Guidestones, which was built about nine miles north of Elberton, Ga., had four granite slabs connected to a center pillar, with a capstone on top.... It is unclear why the 19-foot granite slabs were there, or what they meant...." Some right-wing conspiracy theorists, including Alex Jones, have described the stones as designed to send some dire or satanic message.
U.K. Boris Johnson said in a speech in front of 10 Downing Street that he would resign as prime minister, but not until a new PM is in place. Stories linked under Way Beyond the Beltway. ~~~
~~~ Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. Pippa Crerar of the (U.K.) Daily Mirror: "... the Prime Minister and wife Carrie have planned a lavish bash at the grace-and-favour country home to mark their marriage. The couple tied the knot in a secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral in front of just a handful of guests in May 2021. They then celebrated in the Downing Street garden but were only allowed 30 guests because of Covid restrictions.... The couple's Chequers do, planned for July 30, is expected to be a much bigger and more glamorous affair. Two separate sources told the Mirror that Mr and Mrs Johnson were keen to go ahead with the party, to which they have invited many of their family and friends.... The PM, who has finally announced that he would resign, would have to cancel the lavish do if he leaves office immediately." ~~~
~~~ In a comment earlier today, this is what Akhilleus predicted would happen. Chequers is the country home of the PM, so if Boris quit right off, as the Mirror sez, he could not hold the "lavish bash."
Robyn Dixon of the Washington Post: "American WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to carrying cannabis oil on the second day of a trial in Moscow that could see her sentenced to 10 years in prison. 'I'd like to plead guilty, Your Honor,' Griner said, according a Reuters reporter in the court. 'But there was no intent. I didn't want to break the law.' She then asked to give her testimony at a later date, saying she needed time to prepare, and the court adjourned." The AP's report is here.
~~~~~~~~~~
Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "Kate Bedingfield, the White House communications director, will step down from her position this summer, White House aides said on Wednesday, marking the latest departure of a senior adviser from the Biden administration. Ms. Bedingfield is a longtime aide to President Biden who helped shape the messaging strategy for his campaign and during his presidency. She is expected to assist the White House from outside the administration, although her next position remained unclear. Ron Klain, the president's chief of staff, credited Ms. Bedingfield with helping Mr. Biden win the 2020 election, pass the coronavirus stimulus and infrastructure packages, and secure the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson." A CBS News story is here.
Ashley Parker & Matt Viser of the Washington Post: "In the view of many distraught Democrats, the country is facing a full-blown crisis on a range of fronts, and [President] Biden seems unable or unwilling to respond with appropriate force. Democracy is under direct attack, they say, as Republicans change election rules and the Supreme Court rapidly rewrites American law. Shootings are routine, abortion rights have ended and Democrats could suffer big losses in the next election. Biden's response is often a mix of scolding Republicans, urging Americans to vote Democratic and voicing broad optimism about the country. For some Democrats, that risks a dangerous failure to meet the moment.... [Illinois Gov. J.B.] Pritzker mocked the notion that 'you have a constitutional right to an assault weapon with a high-capacity magazine' -- something Biden has done previously -- and California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been displaying a notably pugnacious spirit." Newsom is running an anti-DeSantis ad -- in Florida. A related Politico story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "Here's the deal, Democrats: You need to give Joe Biden a break. For weeks, Democrats have arrayed themselves in traditional circular firing formation, complaining about the president's failure to channel outrage about mass shootings, the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade and MAGA Republicans' assaults on democracy.... There's just one problem with the too-cool-Joe complaints: Biden has been saying -- heatedly and repeatedly -- exactly that which he is accused of avoiding. Biden has been hammering [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis, for example, for his 'hateful' 'don't say gay' bill, for 'book burnings' and 'trying to ban books, even math books,' and for a 'dangerous' abortion bill eroding 'women's constitutional rights.'... The fratricide is likely stoked by the press, which likes a 'Dems-in-disarray' story and would love a presidential primary." ~~~
~~~ Yes, Dana, but Joe doesn't yell enough. I'm thinking he needs an "anger translator" like the one Barack Obama eventually took on. (WashPo link)
Tyler Pager & Cleve Wootson of the Washington Post: "President Biden had planned to nominate a conservative opponent of abortion rights to a lifetime federal judgeship in Kentucky, according to newly released emails, prompting criticism of the White House from some fellow Democrats. After facing opposition from Democrats in Kentucky, the White House has not put former state solicitor general Chad Meredith's name forward as a nominee. A round of federal judicial nominations released last week did not include Meredith. It was unclear Wednesday whether the White House would ever move forward with nominating him. But the episode has underscored the impassioned responses from Democrats in the wake of the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade.... On June 23, White House official Kate Marshall emailed Coulter Minix, the director of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's office in Washington. 'To be Nominated tomorrow,' the message read, followed by the qualifications and experience of Meredith.... The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade the next day.... An email that followed a few days later included what appeared to be an effort to contain potential fallout. 'Marshall wrote.] '... the email I sent was pre-decisional and privileged information....'"
Maggie Haberman & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Pat A. Cipollone, the White House counsel to ... Donald J. Trump who repeatedly fought back against Mr. Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, has reached a deal to testify by Friday before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, according to people familiar with the inquiry. The agreement was a breakthrough for the panel, which has pressed for weeks for Mr. Cipollone to cooperate -- and issued a subpoena to him last week.... Mr. Cipollone was a witness to pivotal moments in Mr. Trump's push to invalidate the election results, including discussions about seizing voting machines and sending false letters to state officials about election fraud. He was also present in the West Wing on Jan. 6, 2021, as Mr. Trump reacted to the violence at the Capitol when his supporters attacked the building in his name.... Mr. Cipollone will sit for a transcribed interview, according to a person familiar with the discussions. He is not expected to testify publicly." The AP's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.)
** An A-mazing Coincidence. Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: James Comey, "the former F.B.I. director, and his deputy [Andrew McCabe], both of whom ... Donald J. Trump wanted prosecuted, were selected for a rare audit program that the [I.R.S.] says is random.... The minuscule chances of the two highest-ranking F.B.I. officials ... being randomly subjected to a detailed scrub of their tax returns a few years after leaving their posts presents extraordinary questions.... The I.R.S. commissioner, Charles P. Rettig, who was appointed to the post by Mr. Trump in 2018, declined to be interviewed about the audits.... Unlike a typical audit that asks individuals to explain a specific part of their taxes, these audits comb through the full return, forcing taxpayers in some cases to go to great lengths to essentially recreate their finances for the year in question." MB: This would be a good time to fire Rettig, so no more of these a-mazing coincidences occur. Like next up: Liz Cheney & Nancy Pelosi. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Scott Lemieux in LG&$ republishes a chuck of Schmidt's report and notes that Republicans have finally found a use for the IRS.
Jason Morris & Sara Murray of CNN: "Attorneys representing Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham say that he intends to challenge the subpoena that he was issued by an Atlanta-area special grand jury investigating ... Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.... Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' special grand jury wants to hear from Graham because the Republican senator allegedly made two calls to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff in the wake of the 2020 election. According to court filings, Graham 'questioned Raffensperger and his staff about reexamining certain absentee ballots cast in Georgia in order to explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome for former President Donald Trump.'"
Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "A right-wing activist whose organization wrote a brief that was cited by the United States Supreme Court in its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade also posted a video in which she boasted of praying with the justices. Rolling Stone is reporting that Peggy Nienaber, who serves as the executive director of a ministry that falls under Liberty Counsel's umbrella organization, boasted that she and her associates are 'the only people' who get an opportunity to pray with sitting Supreme Court justices.... Rolling Stone notes that this could be a conflict of interest for the justices who chose to pray with Nienaber."
Emily Czachor of CBS News: "Gun violence spiked over Fourth of July weekend, with shootings reported in nearly every U.S. state that killed a total of at least 220 people and wounded close to 570 others, according to the Gun Violence Archive.... Of all gun violence incidents accounted for during the holiday weekend, at least 11 were classified as mass shootings by the Gun Violence Archive. Any situation where four or more people, excluding the shooter, are killed or wounded by gunshots is considered a mass shooting." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Beyond the Beltway
Illinois. Mike Smith & Robert Chiarito of the New York Times: "An Illinois man charged in the killing of seven people at a Fourth of July parade was ordered held in jail without bond on Wednesday, as questions continued to mount about why he was allowed to buy guns despite alarming police encounters.... In court, Ben Dillon, a prosecutor, described in the fullest detail yet how officials say the attack unfolded on Monday.... Mr. Dillon said that Mr. Crimo confessed to the shooting after his arrest on Monday evening.... Investigators believed that [the suspect] fled to Madison, Wis., after the attack, but then returned to Illinois, where he was arrested. [Deputy] Chief [Christopher] Covelli [of the Lake County sheriff's office] said the police believed [the suspect] saw a holiday celebration in Madison and considered using a second rifle that he had with him in the car to carry out another shooting there, but decided against it." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: I was wondering why the family of the Highland Park shooter didn't raise a stink when he started buying guns. So here's the answer, and it isn't a good one: ~~~
~~~ The Irresponsible Parent. Russ Thebault & Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "The Illinois State Police confirmed on Tuesday that the father of the Highland Park parade shooting suspect sponsored his son's application for a gun permit months after relatives reported that Robert E. Crimo III had threatened to 'kill everyone,' and that authorities had 'insufficient basis' to deny the application.... Because Crimo was under 21 at the time [he wished to purchased a gun -- December 2019 --], state law required him to have the consent of a parent or guardian before he could own a firearm or ammunition.... State police had received a 'clear and present danger report' on Crimo after the September [2019] incident, but because at the time he did not have a pending application or an active permit, known as a FOID card, the agency ruled there was no action it could take. When reviewing Crimo's application less than six months later, state police officials once again decided there was nothing they could do -- this time, the agency said, because Crimo had a sponsor." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ According to the report, the numerous knives the police confiscated from the young man were returned when the father claimed the knives belonged to him. So Dad is an all-around ass. I doubt he can be held responsible for aiding & abetting, but that's what he did.
New York. It Happens. Ana Ley of the New York Times: An audit has found that the New York City ferry system has lost track of $224 million. "The agency in charge of running New York City's ferry system failed to report nearly a quarter-billion dollars in costs during the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, the city comptroller announced on Wednesday in a 50-page audit.... The report details record-keeping problems at the city's Economic Development Corporation, a semi-independent agency that runs the ferry network with the private company Hornblower. According to the audit, the E.D.C. made excessive payments to Hornblower and failed to hold the operator accountable to the contract it signed.... [The agency] has denied overpaying Hornblower by $12 million, which the comptroller had calculated based on its audit." MB: Surely from time to time you've lost a quarter of a billion dollars, then found it just where you left it.
Pennsylvania. 5 News Cleveland: "Former Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehmann [-- who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice --] has been hired as the one and only officer of Tioga, a small borough in Pennsylvania with a population of around 700 people, according to Mayor David Wilcox. Wilcox said he was unaware of Loehmann's background as hiring and firing is done by borough council -- something the mayor said the council president led him to believe had been done and there were no issues." MB: Loehmann's name is well-known; he received national attention. This tells you that many officers who lose their jobs for cause in one locality are able to move on to other police jobs.
Texas. Eric Neugeboren of the Texas Tribune: "An Uvalde police officer asked for a supervisor's permission to shoot the gunman who would soon kill 21 people at Robb Elementary School in May before he entered the building, but the supervisor did not hear the request or responded too late, according to a report released Wednesday evaluating the law enforcement response to the shooting.... 'A reasonable officer would conclude in this case, based upon the totality of the circumstances, that use of deadly force was warranted,' according to the report....The report [by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University in San Marcos --] provides a host of new details about the May 24 shooting, including several missed opportunities to engage or stop the gunman before he entered the school."
Way Beyond
U.K. Danica Kirka, et al., of the AP: "British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned Thursday, acknowledging that it was 'clearly the will' of his party that he should go. He stepped down immediately as leader of his Conservative Party but plans to remain as prime minister while the leadership contest is held. He said he has appointed a new Cabinet following a multitude of resignations, but many are calling for him to go now." ~~~
~~~ Rowena Mason & Jessica Elgot of the Guardian: "Boris Johnson is to resign on Thursday as Conservative leader but will push to stay on as prime minister until autumn after his chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, called on him to go and a string of cabinet ministers walked out. His resignation brings to an end an extraordinary standoff after multiple cabinet ministers pressed him to resign and more than 50 ministers quit because of his mishandling of a string of scandals. A No 10 spokesperson said: 'The prime minister will make a statement to the country today.' However, he is expected to push to stay on as prime minister until the autumn while a Conservative leadership contest takes place. He is likely to face intense pressure from his cabinet and MPs to go further and resign as prime minister as well, making way for a caretaker leader such as Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, or Theresa May, Johnson's predecessor." MB: Gosh, it's difficult to get this guy out the door. ~~~
~~~ If you need an American translation, the New York Times' live updates are here. For instance, I completely missed this tidbit: "Mr. Johnson's latest troubles erupted last week after a Conservative lawmaker, Chris Pincher, became drunk at an exclusive London club, where, it was alleged, he groped two men. Mr. Johnson had appointed Mr. Pincher to a senior party position in February despite earlier complaints of inappropriate behavior against Mr. Pincher."
Mark Landler & Stephen Castle of the New York Times: "His support crumbling, his government in disarray, his alibis exhausted, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain tried frantically on Wednesday to salvage his position, even as a delegation of cabinet colleagues traveled to Downing Street to plead with ... [him] to step down. More than 30 government ministers or aides quit, multiple Conservative Party lawmakers urged Mr. Johnson to resign, and he got a withering reception in Parliament, where backbenchers jeered, 'Bye, Boris!' as he left by a side door after a merciless grilling over his handling of the party's latest sex-and-bullying scandal.... Mr. Johnson vowed to fight on, insisting he had a mandate from voters to steer Britain into its post-Brexit future...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: BTW, if you think you may recognize a former American president* in Boris, the NYT report closes with this: "'Unlike most leaders, he doesn't care how much damage he does on his way out the door,' said Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff to a former prime minister, Tony Blair. 'There isn't anyone in our history who's had this kind of nature. Our system is not built for something like this.'" ~~~
~~~ Kieran Devine, et al., of Sky News: "More than 20 ministers have resigned from the cabinet since Tuesday, and the list of overall government resignations over the past few days is now above 50.... Boris Johnson's premiership has now been marked by more ministerial resignations and at a faster rate than all other Prime Ministers in modern history."
Ukraine, et al. The New York Times' live updates of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Thursday are here. ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live updates for Thursday are here: "Western artillery pieces that have been flowing into Ukraine since spring are 'working very powerfully' and starting to make a difference on the battlefield..., Volodymyr Zelensky said in his Wednesday night address.... But after weeks of fighting, outgunned Ukrainians have ceded most of Luhansk, Ukraine's easternmost region, to Russian forces, the area's governor said. The Kremlin's troops are also closing in on the Donetsk city of Slovyansk. Two U.S. lawmakers who have urged Washington to accelerate the pace of weapons deliveries to Kyiv arrived in the Ukrainian capital Thursday, where they are expected to meet with Zelensky. Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) also visited Bucha and Borodyanka -- suburbs of Kyiv particularly affected by the war." ~~~
~~~ Marie: So maybe this is why Graham is way too busy to submit to a subpoena. ~~~
~~~ John Wagner & David Sheinin of the Washington Post: "President Biden on Wednesday told the wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February on drug charges, that he is working to secure the basketball player's release 'as soon as possible,' the White House said. During the call, Biden also read Cherelle Griner a draft of a letter that he was planning to send to Brittney Griner later Wednesday, according to the White House, which said Vice President Harris also participated."
News Lede
New York Times: "James Caan, who built a durable film career in varied roles across six decades but was forever identified most closely with one of his earliest characters, the quick-tempered, skirt-chasing Sonny Corleone in the original 'Godfather' movie, died on Wednesday. He was 82."
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THE DON & THE I.R.S
Don: Hello Charlie––how you doin?
C. Rettig: Well, what a surprise to hear from you––and of course, what can I do for you?
Don: No, no–--I was just checking on how you are doing–--after all I put you there, didn't I? Just checking in.
C.R: Well, thank you––-I'm doing well–--like the job very much.
D: Well, that's good to hear–--say–--I was wondering though, I'd like you to do me a favor.When you do the audits–-all those tax returns–- I want you to zero in on Comey and McCabe––-see what you cabn dig up.
C.R.: Well, I'm not sure I.....
D: You better be Charlie–--I know you'll come through for me.
There is an obvious kinship between Boris and the Pretender. Both are what you get when you elevate the self-serving to public service positions. The contradictions between their nature and interests and the obligations of their office soon show immediate cracks, which in the case of these two soon enlarge to chasms.
However... of the two, to me Boris's flailing is the more comic. Maybe it's his hair; maybe his obvious intelligence ; or maybe because I've read too much John Le Carre and don't take contemporary Britain as seriously as I should. And granted, he styled himself a populist (read: racist) to achieve his ends, but his time as Prime Minister has seemed more goofy, lurching from one political pratfall to another, than it has seemed mean to me.
The Pretender, on the other hand, is both stupid, pure evil, and a real danger to the Republic.
Maureen Dowd talks with New Yorker writer, Ken Auletta about his new book on Harvey Weinstein but they cover a wide range of issues––political as well as personal. The existential question for Auletta is "are monsters made of born?"
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/07/style/ken-auletta-harvey-weinstein-biography.html
And who knew Harvey had to give himself injections (in the penis) to get an errection. Now if that isn't grist for a mill song, I don't know a better one.
Our Ken in his comments today cites another monster, our very own ex-Prez––Ken Auletta says the most evil person he ever encountered was Roy Cohn–--Fatty's right hand man once upon a time. Oh, how birds of a feather do indeed flock together although the human kind destroy not only themselves but others in their wake.
Just wondering how many boozy Covid-Time parties ol’ Boris can throw at No. 10 before he gets the boot. He can pass them off as, um, research! Yeah, that’s the ticket! Research!
Another self-serving right-wing con man.
I want the mayor of Highland Park-- she is angry and highly articulate-- to keep talking. We need people to be angry that anyone can get a weapon like that, no problem... I don't anticipate that we will get to reinstall the assault weapons ban, due to the absolutely putrid confederates' sucking up to the nra, but we need strong opposition to these death dealers.
I don't know what to make of the facts that Rettig still has his job, as does the monster killing off the USPS. Maybe we should not criticize a Dem administration, as so much is beyond control, but firing people who have a dump disorder should be easy.
Has it been written why Brittney Greiner was going to Russia in the first place? This reminds me of the idiot children who hiked over a line into Iran some years ago. I don't personally care about this, but I don't think the energy of the country should be devoted to saving silly people from themselves. I know she is young. She doesn't deserve prison, but why go there?? Especially now.
Well, another hot hot day, but soggy. Seems like a good plan to spend a lot of time with my library books. Last night was another long article in the paper about the devil Mastriano. He is a dangerous, lying religious nut. Hope hope hope he doesn't become governor.
AK: It's the hair! We could sense his (Boris) sensibility right from the start just by observing his coif–--disheveled, wind blown, snarly, unkempt says, "I'm a renegade, in your face kind of leader, I'm gonna stir things up and bring my enemies down and if you don't like it, well, tough! "
Times is up, Boris, baby, –––one down, our own is next?
Cheer up everybody! It's National Chocolate Day.
@Forrest
Fool that I am, I passed it on.
Now the grandsons have requested chocolate chip pancakes and their grandmother will comply.
Ugh!
https://democraticunderground.com/100216898337
The irony meter has broken.
Fox & Friends slammed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson this
morning for being untrustworthy, refusing to leave office,
mishandling the pandemic and overall just creating chaos.
Evidently Fox & Friends were playing ostrich for 4 years.
@Jeanne: Griner was in Russia because she plays in their women's basketball league during the WNBA's offseason. They can make a lot more money overseas, Griner's Russian contract was worth $1.5 million versus $220k for her WNBA contract. She had been playing in Russia going back to 2015, so she probably felt somewhat comfortable going over by this point. 70 other WNBA players were also playing in Russia this year. I'm sure she thought her celebrity would help protect her from the fate of so many others in Russia over the years.
Forrest,
Media supporters of treason, hatred, and bigotry like Fox, are happy to force any loser who puts the current right-wing vogue for Nazi-style, anti-democracy/fascist/white supremacist bulldozer politics in the media headlights, into the off-brand, damaged goods reduced rack at the authoritarian grocery store.
They have an existential need to pretend that their most virulent proponents who happen to slide into the loser/asshole/stoopid douchebag aisle will be disavowed like the tape recorded voice on the old “Mission Impossible” TV show: “Mr. Johnson, should you be caught or killed, the secretary in charge of the worldwide fascist renaissance will disavow you and all knowledge of your actions.”
But nice try! Heil Trump!!
A big difference between Boris and Donald is his allies. Can you imagine 50 Republicans resigning over a Trump blunder? Of course you can't because during scandal after scandal they stayed by his side. Even January 6th only had a handfull of people quit. The idea of Republicans calling Trump down to the Capitol to tell him he is an incompetent moron is also completely unfathomable. The Brits seem to still believe that government has some uses other than just lording power over their enemies. Republicans care only for power and will go to any lengths to ensure they seize all the power they can get their hands on no matter the costs. If Boris had the GOP as his allies he would be a lot more scary and a lot less baffoon.
What RAS said.
How is a crooked Trump weasel still in charge of the IRS??
Might as well have Axis Sally as White House communications director.
In fairness, I suppose, the Fat Authoritarian Fuckwad has so salted the government with his slimy dung beetles, at least in departments he hasn’t hollowed out in his effort to get rid of decent, hard working individuals who refused to go along with his lies, that it will be like de-Nazification in Europe after WWII. All those “good people”.
Still and all, a Trump crony running the IRS is like leaving Charles Ponzi in charge of the SEC.
Time to send this Rettig slime ball to the Fatty Lost and Found, with all the other Trump criminal assholes.
Several SC justices prayed in the SC building with a member of a group that has brought cases to be heard there. The group also submitted an amicus brief in Dobbs that the majority cited.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/roe-supreme-court-justices-1378046/amp/
Nisky Guy,
Why am I not surprised?
Too bad they didn’t invite that football coach who forces his kids to pray with him. They all could have prayed to Touchdown Jesus that the evil secularists who believed, stupidly, that they have control over their own bodies, would be roundly stomped at their own ten yard line, and their lives be given over to the Supreme Theocracy to be dealt with as they see fit.
So much for the Constitution. That silly old thing.
Rah-rah!