There were some good reasons for what the Dems did supporting the speaker. Unfortunately when it comes to dealing with repugnants it always seems to be choice between a turd and a piece of shit.
I agree with you and I agree with the original poster. At this stage in the game, although the question is unlikely to come up, any more cooperation with this fanatic needs to end. When you diss a well-vetted jury in our jury system, you lose the right to hold legislative office.
I like how Brazil jumped on the same situation we had, and actually arrested the people at the top. Also, stopping Bolsonaro from running for 5 years will help, but I think it should be for longer. Just looking at Hitler one sees how autocrats get around those rules after a while.
Thank you. I truly appreciate your work to keep civilization from going completely off the rails. I’ve always known that if we are to be saved, most of the work will be done by women.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Hochul would never do that in a million years! That's one of the reasons why it was so important that one of the indictments was in New York.
no MAGA heel is afraid of flipflopping, because the news cycle drowns "I never said that" and the necessarily-more-time-consuming demonstrations of "yes you did", and the voters in the tank for them DGAF even if they devote any bandwidth to Disputes With The Enemy in the first place...
Everything you list as bad news would have happened after an acquittal or a hung jury too—even worse if anything. This is a day for celebration, probably the biggest “Sometimes this country is what it says it is” day since Obama’s first election.
I was surprised, albeit not as surprised as some. Jurors generally take their duties seriously in my very limited experience. That supposed Trump supporter on the jury might actually be a Trump supporter, but he still had the basic human self-respect to actually look at the facts and the law. (Of course, the fact that Trump didn’t put on an actual defense at any point other than threatening people was likely a factor.)
My only quibble with your piece, Jay, is that Mike Johnson is not misleading anyone; he’s lying. They’re all lying. Lying in order to whip people up against the law and the election system, with violence if necessary.
Lying has lost its meaning for sure. Alternative facts, perhaps? Watching my senators (Scott and Graham) today, I just wanted to throw rotten tomatoes at them. Only the faces changed; they were both pandering the same drivel.
My Senator, Marsha Blackburn, and nine others have vowed to not pass any legislation that would help the Biden administration. What were they elected to do?
Not just the Biden administration, but the American people. It is so juvenile, and that is what we get in the MAGA part of the Republican party, spreading to the rest, juvenile behavior at every turn. Dealing with unruly, scheming children 24/7 is exhausting and the big daddy of them all is in a manic rage that he is exerting on everyone, and I for one am exhausted by his every word and deed! Get rid of him!
i don't know how that tracks (which is probably why i am nothing like a communications director). if a lie of omission is still effectively a falsification of the facts, then isn't skipping the accurate labeling of actual and total falsehoods effectively giving him/them a pass?
→ even if you save sound accusations for "the most egregious examples" doesn't that help to normalize the "less egregious" ones WHICH ARE STILL EGREGIOUS — AND CONSTANT ... i mean aren't demagogues all banking on your worry that _____ will lose all meaning? "liberal" has 'lost all meaning' after 50 years of demonization of imaginary threats, but it still seems to have plenty of power to perversely fuel real contempt/rage/fear in more voters than I'm inclined to shake a stick at.
I was mostly surprised by the jury saying "guilty" to every single count. I really thought that somebody on the jury would convince the others that their safety was in danger (because it probably is) and that it would be safer to vote Not Guilty on some of the charges to give them some cover.
I was keeping an eye on the latest udpates yesterday and when the judge said he was sending the jurors home, I sighed. That was worrisome to me. Then, he said, "Oh, I just got a note. They have a verdict."
That changed my mood. I knew he was getting convicted. They wouldn't have returned with a not guilty verdict that quickly.
These are valiant people. They deserve our respect and, most of all, protection.
If there really is a MAGA juror, maybe he/she deserves the highest praise of all.
The fact that all involved in this trial had to wear body armor arriving and leaving the courtroom is so incredibly disturbing. It’s the environment created by trump and the Republicans. It’s truly sad.
Can you tell me where you saw that the jury wore body armor? I checked and all I can find is that the Stormy Daniels’ lawyer said she wore a bullet-proof vest but nothing about the jury. Thanks
Since they were keeping the jury anonymous, I think putting them in body armor would have outed them. My guess is that they were not and likely just filed in and out with the regular jurors. Likely they went to a holding room instead of right into the courtroom though. And out the same way - then mixing with other jurors leaving.
If you read through the actual charges, it would have been highly unlikely for the jurors to vote on anything less than 11 or 12 of the charges for a given action. Each of the charged actions occurred once a month, only differing by the date they occurred and the check or ledger number.
He would have been a convicted felon whether he was found guilty on one count or 34 counts. Plus, the counts were essentially all the same so it made no sense to split them up.
It's possible that the "supposed Trump supporter" had no idea of the true events or charges until attending the trial, and was actually open to believing them.
Masha Gessen has noted that Putin stays in power through maintaining the appearance of invincibility and inevitability. For tfg, the sheen of invincibility for many is gone and the inevitability of another term is in question. This is a good first step.
Gov. Larry Hogan is trying to get elected in a blue state. He will fail. I am adjusting to the flood of hate from the right by donating money to democrats, most notably $100 to Biden/Harris. It's not a lot, but I'm pushing my donation limits. I would encourage everyone here to do the same. Nothing is more important than winning in November. Our individual survival, not to mention the nation's, now seems to depend on it.
Can someone explain to me how this writing postcards work? Who has done it? Are there trustworthy organizations putting this on. Is there any measure of success for these? I would like do more than donate and comment here but don't want to waste money or time on something that is not effective.
Yes, apparently these letters and postcards do get results. I have so far written letters with Vote Forward and postcards with Moms Rising. This time I'm doing postcards with Field Team 6 and Postcards to Swing States. You can choose your campaign with Vote Forward and Field Team 6. I can't remember whether I chose the one I'm doing with Postcards to Swing States or whether they just gave me one. You can write as many or as few as you want. They do have provisions for volunteers who can't afford to pay for the materials and postage. Hope this helps.
Re "as many or as few as you want". Postcards to Voters (unless changed since I did this last year) provides names/addresses in groups of 50, and Vote Forward "Letters to Voters", 20 names/addresses. Once someone has downloaded a list, no one else will receive the same names/addresses so if someone doesn't complete that list, the remainder not written to will not receive mail urging them to vote.
I did Postcards to Voters last year but soon learned that my 80-year-old hand did not 'like' writing the script provided in the small area of a postcard, my handwriting quickly deteriorated after 2-3 at a time, so I switched to Vote Forward to do letters. Vote Forward provides a set script to which you, the writer, can add your own comment(s) about why voting is important to you. Contact VoteFwd.org for letters to voters.
While postage for letters is more costly, including postage, paper and envelopes (you print out the template yourself and provide the envelopes), I was able to do far more letters than I could have done for postcards.
Good points all. I am working on postcards now and I do find it a little difficult to print rather than write in cursive (which they specify). I decided to do the postcards because the stamps are less expensive and I don't have to stuff envelopes. But as I say, you don't have to do a lot. If you don't want to do the whole list you can split it with a friend. Anyway, I hope they work!!
I write 5 a day for Ruben Gallego. Arizona is a make or break state for us. Votes for Gallego will help us keep the Senate, and his voters would vote for Biden too so it would help us keep the presidency. I write for activateamerica.vote, they have several campaigns you can choose from!
Our Democrat club has written postcards for the last several elections. We wrote postcards to Georgia and to Wisconsin. Basically they were saying to please vote and to remind your friends, neighbors, and relatives to vote as well. They were very successful. Our club got the voter addresses from some group (I wasn’t in on that part) and also bought postcards that we handwrote messages and addresses on. We also paid for the stamps. Be aware - if you’re doing this, postcard stamps are $.53 (or $53 for 100) right now but scheduled to go up in July. Buy now if you’re thinking of doing this. Very effective way to get out the vote. We will be mailing the cards for this election in October. 😁
I absolutely 100% believe you when you say they are effective. It makes sense. But is this measured in some way? Seems like it would be hard to get metrics on this kind of thing. But it is fabulous and I've not heard of this. I'll definitely try that here in Georgia.
The Environmental Voter Project is VERY scientific both in their wording (use what's called "social norming") and whom they target. Their goal is to get nonvoting environmentalists to vote in EVERY election---meaning even dogcatcher. It's not just about voting "this November," but becoming a consistent voter. Repetition and the message are carefully thought out. They don't even say who to vote for---they figure if someone cares about the environment that will guide them to not vote for #45, for example. Messages run along the line of, "Hi, Mike! Did you know 35 of your near neighbors voted in the last election. Do you plan to vote this November?" Research says this "peer pressure" works best.....that's the social norming. When Mike says yes, he gets a call back---"You said you'd vote next month. Have you a plan for voting?" etc Their randomized trials indicate their efforts make about a 1-2% difference and so focus their attention where that can spell the difference. https://www.environmentalvoter.org/results
If you look at the Environmental Voter Project website, you will see some good examples of how these sorts of effects can, in general, be measured. Environmental Voter Project is another great organization to support, as well.
I have written for Postcards to Swing States. This year, they are providing free postcards, last year I bought mine. You do have to pay for the stamps. You choose the state you want to send to, the number of postcards you want to write and they send you an address list and some suggested messages. The messages are carefully neutral, just urging you to vote, but not partisan. The organization sends literally millions of postcards, and it apparently really does help.
Momsrising.org. This is for any mom - any age. They send you a packet of 20 pre-addressed, pre-stamped postcards along with instructions. Then send them back in a prepaid envelope provided
Here are three I've been writing for since 2020 and highly recommend. Both Vote Forward and Postcards to Swing States have conducted good research to show the effectiveness of this kind of voter outreach. Other organizations have also.
I have written postcards. It's the person to person touch that is important. Contact your local Democratic organization and let them know your interest!
I have been doing postcards for several years with friends from Indivisible.Some folks write, some folks underwrite the costs. I think we are currently working with Field Team Six. Different groups have different targets and different rules. Lately I have been writing non registered people in MI who have been identified as likely to vote blue. I have written to many states, usually urging voter registration, but sometimes in support of a candidate. I believe at least some of the folks will follow through and I can tell myself and my grandkids that at least I tried.
Yes to all who have already replied. I write with several of the same groups. I’d like to highlight Center for Common Ground/Reclaim Our Vote, a “primarily volunteer-run campaign that focuses on increasing BIPOC voter turnout.“
They send you postcards, a script, and addresses. You buy the stamps.
Also check out Markers For Democracy! What a marvelous powerhouse that group is. Not only do they write postcards, but they offer and attend Zooms Mon-Friday. They postcard together on the Zoom, sometimes with guest speaker. They are amazing! https://markersfordemocracy.org/
Field Team 6 is also a reputable organization and even trains for the postcarding. They are concentrating on getting likely Democrats to register to vote, then vote.
Totally agree! I have been donating to swing Senate and House seats, and intend to make my donation to Biden/Harris TODAY as a statement. I would LOVE to hear that Biden had a banner donation day today too. It would say a lot-------together we can make this happen, folks, even $5, $25, $50 etc at a time. Let's DO it!
I have a standing monthly donation to Biden/Harris, and have also donated multiple other times. I agree we have to do all we can to promote Democratic candidates all the way down the ballot.
I live in Maryland. Larry Hogan as Senator would be a disaster.
It’s true, he’s not cut from the MAGA cloth, but the only reason why he’s considered a moderate is a Democratic- controlled Maryland state legislature checked Hogan’s worst “conservative” impulses. And while he did an ok job during the pandemic, he punted the tough public health decisions to County Executives and city mayors, but then publicly second guessed them, and passive-aggressively undercut their public health decisions. So, as COVID transmission rates were running high in Baltimore, the mayor continued mask mandates and lockdown measures longer- but did Hogan back the mayor up and support him In the decisions being made? Nope- Hogan publicly chastised Baltimore’s pandemic control response consistently. He did the same to County executives dealing with similar COVID transmission issues.
The man never missed an opportunity to screw over Baltimore, Maryland’s most prominent major city.
Even though he’s not a rabid MAGA Republican, he’d go along with the party 99% of the time. He’d be Maryland’s Susan Collins.
Was he the governor that was trying to buy masks and things and kind of got taken by a scammer? Or the stuff he bought didn't come in until too late? I can't remember the story. Something about his wife having some connections?
Yes- his wife is Korean and he used her connections back in Korea to buy COVID tests. He spent $7 MM for them. He didn’t get scammed- it’s just that the reagents required for the tests weren’t available or expired. So ultimately, the tests were unusable. And I actually give the man a pass on that one. It’s easy to forget, but at the time, N95 masks were in low supply (needed) for medical teams and first responders) and COVID tests were practically unavailable. Remember?- Jared Kushner was only releasing masks,PPE, and tests to “friends of Trump”. And the Trump administration was confiscating supplies from states on the whim of the Administration. Hogan brought the Korean COVID tests in to the Baltimore airport and had the Maryland National Guard meet the plane to prevent Kushner’s cronies from appropriating them for Federal use. I still think that was a bold move on Hogan’s part.
But, where Hogan shows his inner weasel is- he’s never admitted publicly what happened with the tests. Silence,Nada, Bupkis
I’d respect him more if he just admitted the tests weren’t usable, he gave it a shot and it was worth the risk- but it didn’t work out. But he’s never had the guts or honesty to do that.
Thanks, I couldn't remember the details except that it went south. I guess heart was in the right place. It was a tough time for getting any kind of supplies.
While I am beyond delighted with the unanimous verdict, I hope and pray every day that someone in the GOP will come to their senses and scream “ENOUGH!” Anxiously awaited the day of reckoning…and July 11th.
Sigh. Hope springs eternal . . . The RNC is an organized crime syndicate managed and funded by Fascist Billionaire Puppet masters. Chaos is their current agenda. The Cult will do as it is told to promote the destruction of this democracy. And they will do it believing it’s a righteous thing to do. They see all Dems as dangerous killers; they have zero understanding of Big Picture maneuvering by political bosses.
A GOP that could come to its senses doesn't exist anymore. All the decent, traditional members have left or are too afraid to speak up. As Dawna says today's GOP only exists to support the rightwing (christian?) nationalist agenda and their puppet Trump.
"timid Dems"? Seriously? I live in a red state where just a Dem sticker can get your tires slashed and yet fellow Dems put that sticker on. We live where threats and 6 foot Trump flags fly to show us "our place." And still, when we vote in the primary we proudly announce we are a registered Democrat. That information is public, by the way.
Our president has spoken clearly and forcefully about protecting the rule of law. Other than Dick Durbin, I think our Congressional leaders have fought strategically and bravely. TIMID? That's not a word I'd use for Dems who face increasingly violent rhetoric, doxxing, swatting, and actual acts of violence (Mr. Pelosi and the Georgia poll workers come to mind).
I certainly understand why I got your hackles up. However, your response was primarily about Democratic voters and not our elected officials. You did mention Pelosi. However, she does not appear to represent the majority. There are some though Dems like AOC and Jasmine Crockett, but they are not in control. What is the Senate doing? Why are there no hearings about the corrupt SCROTUS? What took the DOJ so long to start investigations?
I saw a video from some group of Republicans against trump talking about how they all said Enough! I don't know if it's playing as a commercial, I saw it on a panel show.
I've already gotten a fundraising email from tffg (The Felonious Former Guy) claiming "Darkest Day in American History!" For the record I have never sent him a penny, or subscribed to any of his fundraising emails, or done anything but speak out loudly AGAINST him. And yet he's begging ME for money because <checks notes> 9/11 and 1/6 and 12/7 (attack on Pearl Harbor) were just side notes in American history.
While I was (still) a grad student at the most expensive school west of the Mississippi (at least it was at the time), I was already getting donation requests from said school. Not only would I be paying my loans for many years, but they want free money right now?! Nope.
So I started shredding their materials, stuffing the shreds into their postage-paid envelope, and sending it back. At least they would have to pay the postage. I admit , it may have been a lil' bit petty and passive-agressive, but maybe it would add up to something significant if everyone did it.....
I love this! I did something similar with the Libertarian Party back when I was a member (yes, I was, don't hate me, I've grown up now). I hate guns but they're big on "gun rights". They made the mistake of sending me a fundraiser letter with postage-paid envelope for this cause. I spent the next month clipping out every article I found in just my city's newspaper - granted, it was Chicago ;) - regarding a shooting and put ALL of them in a large envelope. The collection was too big for their return envelope so I cut the front of theirs off and affixed it to the large manila one I used instead.
Thank you for your even-handed assessment of the current situation.
I am crossing my fingers that this conviction will at least somewhat affect the campaign coverage by MSM, especially the NYT, of Trump and the GOP. They have a lot to correct, not least of which is the bizzaro world claim by Johnson et al that this trial was political and nothing else. This trial and its outcome was the very OPPOSITE of political. It was decided upon by the evidence - a voluminous and massive preponderance of evidence - weighed by twelve fair-minded Americans. This New York jury has shown more integrity and courage than both houses of Congress, the SCOTUS, and mainstream media all put together. May they and Justice Merchan remain safe.
What IS political is an exhausting list of GOP actions, including the Senate refusing to convict Trump in two impeachments with incontrovertible evidence, AG Barr misrepresenting the Mueller report, the SCOTUS taking on the immunity case and then sitting on it like an ostrich egg after it had already been ruled upon by the lower court, Aileen Cannon refusing to rule and slow-walking in the documents case, and the Trump Georgia defense attacking Fani Willis's personal life in order to impede the case there.
The GOP in Congress has refused to recognize the outcome of the 2020 election, and now they are refusing to recognize a verdict of our legal system. What does that make them? What DO they recognize as legitimate? The rule of law is still embattled, but it has won a significant skirmish.
“This New York jury has shown more integrity and courage than both houses of Congress, the SCOTUS, and mainstream media all put together.” Agreed 💯%, Douglas!
I'm reminded of the one-two punch that destroyed George W. Bush's "aura of invincibility" - for nearly four years, from 9/11 through the 2004 elections, if you criticized him for ANYTHING it was "We're at war! How DARE you be on the terrorists' side! Why do you HATE AMERICA?!"
But then there was Katrina, and the worst federal disaster response in history - followed by Stephen Colbert at the Correspondents' Dinner, savagely insulting GWB right to his face, five feet away.
After that, GWB was officially a lame duck. Let us pray that the same thing has just happened to PAB.
The "Why do you hate America?" line needs to be turned back against the GOP. It is implicit in the very term "MAGA" that they hate America as it now is and will only love it again when it's reverted to something else.
That Colbert WHCD talk should be an addendum in "Profiles in Courage." I almost can't breathe even now while watching it.
Next time, MAGA Mike needs to go. While I'm sure it wouldn't apply to all of them, I think Jeff Tiedrich had an interesting theory. Russia also hacked into the RNC's servers when it hacked the DNC. While they released anything they thought could be embarrassing or damaging from the DNC, they didn't release anything on the RNC. Perhaps it was given to Trump for kompromat. It's the only thing that can explain to me the timing and complete subjugation of some of his most vocal critics in the GOP - Graham, Cruz, Rubio, etc.
*Significant pause*....Now THAT'S an very interesting thought. It is certainly something that J. Edgar Hoover did back in the day to keep control and protect himself.
All you need to connect those dots is recall what Graham was saying before he went to play golf with the convict, and what he has said ever since. There are other examples of people doing a 180 after meeting with the convict. This is a very believable scenario - it's an Occam's Razor solution.
🙋🏾♀️Is it sad that I heard this "theory" before (or shortly after?) the 2016 election? Is it sad that from a country far away across the oceans I take so much notice of the continuing disaster for the US & the world that is this man and his unhinged MAGATs & enablers, that when lots of these things surface like they are "news" I say "but I already KNEW that!"???😢🤷♀️
I've noticed very little "he's innocent" when babbling about the conviction; instead they are sticking to blaming the courts and Biden. I'm convinced that like any mob boss, he has dirty little secrets on every single one of them, and they're walking a fine line between defending him and saying anything that might anger him. He gets to play the martyr, but hopefully the fence-sitters will see right through him.
Yes, he isn't trying to claim he didn't do what he did, rather that it's not a crime to pay lawyers and have NDAs (or even to have affairs ... though he doesn't want to admit that bit), and it's unfair for him to be charged with falsifying records because everyone makes false statements in their business records all the time. He isn't innocent, but it's not fair to charge him. It's like saying I shouldn't have to pay a speeding ticket because of all the other people who didn't get stopped or just got a warning.
Yes. Why are the properties not being taken? So much crap involving Trumpian it is hard to remember it all but I seem to remember the NY Supreme Court got their greasy hands on the verdict and scaled back the damages meaning more legal stonewalling.
My memory is that they scaled back the damages for over $400,000 to about $175,000 or asked the original court to consider this reduction. Hopefully, someone with absolute memory will weigh in on this.
They have not "scaled back the damages" - they have simply accepted the amount of the bond pending appeal. And you have left off three zeros - the amounts are in hundreds of MILLIONS, not thousands.
So many lawsuits and so many convictions with bond requirements in order to file an appeal. It's easy to lose track! I was actually thinking of the NY Attorney General's bond requirement (not E. Jean Carroll #2), which was reduced (not the damages but the required bond to be posted). Damages from the E. Jean Carroll trial #2 weren't reduced and Trump did post the required bond. https://apnews.com/article/e-jean-carroll-trump-defamation-appeal-298114f9b8c402643ec4747671fc75de
I heard a long-time appellate lawyer explain that "the trial" is not over until sentence is delivered, so "gag order" would normally be at least until then, & also argued that any Appeal is also an actual part of the trial in that witnesses may still be involved in hearings before a final decision, so ... as usual with the CFDD (Convicted Felon Donald Drumpf) "normally" is a placeholder for "lets wait & see" 🤷♀️🤔
And it has been reported that the actual appeal cannot be submitted until after his sentencing.
The prosecution also makes a report to the court. About should there be incarceration. They could also list the additional threats CFDD has made. Then the judge could add time for that.
OK - that knowledge surely trumps mine. That'd be fun, to see Judge Merchan haul him in once or twice a week to hold him in contempt again - maybe even lock him up for a few hours (longer than that is only a beautiful dream) - just long enough to have him sputtering and sundowning as he's late to his next campaign appearance.
Turns out that isn't true. I thought it was as well. But it seems that the gag order is still in place. Maybe until sentencing? But I don't know.
And Friday am at his little presser (I wonder how many people in the crowd were paid to be there) he lit into everyone some more and that will be additional charges of breaking the gag order if they bother to go after him.
Thank you Jay for breaking it all down. What's terrifying to me is that the GOPs are so afraid of the convicted felon and are still allowing him to represent their party in the upcoming election! All of them must be voted out!!!!!
Yeah, anyone that says "your candidate is too old - don't Dems have anyone better?" now gets the answer "your candidate is a felon, don't Republicans have anyone better?"
Not only that, but Trump is only three years younger than Biden, so older than Biden when he took office and was ubiquitously deemed ‘too old’. What's more, Trump shows distinct signs of mental impairment beyond that of normal ageing.
In a way, it's really too late for them to get someone else. Nikki Haley would like them to pick her but that's just not going to happen. Are they going to put Tim Scott up and his semi-imaginary fiancée? Vivek Ramaswamy who at least half their voters won't vote for because he's too foreign? All the challengers weren't able to get enough votes. And there is no super candidate that is just waiting in the wings.
On top of that, say they did find someone - the RNC is now a trump organization. Do you think they would bankroll someone else? I guess if it was Don Jr. Then the button in the oval office you push for a Coke could be real coke button...
People who did far less than subverting an election have received jail time in New York. So if defendants are to be treated similarly, Trump should receive substantial jail time, especially given his total lack of contrition and contemptuous behavior.
The next time a call to vacate the speakership comes up, the Dems need to take one step back and put their hands in their pockets.
There were some good reasons for what the Dems did supporting the speaker. Unfortunately when it comes to dealing with repugnants it always seems to be choice between a turd and a piece of shit.
I agree with you and I agree with the original poster. At this stage in the game, although the question is unlikely to come up, any more cooperation with this fanatic needs to end. When you diss a well-vetted jury in our jury system, you lose the right to hold legislative office.
Not according to MAGA unfortunately.
in this context, "according to MAGA" only matters if they flail and screech their way back into death-grip on the House
Mike Johnson is following a playbook defined by Prof. Ruth Ben-Ghiat in her Substack Lucid. https://lucid.substack.com/p/maga-leader-cult-damage-control-talking
I encourage you to both read this and view the video link at the bottom in which she talks about how other countries have handled their Strongmen.
I like how Brazil jumped on the same situation we had, and actually arrested the people at the top. Also, stopping Bolsonaro from running for 5 years will help, but I think it should be for longer. Just looking at Hitler one sees how autocrats get around those rules after a while.
Thank you. I truly appreciate your work to keep civilization from going completely off the rails. I’ve always known that if we are to be saved, most of the work will be done by women.
In that case, we need to redouble our efforts to make sure Speaker Hakeem Jeffries takes the gavel after November!
If not before. More of the Republican's are quitting. They only have 1 seat up.
Amen. Johnson is 2 heartbeats from becoming Prez, pardoning Trump, making him VP, then resigning.
Just say NO to Johnson.
No federal pardons for state convictions. If upheld on appeal, this one sticks.
WHEEW!
Now they’re trying to convince the governor of NY to pardon him. What IS the secret sauce about this guy?
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Hochul would never do that in a million years! That's one of the reasons why it was so important that one of the indictments was in New York.
i also heard that — in GA at least — even pardons can't be effected until after the sentence is served?
sadly, he can still appeal, all the way to SCOTUS.
Unlikely it will go past the NY Court of Appeals (Supreme Court).
I don't know about that. Some states can be shockingly wrong-headed.
We should have said 'no' to allowing religious fanatics in Congress...
The evangelicals took care of that.
I was thinking it was time for Dems to actually put in a motion to vacate themselves. Let's see if MTG (Q-Moscow) would vote for it ...
no MAGA heel is afraid of flipflopping, because the news cycle drowns "I never said that" and the necessarily-more-time-consuming demonstrations of "yes you did", and the voters in the tank for them DGAF even if they devote any bandwidth to Disputes With The Enemy in the first place...
Everything you list as bad news would have happened after an acquittal or a hung jury too—even worse if anything. This is a day for celebration, probably the biggest “Sometimes this country is what it says it is” day since Obama’s first election.
I was surprised, albeit not as surprised as some. Jurors generally take their duties seriously in my very limited experience. That supposed Trump supporter on the jury might actually be a Trump supporter, but he still had the basic human self-respect to actually look at the facts and the law. (Of course, the fact that Trump didn’t put on an actual defense at any point other than threatening people was likely a factor.)
My only quibble with your piece, Jay, is that Mike Johnson is not misleading anyone; he’s lying. They’re all lying. Lying in order to whip people up against the law and the election system, with violence if necessary.
I hear you. The problem with calling them liars all the time is that the word loses its meaning. I now reserve liar for the most egregious instances.
Lying has lost its meaning for sure. Alternative facts, perhaps? Watching my senators (Scott and Graham) today, I just wanted to throw rotten tomatoes at them. Only the faces changed; they were both pandering the same drivel.
My Senator, Marsha Blackburn, and nine others have vowed to not pass any legislation that would help the Biden administration. What were they elected to do?
Not just the Biden administration, but the American people. It is so juvenile, and that is what we get in the MAGA part of the Republican party, spreading to the rest, juvenile behavior at every turn. Dealing with unruly, scheming children 24/7 is exhausting and the big daddy of them all is in a manic rage that he is exerting on everyone, and I for one am exhausted by his every word and deed! Get rid of him!
Are people in South Carolina really that conservative that they are happy with both Scott and Graham as their senators? They both seem so craven.
Very much a red state. Never-democrats, always vote party. It’s disgusting and disheartening. We also have Nancy Mace.
My condolences.
They are not facts, so not alternative facts. Alternative points of view definitely. Lie enough and it becomes your truth.
i don't know how that tracks (which is probably why i am nothing like a communications director). if a lie of omission is still effectively a falsification of the facts, then isn't skipping the accurate labeling of actual and total falsehoods effectively giving him/them a pass?
→ even if you save sound accusations for "the most egregious examples" doesn't that help to normalize the "less egregious" ones WHICH ARE STILL EGREGIOUS — AND CONSTANT ... i mean aren't demagogues all banking on your worry that _____ will lose all meaning? "liberal" has 'lost all meaning' after 50 years of demonization of imaginary threats, but it still seems to have plenty of power to perversely fuel real contempt/rage/fear in more voters than I'm inclined to shake a stick at.
I was mostly surprised by the jury saying "guilty" to every single count. I really thought that somebody on the jury would convince the others that their safety was in danger (because it probably is) and that it would be safer to vote Not Guilty on some of the charges to give them some cover.
I was keeping an eye on the latest udpates yesterday and when the judge said he was sending the jurors home, I sighed. That was worrisome to me. Then, he said, "Oh, I just got a note. They have a verdict."
That changed my mood. I knew he was getting convicted. They wouldn't have returned with a not guilty verdict that quickly.
These are valiant people. They deserve our respect and, most of all, protection.
If there really is a MAGA juror, maybe he/she deserves the highest praise of all.
The fact that all involved in this trial had to wear body armor arriving and leaving the courtroom is so incredibly disturbing. It’s the environment created by trump and the Republicans. It’s truly sad.
Can you tell me where you saw that the jury wore body armor? I checked and all I can find is that the Stormy Daniels’ lawyer said she wore a bullet-proof vest but nothing about the jury. Thanks
I heard it while listening to my local public radio station/NPR.
Don’t know if jury did.
Since they were keeping the jury anonymous, I think putting them in body armor would have outed them. My guess is that they were not and likely just filed in and out with the regular jurors. Likely they went to a holding room instead of right into the courtroom though. And out the same way - then mixing with other jurors leaving.
Like Dump wanting to shut off the metal detectors on 1/6..
If you read through the actual charges, it would have been highly unlikely for the jurors to vote on anything less than 11 or 12 of the charges for a given action. Each of the charged actions occurred once a month, only differing by the date they occurred and the check or ledger number.
I most definitely did not read through the charges. That's why I read Jay. Why would I give this fool (Trump) that much of my time. I'm a busy man.
He would have been a convicted felon whether he was found guilty on one count or 34 counts. Plus, the counts were essentially all the same so it made no sense to split them up.
Next time trump should write one check instead of spreading it over time...
If you bounce 10 checks, you get 10 charges. Same thing. Like if you rob the liquor store 8 times, you get 8 charges.
Exactly
It's possible that the "supposed Trump supporter" had no idea of the true events or charges until attending the trial, and was actually open to believing them.
Masha Gessen has noted that Putin stays in power through maintaining the appearance of invincibility and inevitability. For tfg, the sheen of invincibility for many is gone and the inevitability of another term is in question. This is a good first step.
IMHO, Dobbs was the first step. And him claiming credit for it again and again.
People aren't going to forget that in November. No matter what the RNC thinks.
I just hope their votes are counted. The R-traitors are doing everything they can to have that not be the case
Gov. Larry Hogan is trying to get elected in a blue state. He will fail. I am adjusting to the flood of hate from the right by donating money to democrats, most notably $100 to Biden/Harris. It's not a lot, but I'm pushing my donation limits. I would encourage everyone here to do the same. Nothing is more important than winning in November. Our individual survival, not to mention the nation's, now seems to depend on it.
And please write postcards and letters to voters with Vote Forward, Postcards to Swing States, and Field Team 6.
Can someone explain to me how this writing postcards work? Who has done it? Are there trustworthy organizations putting this on. Is there any measure of success for these? I would like do more than donate and comment here but don't want to waste money or time on something that is not effective.
Yes, apparently these letters and postcards do get results. I have so far written letters with Vote Forward and postcards with Moms Rising. This time I'm doing postcards with Field Team 6 and Postcards to Swing States. You can choose your campaign with Vote Forward and Field Team 6. I can't remember whether I chose the one I'm doing with Postcards to Swing States or whether they just gave me one. You can write as many or as few as you want. They do have provisions for volunteers who can't afford to pay for the materials and postage. Hope this helps.
Re "as many or as few as you want". Postcards to Voters (unless changed since I did this last year) provides names/addresses in groups of 50, and Vote Forward "Letters to Voters", 20 names/addresses. Once someone has downloaded a list, no one else will receive the same names/addresses so if someone doesn't complete that list, the remainder not written to will not receive mail urging them to vote.
I did Postcards to Voters last year but soon learned that my 80-year-old hand did not 'like' writing the script provided in the small area of a postcard, my handwriting quickly deteriorated after 2-3 at a time, so I switched to Vote Forward to do letters. Vote Forward provides a set script to which you, the writer, can add your own comment(s) about why voting is important to you. Contact VoteFwd.org for letters to voters.
While postage for letters is more costly, including postage, paper and envelopes (you print out the template yourself and provide the envelopes), I was able to do far more letters than I could have done for postcards.
Good points all. I am working on postcards now and I do find it a little difficult to print rather than write in cursive (which they specify). I decided to do the postcards because the stamps are less expensive and I don't have to stuff envelopes. But as I say, you don't have to do a lot. If you don't want to do the whole list you can split it with a friend. Anyway, I hope they work!!
Great point about sharing a list with a friend (or two....).
Thank you I will look into this.
I hope it works out.
I write 5 a day for Ruben Gallego. Arizona is a make or break state for us. Votes for Gallego will help us keep the Senate, and his voters would vote for Biden too so it would help us keep the presidency. I write for activateamerica.vote, they have several campaigns you can choose from!
Also listen to Simon Rosenberg, Democratic strategist on Substack.
Our Democrat club has written postcards for the last several elections. We wrote postcards to Georgia and to Wisconsin. Basically they were saying to please vote and to remind your friends, neighbors, and relatives to vote as well. They were very successful. Our club got the voter addresses from some group (I wasn’t in on that part) and also bought postcards that we handwrote messages and addresses on. We also paid for the stamps. Be aware - if you’re doing this, postcard stamps are $.53 (or $53 for 100) right now but scheduled to go up in July. Buy now if you’re thinking of doing this. Very effective way to get out the vote. We will be mailing the cards for this election in October. 😁
I absolutely 100% believe you when you say they are effective. It makes sense. But is this measured in some way? Seems like it would be hard to get metrics on this kind of thing. But it is fabulous and I've not heard of this. I'll definitely try that here in Georgia.
The Environmental Voter Project is VERY scientific both in their wording (use what's called "social norming") and whom they target. Their goal is to get nonvoting environmentalists to vote in EVERY election---meaning even dogcatcher. It's not just about voting "this November," but becoming a consistent voter. Repetition and the message are carefully thought out. They don't even say who to vote for---they figure if someone cares about the environment that will guide them to not vote for #45, for example. Messages run along the line of, "Hi, Mike! Did you know 35 of your near neighbors voted in the last election. Do you plan to vote this November?" Research says this "peer pressure" works best.....that's the social norming. When Mike says yes, he gets a call back---"You said you'd vote next month. Have you a plan for voting?" etc Their randomized trials indicate their efforts make about a 1-2% difference and so focus their attention where that can spell the difference. https://www.environmentalvoter.org/results
Good info, thx!!
If you look at the Environmental Voter Project website, you will see some good examples of how these sorts of effects can, in general, be measured. Environmental Voter Project is another great organization to support, as well.
Thx very much for this info, Barbara. I'll do this too.
http://turnoutpac.org/postcards
They send you postcards with stamps. Getting my next 300 any day now.
It does make a small difference which is why you selectively choose to write to a place where a small 1-2% difference can make an impact.
I have written for Postcards to Swing States. This year, they are providing free postcards, last year I bought mine. You do have to pay for the stamps. You choose the state you want to send to, the number of postcards you want to write and they send you an address list and some suggested messages. The messages are carefully neutral, just urging you to vote, but not partisan. The organization sends literally millions of postcards, and it apparently really does help.
Momsrising.org. This is for any mom - any age. They send you a packet of 20 pre-addressed, pre-stamped postcards along with instructions. Then send them back in a prepaid envelope provided
Here are three I've been writing for since 2020 and highly recommend. Both Vote Forward and Postcards to Swing States have conducted good research to show the effectiveness of this kind of voter outreach. Other organizations have also.
https://votefwd.org/campaigns
https://postcardstovoters.org/
https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards/
I have written postcards. It's the person to person touch that is important. Contact your local Democratic organization and let them know your interest!
I am writing postcards to swing States via Progressive Turnout Project. The target audience is registered voters reminding them to vote.
I have been doing postcards for several years with friends from Indivisible.Some folks write, some folks underwrite the costs. I think we are currently working with Field Team Six. Different groups have different targets and different rules. Lately I have been writing non registered people in MI who have been identified as likely to vote blue. I have written to many states, usually urging voter registration, but sometimes in support of a candidate. I believe at least some of the folks will follow through and I can tell myself and my grandkids that at least I tried.
Yes to all who have already replied. I write with several of the same groups. I’d like to highlight Center for Common Ground/Reclaim Our Vote, a “primarily volunteer-run campaign that focuses on increasing BIPOC voter turnout.“
https://www.centerforcommonground.org/reclaim-our-vote
They send you postcards, a script, and addresses. You buy the stamps.
Also check out Markers For Democracy! What a marvelous powerhouse that group is. Not only do they write postcards, but they offer and attend Zooms Mon-Friday. They postcard together on the Zoom, sometimes with guest speaker. They are amazing! https://markersfordemocracy.org/
Vote Forward? I'll check them out! Thank you!
Field Team 6 is also a reputable organization and even trains for the postcarding. They are concentrating on getting likely Democrats to register to vote, then vote.
Yes. They have people write letters. The other two groups focus on postcards.
👏👏YES! Thank you!! I donated money to several causes/campaigns last night and will do more today!
Totally agree! I have been donating to swing Senate and House seats, and intend to make my donation to Biden/Harris TODAY as a statement. I would LOVE to hear that Biden had a banner donation day today too. It would say a lot-------together we can make this happen, folks, even $5, $25, $50 etc at a time. Let's DO it!
$34!! I donate regularly to Biden, but I think I will donate $34 today!
I have a standing monthly donation to Biden/Harris, and have also donated multiple other times. I agree we have to do all we can to promote Democratic candidates all the way down the ballot.
Donating to Biden/Harris today, as well as our Blue Senate candidate in AZ. Go BLUE!
And don't forget about the down ballot state races. AZ legislature is a near even split. We could conceivably take both houses this year.
I live in Maryland. Larry Hogan as Senator would be a disaster.
It’s true, he’s not cut from the MAGA cloth, but the only reason why he’s considered a moderate is a Democratic- controlled Maryland state legislature checked Hogan’s worst “conservative” impulses. And while he did an ok job during the pandemic, he punted the tough public health decisions to County Executives and city mayors, but then publicly second guessed them, and passive-aggressively undercut their public health decisions. So, as COVID transmission rates were running high in Baltimore, the mayor continued mask mandates and lockdown measures longer- but did Hogan back the mayor up and support him In the decisions being made? Nope- Hogan publicly chastised Baltimore’s pandemic control response consistently. He did the same to County executives dealing with similar COVID transmission issues.
The man never missed an opportunity to screw over Baltimore, Maryland’s most prominent major city.
Even though he’s not a rabid MAGA Republican, he’d go along with the party 99% of the time. He’d be Maryland’s Susan Collins.
No thanks.
Was he the governor that was trying to buy masks and things and kind of got taken by a scammer? Or the stuff he bought didn't come in until too late? I can't remember the story. Something about his wife having some connections?
Yes- his wife is Korean and he used her connections back in Korea to buy COVID tests. He spent $7 MM for them. He didn’t get scammed- it’s just that the reagents required for the tests weren’t available or expired. So ultimately, the tests were unusable. And I actually give the man a pass on that one. It’s easy to forget, but at the time, N95 masks were in low supply (needed) for medical teams and first responders) and COVID tests were practically unavailable. Remember?- Jared Kushner was only releasing masks,PPE, and tests to “friends of Trump”. And the Trump administration was confiscating supplies from states on the whim of the Administration. Hogan brought the Korean COVID tests in to the Baltimore airport and had the Maryland National Guard meet the plane to prevent Kushner’s cronies from appropriating them for Federal use. I still think that was a bold move on Hogan’s part.
But, where Hogan shows his inner weasel is- he’s never admitted publicly what happened with the tests. Silence,Nada, Bupkis
I’d respect him more if he just admitted the tests weren’t usable, he gave it a shot and it was worth the risk- but it didn’t work out. But he’s never had the guts or honesty to do that.
Thanks, I couldn't remember the details except that it went south. I guess heart was in the right place. It was a tough time for getting any kind of supplies.
We've been donating as much as we can to Biden and the Dems in strategic Senate/House races.
Also participating in postcard campaigns since we live in Idaho, the reddest state in the Union...well, reddest after Wyoming.
"ammosexual"...I'm dying here!!!
While I am beyond delighted with the unanimous verdict, I hope and pray every day that someone in the GOP will come to their senses and scream “ENOUGH!” Anxiously awaited the day of reckoning…and July 11th.
Sigh. Hope springs eternal . . . The RNC is an organized crime syndicate managed and funded by Fascist Billionaire Puppet masters. Chaos is their current agenda. The Cult will do as it is told to promote the destruction of this democracy. And they will do it believing it’s a righteous thing to do. They see all Dems as dangerous killers; they have zero understanding of Big Picture maneuvering by political bosses.
A GOP that could come to its senses doesn't exist anymore. All the decent, traditional members have left or are too afraid to speak up. As Dawna says today's GOP only exists to support the rightwing (christian?) nationalist agenda and their puppet Trump.
Agree. There is absolutely no integrity or even appearance of integrity with the Repugnants. Unfortunately not happy with timid Dems either.
"timid Dems"? Seriously? I live in a red state where just a Dem sticker can get your tires slashed and yet fellow Dems put that sticker on. We live where threats and 6 foot Trump flags fly to show us "our place." And still, when we vote in the primary we proudly announce we are a registered Democrat. That information is public, by the way.
Our president has spoken clearly and forcefully about protecting the rule of law. Other than Dick Durbin, I think our Congressional leaders have fought strategically and bravely. TIMID? That's not a word I'd use for Dems who face increasingly violent rhetoric, doxxing, swatting, and actual acts of violence (Mr. Pelosi and the Georgia poll workers come to mind).
I certainly understand why I got your hackles up. However, your response was primarily about Democratic voters and not our elected officials. You did mention Pelosi. However, she does not appear to represent the majority. There are some though Dems like AOC and Jasmine Crockett, but they are not in control. What is the Senate doing? Why are there no hearings about the corrupt SCROTUS? What took the DOJ so long to start investigations?
I stand by my opinion.
Isn't the Senate still in sort of a power sharing agreement? I think Ds have the upper hand but it's only by one seat.
You scream the word "ENOUGH" which is certainly appropriate AND is the title of Cassidy Hutchinson's book.
I saw a video from some group of Republicans against trump talking about how they all said Enough! I don't know if it's playing as a commercial, I saw it on a panel show.
I've already gotten a fundraising email from tffg (The Felonious Former Guy) claiming "Darkest Day in American History!" For the record I have never sent him a penny, or subscribed to any of his fundraising emails, or done anything but speak out loudly AGAINST him. And yet he's begging ME for money because <checks notes> 9/11 and 1/6 and 12/7 (attack on Pearl Harbor) were just side notes in American history.
Yes,i was getting text messages from them and I simply reply “Fuck you”. Stopped the text messages.
I replied with "Boy, have YOU got the wrong address - GUILTY BWAHAHAHA!!"
I like that more than STOP 😂😆🤣😂😂🤣😆
While I was (still) a grad student at the most expensive school west of the Mississippi (at least it was at the time), I was already getting donation requests from said school. Not only would I be paying my loans for many years, but they want free money right now?! Nope.
So I started shredding their materials, stuffing the shreds into their postage-paid envelope, and sending it back. At least they would have to pay the postage. I admit , it may have been a lil' bit petty and passive-agressive, but maybe it would add up to something significant if everyone did it.....
I love this! I did something similar with the Libertarian Party back when I was a member (yes, I was, don't hate me, I've grown up now). I hate guns but they're big on "gun rights". They made the mistake of sending me a fundraiser letter with postage-paid envelope for this cause. I spent the next month clipping out every article I found in just my city's newspaper - granted, it was Chicago ;) - regarding a shooting and put ALL of them in a large envelope. The collection was too big for their return envelope so I cut the front of theirs off and affixed it to the large manila one I used instead.
Well played! :-)
Thank you for your even-handed assessment of the current situation.
I am crossing my fingers that this conviction will at least somewhat affect the campaign coverage by MSM, especially the NYT, of Trump and the GOP. They have a lot to correct, not least of which is the bizzaro world claim by Johnson et al that this trial was political and nothing else. This trial and its outcome was the very OPPOSITE of political. It was decided upon by the evidence - a voluminous and massive preponderance of evidence - weighed by twelve fair-minded Americans. This New York jury has shown more integrity and courage than both houses of Congress, the SCOTUS, and mainstream media all put together. May they and Justice Merchan remain safe.
What IS political is an exhausting list of GOP actions, including the Senate refusing to convict Trump in two impeachments with incontrovertible evidence, AG Barr misrepresenting the Mueller report, the SCOTUS taking on the immunity case and then sitting on it like an ostrich egg after it had already been ruled upon by the lower court, Aileen Cannon refusing to rule and slow-walking in the documents case, and the Trump Georgia defense attacking Fani Willis's personal life in order to impede the case there.
The GOP in Congress has refused to recognize the outcome of the 2020 election, and now they are refusing to recognize a verdict of our legal system. What does that make them? What DO they recognize as legitimate? The rule of law is still embattled, but it has won a significant skirmish.
“This New York jury has shown more integrity and courage than both houses of Congress, the SCOTUS, and mainstream media all put together.” Agreed 💯%, Douglas!
As a friend of mine is fond of saying:
There. Are. No. Good. Ones.
Not one.
I'm reminded of the one-two punch that destroyed George W. Bush's "aura of invincibility" - for nearly four years, from 9/11 through the 2004 elections, if you criticized him for ANYTHING it was "We're at war! How DARE you be on the terrorists' side! Why do you HATE AMERICA?!"
But then there was Katrina, and the worst federal disaster response in history - followed by Stephen Colbert at the Correspondents' Dinner, savagely insulting GWB right to his face, five feet away.
After that, GWB was officially a lame duck. Let us pray that the same thing has just happened to PAB.
The "Why do you hate America?" line needs to be turned back against the GOP. It is implicit in the very term "MAGA" that they hate America as it now is and will only love it again when it's reverted to something else.
That Colbert WHCD talk should be an addendum in "Profiles in Courage." I almost can't breathe even now while watching it.
Next time, MAGA Mike needs to go. While I'm sure it wouldn't apply to all of them, I think Jeff Tiedrich had an interesting theory. Russia also hacked into the RNC's servers when it hacked the DNC. While they released anything they thought could be embarrassing or damaging from the DNC, they didn't release anything on the RNC. Perhaps it was given to Trump for kompromat. It's the only thing that can explain to me the timing and complete subjugation of some of his most vocal critics in the GOP - Graham, Cruz, Rubio, etc.
*Significant pause*....Now THAT'S an very interesting thought. It is certainly something that J. Edgar Hoover did back in the day to keep control and protect himself.
All you need to connect those dots is recall what Graham was saying before he went to play golf with the convict, and what he has said ever since. There are other examples of people doing a 180 after meeting with the convict. This is a very believable scenario - it's an Occam's Razor solution.
I thought the same when I read his Substack yesterday!
Absolutely agree. Its a logical explanation for all the GOP candidates who denounced Trump during the run up to 2016, then kissed his ring.
🙋🏾♀️Is it sad that I heard this "theory" before (or shortly after?) the 2016 election? Is it sad that from a country far away across the oceans I take so much notice of the continuing disaster for the US & the world that is this man and his unhinged MAGATs & enablers, that when lots of these things surface like they are "news" I say "but I already KNEW that!"???😢🤷♀️
I've noticed very little "he's innocent" when babbling about the conviction; instead they are sticking to blaming the courts and Biden. I'm convinced that like any mob boss, he has dirty little secrets on every single one of them, and they're walking a fine line between defending him and saying anything that might anger him. He gets to play the martyr, but hopefully the fence-sitters will see right through him.
Yes, he isn't trying to claim he didn't do what he did, rather that it's not a crime to pay lawyers and have NDAs (or even to have affairs ... though he doesn't want to admit that bit), and it's unfair for him to be charged with falsifying records because everyone makes false statements in their business records all the time. He isn't innocent, but it's not fair to charge him. It's like saying I shouldn't have to pay a speeding ticket because of all the other people who didn't get stopped or just got a warning.
It would be a disgrace to the Justice System and those jurists if trump did not serve jail time.
I don’t understand why he isn’t sentenced sooner.
Are the gag orders still in place? Or can he and his cult minions blab, whine, lie, and denigrate the entire process at will?
I’d love to see Judge Merchan’s daughter sue for defamation and libel/slander.
Where is the coverage re: NYS seizing the trump properties?
Regarding the property seizures, the state is satisfied with his bond while the appeal plays out.
Yes. Why are the properties not being taken? So much crap involving Trumpian it is hard to remember it all but I seem to remember the NY Supreme Court got their greasy hands on the verdict and scaled back the damages meaning more legal stonewalling.
Yes but--E. Jean and her lawyer are considering yet another suit against him. Imagine that! Bwa ha ha.
Did they scale back the damages or simply reduce the amount of the fine he was required to deposit in escrow?
My memory is that they scaled back the damages for over $400,000 to about $175,000 or asked the original court to consider this reduction. Hopefully, someone with absolute memory will weigh in on this.
They have not "scaled back the damages" - they have simply accepted the amount of the bond pending appeal. And you have left off three zeros - the amounts are in hundreds of MILLIONS, not thousands.
Typed too quickly while doing something else. That never works for me. Thank you for clarification and correction.
So many lawsuits and so many convictions with bond requirements in order to file an appeal. It's easy to lose track! I was actually thinking of the NY Attorney General's bond requirement (not E. Jean Carroll #2), which was reduced (not the damages but the required bond to be posted). Damages from the E. Jean Carroll trial #2 weren't reduced and Trump did post the required bond. https://apnews.com/article/e-jean-carroll-trump-defamation-appeal-298114f9b8c402643ec4747671fc75de
"A state appeals court ruled that Donald Trump and his co-defendants in the New York civil fraud case have 10 days to post a $175 million bond, down from the $464 million judgment that was originally due Monday." Trump is still liable for the full $464 million plus, I suppose, any accrued interest charges. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/ny-appeals-court-reduces-trumps-bond-civil-fraud-case-175-million-vict-rcna144659
Thank you.
Gag order terminates when the trial does - it was specific to the trial, and he is no longer a defendant - he is a convict. A CONVICT!
*giggle*
I heard a long-time appellate lawyer explain that "the trial" is not over until sentence is delivered, so "gag order" would normally be at least until then, & also argued that any Appeal is also an actual part of the trial in that witnesses may still be involved in hearings before a final decision, so ... as usual with the CFDD (Convicted Felon Donald Drumpf) "normally" is a placeholder for "lets wait & see" 🤷♀️🤔
And it has been reported that the actual appeal cannot be submitted until after his sentencing.
The prosecution also makes a report to the court. About should there be incarceration. They could also list the additional threats CFDD has made. Then the judge could add time for that.
OK - that knowledge surely trumps mine. That'd be fun, to see Judge Merchan haul him in once or twice a week to hold him in contempt again - maybe even lock him up for a few hours (longer than that is only a beautiful dream) - just long enough to have him sputtering and sundowning as he's late to his next campaign appearance.
Turns out that isn't true. I thought it was as well. But it seems that the gag order is still in place. Maybe until sentencing? But I don't know.
And Friday am at his little presser (I wonder how many people in the crowd were paid to be there) he lit into everyone some more and that will be additional charges of breaking the gag order if they bother to go after him.
I am thankful to many people that have and are supporting our democracy. Here are a few of them.
Cassidy Hutchinson
Liz Cheney
Rep. Adam Kissinger
Rep. Jasmine Crockett
Rep. Jamie Raskin
Rep. Andy Kim
Judge Juan Merchan
The entire jury in the Trump fraud case
We should be thinking about them and THANKING them for their convictions, courage and bravery.
Add Alexander Vindman and his brother Eugene.
Thank you Jay for breaking it all down. What's terrifying to me is that the GOPs are so afraid of the convicted felon and are still allowing him to represent their party in the upcoming election! All of them must be voted out!!!!!
Doesn't say much about their party, does it? I mean much good. It says a lot about how unprincipled they are.
Yeah, anyone that says "your candidate is too old - don't Dems have anyone better?" now gets the answer "your candidate is a felon, don't Republicans have anyone better?"
Not only that, but Trump is only three years younger than Biden, so older than Biden when he took office and was ubiquitously deemed ‘too old’. What's more, Trump shows distinct signs of mental impairment beyond that of normal ageing.
Dang, I love that one! May I borrow?
🤣🤣
In a way, it's really too late for them to get someone else. Nikki Haley would like them to pick her but that's just not going to happen. Are they going to put Tim Scott up and his semi-imaginary fiancée? Vivek Ramaswamy who at least half their voters won't vote for because he's too foreign? All the challengers weren't able to get enough votes. And there is no super candidate that is just waiting in the wings.
On top of that, say they did find someone - the RNC is now a trump organization. Do you think they would bankroll someone else? I guess if it was Don Jr. Then the button in the oval office you push for a Coke could be real coke button...
The Republicans are stuck with him.
Real coke button! LMAO 🤣
But my responsibility here is not to sugarcoat the facts. — thank you!
People who did far less than subverting an election have received jail time in New York. So if defendants are to be treated similarly, Trump should receive substantial jail time, especially given his total lack of contrition and contemptuous behavior.