86 Comments

"Imagine if Trump, DeSantis and Haley all bowed out of the GOP primaries."

Jay, you're such a tease!

Expand full comment
author

Haha!

Expand full comment

Actually, there appears to be a media-fueled Haley "boomlet" currently stirring, but anything, I suppose, to introduce a horse-race element into a Repub "primary" where the winner crossed the finish line the minute he announced his candidacy

months ago.

Expand full comment

Media said there was a red wave.

Media said that Jordan would be Speaker today.

Expand full comment

“but anything, I suppose, to introduce a horse-race element”

Exactly.

Expand full comment

Jesus is too progressive for the GOP.

Expand full comment

“Gove money to the poor. Take care of the sick. Pray in private.” Jesus has never had a place in the cut social programs, cruelty-is-the-goal, tout their “Christianity” as some sort of excuse Republican Party.

Expand full comment

Exactly. The GOP would be first in line to strap Jesus to the cross if he was around today.

Expand full comment

Of course. Jesus was an ardent socialist and humanitarian. And Republicans hate those. They prefer to support Communists and murderous dictators.

Expand full comment

Awesome comment. The ‘Chaos GOP’ is obviously for Pontius Pilot or maybe Judas?

Expand full comment
Oct 22, 2023Liked by Jay Kuo

"I’ve heard it said in our conference that Jesus can’t get to 217,” said Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).

Could be because Jesus wasn't an asshole, which seems to be a requirement in the House.

Expand full comment

“in the House”

No! A “being an asshole is a requirement in Congress” both-sides generalization is just providing cover for the Republicans. Don’t fall into that trap and promote Republican lies.

This is ENTIRELY a case of REPUBLICANS being assholes.

Expand full comment

I was only referring to the Republican Party.

Expand full comment

Fair enough. But we have to make sure that we don’t say things like “the House“ when meaning to refer (correctly) to just the Republicans.

It’s, unfortunately, it’s an unconscious bias, speaking of “the House” or “Congress” in general. One we need to guard against.

Expand full comment
Oct 22, 2023Liked by Jay Kuo

She's on a roll :). She Rico rolled them!

Expand full comment
author

She’s never gonna let you down!

Expand full comment

Never gonna give up

Expand full comment

Award winner 🏆!

Expand full comment

Jay - your explanation about the importantance of the definition of "corruptly" is very interesting. Do you think that - at least partly - explains why Garland took so long to begin the case against Trump? We are all so impatient, and many seem resentful about what seems like a snail's pace on all these proceedings, but I'm really getting the sense that the timeframe is necessary to ensure that the cases are airtight.

Expand full comment
author

I don’t pretend to know what Garland was thinking. I do know that the plan of action, though it took a lot longer than many of us wanted, has led to a narrowing and clarification of the legal issues that are favorable to the government. I do not believe that is by accident.

Expand full comment

Perhaps Merrick Garland did not realize the depth of all the corruption and the many tendrils that emerged from this ! The more they dug , the more they found and how many more obstacles they had to jump over ! We still don't know how many people are involved with the various crimes and where the money is coming from !! We need to keep vigilant!!

Expand full comment

I think it’s pretty clear Garland’s hesitation was far more due to concerns over prosecuting a former President than wanting to make sure things were airtight.

That airtight may have been part of it, but not the driving force for the delays.

Expand full comment

Democrats should be all over the news, getting in front of every microphone they can grab saying “We’re looking to work with reasonable Republicans. All it would take is a handful of them. Here’s what we’re looking for.” and then lay out a couple very reasonable easily-understood-by-the-public terms for bipartisan power sharing.

Make it even more obvious to voters that the Republicans are inept, unwilling to compromise, flat out refusing to “work across the aisle”.

Expand full comment
author

That is in fact what I have seen them do, every time there is a reporter asking.

Expand full comment

Good to know. Haven’t seen much of it reported on the national nightly news shows I watch (various networks).

Perhaps rather than just waiting for reporters to ask, Democrats should be more proactive. As I said, getting in front of every microphone in sight.

Expand full comment

Last week proved to be such a great week for the rule of law. Here's hoping for another positive week-especially that "inevitable choice of working with Democrats to empower the speaker pro tempore to push legislation through." Wouldn't that be something!? Thank you, Jay! ✌️

Expand full comment

It’s always a pleasure and learning experience reading your posts.

Expand full comment

It looks like Chesebro could end up being the John Dean of the Georgia case.

Expand full comment
Oct 22, 2023Liked by Jay Kuo

Wow, so much for Harvard being considered a “woke” institution. Seems like there’s plenty of right wing criminals who have graduated from there as well

Expand full comment

My recollection is that Harvard is no bastion of worthy morals. Let’s see..., there were the alumni who committed fraud to get their offspring into Harvard, there was the chemistry professor who was on the payroll of China (and were there Chinese students who also involved?), body parts stolen from the medical school... I know there are more examples.

Expand full comment

Many of these schools - including Yale and Columbia (and I am sure others) got their start with financing from Americans selling opium to China

Expand full comment

This notion that campuses are left wing hot spots is just another conservative fabrication. The Federalist Society was created by students from Yale, UofC, and Harvard. All schools have a mix of conservatives and liberals, but the conservatives are particularly aggressive in the university setting.

Expand full comment

Maybe these hoity toity universities need an overhaul as well !!!

Expand full comment

The now guilty Kenneth Chesbro's eventual testimony in the Election interference/subversion case in both Georgia and Washington DC will provide a direct connection to Cleta Mitchell by way of a well established working relationship with Chesebro. This will also shine a bright light on the efforts of one of the many project 2025 advisory board members, namely the direct connection to the non-profit organization known as the Public Interest Legal Fund (PILF) of which Mitchell is currently still the Chairman of its board of directors, this organization was where Chesbro was also a board member up until September of 2022 when he was quietly removed from the board and all references to him were also removed.

"Her interest in supposed election fraud dates back to the 2000 election, which she claims showed her the need to focus more intently on election rules. Since then, she’s been involved in a network of Republican activists pushing voter fraud allegations into the mainstream. Through the right-wing Public Interest Legal Fund (PILF) — of which she serves as chair — she has helped bring numerous lawsuits to try to force states to purge voters from the rolls...

But Mitchell took on an even more prominent role in Trump’s efforts to directly challenge the 2020 election results, putting together a case that claimed the election was marred by fraud. She enlisted John Eastman to join the legal effort, who later went on to write legally suspect memos claiming that then-Vice President Mike Pence had the authority to unilaterally discard electoral votes from disputed states. Most infamously, she participated in Trump’s call asking Georgia officials to “find” only “11,000 votes.” Trump even called her out by name on the call: “All we have to do, Cleta, is find 11,000-plus votes.” https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/cleta-mitchell-couldnt-overturn-the-2020-election-so-now-shes-suppressing-voters/

Public Interest Legal Fund current Board of Directors- https://publicinterestlegal.org/about/board-of-directors/

The 65 Project's letter of grievance concerning Chesbro's role in the efforts to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election- submitted July 20, 2022 to the Attorney Grievance Committee of the Supreme Court of the State of New York's Appellate Division- https://the65project.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Kenneth-Chesebro.pdf

The spider web of dark money connections is also under a high powered electron microscope at this point in time, and it is also worth noting that Special Counsel Jack Smith has already been involved in investigating (as far back as 2009) many of the shadowy conservative non-profit organizations of which are openly joined at the hip together as either Project 2025 advisory board members or by way of numerous significant secondary connections.

Expand full comment

I’ve wondered why Cleta Mitchell’s name hasn’t appeared in any of the indictments.

Expand full comment

Is she the one that wants to increase the age to vote to 25 because she thinks the youth vote will be the repugnants downfall ???

Expand full comment

I think so. She’s been at it in state legislatures, including NC. (Please correct if I have that wrong.) and she was on the Raffensperger call.

Expand full comment

Thanks, Robert, for this additional information and links. Oh what a tangled web!!

Expand full comment

"thoughts and prayers" Perfect! Exactly what the GOP needs.

You don't suppose they'd settle for thoughts?

Expand full comment

Thank you. The GQP clown car in the house is sad, but amusing in a karmic way at the same time.

I sure hope the Dems are planning a long list of campaign ads using quotes (and actions) from this debacle.

Expand full comment
author

The ads are beginning to write themselves.

Expand full comment

Chesebro appeared quite disconcerted. I can’t help but worry that something could happen to him before the trial. Would his plea make him eligible for protection?

Expand full comment
author

I’m sure prosecution is also worried that he will be threatened and clam up, which is why they video tape recorded his proffer.

Expand full comment

Please explain, if you know the answer, why it is so hard in our legislative system, to imagine an across the aisle solution - a “moderate” GOP speaker pledged to pass bipartisan bills with support of a majority of both parties? Of course, the Dems would have to retain the power to bring down this speaker if he/she reneged on the pledge.

Expand full comment

Because any Repub that works with the Dems will be ousted. To them Dems are an enemy combatant. They’d rather bankrupt the country than work with a Dem (but note how Dems are supposedly OBLIGED to work with them 😵‍💫😡)

Expand full comment
Oct 22, 2023·edited Oct 22, 2023

And it's not that the demeanor in the House changed overnite. If I remember correctly, the party used to have more control over who could run as a Republican, but that changed. Then, House leadership refused to deal with the idiots who got elected simply because they won. I believe that the party rules weaken even more to produce the Republican party we have today.

Expand full comment

I believe you are wrong to a degree. There were recently successful bipartisan negotiations that also involved the White House to keep the government open...which then led to McCarthy’s ouster from the speakership. Those legislative processes are structurally different.

Expand full comment
Oct 22, 2023·edited Oct 23, 2023

Well as you pointed out - McCarthy got ousted from his speaker seat. He may even get primaried next year.

Expand full comment

I think it will come to a point that having an " R " in front of your name will get you ousted !! Hopefully !!

Expand full comment
author

I see the main impediment right now the fear of MAGA electoral and personal reprisal. If any “moderates” within the GOP agree to work across the aisle, they’ll set themselves up to be harassed by MAGA loyalists and then primaries next year.

Expand full comment

I don’t believe that a majority of GOP house people are terrified by MAGA threats to primary them. Many will not be so vulnerable.

It would seem that a cross-aisle majority for a compromise speaker is buildable among those who recently voted to kick the government closure down the road. The American people would love it if Dems and Republicans were seen working together to make Congress work for the country. My question was: Is there a structural reason that reason can’t prevail?

Expand full comment
Oct 22, 2023Liked by Jay Kuo

Thanks Jay for the awesome write up! Glad you are launching on IG, but they are definitely doing some weird things lately, really limiting ability to comment, and definitely targeted shadow banning…

Expand full comment