This description of Clarence Thomas actions’: “…like a squid fleeing for its life, he wanted to squirt some legal ink in the path of his pursuers…” is top shelf snark and oh so apt. And I’m proud one of the senators from my state - Ron Wyden - is part of this effort.
I find that having switched to a large screen tablet, an iPad Pro in my case, there are fewer consequences to taking an injudicious sip of the beverage of the moment as far as my electronics go. Of course, snorting tea or wine out my nose still hurts the same. I recommend putting your coffee or other libation out of reach before reading Jay’s columns, a lesson hard learned for me.
This is excellent news! What I would PREFER is to see Clarence Thomas go through the same indignities he's forcing on all women and girls in the US but I'll SETTLE for his being convicted for tax fraud. It's interesting just how freaking crooked so many of these "Christian" ideologues turn out to be!...
I agree. Today I attended a talk by Heather Cox Richardson to Democrats Abroad which I belong to. She told us that there is talk that Clarence Thomas has given a nod that he would be willing to revisit and overturn Brown vs. Board of Education. Now, having just finished reading The Department of Education section of Project 2025, which is the most racist, sexist, homophobic plan I have read in a long time, with the outcome of serving the Christian Homeschooling community, by supporting them in their large families with our tax dollars, and also the grifter friends of Trumps who open charter schools, while he totally gets rid of public education, education of children who fall under IDEA and other special programs to fund his White Christian Nationalist homeschooling base. The project uses 22,000 as an example of what the government spends on a pupil and suggests that money go directly to parents instead. So, you can take a family like the Duggers, of Shiny, Happy People infamy, with their umpteen children, and with just 10 of them they would be getting 220,000 a year from the government. I won't even go into the suggested add ons. So, the wife gets to make the babies, mind, feed, cloth, bathe, care for and school them, and all while producing more so that they continually have at least 10 in school all years as long as they can. I think they had 18 children, and many families in their creepy church did have near that many or perhaps even more. So, we are now looking at close to half a million a year just to breed and home school. Of course in this model women are not really useful after their child breeding years are over. Sure men could get. newer younger models to keep up the income. What happens to women when they are done, is perhaps they could stick around and help out, or perhaps they would be sent to the camps that Trump is planning on expanding. You can see where this could end up....
Good news along the lines that Jay is talking about is that a friend sent me a link to a form to complain about The Heritage Foundation to the IRS, along with a suggested narrative that one can use. I am posting the information here, and please consider doing this and passing it on to friends.
Seen on Mastodon. At this link you can download a PDF form to file a complaint to the IRS, requesting that they revoke the Heritage Foundation‘s non-profit status. Fill out the form and mail it to: eoclass@irs.gov
This is what is suggested on the sample form to fill in:
Based on the statements of Kevin Roberst, the Heritage Foundation’s president, on June 11 and July 2, the foundation’s mission is no longer solely “research and education,” but now includes preparing for a possibly bloody revolution.
Specifically, in an interview on “The War Room” on July 2, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation has developed a prominent series of policy plans (Project 2025) to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, and that the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”
Sure sounds like Roberts and the other authors of Project 2025 are planning to start a bloody war as part of the Heritage Foundation’s mission.
You'll need more information about The Heritage Foundation to be able to fill out IRS complaint form 13909. This information is from Jessica Craven, Chop Wood Carry Water:
The Heritage Foundation's street address is 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., city is Washington, state is D.C. Zipcode is 200002
Their tax ID/EIN was tricky to submit - you cannot have a hyphen, but do need the zero so it's 237327730
You can name both John P. Bakiel (VP of Finance) and Devin Roberts (President).
Jessica suggested saying something like:
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This show the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
I just completed my complaint and found that it is easy to submit electronically. No need to email. You'll get a download of your submittal for your records.
How much you want to bet that many of these 'bribes' have ended up in Ginni's name? I would imagine Thomas is no different from the other Justices on the right who appear more than happy to let their wives take the blame.
"Yet he also likely understands that any appointment of a special counsel will add fuel to the claims by the right, however unfounded, that the Biden Administration is out to punish its political opponents through prosecution."
This does not matter one iota. The right will be scream victimhood in all directions at all times from today until Nov 5th, and will scream louder and stamp their feet when they loose.
No matter how many laws they break they are always the victims.
Want to bet? He ignored TFCG until he no longer could (because he didn't want to be to first one to go after a former president) then he pawned it off to a special counsel.
And also, didn't the court just give presidents "immunity" for this type of thing? The right needs to STFU when their "victories" come back to bite them in the ass!
EXACTLY. They will scream and cry even if nothing is done. The right-wing outrage machine MUST keep the sheep wound up about something, or else some of them might start to actually think . . .
Thank you for reporting on this. I particularly like the squid ink analogy. (Squid pro Kuo?) The Trump legal squad (squid?) has been blasting out copious quantities for quite some time.
The Republicans always claim that investigations are politically motivated because all of THEIR investigations are politically motivated and nearly always without substance. They learned that their supporters assume that if someone is being investigated they MUST be guilty of SOMETHING, and that it can determine elections. The practice has hopelessly muddied the waters of criminal investigation in which a crime is already known or suspected of having been committed before the investigation is started.
Just because the GOP is going to cry "political witchhunt" for the (let me check) 5,237th time doesn't mean that a crime shouldn't be investigated. I certainly wouldn't be able to scream "witchhunt" if I were to be investigated for tax fraud, at least not credibly.
Our former president would cry "witchhunt" if he were being prosecuted for committing murder in broad daylight. That's the unique nature of this era in national politics; Loud and repeated proclamations disconnected from any semblance of reality become alternate "truths" purely due to the frequency and volume at which they are repeated.
I wish Garland cared more about justice than optics. The right doesn't care about optics. They're breaking the law and threatening democrats everyday, proudly, in broad daylight. We rely on decorum and strongly worded letters while pussy footing around about whether to support President Biden. I've had it with all of this. Either President Biden wins with a majority in both the House and Senate or our country is over. Interesting that the justice department could act at lightning speed with Bob Menendez, but Republicans that are criminals seem to be either ignored or dragged out because of optics. SMH
This is better late than never. Alito should go through the same. I am so tired of politicians and powerful people having their own set of laws and punishments than the rest of us. They already have power so why should they get away with breaking laws? If anything, they should pay harsher penalties because they affect more of us.
For expedientcy, they can both retire now, but I'm thinking they will wait until after the election. They may be needed to help in the "rigged election" cases Trump and friends will bring.
There's no way they're retiring now. No way they would let Biden replace them with a non-reactionary judge. Even if Trump loses and they retire next year, if Republicans retake the Senate, they won't even bring a liberal SC justice up for confirmation for 4 years. They've already demonstrated their willingness to abuse their power.
Then I think we have to get a trifecta in November. Thinking positive costs nothing and it's more invigorating than hand wringing. We all need to take a breath, get behind our guy, and support Dems running in local, state, and federal campaigns.
What about having inquiries into all 5 of the other justices who lied in their confirmation hearings (as did thomas) when they baldly stated that certain doctrines and cases, including Roe and others, were "settled law", and then quickly proceeded to overrule them once they were on the extreme court?
That one probably won't get anywhere. Their story would be that they changed their minds *after* they were confirmed (and who would gainsay that?) For years now, people who think they might be considered for the Court have tended to be very careful about putting controversial opinions on the record for this very reason -- at least until they're confirmed.
As an Oregonian I’m proud of my Senator and enjoyed calling to tell him so. We cannot give up on the corruption in the Supreme Court, we must continue to fight against it.
Yeah, pursuing a special-counsel investigation against Thomas could lead to a vendetta from the Right. But here's the thing: If Trump gets elected, THAT VENDETTA IS COMING ANYWAY. So the senators have done the right thing. Garland also needs to do the right thing, and toot de suite.
The last time Garland went for the appearance of doing ‘the right thing’ we got Robert Hur. So yes, this administration should get real with doing the RIGHT thing while they still can.
Most importantly, the pressure is building not just on Thomas, but on his billionaire buddies.
They got flushed out into the open--out but not away (just yet). They will get even more attention from now on. Of course, NY Times and WaPo will pooh pooh all the revelations. I mean, gee whiz, what's a felon after all, let's just redefine it, it could be such fun, boys!! /s.
But even as that scrubbing busily continues on, I hope these cynical old men who bought off a Supreme Court Justice will never be able to wash off the stink of this scandal. May their names and their families live with the consequences into perpetuity, may history make it plain who they were and what they did.
I remember Anita Hill too, Susan, and also believed her, like lots of us who watched those Senate confirmation hearings. What person wants to publicly expose themselves to scorn and have to quote on national television the crude, clearly salacious words it was reported he said to her? I thought she was extraordinarily courageous and proved her case by just being who she was - an obviously high-class and honest woman exhibiting her clear embarrassment at having to describe the things CT said to her. You knew without ever having to know her personally that she wasn't capable of making up those gross statements. And still, they voted him onto the SC. I wonder if Harlan Crow and CT's other "benefactors" will also now pay for his lawyers?
This description of Clarence Thomas actions’: “…like a squid fleeing for its life, he wanted to squirt some legal ink in the path of his pursuers…” is top shelf snark and oh so apt. And I’m proud one of the senators from my state - Ron Wyden - is part of this effort.
Oh yeah. That one nearly had me cleaning coffee off the keyboard.
I find that having switched to a large screen tablet, an iPad Pro in my case, there are fewer consequences to taking an injudicious sip of the beverage of the moment as far as my electronics go. Of course, snorting tea or wine out my nose still hurts the same. I recommend putting your coffee or other libation out of reach before reading Jay’s columns, a lesson hard learned for me.
I loved that one too! Jay is the best!
Sioux Fleming, I am proud of both of our Senators, Ron Wyden
and Jeff Merkley!
Me, too!
Yes, a perfect image of him!
Came here to say this!!!
Where in Oregon? I’m in Eugene.
I’m in Portland
This is excellent news! What I would PREFER is to see Clarence Thomas go through the same indignities he's forcing on all women and girls in the US but I'll SETTLE for his being convicted for tax fraud. It's interesting just how freaking crooked so many of these "Christian" ideologues turn out to be!...
I agree. Today I attended a talk by Heather Cox Richardson to Democrats Abroad which I belong to. She told us that there is talk that Clarence Thomas has given a nod that he would be willing to revisit and overturn Brown vs. Board of Education. Now, having just finished reading The Department of Education section of Project 2025, which is the most racist, sexist, homophobic plan I have read in a long time, with the outcome of serving the Christian Homeschooling community, by supporting them in their large families with our tax dollars, and also the grifter friends of Trumps who open charter schools, while he totally gets rid of public education, education of children who fall under IDEA and other special programs to fund his White Christian Nationalist homeschooling base. The project uses 22,000 as an example of what the government spends on a pupil and suggests that money go directly to parents instead. So, you can take a family like the Duggers, of Shiny, Happy People infamy, with their umpteen children, and with just 10 of them they would be getting 220,000 a year from the government. I won't even go into the suggested add ons. So, the wife gets to make the babies, mind, feed, cloth, bathe, care for and school them, and all while producing more so that they continually have at least 10 in school all years as long as they can. I think they had 18 children, and many families in their creepy church did have near that many or perhaps even more. So, we are now looking at close to half a million a year just to breed and home school. Of course in this model women are not really useful after their child breeding years are over. Sure men could get. newer younger models to keep up the income. What happens to women when they are done, is perhaps they could stick around and help out, or perhaps they would be sent to the camps that Trump is planning on expanding. You can see where this could end up....
Good news along the lines that Jay is talking about is that a friend sent me a link to a form to complain about The Heritage Foundation to the IRS, along with a suggested narrative that one can use. I am posting the information here, and please consider doing this and passing it on to friends.
IRS complaint
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations
Seen on Mastodon. At this link you can download a PDF form to file a complaint to the IRS, requesting that they revoke the Heritage Foundation‘s non-profit status. Fill out the form and mail it to: eoclass@irs.gov
This is what is suggested on the sample form to fill in:
Based on the statements of Kevin Roberst, the Heritage Foundation’s president, on June 11 and July 2, the foundation’s mission is no longer solely “research and education,” but now includes preparing for a possibly bloody revolution.
Specifically, in an interview on “The War Room” on July 2, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation has developed a prominent series of policy plans (Project 2025) to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, and that the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”
Sure sounds like Roberts and the other authors of Project 2025 are planning to start a bloody war as part of the Heritage Foundation’s mission.
See NYTimes reporting of this incident on July 3rd: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/heritage-foundation-2025-policy-america.html
You'll need more information about The Heritage Foundation to be able to fill out IRS complaint form 13909. This information is from Jessica Craven, Chop Wood Carry Water:
The Heritage Foundation's street address is 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., city is Washington, state is D.C. Zipcode is 200002
Their tax ID/EIN was tricky to submit - you cannot have a hyphen, but do need the zero so it's 237327730
You can name both John P. Bakiel (VP of Finance) and Devin Roberts (President).
Jessica suggested saying something like:
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This show the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
I just completed my complaint and found that it is easy to submit electronically. No need to email. You'll get a download of your submittal for your records.
Diane, thank you for this information. I will spread this information too. Kevin Roberts-President, 20002 zipcode.
Investigate Ginni for taxes, too.
How much you want to bet that many of these 'bribes' have ended up in Ginni's name? I would imagine Thomas is no different from the other Justices on the right who appear more than happy to let their wives take the blame.
If the Thomas’ file a joint tax return, both are fair game.
And Robert's wife . . .
Excellent point, Pat!
"Yet he also likely understands that any appointment of a special counsel will add fuel to the claims by the right, however unfounded, that the Biden Administration is out to punish its political opponents through prosecution."
This does not matter one iota. The right will be scream victimhood in all directions at all times from today until Nov 5th, and will scream louder and stamp their feet when they loose.
No matter how many laws they break they are always the victims.
I concur. But I’m not sure Garland can ignore it.
Want to bet? He ignored TFCG until he no longer could (because he didn't want to be to first one to go after a former president) then he pawned it off to a special counsel.
And also, didn't the court just give presidents "immunity" for this type of thing? The right needs to STFU when their "victories" come back to bite them in the ass!
Precisely. And if they win in November, they absolutely will launch a vendetta of their own. Trump has said so repeatedly.
They will launch vendettas, win or lose.
Well, true, but they wouldn't be able to use the Justice Department to do it.
A band of cowards.
EXACTLY. They will scream and cry even if nothing is done. The right-wing outrage machine MUST keep the sheep wound up about something, or else some of them might start to actually think . . .
At least there is real evidence here.
They are always the victims and they always project their own actions/beliefs onto others.
Thank you for reporting on this. I particularly like the squid ink analogy. (Squid pro Kuo?) The Trump legal squad (squid?) has been blasting out copious quantities for quite some time.
The Republicans always claim that investigations are politically motivated because all of THEIR investigations are politically motivated and nearly always without substance. They learned that their supporters assume that if someone is being investigated they MUST be guilty of SOMETHING, and that it can determine elections. The practice has hopelessly muddied the waters of criminal investigation in which a crime is already known or suspected of having been committed before the investigation is started.
Just because the GOP is going to cry "political witchhunt" for the (let me check) 5,237th time doesn't mean that a crime shouldn't be investigated. I certainly wouldn't be able to scream "witchhunt" if I were to be investigated for tax fraud, at least not credibly.
Squid pro Kuo!
Squid pro Kuo for the win!
Very good!
Our former president would cry "witchhunt" if he were being prosecuted for committing murder in broad daylight. That's the unique nature of this era in national politics; Loud and repeated proclamations disconnected from any semblance of reality become alternate "truths" purely due to the frequency and volume at which they are repeated.
It's the way of authoritarians and dictators. Volume and frequency, confuse and overwhelm.
It would be nice to have a nice clap back for that. The GOP would manage to make just buying a can of dog food political.
How does that old saying go…?
Open your mouth and talk about yourself.
🤣🤣🤣 🦑 pro Kuo!!!
I wish Garland cared more about justice than optics. The right doesn't care about optics. They're breaking the law and threatening democrats everyday, proudly, in broad daylight. We rely on decorum and strongly worded letters while pussy footing around about whether to support President Biden. I've had it with all of this. Either President Biden wins with a majority in both the House and Senate or our country is over. Interesting that the justice department could act at lightning speed with Bob Menendez, but Republicans that are criminals seem to be either ignored or dragged out because of optics. SMH
[[I wish Garland cared more about justice than optics.]]
This. Right. Here.
It’s breaking down.
Just in time too. !
This is better late than never. Alito should go through the same. I am so tired of politicians and powerful people having their own set of laws and punishments than the rest of us. They already have power so why should they get away with breaking laws? If anything, they should pay harsher penalties because they affect more of us.
Better yet would be if Alito sees the writing on the wall and retires instead.
For expedientcy, they can both retire now, but I'm thinking they will wait until after the election. They may be needed to help in the "rigged election" cases Trump and friends will bring.
There's no way they're retiring now. No way they would let Biden replace them with a non-reactionary judge. Even if Trump loses and they retire next year, if Republicans retake the Senate, they won't even bring a liberal SC justice up for confirmation for 4 years. They've already demonstrated their willingness to abuse their power.
Then I think we have to get a trifecta in November. Thinking positive costs nothing and it's more invigorating than hand wringing. We all need to take a breath, get behind our guy, and support Dems running in local, state, and federal campaigns.
Barb Z. For the win!
And roberts!!!! Not to mention the other conservatives-wasn’t there talk of kavanaugh’s debt being wiped away????
Yes there was, and it was never investigated!!!
Seems like there was some pablum put out about how some “family members” helped him out. 🙄
That’s correct.
What about having inquiries into all 5 of the other justices who lied in their confirmation hearings (as did thomas) when they baldly stated that certain doctrines and cases, including Roe and others, were "settled law", and then quickly proceeded to overrule them once they were on the extreme court?
That one probably won't get anywhere. Their story would be that they changed their minds *after* they were confirmed (and who would gainsay that?) For years now, people who think they might be considered for the Court have tended to be very careful about putting controversial opinions on the record for this very reason -- at least until they're confirmed.
You’re probably right, but I'd still like to see it.
As an Oregonian I’m proud of my Senator and enjoyed calling to tell him so. We cannot give up on the corruption in the Supreme Court, we must continue to fight against it.
Likewise!
Yeah, pursuing a special-counsel investigation against Thomas could lead to a vendetta from the Right. But here's the thing: If Trump gets elected, THAT VENDETTA IS COMING ANYWAY. So the senators have done the right thing. Garland also needs to do the right thing, and toot de suite.
Agreed.
The last time Garland went for the appearance of doing ‘the right thing’ we got Robert Hur. So yes, this administration should get real with doing the RIGHT thing while they still can.
This is good news, democrats fighting back. Now we need a little of that fight to help re-elect President Biden.
I’m seeing it out there.
It’s just getting stronger by the day !!
Most importantly, the pressure is building not just on Thomas, but on his billionaire buddies.
They got flushed out into the open--out but not away (just yet). They will get even more attention from now on. Of course, NY Times and WaPo will pooh pooh all the revelations. I mean, gee whiz, what's a felon after all, let's just redefine it, it could be such fun, boys!! /s.
But even as that scrubbing busily continues on, I hope these cynical old men who bought off a Supreme Court Justice will never be able to wash off the stink of this scandal. May their names and their families live with the consequences into perpetuity, may history make it plain who they were and what they did.
I think it will be difficult to hold the billionaires to account. Not impossible, but quite hard.
Hard is easy when Madam Justice comes to call.
Sadly, no one will remember or care.
I truly enjoy being in the Jay Kuo politics & law course. Thank you.
I would hope we can all graduate in the next year or so!
Me too !!
The image of Thomas as a squid frantically trying to ink its way out of trouble can't be unseen.
Agreed, and it's a perfect analogy, too.
I believed Anita Thomas from the first.
That's Anita Hill. What a Freudian oops.
I remember Anita Hill too, Susan, and also believed her, like lots of us who watched those Senate confirmation hearings. What person wants to publicly expose themselves to scorn and have to quote on national television the crude, clearly salacious words it was reported he said to her? I thought she was extraordinarily courageous and proved her case by just being who she was - an obviously high-class and honest woman exhibiting her clear embarrassment at having to describe the things CT said to her. You knew without ever having to know her personally that she wasn't capable of making up those gross statements. And still, they voted him onto the SC. I wonder if Harlan Crow and CT's other "benefactors" will also now pay for his lawyers?
Me too !!
I can’t tell you how happy that move makes me. If only it bears fruit! But good on those senators.