Yesterday, a new transaction came out in the Clarence Thomas scandal. Harlan Crow purchsed some property from Thomas. Per ProPublica – “The sale netted the GOP megadonor two vacant lots and the house where Thomas’ mother was living.” You’ve heard the expression “He’d sell his own mother…” Well, here’s someone who actually did. That sale made her a tenant of Harlan Crow. Apparently Crow remodeled and repaired the place – butshe is still his tenant (assuming she’s still alive) and therefore owes him rent shold he decide to demand any.
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Daily Beast – How Ron DeSantis Is Taking a Page Out of Nixon’s Playbook
Quote – [Steven] Jarvis, who has tracked disinformation campaigns and conspiracy theories as an off-duty hobby since the 2016 election, said he’s developed a thick skin. But seeing pro-DeSantis accounts, and other apparent bot networks, accusing him of being a pedophile—and posting details of his marriage that could only have been gleaned from direct messages on Facebook, Jarvis said—shattered the barrier between his compartmentalized worlds. It wasn’t an isolated incident. For some who criticize the Florida governor and likely 2024 presidential candidate, a pattern appears to be emerging: attack DeSantis publicly, and risk your personal information posted online by pro-DeSantis accounts. Click through for specifics. Just what I would expect from a man who laughs at his murder victims as they are dying.
The Bulwark – Jim Jordan Takes His Clown Show on the Road
Quote – Now Jordan has announced that he’s packing up the tent and hitting the road: Next week, the committee will be taking a taxpayer-funded field trip to New York. Why New York? To go after Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, whom Donald Trump, in his patented racist style, has called an “animal” and about whom Trump has screeched that “THE DEMOCRATS HAVE TOTALLY WEAPONIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT IN OUR COUNTRY . . . TO INTERFERE WITH OUR ALREADY UNDER SIEGE ELECTIONS!” Click through for details. Maybe he’ll do somethiing illegal and get arrested We can hope.
Food For Thought
The Law, paking ticket, Trump indictment, arraignment, history, NYPD, political cartoon
Glenn Kirschner – NY DA Alvin Bragg SUES Jim Jordan to force him to stop obstructing prosecution of defendant Trump
The Lincoln Project – President Fraud
Farron Balanced – Jim Jordan Just Made The Biggest Mistake Of His Career (My take on Pomerantz is the same. Jordan? I don’t know. His capacities for screwing up appear limitless.)
Robert Reich – Why Are There Fees on Everything?
Golden Retriever Picks Apples For His Bunny BFF
Beau – Let’s talk about reactions to the Justice Thomas news….
Yesterday, the Daily Beast newsletter was super hot. If I avoid doubling up on sources (as I do try to do), I’ll be posting articles from that one day through the weekend. But they have found stuff we need to be aware of. Well, it certainly makes up for the days they only have entertainment news. In other news, Justin Pearson – the other Justin – was reinstated by Memphis to the Tennessee legislature – so now both Justins are back where they belong.
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Daily Beast – Montana GOP Has a Ploy to Sink Sen. Jon Tester: A New Election Law
Quote – The GOP-controlled state legislature is considering a radical change in election law—a change that is nakedly targeted at taking down Tester and could, in effect, flip one of the most vulnerable Senate seats well before November 2024. Montana Republicans are trying to take a page out of California’s playbook and switch their primary election to the controversial top-two primary system, otherwise known as a “jungle primary.” But it’s only for next year, when Tester, Montana’s last statewide Democrat, is up for re-election. After that, the change would expire, supposedly so lawmakers could assess how things went. Click through for story. I am hoping that Republicans have not really thought this through. If Tester can beat any single Republican – three times – why would he not be able to beat a group of Republicans who will split the vote? But I could be wrong. We may both be in the Rockies, but I don’t really know about their politics. I pretty much know Colorado politicss and New Mexico politics and that’s it.
Robert Reich – Why Republican lawmakers are obsessed about sex
Quote – Why are Republican lawmakers obsessing about sex? Three reasons. First, by focusing on sex, Republicans can court both the evangelical right and the right-wing extreme QAnon vote (with its loony “Pizzagate” conspiracy claim that Democrats are pedophiles). Second, by focusing on sex, Republican lawmakers don’t have to talk nonstop about Trump…. Finally, creating a culture war over sex allows Republicans to sound faux populist without having to address the practical problems faced by most Americans Click through for reasons. Gee, I always thought it was because they are the party of InCels (and I’m sure that also has something to do with it.)
Glenn Kirschner – Judge ORDERS Mike Pence to testify to the grand jury about the crimes of Donald Trump
The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party – March 28, 2023
Vice President Kamala Harris delivers speech in Ghana during tour of Africa (8 minutes, but full speech would have been too long)
Farron Balanced – Confused Lauren Boebert Derails House Hearing With Insane Request (Could we use this to discuss putting schoolchildren and teachers on the endangered species list due to mass shootings?)
Groundhog Brings His Son To Visit His Human Best Friend
Beau – Let’s talk about Colorado, the GOP, and trends…. (Heaven knows want a more progressive Demoratic Party. But I don’t think that’s necessarily going on state wide. I would look first at the caucus system becoming less important, and the flexibility that being unaffiliated in Colorado gives voters to vote in whchever primary they would prefer to vote in. I also think, though I may be wrong, that there is actually aparty on Colorado called the Independent Party which people who don’t realize it exists may get attached to unless they specifically say “unaffiliated. In any case, we do have a small Green PArty and a small LibertarienPartyand,though small, their numbers should be included in a discussion like this.)