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babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
October 19, 2022
Georgia early midterms voting so far surpassing 2020 presidential election
The Georgia Senate race could help determine the balance of power in Washington.
ByLalee Ibssa and Isabella Murray
October 19, 2022, 3:14 PM
3:06
With less than three weeks until the midterm elections, Georgians are already casting their ballots at a fast pace -- with vote counts on Tuesday surpassing 2020 presidential election records for the second day of early voting, surging to nearly twice the early vote totals of 2018 at the same point.
The outcome of Georgia's Senate race could be critical in deciding the balance of power in Washington.
As Georgia entered its third day of early in-person voting on Wednesday, over 291,700 people have voted -- 268,050 in person and 23,690 absentee. In 2020, the early vote numbers after the second day were 266,403, and in 2018 they were 147,289, according to the secretary of state's office.
more...
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/georgia-outpacing-presidential-election-levels-early-midterms-voting/story
Georgia early midterms voting so far surpassing 2020 presidential election
Georgia early midterms voting so far surpassing 2020 presidential election
The Georgia Senate race could help determine the balance of power in Washington.
ByLalee Ibssa and Isabella Murray
October 19, 2022, 3:14 PM
3:06
With less than three weeks until the midterm elections, Georgians are already casting their ballots at a fast pace -- with vote counts on Tuesday surpassing 2020 presidential election records for the second day of early voting, surging to nearly twice the early vote totals of 2018 at the same point.
The outcome of Georgia's Senate race could be critical in deciding the balance of power in Washington.
As Georgia entered its third day of early in-person voting on Wednesday, over 291,700 people have voted -- 268,050 in person and 23,690 absentee. In 2020, the early vote numbers after the second day were 266,403, and in 2018 they were 147,289, according to the secretary of state's office.
"We're extremely pleased that so many Georgians are able to cast their votes, in record numbers and without any reports of substantial delays," said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. "This is a testament to the hard work of Georgia's election workers, the professionals who keep our elections convenient and secure."
more...
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/georgia-outpacing-presidential-election-levels-early-midterms-voting/story
October 19, 2022
Meet the House GOP’s New Crop of Marjorie Taylor Greenes
‘HOLD MY BEER’
Republicans are expected to take back the House. Their majority will be built on some interesting lawmakers.
Sam Brodey
Congressional Reporter
Published Oct. 19, 2022 5:12AM ET
One was present during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Two spoke at a rally outside the Capitol last September demanding “justice” for those jailed for their alleged crimes there.
One used the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade to call for the end of gay marriage. Another happily threatened to tear-gas journalists. And another wrote a bill in the Missouri legislature that was half-jokingly dubbed the “Make Murder Legal Act.”
One promised to vote no on almost every bill and subpoena every federal agency. And another called the FBI’s raid on Mar-A-Lago this summer “worse than Watergate.”
All of them have something in common: They are very likely to be Republican members of Congress come January 2023.
more...
https://www.thedailybeast.com/meet-the-house-gops-new-crop-of-marjorie-taylor-greenes?ref=home
Meet the House GOP's New Crop of Marjorie Taylor Greenes
Meet the House GOP’s New Crop of Marjorie Taylor Greenes
‘HOLD MY BEER’
Republicans are expected to take back the House. Their majority will be built on some interesting lawmakers.
Sam Brodey
Congressional Reporter
Published Oct. 19, 2022 5:12AM ET
One was present during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Two spoke at a rally outside the Capitol last September demanding “justice” for those jailed for their alleged crimes there.
One used the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade to call for the end of gay marriage. Another happily threatened to tear-gas journalists. And another wrote a bill in the Missouri legislature that was half-jokingly dubbed the “Make Murder Legal Act.”
One promised to vote no on almost every bill and subpoena every federal agency. And another called the FBI’s raid on Mar-A-Lago this summer “worse than Watergate.”
All of them have something in common: They are very likely to be Republican members of Congress come January 2023.
more...
https://www.thedailybeast.com/meet-the-house-gops-new-crop-of-marjorie-taylor-greenes?ref=home
October 19, 2022
Joe Biden’s Frenetic First Year Gets the Fly-on-the-Wall Treatment in New HBO Documentary
New York Times veteran David Sanger and his team got access to top Biden officials amid international crises, from Afghanistan to Ukraine, and domestic challenges. The goal, he says, was to “put some storytelling and people behind” key decisions.
By Charlotte Klein
October 17, 2022
snip//
The frustrations inside the White House are captured in Year One: A Political Odyssey, a documentary about Joe Biden’s first year that premieres Wednesday on HBO. New York Times chief Washington correspondent David Sanger, who executive produced the film, told me he’s found throughout his career that there’s “a hunger for people to understand the mechanism of how big decisions are made in government.” With the forthcoming documentary, he said, “we just wanted to sort of put some storytelling and people behind them.”
Year One, which runs for about an hour and a half, is a look at the Biden administration’s national security challenges and the various factors influencing them in the background—from the ongoing pandemic to the fallout from January 6. The film takes place over 13 months, starting on Inauguration Day, with a locked-down DC still reeling from the Capitol attack, and ending with Biden’s first State of the Union this past March. Year One is organized by season and often feels like a high-speed tour through the challenges of Biden’s first year, from the vaccine rollout to foreign policy—US relations with China and Russia, the Afghanistan withdrawal—to divisiveness closer to home.
Within the first three minutes, various members of Biden’s team who sat for interviews—Blinken, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan—appear onscreen. Other insiders in the film include Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, White House chief of staff Ron Klain, CIA director William Burns, and former COVID response team member Andy Slavitt. There are some notable absences, however, with the biggest being that of Biden himself; the president largely appears in the film in archival news footage. For journalists, a lack of access to the president has caused frustration during Biden’s time in office. “We didn’t ask for it, actually,” Sanger told me over Zoom last week when I asked about getting a sit-down with Biden. “In part because, you know, we understood what the result would likely be,” he said. “But frankly, we thought that the story was best told by the people who were sort of out in the world trying to go make this happen and pull the levers.” The only person who didn’t sit down with Sanger’s team despite being asked was Vice President Kamala Harris, he said.
The documentary has echoes of The War Room, D.A. Pennebaker’s fly-on-the-wall account of Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, in which the starring roles go to staffers such as George Stephanopoulos and James Carville. Sanger also appears at times “to provide the connective tissue between events or an interpretive flare on events,” as he put it, which is not dissimilar to what he does in his news analysis. “You’re sitting down with a camera, with interviews with people, and while you hope they’re gonna be candid, the fact of the matter is they’re not gonna be that self-critical with a camera running,” said Sanger, explaining the need for such commentary. Other outside voices chime in too, from political scientist Ian Bremmer to Russia expert Fiona Hill to the British and French ambassadors. Representatives Jim Jordan and Adam Schiff are also interviewed.
more...
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/10/joe-bidens-frenetic-first-year-gets-the-fly-on-the-wall-treatment-in-new-hbo-documentary
Joe Biden's Frenetic First Year Gets the Fly-on-the-Wall Treatment in New HBO Documentary
Joe Biden’s Frenetic First Year Gets the Fly-on-the-Wall Treatment in New HBO Documentary
New York Times veteran David Sanger and his team got access to top Biden officials amid international crises, from Afghanistan to Ukraine, and domestic challenges. The goal, he says, was to “put some storytelling and people behind” key decisions.
By Charlotte Klein
October 17, 2022
snip//
The frustrations inside the White House are captured in Year One: A Political Odyssey, a documentary about Joe Biden’s first year that premieres Wednesday on HBO. New York Times chief Washington correspondent David Sanger, who executive produced the film, told me he’s found throughout his career that there’s “a hunger for people to understand the mechanism of how big decisions are made in government.” With the forthcoming documentary, he said, “we just wanted to sort of put some storytelling and people behind them.”
Year One, which runs for about an hour and a half, is a look at the Biden administration’s national security challenges and the various factors influencing them in the background—from the ongoing pandemic to the fallout from January 6. The film takes place over 13 months, starting on Inauguration Day, with a locked-down DC still reeling from the Capitol attack, and ending with Biden’s first State of the Union this past March. Year One is organized by season and often feels like a high-speed tour through the challenges of Biden’s first year, from the vaccine rollout to foreign policy—US relations with China and Russia, the Afghanistan withdrawal—to divisiveness closer to home.
Within the first three minutes, various members of Biden’s team who sat for interviews—Blinken, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan—appear onscreen. Other insiders in the film include Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, White House chief of staff Ron Klain, CIA director William Burns, and former COVID response team member Andy Slavitt. There are some notable absences, however, with the biggest being that of Biden himself; the president largely appears in the film in archival news footage. For journalists, a lack of access to the president has caused frustration during Biden’s time in office. “We didn’t ask for it, actually,” Sanger told me over Zoom last week when I asked about getting a sit-down with Biden. “In part because, you know, we understood what the result would likely be,” he said. “But frankly, we thought that the story was best told by the people who were sort of out in the world trying to go make this happen and pull the levers.” The only person who didn’t sit down with Sanger’s team despite being asked was Vice President Kamala Harris, he said.
The documentary has echoes of The War Room, D.A. Pennebaker’s fly-on-the-wall account of Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, in which the starring roles go to staffers such as George Stephanopoulos and James Carville. Sanger also appears at times “to provide the connective tissue between events or an interpretive flare on events,” as he put it, which is not dissimilar to what he does in his news analysis. “You’re sitting down with a camera, with interviews with people, and while you hope they’re gonna be candid, the fact of the matter is they’re not gonna be that self-critical with a camera running,” said Sanger, explaining the need for such commentary. Other outside voices chime in too, from political scientist Ian Bremmer to Russia expert Fiona Hill to the British and French ambassadors. Representatives Jim Jordan and Adam Schiff are also interviewed.
more...
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/10/joe-bidens-frenetic-first-year-gets-the-fly-on-the-wall-treatment-in-new-hbo-documentary
October 19, 2022
Marco Rubio Reneges on Parkland Promise to Raise Age Limit to Buy AR-15s
FLIPPER
After the Parkland massacre, the Florida senator proposed raising the age limit to buy an AR-15 from 18 to 21—just like handguns. He just went back on that.
Jose Pagliery
Political Investigations Reporter
Published Oct. 18, 2022 9:58PM ET
On the election debate stage Tuesday night, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) turned his back on a promise he made to Floridians after the tragic Parkland school mass shooting four years ago: to raise the age limit on AR-15 rifle purchases from 18 to 21.
The proposed enhanced restriction would be an attempt to make it more difficult for young adults to buy a semiautomatic rifle that can fire bullets as fast as a person can pull the trigger—one with minimal recoil that makes it easier to continue shooting accurately.
snip//
But then he also narrowed his support for red flag laws too, saying the current proposal by Democrats “allows your co-worker who has a grudge against you and can go to a judge and take away your guns.”
Demings responded with rage, raising her voice as she went.
Marco Rubio Reneges on Parkland Promise to Raise Age Limit to Buy AR-15s
https://www.thedailybeast.com/marco-rubio-reneges-on-parkland-promise-to-raise-age-limit-to-buy-ar-15s?ref=homeMarco Rubio Reneges on Parkland Promise to Raise Age Limit to Buy AR-15s
FLIPPER
After the Parkland massacre, the Florida senator proposed raising the age limit to buy an AR-15 from 18 to 21—just like handguns. He just went back on that.
Jose Pagliery
Political Investigations Reporter
Published Oct. 18, 2022 9:58PM ET
On the election debate stage Tuesday night, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) turned his back on a promise he made to Floridians after the tragic Parkland school mass shooting four years ago: to raise the age limit on AR-15 rifle purchases from 18 to 21.
The proposed enhanced restriction would be an attempt to make it more difficult for young adults to buy a semiautomatic rifle that can fire bullets as fast as a person can pull the trigger—one with minimal recoil that makes it easier to continue shooting accurately.
snip//
“What makes no sense is that we’re gonna actually pass laws that only law-abiding people will follow and the criminals will continue to violate,” he said. “And these killers who are out there, if they are intent on killing as they are, they have found multiple ways of getting ahold of weapons and causing mass destruction.”
But then he also narrowed his support for red flag laws too, saying the current proposal by Democrats “allows your co-worker who has a grudge against you and can go to a judge and take away your guns.”
Demings responded with rage, raising her voice as she went.
“Every time we talk about responsible gun ownership and legislation that can help protect lives, you pull the Second Amendment out,” she said. “It has nothing to do with the Second Amendment. This is about taking dangerous guns out of the hands of dangerous people. And the overwhelming majority of people in our nation want us to do just that! How long will you watch people being gunned down in first grade, fourth grade, high school, college, church, synagogue, a grocery store, a movie theater, a mall and a nightclub—and do nothing?”
October 18, 2022
DeSantis' shady 'Perla' deleted social media accounts and put house up for sale, report says
Gabe Ortiz
Daily Kos Staff
Tuesday October 18, 2022 · 2:56 PM EDT
Share this article
How do we know that Ron DeSantis’ cruel political stunt treating children and adults as human props was shady to the nth degree? Well, text messages reported by the Miami Herald reveal that the notorious recruiter who aided the Florida governor’s scheme left money at dead drops for the unwitting recruiters she used to help lure as many vulnerable people as possible.
Emmanuel, himself a Venezuelan migrant, was brought in by the now-identified Puerla Huerta. She paid him $700 cash to help recruit other migrants, leaving his final payment in an envelope behind the dumpster of a San Antonio BBQ joint. You know, just some normal state business.
”While the media has focused on Huerta, a Miami Herald investigation found DeSantis’ San Antonio operation was far bigger and better organized than previously known, with more than half a dozen recruiters and support staff on the ground, and some operational logistics handled from Florida,” the report said. The stunt was financed through interest earnings associated with federal pandemic funding, a move now under probe by the Treasury Department watchdog.
Named among these figures is DeSantis’ chief of staff, James Uthmeier, who oversaw scheming in San Antonio. ”Florida’s public safety czar, Larry Keefe, served as point person for the program in Texas, documents show.” The Miami Herald report said that the latter actually, once upon a time, represented Vertol Systems Company Inc., the contractor and GOP megadonor that got paid big bucks to shuttle human beings for DeSantis.
From Texas, Keefe messaged Uthmeier that “conditions” were “quite favorable,” Miami Herald said. It’s unclear if this was in the literal sense, as in Oh, its a nice sunny day today, or instead, Our scheming is going according to plan, evil laugh. “Very good,” Uthmeier replied, according to Miami Herald. “You have my full support. Call anytime.”
Both Uthmeier and Vertol Systems Company Inc. are specifically named in a recent lawsuit launched by the Florida Center for Government Accountability watchdog that’s asking a court to force DeSantis to release public records related to the stunt. Text messages were “obtained by the Herald and other organizations through public records requests,” though it's unclear if Florida Center for Government Accountability was among them.
What does continue to be clear is that Emmanuel and dozens of others were lied to, misled, and outright tricked by the orchestrators of this political scheme. Emmanuel even said he had Huerta’s name saved in his phone as “Perla Hermosa,” or, “beautiful Perla.” The migrant “said he believed he was part of a benevolent mission run by a kind and compassionate woman,” one who was offering desperate people all sorts of lifelines, the report said. “Huerta told him she was a military veteran. He trusted her.”
The mysterious “Perla” was later revealed to be former combat medic and counterintelligence agent Perla Huerta. She recently left the military after two decades under circumstances not publicly known. Like so many scammers throughout history, she’s seemingly vanished without a trace, deleting social media profiles and even putting up her Tampa house for sale, the report said. We also see that at least one top official within DeSantis’ office was very much involved in carrying out this scheme. Meanwhile, the governor’s office has actively stalled on releasing public records into the scheme. If it feels shady, it probably is shady, folks.
Is there some hope of justice for the victims of this scam? We desperately hope. Last week a Texas sheriff signed off on certain documentation that could ultimately help victims gain permanent relief here. A U-visa is available to victims of crime who are helpful to law enforcement in their investigations. But because of an annual cap and massive backlog, relief could be many years away. Emmanuel himself has been cooperating with Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar’s probe, though its unclear if he’s seeking a humanitarian visa.
DeSantis' shady 'Perla' deleted social media accounts and put house up for sale, report says
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/10/18/2129707/-DeSantis-shady-Perla-left-cash-hidden-behind-restaurant-dumpster-for-unwitting-recruiterDeSantis' shady 'Perla' deleted social media accounts and put house up for sale, report says
Gabe Ortiz
Daily Kos Staff
Tuesday October 18, 2022 · 2:56 PM EDT
Share this article
How do we know that Ron DeSantis’ cruel political stunt treating children and adults as human props was shady to the nth degree? Well, text messages reported by the Miami Herald reveal that the notorious recruiter who aided the Florida governor’s scheme left money at dead drops for the unwitting recruiters she used to help lure as many vulnerable people as possible.
Emmanuel, himself a Venezuelan migrant, was brought in by the now-identified Puerla Huerta. She paid him $700 cash to help recruit other migrants, leaving his final payment in an envelope behind the dumpster of a San Antonio BBQ joint. You know, just some normal state business.
”While the media has focused on Huerta, a Miami Herald investigation found DeSantis’ San Antonio operation was far bigger and better organized than previously known, with more than half a dozen recruiters and support staff on the ground, and some operational logistics handled from Florida,” the report said. The stunt was financed through interest earnings associated with federal pandemic funding, a move now under probe by the Treasury Department watchdog.
Named among these figures is DeSantis’ chief of staff, James Uthmeier, who oversaw scheming in San Antonio. ”Florida’s public safety czar, Larry Keefe, served as point person for the program in Texas, documents show.” The Miami Herald report said that the latter actually, once upon a time, represented Vertol Systems Company Inc., the contractor and GOP megadonor that got paid big bucks to shuttle human beings for DeSantis.
From Texas, Keefe messaged Uthmeier that “conditions” were “quite favorable,” Miami Herald said. It’s unclear if this was in the literal sense, as in Oh, its a nice sunny day today, or instead, Our scheming is going according to plan, evil laugh. “Very good,” Uthmeier replied, according to Miami Herald. “You have my full support. Call anytime.”
Both Uthmeier and Vertol Systems Company Inc. are specifically named in a recent lawsuit launched by the Florida Center for Government Accountability watchdog that’s asking a court to force DeSantis to release public records related to the stunt. Text messages were “obtained by the Herald and other organizations through public records requests,” though it's unclear if Florida Center for Government Accountability was among them.
What does continue to be clear is that Emmanuel and dozens of others were lied to, misled, and outright tricked by the orchestrators of this political scheme. Emmanuel even said he had Huerta’s name saved in his phone as “Perla Hermosa,” or, “beautiful Perla.” The migrant “said he believed he was part of a benevolent mission run by a kind and compassionate woman,” one who was offering desperate people all sorts of lifelines, the report said. “Huerta told him she was a military veteran. He trusted her.”
“I don’t know who is good, and who is bad,” Emmanuel now says, according to the report. “It’s like something is eating me from the inside.”
The mysterious “Perla” was later revealed to be former combat medic and counterintelligence agent Perla Huerta. She recently left the military after two decades under circumstances not publicly known. Like so many scammers throughout history, she’s seemingly vanished without a trace, deleting social media profiles and even putting up her Tampa house for sale, the report said. We also see that at least one top official within DeSantis’ office was very much involved in carrying out this scheme. Meanwhile, the governor’s office has actively stalled on releasing public records into the scheme. If it feels shady, it probably is shady, folks.
Is there some hope of justice for the victims of this scam? We desperately hope. Last week a Texas sheriff signed off on certain documentation that could ultimately help victims gain permanent relief here. A U-visa is available to victims of crime who are helpful to law enforcement in their investigations. But because of an annual cap and massive backlog, relief could be many years away. Emmanuel himself has been cooperating with Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar’s probe, though its unclear if he’s seeking a humanitarian visa.
”Legitimate operations don't hide bags of money behind BBQ restaurants,” tweeted Florida House Democrats. “This is an embarrassment for Florida.”
October 17, 2022
Posted on Sun, Oct 16th, 2022 by Jason Easley
Bernie Sanders Schools Chuck Todd On Why Inflation Is Not Biden’s Fault
On Meet The Press, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) explained to Chuck Todd why Republicans blaming Biden for inflation is bogus.
Chuck Todd asked Sen. Sanders, “Do you think the American Rescue Plan in 2021 contributed to inflation issue we’re dealing with right now?”
Sanders answered:
Chuck Todd presented a Republican lie as a debatable position. If Republicans started claiming that oxygen was a scam and people don’t need it, so they should stop breathing, the question to be asked isn’t “Senator, do you agree with Republicans that people don’t need oxygen?”
The question that should be asked is why are Republicans saying something that is demonstrably false, and why is our media elevating it?
However, asking the both sides do it media to use critical thinking is probably too big of a dream to dream. At least Bernie Sanders was on Meet The Press to speak the truth.
Bernie Sanders Schools Chuck Todd On Why Inflation Is Not Biden's Fault
https://www.politicususa.com/2022/10/16/bernie-sanders-chuck-todd-meet-the-press.htmlPosted on Sun, Oct 16th, 2022 by Jason Easley
Bernie Sanders Schools Chuck Todd On Why Inflation Is Not Biden’s Fault
On Meet The Press, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) explained to Chuck Todd why Republicans blaming Biden for inflation is bogus.
Chuck Todd asked Sen. Sanders, “Do you think the American Rescue Plan in 2021 contributed to inflation issue we’re dealing with right now?”
Sanders answered:
No, I don’t. Inflation I’m sure you know, Chuck, is an international problem. In Germany, it is 10%, U.K. It is 10%, Canada it is 7% inflation globally is caused by the pandemic and the break in supply chains. It is caused by in my view the war in Ukraine, obviously.
And it is also caused by incredible corporate greed, and I hope everybody understands that when you go to the gas station you fill up your car today, the oil companies are making huge profits. The food companies are making huge profits, prescription drugs are high, the pharmaceutical industry is making huge profits. We’ve got to deal with that issue and Republicans won’t.
And it is also caused by incredible corporate greed, and I hope everybody understands that when you go to the gas station you fill up your car today, the oil companies are making huge profits. The food companies are making huge profits, prescription drugs are high, the pharmaceutical industry is making huge profits. We’ve got to deal with that issue and Republicans won’t.
Chuck Todd presented a Republican lie as a debatable position. If Republicans started claiming that oxygen was a scam and people don’t need it, so they should stop breathing, the question to be asked isn’t “Senator, do you agree with Republicans that people don’t need oxygen?”
The question that should be asked is why are Republicans saying something that is demonstrably false, and why is our media elevating it?
However, asking the both sides do it media to use critical thinking is probably too big of a dream to dream. At least Bernie Sanders was on Meet The Press to speak the truth.
October 16, 2022
Donald Trump Planned and Directed the Whole Damn Thing — Why Is Anybody Still Defending Him?
by Heather Digby Parton | October 15, 2022 - 7:41am
— from Salon
snip//
As a result of law enforcement's failure to prepare for Jan. 6, Congress was left vulnerable after Trump gave his big speech on the Ellipse, urging his rabid followers to march to the Capitol. (Some of them, in fact, were already there.) He wanted to go there too but his Secret Service detail refused to take him, leading to the purported fight between Trump and his agents in the presidential SUV. What he planned to do there we can only imagine — but now we know what the leaders of the House and Senate were doing during that time: responding to the crisis, which Trump refused to do.
While the president was sitting in the Oval Office dining room reveling in the images of his mob storming the Capitol and threatening to kill Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence, congressional leaders had been taken to a secure location where they were working hard to get police and National Guard troops to the Capitol to put down the insurrection. As it happens, a documentary crew was on hand that day to record the historic vote and they captured Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer (then the minority leader) taking charge, calmly reaching out to various government officials and trying to get Cabinet members, including the acting attorney general and acting defense secretary, to persuade Trump to call off the mob. It's an impressive display of leadership, considering they knew they were being hunted like animals as it was happening.
The cumulative effect of all the Jan. 6 hearings, culminating in Thursday's wrap-up of the central narrative, has made clear that Donald Trump set up the coup before the election, was personally involved in the various attempts to execute it, understood that violence was possible on Jan. 6, and incited the crowd to storm the Capitol and refused to take any action to stop them. Everything that happened came at his direction and was done in his name.
Beyond that, Trump has turned the country upside down for two years and built an anti-democratic movement dedicated to destroying the right to vote and sabotaging elections, entirely in service to his injured ego and his refusal to admit that he could ever possibly lose. He is a damaged, destructive narcissist, beyond all help. But the really disturbing question now is why so many people are eager to believe his dangerous fantasies.
digby: Donald Trump Planned and Directed the Whole Damn Thing -- Why Is Anybody Still Defending Him?
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/heather-digby-parton/103574/donald-trump-planned-and-directed-the-whole-damn-thing-why-is-anybody-still-defending-himDonald Trump Planned and Directed the Whole Damn Thing — Why Is Anybody Still Defending Him?
by Heather Digby Parton | October 15, 2022 - 7:41am
— from Salon
snip//
As a result of law enforcement's failure to prepare for Jan. 6, Congress was left vulnerable after Trump gave his big speech on the Ellipse, urging his rabid followers to march to the Capitol. (Some of them, in fact, were already there.) He wanted to go there too but his Secret Service detail refused to take him, leading to the purported fight between Trump and his agents in the presidential SUV. What he planned to do there we can only imagine — but now we know what the leaders of the House and Senate were doing during that time: responding to the crisis, which Trump refused to do.
While the president was sitting in the Oval Office dining room reveling in the images of his mob storming the Capitol and threatening to kill Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence, congressional leaders had been taken to a secure location where they were working hard to get police and National Guard troops to the Capitol to put down the insurrection. As it happens, a documentary crew was on hand that day to record the historic vote and they captured Speaker Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer (then the minority leader) taking charge, calmly reaching out to various government officials and trying to get Cabinet members, including the acting attorney general and acting defense secretary, to persuade Trump to call off the mob. It's an impressive display of leadership, considering they knew they were being hunted like animals as it was happening.
The cumulative effect of all the Jan. 6 hearings, culminating in Thursday's wrap-up of the central narrative, has made clear that Donald Trump set up the coup before the election, was personally involved in the various attempts to execute it, understood that violence was possible on Jan. 6, and incited the crowd to storm the Capitol and refused to take any action to stop them. Everything that happened came at his direction and was done in his name.
Beyond that, Trump has turned the country upside down for two years and built an anti-democratic movement dedicated to destroying the right to vote and sabotaging elections, entirely in service to his injured ego and his refusal to admit that he could ever possibly lose. He is a damaged, destructive narcissist, beyond all help. But the really disturbing question now is why so many people are eager to believe his dangerous fantasies.
October 15, 2022
Trump 'wanted people to die' so he could invoke the Insurrection Act and stay in power
Dartagnan
Community
Friday October 14, 2022 · 4:08 PM EDT
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There is a reason, former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor explains, why Trump did nothing on Jan. 6 to stop the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The reason is simple: Trump gleefully watched the sordid events unfold on television while his aides panicked and pleaded with him fruitlessly to do something because he wanted people to die.
As Taylor points out, the more deaths that occurred (especially deaths to members of Congress) the better justification Trump would have for invoking the Insurrection Act, declaring martial law, and ultimately preventing the peaceful transfer of power.
New study shows half of Earth's coral reefs could face 'permanent unsustainable conditions' by 2035
In this clip, which aired Thursday evening on MSNBC, Taylor speaks as someone who knows Trump and has spent a significant amount of time with him. He understands Trump’s depraved mindset as well as anyone.
From Matthew Chapman, reporting for Raw Story:
The news media long ago fell into the trap of portraying Donald Trump as some sort of gruff but still amusing blowhard, boorish but mesmerizingly larger than life, essentially an entertainer spewing riveting (if raw) verbiage tailor-made for media consumption. This was the image he cultivated on The Apprentice, and it’s the same image that got him elected. To this day, the media regard Trump more with fascination than the horrified repugnance he actually warrants.
It’s almost as if the idea that someone in such a position of power could be so utterly bereft of human decency is just too much for our media to process. Thanks in large part to this treatment he received prior to the 2016 election, nearly half the electorate—and perhaps more—continue to regard him as a type of media-savvy clown, playing to his adoring fans by saying “just what he thinks,” without ever questioning why what he “thinks” strangely aligns with their own prejudices and predispositions.
Many in this country began to realize exactly what Trump was when they took note of the things he said during his rallies, by his weird embrace of murderous dictators, and by his solicitude toward virulent racists. But what really should have been a colossal, waving red flag to the vast majority of Americans was the complete disregard of human life he exhibited during the COVID-19 pandemic. As things turned out, enough people got the message about the kind of evil we were really saddled with in Donald Trump. Hundreds of thousands of people died miserably and unnecessarily for the sole reason that they’d placed their faith in Trump’s words, and the words of those whose political careers stood to profit from their allegiance to him. Even then, at no time did Trump exhibit the slightest degree of empathy or compassion for those deaths, nor has he expressed or intimated such sentiments since.
What we have with Trump is not a clown, not a boor, not a “populist,” but someone with the mindset of a cold-blooded murderer. The incongruity of witnessing someone with such a mindset placed at the pinnacle of American power, someone fawned upon by the media and who (for many) gave voice to their own inner resentments, operated to obscure that basic fact, even from those who truly should have known better.
The Jan. 6 Select Committee has done yeoman’s work in unmasking the fact that Trump was intent on maintaining power and instigated a deadly insurrection among his most virulent followers to achieve that end. But it still hasn’t managed to convey in the clearest possible terms what is blatantly obvious: that this man fully intended as many Americans as necessary to die for him to preserve his own position and status. And worse, that he would not have lost a second’s worth of sleep over it.
That is the very definition of “evil.”
Trump 'wanted people to die' so he could invoke the Insurrection Act and stay in power
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/10/14/2128931/-Trump-wanted-people-to-die-so-he-could-invoke-the-Insurrection-Act-and-stay-in-powerTrump 'wanted people to die' so he could invoke the Insurrection Act and stay in power
Dartagnan
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Friday October 14, 2022 · 4:08 PM EDT
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There is a reason, former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor explains, why Trump did nothing on Jan. 6 to stop the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The reason is simple: Trump gleefully watched the sordid events unfold on television while his aides panicked and pleaded with him fruitlessly to do something because he wanted people to die.
As Taylor points out, the more deaths that occurred (especially deaths to members of Congress) the better justification Trump would have for invoking the Insurrection Act, declaring martial law, and ultimately preventing the peaceful transfer of power.
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In this clip, which aired Thursday evening on MSNBC, Taylor speaks as someone who knows Trump and has spent a significant amount of time with him. He understands Trump’s depraved mindset as well as anyone.
From Matthew Chapman, reporting for Raw Story:
"It made my heart race to watch today's hearing, really, because they brought up Trump's mindset, and the question was, what was his mindset?" Taylor told anchor Nicolle Wallace. "I'm going to demystify that for America right now. I've spent time with the guy in the Oval Office, the White House situation room, and Air Force One. I'll tell you what his mindset was on January 6th."
"I believe Donald Trump wanted people to die," said Taylor. "He wanted people to die … who were elected officials, en masse, so he could call out the military, so he could invoke the Insurrection Act, so he could prevent the peaceful transfer of power. That's not a conspiracy theory. In fact, in hindsight, it's pretty damn clear to me this is what he had in mind from day one in office."
"I believe Donald Trump wanted people to die," said Taylor. "He wanted people to die … who were elected officials, en masse, so he could call out the military, so he could invoke the Insurrection Act, so he could prevent the peaceful transfer of power. That's not a conspiracy theory. In fact, in hindsight, it's pretty damn clear to me this is what he had in mind from day one in office."
The news media long ago fell into the trap of portraying Donald Trump as some sort of gruff but still amusing blowhard, boorish but mesmerizingly larger than life, essentially an entertainer spewing riveting (if raw) verbiage tailor-made for media consumption. This was the image he cultivated on The Apprentice, and it’s the same image that got him elected. To this day, the media regard Trump more with fascination than the horrified repugnance he actually warrants.
It’s almost as if the idea that someone in such a position of power could be so utterly bereft of human decency is just too much for our media to process. Thanks in large part to this treatment he received prior to the 2016 election, nearly half the electorate—and perhaps more—continue to regard him as a type of media-savvy clown, playing to his adoring fans by saying “just what he thinks,” without ever questioning why what he “thinks” strangely aligns with their own prejudices and predispositions.
Many in this country began to realize exactly what Trump was when they took note of the things he said during his rallies, by his weird embrace of murderous dictators, and by his solicitude toward virulent racists. But what really should have been a colossal, waving red flag to the vast majority of Americans was the complete disregard of human life he exhibited during the COVID-19 pandemic. As things turned out, enough people got the message about the kind of evil we were really saddled with in Donald Trump. Hundreds of thousands of people died miserably and unnecessarily for the sole reason that they’d placed their faith in Trump’s words, and the words of those whose political careers stood to profit from their allegiance to him. Even then, at no time did Trump exhibit the slightest degree of empathy or compassion for those deaths, nor has he expressed or intimated such sentiments since.
What we have with Trump is not a clown, not a boor, not a “populist,” but someone with the mindset of a cold-blooded murderer. The incongruity of witnessing someone with such a mindset placed at the pinnacle of American power, someone fawned upon by the media and who (for many) gave voice to their own inner resentments, operated to obscure that basic fact, even from those who truly should have known better.
The Jan. 6 Select Committee has done yeoman’s work in unmasking the fact that Trump was intent on maintaining power and instigated a deadly insurrection among his most virulent followers to achieve that end. But it still hasn’t managed to convey in the clearest possible terms what is blatantly obvious: that this man fully intended as many Americans as necessary to die for him to preserve his own position and status. And worse, that he would not have lost a second’s worth of sleep over it.
That is the very definition of “evil.”
October 15, 2022
The Rude Pundit
Proudly lowering the level of political discourse
10/15/2022
The Patriotic Case for Jailing Donald Trump
snip//
Maybe I'm naive, and I'm certainly not a lawyer or legal expert, but if someone's stated goal is to overthrow the elected government of the United States and that someone is fomenting violence and threats of violence against those who don't want to overthrow the elected government of the United States, then it would be patriotic to arrest that person. It would be patriotic to hold them without bail until trial so that they can't keep fanning the flames of rebellion, a rebellion that is based on lies that have been called lies by people across the political spectrum and by dozens of courts of law.
This isn't some wild, leftist idea about what Trump deserves. It's based on Trump's words, actions and inactions, and the results of all of that. Even in his petulant letter responding to the January 6 Committee's subpoena of him, Trump holds the insurrectionists blameless, implying that the riot, violence, and lawlessness that day was justified. He said that the committee has "targeted only those who were, as concerned American Citizens, protesting the Fraud itself." How does that not send the message that Trump wanted the violence on that day? He is saying that what the rioters did was right.
snip//
All of this and I haven't even gotten into how the Secret Service and FBI are likely corrupted by Trump and his ground troops in the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and other groups, to the point that some agents may very well have been coordinating with the 1/6 rioters. It is damn hard to escape the idea that Trump was hoping that members of Congress who opposed him would be killed. I can't help but think that that's what he wanted when he watched the events unfold for over 3 hours on January 6, 2021, refusing to lift a finger to stop the mayhem. This is a man, after all, who loves going to boxing matches. He enjoys violence.
So I'm not saying that Trump shouldn't have a trial. But I am saying, as I have before, that we hold people who are obviously dangerous in jail without bail as they await trial. This isn't a game. The normal rules have been tossed out the window. If it's all unprecedented, then we need to respond in unprecedented ways.
What could be more dangerous than a former president trying to wreck the country and force it to conform to his fantasy? We know what happens when leaders do that. It never ends well. For the good of the country, for the good of our constitution, that's what needs to happen to Donald Trump. It's what should have happened on January 6.
The Rude Pundit: The Patriotic Case for Jailing Donald Trump
https://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-patriotic-case-for-jailing-donald.htmlThe Rude Pundit
Proudly lowering the level of political discourse
10/15/2022
The Patriotic Case for Jailing Donald Trump
snip//
Maybe I'm naive, and I'm certainly not a lawyer or legal expert, but if someone's stated goal is to overthrow the elected government of the United States and that someone is fomenting violence and threats of violence against those who don't want to overthrow the elected government of the United States, then it would be patriotic to arrest that person. It would be patriotic to hold them without bail until trial so that they can't keep fanning the flames of rebellion, a rebellion that is based on lies that have been called lies by people across the political spectrum and by dozens of courts of law.
This isn't some wild, leftist idea about what Trump deserves. It's based on Trump's words, actions and inactions, and the results of all of that. Even in his petulant letter responding to the January 6 Committee's subpoena of him, Trump holds the insurrectionists blameless, implying that the riot, violence, and lawlessness that day was justified. He said that the committee has "targeted only those who were, as concerned American Citizens, protesting the Fraud itself." How does that not send the message that Trump wanted the violence on that day? He is saying that what the rioters did was right.
snip//
All of this and I haven't even gotten into how the Secret Service and FBI are likely corrupted by Trump and his ground troops in the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and other groups, to the point that some agents may very well have been coordinating with the 1/6 rioters. It is damn hard to escape the idea that Trump was hoping that members of Congress who opposed him would be killed. I can't help but think that that's what he wanted when he watched the events unfold for over 3 hours on January 6, 2021, refusing to lift a finger to stop the mayhem. This is a man, after all, who loves going to boxing matches. He enjoys violence.
So I'm not saying that Trump shouldn't have a trial. But I am saying, as I have before, that we hold people who are obviously dangerous in jail without bail as they await trial. This isn't a game. The normal rules have been tossed out the window. If it's all unprecedented, then we need to respond in unprecedented ways.
What could be more dangerous than a former president trying to wreck the country and force it to conform to his fantasy? We know what happens when leaders do that. It never ends well. For the good of the country, for the good of our constitution, that's what needs to happen to Donald Trump. It's what should have happened on January 6.
October 13, 2022
DeSantis Stunt May Allow Migrants to Get Special Visas
October 13, 2022 at 1:58 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard
DeSantis Stunt May Allow Migrants to Get Special Visas
https://politicalwire.com/2022/10/13/desantis-stunt-may-allow-migrants-to-get-special-visas/DeSantis Stunt May Allow Migrants to Get Special Visas
October 13, 2022 at 1:58 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard
“A Texas sheriff has certified that the nearly 50 migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis were victims of a crime,” WGBH reports.
“That certification is a key step in qualifying them for a special visa they would not have otherwise been eligible for… The documents are key parts of applications for U-visas, which are reserved for crime victims, or people who witnessed crimes.”
“That certification is a key step in qualifying them for a special visa they would not have otherwise been eligible for… The documents are key parts of applications for U-visas, which are reserved for crime victims, or people who witnessed crimes.”
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