The Prosecutor and The Felon

We approve this message pic.twitter.com/Kd1zKlqFmp

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) July 25, 2024

This.

pic.twitter.com/RMIRvlSOYw

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

And some Pennsylvania endorsements:

Governor Josh Shapiro:

The contrast in this race could not be clearer and the road to victory in November runs right through Pennsylvania – where this collective work began.

I will do everything I can to help elect @KamalaHarris as the 47th President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/sqCkiAmCV7

— Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) July 21, 2024

Senator Bob Casey:

“With women’s rights, workers’ rights, and voting rights on the line, the stakes of this election for Pennsylvania and the Nation couldn’t be higher,” said Casey. “Vice President Harris has been leading on those fights and as a former prosecutor, she will draw a clear contrast between herself and former President Trump. She is prepared to be Commander-in-Chief and is the best person to meet this moment. I’m proud to endorse her candidacy for President.

Representative Summer Lee:

My statement on President Biden stepping aside and my endorsement of Kamala Harris for President: pic.twitter.com/wTFbWLdYZU

— Summer Lee (@SummerForPA) July 21, 2024

Mayor Ed Gainey:

I am proud to endorse @KamalaHarris to be our 47th President of the United States of America.

Kamala has the passion, energy, and experience to win this race and deliver for the people of Pittsburgh. I look forward to joining her on the campaign trail soon. pic.twitter.com/PzrNBYz4du

— Ed Gainey (@gainey_ed) July 21, 2024

I know the list is incomplete. I know the list will grow over time.

Some things for all of us to remember:

• 34 Felony convictions
• Half a billion in fines for real estate fraud and for defaming a woman he sexually abused
• Bragged about overturning Roe v Wade

Rinse, later and repeat.

• 
  

Fact-checking Trump's Convention Speech

The Washington Post:

Former president Donald Trump’s 92-minute speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination on the final night of his party’s national convention rambled, often incoherently, through a hit parade of his favorite falsehoods, many of them ad-libbed instead of drawn from his prepared remarks.  

CNN:

Former President Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday with the most dishonest speech of the four-day Republican National Convention, making more than 20 false claims by CNN’s count. 

ABC News

TRUMP CLAIM: Trump argued there was "a massive invasion at our southern border that has spread misery, crime, poverty, disease and destruction to communities all across our land."

FACT CHECK: This is false. There is no evidence of a major surge in crime caused by recent arrivals, and Trump's claims ignore the fact that crime is down across the country overall.

 NBC News:

Did Democrats ‘use Covid to cheat’ in the 2020 election?

“The election result, we’re never going to let it happen again. They used Covid to cheat," Trump said.

This is false.

Trump is referring to changes made during the Covid pandemic, largely to make it easier to vote by mail or absentee, as congregating at the polls posed a health risk. Democrats embraced the changes and turned out many voters by mail, while Trump slammed mail voting. There is no evidence the changes led to fraud, even though Trump and his allies filed more than 50 lawsuits challenging some facet of the 2020 election. All were denied, dismissed, settled or withdrawn, including multiple that made it to the Supreme Court.

CBS News:

Former President Donald Trump says he oversaw the "best economy in the history of our country, in the history of the world:" False

What we know: It is not true that Trump oversaw the best economy in the history of the U.S. by many of the metrics used to judge economic performance.

GDP

The claim struggles when looking at GDP. If the 2020 pandemic is excluded, growth after inflation under Trump averaged just over 2.5%, according to figures from the World Bank. Including the time period after COVID spread, that average drops by almost a percentage point. By comparison, Growth between 1962 to 1966 ranged from 4.4% to 6.6%. In 1950 and 1951, GDP ranged between 8.7% and 8%.

Under Mr. Biden, annual GDP growth is averaging 3.4%, according to the World Bank.

AP:

TRUMP: “We had the greatest economy in the history of the world.”

THE FACTS: That’s far from accurate. The pandemic triggered a massive recession during his presidency. The government borrowed $3.1 trillion in 2020 to stabilize the economy and Trump left the White House with fewer jobs than when he entered.

But even if you take out issues caused by the pandemic, economic growth averaged 2.67% during Trump’s first three years, which is pretty solid. But it’s nowhere near the 4% averaged during Bill Clinton’s two terms from 1993 to 2001, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In fact, growth has been stronger so far under Biden than under Trump.

Trump did have the unemployment rate get as low as 3.5% before the pandemic, but the labor force participation rate for people 25 to 54 — the core of the U.S. working population — was higher under Clinton. The participation rate has also been higher under Biden than Trump.

There you go. One stop shopping for the fact-checking.

 

 

Meanwhile, Outside

Science from the scientists who study the climate over at NOAA:

June 2024 was the warmest June on record for the globe in NOAA's 175-year record. The June global surface temperature was 1.22°C (2.20°F) above the 20th-century average of 15.5°C (59.9°F). This is 0.15°C (0.27°F) warmer than the previous June record set last year, and the 13th consecutive month of record-high global temperatures. This ties with May 2015-May 2016 for the longest record warm global temperature streak in the modern record (since 1980). June 2024 marked the 48th consecutive June with global temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th-century average.

There it is. 

And then there's this:

The January–June global surface temperature ranked warmest in the 175-year record at 1.29°C (2.32°F) above the 1901-2000 average of 13.5°C (56.2°F). According to NCEI's statistical analysis, there is a 59% chance that 2024 will rank as the warmest year on record and a 100% chance that it will rank in the top five.

Science. 

And yet, our friends at the Heritage Foundation see things differently:

Downsize the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. 

OAR provides theoretical science, as opposed to the applied science of the National Hurricane Center. OAR is, however, the source of much of NOAA’s climate alarmism. The preponderance of its climate-change research should be disbanded. OAR is a large network of research laboratories, an undersea research center, and several joint research institutes with universities. These operations should be reviewed with an aim of consolidation and reduction of bloat. 

Why would they want to do that?

This is why:

Together, these form a colossal operation that has become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity.

Whereas some men just want to see the world burn, others would let it for the sake of profit.

Text of President Biden's Address

From The The Whitehouse:

My fellow Americans, I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics and to remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies.  We’re neighbors.  We’re friends, coworkers, citizens.  And, most importantly, we are fellow Americans.  And we must stand together. 

Yesterday’s shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania calls on all of us to take a step back, take stock of where we are, how we go forward from here. 

Thankfully, former [President] Trump is not seriously injured.  I spoke with him last night.  I’m grateful he’s doing well.  And Jill and I keep him and his family in our prayers. 

We also extend our deepest condolences to the family of the victim who was killed.  Corey was a husband, a father, a volunteer firefighter, a hero, sheltering his family from those bullets.  We should all hold his family and all those injured in our prayers.

Earlier today, I spoke about an ongoing investigation.  We do not know the motive of the shooter yet.  We don’t know his opinions or affiliations.  We don’t know whether he had help or support or if he communicated with anyone else.  Law enforcement professionals, as I speak, are investigating those questions. 

Tonight, I want to speak to what we do know: A former president was shot.  An American citizen killed while simply exercising his freedom to support the candidate of his choosing. 

We cannot — we must not go down this road in America.  We’ve traveled it before throughout our history.  Violence has never been the answer, whether it’s with members of Congress in both parties being targeted in the shot, or a violent mob attacking the Capitol on January 6th, or a brutal attack on the spouse of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, or information and intimidation on election officials, or the kidnapping plot against a sitting governor, or an attempted assassination on Donald Trump.

There is no place in America for this kind of violence or for any violence ever.  Period.  No exceptions.  We can’t allow this violence to be normalized. 

You know, the political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated.  It’s time to cool it down.  And we all have a responsibility to do that. 

Yes, we have deeply felt, strong disagreements.  The stakes in this election are enormously high. 

I’ve said it many times that the choice in this elect- — that we make in this election is going to shape the future of America and the world for decades to come.  I believe that with all my soul.  I know that millions of my fellow Americans believe it as well.

And some have a different view as to the direction our country should take.  Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy.  It’s part of human nature.  But politics must never be a literal battlefield and, God forbid, a killing field.

I believe politics ought to be an arena for peaceful debate, to pursue justice, to make decisions guided by the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.  We stand for an America not of extremism and fury but of decency and grace. 

All of us now face a time of testing as the election approaches.  And the higher the stakes, the more fervent the passions become.  This places an added burden on each of us to ensure that no matter how strong our convictions, we must never descend into violence. 

The Republican convention will start tomorrow.  I have no doubt they’ll criticize my record and offer their own vision for this country.  I’ll be traveling this week, making the case for our record and the vision — my vision of the country — our vision. 

I’ll continue to speak out strongly for our democracy, stand up for our Constitution and the rule of law, to call for action at the ballot box, no violence on our streets.  That’s how democracy should work. 

We debate and disagree.  We compare and contrast the character of the candidates, the records, the issues, the agenda, the vision for America. 

But in America, we resolve our differences at the ballot box.  You know, that’s how we do it, at the ballot box, not with bullets.  The power to change America should always rest in the hands of the people, not in the hands of a would-be assassin.

You know, the path forward through competing visions of the campaign should always be resolved peacefully, not through acts of violence.

You know, we’re blessed to live in the greatest country on Earth.  And I believe that with every soul — every power of my being.  So, tonight, I’m asking every American to recommit to make America so — make America what it i- — think about it.  What’s made America so special? 

Here in America, everyone wants to be treated with dignity and respect, and hate must have no safe harbor. 

Here in America, we need to get out of our silos, where we only listen to those with whom we agree, where misinformation is rampant, where foreign actors fan the flames of our division to shape the outcomes consistent with their interests, not ours.

Let’s remember, here in America, while unity is the most elusive of goals right now, nothing is more — more important for us now than standing together.  We can do this. 

You know, from the beginning, our founders understood the power of passion, and so they created a democracy that gave reason and balance a chance to prevail over brute force.  That’s the America we must be, an American democracy where arguments are made in good faith, an American democracy where the rule of law is respected, an American democracy where decency, dignity, fair play aren’t just quaint notions, but living, breathing realities.

We owe that to those who come before us, to those who gave their lives for this country.  We that — we owe that to ourselves.  We owe it to our children and our grandchildren. 

Look, let’s never lose sight of who we are.  Let’s remember we are the United States of America.  There is nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.

So, God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops. 

The address:

No, Let's NOT "Both Sides" It

Before we do too many "both sides do it" with the overheated political rhetoric, let's recall what CNN posted on 08/09/2016:

It’s come to this. Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his opponent Hillary Clinton “wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks.” Trump followed his claim, which was not supported by any source or proof, with a not-so-veiled suggestion, adding, “although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is.”

Gee, I wonder what Trump meant by that?

8 years ago he was calling for one of those "Second Amendment people" to shoot Hillary Clinton.

 

GOP types were repeating the need for "Second Amendment solutions" back then, remember? 

What do you think they meant by that??

No Political Violence.

 

Political violence must always be condemned.

No political violence.

An Open Letter To Leaders Of The Democratic Party

Dear Dem Leaders;

I am not a member of the party, though I have recently donated money to it.

I was a member but that was more than a decade ago. I left the party in, I believe, 2010.

All that being said, I realize that my one voice probably doesn't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. I'd like to think, though it may just be wishful thinking, that my feelings in this matter may be independently shared by many of us on the non-politically connected left.

I am writing, of course, on the current tension in the party over Joe Biden's candidacy for presidency.

For god's sake, resolve this matter. 

Now.

I am a big fan of President Biden. I think he's done a great job as president, cleaning up the mess of the twice impeached Trump.

I also watched, in horror, his performance at that first debate.  At the very least Joe had a bad bad superbad night. It was so bad it pulled all the pundits' attention away from Trump's near complete dishonesty that night.

To paraphrase Mary McCarthy on Lillian Hellman: Every word he said was a lie, including "and" and "the."

As I am not a member of the party, I will not push for any particular resolution in this matter, only implore you to resolve it - either way. Resolve this.

Here's why:

Every Democrat in every speech should be pointing out at least these three things;

• He has 34 Felony Convictions
• He owes half a billion in fines for real estate fraud and for defaming a woman he sexually assaulted
• He brags about ending Roe v. Wade

Any day a democrat can not point these things (because he or she has to answer a question about Joe Biden) is an opportunity lost.

Our form of democracy is on the line.  One way or another, resolve this fucking thing.

July 4

July 4

Rudy Giuliani DISBARRED - And A Pennsylvania Connection!

We'll start here:

Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor and personal attorney to Donald Trump, was disbarred Tuesday in New York over his false statements about the 2020 election.

“The seriousness of respondent’s misconduct cannot be overstated,” a state appeals court said in a ruling, adding that Giuliani “baselessly attacked and undermined the integrity of this country’s electoral process.”

And so now let's dig into that ruling, shall we? 

Scrolling down somewhat, we find this:

Wherefore, it is Ordered that the motion by the Attorney Grievance Committee for the First Judicial Department to confirm the Referee’s report and recommendation pursuant to 603.8-a(t)(4) and 22 NYCRR 1240.8(b)(2) is granted, and respondent Rudolph W. Giuliani, admitted as Rudolph William Giuliani, is disbarred from the practice of law, effective immediately, and until the further order of this Court, and his name stricken from the roll of attorneys and counselors-at-law in the State of New York...(p.30)

And so on.

Inside the ruling we can find things like this:

The Referee found that on November 25, 2020, in violation of rules 4.1, 8.4(c), 8.4(d), and 8.4(h), respondent falsely and dishonestly claimed to Pennsylvania state legislators that in Philadelphia during the 2020 Presidential election, many thousands of votes were cast in the names of dead people. 

Respondent stipulated that “[m]any thousands of votes were not cast in the names of dead people in Philadelphia during the 2020 election.” Further, the Referee found that respondent knew, or should have known, that on November 11, 2020, Philadelphia Commissioner Al Schmidt, a Republican, made a televised statement in which he criticized the allegations of fraud as having no basis in fact and specifically concluded that the investigations regarding dead voters had led nowhere. (p.5)

Look at the date.

That would be PA State Sen Doug Mastriano's "hearing" on the 2020 election.

This "hearing" shows up a couple more times:

The Referee found that respondent falsely and dishonestly asserted that in Philadelphia there occurred “an extraordinary number of voter fraud convictions that stood as evidence of endemic election fraud in that city.” Respondent made the alleged offending statement four times: first, during the November 7, 2020 press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping; second, during a November 17, 2020 appearance in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, in violation of Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct rules 3.3(a)(1), 4.1,and 8.4(c), which controlled under New York rule 8.5(b)(1); third, on November 25, 2020 before Pennsylvania state legislators; and fourth, on December 14, 2020 before Missouri state legislators, while testifying under oath, in violation of New York rules 4.1, 8.4(b), 8.4(c), 8.4(d), and 8.4(h). (p. 8)

And:

The Referee found that, in violation of rules 4.1, 8.4(b), 8.4(c), 8.4(d), and 8.4(h), respondent falsely and dishonestly asserted that in Michigan, trucks delivered ballots in garbage receptacles and paper bags. Respondent made the alleged offending statements during the November 19, 2020, press conference at the Republican National Committee Headquarters, during his November 25, 2020 appearance before Pennsylvania state legislators, during his December 3 and December 10, 2020 appearances before Georgia state legislators, and in his April 14, 2021 affidavit filed with this Court in opposition to the AGC’s interim suspension motion. (p. 17)

So, in part, the lies Rudy told at Doug's little hearing got Rudy disbarred. 

When will Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano offer up any sort of explanation/apology for setting up the venue in which Donald Trump's lawyer (and a man once known as "America's Mayor") spread lies bad enough to be disbarred?

With Fear For Our Democracy, I Dissent

Today

Steve Bannon's going to prison today.

Thou Shalt Not...And Another

We'll start in the same place as Friday:

Gov. Jeff Landry signed legislation on Wednesday requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public classroom in Louisiana, making the state the only one with such a mandate and reigniting the debate over how porous the boundary between church and state should be.

And from the legislation we read that this is one of the Commandments commanded to appear in all school rooms in Louisiana:

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

So what does "bearing false witness" even mean?

Dictionary.com:

1. knowingly state as fact that which is untrue; begin or perpetuate a rumor by lying about a person, thing, or event:

   [snip]
   

2. knowingly give untrue testimony, as in a court of law; commit perjury

CBN:

Outside the context of the courts, it is termed slander.

And:

Starting lies about someone or spreading them is bearing false witness, a terrible offense in the sight of God.

That was an excerpt from a book by Pat Robertson, BTW.

So we have a pretty good idea of what the Commandment means.

So do I need to remind anyone of this:

Former President Donald Trump must pay $83.3 million in damages for defamatory statements he made denying he sexually assaulted the writer E. Jean Carroll, a federal jury ruled Friday, handing down a stunning verdict after less than three hours of deliberation.

The jury awarded Carroll $18.3 million in compensatory damages, and $65 million in punitive damages. The compensatory amount included $11 million for repairing her reputation, and $7.3 million for emotional harm.

Donald Trump broke that Commandment, too. 

In other news, Donald Trump is a convicted felon, a criminal.

The Cruelty IS The Point In Trump's Post-Dodds America

Watch this

Thou Shalt Not...And Here's Another One

We'll start in the same place as Friday:

Gov. Jeff Landry signed legislation on Wednesday requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public classroom in Louisiana, making the state the only one with such a mandate and reigniting the debate over how porous the boundary between church and state should be.

And from the legislation we read that this is one of the Commandments commanded to appear in all school rooms in Louisiana:

Thou shalt not steal.

Does everyone know about Trump University (to be more precise Trump "University")? 

From ABCNews in 2018:

A federal judge in the Southern District of California on Monday finalized a $25 million settlement to be paid to attendees of the now-defunct real estate seminar called Trump University.

And:

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman called the settlement a victory for Trump U. "victims."

"Judge Curiel's order finalizing the $25 million Trump University settlement means that victims of Donald Trump's fraudulent university will finally receive the relief they deserve," he said in a statement, adding that the amount surpassed the initial number the class-action suit initially negotiated.

"This settlement marked a stunning reversal by President Trump, who for years refused to compensate the victims of his sham university," the statement added. "My office won't hesitate to hold those who commit fraud accountable, no matter how rich or powerful they may be."

Donald Trump stole from all those people who "enrolled" in Trump "University." 

It was a scam - a "massive" one, according to this article in the conservative National Review.

The NR called it a bait and switch, quoting the NY State lawsuit:

The free seminars were the first step in a bait and switch to induce prospective students to enroll in increasingly expensive seminars starting with the three-day $1495 seminar and ultimately one of respondents’ advanced seminars such as the “Gold Elite” program costing $35,000.

At the “free” 90-minute introductory seminars to which Trump University advertisements and solicitations invited prospective students, Trump University instructors engaged in a methodical, systematic series of misrepresentations designed to convince students to sign up for the Trump University three-day seminar at a cost of $1495.

 Trump stole money from people who wanted to learn how make money in real estate.

Thou Shalt Not...Pass A Law Respecting An Establishment Of Religion...

From The NYTimes:

Gov. Jeff Landry signed legislation on Wednesday requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public classroom in Louisiana, making the state the only one with such a mandate and reigniting the debate over how porous the boundary between church and state should be.

Setting aside the question of the legislation's constitutionality (it's not, but given the Trump SCOTUS, all bets, sadly, are off), let's look at the Commandments themselves, as spelled out in the legislation.

It contains (of course) this Commandment:

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Do I need to remind everyone that convicted felon Trump:

• Cheated on his first wife with the woman who became his second wife
• Cheated on his second wife with the woman who became his third
• Cheated on his third wife with an adult film actress.
• Sexually assaulted another woman and then lied about her.
  

And that's only one broken commandment (with a bit of "Thou shalt not bear false witness" thrown in").

Hey, Look! Pennsylvania Is Mentioned TWICE

Doug Mastriano at about 1:25 in and Dave McCormick at about 5:50.

Hey, did you know that God sent Trump's mob to storm the Capitol?

Today's GOP.

Meanwhile, Outside

Science, from the climate scientists at NOAA: 

The May global surface temperature was 1.18°C (2.12°F) above the 20th-century average of 14.8°C (58.6°F), making it the warmest May on record. This was 0.18°C (0.32°F) above the previous record from May 2020. May 2024 marked the 48th consecutive May (since 1977) with temperatures at least nominally above the 20th-century average.

And, of course, the chart:

There was also this from down the page:

The January–May global surface temperature was the warmest in the 175-year record at 1.32°C (2.38°F) above the 1901-2000 average of 13.1°C (55.5°F).

It's getting warmer out there.

I was also going through my old stuff and found this from 2009 (that's 15 years ago): 

A comprehensive review of key climate indicators confirms the world is warming and the past decade was the warmest on record. More than 300 scientists from 48 countries analyzed data on 37 climate indicators, including sea ice, glaciers and air temperatures. A more detailed review of 10 of these indicators, selected because they are clearly and directly related to surface temperatures, all tell the same story: global warming is undeniable.[Emphasis added.]

Undeniable. 15 years later, still undeniable.

 

This.

Mitch McConnell knows Trump provoked the violent attack on our Capitol and then “watched television happily” as his mob brutally beat police officers and hunted the Vice President. He knows Trump refused for hours to tell his mob to leave and “even then with police officers… pic.twitter.com/iOiT3E7rbs

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) June 13, 2024

Of course if you replace the words "Mitch McConnell" with the words "The GOP" you get this:

[The GOP] knows Trump provoked the violent attack on our Capitol and then “watched television happily” as his mob brutally beat police officers and hunted the Vice President. [The GOP] knows Trump refused for hours to tell his mob to leave and “even then with police officers bleeding…he kept repeating his election lies and praising the criminals.” [The GOP] knows Trump committed a “disgraceful dereliction of duty” and is a danger to our Republic. Trump and his collaborators will be defeated, and history will remember the shame of [The GOP] who enabled them.

Just a little tweak - but still absolutely true.

Justice Alito, In A Nutshell

This, from Rolling Stone:

[Lauren Windsor, a liberal documentary filmmaker] goes on to tell Alito: “People in this country who believe in God have got to keep fighting for that — to return our country to a place of godliness.”

“I agree with you. I agree with you,” replies Alito, who authored the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, which reversed five decades of settled law and ended a constitutional right to abortion.

In the event you were wondering how she got the quote:

Windsor attended [the Supreme Court Historical Society’s annual dinner on June 3] as a dues-paying member of the society under her real name, along with a colleague. She asked questions of the justice as though she were a religious conservative.   

Back to Justice Alito. It's not his job to "return our country to a place of godliness." What sort of place would that be, anyway?  Which definition of "godliness" is the right one? Who decides on that?

Justice Samuel Alito should not be deciding cases on the US Supreme Court.

Today - What's In Store For Felon Trump

From The NYTimes:

Former President Donald J. Trump, who was convicted last month on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, is expected to have a virtual interview with a New York City Probation Department official on Monday, three people with knowledge of the matter said.

Convicted on 34 felony counts.  I will never get tired of writing that.

Anyway, here's a bit more from the AP:

The usual purpose of a pre-sentencing probation interview is to prepare a report that will tell the judge more about the defendant, and potentially help determine the proper punishment for the crime.

Such reports are typically prepared by a probation officer, a social worker or a psychologist working for the probation department who interviews the defendant and possibly that person’s family and friends, as well as people affected by the crime.

So there's that.

But then there's this from MSNBC (this summary from Huffington Post):

One of the questions that Trump will be asked is “whether he is associating with criminals,” Weissmann, a legal analyst for MSNBC, told former Biden White House press secretary-turned-network anchor Jen Psaki.

“It is sort of remarkable,” he declared.

Trump will have to “discuss whether he still coordinates with Roger Stone, Paul Mannafort, Steve Bannon,” Weissmann pointed out. “Remember, all of those people have been found guilty by a jury and are felons themselves so that’s another area where the probation department could ask questions and it’ll be interesting to see what Donald Trump has to say about that.”

Yea, it'll be very interesting. 

Donald Trump is a convicted felon, a criminal.

 

 

Steve Bannon is Going To Jail - July 1

From The NYTimes:

A federal judge on Thursday told Stephen K. Bannon, a longtime adviser to former President Donald J. Trump, to surrender by July 1 to start serving a four-month prison term for disobeying a congressional subpoena.

Mr. Bannon was sentenced in October 2022 on contempt of Congress charges after he refused to give testimony to the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Judge Carl J. Nichols, who has overseen the case, allowed him to remain free while he appealed. Last month, however, Mr. Bannon lost the first round of that challenge as a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court in Washington decided that his guilty verdict on charges of ignoring the House committee’s demand for his testimony was proper.

Bannon's going to jail.

Hmm. I wonder: Are there any Pennsylvania connections to Bannon?

Of course there are - ah, the joys of an old blog.

There's this.

On the night that The House of Representatives voted to hold Bannon in contempt, he was guest of PA the Adams County Republican Committee at their annual Eisenhower Banquet. 

PA State Senator Doug Mastriano was there as well.  Did they discuss the contempt vote?  Why won't anyone ask Doug this?

But wait, there's more.

From the York Daily Record: 

Before the event, Bannon spoke with Adams County GOP Chair Charlotte Shaffer for his "War Room" news show.

The pair spoke about the 3 November movement, a Trump-centered Republican movement seeking to prove election fraud.

“One of the reasons I accepted the gracious invitation of Charlotte Shaffer, the chairman, was that this was the railhead of where 3 November started, the counter reaction, the great conference,” Bannon said on War Room.

Bannon was referring to an event in Gettysburg at which former Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani publicly protested the election results. Mastriano organized that event as a member of the Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee.

Rudy Giuliani was at that event in Gettysburg. He's now facing disbarment for having "violated Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct" representing Trump in a case in PA that sought to overturn Trump's 2020 election loss.

BTW, Rudy told many many lies at Doug's Gettysburg event.

Can't someone (anyone??) ask Doug about Rudy's current tough times?

Then there's this.  Mastriano was on Bannon's podcast:

Senator Mastriano is speaking with Steve Bannon. Bannon is currently under indictment (two counts) for Contempt of Congress. He was also indicted for wire fraud. The case was dismissed because he was pardoned by Donald Trump on the latter's last day of office.

And as we all know, PA State Senator Doug Mastriano has been subpoenaed by the same committee that issued the subpoenas that led to Bannon's contempt indictment.

Hey, remember when PA State Senator Doug Mastriano was subpoenaed?  I certainly do. 

In any event, Dougie and Stevie discussed Trump's one-time SecDef, Mark Esper and how he would have committed treason by not following Trump's order (were Trump to give one) to have members of the military to shoot protesters in the legs. 

Can someone please ask Doug Mastriano for a comment regarding Steve Bannon's upcoming jail time?

Guilty of 34 Felonies - Donald Trump

Let's set the national frame with this from The NYTimes:

Donald J. Trump was convicted on Thursday of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to derail his 2016 presidential campaign, capping an extraordinary trial that tested the resilience of the American justice system and transformed the former commander in chief into a felon.

The guilty verdict in Manhattan — across the board, on all 34 counts — will reverberate throughout the nation and the world as it ushers in a new era of presidential politics. Mr. Trump will carry the stain of the verdict during his third run for the White House as voters now choose between an unpopular incumbent and a convicted criminal.

While it was once unthinkable that Americans would elect a felon as their leader, Mr. Trump’s insurgent behavior delights his supporters as he bulldozes the country’s norms. Now, the man who refused to accept his 2020 election loss is already seeking to delegitimize his conviction, attempting to assert the primacy of his raw political power over the nation’s rule of law.

In case you missed it. 

Sentencing is set for July 11.

Now, let's take a look at at local take.  This is from WPXI:

Former President Donald Trump was found guilty Thursday on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The reaction has, unsurprisingly, been mostly along party lines.

“I think history will judge this as a personal scandal of no bearing on public policy that was twisted into a criminal prosecution by an elected Democratic district attorney,” Sam DeMarco said. He chairs Allegheny County’s Republican Party.

Ok, let's stop right there. PXI left out a very important detail about DeMarco.

This:

KDKA-TV has confirmed that FBI agents interviewed the chairman of the Allegheny County Republican party, Sam DeMarco, on Thursday morning as part of an ongoing investigation into the 2020 presidential election. 

The news was first reported by our news partner at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

DeMarco was questioned as part of a nationwide probe into the Trump campaign's attempt to send alternate electors from key swing states to Washington, D.C. 

DeMarco was one of 20 Republicans to sign on to a slate of alternate electors.

WTAE has wee a bit more:

"The American public will be the final jury in this case, and they’ll make their decision in November," DeMarco said. "But I fully expect the New York appellate courts to take [the case] and correct this mistake."

When asked if he respects the jury's decision, DeMarco said, "No."

"I question whether the jury received the proper instructions," DeMarco said. "Judge Merchan’s instructions said that the jurors didn’t have to agree on what the underlying crime was."

Sam DeMarco was one of Trump's fake electors. He doesn't get to lecture the rest of us about the rule of law as he was one of the people who sought to overturn it in 2020.

GUILTY

 

 Donald Trump is guilty on all counts.

The Jury Is Still Deliberating

Lock him up!

Lock him up!

LOCK HIM UP!

Today, The Jury Gets The Case

From The NYTimes:

Jurors in Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial will begin deliberations on Wednesday after hearing hours of closing arguments that portrayed the case in stark and irreconcilable terms.

And:

A prosecutor, Joshua Steinglass, meticulously described a scheme on the eve of the 2016 election to muzzle a porn star’s account of a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump. The woman, Stormy Daniels, kept quiet after Mr. Trump’s onetime fixer, Michael D. Cohen, bought her silence with a $130,000 hush-money deal.

The machinations crossed a legal line, prosecutors say, when Mr. Trump reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the hush money and falsified records to cover the whole thing up.

“All roads lead to the man who benefited the most, Donald Trump,” Mr. Steinglass said, adding that it was done to “hoodwink the American voter.”

Lock him up! 

Meanwhile:

A defense lawyer, Todd Blanche, said in his summation that Mr. Trump’s actions were not crimes, but merely business as it is commonly practiced. The felony charges of falsifying business records, he said, were a lie-riddled sham without “a shred of evidence.”

Nope.

Lock him up! 

LOCK HIM UP!

 

Closing Arguments

From The NYTimes:

Former President Donald J. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial will enter its final stage Tuesday as defense lawyers and prosecutors deliver their closing arguments in a last attempt to sway the 12 New Yorkers who will decide his fate.

Lock him up!

Lock him up!

LOCK HIM UP!

He Got Booed. TRUMP GOT BOOED.

From The NY Times:

Early in his speech at the Libertarian Party’s national convention on Saturday, Donald J. Trump told the party’s delegates bluntly that they should nominate him as its candidate for president. He was vigorously booed.

That was the first paragraph.

It was followed by this:

When the jeers died down, Mr. Trump, visibly frustrated with the rowdy reception he had received ever since taking the stage, dug in and went a step further, seeming to insult the very group that had invited him.

“Only do that if you want to win,” he said of nominating him. “If you want to lose, don’t do that. Keep getting your three percent every four years.”

The boos began anew, only louder.

He got booed. 

And this is the first paragraph of the coverage from The Washington Post:

Former president Donald Trump encountered an unusually tough crowd at the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday night as the audience loudly booed him and used noisemakers to drown out his speech.

He got booed.

Reuters:

Presidential candidate Donald Trump was booed and heckled by many in a raucous audience at the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday night, a marked change from the adulation he receives at rallies from his fervently loyal supporters.

Again that's the first paragraph.

He got booed. 

AP:

Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing the Libertarian Party National Convention on Saturday night, with many in the crowd shouting insults and decrying him for things like his COVID-19 policies, running up towering federal deficits and lying about his political record.

 And, just like all the others, this was the first paragraph.

He got booed.

And now the first paragraph from the reporting from Fox:

Donald Trump addressed the Libertarians’ National Convention on Saturday night in an effort to win over activists who are skeptical of the GOP frontrunner, and turn them away from independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Is it surprising that Fox makes no mention of any booing? 

The closest they got was paragraph three:

The former president addressed a rowdy crowd, seemingly split 50-50 between his supporters and Libertarian skeptics. 

No mention of booing.

Donald Trump got booed.

Something, Evidently, You CAN NOT SAY on the Floor of The People's House

Evidently, facts can be offensive to the "rule of law" party that they must never ever be uttered.

For example this:

We have a presumptive nominee for president facing 88 felony counts, and we’re being prevented from even acknowledging it. These are not alternative facts. These are real facts. A candidate for president of the United States is on trial for sending a hush money payment to a porn star to avoid a sex scandal during his 2016 campaign and then fraudulently disguising those payments in violation of the law. He is also charged with conspiring to overturn the election. He is also charged with stealing classified information. A jury has already found him liable for rape in a civil court and yet in this Republican controlled  it is OK to talk about the trial but you have to call it a sham. It is OK to say the jury is rigged but not that Trump should be held accountable. It is OK to say the court is corrupt but not that Trump is corrupting the rule of law.

Was stricken from the House record recently.

In a MAGA world, criticizing the orange vulgarity is verboten.

Lawrence O'Donnell has the story:

Remember, in a Unified Reich - Das ist verboten!

Doug Mastriano and the Appeal to Heaven Flag

So much happening.

Let's start here:

Last summer, two years after an upside-down American flag was flown outside the Virginia home of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., another provocative symbol was displayed at his vacation house in New Jersey, according to interviews and photographs.

This time, it was the “Appeal to Heaven” flag, which, like the inverted U.S. flag, was carried by rioters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Also known as the Pine Tree flag, it dates back to the Revolutionary War, but largely fell into obscurity until recent years and is now a symbol of support for former President Donald J. Trump, for a religious strand of the “Stop the Steal” campaign and for a push to remake American government in Christian terms.

Alito should recuse. 

But that's not why we're here.

This is:

You can watch the video here. See what's over Doug's left shoulder?  An "Appeal to Heaven" flag.

BTW, at about 2:50 in, Doug calls the events of January 6 "a form of terrorism" and "un-American."

He also says (3:28 in) that the violence was "a threat to the men and women in blue." He also said that instigating violence to push a political agenda is never acceptable.

Good to have heard him say it at some point, I suppose.

There's also this:

The “Appeal to Heaven” rhetoric and flag are an integral part of Christian Nationalism, as seen in that important report. Mastriano frequently appears in videos with the Appeal to Heaven flag behind him, including in the video in which he threatens the New Yorker journalist. pic.twitter.com/hL0F9aK2Yl

— Andrew L. Seidel (@AndrewLSeidel) May 18, 2022

Whah??  But isn't "threaten(ing) the New Yorker journalist" um instigating violence to push a political agenda?

Then there's this:

In video found by @7im, PA Gov. nom Doug Mastriano (R) prays with Christian Nationalists in Dec. ‘20: “I pray… we’ll seize the power… given to us by the Constitution, as well by you, providentially… that leaders in the federal government… on the 6th of January will rise up.” pic.twitter.com/s3KCZTOUMH

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) September 9, 2022

In the prayer, he mentions an "Esther moment" and in his testimony to the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 attach, Andrew Seidel explains Doug's use of the phrase:

Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano is a front- runner for governor in the 2022 race, having answered "God's calling" asking him to run. Mastriano and Saccone posed for a photo together outside the Capitol on January 6th. First elected in 2019, Mastriano humbly compared his political motivations to the biblical figure Queen Esther, who stopped the ancient Persians from massacring the Israelites. Mastriano reportedly stated that "if we get the call, we're not going to stand away from our Esther moment." The story of Esther ends with sons impaled on poles, 300 executions, and 75,000 enemies slaughtered, shading Mastriano's "Esther moment" with bloody violence. A day before the insurrection, Mastriano noted that Republicans "were in a death match" with Democrats. Nothing suggests that he personally entered the Capitol, but he was just outside the building and declared that he was "really praying that God will pour His Spirit upon Washington, D.C., like we've never seen before." He joined several public prayer calls after the election, including one to "pray that we'll take responsibility, we'll seize the power that we had given to us by the Constitution and as well by you providentially. I pray for the leaders also in the federal government, God, on the sixth of January that they will rise up with boldness."

But wait, Doug. I thought that using violence for a political end was never acceptable?

If you believe that, then what the hell are you going on about our "Esther moment?"

It's All There. Right In Front Of Us.

As a frame, let's start here: 

Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, plans next month to fast-track a Senate vote on a bill to protect access to contraception nationwide, the start of an election-year push to highlight Republicans’ record of opposing reproductive rights that voters view as at risk of being stripped away.

The Right to Contraception Act is expected to be blocked in the closely divided Senate, where most Republicans are against it. But a vote on the bill is a crucial plank of Democrats’ strategy as they seek to protect their majority in the Senate, in part by forcing G.O.P. lawmakers to go on the record with their opposition to policies with broad bipartisan support.

Access to contraception is a constitutional right regarded by many voters as possibly the next to go after the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Recent moves by conservative state houses and governors have added to a sense of urgency about addressing it at the federal level.

One of those moves was made right here in Pittsburgh:

Donald Trump signaled in an interview with a local Pittsburgh TV station that he is open to restricting access to birth control.

KDKA aired an interview with the former president shortly after his defense team rested its case in his criminal hush-money trial in New York.

“Do you support any restrictions on a person’s right to contraception?” host Jon Delano asked.

“We’re looking at that, and I’m going to have a policy on that very shortly and I think it’s something that you’ll find interesting,” Trump replied. “You will find it very smart. I think it’s a smart decision.”

Of course, the stable orange genius backpedaled: 

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he did not support restricting birth control after saying earlier in the day he was “looking at” contraceptives when asked if he supported any restrictions to the right to contraception.

“I HAVE NEVER, AND WILL NEVER ADVOCATE IMPOSING RESTRICTIONS ON BIRTH CONTROL, or other contraceptives,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “I DO NOT SUPPORT A BAN ON BIRTH CONTROL, AND NEITHER WILL THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!”

Trump’s post comes after the Biden campaign seized on comments the former president made in an interview with Pittsburgh TV station KDKA-TV when asked if he supported restricting access to contraception.

“We’re looking at that, and I’m going to have a policy on that very shortly and I think it’s something that you’ll find interesting,” Trump said. 

But here's the thing - no matter how back the backpedaling can go, restrictions on birth control are already part of the GOP discussion in the run-up to the 2024 election:

Allies of former President Donald J. Trump and officials who served in his administration are planning ways to restrict abortion rights if he returns to power that would go far beyond proposals for a national ban or the laws enacted in conservative states across the country.

Behind the scenes, specific anti-abortion plans being proposed by Mr. Trump’s allies are sweeping and legally sophisticated. Some of their proposals would rely on enforcing the Comstock Act, a long-dormant law from 1873, to criminalize the shipping of any materials used in an abortion — including abortion pills, which account for the majority of abortions in America.

This is what the MAGA GOP is looking to enforce. A ban on:

Every obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, filthy or vile article, matter, thing, device, or substance; and

Every article or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion, or for any indecent or immoral use; and

Every article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing which is advertised or described in a manner calculated to lead another to use or apply it for producing abortion, or for any indecent or immoral purpose; and

Every written or printed card, letter, circular, book, pamphlet, advertisement, or notice of any kind giving information, directly or indirectly, where, or how, or from whom, or by what means any of such mentioned matters, articles, or things may be obtained or made, or where or by whom any act or operation of any kind for the procuring or producing of abortion will be done or performed, or how or by what means abortion may be produced, whether sealed or unsealed; and

Every paper, writing, advertisement, or representation that any article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing may, or can, be used or applied for producing abortion, or for any indecent or immoral purpose; and

Every description calculated to induce or incite a person to so use or apply any such article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing—

Is declared to be nonmailable matter and shall not be conveyed in the mails or delivered from any post office or by any letter carrier.

Whoever knowingly uses the mails for the mailing, carriage in the mails, or delivery of anything declared by this section or section 3001(e) of title 39 to be nonmailable, or knowingly causes to be delivered by mail according to the direction thereon, or at the place at which it is directed to be delivered by the person to whom it is addressed, or knowingly takes any such thing from the mails for the purpose of circulating or disposing thereof, or of aiding in the circulation or disposition thereof, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both, for the first such offense, and shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both, for each such offense thereafter.

That's what they're discussing when they're discussing Comstock.

Tell me again how there's not a dime's bit of difference between the two parties?

Meanwhile, Outside

The science from the scientists at NOAA:

April 2024 was the warmest April on record for the globe in NOAA's 175-year record. The April global surface temperature was 1.32°C (2.38°F) above the 20th-century average of 13.7°C (56.7°F). This is 0.18°C (0.32°F) warmer than the previous April record set most recently in 2020, and the eleventh consecutive month of record-high global temperatures. April 2024 marked the 48th consecutive April with global temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th-century average.

And:

The January–April global surface temperature ranked warmest in the 175-year record at 1.34°C (2.41°F) above the 1901-2000 average of 12.6°C (54.7°F). According to NCEI's statistical analysis, there is a 61% chance that 2024 will rank as the warmest year on record and a 100% chance that it will rank in the top five.

And of course from the anti-science party: 

Florida will eliminate climate change as a priority in making energy policy decisions, despite the threats it faces from powerful hurricanes, extreme heat and worsening toxic algae blooms.

On Wednesday, the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, signed the legislation, which is set to go into effect on July 1. The measure also removes most references to climate change in state law, bans offshore wind turbines in state waters and weakens regulations on natural gas pipelines.

Because, of course, he did. 

It's getting warmer out there, no matter what legislation Gov. DeSantis signs into law.

Wait! Big Ben Gets Mentioned AGAIN!

From CNN:

Michael Cohen says that Donald Trump told him about meeting Stormy Daniels and explained that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was also there. 

Cohen says Trump told him: "Women prefer Mr. Trump even over someone like 'Big Ben.'" 

There's no reaction from Trump at the defense table to this. He's got his eyes closed again. 

Also, so far, no reaction from Ben Roethlisberger - as far as I can tell.

As I wrote back in 2018, Donny and Benny played golf at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.

Ben came in 47th out of 80.  Trump came in 62nd.

But I thought he was great at golf.  He's not even in the top half?

Anyway, Trump told Michael Cohen about Ben Roethlisberger and Stormy Daniels. 

Here's some questions for any news/sports reporter in Pittsburgh to ask:  Did Trump tell Ben Roethlisberger about Stormy Daniels? And if so, what did he say?

I've been wondering why no one in the Pittsburgh media stuck a microphone in Ben's face and asked for a comment about Stormy Daniels.

He's now part of the court record in the first criminal trial of a former President of the United States. Shouldn't someone ask him what he thinks?

Wait - Trump Might Owe $100 MORE?

Thus spake The NY Times:

Former President Donald J. Trump used a dubious accounting maneuver to claim improper tax breaks from his troubled Chicago tower, according to an Internal Revenue Service inquiry uncovered by The New York Times and ProPublica. Losing a yearslong audit battle over the claim could mean a tax bill of more than $100 million.

The 92-story, glass-sheathed skyscraper along the Chicago River is the tallest and, at least for now, the last major construction project by Mr. Trump. Through a combination of cost overruns and the bad luck of opening in the teeth of the Great Recession, it was also a vast money loser.

But when Mr. Trump sought to reap tax benefits from his losses, the I.R.S. has argued, he went too far and in effect wrote off the same losses twice.

Uh-oh. 

This is on top of the $83 million he owes to E. Jean Carrol and the $450 million he owes for the real estate fraud.

So. Much. WINNING!

 

Big News! Big Ben IN The Big News! (But Not So New, Afterall)

From ABCNews:

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels testified in the hush money trial of former president Donald Trump Tuesday. During her testimony, Daniels mentioned former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, according to ABC News.

Really now.

And:

ABC News quotes Daniels saying Trump was sitting at a booth when she arrived at the nightclub restaurant downstairs from her hotel.

She went on to say Trump was next to Roethlisberger, whom he referred to as "Big Ben." Daniels testified she tried on his Super Bowl ring during this interaction. 

And that's all ABC had to say about that. 

NBCSports has more:

Via Tyler McBrien of LawFare.com, the witness said that Trump introduced her to Roethlisberger at a club in Nevada, where an annual celebrity golf tournament is held. Per the testimony, Trump described her as “his little friend Stormy.”

It’s not the first time Roethlisberger and Daniels were connected. In her 2018 book, she wrote that, on the evening after her alleged encounter with Trump, “he asked Roethlisberger to walk Clifford to her hotel room” and that Roethlisberger requested a “good night kiss.” Roethlisberger, per the book, stayed outside her room and knocked on the door for several minutes before leaving.

“I was terrified,” Clifford wrote. “I am rarely terrified.”

“Come on,” Roethlisberger allegedly said.

Uh-oh.  

The part I haven't yet seen in the current reporting was why Roethlisberger was there in Nevada in the first place. 

Luckily, we have this blog - the one you're reading right now - to rely on.

And this is what I wrote wa-a-a-ay back when Daniels' book came out - January 2018. I was then looking for more detail on the date of that golf tournament:

But can we find a more specific date for this tournament?

Yes, we can - it's the American Century Celebrity Championship tornament and it's held in the second full week of July every year at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Nevada.

That's when I discovered this picture:

I'm pretty sure that's Ben. So he played that tournament as well. And look at the board behind him. This Steeler Blog had the details:

Today is the final round of the American Century Championship (televised on NBC). Ben Roethlisberger will be paired with Paul O'Neill and Donald Trump, while former Steelers QB Tommy Maddox will be playing with Marshall Faulk and Vince Coleman. As of Sunday morning, Maddox is on the leaderboard and has a legitimate chance of winning the event. [Bolding in Original.]

So not only was Ben playing that tournament, he was paired with Donald Trump on its final day. 

Any other days?  Well, The Smoking Gun had the goods on that:

Trump was among an 80-player field stocked with athletes like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Mario Lemieux, as well as entertainers including Ray Romano and Cheech Marin. During one round, Trump’s threesome included NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and skier Bode Miller. 

So Ben was "paired" (can you be "paired" in a threesome?) with Trump twice. 

I realize I am speculating here but I simply can not imagine someone like Donald Trump not bragging to anyone he could about sleeping with a porn star. Can you?

Did he say anything to Ben Roethlisberger about it that weekend?  During the two rounds of golf they played together?

As far as I know, no one in the local Pittsburgh sports/news media even bothered to ask him.  Then, now or since.

Go Steelers!