TWGB: And the Portions are Too Small!

 

The downtrodden billionaire schlump, Donald Trump, has laid bare his soul to move us to pity and fear (first as tragedy, then as farts) by laying out the paradoxes of his current fate: they are rushing his trial, and he is spending too much time in court; and he is being kept away from all the campaigning he wants to do that he is absolutely not doing on the days he does not have court. 

It is a pity--he is too mad and hurt to fundraise (Trump not ready to take money: UNPOSSIBLE!) but of course, by email his campaign will fundraise off of his legal misfortunes. And they really, really have to, because lawyers are expensive. And he's mad at his lawyers for not being aggressive enough and for delays in the case, even while the aggressiveness he WANTS is causing delays and might not even be the best strategy for him. 

No wonder the bottomlessly energetic Trump (according to the unbiased ramblings of #2 son, Eric) can't stay awake at trial. He's trying to take all the options in the "Choose Your Own Adventure" his life has become. This is why his recent rant sounds like the Woody Allen joke: "The food is terrible and the portions are too small." 

What the hell does he want or expect, really? 

TWGB: Been Caught Sleeping?

 

Maybe other things happened at Trump's first day of his first criminal trial, but the apparently most notable thing was that he appeared to nod off a few times. This prompted the ever-loving internet to change his nickname from Don Poorleone to Don Snoreleone (The Nodfather!), some wags to ponder if Trump wasn't loaded up with Xanax to keep from going ape, and Trump to give the stankeye to Maggie Haberman, who was the one who caught him whispering to his chest hairs. It's a pretty bad look for Trump, who once murdered Jeb Bush with the term "low-energy" and whose worst nickname for President Biden was, of all things, "Sleepy Joe".

The idea of a "sedated Trump" really doesn't seem too out of the realm of possibility to me--he's already skating on thin ice with multiple violations of his gag order and was apprised today that a courtroom outburst could result in a contempt arrest. His contempt hearing for the gag order violation is next week (between the $175 million bond hearing and the SCOTUS immunity argument). Trump's usual combativeness will NOT be an asset, here. (Buying popcorn for the Sandoval bit, tho'. As I understand it, that's where the court determines the kinds of Trump's shitty behavior that he can and can't be hit with in cross during the trial. I'm probably super-over-simplifying because IANAL.) 

I'm sure the Trump faithful will insist that, like Daniel in the lion's den. he was relying on the power of prayer. Or something. They are pretty good at making myths to deal with the paradoxes of TrumpWorld. 

TWGB: A Volatile Day

 

The Truth Social stock continued to tumble after its 8-K was released (you can read it here, or a bunch of documents--I like to provide context). I've pointed out before that the business wasn't likely to appreciate in any sense from here--think about it? What is a cash infusion going to do? Build out memory for subscribers who won't exist? But $4 million revenue vs. $58 million losses does not net a $8 billion dollar valuation. But the docs are funny--they basically say we aren't tracking certain industry standard key performance indicators because that's not where our sense of value comes from, and also if we do have thoughts about that we're not telling. 

But maybe most of the value resides in the team! 

Guys, I don't know. If you said "8-K" to me a little while ago, I'd have said I never heard of one those races. But it seems to me if someone has deposited one's nest egg in that stock, one was...unwise. If one was a Trump fan who still owed like, $50K on a tricked-out long-cab short bed male insecurity-hauler 1500, I guess one could practice saying things like "The plan always was retirement at 80" or "Those kids never would have liked college anyway."

That's just capitalism. 

Does the RNC Situation Look Bad?

 

Here's a fun thing we learned today--the RNC seems to have an agreement with the TrumpWorld Powers That Be to the effect that Trump legal fees get paid first, and then I guess the RNC biscuits just get whatever gravy slops over the plate. That's just beautiful. To put it in perspective, Save America PAC, the slush fund out of which Trump's legal fees are getting paid, has a burn rate that is way crazy--$230K a day on legal fees. And in the meanwhile, Trump's struggle-campaign can't afford campaign stops in probably not-crucial states like (checks notes) Arizona. (Was that a big deal in 2020? Let me think back....)

To put this all further in perspective, Nikki Haley, though out of the race, has more cash on hand as of the end of February than the RNC did. She didn't have the same issues with raising money or overspending because her campaign as a challenge to Trump in part rested on being a choice, without annihilating him via negative campaigning. 

You'd think this might make Haley a great option for VP, yes? After Trump decided she's a birdbrain and she decided he's probably senile, I kind of doubt it. She didn't endorse and I don't think it's likely he'll ask--but what if--?

Lara Trump and the Real Priorities of the RNC

 

Reporter: Do you think paying for Trump’s legal bills is something of interest to Republican voters?

Lara Trump: Absolutely pic.twitter.com/BmEWJq0Ak9

— Acyn (@Acyn) February 22, 2024

I'm obviously not a donor to the Republican Party, but I can honestly imagine that if I were and thought the party would use all the donations for the cause of Donald Trump's legal bills instead of winning the Senate and holding the House, my wallet would magically glue itself shut. I mean, I get why the Trump Family Campaign needs another vault to loot but come on....

Now as a Democrat from the cradle, on the other hand, I think this is great for the RNC branding. Make the RNC Great Again. I mean, what have they got to lose? Elections? Credibility? 

And as for Lara Trump, if this RNC thing doesn't pan out, she will always have her nascent music career to fall back on. 

The interesting thing is--can Republicans actually tell the Trumps "No"?

TWGB: Trump is Immuno-Compromised

 

Claims of executive privilege and presidential immunity have been something like Citizen Trump's "Rosebud"--they represented a fantasy of unaccountability and lack of responsibility that might just afford an old crook some peace of mind, and that specter of hope has now been taken away. Someone of course will have to pay for this--and it will be his little rubes. When he goes sniveling that "they" (the Deep State, Biden, black hats--whatever) have singled him out, maybe they won't consider this:

Why is Trump the only president who ever had to make this case regarding immunity? Over 200 years of presidents, and not one had this problem. Maybe they were all previously completely capable of doing the job without just rolling in criminality. Trump apparently is not, because this is how he lives his life.

It's a thought! 

However, in TrumpWorld, Trump can only be failed. That's why it was time again for another really futile and stupid gesture on the part of Matt Gaetz et als.  Marjorie Taylor Greene took up the spotlight in explaining:

"And then when Joe Biden was inaugurated, and this entire Capitol complex was surrounded with 30,000 National Guard troops, none of you stood there and called that an insurrection. No, you all stayed silent."

God damn. She's right. When Joe Biden was inaugurated because he was the lawful winner of the 2020 election, and duly constituted authority were placed as security at the inauguration in case Trump and Marge's little friends started trouble again, no one DID call that perfectly lawful act an "insurrection". Will the wonders of correct syntax never cease?  

TWGB: Here's to the Losers

 

Once upon a time, in a far-off land called TrumpWorld, a would-be king promised there would be "so much winning" that people would get bored of winning.  I still don't know what that means, and I've studied it like it was my job. It sounds like something a conman would say. But lately--there has not been a lot of winning. One term, two impeachments, three marriages, four indictments, five deferments, six bankruptcies  (six point drop after missing the first GOP primary 2024 debate), seven trials, probably going on eight (Arizona? Michigan?) or even nine. 

The losers for August 30th include Pete Navarro, who can't claim executive privilege that Trump didn't claim for him and will go to trial in a whole minute for contempt. He seems to have thought Trump won in 2020, (or alleged to), but the sign held up behind him reminds us Trump most certainly did not. And any rational person would realize that, by the utter lack of Trump in the White House right now. Navarro tried to wrest the sign away from the protester and was advised he was on camera and you know. 

Loser. 

George Santos says it's Nothing Personal (UPDATED!!!!!)

 

The New York Post reports that George Santos is now saying that the money that supposedly made its way into his campaign as a personal loan--like about a half a million dollars? Was not from him. Which makes sense, because despite his manufactured business success, he was poor just a few years beforehand.  

Is he saying where the money really did come from? No, he is not. Does that seem pretty damn sketchy? Yes, it really does.  Could we presume having a benefactor laying out large sums might unduly influence the votes of a legislator who seems to have no moral center? Sure, might could. Does Squeaker of the House Kevin McCarthy have a problem with this? (And like, the guy is going to be in so much trouble with the FEC and also probable wire fraud crimes and shit.)

Not at all. Schiff and Swalwell, sure. Deeply problematic (read: effective). But to his mind, the possibly tainted serial liar and larcenist freshman representative is not a problem. 

We know what Santos is. But what supporting Santos says about McCarthy (and also his weird fatal attraction to Marjorine Tater Grease) speaks volumes about what his leadership is about. And it's a full-body shudder from me, folks. 

Most New Yorkers want this guy to resign though. 

UPDATED: Guess who is a sort of illiterate who expressed a funny HAHA comment about Hitler?

NEW: https://t.co/iEPxBCZiEf

— Jacqueline Sweet (@JSweetLI) January 26, 2023

Yeah, me included, a lot of people were giving the benefit of the doubt with respects to his supposed white pride fingers:

Even though we knew some of his social media was giving pure trash. So, I wasn't going to say our boy was a straight up white-ish supremacist based on one little hand sign, but now I just have to say--it looks like he is to me. Serving Carl Palladino with the Michelle Obama trash talk. Also, too, the same illiterate writing quality turns up in his weak Wiki bio. If that is him. Notice also the aspirational dipshittery of wanting to be associated with Hannah Montana--and the idea that he could be a model in Vogue expressed elsewhere. Why is some of his supposedly college-educated language so poor, and once again--born in Queens or in Rio de Janeiro? Do we know for sure that we know?

His psychopathic style is like improv--always saying yes! Attempted hostage taking on 5th Ave--yes! Brain tumor--yes! Volleyball championship! OK GO! Does his campaign even have a treasurer--YES! Even though the person whose name might have been forged on paperwork says no.  That's amazeballs! Who retcons an entire whole human who can refute your bullshit into your campaign? 

And he is still a congressman! 

TWGB: The RNC Banana Stand

 

Once upon a time, I used to work irregular hours so I would catch these judge shows on daytime tv before work, and found that there was a common scenario of women who would trust these boyfriends who would just be down on their luck, and out of a job for a little while, and next thing they know, their dude's phone and car note is in their name and messing up their credit...

I guess what brings this to mind is that the RNC is footing the bill for some of former President Donald Trump's legal costs pertaining to his real estate business. The international, multi-billion dollar supposedly flush Trump Organization. 

Like, okay? Because, this is really quite wild to me:

The RNC is not paying some of the president’s other bills, such as those for his court battles over the House Jan. 6 committee’s requests, said the person familiar with the RNC’s decision. 

“As a leader of our party, defending President Trump and his record of achievement is critical to the GOP,” the party said in a written statement. “It is entirely appropriate for the RNC to continue assisting in fighting back against the Democrats’ never ending witch hunt and attacks on him.”

So get that? The stuff that has directly to do with his campaign (which would be their somewhat tangentially-related motive to pay for; especially since so many others in the party are involved, no?) they aren't interested in, and the stuff to do with his personal business they do?  Is that not backwards? Like, defend his "Stop the Steal" bullshit as just the cost of doing business with a grifter during a political campaign (totally legit political party expense) and let Trump sink his ownself over his admittedly lifelong shoddy business practices(avoiding inspection of whether a party leader was using political funds for a wholly personal business) --wouldn't that make more sense? 

I mean, it seems like Trump's business practices were bad and look bad. You've got your bank fraud on one hand, your tax fraud on the other. Assorted insurance frauds. It's fairly extensive. But Trump has only ever been involved in two elections! That we know about, because maybe he lent his notorious creative financing models to the RNC and they became a great dirty outlet for money laundering including from foreign/illicit sources (which is a fraught allegation I will leave to your dot-connecting abilities and stuff already federally charged about). 

So here's my ridiculous and probably just wildly speculative take on this: is it possible that the RNC is footing Trump's legal bills because he has something over them? Because really, a political party with any grit at all could cut loose a politician who lost his last election (badly!) and made a spectacle of himself in the process. Unless they thought he'd make a spectacle of them in return because they were a hollow, money-directed enterprise with no principles whatsoever. 

Just a thought. I mean, it's not like his first impeachment wasn't entirely about extortion, right?

Right?

UPDATE: It boringly enough could just be a bribe on the RNC's part to keep him from forming another party, but honestly? Do they think he's really capable? (I dunno. I would just like to see it.)

Wow. The American Psycho is Strong With this One.

 

Mnnnkay, people, I was holding out by posting and deleting the dirt on Mr. First Trump campaign manager guy, because both he and Kristi Noem are fame whores with other shit on their plates besides whether they had an affair or not. I wasn't strapped in for the whole story yet, and I also f'd up the html. My bad.

So here's what is apparently up with them: 

I mean, she's distracting from whether she used a campaign donation to send South Dakota National Guard to the border and whether she used her clout to try to get her daughter a real estate license, so what's an affair with Slappy McTrumpWorld other than a way to deflect from the rotten job she's doing? Can we verify she's knocking boots with Corey Marathon Man Lewadowski? Well we can verify she says she certainly isn't anymore. 

But what of Lewandowski--how is he doing? Well, he was accused of sexual harassment and stalking, but it might be worse than that:

Trashelle Odom, of Boise, Idaho, the wife of a construction company executive, claimed in the police report obtained by DailyMail.com that the married Lewandowski said that he 'was from a bad part of Boston and to have killed people,' while seated next to her at the charity dinner at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas on on September 26. 

Odom claimed that on the night of the dinner - which she was personally invited to with South Dakota Gov Kristi Noem by American socialite Jackie Siegel - she was frightened when he allegedly told her: 'When I was 10, I stabbed someone over and over again, killing him. She added that the father-of-four told her that when he was older, he 'stabbed a man in the back of the head, also killing him'.

I don't even know who names their little baby girl "Trashelle" ("It's a family name, in the old country it was Sporcalina" my brain suggests)  but the real story is that the guy who pushed a female Breitbart reporter also thinks it's cool to talk about murdering people. And has also been accused of assault before. And even so, Trump had to be begged to let go of this creep. (And where does one apply to make Trump get rid of Jason Miller, also an incredible freaking creep? Who, whilst he is actually for now employed, should pay child support for his actual kids?)  

Anyway, Kristi Noem is a terrible governor who has let COVID-19 ravage her state and might have dreams of running for higher office and Corey Lewandowski is like a made man of a crime family. He fucked up so he's going to lay low, but if he can still earn, he'll get up top again. And a persecution narrative might even help him. 

But still and all--multiple knife murders? Like, is someone on this weird case or what?  Is that just a very toxic masculine man's pillow talk or is this a very messed up real life crime drama and shit? Inquiring minds want to know.

Quick Question for Senator Sinema--

 

Activists who helped elect Kyrsten Sinema launch CrowdPAC to fund a primary challenger https://t.co/DPEmIw8ojw

— Salon (@Salon) September 29, 2021

Exactly how much fundraising do you suppose you have to do to hold on to your seat if you somehow have, inexplicably (or at least, inexplicably thus far) done your best to alienate the people who were your base? Because you can not go and get a whole new base, and even if Republicans are looking more favorably on you--look at Arizona Republicans. Look at 'em. They like a Democrat who doesn't function like a Democrat (preferably who doesn't function at all), but they would prefer a Republican who is like them. Which lately...

I mean. Look at them.

Shut up and Send Money, He Said

McConnell says companies should stay out of politics — unless they’re donating money https://t.co/E98oER4ltq

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 7, 2021

Or else, he added. Because he was not bothered. Not bothered at all. Why are you all saying that?

UPDATE: The other senator from Kentucky would like to cancel Coca-Cola, because he, too, is unbothered. Cancel Coke, and see how they like it!

UPDATE: More Americans are identifying as Democrats, and I'm sure that's nothing Republicans are bothered about.

UPDATE: It's possible that people like Biden's proposals because government should be about governing. Just a thought!

Where Does it All Go?

 

Trump: Four or five months ago when we started this whole thing because you know before the plague came in, I had it made. I wasn’t coming to Erie. I mean I have to be honest, there was no way I was coming. I didn’t have to.... pic.twitter.com/DeTV4jiLmS

— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) October 21, 2020

One of the things Trump fans are clinging to is the possibility that the businessman in Trump is going to pull all of this (gestures wildly at flaming mess) together and do smart things in a possible second term. I don't know why they think that, since he could have done smart things in his first term if he really wanted to. But I also don't know why they still believe that he was a great businessman after the details of, well everything about his business, have been floating around in the--

Oh, that's right. They think it's all "fake news". And I guess Lesley Stahl's interview with him will also be discounted as being somehow rigged against him, just like the debates have been, because Donald Trump is a special little snowflake. (But it really does seem to have gone badly based on White House reactions.) I wonder what could have triggered Trump's ire? I mean, she's a pro. 

It could be anything, but it's probably either COVID or his low polling numbers, I'd say. After all, the news that Trump had a hidden bank account (not mentioned on his financial statements) in China only just dropped, so that couldn't have been it. (Although, wow, that kind of undercuts his claims regarding Biden-related China corruption, in that Trump's fictional $1.5 billion claims are distinctly stupid. The real story is actually Hunter Biden can make his own damn money. Whether Trump can is probably more open to debate.) It also reminded folks on Twitter that a White House advisor claimed he got info on Biden via China, which is just precious because he didn't and it was the same thing Trump was being impeached for when he claimed it, and also Trump basically on the phone to Fox & Friends was trying to coax in public and out loud that Bill Barr should investigate/charge the Bidens with....something just Tuesday morning. (Can we impeach him again? Can we impeach Barr?)

And let's be really clear--it's the Trumps who are rampant with nepotism and grift, really. 

So Trump is apparently experiencing all kinds of flailing and shit-lossage right now. Which is an excellent time to bring up how his campaign money game is being run like a roulette table by a sweaty gambling addict who owes bad people big money and can't keep his shit sorted.

It's not that any campaign is bad with money--it's that Donald J. Trump, Super-Jenius' campaign is dumb with money. The burn rate is amazing, and so much is going to Trump properties and odd LLC's (sure). But Trump the Campaign is strapped, even though his convention was held at the White House (and yes, he's totally using the White House for campaign stuff, let's just admit it, and Hatch Act violations all over the damn place). And all the lawsuits. (Those will be an ongoing thing, for sure, win or lose.)

And maybe his campaign doesn't need anything but love, After all, remember 2016? But this is definitely not 2016. And he might be stiffing some of the wrong people this time. 

I dunno. There are obviously VIPs that could find a way to inject cash into the campaign, I wouldn't be surprised. And let's not forget those who contributed so lushly to his inaugural fund last time either. (Do be a love and follow the links for amusement and a shared theme.) My strong feeling though is that the cash shortage is nothing compared to the credibility deficit. What does he have to believe in?

 

Not All Folks Are Better Than This, Apparently

 

My opponent, GOP Sen. David Perdue of anti-Semitic attack ad infamy, just mocked Sen. Harris' name as "Kamala-mala-mala-whatever" at a Trump rally.

We are so much better than this. pic.twitter.com/9AvoQK4RdN

— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) October 16, 2020

I always think to myself, when I see well-intentioned people say "We are better than this": "Well, who do you mean 'we'?" because obviously, some of us sure aren't. And unfortunately, this isn't even the first time that David Perdue tipped his hand that he was not better than this. 

Perdue also was in the room where Donald Trump apparently went off on "shithole countries" and did not hear him say what I think we all know Trump definitely did. ("Shithouse" vs. "Shithole", FWIW, is a distinction without a difference, equivocation without a point, slimy as fresh chickenshit and reflective of a very particular and miniaturized value system.) 

 This is a moment reminiscent of former Virginia Senator George Allen's "macaca moment"--a moment of racial idiocy so naked it signaled implosion. For his part, Perdue's spox said that muffing up Sen. Kamala Harris' name (having worked with her for years in the Senate) wasn't about her ethnicity, but about her being a "socialist". Neither she nor Ossoff have called themselves socialists. The Green New Deal isnt't about socialism but rather clean energy and a better environment, and good jobs. Perdue's message is old-fashioned fear-mongering. 

 To give him his due, however, Perdue at least manages to be a little better than Doug Collins and Kelly Loeffler, who embrace fellow Georgian and extraordinary horrible racist Marjorie Taylor Greene. For her part, Greene has endorsed Loeffler, who is also just dogwhistling her narrow ass off. Partially on her Daddy/husband's dime, in exchange for sweet insider-knowledge, I bitchily assume. 

So anyhow, I guess this is my endorsement for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock because Republicans are going especially low this year, and maybe we are not all doing better--but couldn't we try? Go to ActBlue and give them some money if you can. Because if Dems get the Senate, we have a better chance of shoring up voting rights and making sure the Brian Kemps who get a hold of our election rules/rights/practices don't keep screwing us up. 

 Not all folks do or are better than this. But we most certainly deserve better than this.

Waste of Money?

“Oligarch”
Our office in Youngstown, OH

America deserves better. pic.twitter.com/zDdv2CZzVs

— Team Bloomberg (@Mike2020) February 24, 2020

This poor defenseless board outside of a Bloomberg campaign office was quite obviously vandalized by an utter hooligan who wanted a surface that would be large enough to spell out the word "oligarch", but would be portable and not actually damage the property, because you know. Anarchists always respect landlords and shit. There's more where that came from. Just ugly Post-its of menace and cliché. It's really great street-view theater. Somehow, though, it just doesn't feel....like things that are actually happening.

Yeah. It doesn't feel like things that are real. Like take the supporters who are paid to say nice things about the former mayor of NYC.

A look inside the strategy — based on documents reviewed by The Times, interviews with five of these organizers and an examination of the operation’s social media output — shows that many have been using accounts created within the last month for their Twitter posts. At least two had openly posted in support of other candidates. And unlike the high-profile influencers the campaign recently hired to create viral memes, the vast majority of these organizers have modest personal audiences. On Twitter, many have fewer than 20 followers.

Rather than create their own content, organizers often use the exact text, images and links provided to them by the campaign. The result has been a stiff outpouring of tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts with little to no engagement and sometimes half-hearted text messages. Some organizers were so robotic in their tweeting, Twitter suspended their accounts Friday evening after The Times inquired about whether their behavior complied with the platform’s rules on spam and manipulation.

That's pretty lackluster. What else is the social media strategy up to?

Well, if you said posting mildly homophobic and hacky Tweets under the "Team Bloomberg" handle and then deleting them because they really sucked, that would get you an exploding cigar.

Wow. That was almost as bad as the time the campaign posted an obviously doctored video of the debate to create a "Mike Drop" incident (see what I did there?) that never happened after their candidate got notoriously roasted.

All of this effort. All of this money spent. What is it for? Take these dumb billboards, please!

There are internment camps for migrant children and they want to talk about burnt steak? At least be Henny Youngman-level interesting. "Donald Trump is so broke he only buys used gum!" "When Donald Trump sits around the White House, he really sits around the White House!" "Donald Trump may cheat at golf, but at least he's well known for his short putts." (But again, what does "He's fat and he dresses funny" things do for you? They show elitist values and alienate regular people! Not rocket surgery!)

The money spent during this campaign just makes me so mad. It could power up so many congressional races. It could fix immediate real-people needs. But it looks like clowning.

OK, Bloomers

I've been noticing a silly argument on Twitter that I won't link to, because it is silly: whether "Bernie bros" will put people "on a list" if they support or work for former Republican NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Whatever that list might mean, I really don't think people in this country can get shut out of working for campaigns or commenting on politics based on their previous support. My goodness, Jill Stein supporters manage to get attached to Democratic campaigns today, don't they? And the mainstream media doesn't look like it will ever give up it's love affair with Republican-lite/moderate Democrat cross-overs. For the unity!

But let's get real, the country will not be unified over Mike Bloomberg. Sure, he's got a whole lot of money and his ads do nail Trump right in his vanities and failures. But that doesn't equal a plausible Democratic candidate against Trump (it may even have some drawbacks as an outside antagonist, as I hope to demonstrate). 

In the past, I've blogged about my support of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Black Lives Matter, and the Me Too movement. If a Democratic candidate does not have a good record with, or can't demonstrate fundamental understanding of, the impact of economic inequality, the wealth gap, the failures of the system to protect consumers against fraud and predation in ways that harm economic security and mobility (as well as the way it intersects with racial inequality); if a candidate does not have a good record with, or can't demonstrate fundamental understanding of, the impact of racial inequality especially as it has related to the tools of the criminal justice system being used as a weapon against black bodies especially; and if a candidate does not have a good record with, and can't demonstrate fundamental understanding of, the ways men in power deploy misogyny and exercise their privilege against both women and men in sexualized ways, then, this party should not want them. 

TWGB: On Delay

There has been some dispute that Nancy Pelosi was correct in making the decision to hold on to the articles of impeachment until achieving some likelihood of there being an actual serious trial undertaken in the Senate, with witnesses and the whole shebang. I'm of the opinion that Pelosi knows exactly what she's doing, and that it would be wrong to try and "characterize the strength" that she brings. More developments have unfolded in this time that have proven her surmisal correct--given enough time, more shoes would drop. 

And so they have--like the docs that showed that the Pentagon was concerned that the president-initiated hold on the aid to Ukraine would be in violation of the Impound Control Act, and which added to the already-incriminating timeline. 

As it turns out, our understanding of what Trump, his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, and others were engaging in in the region is still expanding. House Dems have now released some information received from indicted co-conspirator Lev Parnas, which really casts a disturbing light on these events. Among these documents is a letter from Giuliani in his capacity as Trump's lawyer (specified by him as a capacity separate from Trump's office--as in, on Trump's own business, not the country's) seeking a meeting with Ukraine President Zelenskyy, and also information that strongly suggests that Ambassador Marie Yovanovich was basically being stalked and that it was possible some harm might come to her (which definitely lends some depth to her own testimony of the urgency with which she was told to leave Ukraine). 

And this is just a piece of the information yet to be revealed from the Parnas trove. This individual apparently knows about some creative campaign funding that has taken place with respects to certain GOP figures. 

Not hearing more from obvious people who should be able to better depict Trump's involvement in the scheme (such as John Bolton or Michael Duffey) starts to look like a cover-up when so much illicit activity was clearly taking place. It makes apparent co-conspirators out of Senators who are just fine with keeping the discussion away from the curious eyes of the public. 

It is an important political calculation for them to consider as we shift our attention to the elections. It seems like Russia is, once again, looking to do 2020 candidate Trump a solid by hacking the energy company that placed Hunter Biden on their board. (This, in retrospect, only legitimizes the claims that Russia put their thumb on the scale in 2016--and now they are just protecting their investment.) 

Republican Senators might by and large prefer not to take action that looks like they are not supportive of Trump, but they should look again. It's their own behinds that might be hanging out. 

Trump Makes Front Page News!

As only the third president to be impeached, today's vote was a significant vote--very historical! That has put him in something of a very special minority. But it should also be noted, if Trump was a little bit put out that he did not make the cover of Time Magazine as the Person of the Year (I think I did detect a whiff of sour grapes) at least he can take some consolation that he will definitely be on all of the front pages now.

You might suppose that, in response to this historic event, Trump might have tried to cover himself with at least a little sangfroid to demonstrate he wasn't even in the least bothered. If you did suppose that, however, I don't know whose act you've been watching all these years, because what he actually did was take the time to, during his campaign rally, suggest that a revered elder statesman was looking up from hell while patting himself on the back for assisting in the late congressman's getting the funeral honors he had earned during a lifetime of service while also taking his digs at the gentleman's widow, a current sitting congresswoman.

In other words, he was true to form. Sad!

If there was any hope he could take heart in the certainty that there is simply no likelihood that the GOP-majority Senate would vote to remove him from office, there is a great possibility that Senate Majority Leader McConnell's mouth has already snatched defeat from the jaws of an easy win. Democratic House Speaker Pelosi has suggested that the articles of impeachment might be delayed in being sent to the Senate to see exactly how the trial would be handled first.

This seems to me to be the right thing to do. The House Judiciary Committee extended an invitation to Trump to participate in the hearing on the constitutional basis for impeachment. (Trump via his lawyer declined.)  He and his supporters have claimed a lack of "due process" which rises to the level of histrionic and ahistorical (Witch trials? Pontius Pilate? when Trump is facing neither hanging nor crucifixion, but only a Senate trial) which have nothing to do with actual process and everything to do with having no actual fact-based defense of what Trump has done. (Trump, by the way, is the last person who should sit comfortably making a due process argument about the death penalty.)  His supporters ignored the facts and whined about process.

Well then, great. Here's a chance to have a stellar, non-sham process in the Senate. Instead of a rubber-stamp acquittal like the approval of his barely-qualified judicial nominations. You know, the kind of swift rush to exonerate a man that would sort of always look a little too rushed? The kind that doesn't even merit the term "trial"? The kind that always leaves a guilty little asterisk next to Trump's name--impeached by the House, but you know.  Mitch McConnell's wife works for Trump. And Lindsey Graham. You know the kind of man he is....

There is also another benefit to delay beyond any pressure it places on the Senate. This presidency is scandal-plagued. The turnover in White House staff, cabinet members, etc. for various reasons is all a part of the failure of leadership that goes to the very top--Trump himself. He said he would pick the very best people--has he? He said he'd drain the swamp--is that so? There will be other whistleblowers.  The story of Trump's financial records is not over. There are still lawsuits and SCOTUS decisions pending. An entire shoe store remains to fall, and I personally think this favor the long game. It is likely--I think, per the odds--Republicans will come to rue siding with this man.

Maybe that's just my opinion. But I say Trump's dealings look bad because they are bad, and it's because he's bad.  And I don't think a hidden good guy sits in that stage-makeup'd and grifting body.

TWGB: So, Guaranteed Frauds, Right?

There is a limit, I think, to how much news a person can freaking absorb in a damn day. Two associates of Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, were arrested at Dulles with one-way tickets to Vienna.  They had travelled to Vienna on business all the time, apparently. It's where Dmitry Firtash is residing. Why, it's completely normal to go to Vienna! Rudy Giuliani was just about to go there himself! It's probably something that came up in conversation when Giuliani met with them the Day before when they had lunch at the Trump Hotel in Washington. You know, the day before they got arrested at the airport! For campaign finance violations. Could happen to anyone! 

It was just a bad day for Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman. They made it all the way to the airport! And SDNY wouldn't have had to have even rushed everything if they weren't apparently attempting to flee the country? The rotten luck!

So, what kind of campaign finance violations? The kind where so much foreign money is pouring into a Trump SuperPAC and also to GOP politicians and it seems to have influenced the removal of the US Ambassador to Ukraine. You could say they're the type of people who like to give in a world where so many people like to receive. How influential were these guys? Well, it seems like they dined with the president and met all kinds of people. (Trump says he doesn't know them, but he says that about a lot of people he tries to distance himself from.)

Anyway, it's the funniest thing. Giuliani was working for Mr. Parnas' company, Fraud Guarantee,* to provide legal advice and stuff, but Parnas was also kind of working for Giuliani to get information that "proved" Ukraine was behind the DNC hack and to also dirty up Hunter Biden. It sounds all very symbiotic. You know, like intestinal flora. 

It's really striking that all this has such a Ukrainian flavor, what with Trump's completely perfect phone call still reverberating in the news and all (who really knew a little old phone call could be so alarming!) but I don't know.  It really seems to hammer home that the attempts to get the information on Ukraine involvement in the 2016 election and to investigate Biden were very serious (not joking) and that Trump considered removing the ambassador a favor to his good friends in Ukraine. 

Because that's the thing with Trump's "jokes"--they can be acted on by people in, say, Ukraine or maybe China, and it's hard to say he didn't have a constructive intent to collude with them in accomplishing goals favorable to himself. 

Naturally, because of the impeachment inquiry, there guys are so subpoenaed, as is Energy Secretary Rick Perry regarding Naftogaz. I'm guessing Giuliani should consider himself also under investigation. The neat thing about the arrest and the subpoena for Fruman and Parnas though is that they were asked nicely to turn over some documents to the House regarding what they've been doing with Giuliani, and their lawyer (a former lawyer of Trumps!) John Dowd, sent a letter explaining that the House was getting squat. It claims attorney-client privilege, maybe?

I mean, they were working with a lot of attorneys, right? A lot of attorneys were working for them.  (Weirdly enough, Paul Manafort's lawyers represented them Thursday). And the work they were doing for Mr. Giuliani was in connection with his representation of President Trump. I dunno. I think they will have to comply with the subpoenas but I am not a lawyer myself nor do I like to play one on the blog. I hear there may be some crime-fraud exception to the whole attorney privilege thing anyway. But heck, if they can't say they were helping with Trump's "case" maybe they can claim executive privilege since they seem to have been advising the "shadow policy" on Ukraine that Fiona Hill is supposed to be testifying about next week. 

* This is such a good name for a company--Fraud Guarantee. Does it do what it says on the label? The mind reels.

Raiding the TrumpWorld Grab-Bag

There's just something about a raid on Trump's personal attorney and the deputy national finance chairman of the RNC (or at least, he was--maybe not so much anymore) and Stormy Daniels pay-off patsy that perks me right up. It's not very usual to see a raid that goes after various documents at a president's lawyer's office, home, and the hotel room were he happens to be staying.

You just don't. I take people more experienced in these things at their word that this is a serious development that suggests Cohen has got himself into something deeper than just the Daniels pay-off situation (although that in and of itself might touch on campaign finance violations, bank fraud, bribery and intimidation if Daniel's recollection of being personally threatened bears out). I recall in Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury reading that Steve Bannon had indicated that there might be rather a large number of similar arrangements, but that still doesn't quite seem like what would call down this kind of activity. 

It kind of reminds me of the raid of Paul Manafort's offices and home and whatnot. Deputy AG Rosenstein and special counsel Mueller seem to be proceeding from a pretty high confidence that there was a "there" there in pursuing connections between Manafort and Russia.  What they uncovered was sufficient to indict him for a buttload of money laundering and it looks like he was up to some damn unsavory shenanigans for the benefit of then Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (which included, interestingly enough, smear campaigns against political rivals and a certain US Secretary of State). I doubt Cohen was into anything that deep, but he did arrange for a 20 minute Trump speech to be made in exchange for a $150K contribution to the Trump Foundation by a Ukrainian billionaire, right at the beginning of Trump's campaign. 

Laundering contributions by foreign nationals through one's foundation in return for speeches in what is an apparent attempt to gain influence? Gosh--where have I heard of such a thing before?

Anyhow, and this is all very slap-dash, since the last damn TrumpWorld Grab-bag I've filed, Guccifer 2.0 turned out to be probably GRU and was in contact with Roger Stone and WikiLeaks seems to have been communicating with him, too, and Stone either did or didn't have foreknowledge about Wikileaks', um, leaks, maybe someone heard from George Papadapolous in a nightclub that Jeff Sessions wanted him to go after dirt on Clinton (the Papadapolous guy either needs a big operational security lecture or to start attending AA). Basically, there were a lot of people in the Trump orbit who were really all about those damn emails. None of it looks like a big old smoking gun that of course the Trump campaign was coordinating with Russian agents mind you. It looks like a pattern of just not being terribly particular where dirt on Clinton came from. And odd connections with Russians keep coming up.

Of course, we'll doubtless learn more about what this Cohen situation anon, and it does seem like this particular development has POTUS exceptionally rattled. It may be that this really does just boil down to the bizarre ethic compromise of paying off an adult film actress to keep shtum over a one-night stand, but then again, even that points to a takeaway from the Steele Dossier--that Trump could be subject to blackmail over his sexual business.