As always, I enjoy and value everything TPM, and occasionally comment on one story or another from there and in the Morning Memo. And while there's lots to know and worry about in today's Memo, I especially enjoyed this early sentence:
"At this point, I’ve written dozens of Morning Memos that headline President Trump’s politicization and weaponization of the Justice Department. It remains the lynchpin of all of Trump’s rule of law violations because without a functioning, professional, independent Justice Department, no federal laws will be reliably enforced. "
I have no idea if the misspelling of "linchpin" was deliberate, subconscious, or just a mistake, but if not deliberate, it should have been. I suppose that makes it a new and valuable portmanteau for the times, yes? :-)
Following on the Roger Parloff Bluesky link, it concerns the attempted deportation of Iranian-born Reza Zavvar on decades-old misdemeanor weed possession charges, and that the destination(s) for deportation was either Australia or Romania...the kicker here is NEITHER country had even been approached by the USG, nor had any implicit or explicit permission EVER been granted to accept Zavvar, or any other deportee from the US.
None of this chicanery or misrepresentation is new, as the same shit was pulled on a couple of African countries, who disavowed any "agreements" alleged by the tRump regime. The courts are totally hip to these fallacious assertions by USG when filing deportation notices to third-country destinations, as has been made palpably obvious in the Obrega case.
I’ve heard it said that justice is blind. She may be blind, but lately she's acquired a damn nose for anyone's money.
These nine justices of the federal Supreme Court interpret the Constitution like it was written by Trump, for Trump, and nobody else - but Trump.
It amazes me that our founding fathers had the foresight to anticipate the coming immaculation of a self-serving demagogue, and wrote a constitution for him. But how did they know?
These same justices also once said, “We are not politicians.” And then they promptly vote like one.
Apparently, the Vice President too now thinks the law's not about what's right or wrong - but what's in it for him.
That’s what seems to happen when someone thinks they are about to receive the Trump torch.
Vance used to compare Trump to Hitler. Now, he's okay with it. Because, Vance has a real chance at becoming a President. Nobody gave him anything like that before, and he knows nobody in a right mind will ever again.
I remember a judge named Rothaug. He was convicted at Nuremberg for sentencing innocent people under Nazi law. What was his defense? “I was just doing my job.” That’s the kind of excuse you hear coming from the Supreme Court these days.
I’ve seen a lot of things wrapped in different costumes over my years.
I often wondered - how does deciding the fate of millions warrant not having to explain oneself, just because you are dressed like a witch or wizard, and speak in riddles?
These people are like the Riverboat Gamblers of my time, who wore velvet to make themselves LOOK so stupid that their marks could be more easily taken in.
Except, these people wear BLACK robes - so that if you turned out the lights, you can't find them. As I mentioned, they follow the smell of money to leave and avoid any scrutiny. Just like a bloodhound.
This Court today reminds me of a monarchy of dogs - nine kings all in disguise. They don’t wear crowns. Yet they rule by lifetime appointment - which is close enough.
If God is watching, I hope He’s laughing. Otherwise, He’d be crying, and I wouldn’t blame Him.
As always, I enjoy and value everything TPM, and occasionally comment on one story or another from there and in the Morning Memo. And while there's lots to know and worry about in today's Memo, I especially enjoyed this early sentence:
"At this point, I’ve written dozens of Morning Memos that headline President Trump’s politicization and weaponization of the Justice Department. It remains the lynchpin of all of Trump’s rule of law violations because without a functioning, professional, independent Justice Department, no federal laws will be reliably enforced. "
I have no idea if the misspelling of "linchpin" was deliberate, subconscious, or just a mistake, but if not deliberate, it should have been. I suppose that makes it a new and valuable portmanteau for the times, yes? :-)
Keep up the good work - the nation needs it.
Thank you David.
Covered a lot this
morning and am thankful
you didn't do an autopsy
on Chief Justice Roberts
ruminations concerning
the Voting Rights Act;
snip here; trim there; cut
away there.
“Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”
Following on the Roger Parloff Bluesky link, it concerns the attempted deportation of Iranian-born Reza Zavvar on decades-old misdemeanor weed possession charges, and that the destination(s) for deportation was either Australia or Romania...the kicker here is NEITHER country had even been approached by the USG, nor had any implicit or explicit permission EVER been granted to accept Zavvar, or any other deportee from the US.
None of this chicanery or misrepresentation is new, as the same shit was pulled on a couple of African countries, who disavowed any "agreements" alleged by the tRump regime. The courts are totally hip to these fallacious assertions by USG when filing deportation notices to third-country destinations, as has been made palpably obvious in the Obrega case.
waiting for Eric to claim that Jack Smith snuck in and put that swastika flag up.
🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶
🔸🚫 No Kings 2.0🔸OCTOBER 18🔸🎃🔸🐁🔸
🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶
This Saturday - in 2 DAYS!
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
⚪⚪⚪⚪🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪⚪
⚪⚪🔴🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪🔥🔥⚪⚪⚪🔴🔴⚪⚪
⚪🔴🔴⚪🔴🔴🌑⚪🌑🌑⚪🌑🌑⚪🔴🔴⚪
🔴🔴⚪🌓🌕🔴🔴🌗🌕🌕🌓🌕🌕🌗⚪🔴🔴
🔴🔴⚪🌔🌕🌕🔴🔴🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖⚪🔴🔴
🔴🔴⚪⚪🌔🌕🌕🔴🔴🌕🌕🌕🌖⚪⚪🔴🔴
🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪🌑🌑🌑🌑🔴🔴🌑⚪⚪⚪🔴🔴
🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪🌓❌🌕❌🌕🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪🔴🔴
⚪🔴🔴⚪⚪🌑🌑🌑🌑🌑🌑🔴🔴⚪🔴🔴⚪
⚪⚪🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪🔴🔴🔴⚪⚪
⚪⚪⚪⚪🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪⚪
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
No crown survives the lie. No lie outshines the moon.
https://www.nokings.org/
✍️ Elbows UP! 🚢👦🗞️🧓
I’ve heard it said that justice is blind. She may be blind, but lately she's acquired a damn nose for anyone's money.
These nine justices of the federal Supreme Court interpret the Constitution like it was written by Trump, for Trump, and nobody else - but Trump.
It amazes me that our founding fathers had the foresight to anticipate the coming immaculation of a self-serving demagogue, and wrote a constitution for him. But how did they know?
These same justices also once said, “We are not politicians.” And then they promptly vote like one.
Apparently, the Vice President too now thinks the law's not about what's right or wrong - but what's in it for him.
That’s what seems to happen when someone thinks they are about to receive the Trump torch.
Vance used to compare Trump to Hitler. Now, he's okay with it. Because, Vance has a real chance at becoming a President. Nobody gave him anything like that before, and he knows nobody in a right mind will ever again.
I remember a judge named Rothaug. He was convicted at Nuremberg for sentencing innocent people under Nazi law. What was his defense? “I was just doing my job.” That’s the kind of excuse you hear coming from the Supreme Court these days.
I’ve seen a lot of things wrapped in different costumes over my years.
I often wondered - how does deciding the fate of millions warrant not having to explain oneself, just because you are dressed like a witch or wizard, and speak in riddles?
These people are like the Riverboat Gamblers of my time, who wore velvet to make themselves LOOK so stupid that their marks could be more easily taken in.
Except, these people wear BLACK robes - so that if you turned out the lights, you can't find them. As I mentioned, they follow the smell of money to leave and avoid any scrutiny. Just like a bloodhound.
This Court today reminds me of a monarchy of dogs - nine kings all in disguise. They don’t wear crowns. Yet they rule by lifetime appointment - which is close enough.
If God is watching, I hope He’s laughing. Otherwise, He’d be crying, and I wouldn’t blame Him.
Yours in judicial disbelief,
Mark Twain
JOIN THE DEMOCRACY TRAIN.
🚂🇨🇦🇬🇧🇫🇷🇯🇵🇦🇺🇩🇪🇺🇦🇸🇳🇳🇱🇰🇷🇵🇱🏴🇻🇦
🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶
Dermot Kennedy - Better Days (Lyrics)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NeX08PsWZ60
🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶🔸🔶
Keep protests peaceful.
Don't kill anyone.
They DO make a difference.
Here are some resistance related guides from around the world:
🇺🇸 Fundamentals of physical surveillance: a guide for uniformed and plainclothes personnel
https://archive.org/details/fundamentalsofph0000silj
The RCMP has its own publications including:
🇨🇦 GCPSG-022 (2025) - Threat and Risk Assessment Guide
GCPSG-010 (2022) - Operational Physical Security Guide
🇨🇦 GCPSG-019 (2023) - Protection, Detection, Response, and Recovery Guide
https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/physec-secmat/pubs/index-eng.htm
The non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation also has excellent guides on:
🇺🇸 Street Level Surveillance
https://sls.eff.org
🇺🇸 Surveillance Self-Defense
https://ssd.eff.org/
🇪🇺 🇸🇪⚠️ Resistance Operating Concept
https://jsou.edu/Press/PublicationDashboard/25
🇺🇦 🇺🇲 Radio Free Ukraine Resistance Manual
https://radiofreeukraine.com/3d-flip-book/resistance-manual/
⚠️ Assessing Revolutionary And Insurgent Strategies (ARIS) Studies (now at archive.org)
https://web.archive.org/web/20250310000340/https://www.soc.mil/ARIS/books/arisbooks.html
⚠️ Civilian-Based Defense: A Post-Military Weapons System
https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/resource/civilian-based-defense-a-post-military-weapons-system/
🏁 Simple Sabotage Field Manual by United States Office of Strategic Services
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26184?ref=404media.co
⚠️ Library of Congress
Revelations from the Russian archives: documents in English translation
https://www.loc.gov/item/96024752
🏁 Robert Reich/Resistance School
Communicating Across Difference
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaT8gjnOmQl3dguy0_E0vVCL5ZYEyCTzu
🏁 Bernie Sanders:
https://m.youtube.com/@BernieSanders
🏁 CPJ Committee to Protect Journalists:
Safety Kit
https://cpj.org/safety-kit/
🏁 Activist Handbook:
https://activisthandbook.org/introduction
(⚠️ These are USA sponsored websites. Some publications may have been removed by the Trump regime)