23 Comments

Isn’t it telling about the US that it’s the mumbling and low energy debate that has the pundit class falling over each other with nary a word about the racist, revenge-filled flood of lies by the other candidate.

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I was anxious the entire day before the debate because I was afraid of what Trump would. I was depressed the whole day following because of what the press did. It's very discouraging. It seems not only do we have a far right radical machinery firing on all cylinders, but our checks and balances equipment has run out of gas.

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I follow a YouTube journalist who is saying, and has said for a while, that the American people need to win this one; that Jack Smith, the New York DA, the courts, no one else is going to save the American experiment. It’s on us and the field of combat is the ballot box.

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He's telling you the truth. Go join your local Swing Left group and convert yourfear into useful energy. Postcards work - they're 8 times more likely to be read and kept than anything else from a campaign. The personal touch matters.

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Via HC Richardson: “If we omit it now, some [dictator] may hereafter arise, who laying hold of popular disquietudes, may collect together the desperate and the discontented, and by assuming to themselves the powers of government, may sweep away the liberties of the continent like a deluge.” 1776 Thomas Paine

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Jul 3Liked by David Kurtz

I am so grateful to hear your perspective. I hope you and your beloveds enjoy the time together.

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Why is this not front page news?

https://x.com/mmfa/status/1808306913291260118?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Sounds like something to take both literally and seriously.

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Because the MSM is focused on the horrors of Joe Biden's debate perfomance, so that there will be a new race, so that they can cover that, so that will be clicked on.

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It is obvious that the TIMING of the prosecutions is deeply compromised--it has already been clear that trials themselves won't happen before the election. But one result of the immunity decision is that the HEARINGS in front of Chutkan and Merchan will be in the public face BEFORE the election.

Those hearings can get a lot of the dirt about trump right in front of the public.

---Chutkan, for example, can stress that any "presumption of immunity" arguments about trump's attempts to overthrow the election don't impact any core powers of the executive because overturning elections isn't in any way a power of the executive (now, not even the far fetched argument that the VP could do it).

--and since the ban on evidence is only a ban on using it to DECIDE immunity, she is free to use it in her rulings to say that this evidence is admissible at a trial where there is not in fact an immunity issue. And to go through it in detail. The vagueness of the Extreme's opinion is a two edged sword. It gives sane jurists a way to DISTINGUISH that opinion from the case right in front of them.

--such a decision or decisions after the hearing may well get appealed. If trump wins, it doesn't much matter--the prosecutions will simply be dropped. If he doesn't, any Supreme Court action to "decide" she is wrong will simply increase the resolution of ANY Democratic administration and Congress to do something about the irrationality (not to mention "bad behavior") of this court.

Same goes for Merchan. Just ignoring the decision could very well give all sorts of ammo for an appeal. Seriously considering the issues and making a ruling on them that points out all the weaknesses of trumpian arguments will put the case on a much better track for a successful upholding the verdict. What exactly did trump do AFTER trump became president? He agreed with an illegal scheme propounded by the CEO of his own company (not, despite what he thinks, an actual branch of government.) He thanked the National Enquirer. He sent out tweets attacking Cohen. He wrote personal checks on his own personal bank account. How is ANY of that enough to overturn the verdict? How is any of it even remotely an official act? Again, come September we will be ripe for a ruling that lays out exactly how trump broke the law.

On Biden's "lack of ability." As far as I can tell it is being entirely manufactured by the media. No wonder people are responding to polls saying "Biden is too old and should step down." That is what they are being TOLD to think. Why does anyone think that at consumer of MSM is any more immune to being told what to think than a consumer of Fox is? Why do "liberal leaning" people have any more grasp of what evidence is than "right leaning" folks? Don't join the frickin' chorus!!.

The dishonesty of the NYT is glaring in that "new" article. It is all "Biden is "said" to be." And this collapsed me--"He seemed confused at points during a D-Day anniversary ceremony in France on June 6."--WTF??? Doctored videos were what "showed" that seeming confusion. The NYT had already debunked them. And now they are AGREEING with them? It takes SEVEN paragraphs to get to the "well, maybe not" part of the story, which is not even mentioned in the headline.

When the ads for trump start blaring "even his own party doesn't like him" the chickens will start roosting on the pearl clutchers who in fact ignore the "evidence of their own eyes" as they use said eyes to read the transcript.

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Got that right Susan. 🎯

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From my experience in professional politics:

Pundit (pun-dit): an over-educated, under-intelligent, otherwise-unemployable white male trust fund baby suffering from Dunning-Kruger Syndrome and convinced he's a genius.

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Jul 3·edited Jul 3

"Rule of Law"...at one time, not that many years ago, a cornerstone of US constitutional government.

Now, a quaint reminder of what was, as SCOTUS has taken its well-sharpened chain saw to foundational principles, and in fact stood tomorrow's "Independence Day" on its head by what amounts to a restoration of the monarchy in the person of "Donald of Orange", if you will, while endowing him with the divine right of kings.

Neatly disposing of the King's many legal problems, the Court has paved the way for his investiture next January, with the November election a mere formality.

Joe Biden's team maybe should review what possible "official acts" may derail this outcome, in lieu of actually winning the election, where his chances are seemingly slipping away day by day.

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My concern is that this crooked court, which makes up stuff out of whole cloth, will find a way to "interepret" anything Joe Biden does as not fitting within their ruling.

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Well, there's always the "SEAL Team 6" option, as Justice Sotomayor indicated.

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This only works because we all agree to make it work. $CROTUS has broken that agreement. Will any Democrat stand up and say enough, we are not going to do as you say?

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In a show of true leadership, it could be that Biden withdraws from the race and puts his/Harris’ full throated barnstorming endorsement and full time campaigning efforts to a renewed Democratic ticket to save country over party.

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If you think that, you must have slept through your civics class - assuming the school had one.

Since you obviously have No Fucking Idea of what it takes in terms of nuts-and-bolts work to create a successful campaign, let me assure you as someone who has actually worked on campaigns that it is completely impossible to do that successfully in 128 days. Which is what we have.

So, as the Old Navy Chief once told this then-young sailor: "When you are so scared you have pissed your pants and crapped your drawers and your brain is frozen, if you just do your job - that's being a hero."

Go join your local Swing Left group and convert your fear into useful work. It works!

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TC, just a few days ago, all the usual suspects issued unqualified, unconditional, eyes-wide-shut defense of Joe Biden and "he's our guy, period", but now we hear from Biden's age cohort and party poobahs such as Pelosi and Clyburn saying that yes, age is a fair discussion point, or if Biden steps down, we go with Kamala. More importantly, Pelosi framed her POV as one of "what's good for the country" as part of Biden's own self-assessment - you know, "Joe will do the patriotic thing here", hint-hint.

Sure, there was this article posted this a.m. in the NYT claiming "a source close to Joe Biden" said that Joe himself has raised the question of "stepping down"...given the Times Holy Crusade to dump Biden, that was just a hit-piece of questionable provenance. But articles appearing in the WaPo also are featuring "party elders" and other "sources" stirring up stuff, all of which indicates to me that the WH and the Biden team have lost control of the narrative, and it's all about shoving plugs in a rapidly leaking dike.

Where there's smoke there's fire - to mix metaphors - and whether these are nothing but self-serving nuggets being drip-dripped to an eager media, a change at the top is in play...until it isn't. Not there yet, right?

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In 31 days, per the SCOTUS "Mandate", Judge Chutkan will have jurisdiction over Trump's preliminary evidentiary hearings. True, these hearings will NOT be a "Mini Trial" but, there will likely be evidence revealed in detail about Trump's potentially criminal acts. Evidentiary hearings will likely take place before the end of this Summer. Do not tune out.

Here is one of SCOTUS' instructions fore needed more evidence:

'Whether [Trump's] Tweets, that [Trump] speech & and Trump's other communications on January 6 involve official conduct may depend on the content & context of each."

OK Judge Chutkan the Court is really going have to dig-in LIVE to a deep factual search for 'other communications'. Judge don't forget "context" such as the full context of "Kill Mike Pence". Chutkan may have to dig in to who built the scaffold, who tied the noose and/or figured the necessary length of Pence's body drop to be properly strung up.

Could take til the end of the Summer & into the Fall, Trump's fall, Trump's ugly demise.

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Too bad pilloring was done

away with. There are 6

Scrotus who "royally" deserve

every rotten tomato and bird

flu infected egg in the

country.

David, try and move away

from the debate. You're

starting to sound like the NYT, WaPo and Bulwark.

Let's NOT back a liar, thief,

adulterer, blasphemer, rapist,

convicted felon, indicted

treasonous piece of trash

who the Scrotus 6 just

crowned king 👑 and

changed the Constitution of

our country, with the flip

of Leonard Leo, Federalist

Society, Harlan Crow,

Heritage Foundation big

bucks and "gratuities".

While I wish you and your

family a nice 4th of July,

try to remember exactly what

this day stands for. We're in

jeopardy of losing it.

Stand up and back Joseph

Biden or say goodbye to

TPM, cause they will come

for you. They have a list.

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It looks like Biden will withdraw. But that is so far from being any kind of solution. The media will let go of their horror of Biden's debate performance, and go on to focus on the new horse race while Trump per usual goes unscathed, unnoticed by them, when every single word that comes out of his foul mouth should be reported upon, on the top of the front page. HE is the beast. HE is the threat. HE is the criminal. HE is the one who will undo all that we have fought for, all that we have lived for, all that we have worked for, all that we have volunteered for, all that we have sacrificed for.

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What's the weather like there on Earth III, where the sky is green and the grass is blue?

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Huh?

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