The Conversation -- September 24, 2024
Hannah Rabinowitz & Hans Lybrand of CNN: "Prosecutors on Tuesday filed the charge of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate against Ryan Wesley Routh, the man they say camped outside of Donald Trump's West Palm Beach golf course for hours on end, armed with a rifle that he pointed through a chain-link fence with a clear shot to the next hole where the former president was headed on September 15.... Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee who oversaw, and later threw out, the federal criminal classified documents case against the former president, was randomly assigned to oversee the case, court documents show.... [Attorney General Merrick Garland] also responded to a statement Trump posted Monday evening accusing the federal government of mishandling the assassination attempt investigation and saying that the Justice Department should 'LET FLORIDA HANDLE THE CASE!' Garland said that the Justice Department will 'seek to cooperate and get assistance from' Florida state officials 'consistent with the law.'" ~~~
~~~ Marie: Trump certainly knew that the original gun charges against Routh were placeholders to detain him while investigators explored evidence for other charges, but he complained anyway in order to discredit the DOJ. ~~~
~~~ Isaac Arnsdorf & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post:"... Donald Trump further escalated his long-running bid to discredit federal law enforcement by accusing agencies on Monday of mishandling the investigation of last week's apparent assassination attempt.... Trump criticized the initial charges as 'a slap on the wrist' and accused the Justice Department and FBI of 'downplaying' the threat to his life because they 'have been coming after me nonstop with Weaponized Lawfare,' a term [MB: Trump uses] for alleged political tampering in prosecutions of Trump and his supporters. His statement sought to implicate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, picking up on other recent remarks blaming them for failing to protect him. There is no evidence that Biden or Harris were involved in any security decisions leading up to the apparent assassination attempts, and Biden has since ordered the administration to provide the Secret Service with every available resource and asked Congress for more funding."
Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A federal judge on Tuesday rejected an effort by ... Donald J. Trump's lawyers to push off until after November an assessment of whether the indictment accusing Mr. Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 election can survive the Supreme Court's ruling granting him broad immunity from prosecution. In a brief order, the judge, Tanya S. Chutkan, said that by Thursday evening, the special counsel, Jack Smith, should file his written presentation about why the Supreme Court's immunity decision should not lead to the dismissal of the charges he brought against Mr. Trump in a revised indictment last month. Moreover, the judge granted Mr. Smith's request to have that presentation, which will be filed under seal and therefore not publicly accessible, run as long as 180 pages. Nearly half of those pages, Mr. Smith's deputies have said in court papers, would contain detailed evidence -- from things like grand jury testimony and F.B.I. interviews -- about how Mr. Trump's attempts to overturn the election are fair game despite the Supreme Court ruling, which granted him significant protections for official acts he took as president.... ~~~
"The special counsel has already said he intends to file his brief -- and its numerous factual exhibits -- under seal. Parts of the filing could eventually become public -- perhaps even before voters go to the polls. But it will be up to Judge Chutkan, in consultation with the defense and prosecution, to determine how much, if any, new information about Mr. Trump will be revealed in the papers and when those revelations will be made." The Hill's report is here.
Missouri. Zach Schonfeld of the Hill: "The Supreme Court refused to block Missouri from executing Marcellus Williams on Tuesday amid questions about the jury selection process and key evidence used in convicting him of murder in 2001. Williams, 55, who maintains his innocence, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection Tuesday at 6 p.m. CDT. Moments before, the Supreme Court denied his emergency requests to halt the execution. The three justices appointed by Democratic presidents -- Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson -- voted to block it.... Wesley Bell, the St. Louis County's current prosecuting attorney, does not stand behind the conviction won by his predecessor, citing concerns Williams's constitutional rights were violated and he may be innocent. Court records show the victim's widower also does not want the death penalty used. The Midwest Innocence Project backed Williams's defense, with his legal team in court filings calling his execution a 'horrifying injustice' that reveals 'systemic problems bigger than even Mr. Williams' case.'"
Ariana Baio of the Independent, republished by Yahoo! News: "Donald Trump scolded those who critique the Supreme Court at a rally on Monday, saying people should be jailed for "the way they talk about our judges and our justices” – despite the First Amendment allowing people to criticize the government. The former president, who has invoked his First Amendment right to launch a bevy of attacks against federal and state judges, suggested it should be 'illegal' to rebuke judicial decisions or try and advocate in favor of a certain decision.... The former president was referring to the backlash the Supreme Court received after overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022. He called the court 'very brave' for making a decision that 'everybody wanted' -- an unfounded claim." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Donald Trump says scary stuff all the time, and this is among the scariest. He is signaling that when he is president*, it will be "illegal" to criticize government officials who do his bidding. And if it's illegal, you can bet there will be a penalty for it. ~~~
~~~ Oops! Spoke too soon. It gets worse: ~~~
~~~ Ellie Houghtelling of the New Republic, republished by Yahoo! News: Donald Trump said during an interview "that under his potential second administration, he would round up and mass-deport noncitizens based on their 'serial numbers.'... 'But we're getting the criminals out, and we're going to do that fast, and we know who they are, and the local police know their names, and they know their serial numbers,' Trump said. 'They know everything about them.' Trump has regularly mimicked Adolf Hitler during his campaign. But the mention of serial numbers -- a terrifying echo of the identification numbers forcibly tattooed on concentration camp prisoners -- is one of his most chilling references yet." Read on. MB: Even more frightening, millions are cheering on this crap.
Julie Smyth of the AP: "The leader of a nonprofit representing the Haitian community invoked a private-citizen right to file charges Tuesday against ... Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, over the chaos and threats experienced by Springfield, Ohio, since Trump first spread false claims about legal immigrants there during a presidential debate. The Haitian Bridge Alliance made the move after inaction by the local prosecutor, said their attorney, Subodh Chandra of the Cleveland-based Chandra Law Firm. Charges brought by private citizens are rare, but not unheard of, in Ohio." MB: Sure would be fun if the next time JayDee flies home, authorities cuff him at the airport. Film at 11:00.
Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Speaker Mike Johnson is preparing to steer around a bloc of conservative opposition to a bipartisan short-term agreement to fund the government by relying -- yet again -- on Democrats to provide the bulk of votes to pass the legislation. Late on Monday night, Republican leaders abruptly abandoned an effort to bring the funding legislation to the House floor using routine procedural measures, in an acknowledgment of the growing opposition to the measure from hard-right lawmakers. Instead, on Wednesday evening Mr. Johnson will put the legislation to a vote using a special procedure that requires the support of two-thirds of those voting to pass. That all but guarantees that Democrats will need to rally most of the votes to push the critical bill extending current funding until Dec. 20 across the finish line."
Annie Grayer of CNN, on X: "House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to say if he supports Mark Robinson amidst the unfolding scandal in North Carolina's gubernatorial race, telling CNN, 'I'm not involved in the North Carolina governor's race, I got enough on my hands." MB: Mike Johnson may have callouses on his knees from all that praying he does, but it has not made him a person with anything approaching Christian morality, much less human decency or a hint of a backbone.
Madison Fernandez of Politico: "Republicans' effort to change Nebraska's unique electoral vote system ahead of the November election to benefit ... Donald Trump has been dashed. Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, a major proponent of making Nebraska a winner-takes-all state, said on Tuesday that he has 'no plans to call a special session on this issue prior to the 2024 election' because he couldn't secure the 33 votes needed to avoid a filibuster, should the change be put before the legislature."
The New York Times is live-updating events at the United Nations General Assembly here: "In his final U.N. speech, President Biden addressed the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, drawing on the long arc of his career to stress that progress is possible." ~~~
Farnaz Fassihi: "António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, warned that 'a powder keg risks engulfing the world' as he urged world leaders gathered for the General Assembly on Tuesday to come together to find solutions."
Michael Crowley: President "Biden opens his speech by reaching back into American -- and his -- history, lending the speech a career-capping feel."
Peter Baker: "Biden goes where other presidents might not have, acknowledging the traumatic withdrawal of Afghanistan that he ordered while defending it."
Crowley: "Afghanistan is a chapter of Biden's presidency that will be long remembered for mass chaos and violence, but for which he believes history will vindicate him."
Zolan Kanno-Youngs: "In his farewell speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Biden starts by reflecting on the various conflicts he has witnessed throughout his career and speaks on the progress allies can make on world affairs. He talks about about witnessing the United States and allies progress after the Vietnam War, nuclear tensions and apartheid in South Africa. 'Things can get better,' Biden says. 'We should never forget that. I've seen that throughout my career.'"
Anton Troianovski: "Biden says the United States had 'ensured the survival of Ukraine as a free nation.' But a political battle over what happens next in Ukraine is playing out now, with Ukraine's president, Zelensky, in the United States this week to try to convince his most important ally that Ukraine is still able to secure victory in the now 31-month-long war."
Crowley: "'We cannot grow weary, we cannot look away,' Biden says of Ukraine, in what may be his last, best opportunity to rally global support behind a conflict that played a central role in his presidency."
David Sanger: "He reiterates the need to for Hamas and Israel to sign on to his cease-fire and hostage plan. But today, that agreement seems further away than ever, with the opening of a major new front in Lebanon."
Isabel Kershner: "As Biden was speaking, Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, vowed in a video statement released by his office to continue striking Hezbollah in Lebanon."
Sheryl Stolberg: "Biden is wrapping up, explaining his decision not to seek a second term. 'There is so much more I want to get done. But as much as I love the job I love my country more.' And he adds: 'Some things are more important than staying in power.' The line got sustained applause." ~~~
~~~ Kanno-Youngs: "'It's your people that matter the most. Never forget we are here to serve the people. Not the other way around.'"
The New York Times' live updates of developments Tuesday in Israel's wars is here. CNN's live updates are here.
Megan Messerly of Politico: "Kamala Harris is calling for [eliminating the filibuster] ... to pass federal legislation protecting abortion rights. Harris voiced support for ending the 60-vote threshold needed to advance most legislation in the Senate, commonly known as the filibuster, during an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio that aired Tuesday.... President Joe Biden has long said he supports such an exception, and in 2022 Harris promised as vice president to cast a tie-breaking vote to end the filibuster for reproductive rights and voting rights. Democrats face an uphill battle to keep the Senate this November."
Matt Flegenheimer of the New York Times on "the long, strange saga of Kamala Harris & Kimberly Guilfoyle. More than two decades ago, the future vice president and the future conservative firebrand were rising legal stars in San Francisco. Then Ms. Guilfoyle accused Ms. Harris of trying to deny her a job."
Marie: Donald Trump, writing on his failing social media site, after Kamala Harris's campaign confirmed that she would not be attending the Al Smith dinner: "... It was a virtual event in 2020, and I was delighted to speak to our Catholic friends that day and, of course, it was a HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL evening in 2016 when we were there in person with Crooked Hillary Clinton. The reviews of my remarks were TREMENDOUS. It's sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend. I don't know what she has against our Catholic friends, but it must be a lot, because she certainly hasn't been very nice to them, in fact, Catholics are literally being persecuted by this Administration. Any Catholic that votes for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their head examined...." Via Mediaite.
Seb Starcevic & Veronika Melkozerova of Politico: "Donald Trump said Monday [at his Indiana, Pennsylvania, rally] that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wanted 'so badly' for Vice President Kamala Harris to win the 2024 U.S. presidential election.... Zelenskyy on Sunday visited a munitions factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania -- a critical swing state in November's knife-edge election -- as part of a tour to shore up support for Kyiv's resistance against Russia's war, providing a fillip to the Harris campaign which riled Trump.... [Trump said] that if he wins the election, 'the first thing I'm gonna do is call up Zelenskyy and call up President Putin and I'm gonna say, "You gotta make a deal, this is crazy."'... He has also threatened to cut U.S. aid to Ukraine.... Zelenskyy's office refused to confirm the swing state trip was chosen for any purpose other than 'to pay a visit of gratitude' to the Scranton munitions factory, which manufactures shells used by Ukraine's military." ~~~
~~~ Marie: It seems the main utility of Zelensky's visit to the munitions factory was to remind Americans that almost all of the materiel we send to Ukraine is American-made. That is, the money stays in the U.S. Sure it's redistributed, but it's moving from general federal taxpayers to U.S. workers, who then recirculate it in their communities when they pay for goods & services. Trump either doesn't understand this, or (there's some slight possibility) he gets it but he's pulling the wool over the eyes of his sheeples. ~~~
~~~ James Kilner of the (U.K.) Telegraph: "Donald Trump doesn't know how to stop the war in Ukraine, despite claiming he could end it on his first day as US president, Volodymyr Zelensky has said. In his harshest criticism yet of the Republican presidential nominee, the Ukrainian president also described Trump's running mate JD Vance as 'dangerous' and 'too radical'. 'His message seems to be that Ukraine must make a sacrifice,' Mr Zelensky said of Mr Vance in an interview with the New Yorker magazine before he flew to the US to present his 'Victory Plan' to the White House this week. 'But I believe that we have shielded America from total war.' Mr Vance has been criticised by supporters of Ukraine for pushing a peace deal that consolidates the Kremlin's control over captured territory."
Racists of America, Unite! Michael Luciano of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump riled up rally-goers on Monday night by saying that some immigrants who are in the U.S. legally should be deported. Speaking in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Trump once again invoked Springfield, Ohio.... The Haitian migrants are there legally under Temporary Protected Status and have helped the city plug a severe labor shortage. Despite knowing this, Trump's running mate, JD Vance, has said he will keep calling them 'illegal.'... 'The fact is -- and I'll say it now -- you have to get 'em the hell out. You have to get 'em out. I'm sorry. But get 'em out. Can't have it.' The crowd responded by erupting in applause. 'They've destroyed it,' he said. The crowd broke into a chant demanding deportations. 'Send them back! Send them back! Send them back!'... The ex-president went on to commend Dwight Eisenhower for his deportation program in the 1950s that was dubbed 'Operation Wetback,' though Trump did not refer to it by name." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think Trump would have accused legal immigrants of eating their neighbors' pets if the immigrants had come from, say, Denmark. Hell, in one of his crazier schemes, Trump wanted to buy Greenland from Denmark. (In fairness to Trump, I don't suppose he realized that about 88 percent of its population is Inuit; or maybe he just figured he could deport them to ... someplace.)
~~~~~~~~~~
Presidential Race
Alexandra Marquez of NBC News: "In a bid to coax Donald Trump back onto the debate stage with Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats plan to launch a new messaging campaign dubbing the former president a 'chicken' for saying he won't debate again. The Democratic National Committee will launch static billboards and mobile billboards. The chicken billboards, which will first appear at Trump's rally Monday in Indiana, Pennsylvania, include a digitally altered image of Trump in a chicken suit alongside the words 'There's no debate: Donald Trump's a chicken.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
Fernando Cervantes of USA Today, republished by AOL: "A group of national law enforcement leaders have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris weeks after the National Fraternal Order of Police backed ... Donald Trump. The group, Police Leaders for Community Safety, was created in 2024 as a non-partisan 501(c)4, and describes itself as an organization that represents dozens of police officials. In a press release Monday, chairwoman Sue Riseling expressed the organization's support for Harris.... Another group, the International Union of Police Associations also threw its support behind Former President Trump in February."
Ece Yildirim of CNBC: "Three former chairs of the Maine Republican Party 'enthusiastically endorsed' Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for president over ... Donald Trump in an opinion piece published by Bangor Daily News on Monday. 'We led our party at a time when candidates of both parties were not only civil and believed in the rule of law, but, we believe, had the best interests of the state and entire nation foremost in their hearts, even when we disagreed on policies,' wrote Robert A.G. Monks, Ken Cole and Ted O'Meara.... Additionally, the former chairs took a jab at the broader Republican Party in their letter, claiming that much of the leadership of the party 'has joined the cult of Trump.'"
Neil Vigdor & Simon Levien of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump claimed at a rally [in Pennsylvania] on Monday that he would protect women voters by making their communities safer and that they won't 'be thinking about abortion.... You will be protected, and I will be your protector,' said Mr. Trump, who polls have shown is struggling to cultivate support among women, for whom abortion rights remain a top issue.... Mr. Trump, who last year was found liable of sexually abusing and defaming the writer E. Jean Carroll and who has a history of making demeaning remarks about women, has been seeking to cast himself as a safeguard for women, posting similar comments on his social-media platform. 'Women will be happy, healthy, confident and free,' he said during an extended riff at the rally.... The former president has frequently bragged about his role in appointing Supreme Court justices who helped to overturn Roe v. Wade.... Mr. Trump also repeated a falsehood that he amplified during his debate against Ms. Harris earlier this month, saying that Democrats had been demanding abortions in the ninth month of a pregnancy or 'an execution of a baby after birth.'"
"Donald Trump's Imaginary World." Ashley Parker of the Washington Post: "In Donald Trump's imaginary world, Americans can't venture out to buy a loaf of bread without getting shot, mugged or raped. Immigrants in a small Ohio town eat their neighbors' cats and dogs. World War III and economic collapse are just around the corner. And kids head off to school only to return at day's end having undergone gender reassignment surgery. The former president's imaginary world is a dark, dystopian place, described by Trump in his rallies, interviews, social media posts and debate appearances.... It is a distorted, warped and, at times, absurdist portrait of a nation where the insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to deadly effect were merely peaceful protesters, and where unlucky boaters are faced with the unappealing choice between electrocution or a shark attack. His extreme caricatures also serve as another way for Trump to traffic in lies and misinformation...." (Also linked yesterday.)
The Grifters
Kevin Breuninger of CNBC: "Shares of Trump Media sank Monday to their lowest price since 2021, days after majority owner Donald Trump and other company insiders got the green light to start selling their stakes in the Truth Social operator. The stock, which appears as DJT on the Nasdaq, closed more than 10% lower in a frenzied trading session, settling at $12.15 per share and notching the company's sixth straight day of declines. Trump Media's share price has fallen nearly 85% since the company surged in its public trading debut in late March.... Trump and other company insiders were bound by lockup agreements that barred them from selling their shares in the initial months after Trump Media went public. Those restrictions expired at the closing bell Thursday." ~~~
~~~ digby: "It would appear that now that the lock out period is over, Trump or other big stock holders are dumping stock. Too bad about the suckers and losers." In a tweet embedded in digby's post, Alex Cole writes, "If you invested $1,000 [in Trump Media] in March, it is worth $190 today." Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. ~~~
Melanie the Mercenary. Pamela Brown, et al., of CNN: "One of the few times [Melania Trump] has appeared at a political event [this year], she's received a six-figure paycheck -- a highly unusual move for the spouse of a candidate. The former first lady spoke at two political fundraisers for the Log Cabin Republicans this year, and she was paid $237,500 for an April event, according to ... Donald Trump's latest financial disclosure form. The payment was listed as a 'speaking engagement.' Trump's latest disclosure form said Melania Trump was paid by the Log Cabin Republicans for the April fundraiser. But it's a mystery who actually cut the check: Charles Moran, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, told CNN earlier this month the group did not put up the money for her to speak.... [The other event took place in July, and the Trump campaign has not yet filed financial disclosures for that period.] Campaign finance and government ethics experts say a payment to a presidential candidate's spouse to appear at political fundraisers in an election is unusual [and] ethically questionable...." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Yes, but it's original. Who else gets paid six figures for a gig promoting her own interests while asking guests to fork over even more money to boost her interests?
Marin Scotten of Salon: "Allies of ... Donald Trump and others affiliated with the GOP are supporting the Green Party's Jill Stein in the hopes that her presidential bid will divert attention and votes away from Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, The Wall Street Journal reported. Stein, now in her third race for the White House, has fought to secure ballot access in multiple battleground states and has been represented by Trump-affiliated lawyers, the Journal reported. Indeed, Stein's campaign has paid six figures to a Republican-tied consulting firm led by a man accused of participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol[.]" MB: IMO, a vote for Jill Stein is proof you don't care about the environment.
Patrick Svitek & Patrick Marley of the Washington Post: "A key Republican state lawmaker in Nebraska said Monday that he does not support changing how the state awards its electoral votes before the November election, foiling for now a last-ditch push by former president Donald Trump and his allies that could have reshaped the outcome of the presidential race.... State Sen. Mike McDonnell said in a statement, 'After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change.'... McDonnell is a former firefighter who left the Democratic Party to become a Republican this year after Democrats censured him for his antiabortion views.... 'Unfortunately, a Democrat turned Republican(?) State Senator named Mike McDonnell decided, for no reason whatsoever, to get in the way of a great Republican, common sense, victory,' Trump wrote [on his failing social media site]. 'Just another "Grandstander!"'"
This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job. -- Ryan Routh, from note found in box at friend's house ~~~
~~~ Glenn Thrush & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "A 58-year-old man accused of trying to assassinate ... Donald J. Trump acknowledged in a prewritten note that he had planned the attack -- and even predicted his failure, according to a federal court filing on Monday. The man, Ryan W. Routh, staked out the grounds of Mr. Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Fla., for a month before the episode, the filing said. He positioned himself outside the fence at the sixth hole of the course on Sept. 15, before a Secret Service agent scouting one hole ahead of the former president's group spotted him and the barrel of his gun. At the time he was seen, Mr. Routh had aligned himself directly to the sixth hole, with the intention of shooting Mr. Trump from a relatively short distance with a semiautomatic rifle, prosecutors said. The rifle, equipped with a scope and left at the scene, had a bullet in the chamber and a total of 11 rounds. Investigators also found Mr. Routh's fingerprint on the weapon.... Mr. Routh had left the note at the house [of a friend] several months before the shooting, an indication that he had been planning the assassination for a long time." (Also linked yesterday.)
Nadia Lathan of the AP: "A federal jury in Texas on Monday rejected voter intimidation allegations against all but one of a group of former President Donald Trump supporters who surrounded a Biden-Harris campaign bus on an interstate days before the 2020 election. Only one of the six Trump supporters who were sued in the civil trial was held responsible by the jury. A Texas man whose car brushed up against another as the caravan of vehicles dubbed the 'Trump Train' raced down Interstate 35, was ordered to pay the bus driver $10,000 and another $30,000 in punitive damages. Both sides declared victory at the end of a two-week trial in an Austin courthouse. The five Trump supporters cleared in the lawsuit -- which was brought by three people aboard the campaign bus, including former Texas Democratic lawmaker Wendy Davis -- described the verdict as vindicating and a relief."
David Sanger & Madeleine Ngo of the New York Times: "The Biden administration announced a sweeping initiative on Monday to ban Chinese-developed software from internet-connected cars in the United States, justifying the move on national security grounds. The action is intended to prevent Chinese intelligence agencies from monitoring the movements of Americans or using the vehicles' electronics as a pathway into the U.S. electric grid or other critical infrastructure. The move, most likely the last major cutoff of Chinese products into the United States under the Biden administration, follows the same logic that resulted in the ban on Huawei telecommunications equipment and the investigations into Chinese-made cranes operating at American ports." (Also linked yesterday.)
~~~~~~~~~~
Colorado. Emily Wax-Thibodeaux & Karin Brulliard of the Washington Post: "The man who killed 10 people within minutes at a supermarket in Boulder, Colo., three years ago was found guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder Monday, an outcome that means he will spend the rest of his life in prison.... At issue was whether [the shooter], who subsequently was diagnosed with schizophrenia, understood the difference between right and wrong that afternoon. The jury deliberated for a total of six hours over two days before rejecting [the shooter]'s insanity plea. He was also convicted of other charges, including dozens of attempted murder, weapons and other charges."
New York. Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "As a proud son of Nassau County’s vaunted Republican machine, Representative Anthony D'Esposito of New York knows well the power of political patronage. Every member of his immediate family has held a town or county job, and as a local official, he routinely helped friends find spots on the government payroll. Yet even by those standards, Mr. D'Esposito's hiring decisions since he won a seat in Congress in 2022 have been audacious -- and in two cases may have transgressed ethics rules designed to combat nepotism and corruption. Shortly after taking the oath of office, the first-term congressman hired his longtime fiancée's daughter to work as a special assistant in his district office, eventually bumping her salary to about $3,800 a month, payroll records show. In April, Mr. D'Esposito added someone even closer to him to his payroll: a woman with whom he was having an affair, according to four people familiar with the relationship. The woman, Devin Faas, collected $2,000 a month for a part-time job in the same district office. Payments to both women stopped abruptly several months later, in July 2023, records show, around the time that Mr. D'Esposito's fiancée found out about his relationship with Ms. Faas and briefly broke up with him...." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Nassau County is on Long Island, just east of Queens. When you consider Esposito's morality, you may think of a Queens man with whom you're familiar.
North Carolina Gubernatorial Race. Natalie Allison of Politico: "Top Republican leaders in North Carolina have called on Mark Robinson to provide proof that he wasn't behind salacious posts on a pornography website -- but new information continues to point to his involvement in the type of online sexual activity he denies.... Robinson's former general consultant confirmed to Politico that at least eight campaign employees have stepped down, a number larger than the four the campaign announced on Sunday. That leaves Robinson without his consultant, campaign manager and deputy, finance director and deputy, two political directors and director of operations." ~~~
~~~ Paul Specht & Jack Hagel of WRAL News (Raleigh): "North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson rejected multiple offers from supporters to connect him with information technology specialists to help the Republican gubernatorial nominee investigate racist and lewd comments on a pornographic website made by someone with a username that CNN tied to Robinson, people directly familiar with the matter told WRAL on Monday.... People familiar with the matter told WRAL ... [that] Robinson initially declined legal help." ~~~
~~~ Jennifer Bendery of the Huffington Post: "North Carolina Republican gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson lashed out Monday against 'the false lies' about him in a CNN investigative report Thursday that uncovered years of disturbing comments he made in a forum on a porn website. Except then, in the same breath, he suggested maybe those comments were really by him. [While railing against CNN, he said,] 'We're not here to talk about 15- or 20-year-old salacious, false lies....
Ohio Senate Race. Daniel Hampton of the Raw Story: GOP U.S. Senate candidate "Bernie Moreno was recorded on video Friday at a town hall in Warren County, Ohio, in which he slammed suburban women who say abortion access will define how they vote, NBC4i reported. 'You know the left has a lot of single-issue voters,' Moreno in the clip. Sadly, by the way, there's a lot of suburban women, a lot of suburban women that are like, "Listen, abortion is it. If I can't have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else." ... OK, little crazy by the way, but -- especially for women that are like past 50 -- I'm thinking to myself, "I don't think that's an issue for you."'" MB: Yeah, like your childless cat ladies, we women past our childbearing years should STFU. We are worthless individuals. Back before medicine got so effective and people lived the "natural" lifespans God intended, we would be dead by 50, if not sooner by complications of childbirth. Thanks for reminding us to know our place, Bernie.
Ohio. Brad Reed of the Raw Story: "Portage County, Ohio Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski caused an uproar earlier this month when he posted on Facebook that his supporters should 'write down' the addresses of local residents in the county who had signs supporting Vice President Kamala Harris on their lawns. Now The Daily Beast reports that Zuchowski's department has been stripped of its election security duties after multiple residents expressed discomfort with giving him any oversight role in the upcoming presidential election. The move to boot Zuchowski and his department out of election security duties came Friday when the local Portage County elections board voted to remove it in a 3-1 vote." (Also linked yesterday.)
Share Article 
