The Conversation -- January 28, 2024
Zeke Miller of the AP: "Three American troops were killed and 'many' were wounded Sunday in a drone strike in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border, President Joe Biden said. He blamed Iran-backed militias for the first U.S. fatalities after months of strikes by the groups against American forces across the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war. With an increasing the risk of military escalation in the region, U.S. officials were working to conclusively identify the precise group responsible for the attack, but they have assessed that one of several Iranian-backed groups was behind it. Biden said the United States 'will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner (of) our choosing.'" ~~~
~~~ Here's President Biden's statement, via the White House.
The Washington Post's live updates of developments Sunday in the Israel/Hamas war are here. The New York Times' live updates for Sunday are here. CNN's live updates are here.
Maya King of the New York Times: "As the Israel-Hamas war enters its fourth month, a coalition of Black faith leaders is pressuring the Biden administration to push for a cease-fire -- a campaign spurred in part by their parishioners, who are increasingly distressed by the suffering of Palestinians and critical of the president's response to it. More than 1,000 Black pastors representing hundreds of thousands of congregants nationwide have issued the demand. In sit-down meetings with White House officials, and through open letters and advertisements, ministers have made a moral case for President Biden and his administration to press Israel to stop its offensive operations in Gaza, which have killed thousands of civilians. They are also calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas and an end to Israel's occupation of the West Bank."
Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump said he wants to be held responsible for blocking a bipartisan border security bill in the works in the Senate President Biden seeks emergency authority to rein in a record surge of unauthorized border crossings. 'As the leader of our party, there is zero chance I will support this horrible open borders betrayal of America,' Trump told a rowdy crowd of supporters at a rally in Las Vegas on Saturday, ahead of the state's presidential caucus on Feb. 8. 'I'll fight it all the way. A lot of the senators are trying to say, respectfully, they're blaming it on me. I say, that's okay. Please blame it on me. Please.' Trump's opposition follows Biden's statement on Friday praising the deal and pledging to use its new authorities to 'shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed' -- a striking shift as he signaled openness to asylum restrictions and other enforcement measures that were previously unacceptable to Democrats."
Jacqueline Alemany of the Washington Post: "House Republicans announced two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday, accusing him of 'willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law' and breach of the public trust.... Although the Biden administration has been struggling with the overwhelming surge of migrants at the southern border, congressional lawmakers have yet to detail clear evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors on the part of leaders.... Two law professors who testified before the committee this month both stated that they did not see a constitutional basis for impeachment.: Politico's story is here.
David Lynch of the Washington Post: "... despite lingering consumer angst over inflation, the surprisingly strong [United States] economy is outperforming all of its major trading partners. Since 2020, the United States has powered through a once-in-a-century pandemic, the highest inflation in 40 years and fallout from two foreign wars. Now, after posting faster annual growth last year than in 2022, the U.S. economy is quashing fears of a new recession while offering lessons for future crisis-fighting. 'The U.S. has really come out of this into a place of strength and is moving forward like covid never happened,' said Claudia Sahm, a former Federal Reserve economist who now runs an eponymous consulting firm. 'We earned this; it wasn't just a fluke.'" ~~~
~~~ Marie: And, as we noted in today's Comments, Trump's "answer" to the recovery is to slap huge tariffs on Chinese imports. He is an incredible nitwit. ~~~
Biden: "Just think back to the mess Donald Trump left this country in. A deadly pandemic, economic free fall, a violent insurrection. I promised to do everything in my power, I said at the time, to get us through one of the toughest periods in our history. And together, we are." pic.twitter.com/WSPUgAU99b
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 28, 2024
David Siders of Politico: "The most notable thing about the Republican call-and-response following the E. Jean Carroll verdict was that there was barely any response at all.... 'Everyone is just trying to pretend it didn't happen,' said Jason Roe, the former executive director of the state Republican Party in Michigan. In the past, when prosecutors or the courts have smacked Trump, the former president fumed and the GOP rage machine spun itself into overdrive, framing the court developments as acts of political persecution. In the Carroll case, the first part happened, but not the second. That most Republicans were not talking about $83 million in damages reflects both a discomfort with, and an uncertainty about, the political implications of the verdict. It also hints at a latent fear: that the ruling may prove to be a turnoff for some independent or conservative-leaning women in the suburbs." ~~~
~~~ Marie: BUT. Check today's Comments. Akhilleus found a bona fide Trump defender offering, well, an unusual rationale.
Finland. Johanna Lemola of the New York Times: "Voters in Finland are casting ballots on Sunday in a presidential election that comes as NATO's newest member faces the threat of an antagonistic Russia. The election, which is expected to require a second round of voting, is for Finland's first new head of state in 12 years. The country's wildly popular president, Sauli Niinistö, has served two terms and is ineligible to run again.... From a field of nine candidates, the latest polls show two front-runners: Alexander Stubb and Pekka Haavisto. Both are familiar faces with strong foreign policy credentials."
~~~~~~~~~~
Nick Miroff & Toluse Olorunnipa of the Washington Post: "President Biden's surprise declaration Friday that he would 'shut down' the southern border when illegal crossings surge to overwhelming levels illustrates how his many other efforts to address immigration have fallen short of their goals. Biden signed more executive orders related to immigration than any other topic on his first day in office. He's taken more than 500 executive actions since then, already surpassing ... Donald Trump's four-year total, according to a recent tally by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute (MPI). But one of Biden's most active areas of policymaking has become one of his biggest vulnerabilities to reelection. The president's management of the southern border and immigration is his worst-rated issue in polls, and record numbers of illegal crossings have galvanized Republicans, undermined the president's push for Ukraine aid and played to the perceived strengths of Trump, the GOP front-runner."
Presidential Race
Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "... President Biden told a largely Black audience on Saturday night that 'you're the reason Donald Trump is a defeated former president,' in what was effectively his first appearance related to the Democratic primaries. Mr. Biden made clear in his remarks at a South Carolina Democratic Party dinner in Columbia, S.C., that he viewed the forthcoming week as not just a contest but a pivotal moment to energize a frustrated base of Black voters across the nation. And in the run-up to the state's Feb. 3 Democratic presidential primary, which the party's national committee selected last year to be the first in the nation, Democrats believe they have entered an opportune time.... 'Do what you did before,' [Rep. James] Clyburn [D-S.C.] said in an appeal to the Black electorate. 'Turn that election around and save this democracy.'"
Trump Is Still Confused. Michael Gold & Kellen Browning of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump ... previewed on Saturday a likely general-election message, extensively attacking [President] Biden at an event in Nevada, a critical battleground state. Further proof of Nevada's importance could be seen a mile away, where Vice President Kamala Harris cast the fight against Mr. Trump, should he wrap up the nomination, as a battle for democracy.... Mr. Trump's victory in Nevada's caucuses is a foregone conclusion. [Nikki] Haley is on the ballot for a presidential primary on Feb. 6 that will not count toward the G.O.P. nomination, so she is skipping the state entirely. [She has not registered for the caucuses, which will determine whose delegates go to the convention.] 'Don't worry about the primary, just do the caucus,' Mr. Trump told his supporters. Later, he delivered a more mixed message. 'Don't waste your time on primary," he said. "Waste all of your time on caucus.'... 'Freedom is on the ballot, and our democracy is on the ballot,' Ms. Harris said. 'This is about standing for the kind of country we want to live in.'" ~~~
Trump Is Still a Whiney Baby. Somehow it all works out somehow. People say, how do you do it, sir? How do you do it? I get two questions. If you had it to do again, would you do it? Because, you know, in history, they say the president that was treated the worst was Abraham Lincoln. But he had the Civil War, you know. So he had a little Civil War going, Abraham Lincoln. And Jackson was treated very badly, and a couple of others were treated. Andrew Jackson, he was treated very badly and a few others, and I haven't seen the new list. But if I'm not number one over Abraham Lincoln, I will be very disappointed because I don't believe any presidents ever been. And they do that because their policies can't work. This is the only way. -- Donald Trump, Nevada, Saturday
Being shot dead is fairly "bad treatment," too. -- Marie
Dan Balz of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump doesn't respond well to women who challenge, question or mock him. They bring out the worst in him. Nikki Haley is doing all three and has turned the Republican nomination contest into something worth watching.... [Haley] seems to relish the opportunity to torment him.... After Haley took the stage on [New Hampshire] primary night before the president and declared that the race was 'far from over,' he responded by belittling her with a huffy, angry and at times incoherent victory speech.... [Trump] doesn't like strong and persistent women, is especially bothered by those who don't pay him utmost respect and deference. He lashes out -- and sometimes pays a price." ~~~
~~~ Marie: My new, charitable attitude toward Trump voters is that many are not bad people. They are either lazy or fearful. They are diminished people. They live with a long list of fears: real ones and the imaginary ones the right-wing media have drummed up. They know they don't have the ability to handle the things they fear: trade wars with China, real wars with North Korea or wherever; Mexican drug dealers raping their daughters and murdering their wives. And so forth. As a result, they have decided that democracy -- where you have to use some sense in choosing your elected representatives -- is too damned hard. So they've chosen to go with a dictator, someone who has promised that only he can fix it. Alas, there is overwhelming evidence that the would-be dictator's assurances are hollow and that he knows as little as they do about problem-solving and conflict resolution. And, as Balz lays out, his inability to deal with half the world -- the female half -- is a good indicator of his essential weakness. ~~~
~~~ Here's another woman, whom Balz doesn't mention, who got the best of Trump: ~~~
~~~ Maria Cramer & Kate Christobek of the New York Times: Donald Trump and attorney Roberta Kramer "are both shrewd, competitive power players in their respective realms, and unusually deft at using the press. They rely on their own outsize confidence to achieve their aims, making their showdowns occasionally charged -- and tinged with drama. She has represented major corporations and won the groundbreaking 2013 Supreme Court case that granted same-sex married couples federal recognition for the first time. She has said that, as a lawyer, 'I really am like a dog with a bone' -- never letting go once her teeth are engaged.... During the [second E. Jean Carroll] trial, it appeared that Ms. Kaplan had gotten to Mr. Trump. He shook his head in court repeatedly and scoffed during her direct examination of Ms. Carroll.... He delivered tirades at a news conference during the trial. She never raised her voice in court but was quick to play clips of that news conference to the jury.... When Ms. Kaplan said [in her closing argument] that Mr. Trump acted like the rules and laws didn't apply to him, Mr. Trump stood up and walked out of the courtroom." ~~~
~~~ Marie: What the writers never mention is that Trump wins -- when he does -- he does so by relying on bluster, lies & bullying. There is nothing righteous about him. Kaplan, on the other hand, wins by channeling facts into disciplined arguments. Her clients may not always be righteous, either, but she uses cunning to frame their cases. Intelligence doesn't always win over stupid, but intelligence has a better chance. ~~~
~~~ Occasionally, Bullying Is Costly. Joyce Vance has some thoughts about the E. Jean Carroll case, and her essay is worth reading. Here's just one conclusion she drew: "In closing, [Roberta] Kaplan referred to the posts and comments about Carroll that Trump continued to make during the trial, noting that Trump made his 'most reprehensible statement of all last Thursday.' Trump tore into Carroll after saying these words: 'I'll say it again, a thousand times.'... The out-of-court statement was a confession that he would continue to defame Carroll. He left the jury with little choice other than to award damages, in an amount like $83.3 million, designed to get Trump's attention. Absent this kind of behavior, damages might have looked more like they did in the first case, where Trump was ordered to pay Carroll $5 million. It's this kind of promise by a defendant that can convince a jury to smack him with punitive damages. Kaplan told the jurors that Trump's comments meant he'd continue to harm Carroll 'unless you make it stop.' That message seems to have found its target."
Poor Rudy. Nolan McCaskill of the Messenger: "... Rudy Giuliani reported income near the federal poverty level for 2023, according to financial statements filed Friday. The documents were filed Friday afternoon in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. In a financial affairs statement, Giuliani said he made $18,480 in gross income between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 21, the day he filed for bankruptcy. The federal poverty level for last year was $14,580 for individuals, according to the Department of Health and Human Services." ~~~
~~~ Scott Lemieux in LG&$: "If Rudy wasn't such an irredeemably repugnant figure, it would be a little sad -- the guy could have lived the rest of his life getting no-work money from the Blue Lives Matter lecture circuit and mainlining Johnny Walker Black, but instead decided to ruin his life for a fascist grifter, and without even getting any actual power out of the deal." ~~~
~~~ Kelly Rissman of the Independent: "Donald Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani has listed a claim against the one-term president over unpaid legal fees in a new bankruptcy filing. The ex-New York City mayor includes a 'possible claim for unpaid legal fees against Donald J Trump.' in the 26 January filing, which states that the amount is 'undetermined.'... The New York Times wrote in August 2023 that 'Mr Trump has never explicitly told Mr Giuliani why he is effectively stiffing him, but the former president has pointed out that he lost the cases related to the election.'"
Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. ~~~
Instead of "former president"
— hmmm889 (@hmmm889) January 27, 2024
they could go with
"court adjudicated rapist."
~~~ Both tweets via Mediaite.
Marie: BTW, Peter Baker of the New York Times, whom we discussed in yesterday's Comments, appeared on MSNBC Saturday to discuss his article about the "two different worlds" Democrats & Republicans live in. His commentary was even worse, if possible, than his written report. He said that Democrats have one view of the world and Republicans have another view, without so much as a hint that one of those views is reality-based and one is bonkers.
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Reader Comments (15)
People are saying that the only way Melania is going to get any of
Donald's million$ is to marry E. Jean Carroll.
The NY Post reports that Alina Hanna plans to appeal based on an “undisclosed conflict of interest” between Judge Kaplan and Roberta Kaplan. Apparently she was an associate at a large NY law firm where Judge Kaplan was then a partner. They overlapped at this firm - which has over 100 lawyers in its NY office - for 2 years 30 years ago. Hardly sounds like a disqualifying conflict of interest to me, but then, I’m not grasping at straws.
https://nypost.com/2024/01/27/news/trump-to-use-judges-conflict-in-83-3m-jury-verdict/#
@RockyGirl: Yes, but you're not taking into consideration that their names were right next to each other in the law firm's phone directory.
You're just pooh-poohing a slam-dunk case when you don't know all the facts.
In the political context of this election year, I don't see Biden's announcement that he would "shut down the border" as a surprise.
With no help, only the certainty of deliberate obstruction from the R's on border issues, rhetoric could be the only possible response.
@Ken Winkes: I suppose you're right. But what a difference another border makes. The other day Ali Velshi mentioned, as sort of an aside, that he had recently visited relatives in Vancouver, and the Canadians were all upset about immigrants, too. But what they were upset about was that the Canadian authorities were not doing enough to encourage and help out new immigrants because Canadians realize that immigrants enhance their economy.
Why, it's almost as if Canadians were more forward-thinking and less xenophobic than real 'Mericans (not that Canadians aren't Americans, too).
Before anyone sheds too many tears for Runny Hair Dye Man, let’s not lose sight of what a truly despicable asshole he is.
His latest screeching rant has to do with the “outrageous” penalty the Orange Monster has been hit with.
I mean, it wasn’t rape, after all, it was “only” sexual assault.
See? Practically nothing.
“It was sexual assault, not rape. And second, you can be– you can be guilty of rape, and still, a person can be a whacko. That was a defamation. You’re still allowed to defend yourself against defamation.”
Oh, okay. So even if he did rape her, she was a whacko abd it was okay to call her a liar.
Because that’s soooo much better. Only sexual assault.
Despicable is probably too nice a word.
@Akhilleus: Rudy's nuts-and-sluts defense of Trump is totally in character.
I had the teevee on one day in May 2000 when I lived in NYC, and the local news carried a Giuliani press conference. Besides being NYC's mayor, Rudy was then running for Senate against Hillary Clinton. His wife of 18 years, Donna Hanover, was a local celebrity, too. She had anchored a local news show, had appeared in some films & TV shows & of course was the First Lady of NYC. She was the mother of Rudy's children.
Lucky for me, Rudy let me know he was dumping Donna at the same time he let her know: during that presser. He also announced during the presser than he had prostate cancer and his girlfriend/"good friend" was helping him out. So classy.
And why has President Biden issued so many executive orders on border security? Because congress won’t do its job. And if Chevron deference goes away, nothing at all will happen. On anything.
The Economy.
"Former president Donald Trump is weighing options for a major new economic attack on China if reelected, considering plans that are widely viewed as likely to spark a global trade war.
Publicly, the GOP front-runner has endorsed downgrading China’s trade status with the United States — a move that would lead tariffs between the world’s two largest economies to skyrocket. Revoking China’s status as a “most favored nation” for trade — which is applied to almost all countries the United States trades with — could lead to federal tariffs on Chinese imports of more than 40 percent, according to one analysis. Trump has floated imposing a 10 percent tariff on nearly all $3 trillion in annual imports from all countries, including China.
Privately, Trump has discussed with advisers the possibility of imposing a flat 60 percent tariff on all Chinese imports,"
Trump’s $50 Million Mystery Debt Looks Like ‘Tax Evasion’
"Always read the footnotes.
That’s where former federal judge Barbara Jones, the court-appointed special monitor in Donald Trump’s New York business fraud case, just planted a financial bombshell that legal experts say suggests Trump lied knowingly and repeatedly on his federal financial disclosures about a major loan that never existed—and may have evaded taxes on $48 million in income."
The Guardian
"US historians sign brief to support Colorado’s removal of Trump from ballot
Twenty-five civil war and Reconstruction scholars support invoking 14th amendment to bar Trump from ballot over January 6"
And that proposed (pipe dream) 60% tariff on all Chinese products will put Walmart, the nation's second biggest employer, out of business, not to mention leaving Walmart shoppers to go hang.
That ought to work just fine.
Nothing like putting the nation again in the hands of a very stable genius.
@RAS: And guess who pays those humungous tariffs? China? Nope. U.S. consumers. Even if first payors are manufacturers or vendors, the price of tariffs eventually gets passed on to consumers.
Obviously, manufacturers and sellers are going to look for sources other than China, so in the long rung, the Trumpentariffs could hurt China. But the tariffs would cause a huge market upheaval, other suppliers would up their prices substantially (as long as they could keep them a bit under the China+tariff prices), and all of the costs of the hoohah would be passed on to consumers.
As for the effects on U.S.-China relations, somehow I doubt they would improve.
@Ken Winkes: Yeah, the stable genius will show us all that he can tank our economy without China's help. Despite his protestations he apparently doesn't want to come in second to Herbert Hoover after all. Also after the rest of us go broke paying for essentials his small fortune will look bigger by comparison.
David French on Right Wing sex scandals:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/28/opinion/pressler-sex-scandal-sbc.html
And my comment:
Of course, the first word the religious Right eliminates from their vocabulary and consciousness is "hypocrisy." If they did not, their house of imaginary cards would tumble.