Hortensius

Justice Jackson is quickly becoming the John Marshall Harlan (the "great dissenter") of our time. Her League of Women Voters dissent is the latest example of following in Harlan's footsteps (e.g., Plessy and the Civil Rights Cases). Harlan was right then, and Jackson is so often right now.

Federal judge in Virginia has ruled that ICE agents need to wear masks because of the risk of retaliation from members of the disapproving public. This is a frightening decision. No accountability.

Much discussion on Bluesky re antisemitism and criticism of Israel. Hate because of race, ethnicity, or religion is beyond the pale of humanity. What Israel did in Gaza and what Hamas did in Israel are beyond the pale of humanity. Sad that tribe mostly trumps humanity, and the innocent suffer.

Megan Romer on Fox News touted a "socialist" program beyond comprehension. Michael Harrington must be rolling over in his grave. The Democrats must repulse such idiocy or the DSA will cause a loss in 2028 just as anti-war radicals caused Humphrey's loss in 1968 and Nader caused Gore's loss in 2000.

I like Ossoff and have sent money. But to plug his campaign three times in five minutes when discussing Trump's speech suggests a "me first, nation second" attitude that Trump manifests. Ossoff does have to raise money, and needs to win, but how about a little more restraint in pimping.

The Supreme Court's Slaughter case adopting the "unitary executive theory" and the FEC case permitting political campaign finance coordination will lead to GOP dominating autocratic govt until Democrats, if ever, put Justices on the Court to restore democractic governance and equity.

The "Barbara" Case will be another "turning" away from the intent of the 14th Amendment in the 21st Century as the "Slaugherhouse Cases" was in the 19th Century. Much suffering by blacks followed; much suffering of blacks and other minorities will follow once a GOP Congress follows Kavanaugh.

Somalis are human beings, most decent and a few deviant. But in the Trump/Miller world, they are all subject to outtrageouus and inhumane treatment. Now the Supreme Court has joined the outrage. I hope I live long enough to see Trump and the six members of the Trump court utterly repudicated.

Vance's Watergate comment speaks volumes. The norms that had my law partner, the former Republican Congressman Caldwell Butler, vote for impeachment for Nixon's Watergate misconduct is now consider acceptable. Trump/Vance have destroyed the norms that made democracy and the rule of law possible.

What does David Ignatius brings to the Washington Post and Morning Joe? To me his comments always lack insight. He is so like other currrent Wash Post hang-ons, pure pablum. So different from Richard Haass who most always provides insight. Please someone tell me what I am missing.

In graduate school before law school, I studied the capitulation of Germans to Nazi propaganda and the Hitler cult. From Adorno and others I understood the similar threat in the USA. But I did not see the coming abject surrender of the GOP and 42% of Americans to the Trump cult.

Iran must have taken comfort in watching the Peters Sellers' movie, "The Mouse that Roared," when the bombing started. Other nations can learn from the movie: go to war with the USA and earn billions.

IRS immunity. Got to be the most corrupt abuse of executive power in American history, enabled by abject Republican legislators. Immunity from cheating on taxes because some independent contractor leaked tax returns with no evidence of IRS culpability. Beyond history, the logic is equally corrupt.

I don't understand the lack of strong reaction to the IRS immunity scheme. I know Trump is moving on lots of outrageous fronts right now, but this scheme strikes at the heart of the rule of law and democracy and so cleary confirms autocracy has come to America. And beyond that, it makes no sense.

Facing 0-2, Eugene Robinson hit a single on Morning Joe criticizing the Trump IRS "immunity" scam. Then Michael Schmidt singled to advance Robinson to second doing the same. Good to see the utility guys used so effectively. Now, when is the star going to break out of his batting slump?

Morning Joe just took another called strke. For the second day, the program addressed the outrageous "weaponization fund," but not a word on the equally outrageous immunization of Trump, his family, and businesses from millions of dollars of past tax liabilty orchastrated by Blanche. Strike 2.

Morning Joe took a called strike today by ignoring the IRS deal to shield Trump, his family, and businesses from IRS audits. That's $100m of tax liability gone. Only one panelist pressed this outrage, and Joe, having previously attacked the slush fund, ballroom, and war, said nothing. Strike One!

Trump's IRS "deal" is a new low point in the sordid MAGA saga. Does America have the reserve to recover from the debacle, or are the tentacles of Trump's cancerous corruption burrowing so deep into America's institutions that death is inevitable? America needs angry pruners now.

I don't understand the attacks on Tom Nichols. He broke from his tribe (no easy task) and has much insight to share, even if he hasn't morphed into a Democrat or Progressive. One can disagree with some, or many, of his observations and still appreciate his efforts at analysis and honest opinion.

Lawrence O'Donnell tonight did a narrative on King Charles's speech to Congress earlier today which far exceeded in eloquence and insight anything Lawrence has said before. I applaud Lawrence and/or his writers. And I applaud the King for standing up for NATO, Ukraine, and checks and balances.

For Trump there is no duty to comply with the Constitution or American or International law, or to cultivate valuable support from traditional allies. Congress will again yield its war making authority as Trump continues his transformation into Putin's twin, supported by a lost Republican Party.

I have watched Rachel M. for years, almost always agreeing with her. Her interview with Georgia Fort tonight revealed a misunderstanding of law. Fort and Lemon had no right to enter and disrupt a church service as "reporters." Rachel allowed ideology to cloud judgment. Rachel, talk to a lawyer.

Don Lemon entered a church during a service without consent. That was trespass. Reporters are not protected when they invade the rights of others. If only he and the protestors had acted just outside the church doors. The reactionary church is despicable but has the right of free exercise.

Regrettably, Schumer and Jeffries have proven themselves inadequate for the times. The Senate and House desperately need new Democratic leadership to speak out forcefully for the rule of law, Democratic institutions, and solidarity with allies. "Affordability" messaging is not enough.

Orwell in a 2/4/44 essay described the "liberal habit of mind" as seeing: "Truth is something outside yourself, something to be discovered, and not as something you can make up as you go along." America needs to rediscover the "liberal habit of mind" as the antidote to the legion of Trumpian lies.

Triump said that he could shoot someone in cold blood on Fifth Avenue with impunity. Now he repeatedly murders. Where are Republicans of conscience? America needs them desperately right now, or it will descend into what the founders feared would follow if its citizentry ever yielded to a tyrant.

Both the Washington Post and CBS are now controlled by wealthy Trump minions. It is just a matter of time before some billionaire decides that the only way to stop the truth emerging from MS Now is to buy it too. Then there will be no effectve TV medium to inform America of Trump's corruption.

Human beings who view others as "garbage" simply because of the color of skin, ethnicity, national origin, or beliefs have lost their own humanity. Will Republicans prove they still belong to the human family by repudiating Trump? Unlikely. Trump corrupts.

Trump pardons Hernández, whom an American jury found guiity of engaging in drug trafficking to the U.S. At the same time, Trump authorizes the killing of alleged drug traffickers in international waters that no American jury has convicted of anything. When did Congress declare war? Trump corrupts.

85% of Republicans still support Trump! That means that approximately 28% of Americans support killing boaters who are either innocent or if guilty of drug smuggling not subject to capital punishment; advancing Russia over Ukraine; deporting immigrants with pristine records, etc. Trump corrupts.

Ukraine has been through a nightmare since Putin invaded with Trump being Putin's enabler. How did America generate a MAGA base that supports such a horrendous foreign policy? If Harris had won, America would have continued its support and Putin would be the one capitulating. Trump corrupts.

Only a person without a soul would shrug off the murder and bone-saw dismantling of a human being simply for speaking out against a corrupt regime with "things happen." "Things happen" conveys randomness and arbitrariness like "acts of God" in nature, not purposeful human evil. Trump corrupts.

Epstein has provided great slogans for these times that all Americans of conscience should be wearing on t shirts, baseball caps, etc.: "I know how dirty Trump is" or equally good: "Trump, evil beyond belief." May beat the "Trump corrupts" I display on my bumper sticker and baseball cap.

Joe Scarborough today blessed the Democratic capitulators and only interviewed them. All other Democrats were "left," including "Neville" Kaine's fellow senator, John Warner! Not just the "left" wanted resistance; centralists too. Scarborough had no guest speak for them. Maybe tomorrow? No.

Virginia Democrats have five years to end "Neville" Kaine's career. History will remember him as a self-possessed politican who saw keeping his Northern base of federal worker voters happy worth abetting, abetting, and advancing a corrupt administration. Spanberger in 2030.

Chris Murphy is demonstrating the level of vocal opposition to Trump's corruption, based on reason and truth, that should render him an attractive presidential candidate. Democrats should take notice.

Today Joe Scarborough uncritically linked as "weaponization" the five prosecutions against Trump with Trump's current campaign of vengence. There were facts, law, and competent lawyers to support the Trump prosecutions, so contrary to Trump's current abuse of the rule of law. Shame on Joe.

George Orwell indicted totalitarianism and the power of propaganda in his "1984". He now is a prophet, a "Jeremiah", for the Trump era. From biographies I have read, I don't think I would want Orwell over for dinner, but I would invite him to lecture anytime. American needs an Orwellian "2025".

Trumpism (noun): the corruption of science and reason.

Why is not Senator Chris Murphy not being identified as Presidential timber? He is moral; he says the right things; he has political courage. I hope he is thinking of a run in three years.

More American corporate titans and now even an English King willingly co-opted into the Trump circus. Will the Trump/Vance autocrats and their despicable minions, including Trumpian Justices, turn America into a Russian clone before the next election? Unless the Democrats grow spines, bet yes.

Trump/RFK, Jr.'s, attack on the CDC is the modern equivalent of Lysenkoism in Russia and Eugenics in Nazi Germany. Science is being replaced by myth, reason by ideology. These guys' myth-creation will cause death and suffering. Stalinism, Nazism, and Trumpianism: disasters of the modern age.

Trump and ICE remind of the terrors of the Fugitive Slave Act. After the return to slavery of Anthony Burns, the abolitionist poet John G. Whittier wrote: "And Law, an unloosed maniac, strong, Blood-drunken, through the blackness trod, Hoarse-shouting in the ear of God. The blasphemy of wrong."

"Peace for our time" (1938). Sudetenland goes. Hitler moves on. "A ten out of ten" (2025). Ukraine goes. Putin moves on. Trump is always Putin's slavish pawn. A red carpet laid by American soldiers on American soil will be the image to remember of Trump's demonic, autocratic adoration.

While fighting slavery, William Lloyd Garrison often quoted from Isaiah: "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter.” Timely.

The firing of the honorable Erika McEntarfer for telling a truth that exposes his economic idiocy, and the immediate rewarding of the despicable Ghislaine Maxwell for an undisclosed, distorted narrative that undoubtedly suits his purposes are but two of this week's examples of Trump's corruption.

Trump's personal attorney "investigatng" and offering limited immunity and Trump being equivocal regarding pardoning a convicted sexual trafficking felon. In 1972 that would be grounds for impeachment with even Republicans in the House and Senate voting "yes." There is no "progress" in politics.

The Epstein files should be released given the investment the Trump camp has made in the "conspiracy". But why didn't Biden once Maxwell was convicted? Because nothing there to hurt Trump? Because harmful to Democrats? Something else? Hopefully it will be released soon ending the questions.

Intriguing: Trump's use of "Enigmas" (i.e., "mysterious" or "puzzling") to describe Jeffrey Epstein and himself in the context of their "secret." As has been noted, "Gamines" is an anagram, meaning neglected young girls who roam the streets, or are playful & mischievous. Conspiracy theory anyone?

How about this for Independence Day, 2025: "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity."