DL Open Thread Wednesday September 6 2023
tic, tic, tic, tic…CLICK, whirllsz…Kaboom! I’m not lawyer, but I feel like we must be near the end of the “tic, tic, tic” phase.
Trump’s co-defendants are already starting to turn against him
There’s a nascent courtroom strategy by some people close to Donald Trump: Heap blame on the former president.
In court documents and hearings, lawyers for people in Trump’s orbit — both high-level advisers and lesser known associates — are starting to reveal glimmers of a tried-and-true strategy in cases with many defendants: Portray yourself as a hapless pawn while piling blame on the apparent kingpin.
“History has shown the 18 co-defendants that Donald doesn’t care about anyone but himself,” said Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, referring to the 18 people charged alongside Trump in the Georgia election racketeering case.
“I suspect it will be every defendant for himself,” Cohen added.
He should know: He was once Trump’s versatile fixer but is now a star witness against him in the New York criminal case stemming from hush money payments to a porn star.
Cohen broke with Trump years ago. But in recent weeks, Trump allies who are facing or could have faced jeopardy in connection with three of his four pending criminal cases have shown that they might follow Cohen’s lead.
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If the GOP does implode the Democrats will recuse it with an electoral (and maybe financial) bail out. Amiright, Coonsie?!! You know I’m fucking right.
Authoritarianism Expert Predicts Why The GOP Will Implode, For Good
Authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat thinks the GOP’s increasingly extreme positions can only backfire on the party.
It’s a “very scary and sad time for America,” the history professor at New York University and author of “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present” acknowledged on the latest episode of the Daily Beast podcast “The New Abnormal.”
The GOP is now an autocratic entity, hollowed out and in its “bunker stage” with its fervent support of former President Donald Trump, she argued.
But things can only go one way for Republicans, who are “so out of step with popular desires,” the academic said.
“This is why ― what Trump calls ‘The Final Battle’ ― they’re going to try no matter what to get back into the White House so they can shut down democracy, because they know that otherwise they won’t ever be able to legally win again,” Ben-Ghiat said.
“They already didn’t win the popular vote, and now being so extreme, they’ll alienate more and more Americans,” she said. “I don’t have a time frame for it. It has to happen before 2024, but we will get through this and our democracy will be strengthened as a result.”
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I guess there was some utility in not going after Putin in very personal terms while grain was getting out. But now, fuck it. See my FREE public relations advice for Volodymyr Zelenskyy below.
Vladimir Putin Says There Will Be No New Grain Deal Until The West
Meets His DemandsThe Russian president spoke after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday.
Zelenskyy: Ukraine is not at war with Russia. We are not at war with our brother and sisters, the Russian people. We are at war with an international terrorist and murderer, Vladimir Putin. Etc,
President Zelenskyy’s has an opportunity to call for renewed international support by framing the war as a battle against an “international terrorist.” He can underscore the need for the global community to stand together against Putin who is clearly threatening international peace and security with his wanton criminality.
In doing so, Zelensky can also highlight the humanitarian impact of the conflict by calling for assistance for the countless civilians affected by the conflict, including those on both sides of the border. Finally, he should underscore the fact that despite the current strife, there is potential for renewed ties and cooperation between the peace loving people of the two nations once the conflict is resolved.
He could do all of that without giving up anything in negotiations. Make it all about Putin.
Listening to TYT pod this AM which is I guess last night’s TV show. Is Biden “falling apart at the seems”? and is he widely disliked among the young simply because he is old? Is there really a movement in the “establishment” to replace Biden/Harris with Newsome/Whitmer?
The far left doesn’t do itself any favors by not playing Coalition Ball.
Wouldn’t do itself any favors with Gavin Newsom, either. Whitmer/Newsom, maybe, but not the other way around.
This next election will go one of 2 ways – Biden wins and the repube party becomes more of an independent wacko party. Trump wins and literally our country begins a 6 year trend to disbanding and becoming a collection of state countries
That’s the polite version of what will happen if Trump wins. More likely the Heritage Foundation installed flunkies and grifters will grab everything that isn’t nailed down and get the Supreme Court to rule it all Hunter Biden’s fault.
https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-conservatives-trump-heritage-857eb794e505f1c6710eb03fd5b58981
Notice Putin’s games with the grain closely resembles the Republicans love of the Debt Ceiling game, which they intend to play yet again. If the American electorate was not as dumb as the proverbial box of hammers we would do a hell of a lot better.
I really like John Fetterman. Here he is speaking about the apparently foregone impeachment inquiry the House will begin:
“Go ahead. Do it, I dare you. If you can find the votes, go ahead, because you’re going to lose. It’s a loser….It would just be like a big circle jerk on the fringe right. Sometimes you just gotta call their bullshit. If they’re going to threaten, then let’s see it.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-impeachment-john-fetterman_n_64f8df8de4b0d44852edd611