NATIONAL CARAMEL DAY UPDATES
The Ones With Sea Salt Are The Absolute BEST!
-Speaking in a raspy voice periodically punctuated by seething gritted teeth inhales and audible slurring of words, Ex-President Trump spoke to a throng at Mar-a-Lago after returning from his (first?) arraignment hearing to yet another triptych of grievances generated by the multiple other investigations currently being conducted against him. As a crew of familiar acolytes listened (among them Donald Jr., Eric, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Mike Lindell, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz - but not Melania or Ivanka), Trump again launched attacks against now-familiar foes, ranging from Hillary Clinton to Special Counsel Jack Smith, again tried to brag about two "perfect" phone calls that led to the two impeachments against him, again called for the prosecution of Manhattan A.G. Alvin Bragg, again claimed incorrectly that if a President has a document in his possession it is automatically both declassified and his personal property, and again called anyone and everyone who is against him "radical left."
-Trump then ended his tirade on a dangerous and possibly illegal note. Just hours after Judge Juan Merchan admonished Trump's attorneys to make sure anyone involved in the case (read: their client Trump) does not make any public statements that could motivate violence, Trump finished last night's speech intoning "I have a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife and Trump-hating family." Trump then doubled down on the photo of Judge Merchan's daughter, first posted on social media by Donald Jr. and reposted by Donald Sr., Eric and Greene, by describing her as being a paid staffer of Vice President Harris. Legal experts noted in horror that invoking family members is a tactic even organized crime families draw a hard line at, and are now openly wondering both how Merchan may need to react and to the threats being made against all the prosecutors working on Trump cases across the country.
-To illustrate the above point, I give you the state of Wisconsin, where yesterday the 15-year hold of power conservative/radical Republicans have had on that state since the days of The Bastard Scott Walker looks to have been shattered. Progressive Democrat Janet Protasiewicz won what will be the fourth - and therefore majority - seat on the WI State Supreme Court in a crushing 55%-44% election result in a state where wins and losses are often measured in hundreds of votes. The election all but assures that the state's legislative district lines which have been called the most gerrymandered in all of America will be redrawn in a way that will break the GOP's stranglehold within the state, as well as open up many Congressional districts - not to mention the likelihood abortion rights will be restored in the state - and end the artificial GOP hegemony in the state.
-And as if all of that wasn't proof of the GOP strategy of using the courts to protect their political power even when they do not win the majority of votes, the reaction of the loser in that state SCOTUS race says volumes about where Republicans are. The Republican who lost, Dan Kelly, was paid by the Trump campaign to try to overturn the 2020 Presidential results a la GA (Biden won in WI) - and nearly succeeded except for one Republican SCOTUS Judge to side with the Democrats to stop the seating of alternate electors. And after running on his UltraMAGA bona fides, Kelly went to a podium to, yes, concede - but in one of the most graceless and punk-ass ways imaginable. "I do not have a worthy opponent to which I can concede," Kelly sniveled, whining that Protasiewicz's campaign playing up Kelly's role in trying to overturn the election and his opposition to abortion rights "deeply deceitful, dishonorable, and despicable" before calling "my opponent" a "serial liar" and ending with "I wish WI the best of luck, because I think it's going to need it" before stomping off the stage to throw toys against a wall.
-If WI was a bright spot, the state of TN is getting darker. A week after another school shooting, students in the state left school and protested in the state capital demanding action to ban assault rifles in the state. In reaction, the fetishly pro-gun GOP-controlled TN House not only cleared the hallways of the protesting kids, they voted to strip five Democratic representatives who marched with the children of their legislative credentials and committee assignments, and are threatening to expel them altogether. Another protest is scheduled in the state for Thursday with talk of March for Our Lives organizing a national protest soon. Watch that space ...
-On this date in 1792, George Washington exercised the first Presidential veto - on a bill that would have given northern states more House seats than southern states. On this date in 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created. On this date in 1968, rioting erupted throughout America in reaction to the assassination of Martin Luther King. And on this date in 2020, Boris Johnson was hospitalized with COVID-19.
-Happy Birthday to Sir Thomas Hobbes, Booker T. Washington, Walter Huston, Spencer Tracy, Melvyn Douglas, Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Christopher Hewett, Michael V. Gazzo, Roger Corman, Frank Gorshin, Stanley Turrentine, Colin Powell, Michael Moriarty, Peter Greenaway, Max Gail, Mitch Pileggi, Stan Ridgway, Diamond Dallas Page, Christopher "Kid" Reid, Mike McCready, Pharrell Williams, Sterling K. Brown, and Hayley Atwell.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Georges Danton, Douglas MacArthur, Howard Hughes, Abe Fortas, Sam Walton, Kurt Cobain, Allen Ginsberg, Lee Petty, Layne Staley, Debralee Scott, Saul Bellow, Gene Pitney, Darryl Stingley, Charlton Heston, John Pinette, Richard Dysart, Bobby Mitchesll, Honor Blackman, Bobby Rydell, and Eric Bohlert.