NATIONAL COLORING BOOK DAY UPDATES

Do YOU Stay In The Lines Or Not?

-So, now that the major set of indictments against now Thrice-Indicted (so far) Ex-President (TIsfEP) Trump have been issued, more questions get to be asked. For example, "How will Trump defend himself?!" Well, if appearances made on CNN, Fox and TODAY by current Trump attorney John Lauro, likely unindicted co-conspirator Rudy Giuliani on Newsmax, and Fox host Jesse Waters are to be believed, the four charges of conspiracy and fraud connected with the attempt to use fake Electoral College electors and attempt to stop the elector count (with, according to paragraph 81 of the indictment on page 45, an eye towards use of the Insurrection Act to quell national outrage) don't count because FREEDOM OF SPEECH!

-You see, Trump can say anything about the election no matter whether it's wrong or not, anyone can! So WHY jAcK SmItH CrIMInalizING FreE SPEECH!?! And also, if Trump really really really really really really BELIEVED the election was stolen - which it wasn't - is that so WRONG?!?

-Jack Smith anticipated that, however, and his response is ... uh, no. And he did it on paragraph THREE, in which he clarifies that anyone can say anything - but if you ACT on what you say, and you KNOW what you're saying is bullcrap, THEN you F'd around and need to find out. (I may be paraphrasing a bit.) Indeed, it is going to be Smith's ability to show a jury Trump knew he lost and still did everything he did that will be the key to getting a conviction.

-That leads to the next question: "When is the trial?" Well, tomorrow afternoon the arraignment takes place, where the Judge in the case, Tanya Chutkan - who has already heard several cases involving January 6, 2021 insurrectionists, and assessed stern penalties upon many of the convictions that Smith's team has earned - will set up a calendar. The decision to indict Trump ahead of the six unindicted co-conspirators (Rudy and John Eastman self-identified, Jeffrey Clark and Sidney Powell and fake elector architect Kenneth Chesebro all but identified, and the unnamed "political conslutant" being the who-is-Carly-Simon-singing-about mystery) is likely to be about getting the trial set up, and expect Team Trump to do what Teams Trump have always done when it comes to Trump in court and work to delay and delay and delay. Arraignment is 3 pm CDT.

-"OOH - can I watch?!" While it is unclear if tomorrow's hearing is televised, the question of whether or if USA v. DONALD TRUMP - the official name of the case - will be on TV is being hotly debated. On one side are legal pundits who believe judges in DC have the ability under "special" circumstances to broadcast trials that normally are not, while on the other attorneys who believe only Chief Justice John Roberts has the authority to make that call. An intriguing side note is whether Team Trump would or would not want the trial broadcast since transcripts-only may allow them to continue their WITCH HUNT/ELECTION INTERFERENCE/WHATABOUT HUNTER BIDEN line of spin more easily, particularly since nobody really believes Trump will take the stand.

-"Is this changing any Republican minds?" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ... sorry ... but, really? With the exception of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the UltraMAGAts and candidates allegedly opposing Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries have predictably circled the wagons. Among the, er, highlights ... flopping Sen. Ron DeSantis demanding the trial be moved out of DC since Trump can't POSSIBLY get a fair trial in "the swamp" ... fellow candidate Vivek Ramaswamy promising to file a FOIA request since the "real" cause of January 6 was "systematic and pervasive censorship of citizens" ... Tim Scott alleging there are "two different tracks of justice" with Trump getting the worst one over The Real Worst Person That Should Be Charged With Everything He's That Bad - HUNTER BIDEN (DUMDUMDUMMMM!!) ... James Comer also invoking Biden while also working in American Indian bigotry in a comment oddly involving Elizabeth Warren ... and Party Leader Marjorie Taylor Greene proudly saying she will still vote for Trump even if he is in prison.

-Which leads to the question being asked by typically nervous Democrats: "WHY IS BIDEN TIED WITH TRUMP OMG OMG OMG WE ARE DOOMED!?!?!" The measured response comes from a New York Times poll that has Current President and 2020 winner Joe Biden even with Trump at 43%-43%, and while the election is still more than a year away, it should now be pointed out that the NYT poll was taken before Trump being indicted for crimes he allegedly perpetrated while President - a distinct difference from the other indictments and trials currently taking place ...

-... except for the last question: "What's up with GA?" The Fulton County indictments are likely to be announced some time this month, and Trump is likely to be part of that set as well. So, get more popcorn ready, y'all - and let's end this Super-Trumpy update!

-On this date in 1776, 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence. On this date in 1934, Adolph Hitler became the full fuhrer of Germany. (I hate that guy ...) On this date in 1943, John F. Kennedy's torpedo boat PT-109 was sunk by a Japanese destroyer (JFK survived). On this date in 1973, AMERICAN GRAFFITI premiered. On this date in 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait. And on this date in 2018, Apple became the first American company valued at $1 trillion dollars.

-Happy Birthday to Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, Jack L. Warner, Myrna Loy, Beatrice Straight, Shimon Peres, Carroll O'Connor, James Baldwin, Betsy Bloomingdale, Lamar Hunt, Peter O'Toole, Garth Hudson, Wes Craven, Isabel Allende, Max Wright, Jim Capaldi, Joanna Cassidy, James Fallows, Lance Ito, Andrew Gold, Butch Patrick, Butch Vig, Mojo Nixon, Victoria Jackson, Apollonia, David Yow, Linda Fratianne, Mary-Louise Parker, Tim Wakefield, Kevin Smith, Tony Amonte, Sam Worthington, Edward Furlong, Grady Sizemore, Charli XCX, Hallie Eisenberg, and Kristaps Porzingis.

-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Horace Mann, Wild Bill Hickok, Enrico Caruso, Alexander Graham Bell, Warren G. Harding, Wallace Stevens, Fritz Lang, Totie Fields, Thurman Munson, James Jamerson, Raymond Carver, Fela Kuti, William S. Burroughs, Shari Lewis, David Huddleston, Ara Parseghian, and Vin Scully.

-Feed the Worms: Lawyer to Rat Bastards from Joe McCarthy to Richard Nixon to Donald Trump, Roy Cohn, bought it on this date.