-We are still months away from even the conventions, much less the general election, and we all know to be wary of polling - but there are moments where one can take a step back and get a sense of where momentum is. Somewhat horse race-y, to be sure, but morale is a big factor in any elections and a big part of this one as well, and such measures do play a factor in where morale is. So with all that said, yesterday did seem to be somewhat telling in the lay of the political land as we approach Easter 2024 ...
-On the Democratic side, President Biden - flanked by former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton - presided over what reports say was the single most successful fund raising event in American history: a Radio City Music Hall extravaganza full of boffo talent (Lizzo! Queen Latifah! Cynthia Errivo! Ben Platt!), a relaxed Biden and company having tons of fun (at one point all three Presidents and talkback emcee Stephen Colbert donning aviator sunglasses on stage), and a final tally of over $26 million raised in one night.
-That amount, to provide context, outraised the Ex-President Trump (R-apist) LXXXVIII's entire month of February - and gives Democrats a jaw-dropping $180M in cash-on-hand to hire on-the-ground offices and organizers to get to work on Biden's re-election now (and the aforementioned polls are showing an uptick, with Biden's numbers rising in battleground states while maintaining a national average that puts him ahead of Trump), thus putting Biden square in front on the Momentum-o-Meter.
-Trump, in comparison, decided to do something yesterday he oddly kind of refused to do during his Presidency: he decided to go to New York to attend the funeral of Officer Jonathan Diller, a 31-year old Policeman killed in the line of duty while at a traffic stop on Monday. Trump made the appearance and then had a press event surrounded by uniformed officers (which is not legal in some police forces out of fear of appearing overly partisan and political) extolling the courage and virtue and his love for uniformed officers that don't get crushed or tazed by his supporters trying to overturn the government for his behalf. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign modestly compared Trump's appearance with "the Three Stooges" appearing in "a glitzy fundraiser" full of "elitist, out of touch celebrity benefactors." Because far be it for the Trump campaign to use the death of a young police officer for political attacks - HOW DARE YOU!
-When not milking police for political purposes, continues to hunker down in his FL golf compound-slash-classified document depository, conducting his campaign by calling friendly interviewers to help keep his mental acuity decline out of the headlines as much as they can while saving money they don't have and not conducting his live rallies (the next one is scheduled for Green Bay, WI this Tuesday), golfing and getting adulation by the Fellini-esque parade of Mar-a-Lago sycophants that parade through the place and as documented by Meidas Touch's Ron Filipowski, who does the Lord's work of following the show so you don't have to.
-Trump also thus has plenty of time to hop on to social media and continue to deride his numerous court cases. Continuing to push the envelope of a gag order placed on him in his upcoming New York criminal case of a payoff to Stormy Daniels to hide their ten-minute stand before the 2016 election, Trump continued to attack the daughter of the presiding judge by name, raising continued fears of a potential attack against her and absolutely raising the threat bar by Trump's followers.
-And speaking of social media, the public offering of Trump stock in his by-every-metric-you-can-think-of failing social media site Truth Social (with the not-at-all egotistical stock symbol of DJT) is also beginning to behave like pretty much ever business Trump has created. The opening sale of the stock made it appear Trump made something around $3 billion on paper - but the stock has, not surprisingly, started to drop in value, drawing comparisons to the GameStop stock debacle of 2021 That's important because Trump cannot touch any monies raised by the stock offering until September at the earliest, in case there were concerns about Trump selling short to pay off the now-$175M bond for his $456M+ fine owed by Trump and company.
-And while a report last night that announced a Nikki Haley supporter who previously vowed to not support Trump has chosen to bend the knee and supplicate Trump again, the knowledge that the Republican National Committee is raising money for Trump and his lawyers may mean state Republican parties will get a few pennies for down ballot races if they are lucky, and led to MAGA media figure Charlie Kirk warn that "we are about to be outspent and outgunned."
-But don't you worry - the RNC is busy at work! Why, just last night, RNC Co-Chair and Failson Wife Lara Trump followed up a desecration of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" with another single, the not-asked-for-it-by-anyone-except-maybe-Eric-"Eric" "Anything is Possible," an apparently unironic title reportedly featuring the finest in taking one note and AutoTuning the living daylights out of it to make it vaguely listenable. This writer is attempting to confirm a rumor started here that a single is given to you when purchasing a Trump Bible ...
-Republican efforts to unearth voter fraud in the 2020 Presidential election again proved embarrassingly successful in GA yesterday. There, Brian Pritchard - a GA official who was prominently pushing the debunked claim that President Biden stole GA from Trump - was ruled by a judge that HE had illegally voted at least nine times between 2002 and 2011 (Pritchard was convicted in PA of forging a check in 1996.) Pritchard was ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 and be publicly rebuked for his crimes. (Happy to help!)
-In Ukraine, Russian forces continue to pummel power plants and the electric grid as Ukrainian President Zelenskyy talked by phone with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Jay-EE-Zuz!, LA), asking again for Johnson to bring the long-delayed-by-Johnson-at-Trump-and-Putin's-behest aid bill to the House floor. Reports continue to circulate that Johnson, facing a now one-vote majority and an attempt by MAGA Leader Marjorie Taylor Green (Z-Q-R, GA) to oust him, is keeping alive an option to cut a deal with Democrats to bring Ukraine aid to the House floor (where all reports indicate it would pass resoundingly) in exchange for enough support to repel Greene's ouster attempt - particularly as reports continue to percolate that 3-4 more Republicans may resign and flip the House to Democrats. Stay tuned ...
-SLAVA UKRAINI!
-We shall close with music news, because on top of Lara Trump's bad music taste, her timing is also atrocious. At the same time Trump's single dropped, so did COWBOY CARTER, the suddenly-anticipated latest by that OTHER ruler of All Things On Earth, Beyonce. First announced during the Super Bowl, the sprawling 27-track album is primarily one that pays homage to her Houston roots and the influence of black artists on country music, and features collaborations with country icons Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. As per usual, initial critical reaction is over the moon, with one cut in particular getting raves: a cover of The Beatles' "Blackbird" (written in part as a tribute to the civil rights movement) that features several black female artists. Why cover The Beatles? Because, Beyonce being Beyonce, she ended an Instagram post announcing the release of the work by saying "This isn't a country album - it's a Beyonce album!"
-So now you know why you haven't been able to get in touch with any friends who are part of the Bey Hive today ...
-On this date in 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of espionage charges. On this date in 1961, the 23rd Amendment giving residents of Washington, DC the right to vote in Presidential elections was certified and enjoined. On this date in 1971, Lt. William Calley Jr. was convicted of first-degree murder for his role in the My Lai Massacre. On this date in 1973, U.S. troops evacuated what is now known as Ho Chi Minh City, ending its military involvement in Vietnam. On this date in 1999, Wayne Gretzky scored his last goal as an NHL player.
-Notable debuts on this date: Ludwig van Beethoven (first public peformance, 1795), Canada (1867), Jack Benny on the radio (1932), THE KING AND I (1951), SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959), Michael Jordan hitting a championship-winning shot (1982).
-Happy Birthday to John Tyler, Cy Young, Eugene McCarthy, Man o' War, Pearl Bailey, Eileen Heckart, John McLaughlin, Billy Carter, Eric Idle, Vangelis, Denny McLain, Terry Jacks, Walt Frazier, Bud Cort, Michael Brecker, Teofilo Stevenson, Karen Ann Quinlan, Brendan Gleeson, Earl Campbell, Marina Sirtis, Kurt Thomas, Christopher Lambert, Perry Farrell, Annabella Sciorra, Amy Sedaris, Billy Beane, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Elle McPherson, John Popper, Lucy Lawless, Jennifer Capriati, Michelle Zauner, and N'Golo Kante.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Georges Seurat, Gustavus Franklin Swift, Robert Falcoln Scott, Ted Kluszewski, Paul Heinreid, Bill Travers, Johnnie Cochrane, Mitch Hedberg, Maurice Jarre, Patty Duke, Rusty Staub, Agnes Varda, and today, Louis Gossett Jr.
-Feed the Worms: John Major entered Earth on this date. America's first multi-millionaire, John Jacob Astor and Lee Atwater bought it on this date.
-Sam Walton was born on this date. You decide if he gets a Happy Birthday or if he Feeds the Worms.