Author: launchkits

Pornography and the Polls

By Stephen Macaulay

Justice Potter Stewart’s remark related to the case brought before the Supreme Court, Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964), should be kept in mind by those who are promoting the reelection of Joe Biden. 

Nico Jacobellis showed a film directed by French filmmaker Louis Malle, Les Amants, or The Lovers. Officials in Cleveland Heights changed Jacobellis with obscenity. He was convicted and his case made it to the Supreme Court.

The question before the court was whether Les Amants was hard-core pornography.

And Stewart wrote of porn vis-à-vis the movie, “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that.”

“I know it when I see it.”

It is difficult to meaningfully articulate concepts.

It is easier to see something physical and be able to form a notion of what it is, what it means, what its effects are.

Biden and his team are frequently talking about “democracy.” Talking about countering “autocracy.”

While not minimizing the value of democracy, isn’t it, for most people, something rather nebulous?

Yes, they think, democracy is good, but how do I know if I don’t have it?

Those people — again, by and large — have only lived in a democratic country, so it is hard for them to conceptualize what it would be like without it.

And as for “autocracy,” I’m sorry, but that is a bit too precious for most people. Not that it doesn’t have a precise definition (e.g., “a form of government in which one person has absolute control”), but again, this is, outside of poly sci seminars, a bit of a weasel word.

People would have a better sense of what a “dictatorship” is.

So if Team Biden believes that Trump wants to be the dictator, then they ought to say it.

According to a recent CBS News/YouGov poll, registered voters describe Trump as

  • Tough — 66%
  • Energetic — 61%
  • Effective — 52%

When it comes to things that are not necessary associated with making sure the proverbial trains run on time he doesn’t do as well:

  • Competent — 49%
  • Compassionate — 37%

Said another way, competence and compassion aren’t necessarily perceived to be importance if things are getting done.

Biden’s numbers, on the other hand, are abysmal, and for the one that he’s above water on, it isn’t exactly resounding:

  • Tough — 28%
  • Energetic — 26%
  • Effective — 38%
  • Competent — 40%
  • Compassionate — 52%

All of which is to say that he doesn’t sound like someone who would get things done.

People can see and hear Trump rant. People can see and hear Biden express things in as tentative a manner as he walks.

But let’s get back to the things that are part of people’s own lives. Like pocketbook issues.

Asked about the effect of the policies of the two men on their personal financial situation, Trump again leads:

  • Better off — 42%
  • Worse off — 31%

Biden:

  • Better off — 16%
  • Worse off — 48%

While no one thinks they’ll suddenly be rolling in dough regardless of who gets elected, that 48% to 31% delta in the “Worse off” category ought to make the Biden operatives catastrophically concerned. 

According to the latest Consumer Price Index, “Over the last 12 months, the all-items index increased 3.3% before seasonal adjustment.”

“More than offsetting a decline in gasoline,” the US Bureau of Labor Statistics noted, “the index for shelter rose in May, up 0.4% for the fourth consecutive month. The index for food increased 0.1% in May.” The annual rate for shelter is now +5.4%.

For the April report issued a month earlier, housing and gasoline alone caused 70% of the CPI increase, which was 3.4%. “The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2% in May,” the BLS said. But this followed an 0.3% increase for the index in April, following 0.4% increases in each of the three preceding months. 

The index for medical care rose 0.5% in May after an 0.4% increase in April, while the index for prescription drugs rose 2.1% in May and the index for hospital services increased 0.5%.

People know what going to the doctor is. People know when it costs more to buy a shirt at Target.

And people can’t help but be shocked by the increase in that car insurance bill: the BLS has it that car insurance rates have risen 20.3% over the last year.

People know these things when they see these things.

Only 33% of those polled like the way Trump handles himself personally, meaning 67% don’t like it.

Yet the Biden-Trump matchup is essentially dead-even (nationally, Biden 49%/Trump 50%; battleground states Biden 50%/Trump 49%).

While Trump hasn’t articulated a clear message about how he is going to deal with more expensive housing (you’d think a real estate mogul would be all over that) or the cost of car insurance, neither has Biden.

People don’t necessarily think that Trump is a good man. But they do think that he could be better for the things that they deal with every day, like the price of a gallon of gas.

This may be too simplistic, but there is democracy and there is a doctor’s bill.

Biden can protect democracy by making people understand how he is going to make their daily lives better so that he gets reelected.

The prices at the grocery store are something that people can see and know.

•••

Why not become a Citizen Pundit and send us your thoughts on the latest political news/aggregate, and commentary from Pundit-at-Large Stephen Macaulay and Contributing Pundit Ken Zino?

Send your comments to editors@thehustings.news and please indicate whether you are a conservative or liberal with a note in the subject line.

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This Column (and the One on the Right) Are for You

Go to Page 2 to read a debate between contributing pundit Ken Zino and Pundit-at-Large Stephen Macaulay on poor polling results for President Biden’s economy. 

The center column reports on low consumer confidence as measured by the University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Expectations. 

In the left column, Zino writes, “Trump Tanked the Economy, and Biden is Fixing It.”

In the right column, Macaulay writes, “Would You Have Him Run Your Business?”

Here’s your chance to become a Citizen Pundit and let us know your thoughts on their columns, the Michigan Index, or any recent news items and columns on this site, including Stephen Macaulay’s latest, “The Importance of Age,” in the right column.

Email editors@thehustings.news and indicate in the subject line whether you lean liberal or conservative, so we may post your comments in the correct column.

_____

…meanwhile…

Unemployment ticked up to 4% in May, when the US economy added 272,000 jobs. Scroll down for details. [CHART: Bureau of Labor Statistics]

MONDAY 6/10/24

Hostages Freed – Saturday’s triumph by Israeli soldiers and special operations police in rescuing four hostages of Hamas from Gaza serves as a microcosm of the whole eight months of war. Though reports of the number of Palestinians killed in the operation “varied wildly in confusion over the attack,” according to The New York Times, two Gaza health officials said the number was more than 200, while Israeli military spokesman and Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the number killed was “less than 100,” based on information he had seen. 

The four rescued hostages were kidnapped from the October 7 Nova music festival by Palestinian militants, according to reports.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scored a victory in the hostage rescue coming after much criticism from Israeli moderates and liberals that he was stretching out the war to save his political career and has no plan for who will govern Gaza or how after the war finally does end. 

By Sunday, Benny Ganz, a moderate and “key member” of the Israeli war cabinet quit the government over Netanyahu’s handling of the war. Palestinian officials said their civilian casualties from the rescue was up to at least 274 by late Sunday.

Meanwhile, the NYT says Hamas still holds “roughly” 120 Israeli hostages Netanyahu has urged Hanz on X-Twitter to withdraw his resignation, according to CNN.

“Benny, this is not the time to abandon the campaign,” Netanyahu wrote. “This is the time to join forces.”

•••

Trumpist Populism Hits EU Elections – Coming just after a visit with President Biden following the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, President Emmanuel Macron says he will dissolve French parliament and call snap legislative elections after his allies lost European Union parliamentary elections to Marine Le Pen’s populist National Rally party, The Guardian reports. RN won about 32% of the French vote, while Macron’s allies took 15% and the Socialist party garnered about 14%. 

Populists also scored big wins in the EU elections for Germany, Austria and The Netherlands.

Up on the Hill – The Senate and the House of Representatives are in-session Tuesday through Friday.

--TL

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FRIDAY 6/7/24

May Jobs Stats --The US economy added 272,000 jobs in May for another strong month and another potential reason for the Federal Reserve to hold interest rates. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4% after 27 straight months under the 4.0 mark. The Labor Department noted job gains in health care, government, leisure and hospitality, and professional, scientific and technical services.

***

Biden Apologizes to Zelenskyy – In a meeting that’s sure to raise hackles among the likes of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), President Biden apologized to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for delays in a $61-billion aid package in his country’s defense of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his country. 

“I apologize for the weeks of not knowing what was going to pass, in terms of funding, because we had trouble getting the bill that we had to pass, that had the money in it,” Biden told Zelenskyy.

“During World War II, the United States helped to save human lives, to save Europe,” Zelenskyy replied. “And we count on your continued support and standing with us, shoulder to shoulder. Thank you so much.”

(Per The New York Times.)

•••

No Pardon for Hunter – President Biden told ABC News’ David Muir he would not pardon his son, Hunter, if convicted in a Wilmington, Delaware federal court for failing to report drug addiction on a gun permit application. Interviewed from Normandy, France during the ceremony for the 80th anniversary of D-Day for ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir, Biden replied “yes,” when asked whether he would accept a guilty verdict for his son, and “yes” again when asked whether he would rule out a pardon.

Defense is expected to wrap up its list of witnesses in Hunter Biden’s trial on Monday.

•••

Infowere – Families of Sandy Hook school shooting victims who had been awarded a $1.5 billion judgment against Infowars host Alex Jones for his scurrilous claims they were “actors” in a “faked” tragedy voted unanimously in favor of liquidating the far-right talk show host’s assets in order to wrap up bankruptcy proceedings, according to Bloomberg Law. Families favored the liquidation over an alternative offered by Jones to allow him to reorganize by preserving part of his media empire and pay them “at least $5.5 million” per year over 10 years. He also had proposed additional creditor recoveries from the remains of Infowars’ parent company, portions of his income and of proceeds from his sale of various assets. 

Of course, his rejected proposal also would have allowed him to keep his radio show.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

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The Importance of Age

By Stephen Macaulay

While we’ve spilled considerable digital ink in discussing the forthcoming presidential election and will certainly use barrels more before this whole thing is over, one of the issues that isn’t getting the amount of attention here, or elsewhere, that is related to who will be re-elected to the Oval Office is: Age.

No, not that come November Donald Trump will be 77 and Joe Biden is 81 on election day and 82 a few weeks later.

Rather, age in the context of Social Security and Medicare.

Given their ages, these are the sorts of things that ought to be concerning to both men.

Given their wealth and positions, it is probably something that, on a personal level, really doesn’t matter.

Here’s a fun fact from the Social Security Administration: In 2024 an average of some 68 million Americans will get a Social Security benefit each month. That’s a significant number of voters right there.

And some 66 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare. All of them are above voting age.

According to the Census Bureau, in the 2020 presidential election “Voter turnout was highest among those ages 65 to 74 at 76.0%.” These are people who are keenly concerned with Medicare and Social Security.

But it turns out that those who have yet to participate in these programs are becoming increasingly concerned.

According to a recent study by West Health and Gallup, 73% of U.S. adults under age 65 are “worried” (41%) or “extremely worried” (32%) that Medicare won’t be available to them when they qualify.  

As for Social Security, the number is even higher: 33% are “worried” and 47% are “extremely worried,” so that’s 80%.

What’s more, 87% of adults under 65 believe Medicare will be important to them when they qualify and 83% think the same about Social Security.

When asked about how likely they’d be to vote for someone who “prioritizes issues affecting older Americans,” 40% of those ages 18 to 29 said they’d be “somewhat more” or “much more” likely to, while only 38% of those people ages 30 to 39 would be.

However, if you wrap in the results from those 40 to 49 (54%), 50 to 64 (67%) and 65+ (77%), the average of those who would vote for said candidate is 57%. Yes, the older one gets the more important those issues are, and that bloc of older voters is awfully powerful.

Biden and Trump can go at one another all day long about whether one is crooked and the other corrupt and vice versa.

The path to the White House passes right through the AARP membership and while it might to seem to be sufficiently “forward-looking” to embrace that cadre, you can count on those people voting — in person and by mail.

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Help Us Fill Out This Column

...or the one on the right. The Hustings is here for your civil, fact-based comments, whether your are liberal or conservative.

In the right column Pundit-at-Large Stephen Macaulay takes House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to task for his support of ex-President Trump after his 34-count conviction for falsifying business records over hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. 

Here’s your chance to publicly agree or disagree with Macaulay on this issue. Simply fill out the COMMENTS section in this or the right column (appropriate for your political leanings, whether pro-MAGA, anti-Trump-right or from the left. 

Or, email editors@thehustings.news and indicate your political leanings in the subject line. 

_____

In Normandy

D-DAY+80, 2024

Bannon to Prison -- A federal judge has ordered former Trump administration advisor and MAGA acolyte Steve Bannon to prison by July 1, The Hill reports. Bannon is appealing his 2022 conviction on contempt of Congress charges for failing to appear for a deposition ordered by the since-disbanded House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol.

•••

From WWII to Today – The allied effort of the U.S. and the rest of NATO to stand up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a “direct extension” of the battle for freedom throughout Europe during World War II, President Biden observed at the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Omaha Beach (per The New York Times). Biden’s speech was held next to the burial site where 9,388 American military are buried, most of whom were part of the invasion. 

"Democracy is not guaranteed," Biden told the crowd, which included among world leaders attending, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but not Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, "and every generation must fight for it."

•••

Fighter Jets Hit UN School – As Israel’s fight with Hezbollah threatens to spill into southern Lebanon, there are reports of Israeli fighter jets attacking a United Nations school overnight in Central Gaza, killing at least 35 people, according to The Washington Post, which quotes Phillipe Lazzarini, commissioner of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA. 

Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner countered Thursday, saying 20 to 30 Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters had been using a compound from inside the school.

•••

Biden Slipping? – Some Democrats and others who have worked with President Biden recently say the 81-year-old “appears slower now, someone who has both good moments and bad moments,” according to a Wall Street Journal report Wednesday. The report, which says Biden “spoke so softly at times that some participants struggled to hear him” in a January meeting in the West Wing with congressional leaders to negotiate a deal to fund Ukraine, no doubt jolted his party’s leaders.

Sources who were quoted anonymously included “(s)ome who have worked with him … including Democrats and some who have known him back to his time as vice president…” It quotes former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) saying; “I used to meet with him when he was vice president. I’d go to his house … He’s not the same person.” The WSJ notes that “White House officials dismissed many of the accounts … as motivated by partisan politics.”

But the story got little attention elsewhere Wednesday, except for News Corp. sibling Fox News, until The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, on which the host coupled The Wall Street Journal’s story with news about its recently retired CEO, 93-year-old Rupert Murdoch, marrying for his fifth time.

•••

Final Four? – Senators J.D. Vance (OH), Marco Rubio (FL) and Tim Scott (SC), and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum are the four finalists vying to become presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump’s running mate, per Forbes magazine. The running mate-race remains fluid, however, and could change before the Republican National Convention begins in Milwaukee, July 15. 

There could be extra weight added to Trump’s choice, as the RNC begins four days after the ex-president is to be sentenced for his falsified business records/hush money conviction July 11.

--TL

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WEDNESDAY 6/5/24

Border Politics – “Why now?” is the question NPR’s Michel Martin repeated several times to Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas on Morning Edition, asking about President Biden’s executive order meant to restrict crossings at the southern border. Mayorkas, fresh off a Senate impeachment acquittal stressed the need to “properly fund” Homeland Security and the enforcement of border laws. 

Biden’s executive action Tuesday restricts the number of migrants seeking asylum and allows border officials to stop processing claims when illegal crossings surge, as they have, as we approach the November 5 elections. Capitol Hill Republicans, who in the House killed off a bipartisan border bill earlier this year, attacked the White House’s “weak” response to the crisis.  

“To protect America as a land that welcomes migrants, we must first secure the border and secure it now,” Biden said Tuesday.

Until then-President Trump referred to “shithole countries” during his administration, no one would have admitted to the glaring reason behind much of immigration restriction in the U.S. over the centuries, that of discrimination against minorities from Italians and Irish to Latinos, Hispanics and Muslims. Beside angst over criminal activities that data on undocumented aliens constantly prove to be unfounded, there are two underlying concerns: First, that undocumented immigrants will take entry level jobs from Americans – they do, but largely at minimum wage or less, and Second, the one primarily for Republicans, that the undocumented will become Democrats after they become citizens. 

•••

Has Modi’s BJP Peaked? – We would be remiss if we ignored national elections in the world’s largest democracy and fastest-growing economy, India, where nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi will remain prime minister, but his BJP party lost significant ground to the Congress party. 

The results are considered a shock and/or jolt to Modi and the BJP. The Election Commission of India announced Tuesday that Modi’s BJP won 240 parliamentary seats to Congress’ 99, The Times of India reports. While this might seem a pretty good result for the incumbent, that’s down from 303 seats the BJP won in 2019 elections, which was on an upward trend from 284 seats secured in the 2014 elections. We’ll keep you posted on what this means for democracy in India and around the globe, going forward.

•••

MAGA Republican Defeated in New Jersey – Trump-endorsed Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner lost the New Jersey GOP primary for Bob Menendez’s U.S. Senate seat Tuesday to real estate developer Curtis Bashaw, The Hill reports. Bashaw had the influential support of most the county Republican Party organizations in the state and faces Democrat nominee Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ). 

Menendez, the Democratic senior senator from New Jersey who is under indictment with his wife on bribery charges, has said he is running for re-election as an independent.

Primaries were also held Tuesday in Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota and Washington, D.C.

--TL

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TUESDAY 6/4/24

Border Policy by Exec Order – President Biden gathers border-city mayors at the White House Tuesday -- three months after the House scuttled a bipartisan immigration bill to keep the issue alive for GOP presidential candidate Donald J. Trump -- with plans to sign an executive order that would greatly reduce the number of asylum-seekers allowed into the U.S., NPR’s Morning Editionreports. Although no details were leaked ahead of the announcement, the executive order is expected to significantly cut the number of immigrants allowed, according to NPR immigration correspondent Sergio Martinez Beltrán, who notes that Mexico has been cracking down on border crossings from its side at the request of the U.S.

•••

Fauci Faces Conspiracy Theoryfest – Erstwhile top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci called “simply preposterous” Republican allegations that he had tried to cover up the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic at a House subcommittee hearing Monday. Leading the questions based on a litany of conspiracy theories was Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) who refused to address Fauci as a doctor and later called for him to be locked up as a “mass murderer.”

All this prompted Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) to apologize to Fauci, according to the HuffPost.

“They’re treating you, Dr. Fauci, like a convicted felon,” Raskin said of such MAGA Republicans as MTG. “Actually, you probably wish they were treating you like a convicted felon. They treat convicted felons with love and admiration.”

•••

Hunter Biden Trial, Day Two – Jury selection was completed Monday in Wilmington, Delaware, with opening statements to begin Tuesday in the criminal trial of the president’s son, Hunter Biden. He has been charged with lying on a 2018 gun license application on which he stated he was not addicted to illegal drugs.

--TL

__________________________________________

MONDAY 6/3/24

Trump Conviction Bump? – Down-ballot Democrats have been running better in the polls than President Biden for this November’s elections, but the expected bump in Donald J. Trump’s popularity after his 34-count conviction last week may help some of his most fervent supporters running for congressional seats, according to David Wasserman of The Cook Political Report. 

“This conviction might have some slight upside for down-ballot Republicans, not in a major way,” with a bump in turnout among pro-MAGA voters, elections analyst Wasserman told NPR’s Steve Inskeep on Morning Edition Monday. That could be good news for Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake, but not for heretofore never-Trumper and Maryland Republican Senate candidate Larry Hogan.

Be sure to read Pundit-at-Large Stephen Macaulay’s take on Trump’s remorse (or lack thereof) and House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-LA) response, now in the right column.

Hunter Biden’s turn… Trial of the president’s son on charges he lied on a 2018 gun-purchase application begins in Wilmington, Delaware, Monday. The younger Biden allegedly claimed he was not addicted to illegal drugs when he filled out the paperwork.

•••

Cease-Fire, Or Not – Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Givr and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to resign if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to a Gaza cease-fire agreement as outlined by President Biden Friday afternoon, The Hill reports. Their resignations would force new Israeli elections, as suggested by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) weeks ago. That’s something Netanyahu, whose leadership hangs from a string, does not want.

“This is a reckless deal, Ben-Givr said, “which constitutes a victory for terrorism and a security threat to the State of Israel.”

By Saturday Netanyahu already reiterated that Israel would not agree to a permanent cease-fire in Gaza as long as Hamas retained governing and military power, The New York Times reported Sunday. By Monday, NPR reports that Netanyahu has said privately he backs the proposal.

Biden said Friday the proposal would begin with a six-week cease-fire during which Hamas would release women, the elderly and wounded Israeli hostages it has held since its October 7 attack. Israel would withdraw from major population centers in Gaza, release hundreds of Palestinian hostages and allow at least 600 trucksful of humanitarian aid per day. 

•••

Mexico’s New President – Just as a U.S. president in his late 70s or early 80s is inevitable after November’s elections, Mexicans went into voting booths Sunday to inevitably elect its first female president. Climate scientist and ex-Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum took between 58.3% to 60.7% of Sunday’s vote, The Guardian reports, easily beating Xóchitl Gálvez. Though counted as a liberal, Sheinbaum’s mentor is authoritarian-leaning outgoing Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. 

Mexican presidents are limited to a single six-year term.

•••

Putin ‘Controls’ China – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend criticized China for attempting to put thekabosh on a peace summit to be held June 15-16 in Switzerland by pressuring other countries not to attend, the Financial Timesreports. 

Zelenskyy said China is “in the hands” of Russian President/Dictator Vladimir Putin and he criticized China, once Ukraine’s biggest trade partner, for supplying Russia with dual-use equipment that the U.S. says is being used to rebuild Moscow’s defense industry.

•••

Fauci on the House Grill – A 15-month House Select Subcommittee investigating the coronavirus pandemic has failed to connect Dr. Anthony Fauci, the retired immunologist and government scientist, to the beginning of COVID-19. He faces testimony to the subcommittee beginning Monday, (The New York Times), anyway, where pro-MAGA Congress members will try to shift blame for the slow response and inevitable need for shutdowns across the country away from the Trump administration. 

The subcommittee also has uncovered emails from Fauci aides that appear to state concerns over Fauci’s public image as the agency he led for 38 years, the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, faced scrutiny over funding questions.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

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Shame?

By Stephen Macaulay

The word shame goes back to the Old English. Even back in the fifth century the Anglo-Saxons described a “feeling of guilt or disgrace” and “loss of esteem and reputation.”

Over time the word has gained additional meanings, such as being related to “propriety and decency.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (pictured above), who is a man of propriety and faith, said that Donald Trump’s 34-count felony conviction was a “shameful day.”

What he meant was that it was shameful in the context of Donald Trump being found guilty, as though there was some impropriety in the legal system.

But let’s think about this.

The case was about illegal activities. This not only has to do with lying (a.k.a., “bearing false witness”), but there was a direct association with adultery. 

Or in other words, the Trump trial ticked at least two of the boxes on the list of Ten Commandments.

Was there any proof presented that showed there was no falsifying documents? 

Was there any testimony — hand-on-the-Bible-I-swear-to-tell-the-whole-truth-and-nothing-but-the-truth testimony — that there wasn’t an act of adultery, which led to the falsification?

Did Donald Trump exhibit propriety and decency when talking about the people — from the judge to the jurors to the witnesses — associated with the trial?

So where is the shame, Speaker Johnson?

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Conviction a Win?

Donald J. Trump has become, it has been much-noted, the first-ever former American president to be convicted of a felony. Will that help him or hurt him in the November 5 presidential election? Should it?

What should Trump’s sentence be? What will it be?

This is your chance to comment on anything and everything regarding Thursday’s historic verdict in The State of New York v. Donald J. Trump, whether you lean left or right, and if right, pro-MAGA or Never-Trumper. 

Email your COMMENTS to editors@thehustings.news and indicate your political leanings in the subject line. That’s so we know whether to run your comments in this column or the one on the right. Please keep your comments civil. It will be kinda like X-Twitter, except without the echo chamber – because you’ll read civil discussion from left and right on the same page – and without the conspiracy theories and made-up facts.

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The Day After

Trump Bump in Fundraising – Donald J. Trump, convicted Thursday on 34 counts of falsifying business records in paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels just ahead of his 2016 election win, was to hold a press conference at Trump Tower Friday morning, NPR reports. 

Biden react… “No one is above the law.” 

But if Biden didn’t go there, his campaign communications director, Michael Tyler, did: “There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box. Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president.”

Note: Trump has lost one vote so far; his own, as a convicted felon.

•••

Et Tu, Mitch? – Last week, Nikki Haley said she will vote for Donald J. Trump in this November’s election. Thursday night, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who might have handled retirement much in the manner of Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), wrote on X-Twitter (per The Hill); “These charges never should have been brought in the first place. I expect the conviction to be overturned on appeal.”

•••

Calendar – The first debate between Donald J. Trump and President Biden is June 27 on CNN. Sentencing for Trump in Judge Juan Merchan’s Manhattan courtroom is July 11. The Republican National Convention is July 15-18 at the Fiserv Forum (Fear the Deer!) in Milwaukee.

•••

There’s Got to Be a Morning After – And it starts with a huge overnight fundraising win for convicted felon and former President Donald J. Trump, conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt told Steve Inskeep on NPR’s Morning Edition. Hewitt names three Republican Senate candidates as likely winners from Trump’s fundraising haul; Bernie Moreno, challenger to Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), David McCormick, challenger to Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Larry Hogan, running against Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D), for retiring Sen. Ben Cardin’s (D-MD) seat. 

Inskeep notes that Hogan is a very moderate Republican (actually, a never-Trumper who briefly considered running for the 2024 GOP nomination), but Hewitt says the three will all fall in line for Trump and give his second term the Republican Senate majority he’ll need to carry out his MAGA agenda. 

Here we’ll note that in the case of swing-state Pennsylvania, incumbent Democrat Casey had been leading McCormick by between two and five points through early May, according to 538, and he jumped ahead to a 49%-41% lead in the May 13 average of BSG/GS Strategy Group and The Cook Political Report polls.

Aside from Trump’s fundraising success, the National Republican Congressional Committee scored its best fundraising day of the cycle by Thursday night, Punchbowl News reports, having raised $300,000, which far surpasses the $175,000 the NRCC raised the day Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected House speaker.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Trump: So Many Questions, So Few Answers

By Stephen Macaulay

Should you go to Trump’s 2024 website, you’ll immediately be greeted by a photo of the former president walking away from the Marine One helicopter (presumably a more serious setting than the patio at Mar-a-Lago) and the quote:

“They’re not after me, they’re after you . . . I’m just standing in the way.”

That sounds a bit on the paranoid side.

Who are “They”?

Why are “They” “after you”?

Who is “you”?

What will “They” do to “you” should they catch “you”?

If “They” are “after you,” is Trump “standing in the way” sufficient to stop their pursuit?

So many questions. So few answers.

Then the page segues to a definition of “The MAGA Movement.”

It opens “The American Way of Life is under attack while career politicians destroy our economy and sabotage our nation’s incredible potential. We will take our country back from the corrupt Washington establishment and return power to the American people, where it belongs.”

Is “The American Way of Life” “under attack” by “They”?

What will “They” do to “The American Way of Life”?

Is there any possibility that Trump can be “standing in the way”?

If someone has been involved full time in politics since at least 2015, doesn’t that make that person a “career politician”?

Arguably the most “establishment” position in all of Washington is president. If someone (1) was president and (2) has been found liable in a civil case for sexual abuse and defamation of the abused, isn’t that a definition of “corrupt Washington establishment”?

Of course, as this is the website that is meant to present what his plan is for another stint as president you would imagine that he’d get to laying out elements of his program.

But first there is the opportunity to buy a MAGA hat, a MAGA flag or a T-shirt with his mug shot on it. (Bonus question: When did presidential mug shots become a good look?)

Almost to those policies.

But first, in all caps, there is this:

I AM YOUR VOICE.

AMERICA FIRST!

Who, exactly, is “YOUR VOICE” talking to? Could “They” be involved?

Then the policies:

  • Economic Prosperity for All
  • Secure America’s Borders
  • Restore Public Safety
  • Peace Through Strength
  • Reclaim Free Speech
  • Dismantle the Deep State

As for the first it goes on to explain, “President Donald J. Trump ended the war on American Workers.” Who was fighting the “war”? Did “They” play any part? Did anyone tell the AFL-CIO, UAW, NABTU or other trade unions that have endorsed Biden? Did anyone tell the Trump team that according to FactCheck.org the number of coal mining jobs was reduced by 8,500 and manufacturing by 154,000 during his ending the war? And that jobs were down a total 2,876,000? Is that how the “war” ended?

As for the borders, if “We created the most secure border in U.S. history,” then shouldn’t it have been built sufficiently strong so that it would last?

“We will quickly restore law and order to our country.” Does that square with this from the report released in October in which it says:

“The FBI’s crime statistics estimates for 2022 show that national violent crime decreased an estimated 1.7% in 2022 compared to 2021 estimates:

  • Murder and non-negligent manslaughter recorded a 2022 estimated nationwide decrease of 6.1% compared to the previous year.
  • In 2022, the estimated number of offenses in the revised rape category saw an estimated 5.4% decrease.
  • Aggravated assault in 2022 decreased an estimated 1.1% in 2022.
  • Robbery showed an estimated increase of 1.3% nationally.”?

As for the military, it says “As Commander in Chief, President Trump rebuilt the military and kept America out of unnecessary foreign wars.” Was he preoccupied with ending “the war on American workers”?

Apparently the censorship that the MAGA folks have been performing in libraries and classrooms is not the issue. “President Trump is absolutely committed to ending the systematic censorship of the American people.” Who is performing the “systematic censorship”? “They”?

And, of course, the “Deep State.” Clearly a place that “They” inhabit. “President Trump will Drain the Swamp once and for all, and restore government by the People.” Does this square with, say, his telling oil industry execs that a $1-billion contribution to his campaign will put them in good stead?

Finally, there’s something titled “Agenda47.” Did someone forget to hit the space bar? 

Did anyone notice there are only 15 items?

It includes a series of short videos on the topics:

  • “President Donald J. Trump Declares War on Cartels” It says “when he is president again, it will be the official policy of the United States to take down the drug cartels.” Did anyone tell him that according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, “DEA’s top priority is reducing the supply of deadly drugs in our country and defeating the two cartels responsible for the vast majority of drug trafficking in the United States” right now?
  • “Ending the Nightmare of the Homeless, Drug Addicts, and Dangerously Deranged,” which has the descriptor: “For a small fraction of what we spend upon Ukraine, we could take care of every homeless veteran in America. Our veterans are being treated horribly.” While the observation is accurate, doesn’t making it sound like vets are “Homeless, Drug Addicts, and Dangerously Deranged” an absolute insult to the brave women and men who have served?
  • “Liberating America from Biden’s Regulatory Onslaught” “Onslaught”? Really?
  • “Firing the Radical Marxist Prosecutors Destroying America” Seriously: are there still “Radical Marxists” and how would you know if there was one?
  • “President Trump Announces Plan to Stop the America Last Warmongers and Globalists” Apparently these people are “in the Deep State, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the national security industrial complex.” Do they know any “Radical Marxist Prosecutors”?
  • “President Trump Announces Plan to End Crime and Restore Law and Order” The aforementioned FBI report notwithstanding, isn’t a “Plan to End Crime” a bit grandiose?
  • “President Trump on Making America Energy Independent Again” The statement is “Biden’s War on Energy is The Key Driver of the Worst Inflation in 58 Years! When I’m back in Office, We Will Eliminate Every Democrat Regulation That Hampers Domestic Energy Production.” Does he know that the U.S. is the top oil-producing country in the world — greater than Saudi Arabia, even? Does he know that oil is sold on the global market so that even if there’s an oil well in Key Biscayne the petroleum could be sold in. . .China?
  • “President Trump Will Build a New Missile Defense Shield” Doesn’t this sound like it might involve “the Deep State, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the national security industrial complex,” or does he know some guys who can do it?
  • “President Trump Calls for Immediate De-escalation and Peace” How does one perform “Immediate De-escalation”?
  • “President Trump’s Plan to Protect Children from Left-Wing Gender Insanity” Merely “Left-Wing”? Not “Marxist”?
  • “President Trump’s Plan to Save American Education and Give Power Back to Parents” Apparently “Our public schools have been taken over by the Radical Left Maniacs!” Is this a subset of the other people he’s identified?
  • “We Must Protect Medicare and Social Security” Is it deliberate that it doesn’t say “President Trump’s Plan to Protect Medicare and Social Security”? Does this mean he doesn’t have a plan?
  • “President Trump Will Stop China From Owning America” Does China want to?
  • “President Donald J. Trump Calls for Probe into Intelligence Community’s Role in Online Censorship” Did you know that there is an “illegal censorship regime—a regime like nobody’s ever seen in the history of our country or most other countries for that matter,” says Trump? 
  • “President Donald J. Trump—Free Speech Policy Initiative” Will it “dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech”? Does the “censorship cartel” know that he’s declared “War on Cartels”?

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Not the Right Column

If you have found The Hustings on a smartphone, you probably came to this column first. You might think we are a left-leaning publication.

This isn’t what we had intended. All first-time readers should land on a three-column page with political news and analysis in the center column, conservative commentary in the right column and liberal commentary on the left. We are for open, civil discourse, not echo chambers.

Unfortunately, we are not there yet. We are getting by with a political news site that is best read on a computer screen, even if most people do not read their news in this manner. So, we’re asking for your help.Please send us a note telling us about how you found The Hustings. This will help us decide which fixes, changes and updates get priority. Send your comments and suggestions to editors@thehustings.news

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…meanwhile…

The Senate Tuesday voted 80-19 Tuesday (per The Hill) to limit debate on the foreign aid supplemental that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) ushered through the House last weekend. "It's not too late," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY, above) said. "We don't have to give up on Ukraine. And we are not going to."

PASSOVER 2024

UPDATE: Judge Juan Merchan did not immediately rule on prosecution's request to hold the ex-president in contempt for violating the gag order in the criminal case alleging falsification of business records to cover up a hush money payment, but the judge did have a "heated" discussion with lead defense attorney Todd Blanche over the issue, according to The New York Times. District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed a complaint that Trump made 10 public statements on Truth Social and his presidential campaign website that attacked two likely witnesses, former fixer Michael Cohen, and adult film star Stormy Daniels.

"You've presented nothing," Merchan told Blanche. "You're losing all credibility with the court."

More Pecker ... Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified about the publication's relationship with Trump a decade ago, according to The Guardian: "They asked me what can I do -- and what could my magazines could do -- to help the [2016 election] campaign. ... I said what I would do is I would run or publish positive stories about Mr. Trump and I would publish negative stories about his opponents, and I said that I would also be the eyes and ears because I know that the Trump Organization had a very small staff."

But wait, there's more ... Pecker also testified that the National Enquirer made up the story connecting Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-TX) father to JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, NBC News reports. Cruz, who long ago joined the gaggle of Capitol Hill MAGA acolytes, told NBC he's "not interested in revisiting ancient history."

Contemptability -- Prosecutors in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's criminal case against Donald J. Trump have asked Judge Juan Merchan to hold the ex-president in contempt for violating a gag order barring attacks on witnesses, prosecutors, jurors, court staff and their families (per The New York Times). The judge is expected to rule on the request by Tuesday. Trump, who is on trial in a 34-count indictment for falsifying business records to cover up sex scandals, has attacked upcoming prosecution witnesses Michael Cohen, his former attorney-fixer, and the adult film star known as Stormy Daniels among others, on his Truth Social "media" outlet.

The ex-prez has not attacked, so far, the prosecution's first witness, David Pecker, who a decade ago as publisher of the National Enquirer allegedly applied the tabloid's "catch and kill" method to kill negative press for Trump prior to the 2016 election.

--TL

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MONDAY 4/22/24

Speaker Needs Democrats – Finally, the House has passed $60.8 billion in new aid to Ukraine for its defense against Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), President Biden and the American people, and told NBC News’ Meet the Press in an exclusive, via interpreter, that the aid will “strengthen Ukraine and send a powerful message it will not be the second Afghanistan.” 

The House vote on the Ukraine aid package was 311-112, all of the opposition consisting of Republicans. Johnson will need at least 112 Democrats to vote to keep him as speaker if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) goes forth with a motion to vacate.

“America last,” MTG said after the vote. “That’s all this is every single day, America last,” CQ Roll Call reports.

As House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) warned recently in an interview with Puck News, Russian propaganda has “infected a good chunk of my party’s base.” 

Also passed in the supplemental is a $26.4 billion package for Israel, at 366-58, with 37 Democrats and 21 Republicans voting “no.” Some of that money goes to Gaza as humanitarian aid.

An $8.1 billion package for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific countries passed 384-34, and a “sidecar” of related issues including unfreezing of $5 billion Russian assets for Ukraine and tougher sanctions on Russia, Iran and China. 

These will be bundled into one supplemental for the Senate, which is to begin procedurals on it at 1 p.m. Tuesday according to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). For Zelenskyy, it cannot come soon enough.

Addendum: We'd be remiss to ignore this cover headline from the Sunday, April 21 edition of the New York Post, the erstwhile pro-Trump tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp: "Nyet, Moscow Marjorie." The subhead, next to a head-shot of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) photoshopped wearing one of those furry Russian winter caps, says "GOP rebels defeated as House passes $61B in Ukraine aide."

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

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Romney on Trump’s Hush Money

[Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT)]

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), who is retiring from the Senate after the November elections, has weighed in on the hush money Donald J. Trump paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The payment is at center of criminal case alleging Trump sought to influence the 2016 presidential election. The ex-president denies he had an affair with Daniels, but Romney said this (per The Independent): "I think everyone has made their own assessment of President Trump's character. And as far as I know you don't pay someone $130,000 not to have sex with you."

•••

What’s your take on the House passing supplemental spending on Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan? Should House Democrats support Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), or should he lose out to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) threat to issue a motion to vacate?

What’s your opinion of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) warning that Russian propaganda has “infected a good chunk” of the GOP base?

Email your comments on these and other newsy issues to editors@thehustings.news and please indicate whether you lean right or left in the comments section, so we make sure to post your thoughts in the appropriate column.

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Poll: Biden Catches Trump

President Biden and ex-President Trump are in a statistical dead-heat for the November 5 election, according to the latest poll by The New York Times and Siena College, reported Sunday. 

Trump leads Biden 46% to 45% in this latest poll, a statistical tie. In the NYT/Siena College poll from February, Trump held a 48% to 43% lead. Biden now has the support of 89% of traditional Democratic voters, up from 83% in February, while Trump’s share of his traditional GOP supporters is at 94%, down from 97% in February.

Will Trump’s hush money trial in New York cut into that support further? Our pundit-at-large, Stephen Macaulay, does not think so (see The Gray Area), though we certainly will be flooded with poll updates from various organizations when the verdict comes down, probably this summer.

For Democrats; Have you changed your mind about supporting Biden? For Republicans; Will the outcome of Alvin Bragg's case against Trump change your mind about supporting the ex-president November 5? Please give Macaulay's column on Trump, Biden and the polls and leave your Comments in the column appropriate to your political leanings. Or email editors@thehustings.news and please indicate whether you are liberal or conservative in the subject line.

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…meanwhile…

UPDATE: Seven men and five women have been chosen for the jury in Donald J. Trump's criminal trial over allegedly fraudulent business records in the payment of hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

FRIDAY 4/19/24

Israel Hits Iran – Israeli defense forces struck Iran with missiles early Friday, possibly near its nuclear research center in Isfahan, multiple news sources report. An Iranian brigadier general reported “loud booms” east of Isfahan, according to Iran’s news agency, says NPR. So far, no signs of casualties or damage. 

U.S. officials received a “last minute” warning on the strike but wasn’t involved, the Italian foreign minister reported from Capri, Italy, where Secretary of State Antony Blinken is attending the G7 summit, The Times of Israel reports. At the G7, Blinken only confirmed reports of the attack and reaffirmed U.S. commitment to Israel’s security.

Regional war? … The Biden administration has preached restraint to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since Iran’s apparently unsuccessful drone attack on Israel last weekend, which injured a seven-year-old girl and resulted in no fatalities. But a minority of analysts have said that Iran’s attacks on Israel were actually quite successful in penetrating Israeli airspace and that Israel’s apparent retaliation was exactly what it wants – to escalate the war in Gaza to a regional conflict.

--TL

___________________________________________

THURSDAY 4/18/24

Countdown to Saturday – With Democrats having his back, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will bring three bills to the House floor Saturday, featuring $60.8 billion in long-awaited aid for Ukraine’s war effort, plus a separate border security bill. 

Ukraine supporter Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) last month announced he would resign from the House with his last day to be Friday, but now says he will stay on to Saturday to support the supplemental, CQ Roll Call reports, citing Gallagher’s aides.

The Senate has recess scheduled for next week, but Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has suggested it will be cancelled so the upper chamber can quickly pass the supplemental on to President Biden.

“The House must pass the package this week and the Senate should quickly follow,” Biden said.

Democrats will help with the necessary procedural votes to assure the supplemental package passes. They also are expected to provide enough votes to defeat a motion to dismiss threatened by Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY).

In addition to the Ukraine package, Johnson’s supplemental, which totals $95.3 billion, includes:

•$26.4 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

•$8.16 billion for Indo-Pacific region security, including $4 billion to Taiwan and other regional allies, and $3.3 billion for a domestic submarine industrial base.  

•A fourth bill would set up a support fund for Ukraine directed by the president and partner countries to allow use of frozen Russian assets to help rebuild the country.

The Ukraine aid bill also includes $9.5 billion in economic aid to be handled as a loan.

A separate bill on border security contains most of HR 2, which passed the House in 2023 with strong Democratic opposition. Except that the new bill does not include the provision mandating use of the E-Verify system for employers to confirm workers’ immigration status and eligibility to work in the United States. 

Johnson will move the bills separately through House procedures, then “stitch” them together as one for the handoff to the Senate, according to Roll Call.

•••

Three-Hour Impeachment Trial – Holding to his promise/warning that the Senate impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas would not take very long, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced two procedural points of order and – voila – it was done, three hours after impeachment jurors were sworn in (per CQ Roll Call). The votes went Schumer’s way, 51-48-1 and 51-49. Republicans’ procedural motions to try and put a stop to Schumer’s stop-action were rejected by the Democratic majority. 

--TL

__________________________________________

WEDNESDAY 4/17/24

Mayorkas On Trial – Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faces a Senate impeachment trial beginning Wednesday for allegedly mishandling the U.S.-Mexican “border crisis.” The Senate’s Democratic majority will attempt to quickly dismiss the impeachment case, though some Republicans, including Utah Sen. Mitt Romney want to have a “debate” about the border issue, according to NPR’s Morning Edition.

•••

Ukraine Aid Rising? – Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) appears ready to introduce a long-needed aid package to Ukraine, The Hill reports, despite the anti-Ukraine minority in the House having grown to two. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has joined pro-Putin Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) in threatening Johnson with a motion to vacate over the aid, though Johnson can pretty much rely on many of the House Democrats’ 214 votes to overcome House Freedom Forum votes that would back a motion by MTG.

This all comes after a Russian missile attack overnight Wednesday on Chernihiv killed at least 15 and injured more than 60, according to The Kyiv Independent.

Like Israel … President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to Ukrainian television to say he was “pleased” Israel got help from allies in last weekend’s Iranian attack by drone and urged his country’s allies to show Ukraine the same sort of support (per NPR’s Morning Edition).

Russian losses… A report by the BBC estimates Russia has lost more than 50,000 soldiers in its invasion of Ukraine.

•••

SCOTUS Appears Split – The Supreme Court appears split over former Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-area police officer Joseph Fischer’s argument he should not have been charged with obstructing an official proceeding when he joined a mob attacking the U.S. Capitol in the January 6th riot, according to SCOTUSblog’s Amy Howe, in an assessment backed by other news outlets. 

In Fischer v. United States the ex-cop’s attorneys argue that Sec. 1512 (c) (2) applies only to evidence tampering of a congressional inquiry or investigation.

But U.S. Solicitor Gen. Elizabeth Prelogar argued “a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol and disrupted the peaceful transition of power. Many of the rioters obstructed Congress’ work in that official proceeding.”

If the conservative SCOTUS majority, including three Trump appointees, prevails, five other counts against Fischer would remain, though he would need to be re-sentenced or possibly have those five counts dropped.

--TL

__________________________________________

TUESDAY 4/16/24

UPDATE: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Tuesday morning filed a motion seeking to hold Donald J. Trump in contempt for allegedly violating Judge Juan Merchan's partial gag order, Axios reports. Bragg pointed to posts by the former president on his Truth Social account in which he attacks likely witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.

•••

Notes from Court – The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman reported Monday that Donald J. Trump snoozed for a bit in the Lower Manhattan courtroom where prosecutors, defense attorneys and Justice Juan Merchan vetted potential jurors in the former president’s “hush money” criminal case. Haberman told Kaitlan Collins on CNN’s The Source that Trump later gave her a hard stare, which she figures was a reaction to her nap report.

Meanwhile: “Dozens” of potential jurors said they could not be impartial about Trump and were dismissed Monday, according to The Washington Post.

•••

SCOTUS Hears Jan 6th Case Tuesday – The Supreme Court Tuesday hears a case that will affect defendants charged with obstructing or attempting to obstruct Congress’ January 6,, 2021 counting of Electoral College ballots for Joe Biden’s election victory. The case involves Joseph W. Fischer, police officer for a township near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, whose case is “in limbo” after a federal judge ruled the obstruction statute at center of the case against 353 of the January 6th defendants was meant to apply to the destruction of documents and records and not riots held to prevent the counting of ballots, according to NPR’s Morning Edition.

A federal appeals court reversed the judge’s decision, which led Fischer to appeal to the Supreme Court, NPR’s Nina Totenberg reports. The case will have implications for special counsel Jack Smith’s election obstruction case against ex-President Trump.

•••

Pick a Bill – With Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) motion to vacate dangling over his head, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has split into three a single $95.3-million supplemental package the Senate passed last year, CQ Roll Call reports. 

Yep, aid for Ukraine, the part of the bill unabashedly pro-Putin MTG wants to die, is split from aid to Israel which is split from aid to Taiwan in Johnson’s proposal. There’s also a fourth presumably bi-partisan bill that would include banning TikTok from the U.S. unless its Chinese owners sell, according to NPR’s Morning Edition.

About those bi-partisans: Johnson knows, however, he would get enough votes from Democrats and Republicans to defeat MTG’s motion to vacate.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

__________________________________________

MONDAY 4/15/24

The Trial of the Year begins Monday with jury selection in New York State Supreme Court where Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has charged ex-President Trump with 34 felony charges connected with falsifying records to cover up $130,000 paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.  (Trump denies he had an affair with Daniels.)

Two of Bragg’s top prosecutors quit the case two years ago last month, criticizing the DA because they thought he was going to fumble the hard work of his predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr., who began his investigation before the end of Trump’s term. Vance’s investigations effectively was split between New York Attorney Gen. Letitia James’ civil case against the Trumps and their organization and Bragg’s case. James is still waiting for Trump to come up with the $454 million judgment against the family’s organization.

The strongest criminal case against Trump, the one over the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago, has effectively been gummed up by Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon and will not likely come to trial before November 5. Same with special prosecutor Jack Smith’s January 6th/election obstruction case and Georgia’s election racketeering case, which would still be considered perhaps the strongest, with “I just want 11,780 votes” on a phone recording, if not for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ alleged indiscretions with one of the prosecutors her office hired.

As our pundit-at-large, Stephen Macaulay, argues in “Trump’s Edge” (see The Gray Area) the ex-president will strengthen his political base even if he is found guilty in the hush money case. But he will be in court six- to eight-weeks, four days a week until the trial ends, reports NPR’s Morning Edition. That gives him weekends to shuttle between Mar-a-Lago and various campaign rallies.

He will face testimony by his former fixer-turned-informant Michael Cohen, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker and Daniels herself. And last Friday he revealed he will testify himself and tell “the truth. … and the truth is, they have no case,” he told the press. “They have no case.”

If you are looking for a potential end to Donald J. Trump’s political career, this appears to be the only case you have.

--Todd Lassa

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news