The reckoning begins

        It looks like, in light of District Court Judge Beryl Howell's ruling yesterday, Rudy Giuliani will start facing consequences for his lies regarding the 2020 election.   In this case he was found liable for defaming election workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss and causing them to go into hiding because of death threats on social media.

       Giuliani said despicable things about Freeman and Moss, calling them "vote scammers" and comparing them to drug dealers.  Now there will be a trial to determine how much monetary damages Guiliani will have to pay, in addition to the $90,000 in legal fees he will have to pay to the plaintiffs.  

      While Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss are collateral damage left in the wake of tRump's coup plot, they have every right to see justice served.  Here's hoping everyone who suffered harm as a result of Donny Two Scoops and his band and their reckless disregard of the law is compensated for their suffering.

They need to do better

        In the wake of wildfires sweeping the planet, the start of what promises to be a wild hurricane season in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico and the fall of heat records all over the world, the GOP candidates for the presidential nomination are all singing from the hymnal of climate change denialism.  Vivek Ramaswamy went so far as to call climate change a hoax at the first debate.  Despite the fact more than 70% of Americans believe humans have caused climate change, presidential aspirants in the Republican party seem to feel they must play to the 28% of Americans who believe various conspiracy theories regarding climate change.  Or, possibly they are angling for campaign funds from various fossil fuel companies.

      If/ When the history of this era is written, fossil fuel extraction companies will be described as the villains of story.  However, the outsize political voice commanded by a tiny minority of global population here in the US will be a major component of the story.

Ginning up the rubes

       I have to admit the graphics showing the various legal actions facing tRump and his merry band of insurrectionists face during the coming year tickles my fancy.   However, what most cable news outlets and the MSM don't stress is the fact Donny Two Scoops and his legal team can file numerous motions to the trial judges which will slow down the timeline of the start of the trial itself.   I would be extremely surprised if any of the felony trials the Marmalade Menace is booked for start before the the summer of 2024.

Lies, liars and tRumpism

       On the weekend after his 4th indictment, the disgraced former guy claims he won the club championship at his Bedminster, NJ course, but that he shot a 67, presumably from the championship tees.  This, after he self reported his weight and height to be 6' 3" and 215 pounds.  

     On the very best day of his ignoble life, Donny Two Scoops could not have shot a 67 on a PGA championship course.  Also, his height and weight claims are unconnected with reality.  Even his most ardent supporters would probably agree the above claims are outright lies.  Yet a majority of Republicans believe him when he says the 2020 election was rigged against him.   As Paul Campos notes in the Lawyers, Guns and Money blog, Hannah Arendt had the right of it when she said the leader of a totalitarian state (or in this case a totalitarian cult) lies to remind his followers that he is the sole interpreter of reality for them.  It is a sad day when 35% or my fellow citizens will pledge the truth of whatever falls our of tRump's pie hole.

Lickspittiling for Dummies

       Although I wouldn't waste a minute of my life watching the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, I have seen some snippets and heard commentary on each debater's performance.  From what I can gather, they all believe in climate change, but we shouldn't do anything about it;  we need to secure our borders, but they don't have a plan to do it and lastly, the justice system has been weaponized against Republicans.  So, where was the debate?

Flipping like burgers

         As the 19 defendants in Fani Willis' sweeping RICO indictment turn themselves in at the Fulton county courthouse this week, several, including Rudy Giuliani have requested meetings with Ms. Willis in advance of their arraignment.  I can smell the burgers, and many of them are ready to flip.

Projection, 24/7

        One of the things you can count on in the next election cycle is Republicans portraying Joe Biden as a drooling, senile old man who can barely get through a day without tripping over a sandbag or his own tongue.   Of course this is at odds with the other GOP meme; Joe Biden is a criminal mastermind who has been orchestrating a criminal enterprise his whole adult life.  What is it guys, because he can't be both.  However, he can be neither.  Possibly, he is an 80 year old man with a speech impediment doing a fairly good job in the most demanding occupation on earth.

     Meanwhile, the leading candidate for the Republican nomination for president is doing a fairly good  imitation of a doddering old fool playing at being the mastermind of a plot to subvert the 2020 election.