Elections

People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump

by

On May 30, 2024, Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsified business records that allegedly abetted crime(s) unstated in the March 30, 2023 indictment. The jury was instructed to choose between three candidates for the other crime; their choices were not disclosed in the conviction. During the course of the trial, legal experts have struggled to deduce the nature of the underlying crime. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg played his cards close to the vest; as CNN analyst and Bragg’s former colleague Elie Honig stated:

Inexcusably, the DA refused to specify what those unlawful means actually were — and the judge declined to force them to pony up — until right before closing arguments. So much for the constitutional obligation to provide notice to the defendant of the accusations against him in advance of trial. (This, folks, is what indictments are for.)

Pieces to this puzzle are scattered about the Internet address in bits and pieces. This is my attempt to pull those sources together to adequately outline the main issues of the case.

Read more

Random Thoughts (6): Cam Skattebo Edition

by

One

Several months I wrote about the changing sociology of college football. I decided that with the conference realignments, NIL money, and transfer portal nonsense it was time to dedicate my Saturdays to something more useful like taking naps or digging holes in the backyard.

Then just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.

My hometown ASU had its greatest season in 30 years. Picked to finish last in the Big-12, it not only won the conference championship but gained a spot in the college playoffs where it took Texas to the brink.

This great story was personalized by the most compelling college football player in years, Cam Skattebo. Cam didn’t receive a single FBS scholarship offer coming out of high school and instead started his college career at FCS Sacramento State as linebacker. He transferred to ASU, switched to running back and became a human wrecking ball. Take a look at the highlights from the Big-12 championship game against Iowa State and last week’s playoff game against Texas.

With ASU out, I’m done with college football for good. For reals this time.

Read more

Random Thoughts (5): Trump Bestriding the World

by

Since the election (which was only four weeks ago), Trump has not only been more consequential on the world stage than Biden but he has been more visible, period. Perhaps we’ll see more of Biden over the next few weeks as there are still family members who are going to need pardons before Jan. 20.

No truth to the rumors that Chief of Staff-designate Susie Wiles (who, given that she is Pat Summerall’s daughter, probably had turducken for Thanksgiving) has been spending time in the West Wing and asking Biden people to step out of their offices and wait in the hall so she can take measurements and prep for the move-in. Wouldn’t surprise me though, seems like the Biden people, as with their boss, are just mailing it in.

Not Trump who has been super-busy on the world stage, getting things done. As Biden is flying on Air Force One to far-off Angola, presumably to walk-off into another jungle, Trump has been meeting world leaders and making demands. Shock and awe baby. Biden isn’t being overshadowed so much as buried.

I wonder if any world leaders still take Biden’s calls? Probably not. They’re too busy trying to get Trump on the phone.

1) First on the list was Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, flying to Mar-a-Lago to receive a tongue-lashing from Trump over tariff policy and the inability of Canada to patrol its southern border.

When Trudeau complained that Trump’s proposed tariffs would kill the Canadian economy, Trump answered that if that was the case then the US would annex Canada as the 51st state and Trudeau could become governor.

2) So on Saturday, France will officially reopen the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral after a devastating fire wrecked it five years ago. It will be a grand social event and the US will be represented by Jill Biden for what will be her last international event as First Lady. Her turn to shine one more time during one of the great spectacles of the year.

So given what it will mean to her, of course French President Macron invites Trump. Why? Because they have important business to discuss, they need to plan the future. So not only is Macron telling Jill Biden that her husband is a has-been, but he is going out of his way to make sure she is overshadowed at the event of the year by the Sun King that is Trump.

I would pay good money if somebody could produce a Manning Cast-type production for Saturday with cameras following both Jill Biden and Trump around during the ceremony.

3) Trump reboots for 2024 the classic 1980 flick “Reagan and the Iranian Hostages” by announcing that there will be “all hell to pay” if the American hostages in Gaza are not released by January 20.

As the linked article reports, several of the families have felt that this type of a statement has been long overdue; there are Americans being held hostage by a genocidal terrorist organization and we’re treating them with kid gloves. Wonder no more. Trump is here.

Watch out, world. We’re only four weeks in and the inauguration is still almost seven weeks away.

Seth Barrett Tillman: “In Remembrance of P.J. O’Rourke: Let’s Make a List”

by

You’re going to need a bigger list! Seth brings it.

Worth reading as usual.

Quote of the Day

by

Dominic Cummings:

…Hopefully DOGE learns: nothing will happen without fast purges, like Twitter in week 1. And government is a SYSTEMS problem: it’s people, ideas, institutions and tools in that order but executed together.
 
Some places need rebuilding, some places need closing, some things need startups. E.g do not try to ‘reform’ USAF to do drones properly, incentives force the senior people to sabotage intelligent action – set up a new Drone Force outside USAF with new legal authority and totally outside existing procurement, HR, budget etc rules, with incentives to focus on engineering and saving $$, not DEI and cost-plus rackets for Boeing!
 
The core disaster in western states is the creation of PERMANENT BUREAUCRACIES — as Palmerston said to Queen Victoria in 1830s, this alien European system would be a disaster in England, making responsibility of ministers FAKE.
 
That’s what we have: FAKE meritocracy, FAKE responsibility, FAKE Cabinet government
 
But a vibe shift is coming fast across the west – covid & Ukraine & the old system’s pathological failures are pushing people to face fundamental change is needed. SW1 is being forced to confront the Vote Leave agenda coming to DC because the old regime is imploding everywhere…