The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    Trump as Octopus.

    Just as Brett Kavanaugh is about to become Trump's "made man" on the Supreme court---protecting Trump from such nuisances as Emoluments fraud and fifty shades of tax evasion---it's probably not the best time to be watching the great Italian T.V series, The Octopus, or La Piovra,--- one man's life long fight against the Mafia. With the new revelations of tax fraud and shady dealings by Trump just revealed by the New York Times, and with a Trump boy on the Supreme Court for protection, the morphing of Republicans into the Trump Mafia Party party seems far too real. 

    Memories of my Yale blackout.

     

    Yesterday I said I'd eat my hat if Kavanaugh were not in fact confirmed and now I wouldn't bet a nickle that he will be confirmed. My comment yesterday was before Jeff Flake, in a heartfelt moment, did the right thing to slow down the confirmation process by insisting on at least a cursory FBI investigation of current credible allegations against Kavanaugh. One fact that was not clarified in the hearing was that one does in fact remember black out incidents---because of the very odd feeling when you actually wake up. I remember that I blacked out, once at Yale from drinking, and once much later in life--- two days after my son was born.

    why I'm still a virgin

    I have claimed that I had sex with my high school sweetheart when I was 17. After carefully looking at my story I've come to the conclusion that I must be lying.

    For starters, I can't remember basic details of the experience of losing my virginity. I'm not sure whose house it was in. I claim it was one of the most important days of my life but I can't remember what day it was or even the month. I'm not even certain it happened when I was 17. I might have been 16, almost 17, or just barely 18. I can't blame these memory lapses on inebriation as I was sober at the time.

    An offer she refused

    In proposing the terms  for Dr. Ford's appearance , my guess  is Grasley's  goal was to make her so unsatisfactory an offer that  she'd refuse . He did, but she foiled him by agreeing

    I expect her team's minimum objective was that the dems  do their own questioning. And that's  the deal.
    I' m not worried by the choice of the Arizona prosecutor. Yes she'll lob softballs to Kavanaugh and attempt to trick Dr. Ford. But this means none of  the loud mouth Reps will be questioning Dr. Ford so she won't lose her composure which would have somewhat undercut her testimony.

    McCain's "Farewell Address" Applies Right Now

    It was a passionate tirade against not following traditional Senate rules. He was speaking to his colleagues more than anyone else and trying to warn them that the way things were going they were ruining the Senate and probably the country and they would not be proud of it at the end of their lives. That they are not the House and they have special responsibilities. Exactly against the type of thing McConnell et. al. are doing now to ram the Kavanaugh hearing and vote through. And what they were doing then trying to pass a half-assed mess of a bill without following rules and working with those across the aisle. I wonder if supposed dear friends like Jeff Flake and Lindsay Graham are going to betray him and make him roll over in his grave by going along with McConnell's ram- it-through-plan for the Kavanaugh hearing without a murmur? I wish some reporters would bring that up with them, try to nudge their consciences.

    Richard Day's picture

    KARMA

    Deborah Ramirez

    I'm forcing myself to write this.

    The Ramirez allegation-which I completely believe btw- is itself not grounds to prevents approval.

    He behaved in a disgusting manner.  People  sometimes do .18 year old freshman more apt  than many others. Putting aside whether it should be  accepted as evidence  of a disqualifying attitude towards women the event itself was  drunken tawdry and disgraceful. Did I behave disgracefully before I was 20? Don't ask. Did you?

    Dr. Ford should say "Yes."

    sometime over the weekend.. On whatever terms Atty Katz has been able to obtain by then. 

    But only after  Katz first  reveal's the Committee's proposed terms , and  the changes  Ford  requests  , while  saying  she will accept the  Committee's  terms if confirmed  by a majority of the Committee.

    Between now and  her Committee  appearance she should be thoroughly  trained. As  Kavanaugh has already been, With "mock" sessions  video'd ,critiqued and repeated as necessary,

    DOJ Coup talk from Trump's favorite media peeps

    Maybe use this thread to keep track of stuff like this, which I saw only because it was retweeted by Media Matters:

    "Vote Common Good"

    Interesting movement. Twitter feed here

    Couple of recent tweets:

    Kavanaugh could save the Republicans

    by confessing.

    Otherwise there is going to be a democratic House after November.

    But  if Kavanaugh admits the charge, apologizes and  rends  his garments appropriately there is an army of Republican women who would  feel  they should exercise their mature powers by defying the polls and make their usual comfortable Republican vote. Including the two last hopes in the Senate.

    "It's time to admit

    “ that I once withheld important information from readers”John Authers wrote in last weekend’s FT.  “ It was 10 years ago…….I think I did the right thing. But a decade on I need to discuss it”

    "The moment came  September 17 2008…..when world finance came closest to...collapse. But I did not write as much.”

    Authers authors (if you’ll permit me ) what can be  an influential FT column. If he writes it.

    "ignore

    All first graders

    should read at first grade level at the end of the year.

    And bridges shouldn't fall down.

    That wouldn't eliminate inequality or improve Israeli-Arab relations but it would ensure that all second graders would be ready for the second grade -and make it safe to cross the Missouri. That would be a start,

    Reading  D-blog  clearly there is a palpable sense of despair at the injustices that desperately need to be remedied and the inadequacies of the "leaders" who  should do that . Guess what , that was always the case.

    Richard Day's picture

    TACO CARLSON

     

    Tucker Carlson is an honorable man. Or so some say.

    Here is TYT discussing Taco Carlson's issue with 'Mexican Food?'

     

     

    This discussion is a little old, but two or three days does not seem old to this old guy.

    Anyhow...

    Moderate pundits troll Jerry Falwell Jr.

    Just a couple fun ones that I ran across retweeted by Preet Bharara on Twitter:

    Pages