The fate of a frog also hangs in the balance. If Brett Kavanaugh gets on the court his record suggests he’d rule in favor of the lumber company fighting federal efforts to save the Dusky Gopher Frog.
Read More in The Atlantic
Kavanaugh vs. Dusky Gopher Frog
brett, it’s not easy being green.
The original song from the Muppet Show (WS) written by Joe Raposo, covered by Frank Sinatra, Van Morrison, Diana Ross, Tony Bennett, Cee Lo Green (The Voice US) and various TV commercials.
the guardian:
The global image of the US has dropped to historic lows since Donald Trump took office, a survey of 25 countries has found, with only Israelis, Russians and Kenyans showing an increase in positive attitudes.
The Pew Research Center poll found that respondents generally have less confidence in Trump’s ability to lead than they do in Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping of China.
A year after confidence in the US collapsed during the real estate tycoon’s first year in power, favourable views of the country remained low in 2018, especially among the US’s closest allies.
In Canada, whose prime minister, Justin Trudeau, Trump has called “disonhest and weak”, only 39% of respondents had a positive view of the US, down from 65% at the end of the Obama presidency.
For Mexico, a neighbour Trump wants to isolate with his plans to build a wall, this figure halved from 66% to 32%. The UK was split on its opinion of the US under Trump, with 50% having favourable views, although that was down 11 points since Obama left office.
[…]
Despite the plunge, on balance a median of 50% of respondents across the nations surveyed had a favourable opinion of the US, compared with 43% whose views were negative.
However, Trump’s personal image remained very low, with a median of only 27% saying they have confidence in him to do the right thing in world affairs. Putin scored 30% and Xi 24%, while Germany’s Angela Merkel enjoyed a 52% score and France’s Emmanuel Macron was on 46%.
In most countries, a majority said they had no confidence in Trump. Only 7% of Spanish people, 9% of French people and 10% of Germans said they trusted Trump’s leadership. Even in Russia, where the US’s image has grown more positive under the current administration, Trump’s had fallen by 34% since last year.
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craig, considering his bias against dems exhibited at the hearing, what do you think will happen when the gerrymandering cases come back before SCOTUS?
from this summer, a fivethirtyeight story:
The Supreme Court’s much-awaited gerrymandering decisions were released on Monday, and they landed with a resounding meh.
The court declined to touch the merits of the two cases under consideration and instead rejected them for procedural reasons.1 That means extreme partisan gerrymandering will end the day the way it began: in legal purgatory. Still, the court is likely to have additional opportunities to weigh in on the gerrymandering debate soon.
For now, however, things remain unclear. In a 2004 ruling, Justice Anthony Kennedy said that “extreme” partisan gerrymandering could be unconstitutional, but that the court would need a standard for deciding when a gerrymander crosses into “extreme” territory. Both of the cases before the court — Gill v. Whitford out of Wisconsin, and Benisek v. Lamone out of Maryland — presented the court with potential standards. But because the justices dismissed the cases on procedural grounds, we still don’t know what they think of those standards.2[…addresses Roberts’ and kagan’s opinions….]
Reformers can’t be sure that the path she laid out appeals to a majority of the court, though, because Justice Anthony Kennedy — a crucial swing vote — did not concur in Kagan’s opinion. If the court does ultimately rule partisan gerrymandering to be unconstitutional, it will likely be because Kennedy joins the four liberals in an opinion. Tea-leaf readers have pointed to the lack of resolution on gerrymandering as evidence Kennedy may stick around for another session. If that’s the case, it’s some solace to reformers, as another strict conservative on the court could make their goals all but impossible.
In any case, nobody — liberal or conservative — got the resolution on partisan gerrymandering they were looking for today. In fact, we learned very little overall about what the court thinks of partisan gerrymandering. But it won’t be long before these tough questions are back before the court.
Seriously, BART…er, BRETT, what’s with all of the sniffing?
Heard an interview on NPR yesterday, about a new book called The Fifth Risk, I believe, about the Trump transition in the EPA, etc., that wasn’t. Positions filled, If at all, with Trump loyalists who had no knowledge of their new functions, nor any interest in learning.
Corey – Good idea. Maybe RBG can give him a PRB breathalyzer every morning. If he doesn’t pass, no robe. Go home and sleep it off.
I wonder if he’s a mean drunk to his wife & kids? He’s no walk in the park sober, if he was sober last week. Was that the behavior of a sober adult? His ARE-YOU-? responses sounded like an entitled, drunk frat rat rat. I suppose one can be drunk on ENTITLEMENT.
CNBC:
President Donald Trump directed his son Eric and former personal attorney Michael Cohen to coordinate a legal effort to keep porn star Stormy Daniels from publicly describing her alleged tryst with the real estate magnate turned politician, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The Journal, citing people familiar with the events, said the president instructed Cohen in February to seek a restraining order that would prevent Daniels from talking to the media. Trump also told his then-lawyer to coordinate his efforts with Eric Trump, the president’s second-oldest son, according to the newspaper. Eric Trump then enlisted a Trump Organization lawyer to help with the paperwork, the report added.
Trump suggested he would cover the costs for the legal action, saying, “I’ll take care of everything,” the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the conversation.
Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are running the Trump Organization while their father serves as president. The company declined to comment to the Journal, while a person close to the situation told the newspaper that Eric Trump was acting as the president’s son and not as a Trump Organization executive.
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Behold a new Trump monument in England: A bloated POTUS confronted defiantly by Roald Dahl’s Matilda
I wouldn’t want him for my basketball coach if his performance in the Committee chamber is any indication of his temperament.
One thing I do not understand is why one of the senators who Bart tried to question rather than answer didn’t say something along the lines of, “Judge, let’s have an understanding. If I am nominated for a seat on the Supreme Court and you are on this committee you can ask me questions and I will answer. But today, I am on the committee and you are nominated for a seat on the Supreme Court so I’ll ask the questions and if you are seeking my vote to confirm you, you will answer them.” The other question I think would have been appropriate, perhaps from Sen. Harris is, “Do you treat attorneys arguing cases before you with the same disrespect you are treating the Democratic members of this committee?”
And of course I don’t know what the fickle five senators might do, but based on the reports about the expanded investigation and what his classmates and friends supposedly have told the FBI this nomination is beginning to have a distinctly toasty smell.
Patd,
I find it difficult to believe Eric could wear the son hat while he sat in the corporate executive chair and think the hat was dispositive.
Pogo, you know the Democratic senators must have been tempted to take his bait, which I think was part of his strategy. It was remarkable what cool customers they were. Think they realized he was making such a fool of himself he did not need any help. Notice the Saturday Night Live crew had nothing to work with in order to make fun of the Democrats.
I woke up this morning and had an epiphany…. if a 55 yr old man came out saying that as a 12 yr old alter boy in Peoria Ill. he was sexually abused by a priest… no one would say to him… “well Ralph, why’d you wait 43 yrs to tell anyone”.
The only difference between Ralph and Dr. Ford is that one has a penis and one doesn’t.
Rick and I are leaving shortly for Ogunquit, Maine. Our anniversary is this Thursday and we have tickets at the playhouse to see Jersey Boys. We’ll be back at the end of the week. As usual… I might chime in here or I might not. If not, everyone play nice and take care!
Jersey Boys – great and fun show
You’d think Brett-Bart would like toads more
Every day I wake up and I hope he has died*
*there are a lot of people wishing the same thing
RR – You are correct. For lack of a penis…
crackers – Remember to include Pence in your thoughts, and Putie, and Asswad, and, and, and…
I hope Bobby III has something big and he’s just waiting until the first Wednesday in November to spring it. Can’t say he interfered with the election if it happens the next day.
ME TOO
Amazon raised it’s minimum wage to $15 not a living wage but certainly a step in the right direction. Bezos said he did it because the public complained
Mrs. Betty Bowers, America’s Best Christian
If the “Blasey Ford vs. Boozy Fraud” Senate hearing taught women anything, it’s that we haven’t gotten anywhere since the shoddy treatment of Anita Hill almost 30 years ago.
Why doesn’t the Times or someone collect all the statements of people trying to contact the FBI and publish them
KC, who they going to get those statements from, the FBI? Long shot. They tend to hold things pretty close.
No they should announce they are collecting the statements of those who have tried to reach the FBI and the FBI has blown them off —
A little something for both the opera and country music fans: Kelli O’Hara performing “They Don’t Let You in the Opera (If You’re A Country Star)” live for “From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Orlando” at the Disney Theatre at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, July 25th, 2016. Michael J Moritz Jr – Conductor for the Orlando
Sailboat Show starts Thursday in Annapolis. A very popular event.
One thing I like right now is we, this region, are having a beautiful week of autumn warm weather – and sunshine, something we did not have in September. Smile and the world wonders what is wrong with you.
Pogo,
this nomination should smell like burning toast but republicans are fixated on the bright shiney object of roe v wade and will overlook and ignore any short comings on the part of the nominee in order to overturn said bright shiny object.
when push comes to shove they will vote to confirm. It is in their DNA
Dubious Tax Schemes
Words to live by ( & grow a fortune.)
Everyone gets Caponed.
**********
I wish I’d received $413 million from my Dad – starting as a toddler.
Funnel Money.
Whoa! Mom & Dad Trump transferred over a billion to the kiddos.
Gotta give Pops Trump credit, he was sly & wily, hating the government. So great his son now heads it.
Will this NYT story hurt the President? To some yes; but to the diehard just adds to the legend. He beat da man.
And yet, Trump voters I work with believe KavaNope…but watched NONE of the hearing…and they are women. (sigh)
What did pence know, and when did he obstruct it ?
Get Ronan Farrow on the case of those the FBI won’t interview.
The fact that Pappa Trump found a loophole to sidestep paying more tax will only endear Donny to his loyal crew, despite those taxes being due to help pay for infrastructure & things in which they depend.
Pete Sessions is such a douche. His ads are worse than those promoting Tedious Cruz.
Locals ads are running against Pelosi, specifically, and the liberal left, in general.
It may have been a choice between Uncle Sam and Kaiser Wilhelm
wwjfd
NY times:
Kavanaugh’s 1983 Letter Offers Inside Look at High School Clique
[….]
In a 1983 letter, a copy of which was reviewed by The New York Times, the young Judge Kavanaugh warned his friends of the danger of eviction from an Ocean City, Md., condo. In a neatly written postscript, he added: Whoever arrived first at the condo should “warn the neighbors that we’re loud, obnoxious drunks with prolific pukers among us. Advise them to go about 30 miles…”
[….]
In the handwritten letter, Judge Kavanaugh told his friends that he would be on a family trip to Ireland when the lease started, so they would have to pick up the keys and settle the outstanding $398 bill. He reminded them to bring their own towels and bedding.
“One of you has to grab the bull by the horns and take charge,” he instructed.
“I think we are unanimous that any girls we can beg to stay there are welcomed with open….,” he wrote, his ellipsis at the end leaving certain things unsaid. He noted that the boys should kick out anyone who didn’t belong: “The danger of eviction is great and that would suck because of the money and because this week has big potential. (Interpret as wish.)”
Judge Kavanaugh signed the letter: “FFFFF, Bart.”
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also from the times: 11 Takeaways From The Times’s Investigation Into Trump’s Wealth
[….]
The Trumps’ tax maneuvers show a pattern of deception, tax experts say
The line between legal tax avoidance and illegal tax evasion is often murky, and there is no shortage of clever tax-avoidance tricks that have been blessed by either the courts or the Internal Revenue Service itself; the wealthiest Americans rarely pay anything close to full freight. The Trumps’ tax maneuvers met with little resistance from the I.R.S., The Times found.
But tax experts briefed on The Times’s findings said the Trumps appeared to have done more than exploit legal loopholes. They said the conduct described here represented a pattern of deception and obfuscation that repeatedly prevented the I.R.S. from taxing large transfers of wealth to Fred Trump’s children.
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the new goper brand
Jace DNA is strong stuff. Ya could be right. If you are it will piss me off mightily.
sj, the failing NYT? No one who believes IMPOTUS gives a shit.
So I understand that Joe Manchin kicked protesters against kavanagh out of his office and had him arrested. Wonderfuckingful .
The President’s claim that he’s a self-made billionaire has always been suspicious, and a report in the New York Times now confirms that Trump is more ‘silver spoon’ than ‘up from the bootstraps.’