THREAD: My thoughts on the decision not to call witnesses. Please correct me if I'm wrong. This take is based on what I think I know, and there's much I don't know, but I do not understand why the dems didn't depose Rep. Beutler. Let's talk about the objections: 1/

First, many are saying it would drag this thing out and prevent Biden's agenda from moving forward. I don't see how that's possible. The senate had the votes to depose Rep. Beutler. We saw that with the 55-45 vote to allow witnesses. GOP can't filibuster that 2/
It would have taken probably a week to depose her and introduce her testimony into the senate record. The senate is scheduled to be in recess this week. The only thing a deposition of Beutler would have done is stopped the senate's vacation. 3/
Since everything would have been done in roughly a week, and the senate was scheduled for a week-long vacation, the deposition of Beutler wouldn't have delayed any of Biden's agenda. 4/
Next, many are saying Mitch threatened to filibuster Biden's agenda. That's also an empty threat. Cabinet confirmations require only a simple majority vote, and the Covid relief package is going through the budget reconciliation process so it's not subject to filibuster 5/
Many say Mitch threatened to filibuster all legislation NOT eligible for budget reconciliation such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Mitch was already going to filibuster those, AND, senate dems can change the budget reconciliation rules to get them passed without the GOP 6/
Some say the dems have to allow the republicans to call witnesses, too. That's not true. If the dems wanted to depose ONLY Beutler, they could have voted with a simple majority to do so. 7/
The ONLY reason I can think the dems decided not to depose Beutler was if they didn't have the simple majority votes to ONLY depose Beutler. Can anyone think of any other reason NOT to depose only Beutler? 8/
You may say "well, it wouldn't change the GOP minds." That's true, but this has NEVER been about them, it's about getting the truth out to the public so THEY can judge republicans who vote to acquit. It's well established that a witness is better than a document. 9/
So, there may be something we aren't aware of, or there may be something I simply don't know, but with the available information, I can't for the life of me figure out why the dems wouldn't have deposed Beutler in this case. END
UPDATE: it is now being floated that calling witnesses could have in some way interfered with criminal prosecutions. More to come.

More from Mueller, She Wrote

THREAD: Okay. I'm about to get SUPER space beans tin foil hat on you, so stop reading if you're not into that. Based on what we're learning from public reporting, the pentagon curtailed the response to the trump coup. 1/

We also know from video and public reporting that there were two groups that stormed the capitol. 1) weird-ass bystanders and 2) possibly armed ex-military members with tactical gear and flex cuffs 2/


We also know there was a failed coup attempt in Venezuela orchestrated by Giuliani and former members of Blackwater, an Erik Prince joint. 3/

We also know that Giuliani met with Brian Benczkowski and Bill Barr to lobby for for help to go easy on his Venezuelan pal. Benczkowski is a former Alfa Bank rep. 4/

Further, we know that Erik Prince is the brother of Betsy DeVos (who JUST resigned) and the former head of Blackwater. We also know that the day before the insurrection, a memo was sent out to knee-cap the federal police in DC. 5/
THREAD: TRUMP JUST BECAME MORE OF A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT THAN HE ALREADY WAS: As most of us know by know, the trump org was indicted on ten counts yesterday, and the CFO Allen Weisselberg was indicted in 15 counts 1/

Despite what the trump org lawyers and donald's crotch goblins are saying - that all Weisselberg did wrong was that he failed to report a mercedes benz to the IRS - these are serious crimes and include conspiracy, fraud, and falsifying business records. 2/

As @kurteichenwald explains here: an org indictment could mean trump lenders will likely call in their loans early, especially if the org falsified business records as count 12 shows it did. So what does this have to do with NATIONAL SECURITY? 3/


Remember when Sue Gordon - who resigned with Bolton after the Ukraine shadow government (Rudy) and the scheme to extort Zelensky in exchange for an investigation announcement into Biden was discovered - wrote an op ed "Cut Off his Intelligence"? 4/

Sue Gordon feared what I posited three months before she wrote the op-ed: that donald was broke and would sell our secrets to pay his debts 5/

More from For later read

Every single public defender. Every single day.


Bail arguments, motions, oral arguments, hearings. Judges don’t know, follow, or care about the law. Prosecutors are willing to take advantage of it. And mandatory minimums, withheld evidence, & pretrial detention coerces people to plead before trial. When theres a jury. A shot.

But defenders still fight. And still win. Most times wins aren’t “Justice.” It’s power of repetition of argument in front of same judges. Introducing those in power to the people they oppress. Not just a RAP sheet or words on a page. Defenders make it harder to be brutal & cruel.

I worked as a public defender at an office as well resourced as any in the country. Social workers, team of investigators, a reentry team, support staff, specialist attorneys in immigration, housing, education, family. Relatively low caseloads (80-100). And yet still injustice.

Most think that balancing the scales of justice means more funding for defenders. Thats part of it. Enough a attorneys to actually be at bail hearings. Wrap around services to be able to help people trapped in the system end up better off in their communities. Lower caseloads.

You May Also Like