It was a foregone conclusion that Trump would lose the TX case, but why did he say “This is the big one?” 1/9

Biden saying that Rs “beat the living hell out of us” in downballot races across the country is significant, because (1) he said it to an audience that didn’t really want to hear it and https://t.co/FM7OwUgWYH 1/8

(2) because he wouldn’t have said it unless it was based on conclusive internal polling. 2/8

It is also encouraging if it *is* the correct analysis of Ds’ disappointing-- even calamitous--electoral outcomes in downballot races.

It is encouraging because it is easily remediable with better messaging. 3/8

In fact, Biden made it clear during the election that he did not favor actually defunding the police: that he only favored reforming the police, and specified policies to do that. But he didn’t say it loud enough, and downballot D politicians didn’t either. 4/8

(The R messaging over “defunding the police” seems to have worked to protect R politicians in downballot races, but wasn’t enough to get Trump himself reelected over the repugnance Ds and Independents felt for him.) 5/8

There were at least two insurrectionist plans that day.

As I’ve written previously, one of the plans was simply to either take Pence hostage or to assassinate him. 1/28

That was the more extreme plot, and it is an interesting question whether and to what extent Trump, Giuliani, some WH aides, and some nationalist insurrection members of Congress knew of the plan and either facilitated it or condoned it. 2/28

But there was another plan, less violent and extreme, but equally seditious, which we know was supported by a number of extremist members of Congress. It was also the plan that Trump and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani publicly espoused. 3/28

That plan was simply to ensure somehow, by force or by intimidation, that the certification of the election by Congress failed or fell short on January 6--the constitutionally mandated date for the final and determinative certification of the election. 4/28

The principal target here was VP MIke Pence. Pence had already announced publicly that he would not throw the election in the way that Trump had demanded because he lacked the statutory and constitutional authority to do so (which was, of course, perfectly true). 5/28

The evidence is mounting that what we witnessed yesterday was an attempted coup (related terms are “insurrection” and “sedition”). 1/10

But it is important to note that the bad actors involved in the events can be sent to jail (for up to twenty years) for something that falls short of an attempted coup and is easier to prove in court: obstruction of justice. 2/10

The relevant federal statute is 18 U.S.C. § 1512--a statute, you might recall, that figures prominently in the Mueller Report. 3/10

Bill Barr, who wanted to construe the statute narrowly, contested Mueller’s interpretation of the statute. There is a lengthy reply to Barr’s construction (which I think might have been written by Michael Dreeben) in the Report. 4/10

The Report establishes conclusively that Barr’s interpretation violates every known principle of statutory construction, and it is fun to read the Report and see Barr get *destroyed* on this point. 5/10

As I have pointed out in a previous posting, many of the rioters found to their dismay and bewilderment that there was no plan, at least that they could discern, for the mob to carry out that day. 1/63

The only thing they knew is that there had been a call to action--and to a large extent to arms as well--to disrupt the certification of Biden’s electoral college win. 2/63

According to Ali Alexander (formerly known as Ali Akbar) the idea was to show up so angry and in such overwhelming numbers that it would “change the hearts and the minds of Republicans who were in that body, hearing our loud roar from outside.” 3/63

(In fact, there is mounting evidence that Ali and other organizers of the event intended for the rioters to get INSIDE the fenced-in perimeter and even the building itself, which would in themselves have been unlawful actions--but that is a subject for another thread.) 4/63

Ali’s description might well fit the motives of many in the mob that assembled on January 6. But the more interesting and important question is: What did Trump and the activists and event organizers expect (or a least hope) that the *members of Congress* would do that day? 5/63

The most important remaining nomination for Biden to announce is the most important one he will ever make: for Attorney General of the United States. 1/8

If Biden nominates Sally Yates, it will be a pretty clear signal that the D voices who believe that Trump and his enablers must be held accountable for a uniquely lawless presidency have carried the day. 2/8

Since I’m hoping Biden will nominate Yates, it is encouraging that Biden has waited so long to announce his selection for AG. (It is going to come now after the Electoral College formalizes Biden’s election on Monday.) 3/8

(Trump’s outrageous attempt to overturn the 2020 election--“overturn” being a term Trump actually used in a tweet--has probably made it more likely that Biden will take a hard line on all this. He certainly should.) 4/8

If Yates is nominated, the writing will be clearly on the wall for Trump, who in its wake would probably make a deal with Pence involving his resignation some time before inauguration day and a pardon for all his federal crimes. 5/8

I am just one woman in Texas writing this to you @realDonaldTrump , not expecting that you will ever read this, but in honor of my family who fought in the Revolutionary war and every war America has fought ever since, I must cry out for freedom. 1/9

My family came to America to be free. We crossed the country in covered wagons, settled in inhospitable swamps and worked the land all the live long day until we could feed ourselves and our communities. Every drop of sweat & blood was worth shedding for because we were free. 2/9

We were a people free to worship our God when, where & how we wanted. We married in our churches. Buried our loved ones on our church grounds. We made choices for the betterment of our people & communities so we could all thrive. Life was hard but so good because we were free 3/9

We said goodbye to loved ones going to war. We lost loved ones on the battlefield who would gladly do it all over again if they had more than one life to give for America. We grieved as communities in tragedies and we laughed and danced during times of joy. We were free. 4/9

Then, the darkness came. Politicians we elected began to betray us in favor of foreign interests and big businesses who helped them grow fat and happy. Now we know their methods of obtaining and keeping power. 5/9

Reading this piece from last summer by @normative, I realize that there is a parallel here between Qanon's "Storm" and the Cold War cults that sprang up at various times, but especially in the 70s and the 80s. Bear with me.

"The Storm" is a moment, like nuclear war, after which everything is different, even if there's bloodshed. It's purgative, restorative, resets all the social relationships, ends all traditional and normal social structures. It's shaking society like a huge Etch-A-Sketch.
/2

Why is this so attractive to so many broken people? Precisely because it *is* a reset. It's awful, but it's an awfulness that sets everything - including all social differences - back to zero. The high and mighty are smited, and the Common Folk live by their superior wits. /3

The Cold War pulp literature is what one scholar calls "Radioactive Rambos," men freed to be Warrior-Kings of the Wasteland, with all rules about sex and society out the window in the name of a greater good: America, Civilization, Killing

The sexual element of Cold War survival cultism was omnipresent. (Dr. Strangelove and "breeding prodigiously" in the mines, etc.)
But the other undertone is status. And how the low rise up and rule after the pinheads blow all that shit up.
/5

Here’s the thing, Trump & his lawyers aren’t really trying to overturn the results of the election. They know that they don’t have a path to victory. These lawsuits were all supposed to fail, all of the fillings were intentionally sloppy and unsustainable, the “proof” is garbage

Guilani’s entire shtick, along with Powell’s utterly fabricated explanations are only meant to distract. The only people convinced by their so called evidence are Trump cultists who want to be fooled. They’re so ignorant that they have no idea just how ignorant they actually are.

The court cases have all failed because they were meant to fail. Because Trump’s people all know their evidence was fabricated and all the witnesses far from credible. Given the sheer level of incompetence Trump’s legal team has shown so far, their failures are intentional.

So, instead of trying to actually overturn the results of the general election, what are these people up to? The answer is two-fold: One. The attempts, rhetoric and ultimate failures are meant to shed doubt on the overall electoral process and to cast doubt on the legitimacy...

Of a Biden/Harris presidential term. Trump and his lawyers have used racially charged accusations to discredit the legitimacy of Black voters. Given that Trump earned votes in the same process that they’re trying to discredit, it’s systematic racism, hypocrisy and cynicism...

The NYT amazing report on Trump's post-election insanity helps explain why he has so many almost-certainly-illegal projects around the world.

Over the past 25 years, there has been an astonishing amount of illegal money flowing out of former Soviet Union and...

1/

other highly corrupt economies. Trillions of dollars. Broadly called money-laundering.

The sophisticated oligarchs used top law- and accounting-firms, banks, and big hotels to clean their money.

But there were many hack oligarchs.

2/

Who were too blatantly corrupt, too tied to terror or other bad actors, to use the "legitimate" forms of money-laundering.

Consider Azerbaijan's Anar Mammadov. He spent years and millions of dollars trying to get someone, anyone, in the US to work with him.

3/

Or Indonesia's Hary Tanoe, a man shockingly corrupt and crude even in a shockingly corrupt country.

Or the Tiah family in Malaysia. Or his partner's in Toronto, Panama, etc, etc.

These were very rich losers. They had too much risk to cross over to the legit economy.

4/

Until they met Trump.

The Trump Org, like the White House, did have some good lawyers. They wouldn't touch these deals.

So, Trump brought in Michael Cohen--who is less of a lawyer than Rudy, Lin, Sidney, and Ellis--from a taxi dispatch office in Brooklyn.

5/