Currie denied the defendants’ request to bar the Justice Department from seeking to indict them again under a lawfully appointed prosecutor. In Comey’s case, however, she suggested their time to do so hasrun out.
It’s my understanding that re-indicting Comey isn’t absolutely impossible, even though the statute of limitations has expired recently, but that it’s unlikely.
Also, over the past several hours there have been reports that the infamous DOGE has been dissolved. But there’s also a report that it is still going, sorta kinda. According to The Guardian, office of personnel management (OPM) director, Scott Kupor told Reuters that DOGE no longer exists. But now The Hill is reporting that Kupor misspoke.
“Good editing by @reuters – spliced my full comments across paragraphs 2/3 to create a grabbing headline,” Kupor said in a statement Sunday.
“The truth is: DOGE may not have centralized leadership under @USDS [U.S. DOGE Service]. But, the principles of DOGE remain alive and well: de-regulation; eliminating fraud, waste and abuse; re-shaping the federal workforce; making efficiency a first-class citizen; etc.,” he continued.
Translation: Trump yelled at me about the Reuters report, so I’m fudging.” What’s happened to the Lost Boys, I cannot say.
The latest from Ukraine: As Ukraine Sets ‘Red Lines,’ a U.S. Peace Plan Is Slimmed Down. Talks will continue.
Related: Frank Bruni, The Outrageous False Equivalences That Prop Up President Trump
In other news, Pentagon Pete is threatening to recall Senator Mark Kelly to active duty so he can face court-martial proceedings for the “illegal order” video. If I were Senator Kelly I’d say, “bring it on.”
At The Atlantic, see George Packer, An Anatomy of the MAGA Mind. This isn’t about MAGA as much as it is about the American Right over the past few decades and how it has gotten coarser and dumber
"If I were Senator Kelly I’d say, “bring it on.”
I agree 100%. Senator Kelly is my pick to run for POTUS in 28 this debacle may be just what the doctor ordered to get the democrats to rally for someone, anyone!
As far as Comey and James the judge took the easy way out and tossed the case on a technicality, he should have tossed the cases because they are fabricated malarky!
I was thinking the same thing.
I'm not a lawyer, but I think there is a hierarchy of responding to a series of related motions, as in a motion to dismiss. First, would be whether there is a legitimate charging document. If not, the other issues are moot. The rodeo is just starting – Trump is sure his power extends to jailing his enemies because Trump thinks his enemies were out to jail him. (Actually, what counts is whether or not you committed a crime. Trump did – Comey and James have not.)
But Trump hasn't figured out that no jury is going to convict those two unless there was willful intent. The same is true for going after Kelly, except the military will close ranks behind Kelly in a way Trump has not begun to conceive. Attempts to 'rig' a trial will be documented because these clowns (Donnie and Pete) haven't got a clue.
With James, charges will be filed again, legally. THEN the judge will be able to decide if the charges were brought as political retribution. That bounce will be permanent. DOJ will have to prove that any future charges against James are NOT politically motivated.
This is an arena where we WANT to fight Trump. It illustrates how petty and vindictive he is, and how far OUT of Constitutional order the DOJ is operating. (Yes, MAGA loves it, but the rest of the country wants an unbiased judicial system.)
Kelly’s opposition to the PRO Act is not the only instance of his intransigence on labor issues. In 2022, Kelly joined Sinema and Manchin to hand the Biden administration a surprise defeat in the Senate on a nominee to lead the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division. The move was the first time that a Biden nominee had lost a Senate floor vote, surprising both the administration and Senate leadership. The nominee, David Weil, had previously served as the head of Wage and Hour under the Obama administration, so was widely considered to be highly qualified to retake the post. But Kelly, Sinema and Manchin voted against him, with Kelly openly stating that his opposition was motivated by the decisions Weil had made under the Obama administration. These decisions included extending overtime to more American workers, increasing the number of employers considered to be joint employers (and thus undermining a loophole enabling powerful corporations to avoid legal accountability for their labor practices), and limiting the ability of firms to label employees as “independent contractors.” These decisions were extremely unpopular with business groups, with those in the gig economy and restaurant industries among those most affected by joint employer rules and the limiting of independent contracting.
https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/mark-kelly-labor/
Maybe we can do better in 2028?
We have a president who is locking up citizens for no reason, raiding the treasury, murdering people in international waters, crushing our laws and breaking the constitution and your worried about a vote that wasn't quite labor friendly enough. Give me a fucking break. Hey here's an idea: lets find something wrong with every potential democratic candidate and up with another Trump!
I kinda like Kelly. Like Doug, he has Yoda ears.
The judge ordered the case dismissed, because of the bum prosecutor. The judge wrote, in dicta, that an improper indictment doesn't prevent the statute of limitations gate from closing, but, is being humble, and only dismissing the case. Still, the judge made it clear that if an indictment arises, the judge here expects it to be dismissed.
Since a new prosecutor is vanishingly unlikely to bring a fresh indictment, just dismissal accomplishes the necessary work, without the additional (possible) overreach of dismissing with prejudice. If you say it in dicta, you mean you would have ruled that way, if you'd been given the chance, so the ruling spells out merely that this wasn't the right time to dismiss with prejudice.
So it sounds like an appropriately humble judge decided to hand Trump a slice of humble pie.
Going OT, there's a recent post in Digby (https://digbysblog.net/) 'Embrace the Rage' that might have nailed a trend. Because the author of the NY Times opinion piece is not voicing what I'd expect from a political operative a decade older than I am. Here's the money shot at the end.
"Zohran Mamdani, Abigail Spanberger, Mikie Sherrill — even down-ballot Georgia Democrats — all won with soaring margins because the people are pissed…"
"This offers Democrats the greatest gift you can have in American politics: a second chance. I am now an 81-year-old man and I know that in the minds of many, I carry the torch from a so-called centrist political era. Yet it is abundantly clear even to me that the Democratic Party must now run on the most populist economic platform since the Great Depression.
It is time for Democrats to embrace a sweeping, aggressive, unvarnished, unapologetic and altogether unmistakable platform of pure economic rage. This is our only way out of the abyss."
The author is James Carville.
If Carville has figured out that Mamdani, Bernie Sanders, and AOC are the prophets to lead us back to real democracy, could this concept go mainstream?
This week, 86 Democrats in the House voted with all Republicans to condemn "the horrors of socialism." Two other Democrats abstained. Nice of them to display their true colors and loyalty to K Street. The vote was intended to be a middle finger to Mandani on the day he visited Trump. So there's no mistake where the DNC establishment is, but Carville is saying the Overton window is wide open to radical change. In fact, Carville suggests voters are demanding it for good reason.
Pete should read the UCMJ.
Off topic, but a "must read" on costs and household economics…
https://www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-life-is-a-lie
Trump is planning to propose a two-year extension of Obamacare subsidies. The announcement was cancelled yesterday, reportedly over a House rebellion. The GOP majorities in Congress accepted a record shutdown over Obaamcare and Trump wants to surrender (as they see it.) There are a few Republicans in the House who recognize that the GOP will get the blame for millions losing health care access without subsidies but the majority of Republicans want to end Obamacare. There will be pain because, in 15 years, the GOP has never offered an alternate plan that won't screw the poor.
Trump only cares about keeping power. Stabbing Obomacare now will cost Trump the House next year, so Trump will save it – for now. Trump can pass it with a few GOP defections, at least in the House. But this will require all Democrats to sign on, which might mean Democrats can demand a straight-up extension of the existing system. MAGA will be incensed.
At this poinr, the announcement is on hold while Trump tries to assess the extent of the blowback and the degree of control he has to demand capitulation to the Democrats on health care. This might cost Johnson his job if the opposition is widespread and deep.
I think you're correct – Republicans realize if they extend Obamacare subsidies, until after the midterms, the midterms will be a referendum on Obamacare, and the GOP loses their lastest, bestest, chance to drive a stake into the heart of providing health care for the poor.
If so… I saw a reference to Carville above, is he the one who mentioned epistemelogical closure? Where, since they don't hear bad news about Republicans, they are so high on their own supply, they don't realize just how deep the network of people who need Obamacare subsidies currently, or have needed them in the past, or have rested comfortably, knowing they're there, if needed.
I don't think they get how deep that network goes. Not just people, but friends of people, and families of people, and friends of families of people. Each and every one of them is likely to be furious at the GOP, especially their prancing around in their great victory dance, if they do, in fact, achieve their victory.
I must confess, I might also be high on my own supply of hope, but, I keep thinking the Republicans will finally truly poison their brand to the point that even Fox News "has to ask some truly difficult questions," but all they'll broadcast are the softball questions and propaganda answers, which will make things worse….
Well diaper don got what he's been waiting for, two national guard soldiers in DC gunned down. Fortunately it looks like they both will survive. Unfortunately for Stump it appears the shooter is a mooslim which could complicate his goal of turning the military on the black and brown folk?