Erratic Megalomaniac Demands Unconditional Surrender. David Sanger of the New York Times: Donald “Trump declared on Friday that he would settle for nothing short of 'unconditional surrender' by Iran, the latest and broadest expansion of his goals for the conflict, and one that could portend a much longer conflict if he persists in that aim. Six days into the Israeli and American bombing campaign, Iran has shown no interest, at least publicly, in surrendering. Instead, it has done the opposite, expanding the war to Arab states that host American bases.... Mr. Trump’s statement came in a social media post, in which he said that after the country’s surrender would come 'the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s),' and promised that the United States and its allies 'will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction.' His statement was the latest in the shifting goals Mr. Trump has laid out for the war, leaving his aides, and congressional allies, struggling to keep up and at times contradicting the president.” Politico's story is here.
WWIII, Here We Come. Noah Robertson, et al., of the Washington Post: “Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to attack American forces in the Middle East, the first indication that another major U.S. adversary is participating — even indirectly — in the war.... The assistance ... signals that the rapidly expanding conflict now features one of America’s chief nuclear-armed competitors with exquisite intelligence capabilities. Since the war began Saturday, Russia has passed Iran the locations of U.S. military assets, including warships and aircraft, said the three officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.” The link is a gift link.
Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: “The Army in recent days abruptly canceled a major training exercise for the headquarters element of an elite paratrooper unit, officials said, fueling speculation within the Defense Department that soldiers specializing in ground combat and a range of other missions may be sent to the Middle East as the conflict with Iran widens. The 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in North Carolina includes a brigade combat team of about 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers ready to deploy on 18 hours notice....”
Fortunately, Zelensky Knows the Meaning of “Chutzpah.” Sophie Watson of the Kyiv Post: “President Volodymyr Zelensky said the US had requested Ukraine’s support in defending against Iranian drone attacks in the Middle East on Thursday.... 'We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against “shaheds” in the Middle East region,' Zelensky said. 'I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security.... [In a Politico interview,] Donald Trump warned him to 'get on the ball' in US-led peace negotiations with Russia.... Despite all evidence to the contrary..., [Trump] also repeated his frequent assertion that Russian President Vladimir Putin is 'ready to make a deal.'” The Washington Post story is here. Thanks to Akhilleus for the lead.
King of the World! Andrew Feinberg of the Independent: Donald Trump “told CNN in an interview on Friday that he believes his administration is close to toppling the communist government that has led Cuba, the Caribbean island just 90 miles off the Florida coast, since 1959. 'Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon,' said [Trump], who spoke with CNN correspondent Dana Bash by phone.... 'They want to make a deal, and so I’m going to put [Secretary of State] Marco [Rubio] over there and we’ll see how that works out. We’re really focused on this one right now. We’ve got plenty of time, but Cuba’s ready — after 50 years,' Trump continued. 'I’ve been watching it for 50 years, and it’s fallen right into my lap because of me ... and we’re doing very well.'”
Matt Peterson of CNBC: "A difficult jobs report comes at a tough time for the White House. Gas prices are rising due to the war in Iran, while stock market turmoil is making savers and retirees antsy about the state of their 401(k)s. Data released Friday showing a loss of 92,000 jobs in February will put pressure on the Trump administration to reconsider military and homeland security policies that have complicated the nation’s economic outlook. But there may simply not be enough time to force through a substantial policy shift that could improve the economic outlook before the November midterms." ~~~
~~~ Stan Choe of the AP: “Oil shot to its highest price since 2023 after surging again Friday because of the Iran war, and a weak update on the U.S. job market knocked stocks lower to cap Wall Street’s worst week since October. The S&P 500 dropped 1.3% after a report showed U.S. employers cut more jobs last month than they created and after oil prices spiked above $90 per barrel. The combination of a weak economy and high inflation is a worst-case scenario for investors because the Federal Reserve has no good tool to fix both problems at the same time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged as many as 945 points before finishing with a loss of 453, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.6%.”
Irie Sentner of Politico: “In 2024, Donald Trump won back the White House..., mobilizing his MAGA movement to coalesce around his promises to bolster the economy, avoid foreign wars and enact a mass-deportation operation. In the past week alone, the president has seen the job market contract and oil prices spike. He started a new war with Iran that has sparked a broader regional conflict and so far claimed the lives of half a dozen American troops. He shook up his Homeland Security Department, firing Kristi Noem, the secretary overseeing his deportation agenda, amid allegations of disorder and mismanagement at the agency. And he is expected to endorse the less-MAGA of the two GOP Texas Senate candidates after they skidded into a bitter primary runoff. It’s a politically perilous time for Trump, who must hold together a fracturing coalition and convince voters to show up for Republicans come November.... The latest blow came this morning, when the Labor Department announced the economy had shed 92,000 jobs in February and lowered estimates for the previous two months.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Another Dismal Day in Trumplandia
Marie: Everything Trump does seems to be a distraction to divert attention from some other stupid thing he just did. I can't even keep up with what is the distraction & what is the preceding stupid thing. Is firing ICE Barbie a distraction from killing little girls in Iran? Or is Trump's insistence on picking the next ayatollah a distraction from newly-released Epstein files that finger him for a sexual & physical assault?
The New York Times' live updates of Donald & Bibi's war on Iran, etc. are here. From the pinned item at 7:45 am ET: “The Israeli military pounded Beirut with airstrikes on Friday morning and issued more evacuation warnings in southern Lebanon as it intensified its campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.... The Israeli military warned more villagers in the Bekaa Valley, a Hezbollah bastion in the south, to move north, indicating airstrikes were imminent. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps also launched a wave of drones and missiles at targets in Tel Aviv on Friday.... Air-raid sirens went off in the city, and the Israeli military said that it had detected missile launches from Iran, though there were no immediate reports of major damage.”
Barak Ravid & Zachary Basu of Axios: Donald "Trump told Axios in an interview Thursday that he needs to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next leader — just as he was in Venezuela. Trump revealed this ... in an eight-minute phone call.... Trump acknowledged that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamenei, is the most likely successor — while making clear he finds that outcome unacceptable. They are wasting their time. Khamenei's son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela,' Trump said. Trump's comments represent an extraordinary claim of American power over Iran's political future, further muddying the objectives of the massive U.S. military campaign he launched on Saturday. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ David Sanger of the New York Times picks up the story: “Mr. Trump’s insistence that he needed to have a role in the selection of Iran’s future leadership added to the confusion over the question of what his ultimate goals are in military action against the country. His top aides, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have insisted that regime change is not on the list of U.S. objectives.”
As Trump Out-Putins Putin. Paul Sonne of the New York Times: “One early beneficiary of the full-scale U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran has been President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. His government is profiting from higher oil and gas prices that could ease Russia’s economic woes.... And he stands to gain on his own battlefield if the Middle East conflict strains the supply of U.S.-made air defenses for Ukraine. But Mr. Putin is also grappling with the arrival of a new world of unbridled American power under ... [Donald] Trump, which is checking Russia’s global influence.... For years, Mr. Putin supported anti-American authoritarian governments in Iran, Venezuela and Cuba, with little worry that Washington would use its overwhelming military power to kill, capture or push out their leaders. That has now changed, as Mr. Trump has demonstrated a willingness to disregard international norms and engage inforeign adventurism.... [including against Russian allies Iran, Venezuela and Cubs].”
Possibly 1,100 people are dead in Iran and U.S. troops have died in Kuwait, but Trump's White House still thinks war is just a fun game: ~~~
~~~ Athena Dawson of the Mirror, republished by AOL: “The White House is being slammed for a disturbing missile strike montage video, as the majority of Americans oppose ... [Donald] Trump’s recently enacted war with Iran. The eyebrow-raising minute-long video begins with what appears to be a Call of Duty video game intro, with the POV of an armed soldier typing on a tablet to deploy 'Mass Guided Bombs.' The video, posted by the official White House X account, then cuts to a montage of U.S. fighter jets, warships, and missiles being launched at targets. Clips include declassified images of strikes hitting a ship, vehicles, and what appears to be a compound. The post, captioned, 'Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue,' drew the ire of hundreds of commenters. (Also linked yesterday.)
⭐The U.S. Did It and the White House Won't Admit It. Malachy Browne & Aaron Boxerman of the New York Times: “The Feb. 28 strike that hit an elementary school in the southern Iranian town of Minab is the deadliest known episode of civilian casualties since the United States and Israel attacked Iran — and no side has yet taken responsibility. But a body of evidence assembled by The New York Times — including newly released satellite imagery, social media posts and verified videos — indicates the school building was severely damaged by a precision strike that occurred at the same time as attacks on an adjacent naval base operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. And official statements that U.S. forces were attacking naval targets near the Strait of Hormuz, where the I.R.G.C. base is located, suggest they were most likely to have carried out the strike.... Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters on Sunday that 'as of now,' he was not aware of any Israeli military operation 'in that area' at the time.... When asked if the United States had conducted the airstrike on the school, [White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt] responded, 'Not that we know of,' adding that 'the Department of War is investigating this matter.'”
Michael Crowley & Edward Wong of the “The State Department is battling accusations ... [that] the Trump administration endangered U.S. citizens in the Middle East by beginning a war against Iran without adequate plans for helping Americans leave the region. The State Department began evacuating Americans from the region by charter flight on Wednesday and says it has communicated with thousands of U.S. citizens. But veteran diplomats and exasperated travelers said it had done too little, too slowly to help people stranded by flight cancellations and airspace closures.... Until midweek, the State Department had mainly provided stranded travelers with basic information ... via a telephone hotline and text messages. Before Wednesday, desperate people calling the hotline got an automated message that said the U.S. government could not help get them out of the region. Later, the department chartered some buses to drive Americans from countries with no air travel to ones where they could catch flights. It is unclear how many such buses have been chartered.”
Rebecca Crosby & Noel Sims of Popular Information reprise how the Trump administration stranded hundreds of thousands of Americans in a war zone. (Also linked yesterday.)
Catherine Rampell in the Bulwark: “Until quite recently, oil and gasoline prices had been a bright spot in the affordability fight, registering modest price declines since Trump took office. But since we bombed Iran, energy costs have risen sharply.... Oil prices are up about 20 percent so far just this week.... In other words: If Trump intended to start a war abroad to distract from problems at home, as some have proposed,1 he has instead made his domestic problems much worse. Trump’s 'warflation' has just begun.”
Robert Jimison of the New York Times: “The House voted down an effort on Thursday to halt the war against Iran and force President Trump to go to Congress for authorization, as a small bloc of Democrats joined nearly all Republicans in delivering an early sign of support for the war in the Middle East. The vote was 219 to 212 to block consideration of a bipartisan resolution that would end offensive military operations in Iran that had not been approved by Congress. The vote fell almost entirely along party lines, but it also highlighted splinters in both parties. Four Democrats crossed party lines to oppose the resolution, while two Republicans broke from their party to support it, citing concerns of executive overreach and disregard for the legislative branch.” The AP story is here.
⭐Trump fired Kristi Noem and gave her some other job as "special envoy" to something or other. He announced the new secretary would be one of our favorite senators: Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.). ~~~
~~~ Hill: Donald “Trump on Thursday announced that he was firing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and replacing her with Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla). 'I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026,' he announced on Truth Social. Trump thanked Noem for her service, stating the former South Dakota senator 'has served us well.'” (Also linked yesterday.) The NBC News story is here. ~~~
~~~ From a New York Times liveblog: “Mr. Trump announced the change on social media, along with a new, and previously nonexistent, role for Ms. Noem: special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, which he said would be a new security initiative for the Western Hemisphere. Mr. Trump is close with Mr. Mullin, a Republican, and speaks with him regularly.... On Thursday, the president contradicted remarks that Ms. Noem made under penalty of perjury in her hearing before a Senate panel on Wednesday: that Mr. Trump had signed off on a border security advertising campaign featuring Ms. Noem. 'I never knew anything about it,' Mr. Trump told Reuters.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~“The Rise & Fall of Kristi Noem.” Zolan Kanno-Youngs & Hamed Aleaziz of the New York Times: “The homeland security secretary ... helped fulfill [Donald Trump's] border pledges, but also drew negative attention to his administration.... Here are key moments in the rise and fall of Kristi Noem.” MB: Oddly, the reporters don't mention what appears to have been the last straw for our flawless leader: that he had endorsed the much-criticized/ridiculed and costly ad campaign in which Noem starred as a horse-riding cowgirl with the giant visages of four U.S. presidents playing supporting roles from their perch on Mount Rushmore. ~~~
~~~ As Michael Bender, et al., of the New York Times report in an expansion of the liveblog entry linked above, “Mr. Trump was shown clips of her answers before a Senate panel and was angry that she blamed him for the contentious spots, according to a person with knowledge of what happened who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The ads were part of a $200 million-plus government-funded campaign that included a subcontractor run by the husband of Ms. Noem’s now-former spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin. The uproar over the ads came as recent Wall Street Journal articles detailed Ms. Noem’s spending decisions — on private jets, including one with a bedroom and only 18 seats that she said would be used for migrant flights — and an inspector general told Congress that she had “systematically obstructed” his office’s work.” The article is quite dishy. ~~~
~~~ The Mount Rushmore Contract Was Not a One-off. Julia Ainsley of NBC News: “Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem handpicked contractors to lead a $100 million campaign to recruit Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers instead of allowing competitive bidding for the jobs.... In August, then-ICE deputy chief of staff Madison Sheahan threatened the job of an ICE employee for suggesting that the agency consider other contractors, according to internal communications. Sheahan said the contract award was 'a decision made by the secretary,' according to internal communications.... The contract for the ICE recruitment campaign was awarded to People Who Think and Safe America Media, two firms that were previously awarded a $220 million ad campaign that encouraged immigrants to self-deport. Noem was questioned by lawmakers this week over that $220 million ad campaign, and her response incensed Trump....” ~~~
~~~ Wherein Trump Lies to Garrett Haake of NBC News: "... Donald Trump suggested Thursday night that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s ouster was less about her job performance and more about elevating Sen. Markwayne Mullin to the Cabinet post.... He also dismissed the idea that there was a 'last straw' regarding Noem's performance and instead praised her handling of the border. Trump, however, was critical of Noem when it came to her exchange with a Republican senator this week, when she was asked during congressional testimony about her role in approving contracts, particularly a $220 million ad campaign encouraging immigrants to self-deport. 'I wasn’t thrilled with it. I spent less money than that to become president. I didn’t know about it,' Trump said." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I don't see a second-tier Cabinet post as superior to a Senate seat. The president* can and will fire Cabinet secretaries whenever he feels like it. Aside from 14 senators removed because they were members of the Confederacy, only one senator has ever been removed from office, and that was in the 18th century. So it's not, IMO, an "elevation." It's true that Mullin's current term in office ends this year, but he won election in 2020 with 75% of the vote, so I'd say he was a shoo-in to win re-election. That is to say, Markwayne is taking one for the Grifter.
~~~ Riley Beggin of the Washington Post: “Democrats cheered [Kristi Noem's] departure but said it wasn’t enough to end the DHS shutdown that will soon enter its fourth week. 'This is a problem of policy, not personnel,' Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) told reporters Thursday. 'The rot is deep. No one person can straighten this up until the president changes the whole agency, stops the violence, and reins in [Immigration and Customs Enforcement].' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) said Noem’s firing 'is not sufficient.'” ~~~
~~~ Carl Hulse & Michael Gold of the New York Times: “Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, said on Thursday evening that he would press for a perjury investigation into Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary whom ... [Donald] Trump fired hours earlier. Mr. Blumenthal said that he would call for the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to investigate whether Ms. Noem had lied under oath during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, when she said that Corey Lewandowski, one of her top advisers, did not approve contracts for the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Blumenthal said that Democrats had evidence to suggest that Mr. Lewandowski had done so, and that Ms. Noem’s removal did not protect her from an investigation.... Democrats cannot launch a full investigation without [Republican] support.... But Mr. Blumenthal can still hold public forums on the topic, send letters requesting information and solicit whistle-blowers.” ~~~
~~~ Aw, They Bonded Over the Manly Arts. Sean Murphy of the AP: “... Donald Trump’s plans to nominate Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to take over as Homeland Security secretary follow a notable political rise for the plumbing company owner who was first elected to Congress in 2012. Mullin, 48, has become one of Trump’s fiercest defenders in the U.S. Senate and is now positioned to join his administration.... A former mixed-martial arts fighter and collegiate wrestler, Mullin has earned a reputation as a fighter in the Senate and has grown friendlier with Trump since they attended an NCAA wrestling event together in Tulsa in 2023.”
~~~ MEANWHILE, Doktor Zoom of Wonkette is really looking forward to Markwayne's confirmation hearings, which he has reason to hope won't go as smoothly as most commentators are predicting. (You have to read on down to the bottom of Zoom's piece to find out why, but his theory is promising!
of the Nashville Banner: "A reporter who faced death threats in her home country [of Colombia] could now be sent back by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Nashville Noticias staffer Estefany Rodríguez was detained by ICE in South Nashville on Wednesday morning. There was no warrant for her arrest. Her attorneys have filed an emergency petition in federal court seeking a writ of habeas corpus, or an immediate review of whether or not her detention is legal. Rodríguez, who was in the car with her husband — a U.S. citizen — has been following all the legal steps to citizenship. In her job, Rodríguez has reported several stories that hold ICE accountable, and it’s unclear whether her detention was retaliation. As of Thursday afternoon, she was in Alabama en route to an ICE processing center in Louisiana."
Betsy Klein, et al., of CNN: “Approval for ... Donald Trump’s massive East Wing ballroom project – from a government commission that oversees planning for federal buildings and land in the nation’s capital – is delayed after it received over 32,000 comments from the public overwhelmingly opposing the construction. The National Capital Planning Commission was expected to take a final vote to approve plans for the ballroom on Thursday, marking the latest clearance for the project in a process that has been on a fast track since Trump suddenly demolished the East Wing last October. But the commission announced Thursday that the vote was postponed to April 2 'given the large amount of public input on the project.' 'We’re going to take the time to deliberate, and we’re going to have a final vote on April 2,' NCPC chairman and Trump aide Will Scharf said as the meeting began.” MB: Sadly, as in every dictatorship, we already know the outcome of the vote. (Also linked yesterday.)
Devlin Barrett of the New York Times: “The Justice Department released F.B.I. documents on Thursday describing several interviews with a woman who made an accusation against ... [Donald] Trump. The pages had been previously withheld from the vast trove of documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein because of what officials called a mistaken determination that they were duplicates. The typewritten notes recounted multiple interviews the F.B.I. conducted in 2019 with the woman, who said she had been sexually assaulted by both Mr. Epstein and Mr. Trump. She came forward shortly after Mr. Epstein was arrested that summer on charges of federal sex trafficking.” Politico's story is here.
Trump "Patriot" Sentenced to Life in Prison. Ryan Reilly of NBC News: "A man pardoned by ... Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack was sentenced to life in prison for child molestation and related crimes. Andrew Paul Johnson ... was convicted last month of five charges, including molesting a child under 12 and another under 16, as well as transmitting harmful materials by electronic device to a minor.... Johnson told one of the victims that he would see a windfall from the government after his pardon and that he would put the victim in his will to take any leftover money, according to law enforcement.”
It was even a bad day for the third-runner-up in the 2010 Miss Colorado beauty pageant:
Devlin Barrett & Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: “Lindsey Halligan, the former U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia who brought criminal cases against ... [Donald] Trump’s enemies over the objections of career prosecutors, is under investigation by Florida’s bar association, according to a letter the organization sent last month. The letter ... noted that [the bar association] had been closely monitoring reprimands Ms. Halligan had received from judges.... Federal judges in the district raised concerns about Ms. Halligan’s actions with the grand jury, and those concerns are now the basis of the bar investigation.... An investigation by Florida’s bar association could lead to disbarment, but the process is rigorous and often takes years....
“On Wednesday, the administration posted a notice in the Federal Register that suggested it was seeking to intervene in state bar associations’ disciplinary proceedings. The Justice Department has no apparent legal authority over state bar disciplinary organizations, and its proposal suggested that it would request that a state bar association 'suspend any parallel investigations' until the department completes its own review. But legal experts said that even a request like that by the administration could be interpreted by bar associations as a threat.” An NBC News story is here.
Alec Dent of the Washington Post: “A coalition of Democratic-led states sued ... Donald Trump on Thursday in the U.S. Court of International Trade, arguing that his newly imposed across-the-board tariffs are illegal. The suit is led by the Democratic attorneys general from Oregon, New York, California and Arizona along with attorneys general from 18 other states. They accused Trump of trying to 'sidestep' a February Supreme Court ruling that overturned many of his tariffs by using a different statute, Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, as justification for new tariffs.... Section 122 gives the president the power to temporarily restrict imports to the United States to deal with 'fundamental international payments problems.' Several prominent economists criticized Trump’s use of Section 122 when he introduced new tariffs in late February, suggesting that a trade deficit with another nation — Trump’s nominal reason for the tariffs — did not amount to a 'payments problem.' During court case against Trump’s earlier tariffs, the Justice Department told an appeals court that Section 122 was not relevant.”
Azeen Ghorayshi of the New York Times: “Acetaminophen prescriptions for pregnant women declined in emergency rooms across the country after a White House briefing in September during which ... [Donald] Trump claimed that the painkiller could cause autism, researchers reported on Thursday. The new peer-reviewed analysis, published as a research letter in the British medical journal The Lancet, looked at nearly 90,000 emergency room visits by pregnant women over an 11-week period after the White House briefing. The study found that prescriptions for acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol — dropped by 10 percent before eventually seeming to recover. By comparison, the researchers observed no change in acetaminophen prescriptions for more than 850,000 women who were not pregnant and arrived at emergency rooms during the same period.”
Michael Levenson of the New York Times: “Senator Tim Sheehy, Republican of Montana, helped Capitol Police officers forcibly remove an antiwar protester from a Senate hearing on Wednesday in a physical struggle that was captured on video. The protester, Brian McGinnis, a Marine Corps veteran and a Green Party candidate for Senate in North Carolina, said on social media that his arm was broken during the struggle. The Capitol Police said three officers were also treated for injuries.” Levenson goes on to describe the altercation and its aftermath. Then this: ... “Senator Sheehy shared video of the struggle on social media and defended his actions. 'Capitol Police were attempting to remove an unhinged protestor from the Armed Services hearing,' Senator Sheehy wrote on social media. 'He was fighting back. I decided to help out and deescalate the situation. This gentleman came to the Capitol looking for a confrontation, and he got one.'” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Maybe Sheehy doesn't know what "deescalation" means because his remarks don't make sense. First, it's obvious from Levenson's description of the confrontation that Sheehy did not try to calm or mitigate the situation. Rather, he forcefully & violently attacked McGinnis. Second, Sheehy admits as much when he writes -- in a combative tone -- that he gave (or helped give) McGinnis the fight he was looking for.
~~~~~~~~~~
Florida Congressional Race. Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times: “Lev Parnas, a key figure from ... [Donald] Trump’s first impeachment who later turned against him, plans to run for Congress in Miami as a Democrat, the latest step in his reinvention as an anti-Trump politician. Mr. Parnas announced his campaign in a video and post on Substack on Wednesday. He said he would run in Florida’s 27th Congressional District, held by Representative María Elvira Salazar, a Republican. The district, a swath of coastal Miami-Dade County, is heavily Hispanic and includes wealthy communities such as Key Biscayne, Coral Gables and the Brickell neighborhood of Miami.”
Kansas. Annie Gowen & Praveena Somasundaram of the Washington Post: A Kansas law passed February 18 “invalidated driver’s licenses and birth certificates for anyone who had changed the gender markers on their IDs from their birth sex. Two transgender Kansans sued the state on Feb. 26, the day the law took effect, saying it violates their constitutional rights. The driver’s license invalidation went into effect immediately, with no grace period. The new law also includes a bathroom provision that allows Kansans to sue other citizens if they are 'aggrieved' by someone of the opposite sex using a public restroom — a move that LGBTQ+ advocates argue is a 'bounty' and opens up the state to wide-ranging legal challenges.... On Friday, a judge in Douglas County is expected to decide whether to place a temporary restraining order on the highly restrictive law....” ~~~
~~~ Marie: How the hell can your birth certificate be invalid? If you weren't born, you don't exist. Over and above the obvious bigotry that motivated the legislature, the law is nonsensical. Laboratories of democracy, my ass.
Montana Senate Race. “Last-Minute Shenanigans.” Kellen Browning of the New York Times: “At 4:52 p.m. in Montana, Kurt Alme, the state’s top federal prosecutor and a Republican, filed to run for Senate. At 4:57 p.m., Senator Steve Daines of Montana, a fellow Republican and an ally of Mr. Alme, withdrew his name from contention. At 5 p.m., the deadline for getting on or off the ballot passed. Finally, at 5:02 p.m., a smiling, Carhartt-clad Mr. Daines broke the news ... with a video of himself standing in front of snowcapped mountains...: 'After much careful thought, I’ve decided not to seek re-election.' The eleventh-hour switcheroo on Wednesday appeared to be an effort by Mr. Daines to clear the field for his preferred candidate, Mr. Alme, whom he endorsed in his retirement announcement.... [Donald] Trump, Gov. Greg Gianforte and Senator Tim Sheehy, the state’s other senator, also immediately endorsed Mr. Alme, who had been the U.S. attorney for Montana but had to resign to run for office under the Hatch Act. The move was quickly condemned by Montana Democrats — and even some Republicans — as an anti-democratic power play that had blocked other potential candidates from entering a race for what will now be an open seat.”
Texas Senate Race. Dasha Burns & Cheyanne Daniels of Politico: “... Donald Trump appears to be leaning toward endorsing Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas GOP Senate primary, issuing a stark warning to state Attorney General Ken Paxton in an interview with Politico. The president, in a brief phone conversation Thursday morning, said an endorsement will be 'made pretty soon' before addressing Paxton, who recently said he would not drop out of the race even if Trump endorses Cornyn. 'Well, that’s bad for him to say,' Trump said. “... So maybe, maybe that leads me to go the other direction.'Trump had previously stated he would ask the candidate he does not endorse to step aside. Senate Republicans have already asked Trump to back Cornyn, who narrowly pulled ahead of Paxton on Tuesday in the first round of the primary. The two now face a heated runoff, which could last for another three months unless one of them ends their [his!] campaign.” (Also linked yesterday.)
Texas Congressional Race. David Goodman of the New York Times: “Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican accused of coercing a staff member into a sexual relationship before she killed herself, said on Thursday he would not seek re-election amid growing bipartisan outcry from fellow House members. Mr. Gonzales’s decision to bow out of the race came in the midst of a fierce primary fight that has been overshadowed by text messages that emerged showing his pursuit of the female staff member, Regina Santos-Aviles.... The three most senior House Republicans said in a joint statement on Thursday that the Ethics Committee would investigate the matter and that party leaders had asked Mr. Gonzales to step aside from his bid for re-election while it proceeds.... Mr. Gonzales ... initially denied any sexual relationship at the time. But he publicly acknowledged the extramarital affair to a podcaster on Wednesday, the day after he and Brandon Herrera, a gun rights advocate..., failed to receive a majority of the Republican primary vote. The two were headed to a runoff, which was scheduled for May 26.” Politico's story is here.
26 comments:
Sir! Please help us!
Trump asks Ukraine to please help with shooting down Iranian drones. Pretty please?
“‘We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against ‘shaheds’ in the Middle East region,’ Zelensky confirmed on X on Thursday, referring to the Iranian-designed drones also used by Russia.
The previous day, Zelensky said ‘partners,’ including the US, were ‘asking for help defending against’ the Iranian-made drone, ‘with expertise and real operational experience.’”
Ukraine, after being constantly attacked by Iranian drones sent to Russia, has developed a very effective Interceptor system which they are now offering to the US and its allies in the Middle East.
My, my. I truly wish Zelensky had framed his report the way Fat Hitler does.
“I got a call from President Trump…’Sir, please, please help us. We know how wonderful you are at intercepting Iranian drones. Please, sir, please, I beg you.’”
Zelensky has too much class to invent Trumpy-style bullshit stories purely for self aggrandizement.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-asks-ukraine-for-assistance-in-shooting-down-iranian-shahed-drones-in-middle-east/
"Pokemon Company Rips WH For Stealing Its Images
Unreviewable
"A lawyer for the Trump administration told a judge on Wednesday that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has such broad authority over vaccine policy that he could even scrap recommendations for measles shots in favor of people deliberately exposing themselves to the virus.
U.S. Department of Justice lawyer Isaac Belfer offered that hypothetical as he urged U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston to rule that Kennedy, a long-time vaccine skeptic, and other health officials have such unfettered authority that their vaccine decisions are not subject to court review."
ProPublica
"Documents Reveal a Web of Financial Ties Between Trump Officials and the Industries They Help Regulate
ProPublica is releasing a trove of disclosure records that detail the finances of more than 1,500 Trump appointees, including former lobbyists, industry executives and at least a dozen officials who declined to identify former clients."
Fat Hitler's unlimited supply of bombs
Robyn Pennacchia - Wonkette
"Earlier this week, Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna introduced a new bill that would make this country a much nicer place for everyone to live, at the expense of taxing billionaires 5 percent a year — an amount that, as billionaires, they could not possibly miss or even notice is gone."
"Iran War: We Follow The Money (To Mar-A-Lago)Here is a number to sit with: $2,000 per truckload.
That’s the fee a little-known Florida company called Gothams LLC — the same firm that ran the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigrant detention center — wants to charge for every single humanitarian aid truck entering a conflict zone under American control. Commercial trucks? $12,000 each. The contract they pitched to the White House demands a seven-year monopoly on all trucking and logistics, with a guaranteed 300% return on capital expenditure. Federal contracting experts called it “highway robbery.” The White House claimed the proposal was shelved. Records show Gothams partners were still coordinating with administration officials as recently as early 2026.
This is the Iran war."
It is always the money with these guys.
CNN
"Republicans on Capitol Hill are asking the Justice Department to consider bringing criminal charges against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide in President Donald Trump’s first administration who became a star congressional witness about the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, according to two sources familiar with recent developments.
GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk made a criminal referral of Hutchinson to the Justice Department in recent days, the sources said. He accused Hutchinson of lying to Congress in her summer 2022 testimony when she alleged Trump was aware of the potential for violence on January 6, 2021, and forged ahead with his attempts to rile up his supporters."
Though the rest of the article is pretty useless. They try to claim this is just business as usual, but then briefly remember that they are talking about FH's administration of vengeance. Then they spend the rest of the article trying to undermine Hutchinson's testimony. I think someone might be sucking up to their future bosses.
MarkyWayne the Plumber cometh
It's useful to get a better appreciation of those selected by the Fat Fascist to do minor things like, oh, I dunno, keep us safe from terrorists, and protect the homeland from attack. So with that in mind, here are a few things to know about Marky the Plumber.
"Mullin said when he called Trump’s war on Iran a 'war,' that it was 'a misspoke.'"
Hmmm. I used to have missed spokes on my bike when I was a kid. I learned to fix 'em. Also learned to speak correctly.
"Mullin compared Charlie Kirk to Martin Luther King Jr., whom Kirk harshly criticized."
Yeah, because Charlie Kirk was Black Lives Matter AF.
"Mullin claimed – after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot – that only Democratic political rallies become violent."
A report from an alternate universe, apparently. But don't miss the picture of Marky hiding from the J6 Not Democratic Rioters.
"Mullin stated that he doesn’t wear a seatbelt while driving in Washington, D.C. because he is afraid of being carjacked."
Have you seen all those black people in Washington? Why, even the old ladies jack people's cars! Nice to have someone who isn't a racist prick running DHS, right?
"Mullin said he understands why Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was physically attacked by a neighbor."
Might have to agree with this, but check out Doctor Zoom's take on this (linked above).
"Mullin nearly had a fistfight with Teamsters leader Sean O’Brien during a Senate hearing in November 2023."
Because prudent, calm, sensible people are always ready to settle disagreements with their fists.
"Mullin reportedly fingered the nostrils of sleeping congressional colleagues and their spouses while on a trip to Israel."
Um...what?
We're not even getting into Marky the Plumber's attempts to sneak into Afghanistan on a sort of one man A Team mission:
"Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin threatened US embassy staff in Tajikistan, outraged that they would not assist him in carrying a huge amount of money through the country as he attempted to travel to Afghanistan for an unauthorized evacuation effort, The Washington Post reported.
The Post reported that Mullin called the US embassy in Tajikistan on Monday, informing them that he would be flying from the country of Georgia to Tajikistan’s capital of Dushanbe within hours and wanted help in transporting a large sum of cash, the Post reported."
Embassy staff rightly concluded that Mullins is a nut job who thought he could Mission Impossible his way into a dangerous region with a big bag of money, grab a helicopter and rescue people with no one getting hurt or, ya know, killed.
Doesn't exactly smack of 'Good Judgement", amirite? Sounds more like "Loose Cannon". But sure. Let's entrust the security of the nation to this fucking guy.
Could we ever get just a reg'lar old fashioned political grifter for some of these positions? Why are we always getting world class weirdos and unhinged fucksticks?
Not knowing when to shut the pie hole
It appears that Klaus (ICE) Barbie is going to flap her Marred a Lardo botoxed lips to the bitter end.
Feeling betrayed by her Dear Leader, for whom she has demonstrated prostrations galore, the Gnome is whining that Trump lied about not knowing anything about her self-glorifying ad campaig which shoveled several hundred millions of taxpayer dollars to a pal of hers who had been in business exactly six days on a no bid contract.
(*sigh*) One would think that someone as close to the center of the moronocracy that is Fat Hitler excuse for an administration would know several important things.
First, it's entirely likely he had no clue about this particular grift. After all, the number of grifts going on simultaneously in the Turd Reich would require the services of a battery of scribes that would outweigh the entirety of textual scibblers in medieval monasteries over several centuries. Who could keep up? Second, and she should know this. HE DOESN'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ANYONE BUT HIMSELF. Chances are he did hear about this scam but forgot it less than a second later. And finally, if it hasn't penetrated through all the hair products and sprays and whatever other chemicals she employs to look like a refugee from Plan Nine from Outer Space, it should have by now, the absolute rock solid verity of this regime: Loyalty goes only one way with Fat Hitler. She could have handed over her first born for a human sacrifice and asked only that he gift her a cup of sugar to bake cookies for the funeral and he'd slam the door in her face if it suited him.
The schadenfreude it is good, my brothers and sisters. But tis only momentary. The moronocracy moves in moronic ways and good news lasts only a few hours at best. But hey, I'll take it. If her big mouth causes her to be expelled from the Orange Presence, so be it. Hopefully both she and her anal cyst of a boyfriend will ride off into some lake of fire, although they probably both own skin tight Boris and Natasha flame retardant costumes they had been saving for some future photo op. Hopefully they are not as retardant as they are.
What is wrong with these people? (part 1) Ali Breland, in The Atlantic, on the 'conservatives' who want to Do McCarthyism to the Tenth Power
"The new McCarthyites also want to define their targets more broadly than McCarthy did. The senator went after people who he claimed (however unfairly) were treasonously undermining the U.S. to help its chief adversary, the Soviet Union, in the years after World War II, when the parameters of a new global order were just coming into view. McCarthy’s rampage was about rooting out traitors. The new McCarthyites want to destroy their political adversaries. Unhumans uses the term communists interchangeably with progressives and Cultural Marxists (the modern right’s term for anyone who believes in left-of-center ideas about race, gender, and sexuality).
During a call in January, Bannon told me that the marks for his version of McCarthyism are “the globalists” who “don’t believe in the nation-state, they don’t believe in the sovereignty of this country, they particularly don’t believe in the citizens of this country.” Bannon has used the term globalists to refer to Silicon Valley elites, media executives, neoconservative foreign-policy hawks, proponents of lightly regulated global markets, and Jared Kushner."
I think I get it. Bannon's remarks suggest today's so-called conservatives tout sovereignty and the nation state the same way older conservatives touted states rights...and for the same reasons.
Both were and are seeking to create a refuge from everyone who was and is not white. Keep those darkies out and build a wall to keep them away from my preciousness and privilege.
Re the future ruining of Cassidy H's life, her crime being telling the truth about the Orange Mongrel, how come we have never heard from/of this Loudermilk except in regards to lies? He's the one who led tours of the Capitol the day(s) before Jan 6, when the Cap was closed to all except Congressional people, due to covid. The GOP has in the past maintained a silence about this enterprising dwarf of intelligence, and I always wanted to know how the mob found the right offices and meeting rooms straight out of rural Wyoming... So now the idiot is dumping on Cassidy. No good deed goes unpunished with this regime...
As for everything else published and reported on today, every day is LooneyTune day here in the US of A.
Also, MarkyMark is just the latest crazy person to be given some sort of power. He is a nasty piece of work, but tell me who is not?? His advantage is he is not quite as physically ugly as Tom Homan, and much more confident, but not more articulate, than the Cowgirl Puppy Killer Envoy.
Since young parents are now forced to make all their own decisions for their family's health, we need a backup CDC, you know, an underground network of physicians and researchers, to put out newsletters contradicting the batshit proclamations of both the nitwits running things HHS-related. I don't know how we get around the bastards contradicting years and years of practical information gleened from an equal number of years of research that used to be partially funded by the government. I feel badly that people without resources like health insurance and care will have to rely on crazies to tell them anything they need to know. In our paper, two pediatricians are putting out papers about vaccines and so forth. They are not being paid to do that-- they are simply community-minded and worried about kids growing up today under ignorance and the jet stream of lies coming in on an hourly basis from these kumquats.
Kristi's expected title of "envoy" implies that she will end up on Marco's payroll. She will be disappointed to find: no government housing or housing allowance; no dedicated limo (but she'll use the pool card a lot); no automatic first class travel ; no dedicated personal protective detail; no dedicated admin staff; no office suite behind the mahogany on the 7th Floor; no unlimited representational (wining and dining) funds; and lots of other hardships. If she's smart, she'll try to locate in Tampa or Fort Lauderdale and get all of that kind of stuff from SOCOM or SOUTHCOM. Not quite off the books, but "commander's discretion."
I just wanted to take a moment to ask youse guys if you get bombarded with the same pleas from various Democratic groups as do I. I mean, it's never ending. I must get five or six every day. And it really pisses me off. The standard come on shows up in the form of some kind of poll. "Do you agree with the way Trump is blah, blah, blah...take our poll and register your complaints". Okay, fine. So you take the poll and at the end, after wasting your time, they say "Great! We will pass on your comments but only if you send us money. Would you prefer to check the $25 box or the $50 box?"
None of the above. Look, I HAVE in the past, contributed to several of these campaigns, but I've learned that because they trade mailing lists, once you do, they've got you. And the begging never stops. Not only that, it gets nasty! "Oh-ho! You haven't sent us any money. Are you some kind of Nazi loving troll who hates democracy?"
Fuck off with that, please. Colin Allred is the WORST. I hit STOP on several of these begging texts and they keep coming. I thought he dropped out of the senate race. But he's still asking for money.
Look, I know money is important, but this constant begging is not only annoying, it's demoralizing. Aren't we supposed to be an alternative to the money grubbing mountebanks on the right, have different and better ideas? All this begging makes Democrats look weak and helpless and frankly sad.
And I'm fucking tired of it.
Okay, kvetching completed.
What is wrong with these people? (part 2). Peter Wehner, for The Atlantic, describes Pete Hegseth’s Troubled Soul
"But what was most striking about Hegseth’s [Wednesday] press conference was his emotional affect, his delight in celebrating mercilessness, his talk of death and destruction raining down from the skies, his glee in “punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be.”
We have seen this manosphere affect before from the defense secretary. At a press briefing on Monday, he mocked “our traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force.” In this war, there would be “no stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise, no politically correct wars,” he vowed. “We fight to win.” He added, “We are not defenders anymore. We are warriors, trained to kill the enemy and break their will. History is watching. Be the force you swore an oath to be—focused, disciplined, lethal, and unbreakable.”"
Wendy,
Bannon is like the surfers in that movie "Endless Summer", always looking for the next big wave. He needs to keep moving on his shitty surf board from one wave of hatred, fear, paranoia, and disgust to the next, weaving every now and then to avoid sharks and the various flotsam and jetsam from capsized MAGA vessels. He's always on the lookout for the Next Big Wave of Right Wing Horror, the better to stay ahead of the crashing surf. He seems unsinkable, but he also never seems right in the thick of things. He's always just outside the curve of the wave.
Some years ago, a Guinness ad campaign in Ireland (weirdly) showed guys surfing...with HORSES!, touting that country's famous black stout. Christy Moore, the great troubadour himself pointed out in one of his songs, "...something I could never figger out: How your man stayed up on the surfboard after fourteen pints of stout."
Hopefully at some point, we'll see Bannon and his shirts tumble off his surfboard. May the sharks be waiting. And hungry. Crunch, crunch, munch, munch.
History is watching? Maybe we can get a crimes against humanity trial for these yahoos claiming 'might' makes right.
If they're wearing tennis shoes it doesn't count as boots on the ground, right?
"The Army in recent days abruptly canceled a major training exercise for the headquarters element of an elite paratrooper unit, officials said, fueling speculation within the Defense Department that soldiers specializing in ground combat and a range of other missions may be sent to the Middle East as the conflict with Iran widens."
They still have many kindergartners to round up
"The Trump administration said on Friday that it could not immediately start issuing tariff refunds, casting new doubt about when U.S. businesses will get the hundreds of billions of dollars owed to them. A trade court this week ordered the government to begin reimbursing importers who paid for tariffs. Now Trump officials say the process is too sprawling and complex, likely dragging out repayment.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is now facing “an unprecedented volume of refunds,” Brandon Lord, a top official in the agency’s trade division, wrote in a court filing. “Personnel would be redirected from responsibilities that serve to mitigate imminent threats to national security and economic security,” he wrote."
Ukraine helps us and Russia hurts us, who could have seen that coming.
"Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to attack American forces in the Middle East, the first indication that another major U.S. adversary is participating — even indirectly — in the war, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence.
Since the war began Saturday, Russia has passed Iran the locations of U.S. military assets, including warships and aircraft, said the three officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity."
"How do you like the performance?"
RAS, on tariff refunds, I suspect Treasury is just doing business under "Trump Corp Rules," meaning stall, delay, obstruct while you appeal or hope the claimant gives up, dies or is coopted. There is no valid reason that those refund claims could not be processed and paid within 60 days, assuming the claimant has the receipts. No reason other than welshing. No slur intended to all the Taffies out there.
Also, since a number of those claims were sold to vulture funds, among them some owned or associated with very senior Trump admin people, those firms may be trying to corner more of the debt before cashing in, and Bessent is giving them the time. Upside-downer trading as opposed to insider, This is the same rigged table they played with Argentine debt.
Unconditional surrender!
He must love posting crazy shit like that. He absolutely needs to be seen as a WINNER, and not just coming out ahead. He wants his USS Missouri moment where the beaten mullahs abjectly kneel before him and sign the articles of surrender. He needs to be Caesar. Then he wants to pick the new leader.
This is insane shit. Look, Iran fought a seven year war with Iraq and lost over 200,000 military deaths. They had little kids up on the front lines in gas masks! Iran ain’t Venezuela. They are not going quietly in time for the 11 o’clock news. But he sees himself as George Washington, sitting on his horse above the beach at Yorktown with General Cornwallis in his tent getting ready to surrender his sword. Or at least he would if he knew the first thing about American history.
What he does know is that his “performance” is everything to Fox viewers.
The many different and contradictory “goals” are important as well because this allows the Fat Hitler Reich to cherry pick whichever looks best and then declare victory.
It’s vital to remember that for Fatty, all that matters is how he looks and what’s in it for him. He couldn’t care less about the Iranian people or Liberty or dead girls or any other fucking thing. He needs to look like a winner and grab whatever he can on the way out.
He is a con man and a chiseling grifter.
I'm sure this time the press will hold him to account for the red line he just drew in the sand.
They were famously understanding when Obama gave a "red line" to Syria over it's chemical weapons. /s
RAS,
The media don't hold him to account for anything. With Obama it was different. He wasn't a vindictive con man.
Post a Comment