Well Pelley lost his job but kept his dignity. You can get another job, but getting your dignity back is nigh to impossible. And, speaking of dignity, we'll see how Bari Un/Weiss is doing a few from now.
I also think she knows she’s expendable, but is so overly ambitious and disingenuous that she probably thinks she can actually be successful at the network as a fixer.
No doubt, she will be the master of her own demise—and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving person! One word: PHONY!
"'I’m going to punch you in your fucking face,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Pulte at a dinner last September after hearing Pulte had been badmouthing him to the boss."
Forget those UFC fighters. Make Bessent v. Pulte the main event at Trump's Thunderdome Arena. That'll get solid ratings.
We should run some tests, to determine this in a scientific manner. Get a sample size of about 1000 people, put the subjects in a punching booth, and see who gets punched the most.
Run it a couple of times just to be sure.
I am thinking it would be JD because most of the test subjects probably would have no idea who the other guys was. That is my informally stated hypothesis.
Not sure those two count as a fighting *sport*: Reminds me more of grade school when the older boys tried to set up *matches* between the. younger kids. Nothing screams junior status than needing to duke it out. Then again this whole administration needs teacher supervision.
Any MST3k fans here? There's a running joke of saying "Can't we just get Beyond Thunderdome?" every time someone mentions Thunderdome. But it was way funnier when it didn't come in response to photos of the White House.
It's not just congress that has to step up, the work forces at the various agencies need to throw as many wrenches in the works as they can. This has been an effective strategy at DOJ, leaving the dregs of the law profession to prosecute Trump's retribution cases and getting exactly no where. For some, nowhere will include a quick disbarment for tampering with Grand Juries.
General Hertling's article is a must read. Hegseth, with his white supremacy meritocracy, is destroying the officer corps of the world's greatest and most competent military. It's critical that the US Military also start throwing wrenches in Hegseth's gears before he can appoint more General Flynn's.
The whole crowd — Pulte, Blanche, Kash, Hegseth — is more concerned about Trump’s hallucinations than, say, a foreign or domestic terror attack. Does not bode well.
Jeffries and Schumer seem to believe there is no such thing as an impeachable offense, and I can't imagine what could possibly change their mind if setting up American concentration camps didn't do it. If concentration camps are A-OK, EVERYTHING IS.
I actually agree with Jeffries and Schumer. The GOP Senate WON'T convict, so why give the President another win by beating a third impeachment? JVL is right, impeachment is a dead letter.
I think the Senate should be on record for refusing to convict. I think that record is very necessary to our future dealings going forward with people like Ted Cruz.
1. Andrew Weissmann states that the $1.8 billion slush fund is still available for the Trump family, but not the J6ers.
2. SCOTUS thru the shadow docket allowed AL to use its 2023 election district map which had previously been rejected at the fed district court level. Confirms the Gang of 6 doesn't give a rip abt racial discrimination in voitng as long as it advantages Whites.
So smart he forgets what he said yesterday, let alone last week. But, of course, he just says diametrically opposed things like the Red Queen who can believe six impossible things before breakfast.
Andrew, Bill and Jim, Thanks for the reporting, commentary and analysis. Great pieces all. You would think some Republicans in the Senate would be feeling shame for their confirmation votes that put these incompetent fools in position to wreak havoc on our country and the rule of law. It won't take that many of them to shut off the enabling and put some checks and balances in place. It's now simply a matter of guts and dignity. At this point, there are literally thousands of people in or connected to this government that are criminals and corrupt and undeniably law breakers. Thinking there will be accountability for these individuals in any sort of regular order is ludicrous and naive. Tribunals will be the only way.
Meanwhile, our morning missive begins with the sort of attention whoring we all despise. Who cares if Trump tries to titillate the sensible with visions of fighting rings replacing the Rose Garden? He only says those things to piss us off, so why reprint them? To give Trump a big, fat smile? I just don't get it.
Bill Pulte came up out of nowhere with novel ideas for ways to attack Trump’s enemies. Trump’s a deviant innovator himself, Pulte looks like a bulldog, and will obviously do anything he can to help the stable genius. How could he not adore him and put him where he has access to greater weaponry than mortgage forms?
I hope Trump gets them to leave the UFC arena there for the rest of his term. And keep the East Wing site as an incomplete hole in the ground. Visual representations of what he has done to this country.
A "qualified, patriotic young professional" and J 6er named Elias Irizarry has been appointed to Dept of Defense Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict office. Top security clearance job. He is seen on tape at the wild J6 tourist visit urging rioters to kill police.
Trump’s a child molester who’s stealing a staggering amount of taxpayer money. I have no doubt the final tally on his theft will be in the billions. It’s all going to him, his family and his loyalists. Trump’s basically the American version of Saddam Hussein. His loyalists need Trump in power because they are complicit in his crimes.
How does any other country (especially peers or competition) not look at us every day and laugh? The ways in which supporters can excuse any of this as good.......baffling
I'm sure they do look at us and laugh. But more importantly, I suspect that they look at us and start hedging their bets, e.g. not sharing intel so readily, not believing everything the US tries to sell them as important secret info, etc. This is a disaster, but just one of many.
That is my biggest fear. Not our GDP dipping a little. Our sheer population and land mass size.....we can't just go from top dog to no longer involved. But what happens when the more mature nations (GB, France, Ger, Jap, Aus, etc.) look at us and go "ehhhh, maybe we don't share EVERYTHING with those guys. They are still having their rebellious teen phase for a country. Let's keep this to ourselves." I don't think enough of this population truly understand the many fringe benefits of being the de facto "world police". Yes it cost resources but we did get to have our hands in just about everything. And that will NOT be easy to earn back once it's lost
"I don't think enough of this population truly understand the many fringe benefits of being the de facto "world police"."
The inability (refusal?) of the MAGAs to understand the value of America's place as world leader, bastion of democracy (flawed, but still...), enforcer, police, etc is the lie underlying "America First." IOW, "America First" is just plain bad for America.
The lack of humility is what gets me. The inability to say "I may not be right, I may not know the answer, I am not sure" is what does them in. Just because you don't know in the moment doesn't mean you're stupid. Refusing to learn and doubling down on an unverified or false pretense? Now THAT is stupid. Most of MAGA's "America First" is actually just "Me and mine first". They don't care about America or Democracy, just themselves.
Andrew: “If Pulte’s appointment suggests Trump intends to keep doubling down on his revenge tour, it will do little to help either his swooning popularity …”
Andrew, I have to question your word choice here. “Swooning,” though technically correct, is what teen girls do over their hunky heroes. I would prefer “plummeting” or “plunging,” which — as Jack Shafer is fond of noting — is what buses do over cliffs.
It's so ridiculous it would be hilarious if it wasn't so serious. Lil Marco literally said the war was over yesterday just hours before Iran launched a large drone strike on Kuwait and Bahrain...
In a few weeks, most of the world's stored oil runs out. At that point, world economic activity has to decrease by 20% to accommodate the lack of supply. It's not just higher prices, very very soon oil just won't be available. Good thing the President is bored with the whole thing and we cab invade Cuba and Greenland.
I saw someone on a news story yesterday seriously making that point. His stocks were up, so all of this concern over the war and oil supplies is just nonsensical TDS. My stocks are up today, so everything is great!
Trump thinks he has leverage with American and Venezuelan oil. Just open these two spigots more and the world will come to him for his patronage. His delusional state can't allow him to see this will not work.
Bed bugs at the USDA, rats in the national intelligence office, weasels at CBS - it's just pests all over the place!
Well Pelley lost his job but kept his dignity. You can get another job, but getting your dignity back is nigh to impossible. And, speaking of dignity, we'll see how Bari Un/Weiss is doing a few from now.
We did try to tell her she was going to be the public fall guy for the Ellisons. I guess the money was too good to care.
Agreed, she’s a clear case of Icarus!
I also think she knows she’s expendable, but is so overly ambitious and disingenuous that she probably thinks she can actually be successful at the network as a fixer.
No doubt, she will be the master of her own demise—and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving person! One word: PHONY!
lol
CBS has proved that phrase: From the penthouse to the outhouse.
Edward R Morrow, Walter Cronkite, Mike Wallace...Cold day in hell when Bari Weiss makes that list if she were to go back to reporting.
Comment sparked a memory--maybe you were referring to it--the Stones called it "Shattered" . . . "bed bugs uptown" . . . seems to fit our dilemma.
Eels (Mark Oliver Everett):
🎼"Field mice, head lice, spiders in the kitchen
Don't think twice 'bout whatever keeps you itchin'
Ice water, flyswatter, gonna get you through
The day"🎼
"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you".
And Cockroaches of Crime and Corruption throughout the Trump Administration.
Love it - thanks
"'I’m going to punch you in your fucking face,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Pulte at a dinner last September after hearing Pulte had been badmouthing him to the boss."
Forget those UFC fighters. Make Bessent v. Pulte the main event at Trump's Thunderdome Arena. That'll get solid ratings.
Who has a more punchable face - Bill Pulte or J.D. Vance?
We should run some tests, to determine this in a scientific manner. Get a sample size of about 1000 people, put the subjects in a punching booth, and see who gets punched the most.
Run it a couple of times just to be sure.
I am thinking it would be JD because most of the test subjects probably would have no idea who the other guys was. That is my informally stated hypothesis.
Science!!!!
We should also include a positive control. I nominate Howard Nutlick.
Kevin Hassett?
Yes. With all the problems with polling, this urgent question cannot be answered by that method. Much better to see who actually takes more haymakers.
Are you really suggesting that Pulte can take more than one? Or are you doubting that JD could land even one?
He will need to be propped up, You know, for science.
Excellent point!…:)
Matt Gaetz!
Such questions fall into the category of “unanswerable’ or ‘whoever you saw most recently’….
Yes.
As the wise man once said, “Does it matter!” Either works for me!…:)
I’m sorry it’s still Ken Paxton.
Each has a backpfeifengesicht (face in need of a slap). I suspect their fight would look more like Grant v. Firth than Louis v. Schmeling.
Needed Google's help with Grant v. Firth. Agree.
Well, JD's face is kinda flattened already, so I'd go w him as already having seen some action.
I don't like fighting sports, but I'd tune in to see that.
Not sure those two count as a fighting *sport*: Reminds me more of grade school when the older boys tried to set up *matches* between the. younger kids. Nothing screams junior status than needing to duke it out. Then again this whole administration needs teacher supervision.
I'm gonna guess that Bessent has never punched anyone in his life.
There's always a first w trailer trash park owner Bill Pulte. Check out today's Paul Krugman's Substack.
Any MST3k fans here? There's a running joke of saying "Can't we just get Beyond Thunderdome?" every time someone mentions Thunderdome. But it was way funnier when it didn't come in response to photos of the White House.
That is the undercard. The Main event: Mud wrestling between the Sumo DJT and Steve Bannon. Let's get ready to Rumble!!!
If they do as you suggest, I would like to also see someone kick the shit out of Markwayne Mullin that day.
It's not just congress that has to step up, the work forces at the various agencies need to throw as many wrenches in the works as they can. This has been an effective strategy at DOJ, leaving the dregs of the law profession to prosecute Trump's retribution cases and getting exactly no where. For some, nowhere will include a quick disbarment for tampering with Grand Juries.
General Hertling's article is a must read. Hegseth, with his white supremacy meritocracy, is destroying the officer corps of the world's greatest and most competent military. It's critical that the US Military also start throwing wrenches in Hegseth's gears before he can appoint more General Flynn's.
An officer corps personally loyal to the man in charge has served Russia well in the last four years. What could go wrong?
A Yevgeny Prigozhin who goes all the way?
"Literally the first thing federal law has to say about the DNI is that any nominee to the post “shall have extensive national security expertise.”"
Shouldn't a president making an illegal appointment be impeached? And isn't this this serious?
After Impeachment 2.0, Susan Collins said the President learned his lesson. I can't imagine that any wrongdoing is possible.
She still "has concerns".
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Come on, Mike, stretch your imagination a tad.
The whole crowd — Pulte, Blanche, Kash, Hegseth — is more concerned about Trump’s hallucinations than, say, a foreign or domestic terror attack. Does not bode well.
Have you just re-defined the Felon to be that about which we all should be more concerned? BTW, I vote for foreign.
Jeffries and Schumer seem to believe there is no such thing as an impeachable offense, and I can't imagine what could possibly change their mind if setting up American concentration camps didn't do it. If concentration camps are A-OK, EVERYTHING IS.
I actually agree with Jeffries and Schumer. The GOP Senate WON'T convict, so why give the President another win by beating a third impeachment? JVL is right, impeachment is a dead letter.
As Sarah has said; you need the Senate to convict. Overwise it is fruitless.
I think the Senate should be on record for refusing to convict. I think that record is very necessary to our future dealings going forward with people like Ted Cruz.
Yeah, I have to say you’re right. Even a 90-10 vote for removal would be painted as “political.”
Without a doubt!
“I’m going to punch you in your fucking face,”
There's literally an arena right outside the door fellas. . . . .
That ring is so close to the White House. I bet Trump sits on the balcony to watch the fights, like emperors of old.
Well, he HAS reminded me of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen for quite some time.
I don't know. The Baron was able to plan and execute a complicated scheme.
He looks more like Jabba the Hut to me.
The new test for who stays and goes?
That was never going to happen. Bessent was trying to appear tough to his boss.
Two noteworthy developments.
1. Andrew Weissmann states that the $1.8 billion slush fund is still available for the Trump family, but not the J6ers.
2. SCOTUS thru the shadow docket allowed AL to use its 2023 election district map which had previously been rejected at the fed district court level. Confirms the Gang of 6 doesn't give a rip abt racial discrimination in voitng as long as it advantages Whites.
They never have.
I love it when Trump denounces the Fake News for reporting THINGS HE SAID TO THE MEDIA HIMSELF THE DAY BEFORE.
Point that out to MAGA and they say, "All politician do that, it just proves how smart Trump is."
So smart he forgets what he said yesterday, let alone last week. But, of course, he just says diametrically opposed things like the Red Queen who can believe six impossible things before breakfast.
So, to sum up Bill's and Andrew's analyses of Pulte as DNI: Nothing good can happen, it can only bad happen.
Why worry? Trump is a brilliant filter for bad intelligence. He told us so repeatedly in Trump 1.0 when a few more competent ppl were in charge.
And it is true. The problem is he does not know good intel from bad intel but invariably picks the wrong door.
Andrew, Bill and Jim, Thanks for the reporting, commentary and analysis. Great pieces all. You would think some Republicans in the Senate would be feeling shame for their confirmation votes that put these incompetent fools in position to wreak havoc on our country and the rule of law. It won't take that many of them to shut off the enabling and put some checks and balances in place. It's now simply a matter of guts and dignity. At this point, there are literally thousands of people in or connected to this government that are criminals and corrupt and undeniably law breakers. Thinking there will be accountability for these individuals in any sort of regular order is ludicrous and naive. Tribunals will be the only way.
My Disgust-O-Meter is pegged at "11" out of 10 today. Some days, it's like that. Some days, it's merely a 10 out of 10 regarding this regime.
"minor MAGA e-celebrity"
One cultural shift very much to be wished for as a result of all this, is a reaction against attention whoredom in general.
Oh, my reaction happened years ago. I'm trying to stem the tide by refusing to watch any reality shows.
Meanwhile, our morning missive begins with the sort of attention whoring we all despise. Who cares if Trump tries to titillate the sensible with visions of fighting rings replacing the Rose Garden? He only says those things to piss us off, so why reprint them? To give Trump a big, fat smile? I just don't get it.
Bill Pulte came up out of nowhere with novel ideas for ways to attack Trump’s enemies. Trump’s a deviant innovator himself, Pulte looks like a bulldog, and will obviously do anything he can to help the stable genius. How could he not adore him and put him where he has access to greater weaponry than mortgage forms?
I hope Trump gets them to leave the UFC arena there for the rest of his term. And keep the East Wing site as an incomplete hole in the ground. Visual representations of what he has done to this country.
A "qualified, patriotic young professional" and J 6er named Elias Irizarry has been appointed to Dept of Defense Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict office. Top security clearance job. He is seen on tape at the wild J6 tourist visit urging rioters to kill police.
And he's not even old enough to legally buy alcohol.
Why would he do something legal when he has the Pardoner in Chief just waiting to write him another one?
Trump’s a child molester who’s stealing a staggering amount of taxpayer money. I have no doubt the final tally on his theft will be in the billions. It’s all going to him, his family and his loyalists. Trump’s basically the American version of Saddam Hussein. His loyalists need Trump in power because they are complicit in his crimes.
How does any other country (especially peers or competition) not look at us every day and laugh? The ways in which supporters can excuse any of this as good.......baffling
I'm sure they do look at us and laugh. But more importantly, I suspect that they look at us and start hedging their bets, e.g. not sharing intel so readily, not believing everything the US tries to sell them as important secret info, etc. This is a disaster, but just one of many.
That is my biggest fear. Not our GDP dipping a little. Our sheer population and land mass size.....we can't just go from top dog to no longer involved. But what happens when the more mature nations (GB, France, Ger, Jap, Aus, etc.) look at us and go "ehhhh, maybe we don't share EVERYTHING with those guys. They are still having their rebellious teen phase for a country. Let's keep this to ourselves." I don't think enough of this population truly understand the many fringe benefits of being the de facto "world police". Yes it cost resources but we did get to have our hands in just about everything. And that will NOT be easy to earn back once it's lost
"I don't think enough of this population truly understand the many fringe benefits of being the de facto "world police"."
The inability (refusal?) of the MAGAs to understand the value of America's place as world leader, bastion of democracy (flawed, but still...), enforcer, police, etc is the lie underlying "America First." IOW, "America First" is just plain bad for America.
The lack of humility is what gets me. The inability to say "I may not be right, I may not know the answer, I am not sure" is what does them in. Just because you don't know in the moment doesn't mean you're stupid. Refusing to learn and doubling down on an unverified or false pretense? Now THAT is stupid. Most of MAGA's "America First" is actually just "Me and mine first". They don't care about America or Democracy, just themselves.
They do, but in the way you laugh at a train wreck but also cringe at the same time.
I suspect they look at us and think about building nuclear shelters.
Andrew: “If Pulte’s appointment suggests Trump intends to keep doubling down on his revenge tour, it will do little to help either his swooning popularity …”
Andrew, I have to question your word choice here. “Swooning,” though technically correct, is what teen girls do over their hunky heroes. I would prefer “plummeting” or “plunging,” which — as Jack Shafer is fond of noting — is what buses do over cliffs.
What's the big deal with Iran? Yesterday the White House announced that everything will work out. What more are they supposed to do?!?!?! /s
Bored. And boring. No time. So busy. Moving on!
Who is waving around the laser pointer during POTUS "executive time"?
I used to have a boss who would claim he was "so busy". To be found in his office reading a book. At least he could read.
It's so ridiculous it would be hilarious if it wasn't so serious. Lil Marco literally said the war was over yesterday just hours before Iran launched a large drone strike on Kuwait and Bahrain...
In a few weeks, most of the world's stored oil runs out. At that point, world economic activity has to decrease by 20% to accommodate the lack of supply. It's not just higher prices, very very soon oil just won't be available. Good thing the President is bored with the whole thing and we cab invade Cuba and Greenland.
Yup, feels like we're sleep walking into a disaster (well, an even bigger disaster I suppose). But the stock market is up so... *shrug*
I saw someone on a news story yesterday seriously making that point. His stocks were up, so all of this concern over the war and oil supplies is just nonsensical TDS. My stocks are up today, so everything is great!
And tomorrow will be just like today! It always is, right?
In that yo-yo's "mind"... yes! :)
Trump thinks he has leverage with American and Venezuelan oil. Just open these two spigots more and the world will come to him for his patronage. His delusional state can't allow him to see this will not work.