This is indeed disturbing news. IF it’s true. Tomorrow the news will be dominated by the official proceedings of counting and certifying the Electoral Votes. It’s safe to say it will be a rather orderly, even boring affair. Certainly not like the Trump instigated American version of the Reichstag Fire our country and the entire world saw four years ago. Then there will be several days where honoring the extraordinary life and service of Jimmy Carter will be a big part of the news. Along with Trump of course trying to sh*t all over it. So it’s with that in mind I want to call people’s attention to this Hegseth business.
As the title indicates CBS is reporting Senate Majority Leader John Thune has PRIVATELY told Trump the votes are there to confirm the rapist and drunk Hegseth. Yes, those are provocative descriptors and are intended as such. He is a drunk and long has been. Whatever promises he’s making to not drink once at the Pentagon aren’t worth the beer coasters they’re written on. As for the rape allegation, he developed a reputation and while conservatives like to say he was “exonerated’ he wasn’t. The victim declined to press charges in criminal court. Happens with rape and sexual assault victims around the country every day. And victims of high profile, rich and/or powerful people, especially those with a freaking news network to help can make a victim’s life hell.
The police actually recommended filing charges but as I said the prosecutor declined to do so. Hegseth however DID decide it was in his interest to hush the whole thing up (remember, the cops thought there was a good case against him) with a settlement. Complete with a non-disclosure agreement of course. It will be interesting to see whether during his confirmation hearings a way is found to make that agreement, along with other details of the case public. The linked article says Hegseth’s rounds with Senators have ‘gone well’ which I guess means Murkowski has waffled. And Susan Collins, after much ‘brow furrowing’ too. But we can’t be sure at this point. Plus there is the matter of one or more sessions in front of the Senate panel that will grill Hegseth. Here’s what we know, or think we know at the moment:
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has privately told President-elect Donald Trump that he believes Pete Hegseth will have the votes to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense, according to three sources.
When asked for comment, a spokesman for Thune would only tell CBS News, “Two things we don’t discuss publicly: Whip counts and private conversations with the president.”
It’s that second part we should be thinking about. If Thune did in fact tell Trump it looks like Hegseth is a go it might have been just to keep Trump happy for the time being. Thune has plenty on his plate and Hegseth’s isn’t the only “problem” nomination he’s got to push through. He’s got more room to work with than Moses Mikey over in the House but not that much. In any case CBS has sources he’s told Trump one thing, yet publicly he’s being awfully circumspect:
The new Senate Majority Leader in an interview with “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” promised a fair process but expressed more caution.
“I think these are nominees who are new enough, they’ve been going around and conducting their meetings, which I think, frankly, have gone very well, but they still have to make their case in front of the committee. And, you know, we don’t know all the information about some of these nominees.”
I can’t help but wonder what Trumpty is thinking about all this tonight. Especially if Thune did in fact tell him Hegseth will be confirmed. Well, his hearing is set for the 14th and I say if you can tune in. I sure as hell plan to because it will tell us an awful lot about not just this but other Trump nominations that have raised a lot of concerns, even among some Republicans. For now I just wanted to alert you to what’s going to be on tap at the end of the week. I’d say an awful lot of news attention will shift to that upcoming Hegseth hearing come Friday and over the weekend.
I for one won’t be wasting time in the meantime. Having two GOP Senators I’ll keep contacting their offices to remind them of why Hegseth is both UNFIT and UNQUALIFIED. I urge you all to do the same with your own Senators. Voice your support to Democrats (or the Independents that caucus with us) about opposing Hegseth and your opposition to Republicans. I also want you to keep in mind that Peckerhead Pete isn’t the only dirtbag the Senate is slated to hold hearings on next week. There’s Gabbard, Noem, Bondi among others that are rather less controversial like Rubio and Stefanik. According to the linked article Democrats are working to negotiate a schedule to allow for more spread out hearings. The GOP of course wants to ram a slew of confirmations through before Trumpty is sworn in on the 20th.
So yes I will be spending a lot of my time focusing on Jimmy Carter. And I figure one way I can honor him is to NOT let what Trump and the GOP want to do happen without fighting as much as I can in my own small ways. I hope you feel the same.
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Denis…admirable to contact our two senators…waste of time in my book…I hassled Tillis and Burr over their lies and refusal to hold Trump accountable during two impeachment trials THAT NEVER HAPPENED. Their staff tired of me pointing out their treason, so they had the capital police contact me…another clueless beauracrat…we had a nice pointless chat. Budd is a Maga. Tillis is a coward. They embody the Elvis Costello line from Watching the Detectives…I get so angry when the teardrops start…but he can’t be wounded because he’s got no heart. They have neither heart nor principles. Collins is a whore for attention, but as predictable as the sun. Lisa is as dependable as one ply tissue paper…you WILL get shit on your finger dealing with her. After all, this administration is full of rapists and sexual predators. I read where, instead of legitimizing this administration, the democrats should do what the Republicans did to Obama…not cooperate on any level and MAKE THEM OWN EVERY EVIL THEY DO. Maybe the magats will feel enough pain and digust and not bother to vote…the only issue is whether the vote will be for Trump or Trump…you know like the elections in Russia. Let the catastrophes begin…
disgust…
So I suppose at some point I will get a call or knock on my door asking me why I’m “hassling” our P.O.S. Senators? I’m careful not to make any comment that can be construed as a threat – unless promising to NOT vote for them and doing all I can to encourage others not to do so is a threat. I’ll give any “investigator” the number to the ACLU, hell, maybe get them on speakerphone during the “chat” the goon(s) want to have about a citizen exercising first amendment rights. Maybe someone who knows iPhones better than me can coach me on how to make recordings of conversations? That could come in handy, especially with the news folks I can get hold of!
If Tillis or Budd don’t like it they can eff off. I like to cite a quote from Peter Gent’s The Franchise where the main character finds a letter his murdered friend didn’t get a chance to send – along with information on how the head of the player’s union betrayed them and was in cahoots with the owners. Bobby writes: They can kill us and eat us but that doesn’t mean we have to taste good. We can still stick in their craw and make them sick as fucking dogs!
THAT my friend is how I feel and why I still contact those P.O.S. Senators. So they KNOW we aren’t all sheep, and refuse to bow down to their conservative dogma, much less worship their Turd Emperor.
Your call marine. I didn’t threaten them, except after they shitcanned the impeachments, I did remind them they were public servants and their offices, etc., were public record. As they are. These snowflakes have been privileged for so long…they think they are invincible. It’s nothing new…authoritarian governments cannot, and will not tolerate dissent, doubt, or disagreement. Neither will this dictator. Once Hitler took over Germany’s judiciary, it was over for anyone who dared oppose them. I see no evidence these fascists will operate any differently. Our two asshats will line up behind WHATEVER he does. We already know he owns the court.
I wonder at what point the Suckhole Six of SCOTUS will finally be hit with the enormity of their mistake? Ok, not Thomas and Alito but the other four. All of them knew two things. They were the realized four decades long dream of The Federalist Society of a Court that would rewrite the law and even in a fashion the Constitution to long dreamed of Robber Barron conservative ends. Thomas and Alito are both pretty old and Roberts himself is no spring chicken. But the odds were that at least one of the Federalist Society GROOMED Justices would be gone in the next four years. A 5-4 Court wouldn’t allow quite as sweeping changes as have been intended and the possibility existed to even “flip” the balance. ALL of them knew that. Their loyalty was to the vision of Leonard Leo and The Federalist Society and not to the law and the Constitution.
The second thing they KNEW is that had they sat on their hands as they should have and let the DC appellate ruling stand Trump’s trial in DC would have taken place and THAT would have ensured he’d never get a second term. If the trial had started (which it would have) as it should have by the time of the convention the GOP would have had a floor fight that would have made Democrats in 1968 seem like a fucking garden party! But no way would Trump have won in a general election with day after day of news about goings on at the trial dominating the news. THAT would have meant a Democrat in the Presidency for four more years, and given how it was the GOP that allowed Trump to slip away like a greased pig by not convicting him on his impeachment charges we might have even retained control of the Senate.
So those six assholes did what they did to help Trump get a second term. If one of them died or wanted to retire some forty-year-old Federalist Society GROOMED asshat could replace them. However they’ve shown at times an unwillingness to go along with all things Trump. What WILL they do when the time comes they rule against him and he says HE is President, HE has total authority (that ole “Unitary Executive” hard core conservatives including The Federalist Society believe in – at least when a Republican is President) and he’s OFFICIALLY declaring SCOTUS has no authority to overrule him?
It WILL happen. Of that I’m sure. I’m also sure that even if in two years we have a House controlled by Democrats again and a THIRD set of Articles of Impeachment are sent to the Senate GUTLESS Republicans won’t vote in great enough numbers to convict Trump. SCOTUS knew all along where things could lead, and that they would become irrelavent. Three Democratic appointed Justices spoke out in their dissents but the SUCKHOLE SIX followed orders from Leonard Leo and The Federalist Society.
I don’t mind the part of the damage they’ve done to themselves. I DO mind the damage they’ve done to the institution of SCOTUS and the country!
Having read several pulitzer prize winning books on the founding fathers and the American Revolution…I would bet Washington would have all these traitors hanged for treason. We’ve lost our democracy…if it isn’t clear to folks…please explain how a murderous traitor that led a violent mob against our capital AS THE SITTING PRESIDENT, goes four years without consequences, and will be legitimized today by that same government. I read the families that had MEMBERS KILLED, don’t want him certified…I bet. No telling what he’ll do to the court, to the country, and to the world because our moronic money celebrity worshipping cretins believe in the tooth fairy and the great pumpkin. If the Democrats had any real commitment to our democracy, THEY WOULDN’T COOPERATE ON ANY LEVEL. But, as you and I know…they’re more than willing to send boys to die to protect THEIR assets, but are pampered privileged cowards. Like it or not, Trump and his nazis are more committed to their evil than the democrats are to our freedoms. The phucking bill is due. The second they stand mutely by and legitimize this POS, the death of democracy will be complete.