I don’t want to get hopes up, especially this week when our hopes have been dashed to the ground and then stomped on. But something original is happening legally in the January 6 case helmed by Jack Smith. Smith earlier asked for all the dates on calendar to be vacated. Judge Tanya Chutkan has granted that (unopposed) request. I am not saying that this is going to move the case forward to an immediate trial. I am saying that we’re about to see something that we have not seen before, simply because we have never been here before. NBC News:
In a filing on Friday, Smith pointed out that Trump, the defendant, is set to be certified as president-elect on Jan. 6, 2025, and inaugurated on Jan. 20. In light of the impending change in Trump’s status, Smith asked that Chutkan pause all remaining pretrial deadlines to allow his office “time to assess this unprecedented circumstance and determine the appropriate course going forward consistent with Department of Justice policy.”
The Justice Department has a longstanding policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.
Trump’s defense team did not object to the request, and Chutkan granted the motion shortly after. […]
Smith has been a major Trump target over his leading prosecutorial role in the president-elect’s two federal cases. Trump, who has repeatedly vowed to punish his rivals if he returns to the White House, said just days before the election that he would fire Smith “within two seconds” if he becomes president again. And some members of Trump’s inner circle, including tech billionaire Elon Musk and lawyer Mike Davis, have called for Smith to be prosecuted.
NBC News makes it clear that this is a developing story. All I can say is that Jack Smith has always meticulously approached everything that he has done in these cases. It does not stand to reason that Smith is making these moves without having some kind of a plan or a theory. I say that we keep a sharp eye out.
Maybe there is a ray of light in the darkness. In all events, we can’t stop fighting and I applaud Jack Smith for not giving up. He’s showing sheer courage in the face of massive opposition. We can all learn from this man.
Jack Smith will continue to play four games of three dimensional chess simultaneously while Trump’s legal team thinks they’re playing checkers and Trump is still learning tic-tac-toe.
The question isn’t ‘Is he out-manouvring them’, it’s ‘How is he out-manouvring them’.
Ursula, thank you (and Murf!) for some positivity. I have chosen to not read one of your writers because I am SO, SO over the constant doom and gloom and big helpings of negativity.
We are in hell now, yes, so let’s take a week to deal with it (I’m still numb, argh) and then figure out how to climb out. It’s only 4 years, and I do not believe he will be able to do everything he thinks he will be able to. I am seeing all sorts of articles about Kamala did this and that wrong, Democrats did this and that wrong, and I want to grab someone and shake them and say “what’s done is done”.
For a bit of humor, to add insult to injury, the heating coil in our dryer went out on Tuesday. I think that opinion *cough* is a little extreme.
So let’s look to the future and see what we can do.
I get what you’re saying. I’m trying to summon some fight and encourage others to do the same. I also know one thing ALL dictators hate is to be made fun of so keeping in mind humor can be a weapon I posted something doing just that and asking others to chime in. Some have and with pretty good stuff. I’m past caring about polite, being respectful (it’s not like the other side, led by Trump shows any to us) so I say make fun of THEM whenever we can. That bugs Trump and the rest more than any reasoned and factual stuff does. Not that we should ignore that, but it’s easy to tweak Trump’s nose and get him and others to reveal how thin-skinned and buffoonish he and they are.
But tough as it is right now most of all we have to summon something in ourselves to fight back. We got sucker-punched and knocked down by half our country. But WE are half of it and we have a choice. Stay down or get up mad and hit back. I’m working hard on getting into the latter mindset and I hope you’ll read what I posted earlier this evening. I think you’ll agree with most if not all what’s in it.
I, too, am tired of all the self-flagellation by Democrats. Trump “won” because: 1. Putin and Musk helped him cheat. 2. Right-wing media lied. 3. Mainstream media failed to tell us the truth.
We would all do well to read up on resistance movements in other authoritarian countries. We need a blueprint to deal with this.
I realize … and I’m sorry it took me so long … there’s one more reason, and it’s probably the most important of all. You might say it’s the elephant in the room.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/us-trump-election-gaza-effect-voting-boycott-harris
So yes, what it means is that Trump really didn’t win, as much as that Harris lost. And it was the combination of Netanyahu and AIPAC that put her (and Biden before her) over a barrel. But they may not have realized just how bad it was because they are so used to AIPAC calling the shots on Israel, they just didn’t realize that this time it was different. Never forget that Netanyahu desperately wanted Trump to win — this is one of the many reasons he has continued blowing Gaza to smithereens for over a year now — and about 80% of American Jewish voters wanted Trump to lose.
I don’t know what the hell my phone did to my comment but it added a number onto my name and it’s pissed me off. I’m already registered and so forth. Grrrrr.
It ‘s only half the country if everyone votes. Add all the non-voters to our side as people who didn’t vote for him.
Well, in fairness, you could say that about “all the non-voters” in ANY election as “people who didn’t vote for” a particular candidate.
In 2020, “all the non-voters” didn’t vote for Joe Biden.
In 2016, “all the non-voters” didn’t vote for Donald Trump.
In 2008 and 2012, “all the non-voters” didn’t vote for Barack Obama.
Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
Hell, I remember all the talk about Reagan’s “landslide victory” in 1984 when he got roughly 60% of the popular vote to Mondale’s 40%. But nobody was talking about the fact that voter turnout was only about 60% so, Reagan only got about 36% of the vote.
The problem, of course, is that nobody counts (or cares about) the non-voters. I suppose these non-voters are the TRUE undecideds–and just look at how many of them there are, compared to the “undecideds” in polls; if anything, they’re woefully undercounted. Maybe pollsters should add an option in their polling: “Do you plan on voting in this election for [specific office]” and THEN go into asking about candidates. If the response is “no,” then follow up with “Why do not plan on voting?” But then, that would mean you’d need HUMAN pollsters willing to spend time listening (and copying down) the responses. Granted, there could be hundreds of different reasons but the number-crunchers could easily group these reasons into some broad categories that would be easy to follow.
Denis, I am INCREDIBLY complimented that you chose to comment on my comment. I just re-read your column for the 3rd time, and you said everything I did here, only better. I will be commenting but I need to make some notes before I do so I can at least be coherent about it. Your column needs the …. damn I can’t find the word I want. Let’s just say it deserves the courtesy of a thoughtful response. You’ll likely see it tomorrow.
By the way, I read the site and comments on my phone, so I have to keep checking back to see if there are (that word again) comments. I think I shall look into getting it on my PC where “refresh” is a lot easier. The advantage of the phone is I can read it anywhere, as long as I’m not driving.
And one other thing – I forward Politizoom to not only my husband, but friends in Scotland and Tasmania. I’ve been told they are getting a lot of information, that they haven’t been able to get any other way. Unfortunately, the rest of my family is a write-off and I’m sure you can guess why…..
What a week. H@#$, I now know that I can take about anything. My constant companion, my black dog/boy died on Friday, pre election, quite unexpectedly and painfully. So, by election night I was about all cried out. Election evening I went from disbelief to horror to downright pissed. So, I’m mad, very mad. Let these tRumpian idiots bring it on.
We’re better, smarter, and more devious. And they will have ALL the branches of government. It’s all theirs. I don’t want to hear a peep out of them when things go belly up. ONWARD!!!
don’t get your hopes up. Smith will have to ice the case, he can’t move it forward. he may even have to leave the country.