I agree. As far as I’m concerned, Judge McAfee committed his own breach of ethics when he allowed the focus of the trial to diverted away from Trump and associates to become a mini trial of Willis and Wade.
Thank you Thom. Every day when I think I can't appreciate life more, your work reminds me that I can. Having information distilled by a good faith truth teller is an absolute treasure - beyond words really, in times like these. I am aware that no one is entitled to the truth (unfortunately), and having access to it is a rarity made possible only through the relentless dedication of decent people such as yourself.
For those whom the truth is too much to shoulder, I understand. I am crippled by it. But I do not turn my back on it. The message is what it is, the messenger that is Thom Hartmann is not to blame.
I hope everyone, without exception, can find some measure of contentedness this weekend.
McAfee could have handled his inquiry in chambers. Trump—a Rapist, a sexual predator who openly voices desires for sexual relations with his DAUGHTER, a serial adulterer, Fraud, Racist —leveled an attack against two, consenting, Black adults—and McAfee turned his courtroom into a circus on trump’s behalf.
McAfee has the ethics problem, here. McAfee, a self proclaimed “libertarian”—aka a right-wing fascist—should recuse himself.
The issue of Fani Willis and Nathan Wade should never have been heard by a judge. He should have thrown it out of the court. If she isn’t allowed to have a private life for years because she is investigating tfg, there is something wrong in our society. It wasn’t her best choice in her life, but there shouldn’t have been a question of ‘conflict of interest’.
Especially after establishing that their relationship did NOT start prior to their association on the case.
The Trump people are prosecuting it all on “optics” at this poiint, and dissembling on the optics, at that.
I did think it showed bad judgment, mostly because it clearly fed the Trump machine with the raw material for a “scandal.” But I also see a lot of reason coming forth in this discussion …
Thanks, Thom. Every day when I think I can’t get more depressed, you remind me that I can. Reading this, my misanthropy is confirmed. I’d like to believe we will help Ukraine, that there will be a blue tsunami in November, that moderate and progressive media will have the reach and impact of toxic, cultist media, that reason, common sense, justice, fairness, dignity and compassion will again be in the ascendant. More fool me. Maybe a nuclear cleansing is in order, as our species, taken as a whole, has been a disaster for the planet and itself, despite fleeting bright spots along the way. Perhaps we should depart en masse, and let God sort us out. The plot waiting for me in our local cemetery looks better and better. Oh. And have a great weekend, everyone!
I am with you Roy. However I would like to know what you consider the moderate and progressive media. I can think of none. I do know that some play at being moderate, but that is only because of what is called market segmentation. meaning that Fox, Blaz, OANN, NewsMax,and the likes have a monopoly on at least half of America or more, and the youth of America spend their time on the cell phone and streaming, that leaves old farts, like moi, watching MSNBC, which is careful not to compromise their relationship with advertisers, by treading into the deepwaters like global warming, the petro chemical cabal, PhRMA, and AHIP, and financial institutions.
There are some obscure leftist pubs and one channel, which I use to support, but when I discovered that they were obliquely supporters of Putin and now HAMAS I had it.
I am another old fart, turning 76 in June. As to moderate and progressive media, I have the Guardian (a bit too Gaza-sympathetic, but not pro-Hamas), Daily Kos, various bloggers on The Bulwark. None with the reach of the fascist media except possibly the Guardian. All requiring some degree of literacy and thoughtfulness, not spectacle and entertainment. Which means the masses likely don’t know of them or have the attention spans to read them. I know, I sound like an elitist saying that, but it remains true.
I hear you Roy, but as it stands now, HAMAS and it's fellow travelers on the left and media, are using Gaza sympathy to whip up emotions in the west,.
As evidence I present: There is no similar hourly wringing of hands, and breast beating over Ukraine. Despite the fact that Putin is and has targeted schools, hospitals, even a maternity hospital and civilian apartments.
You don't see any reporting of the thousands of people killed by Putin, but we do get daily reports from HAMAS, channeled as the Gaza or Palestinian Health Ministry reports on the poor suffering "Palestinians", replete with a constant stream of videos, yet nothing like that from Ukraine.
Selective outrage Roy.
Also not a coincidence that Oct 7th was Putin's birthday, and that Iran, who has supplied HAMAS with rockets and weapons, as well as (quite obviously) technical and military advice and training, is butt buddies with Putin and is supplying him with Shaheed (means Martyr) drones.
If one stops and thinks, instead of reacting to the steady stream of outrage propaganda, one sees behind the curtain.
I know Pat, it is the crow and the bright shiny object, but there is a constituency and of course the graphic video's. The news from Gaza is more visually titillating and stimulating than that from Ukraine
However the corporate media chooses what "disaster" to concentrate on, and face it Gaza's are Arabs, Arabs are by and large Muslim (Christians and Druze Arabs are a distinct minority and not featured in the videos and news). And Muslims have billions of adherents world wide and hundreds of thousands if not millions in America, where as Ukrainian Americans are a handful, maybe in the hundreds.
Then there is Arab oil money. The Arabs are in the Gazan corner, except when it comes to migration. Neither Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon or Jordan want anything to do with the Gazan or West bank Arabs. They turn them back at the border and send them back if they slip through, but have to put on a face of unity in front of the world wide Muslim community.
The Saudi's are major shareholders in Exxon, and outright own the largest oil refinery in America located in Texas. Lots of political power, money doth buy.
I know such info and a good deal of the history and social stresses and polarizations in the region — I know Gazans are stuck in Rafah and can’t get over a border to flee the unending assault because the border crossing is not open to them … We don’t see the flow of refugees from the war zone there that we saw for months regarding Ukraine or just about any other war zone, just Gazans fleeing from pillar to post and being bombed wherever they go.
I am not going to ever defend Bibi in this. I am not ever going to defend HAMAS in this.
I am always on the side of decency and humanity and every entity in the region doing what it can to protect people in the region —
I detest what Bibi and his ilk have done to the hopes for peace and TWO STATES. I hate how HAMAS has tried to destroy any modicum of trust needed for people to be able to talk.
I hate how the people on the lands between the river and the sea have been driven farther apart, rather than finding SOME basis for talking and problem solving. There was a time in my lifetime when problem solving was on some agendas there.
I know Gaza is on the brink of famine, but when trucks roll in, they are swamped by young men, many maybe most HAMAS fighters, who take everything for themselves and for selling.
It could all come to a halt if HAMAS surrendered and faced trial for war crimes, for the rape and murder the committed. It seems that the media is ignoring that reality and fact, for the more sensational reporting.
In fact, the whole Gaza affair, is the work of the media and HAMAS. HAMAS has it's own religious motives. the media financial, because if it bleeds it leads.
Both sides talk of innocents, but AFIK Settler children are raised with the ideation that Arabs are blood thirsty vampires and terrorist and they have comic books depicting such
however on the Palestinian side, it is the same.
There are peacenik Israelis and Jews, even pro Palestinian Jews, but search as I might I can't find there equivalent amongst Muslims, especially among "Palestinians:
I have this picture of Gazan and West Bank women and children, watching streaming video of HAMAS shooting and burning Jews, and the women ulating and the kids cheering.
I don't have the same image of Jews doing the same as Gaza is attacked, in fact Jews have poured into the streets of Israel demanding a cessation of attacks.
But what you seem to be saying is that the situation in Gaza is worse than the situation in Ukraine and I vociferously demur.
If Ukraine falls, WWIII is inevitable. Putin will sit back, rebuild, retrain, resupply, reconsolidate and attack Lithuania or one of the Baltic states, he neds to secure the Suwalki Gap, that corridor of flat plan, that has been a historic invasion route from the Templars, to Napoleon to Hitler, that separates Kaliningrad from Belarus, which for all practical purposes in a state of Russia.
The Suwalki gap on the map is the border between Poland and Lithuania.. Kaliningrad is Putins warm water port on the Baltic, so is vital., if Russia is denied access to Kaliningrad, Russia is in deep hurts,and then there is Transnistra, officially a part of Moldova, but a Russian Communist Satrapy that mostly separates Ukraine from Moldova.. Moldova has an army of 5,000 men and is at the mercy of Transnistra which is an ally of Putin.
Ukraine is much more important than Israel/Gaza. Saudi Arabia,Egypt, UAE, etc want nothing to do with the "Palestinians" other than they have to stand by them, for unity sake with the worldwide community of Muslims Otherwise they expend a lot of resources to keep the "Palestinians" in Gaza and the West Bank, Egypt has event built a wall to keep them out, and you really don't see any mention of that fact,other than casually, and then ignored.
There is a complete and total loss of objectivity, and that has been the trouble all along. Anyone with a printing press, a megaphone or microphone has skin in the game, be it monetary or ideology (and religion is an ideology, sectarian, but an ideology none the less).
I have a side, freedom vs authoritarianism, and religion is the most pernicious of authoritarianism ideologies. It's old on the masses is unshakeable and it is intrinsically ultra conservative and authoritarian.
Sadly, you are right — I do know of a few voices still struggling to be heard with ideas for how to stop the horror, but people are factionalized, angry, entrenched in cult mentalities {religion cults}. There’s religious fanaticism all around in that land. The very existence of it is put down to the God of Abraham, no matter what side you are on …
I think what is driving those who have the ability to effect the status right now is POWER.
Social media's manipulation of our perspective is a huge problem. If we move Tik Tok from Chinese billionaires to American billionaires there will be little or no benefit. We need some form of oversight. Maybe the algorithms should be public, or something akin to the fairness doctrine. Xitter should not reflect Elons whim.
YESSSS. I think it WILL be better not to feed the Chinese with every bit of business about US citizens, but giving it to billionaires is only a schosh less awful.
ABSOLUTELY putting regs on how these are run, making them answerable to digital audits, and restricting the use and reach of algorithms is key …
That whole deal is about shaking down certain billionaires AND purchasing (by Mnuchin monkey) SMA to run Cambridge analytica against Americans for trumps benefit.
Making another US Oligarch run a MASSIVE social media company wiithout serious laws in place doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it? About the only thing WORSE is having the company in the hands of Russia or China.
I thought it was I’ll advised of Fani and Wade to put themselves in this position. What I did not consider was that Fani had such limited choices. The two consenting adult matter should never have been allowed by the judge. It was a media event the judge needed and relished. What a piece of trash.
What enlightened me were the facts you presented about the judge. Thank you Thomm, once again, for this important insight.
It's still stupid. I lived in a fishbowl for 30 years. We had to file an annual report setting out potential conflicts that included our families. We had an ethics office audit our every move. No gifts over $10. No fraternizing with the bar. In order to hire an outside contractor, FBI background checks. https://www.oge.gov/
Because we had security clearances, FBI background checks every 5 years.
She gave political speeches. I had to clear my speeches and law review articles, my outside activities. I was told that professional activities like giving CLE or teaching had potential conflicts.
We were told to avoid even judicial receptions, bar functions where we did not pay full value out of pocket.
IMHO a prosecutor should be as pristine as Cesar's wife..
Here’s what I wish Willis and Wade had thought about, given the predatory nature of Trump and his staff: Folks have been waiting so long for justice. Even if we manage every iota of financial ties, we must wait until the case is over. We’re adults and can do that.
I have been saying all along I am neither disappointed in Fani Willis, nor surprised that this has happened. As long as they were cleared of illegal doings, which they were, she should not have been on trial. While she made Georgia look progressive, this judge has made Georgia look like a backwater of the Deepest Darkest South, which is apparently closer to the truth. Still I am in admiration that even after she has had the Treacherous-treasonous-traitor-Trump treatment she goes on. Now that is tenacious. More power to her. But, I have expected Trump to play dirty and it is not over until it is over. I hope in the end she is able to say, "Justice was served!"---------------As for the RNC. I am looking at Treacherous-treasonous-traitor-Trump taking it over, as being a further move to implode the party. Even MAGAs are getting fed up and quitting. See MAGA Ken Buck both leaving and sticking it to MAGA Mikey Johnson of Seven Mountain Mandate infamy.
I am glad Treacherous-treasonous-traitor-Trump will bleed his party dry and he won't be spending money on ads, it will be on his legal debts. I think the mob could be making money taking bets on who will quit next. I guess whomever is being threatened if they don't toe-the-line.----------------As for Social Security and Medicare. I truly wish they were on the ballot, along with abortion. Perhaps states should be running initiatives to protect it, like the question, do you support continuing Medicare and Social Security? That will get the reliable seniors who are living off of it to vote. Get the youth out with legalizing Marijuana, ending college debt, and enshrining abortion and fertility supports of all kinds into the constitution.--------------------------------------------------As for Right Wingers buying TikTok, I am hoping that the USA says no foreign ownership of American Media, which it would then be. Also, a platform that is based on a the youth market, which is not majority right wing might have some difficulty manipulating the platform in the way that Musk is manipulating Twitter with old folks on it. People who are not quick to change or they would no longer be on it. Youth is quick to change and let us hope someone would wisely come up with the next big thing. ------------------------------------
As for Michelle Morrow, I am currently reading A Column of Fire: Kingsbridge 1558, by Ken Follett. In many ways, it is about the battle between Catholics and Protestants, and the lives that people led back then. It highlights the corruption of the monarchy, church, and nobility. Yet, the values and expectations of women and children sound pretty much like present day Evangelical Christians in America. Why throw off the shackles of monarchy so that people in the future can take on other shackles? An observation a character make early on is that the extremes of both religious groups are pretty much alike. I see this in our present day Supreme Court (Opus Dei) and Evangelical Christians (Protestants), and the ideas of putting people to death for their thoughts, not actions are pretty much what they are about. In this book, heretics are hung to death, drawn-and-quartered, put on the rack, hung so their arms break out of the sockets, burned alive etc.... This is what the MAGA Republican party under Treacherous-treasonous-traitor-Trump wants to take us back to. I would like to see Biden have Orbán kicked out of NATO, and the EU members kick him out of the EU, and his fellow Hungarians then kick him out of leadership and exile him to another continent, but not here.
Thank you, Thom! I lost respect for McAfee when he refused to allow the charge against Our Mad King (wannabe) Donald for attempting to coerce Raffensperger into "just find 11,780 (+1)". The highlighting of the DAs affair with her lead prosecutor smeared more "poo poo" on his lily white arrogance than on Willis' courageous stance. Can't wait to see how Atlanta jurors react to that one. Also, I would like to recommend Liz Cheney's "Oath and Honor", again, especially pg. 171, where she recounts her conversation with historian Condi Rice, when she asked about "any historic examples of countries successfully throwing off cults of personality." Condi's reply: "Not without great violence and upheaval."
The cowardice of Meritless Garlic and Co. at the DOJ is allowing Trump's insurrection to continue unabated, leading us to civil war, and it could have been avoided, if Our Mad King (wannabe) had been arrested, charged, and jailed immediately after Jan.6 for inciting an insurrection. America has not been sustained as a constitutional Republic for 240 yrs. by the cowardice of our government officials, and their cowardice now will be our downfall.
This right here! McAfee should be sanctioned-he just ruled against America herself! Anyone with an fn brain understood clearly that statement alone is TREASONOUS & deserves the full throttle & fire of law to burn them to hell.
If any of this actually gets to trial, the voire dire process will probably prove unable to seat a jury, unless there is a limit attorneys have on challenges.
You may be an attorney and I am but a retired physician, but I will go to my just end still believing in justice and the rule of law in our constitutional Republic, which serves as a beacon for our massively overcrowded world desperate for hope. Thus, I cannot possibly believe that a mentally ill grifter can defeat the forces of justice enshrined in our Constitution and the patriotic spirit of a nation of immigrants struggling to justify our usurpation of once glorious lands previously stewarded by its native inhabitants. This election may well determine God's judgement as to whether we ever deserved to live here in the first place. Surely, Our Mad King (wannabe) Donald does not deserve that privilege.
While I agree that what two consenting adults do is no one's business. Further that an affair between Fani and Nathan was no, in the wildest stretch a conflict of interest.. which should have been argued.
I do fault Fani for poor judgment, and she is an example of how sex is the ruin of people. male and female not just men. If it weren't for sex there would be no scandals.
No matter what Trump does, he will not lose his base. His base surely knows who he is, but they don't care, he is their ticket to restoration of the old order and a patriarchal Christian theocracy.
The Muslim, Black and far left idiots who will sit out the election because they are unhappy with Biden and the Dems might just as well vote for Trump,. But if they believe that their position will be improved by Trump, forget about it. he has already stated what he intends to do, and they are not going to be pleased, just the opposite. For one thing, Trump is closer to Netanyahu than Biden, after all it was he who moved the Embassy to Jerusalem.
When Musk bought Twitter, turned it into Xitter (pronounced Shitter) it went from bad to worse, imagine Tik Tok in the hands of Mnuchin, Trump's Secretary of the Treasurer.
In my not so humble opinion. If Putin takes Ukraine it will be because there are two factions in the west,including America. 1. The fascists who are ideologically and emotionally aligned with authoritarianism and see Putin and Orban, even Erdogan as role models and allies and weak kneed sob sisters who quake and foul their underwear when anyone waves their nuclear phallus., and of course they are either part of or sympathetic to the neo Marxists (or shall I say sentimental old line Marxists who still think of Russia as the USSR, meaning the 21st Century Tankies and their ilk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tankie
I guarantee you if they hadn’t found the affair, it would’ve been something else. One of Trump‘s lawyers yesterday said, “We have just begun to destroy Fani Willis. There is a lot more to come.“
That motion for sanctions will be filed before the same judge that allowed agent orange minions to skewer Fani. I can smell the stench of that ruling already.
Despite the general consensus on this page, he followed the law, gave an opportunity to be heard and like me most of the time, cut the kid in half.
I was more concerned about the counts that were dismissed. Willis has a chance to take them to a grand jury, perfect them, and refile. He could have forced her to appeal.
I do object to two consenting adults having an affair if they are married! I don't care much for the family unit, kids used to go steady longer than they stayed married nowadays. Banning divorce is the best way to end the family unit concept.
Bob, why the conditional clause "if they are married", it is none of my business what two consenting adults do, any problems are personal, between the two. And surely you have heard of open marriages.
A contentious divorce is not an open marriage and I do believe that when you take a vow to someone you need to keep your word "for death do Us part". Literally and that will make people start thinking that marriage isn't such a good idea. Just look at this this functional mess on this planet. Is it because of genetics or is it environmental? If it is genetics we are doomed, if it is environmental we aren't doomed! The only way to find out is to raise the children all equally with little stress and anxiety no abuse with all their needs met and plenty of playgrounds and toys and fun. Raised without religious indoctrination and hatred towards others and no lying permitted or being greedy. Only rational thinking permitted! The family unit doesn't take responsibility for all the millions or billions of lives it has destroyed!
I plan on the boat sinking sooner, they would be planning on making their spouses their servants forever. I would get blamed for all of their marital problems like the left gets blamed now for all of what Ronald Reagan did and Nixon and Bush senior and Jr. And Trump did. Even Obama, Clinton and Biden are too far to the right for me.
Anyone who has worked for a large corporation would know that having an affair with someone who reports to you, or to whom you report, is not allowed because of conflict of interest. I was surprised when I saw that Georgia law did not prohibit that. The solution in industry is simply to move to a position without that "apparent" conflict of interest. Therefore, I think the judge's decision was fair on that point. Not that I agree with everything else that was done to shame and humiliate Fani Willis.
The affair began BEFORE he was hired by her: he was in private practice with his own firm. He was hired AFTER the affair was over. Please stop repeating Trump’s BS allegations.
Caryl, where is the conflict of interest in this case. They are both working on the same side.
A conflict of interest is created where one party is working both sides, or people in a relationship are working both sides.
A government official in charge of a department and owns shares in a company doing business with the government department that provides services to his or her department has a conflict of interest.
Most Congress critters have a conflict of interest, especially those that have stock in some industry or service that they vote on.
I see no conflict of interest between Willis and Wade.
Please do NOT take this to imply even the minutest degree of sympathy with trump's position. No doubt McAfee did go too far; I've heard / seen much analysis indicating that the mere appearance of impropriety has never been cause to remove a prosecutor in Georgia. However, maybe just because I'm "of a certain age," I think Willis should have applied the "Caesar's wife" standard before appointing Wade.
According to right wingers, democrats are supposed to be perfect, rethuglicans can hate thy neighbor, bare false, be greedy, rape, lie and kill. What is so hard to understand about that?
I haven't ran into any far lefties who support Putin? Maybe some Russian trolls? Of course there aren't very many lefties in rural Arizona alive. Any human that supports a dictator is certifiably insane.
We can call ourselves a Christian, or a capitalist, or a leftist or a rightist or a communist...., The only thing that matters is what we are, not what we believe we are.
It is not that they outright support Putin, Bob, it is that they are so steeped in Marxist, or what they think is Marxist rhetoric about imperialism and colonialism (a prime example is Barry Kaufman and his "likers", that they support Putin, not outright (they might on occasion dis him) but, they support him, by being against our support of Ukraine.
What we believe we are, is our identity, and our identity determines what we are, that is how we think, and how we think is how we behave.
As an example. If one believes that they are a white,Christian, male, supremacist, how do you think they will behave and how will they vote?
Whenever a party to any proceeding in a district court makes and files a timely and sufficient affidavit that the judge before whom the matter is pending has a personal bias or prejudice either against him or in favor of any adverse party, such judge shall proceed no further therein, but another judge shall be assigned to hear such proceeding.
The affidavit shall state the facts and the reasons for the belief that bias or prejudice exists, and shall be filed not less than ten days before the beginning of the term at which the proceeding is to be heard, or good cause shall be shown for failure to file it within such time. A party may file only one such affidavit in any case. It shall be accompanied by a certificate of counsel of record stating that it is made in good faith.
No clue. Should have been filed as soon as she took jurisdiction on case # 2. It could be that for PR purposes didn't want to look like DOJ is judge shopping -- but that's exactly what Trump did when he filed case # 1.
The 11th cir panel, comprised of MAGATS, ruled that Cannon should never have taken jurisdiction. The 11th Circuit found that Cannon “improperly exercised equitable jurisdiction” in hearing the case and that the entire proceeding should be dismissed. Notably, the court also found that regardless of the status of a document in question (personal or presidential), the government maintains the authority to seize it under a warrant supported by probable cause.
The panel wrote, “The law is clear. We cannot write a rule that allows any subject of a search warrant to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant. Nor can we write a rule that allows only former presidents to do so.”
The rule in the 11th cir is that recusal for bias must be filed as soon as the movant knew or should have known about it.
There are allegations that she fixed it with the clerk and that her husband works for someone affiliated with Trump. Don't know that Jack Smith could include this stuff in an affidavit.
I want to assume Good Faith with Jack Smith, I sure know that those who want Trump held up to justice sure do, but they also were gleeful in anticipation of the Mueller Report.
One burned shame on you, twice burned shame on me.
The problem is Merrick Garland though. I don't think Trump will ever see in the inside of a criminal court, outside of Georgia, if even then.
Garland is either motivated by pure self interest and/or ideology. He has made Biden's life and ours, a political hell, and Biden's a personal hell and he can only blame himself for taking the easy road and appointing him AG.
Unintended consequences or the snake biting it's tail
Garland still could remove Cannon from the case. Smith could request it. He has the evidence, her behavior in respect to Trump's case as it currently stands, improper and prejudiced rulings, if nothing else Judicial Incompetence.
When they are black working together to hold a racist white man accountable, especially when (& why!) said white man is leading the charge to destroy laws hard won simply granting equity (at least on paper if not practice) that the south’s racists despise!
I agree. As far as I’m concerned, Judge McAfee committed his own breach of ethics when he allowed the focus of the trial to diverted away from Trump and associates to become a mini trial of Willis and Wade.
She looks vulnerable and appearance is enough to make her a target. If I were in her position, the ADAs would move to first chair.
I’m glad she went on the offensive on the witness stand, and not defensive. Defensive is a sure sign that Trump will win…
The trial is still on ! It remains to be seen if Georgia can still get the man in the dock and bring him down.
Makes me wonder if he’s on the take too.
Hmm…and Willis/Wade had no responsibility for this diversion?
Thank you Thom. Every day when I think I can't appreciate life more, your work reminds me that I can. Having information distilled by a good faith truth teller is an absolute treasure - beyond words really, in times like these. I am aware that no one is entitled to the truth (unfortunately), and having access to it is a rarity made possible only through the relentless dedication of decent people such as yourself.
For those whom the truth is too much to shoulder, I understand. I am crippled by it. But I do not turn my back on it. The message is what it is, the messenger that is Thom Hartmann is not to blame.
I hope everyone, without exception, can find some measure of contentedness this weekend.
I am with you John, there are more than enough three monkey;s around, because reality is too hard to digest
Exactly.
McAfee could have handled his inquiry in chambers. Trump—a Rapist, a sexual predator who openly voices desires for sexual relations with his DAUGHTER, a serial adulterer, Fraud, Racist —leveled an attack against two, consenting, Black adults—and McAfee turned his courtroom into a circus on trump’s behalf.
McAfee has the ethics problem, here. McAfee, a self proclaimed “libertarian”—aka a right-wing fascist—should recuse himself.
The issue of Fani Willis and Nathan Wade should never have been heard by a judge. He should have thrown it out of the court. If she isn’t allowed to have a private life for years because she is investigating tfg, there is something wrong in our society. It wasn’t her best choice in her life, but there shouldn’t have been a question of ‘conflict of interest’.
Especially after establishing that their relationship did NOT start prior to their association on the case.
The Trump people are prosecuting it all on “optics” at this poiint, and dissembling on the optics, at that.
I did think it showed bad judgment, mostly because it clearly fed the Trump machine with the raw material for a “scandal.” But I also see a lot of reason coming forth in this discussion …
Thanks, Thom. Every day when I think I can’t get more depressed, you remind me that I can. Reading this, my misanthropy is confirmed. I’d like to believe we will help Ukraine, that there will be a blue tsunami in November, that moderate and progressive media will have the reach and impact of toxic, cultist media, that reason, common sense, justice, fairness, dignity and compassion will again be in the ascendant. More fool me. Maybe a nuclear cleansing is in order, as our species, taken as a whole, has been a disaster for the planet and itself, despite fleeting bright spots along the way. Perhaps we should depart en masse, and let God sort us out. The plot waiting for me in our local cemetery looks better and better. Oh. And have a great weekend, everyone!
I am with you Roy. However I would like to know what you consider the moderate and progressive media. I can think of none. I do know that some play at being moderate, but that is only because of what is called market segmentation. meaning that Fox, Blaz, OANN, NewsMax,and the likes have a monopoly on at least half of America or more, and the youth of America spend their time on the cell phone and streaming, that leaves old farts, like moi, watching MSNBC, which is careful not to compromise their relationship with advertisers, by treading into the deepwaters like global warming, the petro chemical cabal, PhRMA, and AHIP, and financial institutions.
There are some obscure leftist pubs and one channel, which I use to support, but when I discovered that they were obliquely supporters of Putin and now HAMAS I had it.
I am another old fart, turning 76 in June. As to moderate and progressive media, I have the Guardian (a bit too Gaza-sympathetic, but not pro-Hamas), Daily Kos, various bloggers on The Bulwark. None with the reach of the fascist media except possibly the Guardian. All requiring some degree of literacy and thoughtfulness, not spectacle and entertainment. Which means the masses likely don’t know of them or have the attention spans to read them. I know, I sound like an elitist saying that, but it remains true.
I hear you Roy, but as it stands now, HAMAS and it's fellow travelers on the left and media, are using Gaza sympathy to whip up emotions in the west,.
As evidence I present: There is no similar hourly wringing of hands, and breast beating over Ukraine. Despite the fact that Putin is and has targeted schools, hospitals, even a maternity hospital and civilian apartments.
You don't see any reporting of the thousands of people killed by Putin, but we do get daily reports from HAMAS, channeled as the Gaza or Palestinian Health Ministry reports on the poor suffering "Palestinians", replete with a constant stream of videos, yet nothing like that from Ukraine.
Selective outrage Roy.
Also not a coincidence that Oct 7th was Putin's birthday, and that Iran, who has supplied HAMAS with rockets and weapons, as well as (quite obviously) technical and military advice and training, is butt buddies with Putin and is supplying him with Shaheed (means Martyr) drones.
If one stops and thinks, instead of reacting to the steady stream of outrage propaganda, one sees behind the curtain.
We had wall to wall, bullet to bullet coverage of Ukraine BEFORE Gaza happened, for months.
The media are attracted to the most recent loud noise or shiny object … That’s what’s happening again . Not surprising. Not helpful, either.
I know Pat, it is the crow and the bright shiny object, but there is a constituency and of course the graphic video's. The news from Gaza is more visually titillating and stimulating than that from Ukraine
However the corporate media chooses what "disaster" to concentrate on, and face it Gaza's are Arabs, Arabs are by and large Muslim (Christians and Druze Arabs are a distinct minority and not featured in the videos and news). And Muslims have billions of adherents world wide and hundreds of thousands if not millions in America, where as Ukrainian Americans are a handful, maybe in the hundreds.
Then there is Arab oil money. The Arabs are in the Gazan corner, except when it comes to migration. Neither Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon or Jordan want anything to do with the Gazan or West bank Arabs. They turn them back at the border and send them back if they slip through, but have to put on a face of unity in front of the world wide Muslim community.
The Saudi's are major shareholders in Exxon, and outright own the largest oil refinery in America located in Texas. Lots of political power, money doth buy.
I know such info and a good deal of the history and social stresses and polarizations in the region — I know Gazans are stuck in Rafah and can’t get over a border to flee the unending assault because the border crossing is not open to them … We don’t see the flow of refugees from the war zone there that we saw for months regarding Ukraine or just about any other war zone, just Gazans fleeing from pillar to post and being bombed wherever they go.
I am not going to ever defend Bibi in this. I am not ever going to defend HAMAS in this.
I am always on the side of decency and humanity and every entity in the region doing what it can to protect people in the region —
I detest what Bibi and his ilk have done to the hopes for peace and TWO STATES. I hate how HAMAS has tried to destroy any modicum of trust needed for people to be able to talk.
I hate how the people on the lands between the river and the sea have been driven farther apart, rather than finding SOME basis for talking and problem solving. There was a time in my lifetime when problem solving was on some agendas there.
Both situations deserve press coverage, but Gaza is on the brink of famine. Do you think this merits extra attention?
I know Gaza is on the brink of famine, but when trucks roll in, they are swamped by young men, many maybe most HAMAS fighters, who take everything for themselves and for selling.
It could all come to a halt if HAMAS surrendered and faced trial for war crimes, for the rape and murder the committed. It seems that the media is ignoring that reality and fact, for the more sensational reporting.
In fact, the whole Gaza affair, is the work of the media and HAMAS. HAMAS has it's own religious motives. the media financial, because if it bleeds it leads.
Both sides talk of innocents, but AFIK Settler children are raised with the ideation that Arabs are blood thirsty vampires and terrorist and they have comic books depicting such
however on the Palestinian side, it is the same.
There are peacenik Israelis and Jews, even pro Palestinian Jews, but search as I might I can't find there equivalent amongst Muslims, especially among "Palestinians:
I have this picture of Gazan and West Bank women and children, watching streaming video of HAMAS shooting and burning Jews, and the women ulating and the kids cheering.
I don't have the same image of Jews doing the same as Gaza is attacked, in fact Jews have poured into the streets of Israel demanding a cessation of attacks.
But what you seem to be saying is that the situation in Gaza is worse than the situation in Ukraine and I vociferously demur.
If Ukraine falls, WWIII is inevitable. Putin will sit back, rebuild, retrain, resupply, reconsolidate and attack Lithuania or one of the Baltic states, he neds to secure the Suwalki Gap, that corridor of flat plan, that has been a historic invasion route from the Templars, to Napoleon to Hitler, that separates Kaliningrad from Belarus, which for all practical purposes in a state of Russia.
The Suwalki gap on the map is the border between Poland and Lithuania.. Kaliningrad is Putins warm water port on the Baltic, so is vital., if Russia is denied access to Kaliningrad, Russia is in deep hurts,and then there is Transnistra, officially a part of Moldova, but a Russian Communist Satrapy that mostly separates Ukraine from Moldova.. Moldova has an army of 5,000 men and is at the mercy of Transnistra which is an ally of Putin.
Ukraine is much more important than Israel/Gaza. Saudi Arabia,Egypt, UAE, etc want nothing to do with the "Palestinians" other than they have to stand by them, for unity sake with the worldwide community of Muslims Otherwise they expend a lot of resources to keep the "Palestinians" in Gaza and the West Bank, Egypt has event built a wall to keep them out, and you really don't see any mention of that fact,other than casually, and then ignored.
W
I’m at a loss — I seek out specific voices now — organizations, they worry me too much …
There is a complete and total loss of objectivity, and that has been the trouble all along. Anyone with a printing press, a megaphone or microphone has skin in the game, be it monetary or ideology (and religion is an ideology, sectarian, but an ideology none the less).
I have a side, freedom vs authoritarianism, and religion is the most pernicious of authoritarianism ideologies. It's old on the masses is unshakeable and it is intrinsically ultra conservative and authoritarian.
Sadly, you are right — I do know of a few voices still struggling to be heard with ideas for how to stop the horror, but people are factionalized, angry, entrenched in cult mentalities {religion cults}. There’s religious fanaticism all around in that land. The very existence of it is put down to the God of Abraham, no matter what side you are on …
I think what is driving those who have the ability to effect the status right now is POWER.
Power using religion to control people.
Period.
Social media's manipulation of our perspective is a huge problem. If we move Tik Tok from Chinese billionaires to American billionaires there will be little or no benefit. We need some form of oversight. Maybe the algorithms should be public, or something akin to the fairness doctrine. Xitter should not reflect Elons whim.
YESSSS. I think it WILL be better not to feed the Chinese with every bit of business about US citizens, but giving it to billionaires is only a schosh less awful.
ABSOLUTELY putting regs on how these are run, making them answerable to digital audits, and restricting the use and reach of algorithms is key …
That whole deal is about shaking down certain billionaires AND purchasing (by Mnuchin monkey) SMA to run Cambridge analytica against Americans for trumps benefit.
Making another US Oligarch run a MASSIVE social media company wiithout serious laws in place doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it? About the only thing WORSE is having the company in the hands of Russia or China.
I thought it was I’ll advised of Fani and Wade to put themselves in this position. What I did not consider was that Fani had such limited choices. The two consenting adult matter should never have been allowed by the judge. It was a media event the judge needed and relished. What a piece of trash.
What enlightened me were the facts you presented about the judge. Thank you Thomm, once again, for this important insight.
It's still stupid. I lived in a fishbowl for 30 years. We had to file an annual report setting out potential conflicts that included our families. We had an ethics office audit our every move. No gifts over $10. No fraternizing with the bar. In order to hire an outside contractor, FBI background checks. https://www.oge.gov/
Because we had security clearances, FBI background checks every 5 years.
She gave political speeches. I had to clear my speeches and law review articles, my outside activities. I was told that professional activities like giving CLE or teaching had potential conflicts.
We were told to avoid even judicial receptions, bar functions where we did not pay full value out of pocket.
IMHO a prosecutor should be as pristine as Cesar's wife..
Here’s what I wish Willis and Wade had thought about, given the predatory nature of Trump and his staff: Folks have been waiting so long for justice. Even if we manage every iota of financial ties, we must wait until the case is over. We’re adults and can do that.
That’s how I was viewing it, and I think she should have realized that was “best practices” when going after The Donald.
But, there’s validity in criticizing how the situation was handled from both directions.
EXCEPT, the guys coming off looking the worst are Fani and her beau. Which is sad.
Julius not Augustus.
I have been saying all along I am neither disappointed in Fani Willis, nor surprised that this has happened. As long as they were cleared of illegal doings, which they were, she should not have been on trial. While she made Georgia look progressive, this judge has made Georgia look like a backwater of the Deepest Darkest South, which is apparently closer to the truth. Still I am in admiration that even after she has had the Treacherous-treasonous-traitor-Trump treatment she goes on. Now that is tenacious. More power to her. But, I have expected Trump to play dirty and it is not over until it is over. I hope in the end she is able to say, "Justice was served!"---------------As for the RNC. I am looking at Treacherous-treasonous-traitor-Trump taking it over, as being a further move to implode the party. Even MAGAs are getting fed up and quitting. See MAGA Ken Buck both leaving and sticking it to MAGA Mikey Johnson of Seven Mountain Mandate infamy.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republican-us-representative-ken-buck-resign-congress-next-week-2024-03-12/#:~:text=Republican%20US%20Representative%20Ken%20Buck%20leaving%20Congress%2C%20blames%20dysfunction,-Reuters&text=WASHINGTON%2C%20March%2012%20(Reuters),party's%20slim%20and%20fractious%20majority.
I am glad Treacherous-treasonous-traitor-Trump will bleed his party dry and he won't be spending money on ads, it will be on his legal debts. I think the mob could be making money taking bets on who will quit next. I guess whomever is being threatened if they don't toe-the-line.----------------As for Social Security and Medicare. I truly wish they were on the ballot, along with abortion. Perhaps states should be running initiatives to protect it, like the question, do you support continuing Medicare and Social Security? That will get the reliable seniors who are living off of it to vote. Get the youth out with legalizing Marijuana, ending college debt, and enshrining abortion and fertility supports of all kinds into the constitution.--------------------------------------------------As for Right Wingers buying TikTok, I am hoping that the USA says no foreign ownership of American Media, which it would then be. Also, a platform that is based on a the youth market, which is not majority right wing might have some difficulty manipulating the platform in the way that Musk is manipulating Twitter with old folks on it. People who are not quick to change or they would no longer be on it. Youth is quick to change and let us hope someone would wisely come up with the next big thing. ------------------------------------
As for Michelle Morrow, I am currently reading A Column of Fire: Kingsbridge 1558, by Ken Follett. In many ways, it is about the battle between Catholics and Protestants, and the lives that people led back then. It highlights the corruption of the monarchy, church, and nobility. Yet, the values and expectations of women and children sound pretty much like present day Evangelical Christians in America. Why throw off the shackles of monarchy so that people in the future can take on other shackles? An observation a character make early on is that the extremes of both religious groups are pretty much alike. I see this in our present day Supreme Court (Opus Dei) and Evangelical Christians (Protestants), and the ideas of putting people to death for their thoughts, not actions are pretty much what they are about. In this book, heretics are hung to death, drawn-and-quartered, put on the rack, hung so their arms break out of the sockets, burned alive etc.... This is what the MAGA Republican party under Treacherous-treasonous-traitor-Trump wants to take us back to. I would like to see Biden have Orbán kicked out of NATO, and the EU members kick him out of the EU, and his fellow Hungarians then kick him out of leadership and exile him to another continent, but not here.
It is not the RNC treasury that is the worry, but the PAC's and dark money.
So far it is billionaires for Trump, and as Jamie Dimon said, he can work with either.
Thank you, Thom! I lost respect for McAfee when he refused to allow the charge against Our Mad King (wannabe) Donald for attempting to coerce Raffensperger into "just find 11,780 (+1)". The highlighting of the DAs affair with her lead prosecutor smeared more "poo poo" on his lily white arrogance than on Willis' courageous stance. Can't wait to see how Atlanta jurors react to that one. Also, I would like to recommend Liz Cheney's "Oath and Honor", again, especially pg. 171, where she recounts her conversation with historian Condi Rice, when she asked about "any historic examples of countries successfully throwing off cults of personality." Condi's reply: "Not without great violence and upheaval."
The cowardice of Meritless Garlic and Co. at the DOJ is allowing Trump's insurrection to continue unabated, leading us to civil war, and it could have been avoided, if Our Mad King (wannabe) had been arrested, charged, and jailed immediately after Jan.6 for inciting an insurrection. America has not been sustained as a constitutional Republic for 240 yrs. by the cowardice of our government officials, and their cowardice now will be our downfall.
This right here! McAfee should be sanctioned-he just ruled against America herself! Anyone with an fn brain understood clearly that statement alone is TREASONOUS & deserves the full throttle & fire of law to burn them to hell.
If any of this actually gets to trial, the voire dire process will probably prove unable to seat a jury, unless there is a limit attorneys have on challenges.
You may be an attorney and I am but a retired physician, but I will go to my just end still believing in justice and the rule of law in our constitutional Republic, which serves as a beacon for our massively overcrowded world desperate for hope. Thus, I cannot possibly believe that a mentally ill grifter can defeat the forces of justice enshrined in our Constitution and the patriotic spirit of a nation of immigrants struggling to justify our usurpation of once glorious lands previously stewarded by its native inhabitants. This election may well determine God's judgement as to whether we ever deserved to live here in the first place. Surely, Our Mad King (wannabe) Donald does not deserve that privilege.
While I agree that what two consenting adults do is no one's business. Further that an affair between Fani and Nathan was no, in the wildest stretch a conflict of interest.. which should have been argued.
I do fault Fani for poor judgment, and she is an example of how sex is the ruin of people. male and female not just men. If it weren't for sex there would be no scandals.
No matter what Trump does, he will not lose his base. His base surely knows who he is, but they don't care, he is their ticket to restoration of the old order and a patriarchal Christian theocracy.
The Muslim, Black and far left idiots who will sit out the election because they are unhappy with Biden and the Dems might just as well vote for Trump,. But if they believe that their position will be improved by Trump, forget about it. he has already stated what he intends to do, and they are not going to be pleased, just the opposite. For one thing, Trump is closer to Netanyahu than Biden, after all it was he who moved the Embassy to Jerusalem.
When Musk bought Twitter, turned it into Xitter (pronounced Shitter) it went from bad to worse, imagine Tik Tok in the hands of Mnuchin, Trump's Secretary of the Treasurer.
In my not so humble opinion. If Putin takes Ukraine it will be because there are two factions in the west,including America. 1. The fascists who are ideologically and emotionally aligned with authoritarianism and see Putin and Orban, even Erdogan as role models and allies and weak kneed sob sisters who quake and foul their underwear when anyone waves their nuclear phallus., and of course they are either part of or sympathetic to the neo Marxists (or shall I say sentimental old line Marxists who still think of Russia as the USSR, meaning the 21st Century Tankies and their ilk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tankie
I guarantee you if they hadn’t found the affair, it would’ve been something else. One of Trump‘s lawyers yesterday said, “We have just begun to destroy Fani Willis. There is a lot more to come.“
It's tough to be a public official.
However that statement "We have just begun to destroy Fani Willis." could be the basis for a motion for sanctions.
That motion for sanctions will be filed before the same judge that allowed agent orange minions to skewer Fani. I can smell the stench of that ruling already.
Despite the general consensus on this page, he followed the law, gave an opportunity to be heard and like me most of the time, cut the kid in half.
I was more concerned about the counts that were dismissed. Willis has a chance to take them to a grand jury, perfect them, and refile. He could have forced her to appeal.
But will she Daniel. I suspect that she is now gun shy, In fact the purpose of the theater was to fire a shot across the bows.
In GA Bre'er Rabbit was borned and bred in the briar patch.
There were children’s books too.
I totally agree Thom. They have the resources of billionaires, and a hot line to the media, which they control via ownership.
Absolutely agree with that.
I do object to two consenting adults having an affair if they are married! I don't care much for the family unit, kids used to go steady longer than they stayed married nowadays. Banning divorce is the best way to end the family unit concept.
Bob, why the conditional clause "if they are married", it is none of my business what two consenting adults do, any problems are personal, between the two. And surely you have heard of open marriages.
A contentious divorce is not an open marriage and I do believe that when you take a vow to someone you need to keep your word "for death do Us part". Literally and that will make people start thinking that marriage isn't such a good idea. Just look at this this functional mess on this planet. Is it because of genetics or is it environmental? If it is genetics we are doomed, if it is environmental we aren't doomed! The only way to find out is to raise the children all equally with little stress and anxiety no abuse with all their needs met and plenty of playgrounds and toys and fun. Raised without religious indoctrination and hatred towards others and no lying permitted or being greedy. Only rational thinking permitted! The family unit doesn't take responsibility for all the millions or billions of lives it has destroyed!
Sorry, edit, " dysfunctional mess on this planet."
Families break up all of the time, without affairs. I know from personal experience.
Banning divorce puts you in the same boat as the Christian Right, the Mormons and their ilk.
I plan on the boat sinking sooner, they would be planning on making their spouses their servants forever. I would get blamed for all of their marital problems like the left gets blamed now for all of what Ronald Reagan did and Nixon and Bush senior and Jr. And Trump did. Even Obama, Clinton and Biden are too far to the right for me.
** Stares in Ginni Thomas**
Anyone who has worked for a large corporation would know that having an affair with someone who reports to you, or to whom you report, is not allowed because of conflict of interest. I was surprised when I saw that Georgia law did not prohibit that. The solution in industry is simply to move to a position without that "apparent" conflict of interest. Therefore, I think the judge's decision was fair on that point. Not that I agree with everything else that was done to shame and humiliate Fani Willis.
The affair began BEFORE he was hired by her: he was in private practice with his own firm. He was hired AFTER the affair was over. Please stop repeating Trump’s BS allegations.
Sorry if that sounded harsh. I’m so sick of the BS the MSM is pushing on this.
Caryl, where is the conflict of interest in this case. They are both working on the same side.
A conflict of interest is created where one party is working both sides, or people in a relationship are working both sides.
A government official in charge of a department and owns shares in a company doing business with the government department that provides services to his or her department has a conflict of interest.
Most Congress critters have a conflict of interest, especially those that have stock in some industry or service that they vote on.
I see no conflict of interest between Willis and Wade.
Why is anyone still on Twitter?
For sure … every time I want to respond to something there, no matter HOW motivated I am to weigh in, I cannot bring myself to sign up to X again.
No. Never!
Xitter (pronounced Shitter) is an addiction, especially to journalists and authors or wanna be's.
It is a source of publicity and people who earn their living by kow towing to the public, seek and need publicity., or attention whores.
Many folks I know who publicize their books had become quite attached to the reach of Tweets.
I agree that Xitter is now an addiction. I was never over-fond of it as Twitter, and will not use it now.
Please do NOT take this to imply even the minutest degree of sympathy with trump's position. No doubt McAfee did go too far; I've heard / seen much analysis indicating that the mere appearance of impropriety has never been cause to remove a prosecutor in Georgia. However, maybe just because I'm "of a certain age," I think Willis should have applied the "Caesar's wife" standard before appointing Wade.
May not be cause to remove her but....
According to right wingers, democrats are supposed to be perfect, rethuglicans can hate thy neighbor, bare false, be greedy, rape, lie and kill. What is so hard to understand about that?
I haven't ran into any far lefties who support Putin? Maybe some Russian trolls? Of course there aren't very many lefties in rural Arizona alive. Any human that supports a dictator is certifiably insane.
We can call ourselves a Christian, or a capitalist, or a leftist or a rightist or a communist...., The only thing that matters is what we are, not what we believe we are.
It is not that they outright support Putin, Bob, it is that they are so steeped in Marxist, or what they think is Marxist rhetoric about imperialism and colonialism (a prime example is Barry Kaufman and his "likers", that they support Putin, not outright (they might on occasion dis him) but, they support him, by being against our support of Ukraine.
What we believe we are, is our identity, and our identity determines what we are, that is how we think, and how we think is how we behave.
As an example. If one believes that they are a white,Christian, male, supremacist, how do you think they will behave and how will they vote?
Judges of all stripes recuse every day. the rules are strict. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/144#:~:text=Whenever%20a%20party%20to%20any,another%20judge%20shall%20be%20assigned
Whenever a party to any proceeding in a district court makes and files a timely and sufficient affidavit that the judge before whom the matter is pending has a personal bias or prejudice either against him or in favor of any adverse party, such judge shall proceed no further therein, but another judge shall be assigned to hear such proceeding.
The affidavit shall state the facts and the reasons for the belief that bias or prejudice exists, and shall be filed not less than ten days before the beginning of the term at which the proceeding is to be heard, or good cause shall be shown for failure to file it within such time. A party may file only one such affidavit in any case. It shall be accompanied by a certificate of counsel of record stating that it is made in good faith.
Justices at SCOTUS, not so much...
Thanks Daniel.
This question is rhetorical, I know the answer.
So why hasn't a motion been filed by Jack Smith against Aileen Cannon, why hasn't Garland taken away the case?
Why hasn't Fani filed such a motion against Judge McAfee. That's a question, not rhetorical.
No clue. Should have been filed as soon as she took jurisdiction on case # 2. It could be that for PR purposes didn't want to look like DOJ is judge shopping -- but that's exactly what Trump did when he filed case # 1.
The 11th cir panel, comprised of MAGATS, ruled that Cannon should never have taken jurisdiction. The 11th Circuit found that Cannon “improperly exercised equitable jurisdiction” in hearing the case and that the entire proceeding should be dismissed. Notably, the court also found that regardless of the status of a document in question (personal or presidential), the government maintains the authority to seize it under a warrant supported by probable cause.
The panel wrote, “The law is clear. We cannot write a rule that allows any subject of a search warrant to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant. Nor can we write a rule that allows only former presidents to do so.”
The rule in the 11th cir is that recusal for bias must be filed as soon as the movant knew or should have known about it.
There are allegations that she fixed it with the clerk and that her husband works for someone affiliated with Trump. Don't know that Jack Smith could include this stuff in an affidavit.
I want to assume Good Faith with Jack Smith, I sure know that those who want Trump held up to justice sure do, but they also were gleeful in anticipation of the Mueller Report.
One burned shame on you, twice burned shame on me.
The problem is Merrick Garland though. I don't think Trump will ever see in the inside of a criminal court, outside of Georgia, if even then.
Garland is either motivated by pure self interest and/or ideology. He has made Biden's life and ours, a political hell, and Biden's a personal hell and he can only blame himself for taking the easy road and appointing him AG.
Unintended consequences or the snake biting it's tail
Garland still could remove Cannon from the case. Smith could request it. He has the evidence, her behavior in respect to Trump's case as it currently stands, improper and prejudiced rulings, if nothing else Judicial Incompetence.
When they are black working together to hold a racist white man accountable, especially when (& why!) said white man is leading the charge to destroy laws hard won simply granting equity (at least on paper if not practice) that the south’s racists despise!