John Roberts checks in with Trump and Wiles first, then looks back over his well-eared copy of Project 2025, and then, when his ducks are lined up, makes his decision.
It was reported in my Florida paper aong with him trying to cancel mail in voting. Hypocrite is the word that comes to mind. And i do not believe he or the fool at the postal service have the authority to change the laws.
Please... that offends both pigs and obese people. Seriously. I am sure it was not your intent, but those words have been offensive to many people I know for decades. I would appreciate you choosing language that is not so personally offensive.
what blows my mind is that Roberts is blind to the fact that trump will screw him over and get rid of him in a heartbeat, and while he still has authority to do so, does not uphold the rule of law and the Constitution. A very educated fool, and a traitor in my opinion.
To unseat a Supreme Court justice under our current laws, he would have to declare an emergency and literally have a justice jailed for some idiotic (and unlawful) justification. He might try it but it seems unlikely that he would get away with such behavior for long.
My question is how will the post office know which mail-in ballots to deliver? Think of all the rural voters (i.e., Trump voters) in this country. Are they going to have to drive 50 miles or more to their polling places to vote in person, while the cows go without milking and the chickens without feeding?
It makes no sense.
He should just cut to the chase and outlaw the Democratic Party.
Thank you, Joyce, for consistently keeping us well informed despite so many red lights flashing at the same time. I know you're up late to get the newsletter out and then get up early for work. It's greatly appreciated.
I wish there was a charge for consistently causing national chaos by refusing to comply with multiple court orders.
Don't hold your breath. Pardons will flutter from above like leaves in an autumn wind. Count on that. Of course, they will only keep him and his cronies out of federal prison, so there might be a few state AGs with the nerve to try to jail him for state crimes, but it will be a lot harder than getting him for federal crimes (the number of which he has committed is almost beyond counting).
Forget about the Postal Service. Blue state officials should immediately begin consultations with FedEx, UPS, DHL, and other private delivery services to deliver and return ballots.
A postal canceling mark means something legally, plus the handling of US Mail has federal legal protections. We need to use and enforce the laws we have. Put the Post Master General in jail for interfering with the US Mail.
"Put the Post Master General in jail for interfering with the US Mail."
Just once I would like to see someone jailed for contempt. It is hard for most, and darned near impossible for me, to believe in "law and order' when crimes and corruption thrive on a daily basis without accountability.
Don't expect Trump's own Postmaster General to spend more than a few hours in jail before he is pardoned by Trump. All Post office crimes are federal by definition so Trump would have 100% complete power to pardon anyone accused of breaking federal post office laws.
Current and previous Post Masters General. DeJoy (former) was instrumental in the major destruction of the machinery and personnel of the Postal Service. He was appointed to that position after donating $1M to djt's first campaign, and thoroughly destroyed our postal service that has existed for longer than we have been a country.
I'm also intrigued as to the anti-voting vibe behind this. Aren't there a lot of voters in the non-complying (not all Blue) states who (a) are Republicans, and (b) generally vote by mail? What will those voters think about all this?
Many millions of Republicans vote by mail and would be harmed by this. The whole thing is totally unconstitutuional. The states, not the Federal Government are in charge of elections. If a state wants to ban mail in votes, I guess it would be OK, but why would they?
Not really. Questionable, to be sure, but unconstitutional requires a determination by the courts, ultimately SCOTUS, and so far that hasn't been decided.
Yes, but the federal government is in charge of delivering the mail and has the right (even if questionable) to make rules and laws regarding the actual mails.
And many states DO ban mail-in votes, at least for many reasons. Only a few states provide unlimited mail-in voting although there are both "red" and "blue" states that do so: California, Washington and Oregon, but also Nevada, Utah and Vermont (often "reddish" states). Most states restrict mail-in voting to people who have officially declared that they will be unavailable to vote in person (travel, miilitary, etc.)
Voters in Colorado mostly vote by mail, except for those who like to vote in person or need to register the same day they vote.
I did take my daughter with me when we used to vote in person, and I do miss the sense of solemnity of verifying who I am, gathering the sacred ballot, making my voice heard, in that setting.
But mail is so much more secure. I exit polled the 2008 election and there were so many screwups. It's hard to pull off a vote on just one day, and I'm sure it's part of the reason our voter participation is so low.
Colorado does NOT accept ballots after election day, even if they are postmarked on or before election day. That is completely different from California which accepts ballots postmarked by election day until 2-1/2 weeks AFTER election day. That is a HUGE difference.
In Colorado yours is mailed to you, and you are notified when it was sent, via email and text, you can mail it back, but that requires a stamp, and we are well equipped with video-assisted drop boxes throughout the state, which are collected daily during the about 3 weeks ballots are out.
You are again notified when your ballot was received, and again when it is counted.
Count is done on secure machines and signatures are matched, first with an automated system and if there are questions, by a pair of humans, a registered Republican and and a Democrat, and if your signature is doubted or anything prevents including your vote, you are notified, again, and have the opportunity to fix it,
Voting here is secure, safe and easy, the way it should be.
As I pointed out above, even though both CA and CO accept postmarked mail-in ballots, there is a huge difference between how long they will accept them. CO doesn't permit any ballots that are not RECEIVED by election day.
But CO also requires that the ballot arrive BY election day. Nothing is accepted by mail after election day no matter when it was mailed. Completely different from California which accepts ballots postmarked by election day for up to 17 days after the election. That is a HUGE difference.
There are laws in place protecting the delivery of mail through the United States Postal Service that do not exist for letters and packages sent through the private carriers. This is why the scammers use private carriers to send correspondence, mail fraud as a crime doesn't exist there.
My understanding of FedEx and UPS is that they support djt. They would not be trustworthy. I don't know enough about DHL, but believe they were not on the pro-djt list.
Unfortunately, not legal, or at least theoretically not permissible. According to UPS (a statement issued during the 2020 elections during the pandemic), ballots must be "postmarked" to be legally delivered, and FedEx, UPS, etc., can NOT "postmark" anything, so ballots delivered by those sources can be turned away. The states have some discretion here, so ballots delivered BEFORE the election date could be accepted as the only requirement is that it be clear that a ballot delivered to the voting authorities was made by the election date. AFTER the election date, such ballots could all be ignored and destroyed as being POTENTIALLY illegal (even one day after the election could be problematical, and two days after could almost absolutely be ignored), whereas a ballot postmarked by election date but physically received later was clearly "marked" on or before the election date (or it couldn't have been postmarked on time).
Non-post-office delivery services have no legal way of "postmarking" anything.
Trump goes after Comey, whose disclosures about Hillary Clinton helped Trump win in 2016. Now he goes after his own voters. His contempt for others (except apparently buxom worshipful blondes) increases, his indifference to the country's future increases, and his corruption, bigotry, cruelty, and cognitive decline increase.
Please check that your state Attorney General is challenging this EO and all the other attempts to stifle our votes and rig this election in Trump's favor.
Every day is NO KINGS Day, Be a voter, and urge others to vote, too. Help Get Out the Vote for every election. This year our voices and actions matter more than ever.
"Democracy isn't defined by what leaders call themselves. It's defined by whether power remains accountable, dissent remains protected, and the law applies equally to everyone.
Patriotism asks us to defend democratic principles." -- Kelli Klymenko
As embarrassing as this is, ken paxton is the current attorney general in texas so there is a 0% chance he will be challenging anything that would safeguard the right to vote by mail for texas voters. He is another POS, right along with abbott and patrick, among others.
I live in Texas and totally agree. The Gruesome Twosome of Cruz and Cornyn Plus the Unholy Evil Trinity of Abbot, Patrick, and creepy Paxton are totally sickening. The ugliness of their souls is reflected in their physical features.
I am pretty disillusioned with this country and, especially. Texas politics., but I DO like Hinojosa and Talarico--to whom I have donated the little I can afford. as a retiree. Even if they do not win, I intend to vote as I want them to win or at least make a very strong showing in the hope that future generations will see that there is a chance to restore some decency to Texas governance.
You know, I think people are flattering trump when they refer to his utter flat-out ignorance as being in cognitive decline. He was never cognitively inclined - like his racism, like not being able to win by playing by the rules, the delusional recommdations he made to kill the Covid virus if you caught it, remember? Like go outside, open your mouth wide and let the sun's ultraviolet rays into your lungs. What about injecting clorox to kill Covid?
He's just a nerve cell that needs to make or steal huge amounts of money, and to make or steal monuments aggrandizing himself. There's no cognition to lose, no intelligence there, he only knows what people tell him to do in order to get money and aggrandisement. He's an embarassment.
I find it interesting that the election he lost is what hinges on all future elections. Voters didn’t have pertinent information in 16 and no one challenged 24 but we should run scared of voting due to Roy Cohn’s theory on 20. Have not people learned a single thing about this? Vance admitted they lied about Haitians eating pets. When they admit they admit. I find the American people’s ability to discern the consequences unfathomably ignorant. I’m sorry, rant over.
Oh, I know! You'd think people could tune in enough to him admitting this...to everyone. They all lie, like it's first nature (not second), but this ended with more election conspiracies(one affecting 24 among other nefarious influences) and, to a degree, the awful deportations of these innocent people (of many), yet I hear little about his admission anywhere. MSM, independent media, etc. They speak to the conspiracies and the deportations and the horrific conditions in detentions centers, ICE, but never speak directly to that very lie that, in my humble opinion, is a worthy and notable lie, to remind people of...independent journalists don't say it enough, if ever, in my recent memory. Thank you for replying!!!
Here we have another instance of the Trump Administration DISOBEYING A DIRECT COURT ORDER. Previously, the Trump Administration DOJ DISOBEYED COURT ORDERS TO PRODUCE unredacted and missing EPSTEIN FILES. I hope others will join me in keeping track of disobeyed and violated court orders. I expect more of them.
Judges are dealing with incompetent and deceitful Administration lawyers whose lawless behaviors will continue unless and until judges start holding those lawyers in contempt, levying large fines, and sentencing lawyers to jail. And the Supreme Court must uphold these contempt orders or the rule of law is meaningless.
Let’s be clear — Trump approves and rewards this lawlessness and contempt. The lawyers disobeying court orders are coming up with lame excuses while insulting and laughing at the judges behind their back. We are not surprised. Those lawyers are emulating Trump and the ways he rudely and uncivilly Insults judges who rule against him.
Trump’s lawlessness is by design. It’s not a flaw; it’s a feature. It’s like Trump’s corruption — which he doesn’t hide because he wants Americans to believe that “everyone is corrupt, and it’s not wrong.” Similarly, Trump wants to prove that laws, regulations, rules and courts are inconsequential. Only “might makes right.” “If you are powerful, then you can ignore the rules, and you can disobey everyone opposing you.” And the best way Trump can prove these “assertions” is by publicly and shamelessly showing that our courts are powerless to stop him.
The National Emergency that Trump posed was overlooked by the process adhereing nicy nice Merrick Garland when the Biden administration held both houses. That was the oportunity to stop this madness in its tracks.
Indeed - it's very hard to over-estimate the impact of the catastrophic missteps by Garland and Biden in the six months following 20 January 2021 ... they cast a hugely long shadow.
I don’t think any of us could have foretold the level of disrespect, ignorance, incompetence, corruption, cruelty, violence that the current administration is engaging in, not just in the U.S., but around the world!
Really? I think plenty of rational people could see what would happen in a Trump World where he was not imprisoned for Jan6. Sounds too much like a Dem excuse.
January 6th was but one example. Think of how many other areas we never even thought of, that trump found a way to corrupt in his second term. We never envisioned this mess, because rational people’s minds don’t go the dark places Trump’s addled brain goes.
Once he took the oath of office, he went on a tear. For starters, how about DOGE? We had inexperienced 20 year olds without security clearances stealing our private data. How about the no cause firings of experienced, knowledgeable workers? We’re experiencing defunding of agencies; attacks on our civil rights; alienating our allies. Just look at what he’s done to our National Parks and military in less than two years. Under Trump, the national debt went from 39 to 40 trillion in only five months. There is nothing that Trump has inserted his incompetent self into that hasn’t turned into a giant clusterf**k.
I still maintain that no one ever believed that one idiot could cause that much devastation. But here we are. Trump was bad enough in his first term, but now he is exponentially worse. Even the Republicans who voted for him are recoiling from him now.
Some of us did see the horror show of a Trump second presidency. He has always been just as awful as we see daily. And probably worse if we could hear every single private conversation. Should’ve been jailed on January 6 of 2021. Where were the Marshalls when we needed them?
I’m just saying that the LEVEL of corruption and retribution, like DOGE, was not anticipated. Had we known then what we now know and are experiencing, we would have made a greater effort to prevent him from returning to office.
The Heritage Foundation wrote the PLAY - Project 2025. They chose their useful amoral idiot to be the lead. Trump was perfect. He smiled and lied and got the attention he needs while they orchestrated Stop the Steal, Jan 6th , DOGE etc He continued his chaos as directed while they implemented their multi-faceted plan, step by step, all while watching their lead character function as their foil. How the play ends is really up to us, it must never be them.
They had the DOJ and the trifecta until the mid-terms. They saw what MAGA intended and a clear and present danger was clear to all. They had a duty and responsibility to pursue protecting the Nation and they failed.
Trump (and his goons) should have been indicted for insurrection and incitement on 21 January 2021 - history is not looking kindly on their going completely to water - for no fathomable reasons other than Dem delicacy.
Of course we are sticking with you after all as you say we are in this together! Never in my lifetime (79 on Oct. ) did I think we would have the head of our government go to such extremes to stop the citizens from being able to vote. Does the nitwit think that only democrats vote by mail ?and what about the absentee voting ?
Trump cares not who votes or for whom they vote. Nor does he care if you vote or not. Still, he fears that you will vote! It is ALL about causing confusion, discontent, and fear! He is claiming voter fraud; "the likes of which you have never seen before." Claiming fraud before the vote? Well of course, planting the seeds of doubt, hate, and discontent. Even more reason to vote. If you vote by mail, use a Drop Box. Just in case the mail trucks are out of gas or their batteries are dead! So hopes tRump! Don't despair - VOTE!
Trump's proof that Republicans use vote by mail. Us Dems do use more mail ballots a bit more than Republicans do but they'd still lose their own voters if they abolish it. For some reason, Republicans like to line up in the sun and vote in person on Election Day. You're absolutely right when you ask what about absentee voters (overseas or out-of state military, Foreign Service voters). Good point, you can't disenfranchise government workers.
I don't think this stupid Federal Rule the USPS is clearly rushing to put into place before the November midterms is meant for a future election - or else why the rush? Liars. They're getting everything in place despite the Aug 11th preliminary injunction against them moving forward on this vote by mail rulemaking. There's not having enough time to blackmail the 23 noncompliant Dem states into handing over their full-info voter rolls. So, I'm sure they're getting everything lined up and they (USPS) and trump will do something utterly outrageous at the last minute to try and compel the much wanted Dem data from the 23 states which won't give it, period full stop. It's going to be a battle every
You can read the most recent Order in the Massachusetts voting rights case, League of Women Voters, et al. Take a look at the August 23rd, "Electronic Order", document #193. The judge is onto the USPS's dishonest tactics. She's not letting them control the proceedings nor be rewarded for moving ahead with their ballot rulemaking. I feel good about this. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73133197/league-of-women-voters-of-massachusetts-v-trump/?order_by=desc&
You don’t mention so perhaps I should not bring it up so apologies. But, if reports are accurate, Kushner has already been meeting with Jeffries. Has the sellout begun? Traitors at the gate? Which is the traitor? This may yet be the worst aspect of the upcoming week.
I appear to be the lone reader who is happy that Jeffries has met with Kushner.
I firmly believe that it makes sense for both sides to actually be talking for a change. I am sick and tired of Mike Johnson, Speaker in Name Only, just ignoring and insulting the Democrats and never listening to them. So, second, if it undercuts Mike Johnson's stature even a little bit, I'm a big buyer. Lastly, If Jeffries is able to share the Dems priorities with a Trump senior counsellor and possibly help steer the country's direction away from the trinkets for billionaires and towards some actually constructive approaches for the rest of us, then I'd say we we've got to give it a chance.
Hakeem Jeffries is also among the leading Democratic recipients of pro-Israel support. Public reporting indicates that, by 2025, he had received roughly $1 million in campaign contributions from AIPAC-associated sources over his career and has long been regarded as a close ally of AIPAC. “
AIPAC money may be pernicious, but it is and has been practically everywhere, right or left, blue or red. It reflects an Israel Do-or-Die policy and nothing else. So....for the last 20 years, its policy has been to support Netanyahu 110% to make sure he keeps getting money and guns.
We should call Jeffries's office Monday and simply ask (1) if he or anyone connected to Jeffries is negotiating with Kushner, or anyone else on behalf of trump regarding impeachment, or any adverse House action against trump? (2) If so, what are they discussing, and (3) for what result? I'm calling tomorrow. I've also read that Kushner was negotiating with Jeffries - stupid thing to do since younger voters really want to replace Jeffries and Schumer, too. What good will the negotiations do Kushner if Jeffries loses his Speakership (power to make "deals")?
Yes. The next speaker better be AOC. Use that to set her up to run against Shumer in two years. Wish she could run for president but I fear US misogyny and racism would make her election impossible. At least she would have a chance in New York.
Mail ballots are not the only way to participate in an election thankfully. Hopefully the Democratic Party has a robust GOTV effort in place that will include helping get every single person that wants to vote to do so in whatever way necessary.
Attempting to take away people’s ability to vote by mail is not going to stop an engaged electorate eager to shift power away from a cultish party that has brazenly abandoned any intention of serving the interests of the American people.
I just finished a hurried reading of Thom's "Who Killed the American Dream" and will take up his well-placed Q & A series of thought-provoking issues presented in the first 150+ pages. Thank you for also taking up the cudgels on our behalf, Joyce. I cannot recommend getting his book enough. It will give all readers hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel...
A national emergrncy in Trump's mind only. That is, he will have far less power after the Republicans are thumped in the mid-terms. Slap him down big time if he violates the court's orders. I can not see the Supreme Court allowing the elimination of mail in votes. They have been shown to be safe in spite of Trump's daily lies.
Of course—a national emergency brewing … perhaps even as monumental as building a ballroom! Priorities, John Roberts, priorities.
John Roberts checks in with Trump and Wiles first, then looks back over his well-eared copy of Project 2025, and then, when his ducks are lined up, makes his decision.
And let’s not forget Leonard Leo — financier to the SCOTUS Six.
Thank you for keeping us apprised of these developments. Hopefully this dispute does not timely reach the authoritarian favoring Roberts Court.
I wonder how many justices vote by mail.
That's such a good point!!
And we know Trump does. Even a couple of weeks ago.
It was reported in my Florida paper aong with him trying to cancel mail in voting. Hypocrite is the word that comes to mind. And i do not believe he or the fool at the postal service have the authority to change the laws.
Hypocrite and fool go together so appropriately
Also: arrogant + stupid. A very scary combo.
Absolutely
FAT PIG!!! comes to my mind!
that can be added...
Please... that offends both pigs and obese people. Seriously. I am sure it was not your intent, but those words have been offensive to many people I know for decades. I would appreciate you choosing language that is not so personally offensive.
I like pigs. That’s why I don’t eat them.
Good question, Cats!
what blows my mind is that Roberts is blind to the fact that trump will screw him over and get rid of him in a heartbeat, and while he still has authority to do so, does not uphold the rule of law and the Constitution. A very educated fool, and a traitor in my opinion.
Sorry, but I don't think he can get rid of a supreme court judge. At least, not without a subpoena, or something along those lines.
since when has that criminal ever obeyed the law?
Well, of course, but in a case like this, I'm sure that the unsupremes would stand up and say I Don't Think So. And he would continue on.
To unseat a Supreme Court justice under our current laws, he would have to declare an emergency and literally have a justice jailed for some idiotic (and unlawful) justification. He might try it but it seems unlikely that he would get away with such behavior for long.
Even the Supreme Court will have its limits.
Right.
My question is how will the post office know which mail-in ballots to deliver? Think of all the rural voters (i.e., Trump voters) in this country. Are they going to have to drive 50 miles or more to their polling places to vote in person, while the cows go without milking and the chickens without feeding?
It makes no sense.
He should just cut to the chase and outlaw the Democratic Party.
That's what his buddy Putin would do.
Well, WE understand that they are screwing their voters, but they never got the memo, apparently.
I disagree. When you look at his poll numbers or focus groups, even red state voters are souring on Trump.
Well the less the merrier.
Thank you, Joyce, for consistently keeping us well informed despite so many red lights flashing at the same time. I know you're up late to get the newsletter out and then get up early for work. It's greatly appreciated.
I wish there was a charge for consistently causing national chaos by refusing to comply with multiple court orders.
The klink. He belongs in the klink.
🤣
Don't hold your breath. Pardons will flutter from above like leaves in an autumn wind. Count on that. Of course, they will only keep him and his cronies out of federal prison, so there might be a few state AGs with the nerve to try to jail him for state crimes, but it will be a lot harder than getting him for federal crimes (the number of which he has committed is almost beyond counting).
Forget about the Postal Service. Blue state officials should immediately begin consultations with FedEx, UPS, DHL, and other private delivery services to deliver and return ballots.
A postal canceling mark means something legally, plus the handling of US Mail has federal legal protections. We need to use and enforce the laws we have. Put the Post Master General in jail for interfering with the US Mail.
"Put the Post Master General in jail for interfering with the US Mail."
Just once I would like to see someone jailed for contempt. It is hard for most, and darned near impossible for me, to believe in "law and order' when crimes and corruption thrive on a daily basis without accountability.
You and me both, Mary.
Don't expect Trump's own Postmaster General to spend more than a few hours in jail before he is pardoned by Trump. All Post office crimes are federal by definition so Trump would have 100% complete power to pardon anyone accused of breaking federal post office laws.
True enough. We would need a new AG and trump gone to bring charges, but that is possible down the road.
Current and previous Post Masters General. DeJoy (former) was instrumental in the major destruction of the machinery and personnel of the Postal Service. He was appointed to that position after donating $1M to djt's first campaign, and thoroughly destroyed our postal service that has existed for longer than we have been a country.
Would seem to be a good strategic response.
I'm also intrigued as to the anti-voting vibe behind this. Aren't there a lot of voters in the non-complying (not all Blue) states who (a) are Republicans, and (b) generally vote by mail? What will those voters think about all this?
Many millions of Republicans vote by mail and would be harmed by this. The whole thing is totally unconstitutuional. The states, not the Federal Government are in charge of elections. If a state wants to ban mail in votes, I guess it would be OK, but why would they?
Unconstitutional, not to mention just stupid.
Not really. Questionable, to be sure, but unconstitutional requires a determination by the courts, ultimately SCOTUS, and so far that hasn't been decided.
It's in the constitution already. SCOTUS doesn't have to make a determination.
Yes, but the federal government is in charge of delivering the mail and has the right (even if questionable) to make rules and laws regarding the actual mails.
And many states DO ban mail-in votes, at least for many reasons. Only a few states provide unlimited mail-in voting although there are both "red" and "blue" states that do so: California, Washington and Oregon, but also Nevada, Utah and Vermont (often "reddish" states). Most states restrict mail-in voting to people who have officially declared that they will be unavailable to vote in person (travel, miilitary, etc.)
Voters in Colorado mostly vote by mail, except for those who like to vote in person or need to register the same day they vote.
I did take my daughter with me when we used to vote in person, and I do miss the sense of solemnity of verifying who I am, gathering the sacred ballot, making my voice heard, in that setting.
But mail is so much more secure. I exit polled the 2008 election and there were so many screwups. It's hard to pull off a vote on just one day, and I'm sure it's part of the reason our voter participation is so low.
Colorado does NOT accept ballots after election day, even if they are postmarked on or before election day. That is completely different from California which accepts ballots postmarked by election day until 2-1/2 weeks AFTER election day. That is a HUGE difference.
And Trump votes by mail and admits it
In Colorado yours is mailed to you, and you are notified when it was sent, via email and text, you can mail it back, but that requires a stamp, and we are well equipped with video-assisted drop boxes throughout the state, which are collected daily during the about 3 weeks ballots are out.
You are again notified when your ballot was received, and again when it is counted.
Count is done on secure machines and signatures are matched, first with an automated system and if there are questions, by a pair of humans, a registered Republican and and a Democrat, and if your signature is doubted or anything prevents including your vote, you are notified, again, and have the opportunity to fix it,
Voting here is secure, safe and easy, the way it should be.
Suck it, trump.
Same in AZ!!!!
Same in CA.
As I pointed out above, even though both CA and CO accept postmarked mail-in ballots, there is a huge difference between how long they will accept them. CO doesn't permit any ballots that are not RECEIVED by election day.
But CO also requires that the ballot arrive BY election day. Nothing is accepted by mail after election day no matter when it was mailed. Completely different from California which accepts ballots postmarked by election day for up to 17 days after the election. That is a HUGE difference.
Thanks for explaining.
There are laws in place protecting the delivery of mail through the United States Postal Service that do not exist for letters and packages sent through the private carriers. This is why the scammers use private carriers to send correspondence, mail fraud as a crime doesn't exist there.
You think Natalie Harp hasn't already figured that into the equation? One of them will have reminded those companies who butters their bread.
Not sure Natalie Harp has figured out how to tie her shoes.
My understanding of FedEx and UPS is that they support djt. They would not be trustworthy. I don't know enough about DHL, but believe they were not on the pro-djt list.
And anything delivered by FedEx or UPS or other common carrier is not protected by laws that protect the US mail.
Unfortunately, not legal, or at least theoretically not permissible. According to UPS (a statement issued during the 2020 elections during the pandemic), ballots must be "postmarked" to be legally delivered, and FedEx, UPS, etc., can NOT "postmark" anything, so ballots delivered by those sources can be turned away. The states have some discretion here, so ballots delivered BEFORE the election date could be accepted as the only requirement is that it be clear that a ballot delivered to the voting authorities was made by the election date. AFTER the election date, such ballots could all be ignored and destroyed as being POTENTIALLY illegal (even one day after the election could be problematical, and two days after could almost absolutely be ignored), whereas a ballot postmarked by election date but physically received later was clearly "marked" on or before the election date (or it couldn't have been postmarked on time).
Non-post-office delivery services have no legal way of "postmarking" anything.
I'm old, not all that spry, but can still sharpen the tines of a hay fork.
Honing.....
Also old, not at all spry, but can wield some very pointy, sharp knitting needles.
Who’s bringing the torches?
Trump goes after Comey, whose disclosures about Hillary Clinton helped Trump win in 2016. Now he goes after his own voters. His contempt for others (except apparently buxom worshipful blondes) increases, his indifference to the country's future increases, and his corruption, bigotry, cruelty, and cognitive decline increase.
Please check that your state Attorney General is challenging this EO and all the other attempts to stifle our votes and rig this election in Trump's favor.
Every day is NO KINGS Day, Be a voter, and urge others to vote, too. Help Get Out the Vote for every election. This year our voices and actions matter more than ever.
"Democracy isn't defined by what leaders call themselves. It's defined by whether power remains accountable, dissent remains protected, and the law applies equally to everyone.
Patriotism asks us to defend democratic principles." -- Kelli Klymenko
As embarrassing as this is, ken paxton is the current attorney general in texas so there is a 0% chance he will be challenging anything that would safeguard the right to vote by mail for texas voters. He is another POS, right along with abbott and patrick, among others.
Can you imagine a plurality of Texas voters thinking that Ken Paxton is their kind of guy? It's beyond gag worthy.
I live in Texas and totally agree. The Gruesome Twosome of Cruz and Cornyn Plus the Unholy Evil Trinity of Abbot, Patrick, and creepy Paxton are totally sickening. The ugliness of their souls is reflected in their physical features.
Where oh where are the Ann Richards of today? Come on Beto!
I am pretty disillusioned with this country and, especially. Texas politics., but I DO like Hinojosa and Talarico--to whom I have donated the little I can afford. as a retiree. Even if they do not win, I intend to vote as I want them to win or at least make a very strong showing in the hope that future generations will see that there is a chance to restore some decency to Texas governance.
You know, I think people are flattering trump when they refer to his utter flat-out ignorance as being in cognitive decline. He was never cognitively inclined - like his racism, like not being able to win by playing by the rules, the delusional recommdations he made to kill the Covid virus if you caught it, remember? Like go outside, open your mouth wide and let the sun's ultraviolet rays into your lungs. What about injecting clorox to kill Covid?
He's just a nerve cell that needs to make or steal huge amounts of money, and to make or steal monuments aggrandizing himself. There's no cognition to lose, no intelligence there, he only knows what people tell him to do in order to get money and aggrandisement. He's an embarassment.
Trump is an ignorant malevolent greedy fool and is in cognitive decline. All can be true at the same time. Unfortunately for the world.
I find it interesting that the election he lost is what hinges on all future elections. Voters didn’t have pertinent information in 16 and no one challenged 24 but we should run scared of voting due to Roy Cohn’s theory on 20. Have not people learned a single thing about this? Vance admitted they lied about Haitians eating pets. When they admit they admit. I find the American people’s ability to discern the consequences unfathomably ignorant. I’m sorry, rant over.
Vance and lying are not strangers. He just can't help it.
Oh, I know! You'd think people could tune in enough to him admitting this...to everyone. They all lie, like it's first nature (not second), but this ended with more election conspiracies(one affecting 24 among other nefarious influences) and, to a degree, the awful deportations of these innocent people (of many), yet I hear little about his admission anywhere. MSM, independent media, etc. They speak to the conspiracies and the deportations and the horrific conditions in detentions centers, ICE, but never speak directly to that very lie that, in my humble opinion, is a worthy and notable lie, to remind people of...independent journalists don't say it enough, if ever, in my recent memory. Thank you for replying!!!
Oy, these people are living in the wrong country. It’s insane.
Here we have another instance of the Trump Administration DISOBEYING A DIRECT COURT ORDER. Previously, the Trump Administration DOJ DISOBEYED COURT ORDERS TO PRODUCE unredacted and missing EPSTEIN FILES. I hope others will join me in keeping track of disobeyed and violated court orders. I expect more of them.
Judges are dealing with incompetent and deceitful Administration lawyers whose lawless behaviors will continue unless and until judges start holding those lawyers in contempt, levying large fines, and sentencing lawyers to jail. And the Supreme Court must uphold these contempt orders or the rule of law is meaningless.
Let’s be clear — Trump approves and rewards this lawlessness and contempt. The lawyers disobeying court orders are coming up with lame excuses while insulting and laughing at the judges behind their back. We are not surprised. Those lawyers are emulating Trump and the ways he rudely and uncivilly Insults judges who rule against him.
Trump’s lawlessness is by design. It’s not a flaw; it’s a feature. It’s like Trump’s corruption — which he doesn’t hide because he wants Americans to believe that “everyone is corrupt, and it’s not wrong.” Similarly, Trump wants to prove that laws, regulations, rules and courts are inconsequential. Only “might makes right.” “If you are powerful, then you can ignore the rules, and you can disobey everyone opposing you.” And the best way Trump can prove these “assertions” is by publicly and shamelessly showing that our courts are powerless to stop him.
Your comments are spot on.
The National Emergency that Trump posed was overlooked by the process adhereing nicy nice Merrick Garland when the Biden administration held both houses. That was the oportunity to stop this madness in its tracks.
Indeed - it's very hard to over-estimate the impact of the catastrophic missteps by Garland and Biden in the six months following 20 January 2021 ... they cast a hugely long shadow.
I don’t think any of us could have foretold the level of disrespect, ignorance, incompetence, corruption, cruelty, violence that the current administration is engaging in, not just in the U.S., but around the world!
Really? I think plenty of rational people could see what would happen in a Trump World where he was not imprisoned for Jan6. Sounds too much like a Dem excuse.
January 6th was but one example. Think of how many other areas we never even thought of, that trump found a way to corrupt in his second term. We never envisioned this mess, because rational people’s minds don’t go the dark places Trump’s addled brain goes.
Once he took the oath of office, he went on a tear. For starters, how about DOGE? We had inexperienced 20 year olds without security clearances stealing our private data. How about the no cause firings of experienced, knowledgeable workers? We’re experiencing defunding of agencies; attacks on our civil rights; alienating our allies. Just look at what he’s done to our National Parks and military in less than two years. Under Trump, the national debt went from 39 to 40 trillion in only five months. There is nothing that Trump has inserted his incompetent self into that hasn’t turned into a giant clusterf**k.
I still maintain that no one ever believed that one idiot could cause that much devastation. But here we are. Trump was bad enough in his first term, but now he is exponentially worse. Even the Republicans who voted for him are recoiling from him now.
Some of us did see the horror show of a Trump second presidency. He has always been just as awful as we see daily. And probably worse if we could hear every single private conversation. Should’ve been jailed on January 6 of 2021. Where were the Marshalls when we needed them?
Many foretold it after watching him 2016-2020.
I’m just saying that the LEVEL of corruption and retribution, like DOGE, was not anticipated. Had we known then what we now know and are experiencing, we would have made a greater effort to prevent him from returning to office.
The Heritage Foundation wrote the PLAY - Project 2025. They chose their useful amoral idiot to be the lead. Trump was perfect. He smiled and lied and got the attention he needs while they orchestrated Stop the Steal, Jan 6th , DOGE etc He continued his chaos as directed while they implemented their multi-faceted plan, step by step, all while watching their lead character function as their foil. How the play ends is really up to us, it must never be them.
It ends when real Americans drop the curtain on MAGAs.
They had the DOJ and the trifecta until the mid-terms. They saw what MAGA intended and a clear and present danger was clear to all. They had a duty and responsibility to pursue protecting the Nation and they failed.
Trump (and his goons) should have been indicted for insurrection and incitement on 21 January 2021 - history is not looking kindly on their going completely to water - for no fathomable reasons other than Dem delicacy.
When McConnell stopped the impeachment, he said very clearly that legal action would be the propper method and the evidence was clear.
There was no excuse.
Of course we are sticking with you after all as you say we are in this together! Never in my lifetime (79 on Oct. ) did I think we would have the head of our government go to such extremes to stop the citizens from being able to vote. Does the nitwit think that only democrats vote by mail ?and what about the absentee voting ?
Trump cares not who votes or for whom they vote. Nor does he care if you vote or not. Still, he fears that you will vote! It is ALL about causing confusion, discontent, and fear! He is claiming voter fraud; "the likes of which you have never seen before." Claiming fraud before the vote? Well of course, planting the seeds of doubt, hate, and discontent. Even more reason to vote. If you vote by mail, use a Drop Box. Just in case the mail trucks are out of gas or their batteries are dead! So hopes tRump! Don't despair - VOTE!
Trump's proof that Republicans use vote by mail. Us Dems do use more mail ballots a bit more than Republicans do but they'd still lose their own voters if they abolish it. For some reason, Republicans like to line up in the sun and vote in person on Election Day. You're absolutely right when you ask what about absentee voters (overseas or out-of state military, Foreign Service voters). Good point, you can't disenfranchise government workers.
I don't think this stupid Federal Rule the USPS is clearly rushing to put into place before the November midterms is meant for a future election - or else why the rush? Liars. They're getting everything in place despite the Aug 11th preliminary injunction against them moving forward on this vote by mail rulemaking. There's not having enough time to blackmail the 23 noncompliant Dem states into handing over their full-info voter rolls. So, I'm sure they're getting everything lined up and they (USPS) and trump will do something utterly outrageous at the last minute to try and compel the much wanted Dem data from the 23 states which won't give it, period full stop. It's going to be a battle every
You can read the most recent Order in the Massachusetts voting rights case, League of Women Voters, et al. Take a look at the August 23rd, "Electronic Order", document #193. The judge is onto the USPS's dishonest tactics. She's not letting them control the proceedings nor be rewarded for moving ahead with their ballot rulemaking. I feel good about this. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73133197/league-of-women-voters-of-massachusetts-v-trump/?order_by=desc&
You don’t mention so perhaps I should not bring it up so apologies. But, if reports are accurate, Kushner has already been meeting with Jeffries. Has the sellout begun? Traitors at the gate? Which is the traitor? This may yet be the worst aspect of the upcoming week.
I appear to be the lone reader who is happy that Jeffries has met with Kushner.
I firmly believe that it makes sense for both sides to actually be talking for a change. I am sick and tired of Mike Johnson, Speaker in Name Only, just ignoring and insulting the Democrats and never listening to them. So, second, if it undercuts Mike Johnson's stature even a little bit, I'm a big buyer. Lastly, If Jeffries is able to share the Dems priorities with a Trump senior counsellor and possibly help steer the country's direction away from the trinkets for billionaires and towards some actually constructive approaches for the rest of us, then I'd say we we've got to give it a chance.
For what it is worth, per the hated ChatGPT:
“Hakeem Jeffries
Hakeem Jeffries is also among the leading Democratic recipients of pro-Israel support. Public reporting indicates that, by 2025, he had received roughly $1 million in campaign contributions from AIPAC-associated sources over his career and has long been regarded as a close ally of AIPAC. “
https://chatgpt.com/share/6a8c1d0d-b7bc-83ea-8f96-575e1b9217a4
What kind of “negotiations” will there be between these two? Well, as they sometimes say: “Give peace a chance.” Perhaps.
AIPAC money may be pernicious, but it is and has been practically everywhere, right or left, blue or red. It reflects an Israel Do-or-Die policy and nothing else. So....for the last 20 years, its policy has been to support Netanyahu 110% to make sure he keeps getting money and guns.
We should call Jeffries's office Monday and simply ask (1) if he or anyone connected to Jeffries is negotiating with Kushner, or anyone else on behalf of trump regarding impeachment, or any adverse House action against trump? (2) If so, what are they discussing, and (3) for what result? I'm calling tomorrow. I've also read that Kushner was negotiating with Jeffries - stupid thing to do since younger voters really want to replace Jeffries and Schumer, too. What good will the negotiations do Kushner if Jeffries loses his Speakership (power to make "deals")?
Yes. The next speaker better be AOC. Use that to set her up to run against Shumer in two years. Wish she could run for president but I fear US misogyny and racism would make her election impossible. At least she would have a chance in New York.
Mail ballots are not the only way to participate in an election thankfully. Hopefully the Democratic Party has a robust GOTV effort in place that will include helping get every single person that wants to vote to do so in whatever way necessary.
Attempting to take away people’s ability to vote by mail is not going to stop an engaged electorate eager to shift power away from a cultish party that has brazenly abandoned any intention of serving the interests of the American people.
I just finished a hurried reading of Thom's "Who Killed the American Dream" and will take up his well-placed Q & A series of thought-provoking issues presented in the first 150+ pages. Thank you for also taking up the cudgels on our behalf, Joyce. I cannot recommend getting his book enough. It will give all readers hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel...
Constitutional crisis is coming
Constitutional crisis is here.
A national emergrncy in Trump's mind only. That is, he will have far less power after the Republicans are thumped in the mid-terms. Slap him down big time if he violates the court's orders. I can not see the Supreme Court allowing the elimination of mail in votes. They have been shown to be safe in spite of Trump's daily lies.