Pickles frowns on eating chicken, in any form, as part of your holiday celebration. But she did want me to share three important things with you heading into the long weekend. You never know when the opportunity for civil discourse will present itself—even at the family cookout.
Thanks, Joyce. Nice wrap-up. Chief Justice Roberts probably dares not to jump on any other Justices about their indiscretions when his wife has had some questionable income, upwards of $10 million for matching lawyers to elite law firms over a 7 year period. Nice moola, if you can get it, eh? I think Meadows is out of luck & I hope he is spanked in State Court. As for trump having not declared for his case to be switched to Federal Court, he is probably using as much time to delay that option as possible. America is due for some relief from all of these trump & his allies shenanigans. Let it start sooner rather than later. I'd like to give Governor Kemp kudos for standing up for Fani Willis and the Constitution. Wish that would cause other Republicans to gird up their loins & defend America from trump. Carry on.
1. While it may seem that Meadows was doing the work of the campaign in attempting to get Georgia to change its votes, the campaign was over. The votes had been counted. The work Meadow was doing was to conspire to overturn an election; the work was the criminal conspiracy.
2. Clarence Thomas claims that he needed to travel by private jet out of fear after the leak of the draft opinion overturning Roe. OK. And the other paid for travel during the year? And the paid for travel in previous years? He could not get away with an excuse like that made to a competent third grade teacher.
I find it amusing that, in all the dodging and weaving by defendants in these indictments about the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, they continue to drive nails through their own feet by contradicting prior statements, testimony and pieces of evidence like emails, text messages that are in the possession of the DOJ, the public and the press. Not only are these contradictions incriminating, but they are also hopelessly amateurish. They make the defendants AND their council look like the petty criminals that they are.
Joyce, your photo of you and your chickens, are so cute.
Your newsletter was great to read.
I am glad the trial in Georgia will be televised. It's important for people to know the truth about Trump. I hope justice prevails. Happy Labor Day weekend. Enjoy and be safe.
Live in WI and watched the Kyle Rittenhouse trial which was televised on CourtTV . Because it was WI and the county in which the crime occurred is a very "red" county, I was still shocked and sickened after watching it, that he was found not guilty on all counts. How these jurors could have determined he was acting in self defense after hearing all of the facts - in court - presented by the prosecution still frustrates me because I determined after viewing it, Kyle Rittenhouse is guilty of manslaughter at the very least. He was, is and always will be - a murderer - and the GOP's embracing of him - and the J6 defendants is frightening.
Robert's responsibility for the court's ethics crisis goes far deeper than just living in a glass house. For the past 12 years, he has rejected arguments that the court should be bound by an ethics code. In his 2011 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary he wrote, “At the end of the day, no compilation of ethical rules can guarantee integrity." Roberts seems to believe that there is something special about being a Supreme Court justice that makes them immune to the improprieties that lower judges, who are governed by an ethics code, fall victim to. One doesn't have to take his logic to the extreme to see that his position calls into question ethics codes in general. Why doesn't everyone just do the right thing and be ethical? CNN reported that Justice Roberts has recently sought unanimity among the justices for the implementation of ethical standards, but failed to get it. The public's perception of the integrity of the court will continue to slide until he does.
Meadows's testimony may have created another problem for him, a big one. His testimony addressed the heart of the state's case against him. The consequences of this decision to testify go way beyond the possibility of being charged with perjury, By taking the stand, he waived his Fifth Amendment rights. As a result, the prosecution is likely to call him to the witness stand to testify. Now he will really face a dilemma. If he refuses, that refusal can be used against him. If he takes the stand and asserts the Fifth Amendment to specific questions, those answers might constitute admissions. If he answers the questions, his prior testimony under oath could be used to impeach him. This was a very risky move that his lawyers undoubtedly warned him about. It bespeaks desperation.
Despite the hecklers on this particular essay who seem to be “ planted” one must admire Brian Kemp to upholding the laws of the state of Georgia upholding the laws to protect American citizens from crimes against democracy. What happened in the last administration was the low point of our history and we are still trying to recover from the damage physically, mentally and spiritually from their actions.
People in positions of power, take an oath, have an obligation to the facts, the evidence, and in some positions, the law. They have an obligation to judge fairly on that basis. And yet, I am mindful of the money and capital spent on getting judges confirmed - left or right.
If the justice is blind, there are a lot of nearsighted people in positions of authority to uphold the law.
If justice was truly blind. If jurisprudential excellence and competency mattered more than anything else., conservative or liberal wouldn't matter. That's just not how it plays out.
The law is subject to it's interpretation. And a lot of money and capital is vested in that interpretation.
As the saying goes, "Ours is the worst form of government save all the others." Also, "We reach a decision a blind man could see after much effort and having exhausted all the alternatives."
Anybody has a fool proof formula, I'm all ears. Maybe "fool proof" is a freudian slip.
This Supreme Court deserves its low credibility. For years Justice Thomas was an enigma and had minor effect on the court, usually pairing with Scalia who was more"likable" which is not saying much at all. But now Thomas is in his full blossoming and presenting more clearly as the meanspirited person we suspected he was at his hearing way back when. As well, apparently he thought that this country owed him something, not the other way around.
*********
It is so important for democracy, especially when you have busy civically uneducated people in the electorate that fall for "easy news" and hot buttons, for us to see these Trump court cases and procedures. Trump must be held accountable. That is something we are not good at doing politically. Accountability becomes political as retribution when Jim Jordan (and others) uses his power in the Congress as retribution. The January 6th Committee bent over backwards to not be political but it was still being called that by the supporters of the wrongdoers. And so too will even these open court proceeding to come be called "witch hunt" "partisan" and maybe other things. The program of blurring right from wrong, legal from illegal will continue. Still we must see this trial. The Watergate Hearings, which I remember, were an education and one felt like one was doing duty as a citizen to even observe.
n overwhelming saga lay ahead Joyce and how fortunate we can view it as it unfolds. The coaster ride has begun and I’m so grateful you are with us on this to give clarity and hope via the facts that support our laws in the months ahead. It has already taken far too long but we will get there to pry away the unending tug of war between 45 and the American people. Every day I am reminded of all you do with the facts to help light the way through the Halls of Justice. I hope you enjoy a well deserved break 🇺🇸🗽
From which party should I vote for President? The party who nominates Justices who take away my rights, favor the Gun Lobby, and cozy up to rich mega-donors, or the OTHER party?
Three Things for Your Labor Day Picnic
Thanks, Joyce. Nice wrap-up. Chief Justice Roberts probably dares not to jump on any other Justices about their indiscretions when his wife has had some questionable income, upwards of $10 million for matching lawyers to elite law firms over a 7 year period. Nice moola, if you can get it, eh? I think Meadows is out of luck & I hope he is spanked in State Court. As for trump having not declared for his case to be switched to Federal Court, he is probably using as much time to delay that option as possible. America is due for some relief from all of these trump & his allies shenanigans. Let it start sooner rather than later. I'd like to give Governor Kemp kudos for standing up for Fani Willis and the Constitution. Wish that would cause other Republicans to gird up their loins & defend America from trump. Carry on.
1. While it may seem that Meadows was doing the work of the campaign in attempting to get Georgia to change its votes, the campaign was over. The votes had been counted. The work Meadow was doing was to conspire to overturn an election; the work was the criminal conspiracy.
2. Clarence Thomas claims that he needed to travel by private jet out of fear after the leak of the draft opinion overturning Roe. OK. And the other paid for travel during the year? And the paid for travel in previous years? He could not get away with an excuse like that made to a competent third grade teacher.
I find it amusing that, in all the dodging and weaving by defendants in these indictments about the conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, they continue to drive nails through their own feet by contradicting prior statements, testimony and pieces of evidence like emails, text messages that are in the possession of the DOJ, the public and the press. Not only are these contradictions incriminating, but they are also hopelessly amateurish. They make the defendants AND their council look like the petty criminals that they are.
Happy and Safe Labor Day weekend to you and yours including the chickens and your four-legged kin. Thanks for all you do, Joyce.
Follow the free, luxury vacations of Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch with this relationship map. Included are ten exotic destinations and a dozen wealthy benefactors. "How to vacation for free like a Supreme Court Justice with billionaire friends" https://thedemlabs.org/2023/09/01/supreme-court-corruption-clarence-thomas-gifts-harlan-crow-samuel-alito/
Something for you:
World’s oldest chicken is 21: ‘Peanut loves to sit in my lap and watch TV’
“Peanut is a sassy little chicken — if she doesn’t get her blueberry yogurt in the morning, I definitely hear about it,” Marsi Parker Darwin says.
By Cathy Free
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/08/29/chicken-guinness-record-oldest-peanut/
I am so glad to learn of cameras in the courts!
Joyce, your photo of you and your chickens, are so cute.
Your newsletter was great to read.
I am glad the trial in Georgia will be televised. It's important for people to know the truth about Trump. I hope justice prevails. Happy Labor Day weekend. Enjoy and be safe.
Live in WI and watched the Kyle Rittenhouse trial which was televised on CourtTV . Because it was WI and the county in which the crime occurred is a very "red" county, I was still shocked and sickened after watching it, that he was found not guilty on all counts. How these jurors could have determined he was acting in self defense after hearing all of the facts - in court - presented by the prosecution still frustrates me because I determined after viewing it, Kyle Rittenhouse is guilty of manslaughter at the very least. He was, is and always will be - a murderer - and the GOP's embracing of him - and the J6 defendants is frightening.
Robert's responsibility for the court's ethics crisis goes far deeper than just living in a glass house. For the past 12 years, he has rejected arguments that the court should be bound by an ethics code. In his 2011 Year-End Report on the Federal Judiciary he wrote, “At the end of the day, no compilation of ethical rules can guarantee integrity." Roberts seems to believe that there is something special about being a Supreme Court justice that makes them immune to the improprieties that lower judges, who are governed by an ethics code, fall victim to. One doesn't have to take his logic to the extreme to see that his position calls into question ethics codes in general. Why doesn't everyone just do the right thing and be ethical? CNN reported that Justice Roberts has recently sought unanimity among the justices for the implementation of ethical standards, but failed to get it. The public's perception of the integrity of the court will continue to slide until he does.
Meadows's testimony may have created another problem for him, a big one. His testimony addressed the heart of the state's case against him. The consequences of this decision to testify go way beyond the possibility of being charged with perjury, By taking the stand, he waived his Fifth Amendment rights. As a result, the prosecution is likely to call him to the witness stand to testify. Now he will really face a dilemma. If he refuses, that refusal can be used against him. If he takes the stand and asserts the Fifth Amendment to specific questions, those answers might constitute admissions. If he answers the questions, his prior testimony under oath could be used to impeach him. This was a very risky move that his lawyers undoubtedly warned him about. It bespeaks desperation.
Despite the hecklers on this particular essay who seem to be “ planted” one must admire Brian Kemp to upholding the laws of the state of Georgia upholding the laws to protect American citizens from crimes against democracy. What happened in the last administration was the low point of our history and we are still trying to recover from the damage physically, mentally and spiritually from their actions.
People in positions of power, take an oath, have an obligation to the facts, the evidence, and in some positions, the law. They have an obligation to judge fairly on that basis. And yet, I am mindful of the money and capital spent on getting judges confirmed - left or right.
If the justice is blind, there are a lot of nearsighted people in positions of authority to uphold the law.
If justice was truly blind. If jurisprudential excellence and competency mattered more than anything else., conservative or liberal wouldn't matter. That's just not how it plays out.
The law is subject to it's interpretation. And a lot of money and capital is vested in that interpretation.
As the saying goes, "Ours is the worst form of government save all the others." Also, "We reach a decision a blind man could see after much effort and having exhausted all the alternatives."
Anybody has a fool proof formula, I'm all ears. Maybe "fool proof" is a freudian slip.
This Supreme Court deserves its low credibility. For years Justice Thomas was an enigma and had minor effect on the court, usually pairing with Scalia who was more"likable" which is not saying much at all. But now Thomas is in his full blossoming and presenting more clearly as the meanspirited person we suspected he was at his hearing way back when. As well, apparently he thought that this country owed him something, not the other way around.
*********
It is so important for democracy, especially when you have busy civically uneducated people in the electorate that fall for "easy news" and hot buttons, for us to see these Trump court cases and procedures. Trump must be held accountable. That is something we are not good at doing politically. Accountability becomes political as retribution when Jim Jordan (and others) uses his power in the Congress as retribution. The January 6th Committee bent over backwards to not be political but it was still being called that by the supporters of the wrongdoers. And so too will even these open court proceeding to come be called "witch hunt" "partisan" and maybe other things. The program of blurring right from wrong, legal from illegal will continue. Still we must see this trial. The Watergate Hearings, which I remember, were an education and one felt like one was doing duty as a citizen to even observe.
n overwhelming saga lay ahead Joyce and how fortunate we can view it as it unfolds. The coaster ride has begun and I’m so grateful you are with us on this to give clarity and hope via the facts that support our laws in the months ahead. It has already taken far too long but we will get there to pry away the unending tug of war between 45 and the American people. Every day I am reminded of all you do with the facts to help light the way through the Halls of Justice. I hope you enjoy a well deserved break 🇺🇸🗽
From which party should I vote for President? The party who nominates Justices who take away my rights, favor the Gun Lobby, and cozy up to rich mega-donors, or the OTHER party?
What a handsome dinosaur in your lap, Ms Vance. Lookit that comb!