A leaker could start with simultaneous releases to organizations such as ProPublica, The Guardian, The Meidas Touch, for starters. You can no doubt come up with several other reputable non-mainstream organizations who would be broadcasting the report's contents forthwith.
I'm willing to hang in there while we work our way over the remaining process hurdles, but goddamnit, I don't have a whole lot of faith that the courts will do the right thing, that Garland will do the right thing, and that the report will "officially" see the light of day. If it does not and we just meekly submit, standing around wringing our hands while saying things like, "Well, we played by the rules..." we're as much to blame for the report's remaining under wraps as those trying so desperately to suppress it.
If the system fails us (again), it's time to recall a favorite line from the Tao: "Forget the rules; be untroubled," and act on our own. There should already be about a dozen digital copies of the report stashed in safe places around two or three continents with "Break glass in case of emergency" stickers on them, along with people ready to break the glass. If there aren't, why in hell not? Why would we leave any stone unturned in the fight for our democracy, even if the stone isn't blessed by some official rulebook or process? Do we want to preserve our current system, grossly imperfect though it be, or not?
It's imperative that the orange criminal's wrongdoing be documented forever in the historical record, impervious to any Orwellian rewriting.
If the malign, corrupt, or incompetent forces at play succeed in preventing the report from coming out, it'll be time for a Pentagon Papers-type of event. DoJ guidelines, the courts, and all those other "guardrails" will have failed us once again and won't matter any more. Get the truth out and let the chips fall where they may. It can't be any worse than what's going to happen if we don't fight for ourselves.
Democrats got us in this mess by worrying about being polite and playing by the rules. That doesn't work with dt and his MAGA crazies. That report must be leaked. The judicial system just continues to play into dt's hands.
Kamala ran a great campaign in a short time, but Democrats around her failed to aggressively attack dt. She was appropriately dignified and graceful, but she needed her fellow Democrats to push back harder against that mad man.
He's not even president and look where we are. We are in deep shit. Can I say that here?
I think we need to keep pointing out it's the mainstream , "mature" Republicans who really got us into this mess. (Maga Reps are a lost case.) They were cowed by Trump from the get go & have allowed him to be the mob boss for almost 10 yrs. I'm ashamed of my previous party-- w the exception of Liz Cheney & Kinzinger. Even stalwarts like Romney, Murkowski & Collins should have been speaking out more. They are all culpable as well.
Yeah, messaging. Ben Wikler gets it. That is one of several reasons I think Wikler is the right person for DNC chair. If he's not chosen, that would further support the point of this pretty harsh but thought-provoking essay:
54 years after the NYT published the Pentagon Papers, we find ourselves in a different world where Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook/META will no longer fact check. The cries and wails of MAGats that it was censorship was one factor. Lies are lies, not malarkey or blarney or jokes, and liars can’t be trusted. Now our media, our system of justice and our president-elect can’t or won’t accept that lying is unacceptable, wrong and not one of the sacred Ten Commandments.
My hunch remains that the SCOTUS opinion leaker was one of the ultra-right "justices," probably Gorsuch, possibly with the collusion of someone in his office. If there was serious interest in exposing the leaker, the leaker would have been exposed.
The Imperial Court HAS BEEN EXPOSED. Problem is, there’s nothing, NOTHING we can do about in the short time we have left. When justices can declare Trump immune and pimples like Cannon can throw out solid cases of lawbreaking without immediate attention from dawdling appellate courts, we witness the suffocation of Democracy in real time
Yeah, I was actually thinking Alito, though Gorsuch's name came out of my fingers. I have a hard time telling them apart. I do know that Thomas is the Black one and Coney Rabbit is the female one, but the others? It's tough.
I keep hungering to believe that truth in print could be disseminated as in days of old. We need somehow to distribute lists of simple truths, simply stated, so that they could be fact-checked. Our primary problem is that we quit vigorously teaching history, and now it is being hidden and altered by these people who want for the government of, for and BY the people to die. We need to keep the message clear, concise and simply stated.
I agree. We can't relent. We must continue to fight to get the truth out even if it means going outside the lines, and doing what we've never done before.
Our flailing young people need for us older, wise Americans and others to stay alive, and help fight the good fight. I can't stand the word fight anymore. Maybe love the good love, teach the good truths.
Older, schmolder … we can research, and draw our own conclusions, not be spoon fed by the likes of Miller (Steve, not Tim), Musk and the MAGA cavalcade of clowns.
I'm an "older person" too (73 going on 74), and the internet -- well, OK, Substack and other social media -- was my first thought too. Facebook and X/Twitter not so much, though I'd love to see Zuck and the Muskox choke on it.
Steve, is there anyone in America who has not watched the January 6 2021 Riot at the Capitol, or seen pictures of it, or run to safety during it???? And yet we still hear about the festival of love tourist walk that day. Democracy will not be saved unless everyone acknowledges the facts of that day!🤮💔💩🎃🤡😩
I am so damned tired of all the ways the right gaslights the public trying to say up is down; in is out and out is in, etc. I WATCHED the horror of January 6 with my own eyes. The quiet of Monday’s public counting of the electoral college in front of Congress shows that 45 incited that traitorous riot. 45 is a malignant mentally unstable old man who has the emotional age of a 10 year old. All that the right days are lies. The next several years are going to be LONG!
I have just learned that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta/Facebook, will no longer have factchecking on the apps!! Repubs think it’s censorship of course. So the lies can spread more easily! This is bull💩.
We cannot control what the guy says. So, "expressing frustration" about what he says is just that, expressing frustration.
Democracy WILL be saved, but that outcome is NOT dependent on unanimity of acknowledgment of facts. That would be totally outside of the realm of possibility.
Print media remains of high importance, since I believe there is a possibility that truth-seekers will become too nauseated to use the internet, Meta, X and TikTok. Contemplative, thoughtful reading, not back-lit on a screen but on printed paper, remains pleasurable for many of us. We can change chairs, we can relax and pause. My eyes are suffering from the screens in spite of my blue blocker prescription glasses. Screens and these various outlets are destroying our youth. I am thankful for any comfort truth-seekers might share.
I suspect that enough drafts of the report were circulated to enough people for their input and sign-offs that eventually one such draft may be misplaced and ultimately see the light of day. Stranger things have been known to happen in Washington. Why do I keep thinking of "The Pentagon Papers"?
I'm sure the substackers will do it—at least in a way to explain to readers if not publishing the entire document: Joyce, Heather, Robert, Thom, Simon, et al. So will Meidas Touch and others on video.
And stoopid tRump's televised remarks on Greenland and the Canal are classic misdirections...he knows that Jack Smith's SC Report will come out, he knows that equally stoopid Aileen Cannon's "stay" of even the release of the Jan6 insurrection report - unimpeded by presiding Judge Tanya Chutkan - will be shit-canned, so he's back to the usual BS...and the media can't get enough of the fecking moron...oy vey, kill me now!
Yeah! I saw that too, Lance. He's already gone mad - not even taken office yet. I wonder if our military will actually respond to such berserk orders to (1) attack our NATO allies' land holdings, and to (2) seize the Panama Canal just for the heck of it (just think of the cuts to the VA, Medicaid, and Social Security he'll need to make to afford to do this, especially since he'll also want to bestow huge tax cuts to his billionaire buddies).
Also, since when does a judge spasmodically order something in another judge's (dismissed) case? Hello? Are you running a special on orders? There are two volumes of this report. Only one pertains to cannon's case. The second volume, the DC case, isn't canon's case to create orders for. (Oh, yeah, she's trying out for SCOTUS). Also, Merrick Garland and the DOJ aren't parties to this action (or the DC case, either) so, since when do you direct nonparties to act or not act? How about also ordering Dominoes to make free pizza deliveries to Mar a Lago, too? I also love the usual intelligent kitchen sink reasons given for not releasing the report, like: it would violate the Constitution and existing law, (Exh B, pg 3), and preparation and release of a report would serve no valid purpose (Ex B, pg 8). These reasons could more appropriately be used for not complying with orders to attack NATO allies' land and seize the Panama Canal (which is in desperate need of being made much wider and deeper and losing water). I wonder if we'll even have allies at the end of his term (or whoever takes over for him to complete it).
As a non-lawyer, why can't Biden just release the report through the White House as an official act and make use of the immunity conferred on the office by the Six Supremes?
If Jack Smith and/or Merrick Garland are patriots, they will see to it that Smith’s report is made public, even at the risk of prosecution for contempt of court.
Print media remains of high importance, since I believe there is a possibility that truth-seekers will become too nauseated to use the internet, Meta, X and TikTok. Contemplative, thoughtful reading, not back-lit on a screen but on printed paper, remains pleasurable for many of us. We can change chairs, we can relax and pause. My eyes are suffering from the screens in spite of my blue blocker prescription glasses. Screens and these various outlets are destroying our youth. I am thankful for any comfort truth-seekers might share.
Biden is still President. Under the recent Supreme Court ruling he is immune from prosecution while in office. He can & should release Jack Smith's report immediately!
How about this: Garland gives the report to President Biden who then releases it to the public as an official act. He has immunity, so no pardon needed.
John, I like that. Or better yet, Biden might simply declare it part of his presidential papers, take it back to Delaware with him on Jan 20 and puts it in his bathroom for safekeeping. He and Jill can then invite Hunter over for a meal of bean burritos, and Hunter will find it when he uses the bathroom. Hunter can then copy it to a laptop which he then sends out to a friendly tech for repairs. 😉
Marlene, I am doing the exact same thing as you. I can’t stand looking at his ugly face or hear that “effed” up voice ever again. I plan to stay the course for my own sanity…and that has been tested to the max of late.
The 22nd Amendment forbids a person from holding more than two terms as President, whether the terms be consecutive or not. Are you referring to the 25th Amendment which details what needs to happen when Presidents become incapacitated for whatever reason?
And yes, I believe Trump is indeed becoming dangerously delusional.
I'm glad that you are limiting the insanity, fear, and grave danger about to come our way and take root in the WH to four years. I really think he is there for life as terrifying as that is, and there is no one nor will there be to make sure that never happens.
Kay, I just can’t go there, yet. He is not a young man. He’s old. What I see is that the MAGAs will declare him too dysfunctional to serve and they’ll invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him. Then the equally cruel but smarter JD will reign. I believe that is the Thiel-Musk plan. You know, the two white guys who are fascists and racists who were not born here.
And let's add the next puzzle piece - Canada's Conservative leader is a close friend of Vance. So there may be, I truly fear, some coordination of the taunting of Canada leading toward a takeover. Which has been predicted by many in Canada for over a decade, as they recognized long ago that the US is at its core, predatory.
I wonder about that too, Kay. But I feel like after this term, all the many younger people who've wanted to run for president and couldn't because he got in the way again, will now be raring to run for office. I don't think this not-so compliant Congress would create an exception for him, they won't see him as powerful - look at how stupid and befuddled he already is and he hasn't even taken office yet. Hang in there, we're going to get past this.
I've long maintained that Project 2025 will let him stay for about a year, do as much damage as he wants, implement the 25th Amendment, remove him and we'll end up with J.D. in the White House for the remainder of the term and then run in 2028...if we still have elections. Don't forget, J.D is one of the participants in Project 2025.
As to Smith’s report, it really is quite simple. Biden should order the immediate release of Jack Smith’s report. This would clearly be a presidential act for which he has immunity.
If Cannon tries to sanction anyone, Biden should pardon them. He should issue preemptive pardons to nullify Cannon waiting until after Trump is sworn in to levy contempt sanctions. Easy peasy.
Just takes some guts which the Democrats seem to lack. Should have been released the second Smith presented it.
There is much President Biden could do, not unlike the EO re drilling. Sadly there is a bringing-a-knife-to-a-gunfight quality to his and the Democrats' actions leading up to the inauguration.
Can we remember that President Biden is also in the midst of getting all possible aid to Ukraine and get the hostages released. Can we cut him a little slack if he’s not right on top of our demands of the moment?
So, I heard Andrew Weissman say that Garland cannot just release these reports because there is a federal court order. Trump doesn’t follow rules or laws, and this is an exigent situation, so they should break this meaningless rule. The People need to know!
That court order came from Judge Aileen Cannon, the same judge that dismissed the case. Since she dismissed the case, she no longer has jurisdiction over it. Since she no longer has jurisdiction over it, she cannot issue a valid court order stopping its release. Unfortunately, the defendants, in addition to asking her to stop its distribution, also asked the 11th Circuit to stop it. That court hasn't ruled on this yet, so it's wrong to say that there is a federal court order. However, I agree with the poster who suggested Smith (or more likely, Garland) release it with a promise from Biden that he would receive a pardon for doing so. It's fighting fire with fire and since anything the sitting President does in his official capacity is immune from prosecution...
I love that idea. I hope that us rule-observing Dems don't allow a report that is obviously pretty embarrassing to him to get buried and never see the light of day Remember what happened to the Mueller report where our dear AG, Bill Barr, "interpreted" it for the country and very few people read it. I got to pg 58 and couldn't read any more of it because you could see all the many, many things trump got away with and how corruptly Barr had intentionally lied about its conclusion. I had to stop.
Garland is laughable, he wouldn’t even look at trump for two years. He didn’t even attempt to prosecute the hundreds of congresspeople and possibly scotus involved in the insurrection. He has no interest in releasing the report.
But couldn't Biden himself release the report? He's still President until Jan.21 & therefore, according to the Supreme Court, can't be prosecuted for decisions he makes while in office.
"Small acts of courage. That is what is going to keep us moving forward."
-Joyce Vance
"That even in the darkest of times we have the right to expect some illumination, and that such illumination might well come less from theories and concepts than from the uncertain, flickering, and often weak light that some men and women, in their lives and their works, will kindle under almost all circumstances and shed over the time span that was given to them...."
Been saying the same thing Joyce has said. He’s effectively isolating us from the free world with his shit. Sane governments won’t want to have to deal with him. He’s like the crazy uncle who can’t keep his mouth shut or his hands to himself. I keep hoping the Danes will turn a few Viking Berserkers loose if he sets foot near Greenland. Keep an eye out though. If he’s willing to point smoke in that direction watch out for the fire he’s stoking elsewhere.
We are probably being set up to lose important intelligence connections with our closest allies because of Trump. Who will want to share critical info that a drunken Hegseth would blurt to a Russian honey trap, or that Trump would share with Putin?
Well, isn't that what trump wants? An isolated United States that doesn't defend the rest of the world? Downfall of democracy (democratic countries) is what all the world's dictators want. And if anyone thinks that Putin didn't put such kingly ideas into trump's empty head, along with some kingly promises of world domination...
Good point. I think I already posted a comment whereby I said that because Trump adores being in the spotlight at all times and dominating the newscycle--he has to invent ever more outrageous stuff to function as clickbait to keep his MAGA base entertained and tuned in (and not focused on his broken campaign promises). This bullshittery concerning the use of military to take back the Canal, invade Greenland (and make no mistake: Greenland is becoming of very great interest to many different governments and corporations, worldwide) is doing double duty of outrageous BS to keep all eyes on HIM plus the saber rattling to keep Putin happy.
Sorry to say I’ve never understood what is crazy about bat shit. Doesn’t every living creature excrete digestive waste products. Why humiliate the humble bat?
Yes, it is very important to remember that 77+ million Americans voted for Donald Trump. That 2 million more than Harris got. These 77 million are our friends & neighbor’s & relatives (shutter!). We have two tasks: 1.) help the 77 million to see a better way. 2.) don’t buy a Tesla (or sell your Tesla), quit Facebook, X, Amazon, WaPo, etc. Some folks say we need a new Civil War. I’m more inclined to promote a Civilized War.
I feel civil disobedience coming on. Especially if Trump carries through on his threats to persecute his political enemies, there ought to be sit-ins, marches, and mild offenses to act in solidarity with whomever he is attempting to deport, incarcerate or eliminate.
"On January 18th, thousands of everyday people will gather in DC and nationwide to demand and defend our freedoms. Will you be there with us?
This march will be a monumental effort—and we need all hands on deck. If you’ll be in the Washington, D.C. area and can help, sign up now to volunteer.
I'm seventy-four, and don't have the spring in my step to march very far, but I sure as Hell can do a sit-in! I'm STILL a Fierce Feminazi(and f*CK you, Rush).
Yes! Right there with you! I just got two new knees and can walk better than I have been able to in 15 years, so I may not get to DC but I will participate in the nearest sit-in or march!!! And yes, it is one of my dearest fantasies, that Rush is busy being tormented in the lake of fire.
The March on Washington is scheduled for Jan 18th, before his inauguration. We remember Selma, of course, but many actions in different places and on other days will be difficult to stop.
Yes! Disobedience can be as simple as seeing a maga politician out to eat, just spit in their food!😁 And if you see Clarence “the dope” Thomas with his seditious conspiracy wife Gin, get both of them. Oh, and the Alitos too.
And every protest or march will tempt the orange menace to declare a national emergency, followed by Martial law being ordered. He's jonesing to call out his military, and see which of them (or how many) will capitulate to his wishes. And honestly, I don't trust that his supporters in the military ranks won't turn on their fellow citizens. They've been fed strictly Fox news on the bases for far too long.
Although I agree that we should keep an eye on Trump's expansionist talks, I suspect part of his aim is to distract us from the upcoming confirmation hearings of his dubious nominees. We must not take our eyes off them.
I just watched two reports on Mark Zukerberg's announcement that Facebook is doing away with fact-checking because it had become "too biased" and was suppressing free lies, I mean free speech. The reports both included Trump answering "Probably," when he was asked if he thought Zuckerberg did this because of his threats. As he answered, he tilted his head up into a smug look. The tech oligarchs are coalescing around Trump and all lies are joining together into the T Rex of Lies using their gargantuan media platforms. I'm going to use Amazon to mail him a copy of 1984. I'm sure Bezos won't mind.
I will read his book, thank you. I did follow through & sent Zuckerberg 1984, with the message, “In case you’ve not read this classic, now would be a great time! All the best as we move forward in 2025.”
So, Aileen has no jurisdiction. Good to know, as news outlets do not point that out. I thought it was the Attorney General who was empowered to decide about releasing the report. I thought the federal courts were under his supervision.
No the courts are not under the AGs jurisdiction. He is Article 2 (executive under the president), courts are Article 3 (judiciary) and rule themselves.
In keeping with the new free-for-all about to take over on the 20th, a group that will use the law to its advantage or ignore the law to its advantage depending on what problem they are trying to extract the dumbass in the White House from I've decided a couple of things.
My cancer is acting up & I've not been feeling too well. I'm still able to run my errands but I really feel it would be helpful if I could just park in a handicap spot closer to my destination so I don't have to deal with any more steps than necessary. That's a pretty small law to flaunt given that I feel handicapped by my current health status. So whaddya think? Can I do that & just send a letter to the traffic court & ask them to waive the fine? My guess is I'd get a no way, lady you need the placard! Tough shit, pay the ticket. Who do you think you are donald trump?
My second thought is, I really don't want to file my income taxes. I'm a job creator, I have a lovely hardworking lady clean my house twice a month. I have a gardener who comes once a month to trim bushes, pull weeds etc. So as a job creator I should get a tax break, no? I mean I created those jobs for those people to come to my house. Or is this another case of tough shit lady, who do you think you are some poor billionaire that needs a tax break so that he can buy back stock, drive share prices up & then declare a dividend?
So if the law is so damn malleable why can't it be malleable for me. I get really tired of sitting at red lights when I have places to go. Why can't I just run the light. My time is valuable, I have to rush home to have my kitty cuddle on my lap as part of my cancer therapy. (In actuality when I asked the nurse if I should push myself to be more active when most of my day is kitty cuddling she said kitty cuddling is just what the doctor ordered. I have a prescription to rest with my kitty on my lap!!!!😺)
The above is just a different fever dream that hit me.
You don't have to file your taxes. With all the cuts to the IRS, I doubt you'd even get a notice from them before the end of 2025. I wish millions of workers would lower their employers' withholding rate, to put less money into the U.S. Treasury for trump to spend! That would give them more money to spend on those expensive eggs 😉
Jack Smith’s report must be leaked, but does there still exist a news paper with the bollocks to print it?
Why do you need a paper? Leak on internet and it would spread like wildfire
A leaker could start with simultaneous releases to organizations such as ProPublica, The Guardian, The Meidas Touch, for starters. You can no doubt come up with several other reputable non-mainstream organizations who would be broadcasting the report's contents forthwith.
I'm willing to hang in there while we work our way over the remaining process hurdles, but goddamnit, I don't have a whole lot of faith that the courts will do the right thing, that Garland will do the right thing, and that the report will "officially" see the light of day. If it does not and we just meekly submit, standing around wringing our hands while saying things like, "Well, we played by the rules..." we're as much to blame for the report's remaining under wraps as those trying so desperately to suppress it.
If the system fails us (again), it's time to recall a favorite line from the Tao: "Forget the rules; be untroubled," and act on our own. There should already be about a dozen digital copies of the report stashed in safe places around two or three continents with "Break glass in case of emergency" stickers on them, along with people ready to break the glass. If there aren't, why in hell not? Why would we leave any stone unturned in the fight for our democracy, even if the stone isn't blessed by some official rulebook or process? Do we want to preserve our current system, grossly imperfect though it be, or not?
It's imperative that the orange criminal's wrongdoing be documented forever in the historical record, impervious to any Orwellian rewriting.
If the malign, corrupt, or incompetent forces at play succeed in preventing the report from coming out, it'll be time for a Pentagon Papers-type of event. DoJ guidelines, the courts, and all those other "guardrails" will have failed us once again and won't matter any more. Get the truth out and let the chips fall where they may. It can't be any worse than what's going to happen if we don't fight for ourselves.
Democrats got us in this mess by worrying about being polite and playing by the rules. That doesn't work with dt and his MAGA crazies. That report must be leaked. The judicial system just continues to play into dt's hands.
Kamala ran a great campaign in a short time, but Democrats around her failed to aggressively attack dt. She was appropriately dignified and graceful, but she needed her fellow Democrats to push back harder against that mad man.
He's not even president and look where we are. We are in deep shit. Can I say that here?
I think we need to keep pointing out it's the mainstream , "mature" Republicans who really got us into this mess. (Maga Reps are a lost case.) They were cowed by Trump from the get go & have allowed him to be the mob boss for almost 10 yrs. I'm ashamed of my previous party-- w the exception of Liz Cheney & Kinzinger. Even stalwarts like Romney, Murkowski & Collins should have been speaking out more. They are all culpable as well.
"That report must be leaked."
SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS -- THOUSANDS, no MILLIONS OF TIMES!!!!!
Yeah, messaging. Ben Wikler gets it. That is one of several reasons I think Wikler is the right person for DNC chair. If he's not chosen, that would further support the point of this pretty harsh but thought-provoking essay:
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/bernie-would-have-won
Yes and keep it up. We need everyone to use whatever non-physical weapons we can and words are what we have available.
Just yesterday I wrote in my journal, “Where’s our Daniel Ellsberg?”
54 years after the NYT published the Pentagon Papers, we find ourselves in a different world where Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook/META will no longer fact check. The cries and wails of MAGats that it was censorship was one factor. Lies are lies, not malarkey or blarney or jokes, and liars can’t be trusted. Now our media, our system of justice and our president-elect can’t or won’t accept that lying is unacceptable, wrong and not one of the sacred Ten Commandments.
Https://about.fb.com/news/2025/01/meta-more-speech-fewer-mistakes/
Where's the anonymous SCOTUS opinion leaker when we can use them now?
My hunch remains that the SCOTUS opinion leaker was one of the ultra-right "justices," probably Gorsuch, possibly with the collusion of someone in his office. If there was serious interest in exposing the leaker, the leaker would have been exposed.
The Imperial Court HAS BEEN EXPOSED. Problem is, there’s nothing, NOTHING we can do about in the short time we have left. When justices can declare Trump immune and pimples like Cannon can throw out solid cases of lawbreaking without immediate attention from dawdling appellate courts, we witness the suffocation of Democracy in real time
My assumption was that it was Alito, himself. But yeh, that leak for sure was from the "right", not the "left".
Yeah, I was actually thinking Alito, though Gorsuch's name came out of my fingers. I have a hard time telling them apart. I do know that Thomas is the Black one and Coney Rabbit is the female one, but the others? It's tough.
Yes!
I keep hungering to believe that truth in print could be disseminated as in days of old. We need somehow to distribute lists of simple truths, simply stated, so that they could be fact-checked. Our primary problem is that we quit vigorously teaching history, and now it is being hidden and altered by these people who want for the government of, for and BY the people to die. We need to keep the message clear, concise and simply stated.
I totally agree.
We are in real danger of losing a lot of serious fact checking!
I agree. We can't relent. We must continue to fight to get the truth out even if it means going outside the lines, and doing what we've never done before.
I agree!!!!
Yes! I just admitted to be an older person! Too funny. 😂
I am an older person too! And proud of it! 😘 We are seasoned and have wisdom. Never ignore us ❤️
I, too, am older and, because I have read a book, perhaps I am wise enough. Your court, Mr. Trump.
Our flailing young people need for us older, wise Americans and others to stay alive, and help fight the good fight. I can't stand the word fight anymore. Maybe love the good love, teach the good truths.
It's okay Ellen M. Remember we are in this together as Joyce writes and some (probably many) of us are old farts.
74. Not dead yet.
74 in a couple of weeks and still kicking.
I think that I am older than all here...but do not think of myself as a fart.....Joyce does steer us well. John
For sure. Glad to still be paying attention to the world, Marian. 😊
Too many—bring on the *young* farts!
Sure. Them too!
😂I bet I’m older than you!😂
Older, schmolder … we can research, and draw our own conclusions, not be spoon fed by the likes of Miller (Steve, not Tim), Musk and the MAGA cavalcade of clowns.
I wonder how many readers here (and of Robert, and of HCR, etc.) are young - say, under 40? I have been wondering about that for a while.
An important question!
I'm an "older person" too (73 going on 74), and the internet -- well, OK, Substack and other social media -- was my first thought too. Facebook and X/Twitter not so much, though I'd love to see Zuck and the Muskox choke on it.
Sounds like you are 73 and a half, Susannah...John
Know what you mean, Ellen! 😊
I’m with you!
Happens to me all the time. ☺️
Case in point: is there any one in America who hasn't seen Ann Telnaes' cartoon WaPo refused to publish?
Steve, is there anyone in America who has not watched the January 6 2021 Riot at the Capitol, or seen pictures of it, or run to safety during it???? And yet we still hear about the festival of love tourist walk that day. Democracy will not be saved unless everyone acknowledges the facts of that day!🤮💔💩🎃🤡😩
I am so damned tired of all the ways the right gaslights the public trying to say up is down; in is out and out is in, etc. I WATCHED the horror of January 6 with my own eyes. The quiet of Monday’s public counting of the electoral college in front of Congress shows that 45 incited that traitorous riot. 45 is a malignant mentally unstable old man who has the emotional age of a 10 year old. All that the right days are lies. The next several years are going to be LONG!
10-year-olds are vastly more mature.
I love 10 year old people. It's people who get stuck at age 8 and never develop emotionally beyond that that scare me.
I have just learned that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta/Facebook, will no longer have factchecking on the apps!! Repubs think it’s censorship of course. So the lies can spread more easily! This is bull💩.
https://about.fb.com/news/2025/01/meta-more-speech-fewer-mistakes/amp/
We cannot control what the guy says. So, "expressing frustration" about what he says is just that, expressing frustration.
Democracy WILL be saved, but that outcome is NOT dependent on unanimity of acknowledgment of facts. That would be totally outside of the realm of possibility.
Print media remains of high importance, since I believe there is a possibility that truth-seekers will become too nauseated to use the internet, Meta, X and TikTok. Contemplative, thoughtful reading, not back-lit on a screen but on printed paper, remains pleasurable for many of us. We can change chairs, we can relax and pause. My eyes are suffering from the screens in spite of my blue blocker prescription glasses. Screens and these various outlets are destroying our youth. I am thankful for any comfort truth-seekers might share.
Kind of like the Los Angeles Basin tonight.
Just press send.
I suspect that enough drafts of the report were circulated to enough people for their input and sign-offs that eventually one such draft may be misplaced and ultimately see the light of day. Stranger things have been known to happen in Washington. Why do I keep thinking of "The Pentagon Papers"?
I'm sure the substackers will do it—at least in a way to explain to readers if not publishing the entire document: Joyce, Heather, Robert, Thom, Simon, et al. So will Meidas Touch and others on video.
Call Messrs Woodward & Bernstein!
Farts nationwide unite!
And stoopid tRump's televised remarks on Greenland and the Canal are classic misdirections...he knows that Jack Smith's SC Report will come out, he knows that equally stoopid Aileen Cannon's "stay" of even the release of the Jan6 insurrection report - unimpeded by presiding Judge Tanya Chutkan - will be shit-canned, so he's back to the usual BS...and the media can't get enough of the fecking moron...oy vey, kill me now!
Yeah! I saw that too, Lance. He's already gone mad - not even taken office yet. I wonder if our military will actually respond to such berserk orders to (1) attack our NATO allies' land holdings, and to (2) seize the Panama Canal just for the heck of it (just think of the cuts to the VA, Medicaid, and Social Security he'll need to make to afford to do this, especially since he'll also want to bestow huge tax cuts to his billionaire buddies).
Also, since when does a judge spasmodically order something in another judge's (dismissed) case? Hello? Are you running a special on orders? There are two volumes of this report. Only one pertains to cannon's case. The second volume, the DC case, isn't canon's case to create orders for. (Oh, yeah, she's trying out for SCOTUS). Also, Merrick Garland and the DOJ aren't parties to this action (or the DC case, either) so, since when do you direct nonparties to act or not act? How about also ordering Dominoes to make free pizza deliveries to Mar a Lago, too? I also love the usual intelligent kitchen sink reasons given for not releasing the report, like: it would violate the Constitution and existing law, (Exh B, pg 3), and preparation and release of a report would serve no valid purpose (Ex B, pg 8). These reasons could more appropriately be used for not complying with orders to attack NATO allies' land and seize the Panama Canal (which is in desperate need of being made much wider and deeper and losing water). I wonder if we'll even have allies at the end of his term (or whoever takes over for him to complete it).
ProPublica isn't a print paper, to my knowledge, but courageous and respected.
Ellen:
I agree with you on the release of the documents just like the Pentagon papers.
As a non-lawyer, why can't Biden just release the report through the White House as an official act and make use of the immunity conferred on the office by the Six Supremes?
If Jack Smith and/or Merrick Garland are patriots, they will see to it that Smith’s report is made public, even at the risk of prosecution for contempt of court.
And if they do that quickly, Biden can pardon them before he leaves office.
Good thinking, but I suspect that they won't be that efficient.
My guess is, no.
Print media remains of high importance, since I believe there is a possibility that truth-seekers will become too nauseated to use the internet, Meta, X and TikTok. Contemplative, thoughtful reading, not back-lit on a screen but on printed paper, remains pleasurable for many of us. We can change chairs, we can relax and pause. My eyes are suffering from the screens in spite of my blue blocker prescription glasses. Screens and these various outlets are destroying our youth. I am thankful for any comfort truth-seekers might share.
The election is over and YOU LOST. The American people rendered their verdict on Trump. GET OVER IT.
BTW leaking maybe a felony. I thought you believed in the rule of law.
Biden is still President. Under the recent Supreme Court ruling he is immune from prosecution while in office. He can & should release Jack Smith's report immediately!
English Lady I see, lol.
Is that "playing by the rules"? Reverse the parties and you lib-a-dibs would be screaming like your kittens that were left out in the rain.
Mommie still wants her computer back, you dumb punk. Go crawl back to Flyover Loserville where you were born and spent your life.
Sorry, Frank, but all is fair in love and war. Someone said that.
Well there you have it. I guess Joyce did not get that memo, or else she knows and is being disingenuous.
Wednesday Update: Wreck is screaming at SCOTUS this am "Save Me!"
Trump is treating SCOTUS as an "Executive" Article II court rarely used except at times of civil unrest or war.
*****
Well, Trump got the Memo -- the ruling from New York Appellate Judge Ellen Gesmer: Motion to Stay Friday's sentencing: DENIED.
🙄
🙄
Joyce, is there a reason that Jack Smith just can’t release his reports and Biden just pardons him?
How about this: Garland gives the report to President Biden who then releases it to the public as an official act. He has immunity, so no pardon needed.
John, I like that. Or better yet, Biden might simply declare it part of his presidential papers, take it back to Delaware with him on Jan 20 and puts it in his bathroom for safekeeping. He and Jill can then invite Hunter over for a meal of bean burritos, and Hunter will find it when he uses the bathroom. Hunter can then copy it to a laptop which he then sends out to a friendly tech for repairs. 😉
The story will soon get out.
To John & Doug: WOW!! Classic stuff both of you! I hope both of these scenarios REALLY happen and then Hollywood begins filming a blockbuster movie!!
Very creative! 👏👏👏
Great idea!!!
The report of the Jan 6 Committee has been removed from its original archive, but can still be found here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-J6-REPORT/pdf/GPO-J6-REPORT.pdf
The Library of Congress will have a copy of it.
Saved in case the incoming administration tries to make it disappear.
Me too! Just saved it!
Got it! Thanks.
Is that Jack Smith's report or the House Committee report from 2 years ago? Anyway thanks for the link.
Thanks for letting us know that! I had already emailed the entire report to myself so I'll have it.
Listening to Trump speak is just sooo draining. He’s the village idiot and we all get to suffer. Not enough Prozac to cure this.
I refuse to look or listen to him because you know that he spews lies and hate. Why engage with someone like that? He’s an attention whore!
Marlene, I am doing the exact same thing as you. I can’t stand looking at his ugly face or hear that “effed” up voice ever again. I plan to stay the course for my own sanity…and that has been tested to the max of late.
He's on TV and I'm literally screaming, 'Die! Die! Die, you fat Orange f&$#k!'
The DH is worried I'll have a stroke and one of my cats is hiding under the bed.
I can't survive 4 years of this.
Where's my vodka?
Make America Gag Again
If he were just the village idiot I could go to sleep easily, but he's home invasion.
Does *anyone* notice how delusional the next president of the United States is? Times four years … hello 25th Amendment!
The 22nd Amendment forbids a person from holding more than two terms as President, whether the terms be consecutive or not. Are you referring to the 25th Amendment which details what needs to happen when Presidents become incapacitated for whatever reason?
And yes, I believe Trump is indeed becoming dangerously delusional.
Yes, my mistake! Thank you, will edit now.
I'm glad that you are limiting the insanity, fear, and grave danger about to come our way and take root in the WH to four years. I really think he is there for life as terrifying as that is, and there is no one nor will there be to make sure that never happens.
Kay, I just can’t go there, yet. He is not a young man. He’s old. What I see is that the MAGAs will declare him too dysfunctional to serve and they’ll invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him. Then the equally cruel but smarter JD will reign. I believe that is the Thiel-Musk plan. You know, the two white guys who are fascists and racists who were not born here.
And let's add the next puzzle piece - Canada's Conservative leader is a close friend of Vance. So there may be, I truly fear, some coordination of the taunting of Canada leading toward a takeover. Which has been predicted by many in Canada for over a decade, as they recognized long ago that the US is at its core, predatory.
I wonder about that too, Kay. But I feel like after this term, all the many younger people who've wanted to run for president and couldn't because he got in the way again, will now be raring to run for office. I don't think this not-so compliant Congress would create an exception for him, they won't see him as powerful - look at how stupid and befuddled he already is and he hasn't even taken office yet. Hang in there, we're going to get past this.
I hope so. Do you think those who want to run will actually get the chance or have a fate similar to others who tried to run against a dictator,?
Again, propped up … but by whom? Musk? Vance?
I've long maintained that Project 2025 will let him stay for about a year, do as much damage as he wants, implement the 25th Amendment, remove him and we'll end up with J.D. in the White House for the remainder of the term and then run in 2028...if we still have elections. Don't forget, J.D is one of the participants in Project 2025.
I agree. And JD will then make women’s lives even more miserable.
I feel the same way, also my family, too.
As to Smith’s report, it really is quite simple. Biden should order the immediate release of Jack Smith’s report. This would clearly be a presidential act for which he has immunity.
If Cannon tries to sanction anyone, Biden should pardon them. He should issue preemptive pardons to nullify Cannon waiting until after Trump is sworn in to levy contempt sanctions. Easy peasy.
Just takes some guts which the Democrats seem to lack. Should have been released the second Smith presented it.
There is much President Biden could do, not unlike the EO re drilling. Sadly there is a bringing-a-knife-to-a-gunfight quality to his and the Democrats' actions leading up to the inauguration.
More like a pair of tweezers to a gunfight.
Can we remember that President Biden is also in the midst of getting all possible aid to Ukraine and get the hostages released. Can we cut him a little slack if he’s not right on top of our demands of the moment?
I think the way it would have to work is for Biden to take the report and Biden to then release it. Either way, it is a good idea.
That said, I doubt there is much in the report we don't already know. It'll be more filling in the dots.
For history, it's important to have all the documented facts possible.
Damn, Parkin, I like your ideas! Lawful and badass too. 🔥
So, I heard Andrew Weissman say that Garland cannot just release these reports because there is a federal court order. Trump doesn’t follow rules or laws, and this is an exigent situation, so they should break this meaningless rule. The People need to know!
That court order came from Judge Aileen Cannon, the same judge that dismissed the case. Since she dismissed the case, she no longer has jurisdiction over it. Since she no longer has jurisdiction over it, she cannot issue a valid court order stopping its release. Unfortunately, the defendants, in addition to asking her to stop its distribution, also asked the 11th Circuit to stop it. That court hasn't ruled on this yet, so it's wrong to say that there is a federal court order. However, I agree with the poster who suggested Smith (or more likely, Garland) release it with a promise from Biden that he would receive a pardon for doing so. It's fighting fire with fire and since anything the sitting President does in his official capacity is immune from prosecution...
I love that idea. I hope that us rule-observing Dems don't allow a report that is obviously pretty embarrassing to him to get buried and never see the light of day Remember what happened to the Mueller report where our dear AG, Bill Barr, "interpreted" it for the country and very few people read it. I got to pg 58 and couldn't read any more of it because you could see all the many, many things trump got away with and how corruptly Barr had intentionally lied about its conclusion. I had to stop.
Biden is president and can, in his "official capacity," overrule said court order. So says the unsupreme court.
Garland is laughable, he wouldn’t even look at trump for two years. He didn’t even attempt to prosecute the hundreds of congresspeople and possibly scotus involved in the insurrection. He has no interest in releasing the report.
I don’t think that’s a fair interpretation of Garland’s action or, according to you and many others, inaction from 1-6-21.
Why not? He should have investigated trump immediately.
But couldn't Biden himself release the report? He's still President until Jan.21 & therefore, according to the Supreme Court, can't be prosecuted for decisions he makes while in office.
Of courage.
Ann Telnaes resigned from the Washington Post because of censorship.
She has a new substack. It's free, she's brilliant, please subscribe.
https://anntelnaes.substack.com/p/why-im-quitting-the-washington-post
Editorial cartoonists in solidarity with Telnaes
https://stevebrodner.substack.com/p/we-stand-with-ann
"Small acts of courage. That is what is going to keep us moving forward."
-Joyce Vance
"That even in the darkest of times we have the right to expect some illumination, and that such illumination might well come less from theories and concepts than from the uncertain, flickering, and often weak light that some men and women, in their lives and their works, will kindle under almost all circumstances and shed over the time span that was given to them...."
- Hannah Arendt, Men in Dark Times
"...people can be pushed only so far."
- Elizabeth Warren
“The banality of evil.” Ms. Arendt
Been saying the same thing Joyce has said. He’s effectively isolating us from the free world with his shit. Sane governments won’t want to have to deal with him. He’s like the crazy uncle who can’t keep his mouth shut or his hands to himself. I keep hoping the Danes will turn a few Viking Berserkers loose if he sets foot near Greenland. Keep an eye out though. If he’s willing to point smoke in that direction watch out for the fire he’s stoking elsewhere.
We are probably being set up to lose important intelligence connections with our closest allies because of Trump. Who will want to share critical info that a drunken Hegseth would blurt to a Russian honey trap, or that Trump would share with Putin?
Close American allies are about to become things of the past.
Well, isn't that what trump wants? An isolated United States that doesn't defend the rest of the world? Downfall of democracy (democratic countries) is what all the world's dictators want. And if anyone thinks that Putin didn't put such kingly ideas into trump's empty head, along with some kingly promises of world domination...
😢🤯😱
Yeah, that’s a done deal. Any other country would be equally insane to trust this country where in 12 days insanity is the rule.
Excellent point!
Good point. I think I already posted a comment whereby I said that because Trump adores being in the spotlight at all times and dominating the newscycle--he has to invent ever more outrageous stuff to function as clickbait to keep his MAGA base entertained and tuned in (and not focused on his broken campaign promises). This bullshittery concerning the use of military to take back the Canal, invade Greenland (and make no mistake: Greenland is becoming of very great interest to many different governments and corporations, worldwide) is doing double duty of outrageous BS to keep all eyes on HIM plus the saber rattling to keep Putin happy.
Yes, like getting his loyalist appointees to key critical positions approved by the Senate.
Very good point.
Perfect description of the lunacy we are all living through.
Is there a kind of crazy that's crazier than bat-shit crazy? If so, that's the word we need right now. How I wish we didn't.
Saw a cartoon somewhere that said bats prefer to have it called 'trump-shit crazy".
Brian-worm crazy. courtesy of RFK jr.
Or, simply, brain dead.
Bat-shit crazy is one word! How much worse can he get? Unfortunately, we will soon find out!
Sorry to say I’ve never understood what is crazy about bat shit. Doesn’t every living creature excrete digestive waste products. Why humiliate the humble bat?
Seventy seven million people voted for this. Idiots.
Racists and misogynists and people who have been trained by Fox and Bannon to hate anyone who isn’t white and evangelical.
Yes, it is very important to remember that 77+ million Americans voted for Donald Trump. That 2 million more than Harris got. These 77 million are our friends & neighbor’s & relatives (shutter!). We have two tasks: 1.) help the 77 million to see a better way. 2.) don’t buy a Tesla (or sell your Tesla), quit Facebook, X, Amazon, WaPo, etc. Some folks say we need a new Civil War. I’m more inclined to promote a Civilized War.
I feel civil disobedience coming on. Especially if Trump carries through on his threats to persecute his political enemies, there ought to be sit-ins, marches, and mild offenses to act in solidarity with whomever he is attempting to deport, incarcerate or eliminate.
"On January 18th, thousands of everyday people will gather in DC and nationwide to demand and defend our freedoms. Will you be there with us?
This march will be a monumental effort—and we need all hands on deck. If you’ll be in the Washington, D.C. area and can help, sign up now to volunteer.
Learn more at peoplesmarch.com."
I'm seventy-four, and don't have the spring in my step to march very far, but I sure as Hell can do a sit-in! I'm STILL a Fierce Feminazi(and f*CK you, Rush).
Yes! Right there with you! I just got two new knees and can walk better than I have been able to in 15 years, so I may not get to DC but I will participate in the nearest sit-in or march!!! And yes, it is one of my dearest fantasies, that Rush is busy being tormented in the lake of fire.
Let's not forget his threat to put down protests with force.
The March on Washington is scheduled for Jan 18th, before his inauguration. We remember Selma, of course, but many actions in different places and on other days will be difficult to stop.
Amen.
Yes! Disobedience can be as simple as seeing a maga politician out to eat, just spit in their food!😁 And if you see Clarence “the dope” Thomas with his seditious conspiracy wife Gin, get both of them. Oh, and the Alitos too.
Stop by Clarence and Ginni's table and drop a fifty dollar bill. See how quickly either one grabs it!
🤣🤣🤣
And every protest or march will tempt the orange menace to declare a national emergency, followed by Martial law being ordered. He's jonesing to call out his military, and see which of them (or how many) will capitulate to his wishes. And honestly, I don't trust that his supporters in the military ranks won't turn on their fellow citizens. They've been fed strictly Fox news on the bases for far too long.
Although I agree that we should keep an eye on Trump's expansionist talks, I suspect part of his aim is to distract us from the upcoming confirmation hearings of his dubious nominees. We must not take our eyes off them.
I just watched two reports on Mark Zukerberg's announcement that Facebook is doing away with fact-checking because it had become "too biased" and was suppressing free lies, I mean free speech. The reports both included Trump answering "Probably," when he was asked if he thought Zuckerberg did this because of his threats. As he answered, he tilted his head up into a smug look. The tech oligarchs are coalescing around Trump and all lies are joining together into the T Rex of Lies using their gargantuan media platforms. I'm going to use Amazon to mail him a copy of 1984. I'm sure Bezos won't mind.
Try a copy of “It Won’t Happen Here”. This novel was written by Sinclair Lewis in 1935. It’s uncanny.
I will read his book, thank you. I did follow through & sent Zuckerberg 1984, with the message, “In case you’ve not read this classic, now would be a great time! All the best as we move forward in 2025.”
Zuckerberg is full of shit. How can facts be biased? I guess he wants those alternative facts to be considered too.
What a tiny scared elf is Mark. Even if Trump burned Meta to the ground, Marky would still have enough money for many lifetimes.
So, Aileen has no jurisdiction. Good to know, as news outlets do not point that out. I thought it was the Attorney General who was empowered to decide about releasing the report. I thought the federal courts were under his supervision.
No the courts are not under the AGs jurisdiction. He is Article 2 (executive under the president), courts are Article 3 (judiciary) and rule themselves.
Thanks for clarifying, Jon.
No, the federal judiciary is a separate branch of government, the judicial branch. The AG is under the executive branch.
In keeping with the new free-for-all about to take over on the 20th, a group that will use the law to its advantage or ignore the law to its advantage depending on what problem they are trying to extract the dumbass in the White House from I've decided a couple of things.
My cancer is acting up & I've not been feeling too well. I'm still able to run my errands but I really feel it would be helpful if I could just park in a handicap spot closer to my destination so I don't have to deal with any more steps than necessary. That's a pretty small law to flaunt given that I feel handicapped by my current health status. So whaddya think? Can I do that & just send a letter to the traffic court & ask them to waive the fine? My guess is I'd get a no way, lady you need the placard! Tough shit, pay the ticket. Who do you think you are donald trump?
My second thought is, I really don't want to file my income taxes. I'm a job creator, I have a lovely hardworking lady clean my house twice a month. I have a gardener who comes once a month to trim bushes, pull weeds etc. So as a job creator I should get a tax break, no? I mean I created those jobs for those people to come to my house. Or is this another case of tough shit lady, who do you think you are some poor billionaire that needs a tax break so that he can buy back stock, drive share prices up & then declare a dividend?
So if the law is so damn malleable why can't it be malleable for me. I get really tired of sitting at red lights when I have places to go. Why can't I just run the light. My time is valuable, I have to rush home to have my kitty cuddle on my lap as part of my cancer therapy. (In actuality when I asked the nurse if I should push myself to be more active when most of my day is kitty cuddling she said kitty cuddling is just what the doctor ordered. I have a prescription to rest with my kitty on my lap!!!!😺)
The above is just a different fever dream that hit me.
You don't have to file your taxes. With all the cuts to the IRS, I doubt you'd even get a notice from them before the end of 2025. I wish millions of workers would lower their employers' withholding rate, to put less money into the U.S. Treasury for trump to spend! That would give them more money to spend on those expensive eggs 😉