US Person knows that at the start of a long weekend probably the last new you want to read is This Week in Trump (TWIT). But he is, according to his numerous detractors, Hanshakaiteki na and un-American to boot. And no, he is not from Hawaii! So bear with this post because he promises to keep it short.
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith filed a new indictment against the Ochre Menace in the federal election interference case. He presented the edited document to a new grand jury. It contains the same four charges but allegations that could be interpreted as "official acts" were removed. For example it eliminates communications with the DOJ in his attempt to enlist the department's support for false allegations of election fraud. Communications with DOJ officials relating to the attempt are also gone including those with Jeffery Clark, who is no longer named as a co-conspirator. He wanted to send an official DOJ letter to state election officials saying the department had "identified significant concerns" about the election process in their states. However, a bunch of allegations against Trumpilini, categorized as "unofficial acts", remain. Judge Chutkin will have to sort through those in an anticipated evidentiary hearing.
Whether Smith gets an evidentiary hearing on those allegations before the election remains problematic. His team and defense attornies are scheduled to meet with Judge Chutkin next week. The defense goal is to delay any hearings until after the election. By the way, Don the ConOn is no longer referred to as the 45th President of the United States in the indictment, but rather as a candidate for that office. Smith also filed a brief with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta arguing that pocket Judge Cannon's dismissal of the Mar-a-lago Papers case on grounds of unconstitutional appointment of him ignored decades of precedent, was novel, and without merit. (a polite way of saying trash) Oh my, how the mighty have fallen!
On the election front a big stink was created when an Arlington Cemetery official attempted to prevent Trumpilini from recording his visit. A campaign aide pushed this person out of the way. It is illegal to use the National Cemetery for political campaigning. He is not about using churches or cemeteries as backdrops for electioneering.
As US Person predicted VP Kamala Harris is backing off her previous campaign positions in order to protect her right flank. In what was a policy-free campaign until recently, she announced some progressive tax reforms that include increasing the tax rate on corporations and the wealthy, taxing unrealized capital gains, and subsidies for the working class. Of course her wealthy backers began to immediately push back on these ideas, desirous of maintaining their borrow, spend and die tax avoidance strategy. Whether these proposals survive to an administration's policy objectives is difficult to say. She has already reversed positions on fracking and single-payer health care. But as she told an interviewer, "my values have not changed". We will see, Ms. Harris.
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| credit: Horsey, Seattle Times BC Idonwanna sez: But no bone spurs! |