Category Archives: Trump

A Hideous Proposal to Use No Fly Lists to Ban Alleged Insurrectionists

I hope they throw the book at all the people who we think stormed the Capitol. And the people who egged them on. And I hope they get fair trials.

But not this: Senator Chuck Schumer on Tuesday called for federal law enforcement to add participants from last week’s riot in the U.S. Capitol to the Transportation Security Administration’s no-fly list.

Do I have to explain how bad this is? No trials. No due process. Restrictions on freedom of movement on bare allegations. To the extent we limit it — this time — to persons believed engaged in armed trespass, or even just trespass to the Capitol, that’s different from making it purely political. But it’s moving in that direction. And, recall, that even insurrectionists are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The right to travel should not be infringed because someone somewhere who is not accountable puts you on some list that is next to impossible to get off. That applies to all citizens and permanent residents, whether the list-maker thinks you are someone who makes suspicious visits to Muslim-majority countries, whether you are accused but not convicted of a crime, or because they just don’t like you.

I would be OK with a travel restriction (‘don’t go near DC’) for out-of-towners as a condition of their bail after they were arrested and indicted. That’s done by a judge or magistrate, it’s public, and it’s publicly appealable. The no-fly-list is none of those things; there is an appeal process of sorts, but it’s totally opaque.

Update:
Retired firefighter, comedian and Chuck Norris falsely accused of being Capitol rioters — this is why we have trials.

Posted in 1/6, Civil Liberties, Law: Right to Travel | Comments Off on A Hideous Proposal to Use No Fly Lists to Ban Alleged Insurrectionists

Too Delicious

Washington Post reports that Trump is stiffing Rudy Giuliani on his (inflated?) legal fees after a falling out:

Trump has instructed aides not to pay Giuliani’s legal fees, two officials said, and has demanded that he personally approve any reimbursements for the expenses Giuliani incurred while traveling on the president’s behalf to challenge election results in key states. They said Trump has privately expressed concern with some of Giuliani’s moves and did not appreciate a demand from Giuliani for $20,000 a day in fees for his work attempting to overturn the election.

And why not? Rudy is of no further use at this point, and Trump always stiffs his creditors.

Posted in The Scandals | Comments Off on Too Delicious

The Gubernator Hits One Out of the Park

I’d seen a number of commentators mentioning that former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had given a strong statement relating to 1/6 [I like this referencing, it echoes 9/11] and its aftermath, but I only recently viewed it myself, and I think you have to actually see it to get how powerful it is:

Posted in 1/6 | 1 Comment

Actions Have Consequences (Eventually)

People are putting names to the faces.

Posted in The Media, The Scandals | 1 Comment

National Association of Manufacturers Suggests Pence Consider 25th Amendment

Forget the mandate of heaven, Trump has now lost the mandate of capitalism:

“Armed violent protestors who support the baseless claim by outgoing president Trump that he somehow won an election that he overwhelmingly lost have stormed the U.S. Capitol today, attacking police officers and first responders, because Trump refused to accept defeat in a free and fair election. Throughout this whole disgusting episode, Trump has been cheered on by members of his own party, adding fuel to the distrust that has enflamed violent anger. This is not law and order. This is chaos. It is mob rule. It is dangerous. This is sedition and should be treated as such. The outgoing president incited violence in an attempt to retain power, and any elected leader defending him is violating their oath to the Constitution and rejecting democracy in favor of anarchy. Anyone indulging conspiracy theories to raise campaign dollars is complicit. Vice President Pence, who was evacuated from the Capitol, should seriously consider working with the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to preserve democracy.

“This is not the vision of America that manufacturers believe in and work so hard to defend. Across America today, millions of manufacturing workers are helping our nation fight the deadly pandemic that has already taken hundreds of thousands of lives. We are trying to rebuild an economy and save and rebuild lives. But none of that will matter if our leaders refuse to fend off this attack on America and our democracy—because our very system of government, which underpins our very way of life, will crumble.”

–Press Release, Manufacturers Call on Armed Thugs to Cease Violence at Capitol

Posted in The Scandals | 15 Comments

Just “Most”???

Lock Him Out!From today’s paper.

WHITE HOUSE memo
A President Unhappy, Unleashed and Unpredictable

By Maggie Haberman and Michael S. Schmidt

[…]

This article is based on interviews with more than a dozen current and former Trump administration officials, Republicans and allies of the president.

Most of his advisers believe Mr. Trump will depart the White House for a final time by Jan. 20.

Just “most”??? Does not fill me with confidence.

Posted in The Scandals | Comments Off on Just “Most”???