Is Our Government Fundamentally Defective?

For most Angelinos, Monday was the second worst day of January 2025. On January 7th, we lost our homes; now, the new Larry 'Lonesome' Rhodes has been inaugurated. It's early days, let them cluck around on the airwaves like assholes. Let's get this straight. On January 19th, the country was supposedly in flames; today, all the problems have been miraculously fixed. This is what happens when you lose elections to a cult.

Diane Ravitch's Blog - Greg Olear on what will save us; Dispatches from a Collapsing State - an Immigration Raid Primer for targets and allies; d r i f t g l a s s - on the question of Conservative Rebranding; emptywheel - the pardons; Lawfare - back where Judge Cannon began And if you haven't seen this TNR piece on shoving the presidency down Trump's throat, it might be worth your time. Send tips to MBRU@crooksandliars.com read more

Officer Michael Fanone didn't mince words when asked about Trump pardoning all of his J6 "hostages" who assaulted Fanone and his fellow officers during the insurrection on the Capitol. Fanone made an appearance on CNN shortly after the pardons were announced, and I share his disgust with what Trump just did, and with those that voted for him. COOPER: I'm wondering when you heard the news and what what's going through your mind tonight? FANONE: I just heard the news from your producers a few moments ago, and the only thing that is going through my mind right now is that, this is what the American people voted for. Donald Trump has been promising these pardons ever since he announced his candidacy in Waco, Texas, the scene of one of the most notorious battles between American law enforcement and the American extremist extremist movement that resulted in the death of numerous law enforcement officers. Thanks America. COOPER: This feels like a betrayal to you. FANONE: Oh I have been betrayed by my country.

Donald Trump has pardoned over 1500 convicted Trump supporters who assaulted the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021 and tried to overthrow the 2020 election. Yes, it's a disgrace. Now what? Trump has now sent out the call to the MAGA cult that if you break the law in service of his immoral and criminal actions, you will face no consequences.

We're watching American democracy die before our eyes. Source: Wired Neo-Nazis are celebrating Elon Musk making two Nazi-like salutes during a speech to tens of thousands of President Donald Trump supporters on Monday. “Elections come and go, some elections are important, some are not, but this one really mattered,” Musk said during his address inside the Capital One Arena in Washington DC, hours after Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.

In a recent Politico report, Judge Tanya Chutkan and others were having a judicial existential crisis, wondering what they were doing if the Orange Felon was only going to pardon all the insurrectionists. At the time, Chutkan was trying the case of Brian Kelly, one of the insurrectionists. Kelly was eventually sentenced to a relative slap on the wrist, 10 days in jail. However, what made this story notable was the snark the defense lawyer shot at the Orange Felon, hitting him dead center: Attorney Gregory Hunter, who was representing Kelly in court this week, told Chutkan he wasn't so sure that Trump would keep his promise to pardon people like his client. "He promised three wives he’d be faithful," Hunter said. "Don't go there," Chutkan shot back. Oh dear, I'm sorry.